Brooks on Books: Steve Martin, Bob Newhart autobios

Each of these two comedians' autobiographies is absorbing in its own right, and each provides sharp insight into the life and routine of a successful standup. Yet each volume uses a distinct approach. The two books are both great reads for different reasons. Readers who consider themselves fans of these guys should snap these up, devour them, and thank me later.

Steve Martin's "Born Standing Up" is more specific in its focus, with an emphasis on the standup years. A lot has happened to Martin since then, but while he covers seminal events in his childhood that later affected his career, like discovering a magic shop where he would get a job, he basically stops after he reaches his standup peak. Martin maintains a strong narrative flow in zeroing in on that period of life, providing enough other details here and there to fill us in on the rest of his life, as well. Yet he always manages to tie it into his professional life. It's a well structured, cohesive book.

Bob Newhart's "I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This" jumps around a bit more. It covers the comedian's standup career, as well as his pre-comedy jobs, his TV shows, and some of his movie work. There are a lot of stories about his personal life, and while he does maintain a bit of reserve, you do get some insight into the man. I was particularly in his self-described "perverse" behavior on stage, how he sometimes likes to throw in jokes he won’t go over or kind of play with the audience a bit. It's a different side to Newhart and one that he describes in entertaining fashion.

However, don’t get his book expecting a comprehensive account of the man's life. Fans of his TV shows may be disappointed at the relative lack of behind-the-scenes stories. "Newhart" the show rates only a few pages, most of it covering the famous final scene, and there is nothing more than a scant mention or two of his early work on "The Entertainers," a show about which I've only read but would like to know more about. Newhart the author doesn't delve too deeply into his personal life, either. On page 191, he mentions in passing that his sister is a nun. At that point, I don’t think I even knew he had a sister. "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This" has lots of insight into Newhart's career and into comedy in general, but it's by no means an exhaustive work of biography.

Martin's book is perhaps more literary. He tells his story chronologically, with events building and transitioning into others. This doesn't mean that Newhart writes like a dunce, but he tends to skip around more and allow for digressions on different topics. He communicates effectively and in a friendly, accessible style, yet--importantly--he does translate his wry sense of humor to the page. Martin is a bit more thoughtful and philosophical, and you get the sense that he's writing more deliberately and with more purpose. Now, you may think the guy that writes plays and essays for "The New Yorker" delivers a self-conscious or prentious book, but that's not the impression that I want to convey at all. Make no mistake, "Born Standing Up" is a quick, pleasurable read. But you have to give a guy credit when he makes an e.e. cummings reference early on and then comes back later with a payoff.

Apart from the autobiographical material, each book provides intriguing analysis of standup comedy. The fact that each comic's style and experience is so different is rewarding if you're reading both works. Newhart's style is more cerebral and his career was more of a conventional showbiz kind of thing, whereas Martin's performances were more experimental and conceptual, with a rock-star aura at his concerts during his peak. Bob deconstructs some of his own bits, like his famous telephone routines, and has interesting things to say about audience interaction like heckling. Martin talks effectively about some of his unconventional anti-comedy comic routines and shares his thoughts on doing things like leading the entire crowd out of the building and onto the street.

Dissimilar approaches, to be sure, but both men are intelligent enough to understand what they're doing and relate some of their philosophies on how it why it works. Each comic includes some of his standup material, or at least descriptions of it. Here, Newhart's verbal humor comes off much easier, especially since it's so easy to imagine him relating it in his inimitable delivery. He's able to integrate chunks of routines into the text smoothly and to great effect.

The nature of Martin's work in his heyday makes it virtually impossible to recreate in print form, and while he tries to summarize it vividly, you just can't quite get it. It's not Martin's fault, but the only frustration I had while reading "Born Standing Up" was that I didn't have access to concert footage of him. Even if I did pop up in a tape, though, it wouldn't be the same. As Martin says, it was comedy of the moment that relied on the live environment. Perhaps that is why he is able to maintain such a detached tone throughout the text. Not only is that stage of his life behind him, but it may be impossible for him to get back into that frame of mind and recreate it. Bob Newhart's comedy, however, is much more easily replicated and imagined even if you haven't actually seen it performed.

These are two different performers who crafted different autobiographies. Both books are difficult to put down, though, and while they are easy reads that you will likely tear through in a matter of days, you won't feel cheated or wanting because they're just so amusing. Newhart's is a little funnier, Martin's is a little more compelling, but each is a must-read for fans of comedy.