Bream Gives Me Hiccups

De: Jesse Eisenberg

Narrado por: Jesse Eisenberg, Hallie Eisenberg, Annapurna Sriram, Erin Darke, Colin Nissan

Bream Gives Me Hiccups is the whip-smart fiction debut of Academy Award-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg. Known for his iconic film roles but also for his regular pieces in the New Yorker and his two critically acclaimed plays, Eisenberg is an emerging literary voice.

Taking its title from a group of stories that begin the book, Bream Gives Me Hiccups moves from contemporary LA to the dorm rooms of an American college to ancient Pompeii, throwing the reader into a universe of social misfits, reimagined scenes from history, and ridiculous overreactions. In one piece, a tense email exchange between a young man and his girlfriend is taken over by his sister, who is obsessed with the Bosnian genocide ("The situation reminds me of a little historical blip called the Karadordevo agreement"); in another, a college freshman forced to live with a roommate is stunned when one of her ramen packets goes missing ("She didn't have one of my ramens. She had a chicken ramen"); in another piece Alexander Graham Bell has teething problems with his invention ("I've been calling Mabel all day, she doesn't pick up! Yes, of course I dialed the right number - two!").

United by Eisenberg's gift for humor and character, the witty pieces collected in Bream Gives Me Hiccups explore the various insanities of the modern world and mark the arrival of a fantastically funny, self-ironic, and original voice.

©2015 Jesse Eisenberg. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Eisenberg is truly a talented writer.... Hilarious and poignant." ( Entertainment Weekly)

Part Brilliance, Part Droll

The performance by both Jesse Eisenberg and the rest of the cast is brilliant, hitting all the right notes in the delivery of both the heartfelt and humorous material.

There are chapters of brilliant incisive humor, and I must say it is the kind of humor that is going to miss for some while it will be spot on--especially for the millenial crowd with whom this brand of humor tends to resonate most right now.

However, there is a particularly difficult chapter to get through where a mentally unstable character exchanges letters with a mentor figure. Not only is it the longest piece in the whole work, but it is the one which drags endlessly as she expresses the most angst-y personality in the most whiny tone possible. She is unbearable. Were it a shorter piece, it might work, but it just drags and drags and effectively takes up what seemed like about a full third of the book. I would have preferred 10 more super-short chapters resembling those which came toward the end of the book in rapid-fire succession.

The book does have some meaningful insights, and the delivery is good, and if the book can be had for a Daily Deal (as I bought it) or for any price less than $4.95, I think it might be worth it, mostly for the performances. Otherwise, I'd just try to pick up a $1 paperback and skip that awful sagging midsection.

Loved.

It was silly and ridiculous and sometimes a little sad. It made me smile and it made me laugh. It made me happy. That's really all I want when I read/listen to a book.

heading

there were a couple short stories in here that were hilarious! the rest were OK yet maybe too cerebral for me!

Humorous chapters

This book has some hilarious moments. It also has a majority of pages of not so funny moments. I was able to get through it a little each day. But I wouldn't recommend this book unless you really enjoy humorous books or want to listen to a chapter a day. I like to think I'm a funny guy who enjoys laughing. Not for me.

Enjoyable

Enjoyable. Eisenberg has written a crafty set of character study short stories. Some are more entertaining than others, but all bring you into the character's minds, and, in turn, likely into Jesse's mind as well. He's a creative mind who is impressive in all the different hats he wears.

the mix of narrative style and form was intriguing

AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall: 4 Narration: 3 Story: 4

When I start a collection, I expect that there is some common thread tying the stories together, and while not instantly apparent in Bream Gives Me Hiccups, Eisenberg has managed to take moments of life that present an ‘instant issue’ for the character, whether it be an explanation, a relationship or even a worry.

Multiple moments experiment with different narrative styles: conversations, letters, emails, texts and even a story using reviews all present themselves with a distinct style, solidly appropriate to the ‘style’ of narration.

While I found the stories had flow, it was a collection that required attention: with narrator changes in the writing and presentation, each moment required an adjustment in the listen, and some stories required a second or third listen to absorb the impact.

Narration was from a cast of characters: Jesse Eisenberg, Hallie Eisenberg, Annapurna Sriram, Erin Darke, and Colin Nissan, and while each narrator felt appropriate for their story, the frequent changes in presenter, for me, is a bit unsettled, I prefer not to readjust expectations or concentration with each new moment.

Overall, I liked this curious little collection: the mix of narrative style and form was intriguing and unique, and while I do have favorites (My Roommate Stole my Ramen, Restaurant Reviews from a Privileged Nine Year Old, Marv Albert is my Therapist, My Mother Explains the Ballet to Me) each story brought some humor and humanity into rather awkward moments of life, those moments that bring forward emotions that are puzzling, funny or downright weird.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Audible Customer Relations for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

eclectic, odd, and still engrossing.

shows signs of the authors depth and ability. I think if Eissenberg took the time to care, he would wrote the next great American novel, however it's his lack of caring which creates the word play and pseudo playful stories like in this book. overall a good read. little gained but nothing lost at all.

Mildly Entertaining

I liked this book enough to finish it. It doesn't hold a candle, however, to BJ Novak or Tina Fey's books. I don't think I'd recommend this book to a friend.

Smart and Insightful

I'm always a little wary of books written by actors but this one does not disappoint. This collection of stories is smart, insightful, and witty. Jesse Eisenberg manages to beautifully articulate the awkward details of being a human in a confusing world. As an added bonus, Jesse (along with others) narrates and brings to life a colorful cast of characters. This book is a wonderful treat!

Hilarious And Intelligent

Would you listen to Bream Gives Me Hiccups again? Why?

Yes.I'd like to listen to it again.Love Jesse's voice and speed.The stories he wrote are excellent.

What did you like best about this story?

The IV part."MY ROOMMATE STOLE MY RAMEN" is my favorite.It made me laugh and cry and finally I thought I've got something from it.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Perfect,especially his speed is slightly fast but the enunciation is still very clear.I'm not a native English speaker but his narration is attracting.And his performance is very lively and creative.Undoubtedly,he is not only a brilliant actor and a talented writer but also a good narrator; )Cant talk enough about Jesse Eisenberg...

If you could rename Bream Gives Me Hiccups, what would you call it?

Turkeys Named Todd and Mable(just kidding cause I don't really know.....)

Any additional comments?

PS.I love Hallie Eisenberg ,her voice is very comfortable.She performed very well too.