Loved this! I’ve watched a couple stand up specials by the author and because he narrates this, it feels so similar. Great stories and I highly recommend for anyone who likes a good, clean laugh!

Nate Bargatze has been on my Stand Up Comedian periphery for a while. I'm not big on SNL, and I don't usually follow comedians that I don't immediately relate to myself, and this family friendly self diagnosed "dumb" comedian didn't really seem relatable to me- a queer, genderfluid fan of certain 4 letter words. What I didn't know was that Nate is from the South and is honestly, hilarious anyway. I had run across a couple short clips of his stand up on Tiktok, so I decided to listen to this one since he narrates. I laughed OUT LOUD in more than one spot, and even in the stories I didn't personally relate to, I found his storytelling engaging. I would definitely consider this a supremely giftable book, especially for someone you don't know well or someone who has everything else (looking at you, dads.)

Though I was giving this audiobook to review by NetGalley, I would have listened to it by now anyway. I’m biased for this one due to the fact that Nate Bargatze is one of my favorite comedians, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.

If you go into this expecting emotional impact like other memoirs, you will be disappointed. If you go into it ready to enjoy a comedian with the funniest delivery tell stories that have no real meaning, you’ll love it like I did.

Though I didn’t read the physical book, I can safely say the audiobook is the way to go. Jokes about certain pronunciations don’t hit in written word, but hit in Bargatze’s spoken accent & delivery. The publishing and direction was done well, with quality audio & effects that made the listen more enjoyable.

Funny, family, and flexible.

When I say flexible, you need to be flexible as you try to follow this story. Nate is a very funny guy, but the side stories in each chapter are all over the place, it cracked me up. I have seen his comedy tour live, and loved his funny (and impressively clean show), so getting more of his funny perfective was great!

Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze is often celebrated for his deadpan delivery, Southern charm, and clean comedy that somehow makes the mundane feel hilarious. With BIG DUMB EYES, Bargatze trades the stage mic for the printed page, bringing his signature humor to a book that reads like sitting across from your funniest friend at a diner booth, swapping ridiculous stories and offbeat opinions for hours. It’s not a deep book, and it doesn’t try to be. But it is heartfelt, honest, and, most importantly, funny.

The premise of BIG DUMB EYES is as disarmingly silly as its title. Bargatze opens with the tale of how he used to be a genius—a self-proclaimed child prodigy dreaming of becoming a brain surgeon or world-class mathematician—until a head injury derailed his academic potential. Whether or not this is true (his family apparently disputes it), the story sets the tone for the rest of the book: tongue-in-cheek self-deprecation, exaggerated yet endearing anecdotes, and a gentle skewering of both himself and the world around him.

The book is structured as a series of essays and reflections rather than a linear memoir, making it easy to pick up and enjoy in short bursts. Bargatze covers a range of topics, from his childhood to marriage, from everyday nuisances to his irrational devotion to Vanderbilt football. One of the strongest chapters explores the competitive dynamic between him and his younger brother, where casual family game nights spiral into emotionally charged battles of RISK and Spades. It’s a standout section that mixes nostalgia, absurdity, and sibling rivalry in a way that feels universally relatable, no matter how serious—or silly—your own family gets over board games.

One of the delights of BIG DUMB EYES is how Bargatze manages to elevate the ordinary. A rundown of his first car, a dilapidated Mazda lovingly dubbed "Old Blue," becomes a laugh-out-loud tribute to youthful independence and mechanical ineptitude. The image of a tennis ball as a gearshift is both ridiculous and charming, emblematic of the book’s blend of slapstick and sincerity.

Likewise, his reflections on living in a rat-infested first apartment and debating with his wife over the definition of “shopping” land with familiar weight. These are not epic tales of celebrity excess or high-stakes drama. They’re observational snippets from an “everyman” life—a term often used to describe Bargatze's comedic persona but which feels even more appropriate on the page.

The tone throughout the book is what Bargatze fans will expect: conversational, dryly funny, and always infused with a kind of subtle warmth. You can hear his voice in every line, and the cadence of his comedy translates surprisingly well into prose. His jokes are never mean-spirited or divisive. Instead, they draw their humor from confusion, from misunderstandings, and from the bizarre quirks of daily life—whether that’s trying to make sense of sushi’s historical geography or dealing with his wife’s very reasonable insistence that he, you know, contribute to housework.

There are times, however, when the book coasts a little too easily on its charm. While the essays are consistently entertaining, not all are equally memorable. Some chapters feel like extended bits from his stand-up act repurposed for the page, which can make them feel slightly repetitive for readers already familiar with his material. And while the book’s lightness is largely a strength—it’s a relief to read something that doesn’t aim to teach a life lesson or uncover trauma—it also means that readers looking for emotional depth or narrative heft might come away underwhelmed.

Still, BIG DUMB EYES never pretends to be anything other than what it is: a collection of funny stories from a funny man. And in that, it succeeds wholeheartedly. There’s a clear sense of identity throughout the book, both in the themes (self-doubt, Southern awkwardness, domestic absurdity) and in the delivery. Even when the stories aren’t laugh-out-loud funny, they’re always affable, always genuine.

For fans of Bargatze’s stand-up, this book will feel like catching up with an old friend. For newcomers, it serves as a great introduction to his brand of comedy—clean but not sanitized, dumb but not careless, sweet without being sappy. And for anyone in need of a laugh that doesn’t rely on shock or cynicism, BIG DUMB EYES offers exactly that kind of respite.

In an age where so many comedians strive to push boundaries or shock their audiences, Nate Bargatze takes the road less traveled. He’s not trying to be edgy. He’s not trying to make you think. He’s just trying to make you laugh—and in BIG DUMB EYES, he does that very well. It’s a book that doesn’t overstay its welcome, doesn’t demand too much, and leaves you smiling, maybe even chuckling to yourself in public, which is a pretty great result for a book by a guy who fell off a cliff and forgot how to do math.

BIG DUMB EYES by Nate Bargatze is available now.

Nate! A book with words!?? and then an audiobook narrated by yourself! Absolute gold! I laughed and I cried alongside you. Huge thanks to Nate (ya' we're buddies now) and Netgalley for the opportunity to review the audiobook! A copy of the book will go on my bookshelf for my family to enjoy too because we all love you!

Nate is new to me. I haven’t heard is comedy specials or watched anything of his, just have heard of his name. I really enjoyed this book! My husband listed to most of it with me and we found ourselves LOL as well as shaking our head to relate. Listening to audio version with Nate reading was an extra treat.

I really enjoyed this audio book and recommended the book to multiple people.

Instantly very funny!

I got the audiobook (Thank you NetGalley!) and it was instantly funny. So worth listening to, because he caters to the audio listener. I love how unserious he is, and just naturally funny. Its a great read all the way through. I was already a fan of Nate Bargatze and his comedy. He truly is one of the best right now and after you read (or listen!) to his book you should go check out his comedy. It really is comedy for everyone. You will laugh out loud for sure whether you are reading his story or watching his comedy.

It is so full of heart and worth checking out.

Instantly very funny!

I got the audiobook (Thank you NetGalley!) and it was instantly funny. So worth listening to, because he caters to the audio listener. I love how unserious he is, and just naturally funny. Its a great read all the way through. I was already a fan of Nate Bargatze and his comedy. He truly is one of the best right now and after you read (or listen!) to his book you should go check out his comedy. It really is comedy for everyone. You will laugh out loud for sure whether you are reading his story or watching his comedy.

It is so full of heart and worth checking out.

I enjoy Bargatze’s stand up and his dry sense of humor, so I was excited to read this in audio format. While the same dry tone exists in the reading of this book, I think the timing and cadence of the delivery exists better as stand up act.

This audiobook was a delight. It kept a smile on my face the whole time I was listening. His stories were super relatable because I grew up in Tennessee, with super Christian parents, who didn’t have a lot of money, but even if that is not your story I am sure that you will still find this book hilarious. I also really enjoyed the layout of this audiobook, each chapter was a complete story. Typically, I listen to my audiobooks at a 1.5 or higher speed, but I do recommend this one be listened to at a 1.25 speed, so you don’t lose Nate's particular cadence and accent. And a special thank you to Nate for reading this book yourself instead of finding someone cooler to read it for you. (I wish that he would have explained how his friend “Pee Pee” got his nickname. It really would have brought the book together.)

Thank you so much NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Audio for allowing me to listen to an ARC copy of this book.

This one was recommended to me by a fan of Nate Bargatze, who I have seen in bits and pieces, but not overly familiar with. While I found his light-hearted humor to be charming, I think this book might have read better to me if I knew more about him and his comedic works. I definitely enjoyed it, but I probably would have enjoyed it more had I been more familiar with him, to no fault of anyone else's but mine!

That aside, it was a quick read in audio, and I always enjoy hearing an author read their own book, especially actors and comedians. I can definitely see why people enjoy Bargatze as a comedian - he tells stories with a funny, PG tone that would be good for anyone to read without the risk of being too NSFW or offensive. Just good wholesome humor!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy of this audio!

Nate Bargatze’s book is exactly what you expect it to be - fun, light, and easy to enjoy. It won’t make you ponder life’s big questions, but it’ll definitely make you laugh. The book mixes sweet, sincere moments with humor. Fans of Bargatze’s comedy will love getting a behind-the-scenes peek into his life, though I still prefer him on stage. If you’re going to read it, definitely go for the audiobook, Bargatze reads it and his delivery adds so much to the experience. It’s good, clean listening that’ll leave you smiling and chuckling.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, but I’m sure that had a lot to do with already being a fan of Nate. I found myself laughing out loud several times and I think listening to Nate’s narration had a lot to do with that as well. Nothing in this book is overly profound or too terribly emotional but it’s exactly what I’m looking for when I’m picking up a book of short stories from a stand up comedian that I love!

if you like Nate's comedy you'll enjoy this amusing memoir. It's more of his wry deadpan humor, stories of his early 20's, how he came to be a comedian and a tiny touching bit on his father's childhood which ended up being the catalyst for his family become Christian. Very enjoyable and you just have to do this on audio, he reads it and only he can enunciate the way he does.

I love listening to memoirs, especially ones by comedians, because it feels like the
author is personally telling you their story. I was familiar with Nate Bargatze but didn’t know too much about him as a person, beyond the clips I’ve seen of his stand up and SNL sketches, so it was interesting to listen to stories about his life. I especially liked getting to hear his tone and comedic delivery in the audiobook, which I would have missed if I’d read the print version. I think fans of Jim Gaffigan’s books, Dad is Fat and Food, A Love Story, would also enjoy Big Dumb Eyes.

This might be the easiest five stars I’ve ever given a book. I listened to the audio version of the book which is narrated by Nate himself, and there are times where I nearly had to pull my car over from laughing so hard. This book is full of hilarious stories l, but it also has heartwarming tales about his family and upbringing. This is one of my favorite reads/listens of the year and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 5 stars.

I don’t have a ton of deep insights to give about this book, but it was entertaining, made me laugh, and had a handful of truly earnest, sweet moments sprinkled with enough humor to keep it from being cloying. Fans of Bargatze’s comedy will enjoy this peek into his life.

I like this comedian, so I figured his book would be a cute read/listen. It was, and that's about it. I think I like him better on stage. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Nate Bargatze and I was so excited for this book. The structure of the book is similar to comedy show. It was so funny and I loved that Nate narrated the book. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that’s a Nate Bargatze fan!