Too Fat to Fish

A harrowing, hilarious and occasionally reflective memoir from an amiable train wreck
Few comedians walk the "messed-up yet endearing" tightrope like Artie Lange. The "Howard Stern" regular and former "Mad TV" cast member seemingly has nine lives — he's endured cocaine and heroin addictions, a suicide attempt and a high-profile arrest, not to mention a teenaged "joke holdup" where he unwisely attempted to flirt with a bank teller by giving her a signed holdup note.

Lange reports it all in his funny and fascinating memoir Too Fat to Fish, written with Anthony Bozza. There's no need to be familiar with the Stern show to enjoy Lange's stories, which run the gamut from maudlin to filthy. Even the most jaded reader may cringe from time to time, not so much at Lange's colorfully R-rated prose but at the scenes they describe. But that's what part of what makes Lange so entertaining. He doesn't seem to brag about his unbelievable life so much as be amazed that he's still around to talk about it. A less humble and reflective author might make readers feel angry for all the chances he's squandered, but Lange's knowledge that he's his own biggest enemy makes him a bumbling hero in his own story.

You can't help but root for Lange. In between every anecdote he thanks those who have kept him alive and supported his dreams. He also isn't afraid to reveal his weaknesses in detail, whether taking full blame for his drug problems or talking about the things that make him cry — his father's death, group therapy in rehab, the kindness he's been shown in his life, contemplating the ways he's caused his family sadness — there are many. The only drawback of the audiobook is that Lange's addiction problems prohibited him from recording the entire book himself, so he enlisted the help of Stern show producer Gary Dell'Abate and comedians "The Reverend" Bob Levy and Jim Florentine. While the stories are still captivating without Lange, when he comes on at the end to add a coda, it's clear how much better the audiobook would have been with Lange's jowly, chuckling voice telling all of his tales. Lange mentions a potential second book at the end, which would certainly be welcome, if he can survive that long. Listen to the book and you'll hope he will.