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Running the Light cover art

Running the Light

By: Sam Tallent, Kyle Kinane - foreword
Narrated by: Greg Chaille, Tracy Chaille, Trae Crowder, Tim Dillon, David Gborie, Chris Gethard, Adam Cayton Holland, Jackie Kashian, Rick Kerns, Kyle Kinane, Bert Kreischer, Kristine Levine, Nathan Lund, Nora Lynch, full cast
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Summary

Debauched, divorced, and courting death, Billy Ray Schafer is a comedian who has forgotten how to laugh. Over the course of seven spun-out days across the American Southwest, he travels from from hell gig to hell gig in search of a reason to keep living in this bleak and violent glimpse into the psyche of a thoroughly ruined man. Ex-inmate, ex-husband, ex-father - comedian is the only title Schafer has left. Trapped in the wreckage of his wasted career, Billy Ray knows the answer to the question: What happens when the opportunity doesn't come - or worse - it comes and goes?

©2018, 2019, 2020 Sam Tallent (P)2021 Tantor

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    5 out of 5 stars

There’s always somebody worse off than you

It’s comforting to watch a fifteen car pileup when all you’ve suffered is a mild fender bender.
This book offers perspective. Same again, barkeep!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved every second.

Loved this audio book, I'll be honest though, I wish Doug Stanhope read the whole thing, it feels like a man telling his own life story even though it isn't. I think he's the only comedian who didn't miss a beat either the "so-called" drunken shambles read it like a champ. Sam has a great knack for painting a picture and I look forward to his next offering!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hilarious and devastating

The writing and the story of this book is incredible. Absolutely believable, shocking and compelling. Highly recommended.

The different comic’s narrating is a great idea, although the quality of narration does vary. Regardless, a great book for fans of standup and human tragedy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I'd never heard of Sam tallent before last week.

I started this book on a whim (that's what I call phones), and within an hour I was watching his stand up bits online. He's a great comedian. Really. Considering the dross that passes for stand up nowadays he's truly a shining light in a field of broken bulbs. But his writing is a class above. Lyrical, poetic, savage and obviously funny. the narrators are a mixed bag but that doesn't impede the excellence on show here. Might be my favourite book this year.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Book about me

I'm no comedian.
I'm a troubled family man, with flaws and vices. This book came at the exact time to make me think. About where I'm going, where I've been and where I am at the time. Damn, a fictional 50-something comedian spoke wisdom to a 30-something troubled man. A great book. Makes me love comedy and comedians even more. The depiction of Norm is priceless. Amazingly written and read with passion. Damn, I think about this book a lot. 5/5 no doubt.

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Fantastic book, marred a little by the narrators.

First of all, this is a fantastic book - you won't regret purchasing it. I can't wait for whatever Sam comes up with next.
That said, the narration is quite poor. Initially, you may be excited by hearing the recognisable voices of Bert Kreisher, Doug Stanhope etc., but many of the comedians are not well-read and don't know how to pronounce some of the words. Sometimes they'll take another go at it and re-read a line, but the editor doesn't pick it up and remove the first mistake.
Having the book read by famous comedians is a huge thumbs up from the community, but really having it read by a professional narrator would have served the book far better.

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Excellent ode to the stand up comic

Excellent tale of the stand up comedian, with all the anxiety, trappings and surviving in a world of misfits. A scumbag who almost was.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellently written, beauty and the bleak

Tallent’s writing is fantastic, I loved the characters, ugly and reminiscent of Vonnegut. Only let down is the inconsistency of the readers. Some like Marc Maron were great, others like Bert Kreischer were hard to listen to.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great writing, a comedians Inside Llewellyn Davis

very well written and paced. performances range from great to awful. Dan soders performance is the best and Tim Dillon's is the worst, Dillon sounds like he is rushing through, luckily he only reads for 20 minutes. Talent's strong prose always shines through. incredible

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10/10

Some of the readers seemed in a rush I would buy again Stanhope and crew read the whole thing.

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