Demetri Martin's Brevity and Wit

Few comics are as funny off the page as when they are on stage. Demetri Martin's comedy reads wonderfully in his new collection of shorts, bits, and drawings entitled THIS IS A BOOK. Martin's droll sense of humor blends irony, absurdity and potty humor with little excess. When others need paragraphs, Martin uses a sentence--he is a master of shortform.

The book is divided into four parts each separated by sets of one panel drawings. The sections are organized without thematic reasons; instead Martin separates his narratives and one-liners equally throughout the book.

Particular standouts are ‘Socrates’s Publicist’ (as seen in this month’s Playboy), and ‘Optimest, Pessimist, Contortionist,’; each representative of Martin’s ability to turn simple phrases and premises on their ear. ‘Sheila’ demonstrated Martin’s ability to create longer narratives, something I hope he continues and explores in his next book.

I considered several methods of describing THIS IS A BOOK, but none felt natural and germane to Martin’s style. Instead I’ve drawn a few pictures to summarize my opinion on his first book. As you will see below I had a great time reading THIS IS A BOOK. If you’ve chuckled at one of Demetri’s standup acts or at one of his appearances on the Daily Show this book is for you. Whimsical, accessible, and sure to make you laugh. Unless you hate fun. I would stay away if you hate fun.

A Pie Chart Showing the Content of the Book