Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nate Bargatze is certainly having his moment as of late, and this book exemplifies exactly why. His wit and delivery, especially in the audiobook, translates so well. I am a big comedy fan and he is a great current example of why he's so popular right now. I was hoping for him to provide a little more insight into his hostings at SNL because he hosted two really popular episodes, but he really did give a peek into his upbringing and how he made his way to where he is now. I also appreciated the insight into why he's chosen to be a clean comic and his own personal convictions in regards to doing so. This was a really fun and easy listen, and I hope he publishes more books in the near future!

Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze made a road trip go faster. I have seen his stand-up shows on TV. Hearing him reading his book made his humor more personal for me. I was not expecting an audiobook that was a repay of his standup acts but rather the back story of how he became a standup comedian.
His way of talking about his life in his calm way I could see him at different times in his life.
Thank you NetGalley, Nate Bargatze and Hachette Audio for the Audiobook Big Dumb Eyes. This is my personal review.

He's a likable guy, and I enjoy his standup. He isn't as successful an audiobook reader as he is on stage. I also finished feeling like he's a bit old-fashioned, which I did wonder at with some of the negativity in his standup about his wife.

A quick, easy read for patrons who are religious or like clean comedy.

Thank you for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

Nate Bargatze is a comedian known for his clean, family-friendly acts. I only became aware of him a couple years ago when he was touring and it seemed like every other local friend of mine was posting about having been to his show. Additionally, his George Washington skit on SNL is truly a thing of brilliance.

BIG DUMB EYES is Bargatze’s first book, and I opted to listen to him narrate the audiobook; without an audience, it can’t fully mimic the experience of seeing him live, but it served as an entertaining, more in-depth introduction to him and could give you a sense of his shows. His deadpan humor helps deliver a range of stories about his friends, his marriage, and his children. My ten-year-old and teenager both caught segments of the audiobook while I was listening and they were entertained enough that I pulled up one of his standup shows on Netflix for them to see.

(Thank you to Hatchette Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

I wasn’t too familiar with Nate’s stand up before this book, I had only heard him a few times, but I think that everyone would love this book! I listened to audio version, and I think that probably made it more like his standup.

His book talks about his childhood and family, and adds funny stories and characters along the way. I really liked the way his wife contributed as well.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable listen and I would recommend it to anyone who just wants to enjoy some funny stories.

Nate is that breath of fresh air that your life needs. His standup is clean and hilarious. This book is also a complete guide to owning who you are and making the best out of life. He often says how unintelligent he is but I think wit is carried in a lot of different ways and he really communicates his life well. I am a better person for listening to this and I am thankful he made it!

Just like watching/listening to a Bargatze stand up. Perfectly enjoyable and a look into his life, still with jokes, but also more deep.

Perfect, love it, love him.

4/5⭐️

I loved Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze. Listening to the audiobook version made it even better—his narration brought every bit of humor and personality to life. One of my favorite parts was how he played with the format, referencing how certain things just wouldn’t land the same if you were reading instead of listening. For example, he pointed out how you’d never know he says something a certain way unless you heard it—and that made the experience feel personal and unique.

I also really appreciated how the chapters were structured. Each one stands alone, so you can jump in anywhere and enjoy it without needing to remember what happened before. It gave the book a laid-back, easygoing vibe that matched his comedy style perfectly.

Overall, I found it genuinely funny and kept coming back to it. It was something I looked forward to listening to, and it made me laugh out loud more than once. If you’re a fan of Nate’s stand-up, or just looking for a clever, light, and well-performed audiobook, I’d definitely recommend this one.

If you like Nate Bertgatzes stand up comedy, you’ll enjoy this book. I decided to listen to the audiobook rather than read it because the author reads it himself which adds all of the great Nate inflections and pauses that make him so funny.

It’s basically listening to his comedy routines. Very enjoyable and good for a lot of laughs

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to advance read/listen to a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Nate Bargatze is a stand-up comedian well known for being a clean comic. As a result his book is suitable for all ages (you might just have to skip the chapter about Elf on the Shelf). He tells you at the beginning that you can skip around reading a chapter here and there because they all stand in their own. This is true but his throw backs to previous comments/chapters is so funny I recommend listening in order. Plus the book reads like a memoir. It’s fun to follow Nate from his failed attempts to play high school basketball to flunking out of college to trying comedy in Chicago and then New York.
Also I’m sure the audiobook is better than the written format because you get to hear Nate deliver his own stories with his accent and inflections. It makes it all the more hilarious. If you’re a fan of Nate or just looking for a wholesome light hearted read you’ll enjoy this. It’s laugh out loud funny and his world observations are on point and relevant - not profound but relatable and you won’t be dummer for reading this book - just more joyful.

Before I start, genuine thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Audio, NetGalley, and the author for an audio ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This may be a bit unusual, but I want to start by reviewing the audiobook experience. This is the perfect example of a book that is better enjoyed as an audiobook. Bargatze’s delivery of the material really elevates the reading experience. How? Because in print the punch lines of certain jokes don’t land as punchlines (e.g., repeatedly mentioning the reason for his friend’s nickname). The recording quality was excellent and the post-production effects (e.g., blank pages) were included beautifully and seamlessly. There was clear attention to ensuring there were no significant variations in vocal quality or volume across chapters and no jarring re-recorded lines dropped in. Overall, when you have an audiobook experience like this, you almost always fail to appreciate it for its lack of errors, because we only recognize our audiobook experience as different from visually reading the book when something goes wrong. So, infinite kudos to the team at Hachette Audio who worked on this one, because your hard work was noticed.

Now, onto the book content! I came into this book as a fan of Nate Bargatze’s comedy, so I definitely had expectations. If I had to define those expectations, I’d say I expected to laugh out loud, often, during my reading experience. Those expectations were not met. To me, this read as an accumulation of failed comedy bits? The pace was slow. The funny bits were less funny and the slice of life bits were a little more poignant. Don’t get me wrong, it was humorous, just not laugh out loud funny. There was literally no organization, the chapters could be read in any order. Depending on your personality, this could be good or bad. It’s definitely a bonus for slow readers. Overall, I enjoyed it and I will encourage my Bargatze-fan husband to read it, too.

I would not have finished this book if I didn't feel obliged to. I was given an advanced copy of the audiobook to read and review. I love a silly celebrity memoir that was obviously ghost written. This was not that.
Not only were these stories not funny, but they weren't even interesting stories. They were just dull accountings of random events from his life. None of them felt like a "story" more of an answer to a question someone asked and you gave a boring answer.
There was nothing to this book. I can't recommend it less.

I am a fan of Nate Bargatze's comedy. I love watching reels of his live shows, and he killed it on Saturday Night Live. That being said, Big Dumb Eyes did not live up to my hopes and expectations. The book is humorous, but not laugh-out-loud funny like I was hoping and expecting. I listened to the audiobook because I wanted to hear Nate's delivery. The delivery comes across as very disorganized and repetitive at times.

I enjoyed hearing his family history, even though it was dark at times. It gives the reader an understanding of how Nate became the man he is today and why he is a comedian.

Nate is very vocal about not being a reader or liking books, and that fact is obvious in this book. To be a good writer, one needs to be a reader. It was okay, but it doesn't knock it out of the park.

If you enjoy Nate Bargatze’s stand up, you will enjoy this book. Was it as funny as his stand up? No but I was still entertained the whole time. I enjoy his humor in his story telling. Whoever decided to have him as the narrator for the audiobook, you made the right call. My favorite was the blank pages😂

What a great audiobook. I laughed aloud. I enjoyed the stories. This is one of the better audiobooks I have listened to in quite some time. It makes me want to see his stand up. Nate seems genuine and cares about his family. Thanks for letting me laugh at this early access audio.

If you are already a Nate Bargatze fan, this is a fun read (or, listen, as he's the narrator, which is the best!). But if you're expecting hours of stand up comedy...it's not that. I mean, really, that would be asking a lot from a book. But I'll be honest, it was kind of what I wanted.

I've watched all of the specials available, and we saw Nate in person at Red Rocks (AMAZING!). If you are new to his comedy, I'd say go watch his specials first. Get to know his comedy, THEN listen to this book. I don't think the book is the place to start.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the advanced reader's audiobook of this fun read (listen).

I loved this!

I was a little worried that because I've seen most of his stand-up specials that it would be recanting stories I've already heard but that was not the case.

I'm not completely against comedy not "clean" but I do find Nate Bargatze refreshing. some of the clean comedy that is out there.I just don't feel like it is as well done and he finds a way to be one of the best comedians in my opinion and clean at the same time.

I did listen to the audio version of this book and there were a couple moments where that added to the humor. for example, in one of the first few chapters he mentions that he makes a comment for people listening to the audiobooks selling them. he just learned how to pronounce a certain word, and there were a few examples of things like that that made the audiobook a little more special.

As someone who grew up in the South and as a Baptist, so many of his childhood stories hit home and had such a level of nostalgia (Church League sports with carpeted basketball courts.... 🤣🤣).

I feel like this was something that could be an easy read that you do in a day, but you could also just read a chapter at a time between other things.

if you love his sand up, I highly recommend this book!

I've always loved Nate Bargatze’s clean, clever comedy, so I was really excited to check out his book—and it absolutely delivered. There were moments I had to fight not to laugh out loud in public or look like a complete maniac cracking up while driving. But honestly, how could you not laugh? It’s Nate!

I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and this one truly stands out—especially because it’s read by Nate himself. That probably makes it even funnier. If you enjoy his stand-up, you’ll love this book. Just get it—you won’t be disappointed. Thanks for the ARC

My husband and I first learned about Nate Bargatze when he hosted SNL for the first time in Oct 2023. We were instantly fans, so it was a no brainer to try to get my hands...or ears in this case...on his book early. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for selecting me as an ARC listener.

I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook - 5 stars all the way! Of course, I'll also purchase the physical book to add to my personal library, but hearing Nate narrate "the most words" in his book just brings it to life in a way reading it can't. I have watched every video I could find of him, so as he narrated this book, I could envision his expressions and that just added to the enjoyment. His dry, self-deprecating humor is so funny and extremely relatable, in my opinion. Growing up in a Christian home and being a born-again Christian myself, I related to so much of the stories he told about his childhood and his experiences with church and "church" people. Additionally, the way Nate describes his wife and their relationship hits home because it is VERY similar to my relationship with my husband. The similarities are astounding and it just adds to the relatability of his humor.

My husband and I have a running joke that involves stating whether certain people (usually celebrities) can "come to our BBQ." If we think someone would be fun to be friends with and have at a BBQ, we say "[insert name] can come to our BBQ." Well, Nate, Laura, and Harper can TOTALLY come to our BBQ. Nate - if this BBQ doesn't happen on Earth, you guys are totally invited to our BBQ in Heaven. I'll be sure to stock up on Diet Coke (I'm an addict as well), Grape Jelly (even though it's not really our "jam"...heh heh), and we'll have fried chicken for you and grilled chicken salad for Laura.

Thank you to Nate, for sharing your wonderful talent with the world...and thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me the privilege of and early listen...now I'm going to go listen to it again!

One of the more hilarious comedian memoirs I've read. Bargatze is incredibly funny in almost every chapter and his narration is fantastic.