Spoiled Brats

I had bought this book eons ago and somehow never got around to reading it--now that I have, I wish I'd done so a lot earlier!IMHO the first story alone is worth the price . . . .It's a collection of short stories, and like all such collections, some will appeal to one reader but not perhaps to another; the nature of the beast. And, of course, short stories are notoriously difficult to write and write well. Seems the author here has no trouble doing this--more power to him.Rich is able to create for each character/narrator a unique "voice" that the reader can hear in her head. This adds a lot to the humor of the tales. A few stories feature a character named "Simon" (different for each tale). Clearly intended to provide a glimpse into Simon Rich's rich internal humor....very clever.You will like this book if you'd really like something amusing to read (a couple of times I cracked up), enjoy short stories, good characterization and storylines, and are sick and tired of the depressing state of affairs on the news. I am glad to see that Rich has other books on Amazon. I'm going to purchase another NOW.

After watching "American Pickle" I purchased the book as "Sellout" was the inspiration for the movie. I gave the collection five stars, but I am the perfect target audience (a "middle America" guy who lived in upscale NYC for several years). I know just enough about NY to appreciate the humor, but not to take it personally. For the average person this may be a four-star book.I can't say there was a single story that I did not like, but "Animals" had the best style and "Gifted" the best (and most obvious) punch line. "Sellout" was good, but I liked the movie's ending better.I will most likely buy some of the author's other collections.

I tried this book after reading a good review by B.J. Novak whose short story collection was fun. Rich's tales go a step beyond, offering biting commentary on urban culture...and not nearly as far from the truth as you might hope. Like with Novak, you'll find plenty to laugh about, but the humor here is shaken by an underlying current of shock. Please tell me this crap really isn't going on, people aren't really behaving this way--and yet I hear there are couples in L.A. who are willing to pay $20,000. tuition for a year of pre-school and whose toddlers must submit a 'drawing' as criteria for acceptance or rejection. That's a fact not fiction. Frighteningly, Rich's fiction is based more on acute observation than exaggeration.

I started Spoiled Brats while stuck on the F train beneath the East River. What should have been the "commute from Hell" -- standing for 45 minutes in a stalled train underground -- turned into a continuous laugh fest as I poured through the first 3 stories of this hilarious book, having way too much fun.The bad news? I finished the book much too quickly. It felt SO GOOD to laugh, I could not put it down. The good news? Simon Rich has written lots of other books! A smart, subversive, supremely entertaining writer, this is a book not to be missed. A surprise at every turn. Highly recommended!!

Some of Simon Rich's ideas are really unique. The stories with wacky dialogue, characters and situations will make you laugh. Some of them do not have original concepts behind them and they will disappoint. The book is a real roller coaster ride for the reader in that he's thrown in the half baked ones with the gems. That said, he's a good writer and I'm sure he won't quit with this book.

Really funny stories but at the price it feels like it should have been 50% to twice as long. And Ant Farm wasn't as good, so I guess I'm waiting on his next book and I hope he'll trash millennials in that one, too, because he does a great job of that here.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha . That’s my impression of me while I read this book.

I honestly couldn't stop laughing while reading many of the stories in this book. Others were the kind that really stop and make you think. Simon Rich continues to be one of my favorite authors in the fantastic book. I'm pretty picky, but I'd recommend this to everyone I know!

Depois de "The Last Girlfriend on Earth", é o meu favorito. Simon Rich mostra também uma evolução como escritor. Vale a leitura!

Hilarious, and laugh out loud funny.