A Stand-Up Guy by Michael Snyder

Once again, I’ve fallen for the cast of characters created by Michael Snyder: a lovable, quirky, and most definitely messed-up cast. First, there’s Oliver Miles, a comedian who starts to get some notice when he decides to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in his acts. The thing is, this truth makes him cry. So he becomes the crying comedian. Who shows up to his acts in his day-job hotel security uniform. The act is a big hit.

Then there’s his girlfriend, Mattie, a clept0 of sorts, and his mother, whose memory and body are breaking down due to a steady diet of alcohol for most of her adult life. Building relationships with these women isn’t easy for Oliver: his mother, Delores, pretends to be a lot of things (a nurse in the nursing home in which she’s committed, for example) but not a mother, and Mattie is accused of stealing from the hotel for which she and Oliver work. When he decides to go the all-truth route in his comedy routine, he sometimes feels less set free and more hemmed in. Using his mom and Mattie as fodder for his act may be a good career move, but it proves less than helpful in relationships. (As a writer, perhaps there’s a lesson in that for me.)

Snyder collects an unpredictable plot, funny characters, and down-to-earth yet clever prose that highlights some of my favorite metaphors in one book, shaken, not stirred. He’s a little bit Nick Hornby, a little bit Douglas Coupland, and a little bit Larry the Cucumber. His characters show a keen observation of what it means to be human, troubles, beauty, comedy, and all. Snyder’s the author of My Name Is Russell Fink and Return Policy, and I highly recommend all three of his books for their characters and Snyder’s comedic sense.