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    Last Words: A Memoir
    Last Words: A Memoir
    Last Words: A Memoir
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    Last Words: A Memoir

    Written by George Carlin and Tony Hendra

    Narrated by Patrick Carlin

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    For the last 14 years of his life, the brilliant, caustic, and hilarious George Carlin worked on his autobiography—now, written with bestselling author Tony Hendra and posthumously published, Carlin has proven that even after death, he is still one of the funniest men who ever lived.

    One of the undisputed heavyweight champions of American comedy, with nineteen appearances on the Johnny Carson show, thirteen HBO specials, five Grammys, and a critical Supreme Court battle over censorship under his belt, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career, and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life, including encounters with a Who’s Who of 1970s celebrity—from Lenny Bruce to Hugh Hefner—and the origins of some of his most famous standup routines. Carlin’s early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp wit and unblinking honesty that made Carlin one of the best-loved comedians in American history.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateNov 10, 2009
    ISBN9781442303195
    Last Words: A Memoir
    Author

    George Carlin

    Born in New York City in 1937, George Dennis Patrick Carlin was one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time.  He appeared on The Tonight Show more than 130 times, starred in an unprecedented thirteen HBO Specials, hosted the first Saturday Night Live, and penned three New York Times bestselling books. Of the twenty-three solo albums recorded by Mr. Carlin, eleven were Grammy nominated and he took home the coveted statue five times, including a 2001 Grammy win for Best Spoken Comedy Album for his reading of his bestseller Brain Droppings. In 2002, Carlin was awarded the Freedom of Speech Award by the First Amendment Center in cooperation with the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, and he was the named eleventh recipient of The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in June of 2008. George Carlin passed away at age seventy-one on June 22, 2008 in Santa Monica, California.

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    Reviews for Last Words

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    266 ratings20 reviews

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    • 1/5
      What a sad little life he led. I expected so much more and I'm truly disappointed.
    • 5/5
      Perhaps the best autobiographical commentary ever. 10 out of 10. Must read for all the GC fans. Shout out to Carlin Family. The Legend. The Goat. Air Marshal. Georgy.
    • 2/5
      The Contant was great until it was cut off. Terrible recording. Don’t understand the abbreviated version cutting off in the middle of the chapter.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed listening to George Carlin's story. What a deep thinker!
    • 5/5
      Perfect book, the voice is Patrick carline makes you feel that you are hearing George himself. The book allows you to discover some of what was happening inside the legend mind and heart.
      Love it
    • 5/5
      I could not put it down. Great person and his life was interesting. Thanks
    • 5/5
      Knowing Carlin’s private thoughts about his comedy and how his career seemed to take a sharp turn after the 90s
    • 4/5
      Last Words: A Brilliant Finale to George Carlin's Legacy

      "Last Words" by George Carlin is a posthumous collection of the comedian's final thoughts, observations, and musings on various aspects of life, society, and language. In this book, Carlin showcases his trademark wit, social commentary, and fearless approach to tackling taboo subjects.

      Carlin, known for his sharp intellect and masterful command of language, leaves readers both entertained and provoked by his unapologetic views on politics, religion, and everyday absurdities. His ability to deconstruct societal norms and challenge conventional thinking is a testament to his unique perspective and incisive humor.

      When comparing Carlin to his contemporaries, he stands out as a true trailblazer. Alongside comedians like Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce, Carlin pushed the boundaries of comedy and used his platform to challenge social norms. His ability to dissect language and highlight the power of words sets him apart from his peers, making him a true wordsmith and philosopher of comedy.

      "Last Words" serves as a poignant reminder of Carlin's impact on the comedy landscape. His ability to find humor in the darkest corners of society while delivering biting social commentary is unmatched. Carlin's fearless approach to tackling controversial topics continues to inspire comedians and entertain audiences to this day.

      However, it is important to note that "Last Words" may not be the best introduction to Carlin's work for those who are unfamiliar with his previous material. While the book offers a glimpse into his final thoughts, it lacks the contextual depth and background found in his earlier stand-up performances and writings. Newcomers to Carlin's work may benefit from exploring his earlier albums and books to fully appreciate the breadth and depth of his comedic genius.

      In conclusion, "Last Words" is a fitting and compelling finale to George Carlin's legacy. His unique blend of intellect, humor, and social commentary shines through in this collection. While the book may not be the best starting point for newcomers, it serves as a testament to Carlin's impact on the world of comedy. George Carlin will forever be remembered as a groundbreaking comedian whose words continue to resonate long after his passing.
    • 5/5
      Mesmerizing story about George Carlin's life. As a life-long fan of his standup material I couldn't pass the opportunity to give this book a listen. Probably the best thing is the fact that his brother is the one who narrates it. Their voices are so similar that at many points I completely forgot it wasn't actually George speaking.
    • 4/5
      A story of loss, love and life in an quirky Newfoundland town and how the lives of these people intertwine. E. Annie Proulx writing and story telling is beautiful.
    • 5/5
      Carlin takes us on a long and varied journey through his life. He shares his many up and downs, his successes and failures. This is a must read.
    • 4/5
      Funny and candid, quite a bit will be familiar (as in verbatim) to his fans. The Carlin whose comedy matured over the years from juvenile to hard-hitting social commentary wrapped in humor turns the crosshairs on his own work (the middle years), his own life and failures, but rightfully takes credit for his successes. Great (next to) Last Words from the master - I read part of Sally Wade's book in a bookstore last year and wished I had bought it then. I very much enjoyed reading some of those last words and look forward to when I can read them all.
    • 4/5
      Memoir of the greatest stand up ever.Very funny and entertaining and sometimes simply wise book about the life and adventures of George Carlin.
    • 4/5
      George Carlin was the greatest, not only at using words, but at telling us what we miss when we look right at the elephant standing in plain sight. This 'sortabiography' was culled together from 15 years of tapes and notes of Tony Hendra's, so going into it, the writing is a little stilted. In a large part of the the book, there is fluidity and great history—George's parents, birth, growing up, education, street education!, going into comedy, family, drugs, people, TV, movies, touring, books, and words. George goes deep, speaking about how his brain works and how his career rose, fell, and then hit the summit. Nothing is left out, pouring over the details of a typical, dysfunctional family, his role as a husband and father, and the death of his first wife. His whole life is left splayed open in the book, with plenty of words.Unfortunately, the book was not written all in one go. There are great details about his early life, up through the '70s, then the voice was lost. The storytelling becomes a little choppy, and the details drop off as the years go by, either by George's own volition, or loss of thought. And to better get through the book, George's speech style should really be adopted—this enhances the reading ten-fold! And visually, the arms and jaw are flailing!The greatest comedian of our time left too soon, but he did leave some of his best thoughts and the meaning behind his words.
    • 4/5
      It's a little strange writing a review on a biographical piece of literature because if you don't have any interest in the person the book is about... then why would you read the book? The sortabiography [sic] that is "Last Words" is the most complete picture you will ever get of George Carlin--the young boy, the rebel, the comedian, the actor, the husband, and the father. Nothing is held back in these pages either, so the reader will learn about his childhood escapades in Brooklyn, his cocaine addiction, and his health problems right alongside his success, pursuit for identity, and reflections on his personal life. George Denis Patrick Carlin set the bar high for comedians, taking what was once called the "vulgar art" and turning it into something more. When he passed away at the age of 71, he had appeared on the "Tonight Show" more than 130 times, 14 HBO specials, and 3 best-selling books. Eleven of his 23 solo albums were Grammy-nominated, and he took home the statue five times. He was awarded the Freedom of Speech Award by the First Amendment Center in 2002 and named the 11th recipient of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2008. I know that am I not alone when I say George Carlin will be truly missed, and I thank him for making me appreciate the power of language like no one else ever has.
    • 5/5
      I doubt George intended his autobiography to be inspirational, but it was. Comedians' autobiography's are rarely funny - Mark Twain's in particular was downright depressing - but George did work in his signature humor in places. It was interesting to read his evolution as an artist and as a man. I always enjoyed Carlin's intelligence and caustic wit, but I have a new respect for him having read his story. I would highly recommend this to anyone who isn't flustered by the odd F-bomb. The words, of course, are innocent! I'm saddened knowing there will be no more of his unique humor in the world.
    • 5/5
      I read biographies to gain insight into another person's life, to experience their pains and pleasures, their beauty and bruises. Carlin does not disappoint. You get the full experience of growing up Irish in NYC, stealing bikes, going to mass and making trouble. He spills on everything and everyone, himself not excluded. He's a prick to the bitter end and that's what made him great. I winced at his drug use, laughed at handling his daughter's boyfriend with a baseball bat, and cheered when he took on authority. He was no saint and doesn't pretend to be; his rant on the concept of God will live forever. His wife passed away with only a few details mentioned. I wanted to hear him expand on that, to see less of the angry, bitter Carlin (there's plenty of that) but I understand that might have been too painful.
    • 4/5
      I've been a fan of G Carlin's earlier material for a long time so it was a pleasure to relive some of the material and learn some of the thought processes he went through while writing his routines. His self-proclaimed "sortabiography" is exactly that--part a history of growing up in America during the 50's and 60's, part his personal life and opinions and part an insider's look at the workings of the entertainment industry. As usual, George doesn't hold back when it comes to criticizing institutions like the Church, the Republican Party, the FBI, the US military, etc, but there's a lot of funny and thought-provoking material in this book. I'd recommend it to American adult readers (those with thick skins anyway), but I'm not sure members from other countries would find it as humorous or entertaining.
    • 5/5
      This is a really well done autobiography. Unlike some 'autobiographies' that are obviously written by the co-author, Carlin's voice is loud and clear in this one. I was suprised by the amount of personal info about drug use, wife, family that he devulges. There is also some fascinating insight into how he evolved from the Hippy Dippy Weatherman into the raw, brilliant social-political humorist the last 20 some years of his career. I really do miss George Carlin.
    • 5/5
      This is a somewhat different autobiography; in fact, Carlin referred to it as a “sortabiography”. This difference comes about because the material is gathered from hours of taped conversations between Carlin and Tony Hendra. The intent of the tapes was, indeed, to put together the “sortabiography”, but you have to wonder how different this would have been had Carlin not died - how it would have differed if he had been more involved in the final product. Not that I think he would disapprove of the work Hendra has done; it tells a very full tale of the life of George Carlin.The best successes for a comic’s autobiography (I’m sticking with that term) result from one of two things. The first is to just be funny. Paula Poundstone’s biography works on that level. It is not what she reveals about herself that makes her book a rousing success (though that is of interest); it is that she did it while be really funny. Steve Martin’s book is successful because he does an excellent job of providing insight into how his comedy developed. His book does not provide many laugh-out-loud moments, but the insight into the comic as artist is engrossing.George Carlin’s book succeeds on this second level. Sure there is some funny stuff (sometimes, it feels like someone is trying too hard to be funny), but the book’s real success comes from the insight into how Carlin became funny and continued to reinvent himself toward being funny in new ways. Carlin tells of his constant battle between maintaining the status quo when he found success (read that as “selling out”) and reaching for something new and different. No, it didn’t always work, and it may have kept him from some other successes, but it allowed him to be something greater than anyone might have expected.At first blush, it feels like the gloves are removed in some instances – that some of the topics could have been hit harder. But, looking closer, it is obvious Carlin does not shy away from the tough stuff. The drug use is there, the way it harmed his family is there, the IRS is there, and fellow comics are there (some being lauded, others having shots taken at them.) And these are all handled at the right level. They are discussed as much as they need to be and no more. In the final analysis, this book does an excellent job of portraying a man who was a genius at comedy, but was a man. And it shows how that man used that genius to take comedy places it had never been before.