Review: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max (2 stars)

You Had to be There

Tucker Max's account of his life reads more like all those jokes and stories you hear that are shortly followed by "you had to be there" or "it would be funnier if you had been there." The various stories seem more like well described inside jokes.

I thought I would really enjoy this book, but unfortunately I was ultimately disappointed. While outrageous, his stories were really not that engaging or interesting. The first half of the book was truly juvenile with not a lot of substance or worthwhile stories. I love stories about jerks and unworldly encounters, but Max's presentation or lack of organization in his delivery is unsettling.

The stories improve in the last half of the book. However, there is only so many stories about how drunk someone got, how many women someone slept with, etc. I can stand in 300 pages. This book seems like it could be written by someone in high school who likes talking about how wasted he got over the weekend (which I suppose is ultimately the point).

Do not get me wrong, there are some great moments of recollected dialogue and verbal exchanges; but, ultimately, they are too few and far between to enjoy this book. If you like reading outrageous stories about booze and women, I recommend this book to you. Otherwise, it is not worth it.

Good reading,

Plants and Books