I’ve only seen one or two of Nate Bargatze’s stand up shows, but I know that his content is clean and Christian based and that right there made requesting his biography on Netgalley a no brainer! This book is definitely a true memoir! Filled with personal stories, family moments, and all the random (and hilarious) experiences that helped shape who he is. There’s plenty of Nate’s signature humor throughout, but it’s also surprisingly heartfelt and real, which made me appreciate it even more.

I listened to the audiobook, and having Nate narrate it himself made the whole thing even better! His delivery, timing, and the little random comments he throws in really bring the stories to life! Whether you love his stand up or are just looking for a fun, easy, feel good listen, this book totally delivers!
Huge thank you to @netgalley @HachetteAudio for the advanced copy of this audiobook, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm a new Nate Bargatze fan, but if you enjoy his shows, then know that this audiobook is basically a 7-hour stand-up set. It was self-reflective and relatable in the best ways and always humorous. I really enjoyed the bits that were clearly included just for the audiobook readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance audiobook copy.

I found Nate Bargatze on Tik Tok (where else?). I find him to be hilarious. He's very funny and his stand up is hilarious. Last year, I listened to Kevin Hart's memoir and Josh McHale's memoir. I found them both insufferable. They might have been funny if I had read instead of listened. But with those two books, I found Hart and McHale were reading the books as though they were stand up routines. And it didn't work. Enter Nate Bergatze.

He narrates his book and does a fantastic job. He's funny. He reads the words and doesn't try to make it a stand-up routine. That's not to say that he doesn't occasionally make a side comment or give commentary on the photos. But it is to say that he knew how to read this book. And it made the book even better. I laughed out loud several times and enjoyed his conversational style. He also doesn't yell. Kevin Hart spent most of his book yelling and it drove me crazy. Listening to this book is like listening to your best storytelling friend talk about their life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes comedy and lovely southern accents and well-read audiobooks.

As a fan of his standup comedy this was a fun listen! I loved that he narrated it himself and liked learning more about his family and life growing up in a longer format than most comedy specials provide. Thanks so much for the ARC copy!

I’ve been lucky enough to see Nate live (with his dad as one of his openers!) and have watched a bunch of his Netflix specials, so I already knew he was hilarious. What I love about Nate is he proves you don’t need crude jokes to be funny — he’s just naturally talented.

This book was such a fun listen. I loved hearing more about his childhood, how he met his wife, and the early days of his comedy career. He even shares a bit about his dad’s tougher upbringing, but keeps it all light and heartfelt. Since I had the audiobook and Nate reads it himself, it made it even better — it honestly felt like he was just telling stories directly to me.

If you’re looking for something that’ll make you smile (and laugh out loud), definitely pick this one up. Big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the free advanced copy! I’m happy to leave this review voluntarily.

3.5 ⭐️ This book is a good read if you're a fan of Nate’s stand-up comedy. The humor is definitely there—it's quirky, relatable, and full of typical wit. You do get a good look at his life and family growing up. Some of the stories had me laughing out loud. However, I did find that some sections felt a little repetitive, especially if you're already familiar with his comedy style. It’s a fun, easy read (listen) but didn’t have the same impact as his stand-up. Overall, a good book if you like light humor with a few standout moments, but not a must-read for everyone. Nate reads his book in the audio version which did make the experience better than reading it in my opinion.

Absolutely loved this book. I loved how lighthearted it was. I loved that the author was the narrator because it helped it come more to life. It was a nice little glimpse into his life. Easy read for those who hate reading.

I was so excited to receive an advanced audio of Nate Bargatze’s “Big Dumb Eyes.”
Nate’s narration made the audio so much fun. I enjoyed his dry, laid back delivery in the telling about his family and growing up in the South.

If you enjoy his stand up comedy you will enjoy this book. It was so funny.

Thanks to Hachette audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

Big Dumb Eyes is an easy, enjoyable read that captures Nate Bargatze’s laid-back, relatable humor. It walks the line between being a more touching, revealing memoir and a genuinely funny collection of stories. While there were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments, there weren’t quite as many as I expected — and a few of the funniest bits were things I recognized from his specials.

Still, Nate’s charm and sincerity come through on every page, and even if it didn’t completely blow me away, I had a great time reading it. Fans of his comedy will appreciate getting a closer look at the man behind the jokes, and it’s a solid addition to his body of work.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hilarious. I love this comedian. Clean and funny. Loved his stories. It was lighthearted and fun quick read. Loved having it read by the author. Makes the story so much better.

I will never skip a Nate video on TikTok and am a huge fan of his humor and delivery, so I was so excited to be approved for an ALC of his upcoming release, Big Dumb Eyes! I tend to be opposed to authors narrating their own books, but make an exception when the author is a comedian.

As always with Nate’s comedy, his delivery is a huge part of what makes him so funny, so I think the audio is the way to go for this one. There are lots of fun production enhancements, like music for the blank pages, text message tones, and phone call audio distinction, which make it an enjoyable listen. Nate’s narration is great, though his tendency to trail off for effect works better for watching a video than listening to an audiobook.

The book is a collection of standalone stories with a semblance of an order, and there were a few laugh out loud moments! My favorite story was the one about Nate and his family accidentally forgetting his sister Abigail at church - as a fellow Abigail whose family also once left her at church, you can understand why I really felt seen in that moment.

I think this could have been more personal and more of a memoir, but I am not complaining! A solid three stars from me - thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I am a fan of Nate Bargatze's standup comedy. It is funny, current, and relatable. Fans will enjoy learning about his family and path to becoming a standup. There are some laughs, but there are also serious topics too easily dismissed for a written format. Best for those just wanting to spend more time with Nate Bargatze.

Nate Bargatze's narration deserves 5 stars. He has a terrific sense of timing and makes the most of the material.

Thanks to Hachette Audio/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy.

Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind by Nate Bargatze is pure comedic gold. If you love Nate’s stand-up, you’ll love this too — it’s the same confused logic, accidental wisdom, and deadpan delivery that somehow feels both brilliantly dumb and sneakily smart.

One of my favourite touches? Nate intentionally leaves "blank pages" throughout the book. How does he pull that off in the audiobook? Elevator music, of course — to give your brain a breather between all those words. It's a quirky, genius move that somehow makes the experience even better.

Listening to the audiobook feels like riding shotgun in Old Blue (complete with its iconic tennis ball gearshift), while Nate cracks you up with tales of rats moving TVs, small-town speed traps, and Southern family chaos. His self-deprecating humour and absurd-but-true storytelling make everyday moments hilarious in only the way Nate Bargatze can.

Seriously, Big Dumb Eyes is exactly what you need when life feels a little too wordy. I highly, highly recommend the audiobook — it’s like getting a private stand-up set, full of warmth, wit, and that classic Bargatze bewilderment.

Thank you to Nate Bargatze, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC!
Publication Date: May 6th 2025

I've been a fan of Bargatze since his George Washington skits on SNL, but this . . . was just not that funny.



Review copy provided by publisher.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book! I’ve been a fan of Nate Bargatze for a few years now and love his standup. I liked that Nate was the narrator because you can hear how he wrote the stories in his own voice. The audio was clear. The book itself felt like just a jumble of stories. There wasn’t a clear purpose to the book. It was just ramblings about his life which was fine but it wasn’t as funny as I hoped it would be either. I always appreciate sarcasm so I loved it in this book. The empty pages with elevator music were amazing. (I did need a break from the “so many words” lol) The phone sounds were great too, really made me feel more immersed in the story. In conclusion I really enjoyed it but it wasn’t anything life changing. I appreciated the extra bits added into the audiobook

funny! the audio was very entertaining, but i’m sure the physical copy is good too. he is such a good comic. would definitely recommend!

This was a really fun listen! It was great getting to listen to Nate narrate it so you got the set up and delivery of his jokes like in his stand up specials. At times I forgot I was listening to a book and not a friend telling me stories about their life. Would recommend!!

I realize that Nate Bargatze has been out there for a while now, but I have only discovered him this year. I love that we can watch his comedy as a family, and I love his delivery style. When I discovered he was putting out a book, I knew I had to have it, and on audio. I totally recommend this in audio because it's like an extra-long comedy show. Plus, he made some special stuff for the audiobook, for example, there are intentional blank pages in the print book, in the audio he talks about it and whispers about taking an interlude and plays elevator music. His intro to the book is about how we get a different experience because of his "Southern Accent", I'm from the south, so he doesn't sound all that different from where I'm at. There are several stories that he's told in his stand-up shows, but he comes at them from a different angle and goes a little deeper. It isn't a deep book, but he gives us a glimpse into his brain and some funny stories growing up in a Christian household, having a clown for a father, moving to Chicago, and becoming a comedian. I was able to listen to this with my kid in the car, and he was giggling along with the stories. If you enjoy Nate's comedy, definitely get this. The audio does come with PDFs, and he references what pictures to look at and describes what you're seeing.

I spend most of my TV time watching stand up comedy and I had a positive impression of Nate Bargatze so I was excited to listen to this audiobook narrated by him. Unfortunately, the stories weren't interesting to me, and I didn't laugh while I was listening. I do see that I'm in the minority so I think people who are interested should give this a try.

I devoured this audio from start to finish. It is like Nate giving anecdotes from his life story in the same way he delivers his comedy shows. I have seen him live twice and this felt like he was talking on stage, but in my headphones. The stories had me laughing out loud and telling many friends "you will have to listen to this. you'll love it".

The stories about Risk and Vandy football were some of my favorites. I have my own trauma of a Risk gang up and as an Alabama fan, I both understood and also felt extra pain related to the Vandy stories as he of course had the pleasure of writing this book after Vandy beat Alabama fall 2024.

My desire to be friends with Nate in order to get daily laughter has only grown. Excellent book, wonderfully narrated by Nate himself. I hope the book is wildly successful for you, sir, and will be telling everyone I know to read it :)