This was a really fun and quick listen. I've seen a lot of clips recently but didn't know much about Nate outside of that. If you enjoy his stand-up, you'll love this book!

This book is genuinely laugh out loud funny!

I've loved Nate for a long time now, and listening to him tell his own life story is an absolute joy. Like I had to pause the audiobook because I was laughing so hard at more than one point. If you even sort of like the videos that you've seen of him on social or his clips from SNL, you need to listen to this book!

Thank you to Hachette Audio / Grand Central Publishing and the author for my advance copy!

I love Nate Bargatze. After John Mulaney took a turn to the dark side, Nate Bargatze became my favorite comedian. I love comedians who tell funny family friendly stories.

I didn’t expect much going into this audiobook - it’s a bunch of stories from Nate’s childhood, narrated by Nate. I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it. Nate narrating is what made it. I can’t imagine listening to this with anyone else’s voice. Some of the stories were a little eye opening…kind of made me like him a little less, unfortunately. It had some parts that I chuckled at but none as funny as his standup.

The beginning stories seemed to follow a trajectory that progressed as he aged but the end the book seemed to be more haphazardly put together and I found it less interesting.

I did NOT like the stories regarding his poor dog ownership and how his dog potentially killed his parent’s cat. I didn’t find it funny, just made me dislike him. I could go on and on about this subject but rather than going on a soapbox rant, I’ll just leave it at that.

Takeaway: If you like Nate Bargatze you’d probably like listening to this book. I don’t think it’s worth the dedicated time to READ it though. Listening to Nate narrate (on 1.25x or 1.5x speed 😂) is what made it enjoyable.

Rating and review posted on Goodreads. Social media post will be posted on May 5.

Big Dumb Eyes is Nate Bargatze at his best — equal parts clueless and clever, delivering everyday absurdities with a kind of sweet sincerity only he can pull off. Known for his deadpan delivery and clean humour, Bargatze trades the stage for the page in this collection of autobiographical stories that are as heartfelt as they are hilarious.

The book loosely follows the thread of Nate's life, starting with his not-so-promising start as a potential “math person” derailed by a childhood accident. From there, readers are treated to a series of laugh-out-loud tales involving janky cars, intrusive rats, and his uniquely grounded take on marriage and family.
It’s a meandering journey through the mind of someone who’s never quite sure what’s going on — but is very good at talking about it.

Rather than aiming for a punchline-a-minute pace like jos stage shows, Big Dumb Eyes leans more into storytelling — funny, self-deprecating, and often unexpectedly touching. And while the book would be entertaining on its own, the audiobook is where the stories truly shine.
Narrated by Bargatze himself, it feels less like a traditional memoir and more like a long car ride with your funniest friend. Quirky touches like musical “blank pages” only add to the charm.
Ultimately, Big Dumb Eyes isn’t trying to impress you — it’s trying to make you laugh at life’s weirdness, and maybe feel a little less alone in your confusion. It’s silly, it’s sincere, and it’s exactly what fans of Nate’s offbeat comedy will love. The audiobook especially is a must-listen for anyone needing a good-natured break from the serious stuff.

With thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advanced copy.

This audiobook feels just like stand up Nate Bargatze. A 6 and a half hour audio book finished in the blink of an eye! Life stories peppered with Nate’s humor and delivery kept me listening from start to finish. If you are a fan of Nate and his stand up, then you will LOVE this audiobook.

I really enjoyed Nate being the Narrator. I thought the audiobook went bye very quickly and flowed well. While I didn't need them, I enjoyed the thought behind the "blank pages" to get your head above water. That audio section was both funny and relaxing.

I absolutely love Nate Bargatze’s standup and have been a fan since before he was huge, so I couldn’t wait to read this. Bonus that the audio version it is narrated by Nate himself. Fair warning going into this - it is NOT standup comedy. It’s a memoir. While it is still funny, I was pleasantly surprised by how heartfelt it is, and I enjoyed the peek into his life that I didn’t know before, especially when he shared about his immediate family. If you are a fan you will definitely enjoy this read!

Very true to Bargatze's humor and persona, Big Dumb Eyes is a sweet and funny book full of stories about growing up and living in Tennessee, Bargatze's wholesome family life, wacky dad, and general shock at his success due to the persona he has of being dumb lazy. There are even blank pages/musical interludes to help readers catch their breath! I'm not sure the audience he's targeting are big readers -- he himself claims not to read even this book that he narrated! The stories are funny and a light observation on the world, much like his funny and successful comedy set.

Title: Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind
Author: Nate Bargatze
Genre: Non Fiction, Entertainment, Pop Culture
Format: 🎧
Narrator Nate Bargatze of course!
Publisher: Hachette Audio/Grand Central Publishing,
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages: 240

Nate Bargatze is one my favorite Stand-up comedians. His everyday comedy is a humorous collection of personal stories, opinions, as well as confessions.

Story starts put with his background. His father worked part-time as a Clown and Magician - did children’s birthday parties etc. However his father grew up with an abusive mother. So this started out on a sad note but he then told how his father turned what happened to him into something good well especially since he was Nate’s father and to me Nate is great!

Although I never puller over to the side of the road to laugh out laugh while listening to this - it was a fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Grand Central Publishing, for this fun audiobook
Pub Date May 6, 2025.

I laughed so much! In the intro Nate reminds fans of his affinity for books and reading (or something like that) and stresses the importance of taking this book for what it is, an opportunity to laugh. And laugh you will! In total Nate style, the stories are laced with humor and punch lines delivered as only Nate can. I love the topics with his siblings, miscellaneous food topics and just moments of his everyday life. When you need a moment to step away and not focus on anything deep, critical, or important, this is your book.
I had the added benefit of listening to the audiobook narrated by Nate himself who knows exactly how to pitch the punchline with his signature accent and perfect delivery.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

This is a fun, very easy listen/read of a glimpse into Nate Bargatze's brain. This book is jam-packed with snippets of his life and the Bargatze family (his parents, wife, and daughter).
Don't come into this book expecting a play-by-play of Nate's rise to comedy fame or an exact history of his life. Pick this up to keep you company on a road trip or need something light, silly, and hilarious. If you've ever spent time in Nashville, this book will especially resonate with you.
I'd recommend this to any Nate Bargatze fan.

Thank you for the ALC! I liked this one a lot! I think you have to be a fan of Nate Bargatze to really fully enjoy this book as I feel like a lot of the stories kind of played off his stand up routines. I loved the audio version though and really think this book needs to be read that way because Bargatze has such a unique way of talking, it really added to the experience.

My husband and I absolutely love Nate Bargatze so I was thrilled to receive a copy of this audiobook.

I expected nothing less from Nate narrating his own story. He just has a way with storytelling, which is part of what makes his comedy so hilarious. I enjoyed all the stories that Nate shared about his life growing up. I had a little higher hopes and was expecting to be laughing out loud throughtout the book. I still think this is a great read for fans of Nate Bargatze. Thanks to Hachette Audio and Grand Central Publishing for the advance copy.

This book is really 3.5 stars. I love Nate Bargatze’s stand up comedy and by listening to the audio book, you can hear his tone and timing come through! He also has cute asides for the audio listeners to give you breaks and extra jokes.

Overall, I enjoyed hearing more about Nate’s life and his family dynamic but the organization of the stories felt really disjointed. I felt a lack of flow through the book even though, individually, each story made me giggle.

If you’re a fan of his, this book is a great extension of that fandom but is not a mind blowing memoir. An enjoyable easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an advanced audiobook copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a really fun read. It's like a good hang with Nate, which is my favorite kind of comic memoir. He seems like an all around good guy, and I'm glad this one came across my radar.

Nate Bargatze looks back on snippets of his life through the lens of his signature humor. From childhood shenanigans to recent adventures, he covers a wide range of his personal background. While I do wish that the book was more focused, similar to a traditional memoir, it is exactly what the subtitle claims, a set of stories. Any Bargatze fan is sure to enjoy this quick read. For readers not familiar with his work, this is a great introduction to his comedy.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 240 / Genre: Humor
Audiobook Narrator: Nate Bargatze
Duration: 6 hours 56 minutes
Release Date: May 6, 2025

Nate Bargatze is one of my favorite comedians. His humor is sweet, innocent, honest, and hilarious. His book is part biography and part general Nate musings. I love that he narrated the audiobook. It’s drier than his stand-up as he’s reading his book and doesn’t have a live audience to feed off, but entertaining nonetheless. The one thing the book has over the audiobook is there are pictures in the book. There should be a PDF with said photos that comes with the audiobook, but you’d have to fish it out to see the pics when he’s talking about them. I got an advanced copy of the audiobook that didn’t come with the PDF so that especially stood out for me. Anyhoo, this was a fast, fun read. I highly recommend it.

Thank you, @NateBargatze and @HachetteAudio for my advanced copy of this audiobook.

I recently had the pleasure of listening to Nate Bargatze's audiobook for Big Dumb Eyes. I also recently had the experience of having a transvaginal ultrasound at midnight in the ER during that same week. You may be thinking, 'What an odd way to start a book review' or even (more reasonably) 'How are those two things at all related'". I can ensure you they are definitely related regarding how much I loved this book and how much joy it brought me. Any week in which you are being probed by a total stranger in the ER at midnight is undoubtedly a no-good, very bad week. However, the stories Bargatze tells about his childhood and his family were a beautiful, funny reminder that sometimes, the things that don't seem so funny when they are happening end up being the very same things you look back and laugh about.

The week I read this book was one of the worst weeks I've had in a long time (for reasons that should be very clear now), but Bargatze's new book, and his narration, still made me actually laugh out loud when nothing seemed funny at all. There's bits in this book that will always now remind me of Bargatze's experience with them, and what a testament to a comedian to make things as ubiquitous as bowling, Mazdas, or the movie Men In Black now make me laugh thinking about his stories around them.

For a self-proclaimed non-reader, he has crafted a tight, well-paced narrative that never gets dull and never has to punch down to make the reader or listener feel better. I especially loved that within the audiobook, he added a little background music on the bits where he realized his dear reader maybe just needed a break. He was right! While I know the physical copy of this book would be great, hearing Bargatze narrate it really made the stories even more memorable

The highest compliment I can give this book as a Tennessean who grew up in the South is that Bargatze is the older cousin I wish I had as a child and teen...the one who would show up at family functions, make eye contact with you when your family is being goofy or downright crazy as hell, and then spend the evening telling you stories that left you in tears from laughing so hard. This is that feeling in book form. And while the stories around his childhood and family all carry a sense of self-deprecation with a heavy wink of the eye, the end of his narrative wraps it up beautifully in a way that makes you realize that strange, funny childhoods and the families that shaped them are a gift.

Completely delightful, laugh out loud funny, and a balm in an increasingly mean ass world.

I want to thank SNL for bringing my attention to Nate Bargatze. His first memoir, (hopefully, not his last) is hilarious and family-friendly. Nate is probably the cleanest comic since Seinfeld, a man Nate likes almost as much as Vandy football. (No, he did NOT got to Vanderbilt.) Anyway, if you love comedy, family craziness and laughing out loud, read this adorable memoir. Nate himself reads this audio version and even inflects the text with sound effects!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

I’m a big Nate fan and have tickets to see him in November. I enjoyed this book but didn’t find it as funny as his stand up. I definitely laughed and loved that I could listen with my kids in the car, but thought it didn’t hold a candle to his stand up routine.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

What a fun and clean listen for all generations! I highly recommend to those who want to start or end their work days with a relaxing, down to earth humor. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the ARC audiobook. As a huge Nate Bargatze stand up comedy fan, this listen was very funny and relaxing. This book of essays was easy to listen to over a period of a week. Each day I looked forward to listening to a few essays while walking on the treadmill and relaxing at home in the evening. It is too funny to not give my full attention. I didn’t was to miss a word! The chapters were short and performed by Nate Bergatze in his unique storytelling and self-deprecating humor. Recommend to audiences who enjoy stand up storytelling comedy.