Sebastian Maniscalco (one of my favorite comics) shares his journey from just another funny guy to successful stand-up comedian.

I was so excited to see Sebastian had penned a memoir. If you’ve never had a chance to enjoy one of his specials or to see him live, I highly recommend it. He has a very physical style of comedy. You can see his emotions on his face while he runs all around the stage, mimicking other people and ridiculous situations for laughs. Sebastian is an observational comic who skewers the every day nonsense that others might miss because it’s so mundane. It’s a gift.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t translate as well into a book. However, I was notified by Netflix that he has a special coming out this week with the same name as this book, Stay Hungry. You better believe I’m going to watch it to see if any of what was in here makes it on the screen. I think it might have a chance to shine that way.

As it is, the material just doesn’t have the same flavor as the comedy I’m accustomed to from Sebastian.

For starters, I think Jim Gaffigan has the food angle of comedy pretty well sewn up. Sebastian apparently enjoys food too, but it didn’t feel like his introduction was particularly strong because I associate food so heavily with Gaffigan.

Another thing about me: I’m constantly starving. My entire day is planning around food. What’s for breakfast? Should I scramble a couple eggs like a normal human, or wolf down the dozen my appetite is telling me to do? pg 9, ebook.

See what I mean?

On the other hand, Sebastian quickly moves away from the “food” type of hungry into the real meaning of this work, which is to always keep looking and moving towards the next step of your career. This is more about “being hungry” for success, not resting on your laurels.

He’s been a mover and a shaker almost his entire life, having worked multiple jobs from a very young age. Sebastian was kicked into the workforce by his father and supported by his large Italian family. This cocoon of family meant more to him than he realized, but its importance became clear when he moved to Los Angeles and his family was back in Chicago.

So I went from that environment, a welcoming, warm home with tons of people coming and going, to my one-bedroom in Hollywood with a naked man outside the only window. pg 20, ebook.

Success didn’t come either quickly or easily to Sebastian, but he never gave up. He always kept reaching for it. And he relied on his friends and family back home to never let him forget where he came from.

I love to share what I’m doing with my family and old friends. That’s where I get my enjoyment. No matter what, I can count on these guys to keep me grounded and rip me to shreds. pg 159, ebook.

In that way, this memoir is totally relatable. In other ways, Sebastian mingles with celebrities and lives an upper class lifestyle with his bride. He describes the first weeks of being a new parent and learning the ins-and-outs from a night nurse, who stayed with his baby so they could get some sleep. Not so relatable…

Recommended for readers who like memoirs about someone climbing the ladder to their dreams. Fans of Sebastian may want to stick to watching his stand up routines, many of which are available on Netflix.

Thanks for reading!

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