Memoirs and Misinformation by Jim Carrey - PPP

Mind if I assk you a question? What are the chances that the comedic genius who slayed us in such classics as Ace Ventura and Dumb & Dumber can craft a hilarious comedic novel?

Not good.

‘Not good’ like one in a hundred?

More like one in a million.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance.

Memoirs and Misinformation is a pseudo-autobiography by superstar Jim Carrey. The tale begins with the super-famous but super-lonely and super-starved-for-unconditional-love comedian willing the fates to find him true love, then barrels down a path where an absurd but potentially groundbreaking cinematic role is thrust upon him, then takes a side turn down sexy-threesome-gone-awry alley, and eventually crashes head on into an over-the-top apocalyptic conclusion.

While this is clearly a work of fiction, I enjoyed learning certain personal details that Carrey weaved in as I think it’s possible to discern what’s true or based on truth to a reasonable degree. Either way, you can pick and choose what you want to be truth, and then love or hate him for it. And what could be more representative of the social and political climate in the US in 2020 than that?

At the outset of the story, Carrey is alone at home, holed up in his bed in dire straits. He quickly confesses his desperate need for unconditional love, which is rooted in a mom complex that he lays on pretty thick. But the adept and self-deprecatory manner he divulges this, coupled with his means for coping, results in a quick burst of little lol’s to kick off the book right.

I also liked that Carrey included in his cast of characters an arsenal of famous celebrities. It was fun and easy (two of my favorite words) to envision them speaking the lines that Carrey fed them. A bit about Gwyneth Paltrow dissecting a pig was particularly amusing, and those of you with dark senses of humor will eat it up. Having said that, hardly any of the dialogue rings true. It’s just too rich and too thick, too poetic. People, even woke celebrities, don’t speak like Shakespearean actors decrying modern ills unless they’ve got a script in their hands.

This brings us to the writing, which is surprisingly flowery and dense. While the level that Carrey (and writing helpy helper Dana Vachon) employs is perfectly readable, unlike a lot of the literary gobbledygook out there, for me it’s still like hacking through a Peruvian rainforest. John Box read slow, and read most slowest when words dressed up for Rio Carnival.

But I also really enjoyed the segment where Carrey and writer/director Charlie Kaufman explore a groundbreaking, unconventional, most likely very racist role for the actor, as the entire bit provided a smorgasbord of entertaining food for thought.

The story lost its luster fairly quickly though as there were only a few lol’s after the initial burst, although they were somewhat hearty lol’s, and the last third of the book devolved into an existential crises where Carey and a group of cyborg commandos attempt to fight off an alien invasion. That kind of stuff may sound creative and zany when pitching it to friends and agents, but in reality, it’s just not. These days, it’s common. Banal. Flaccid. I need some umph. Creativity. Something to get us rock hard while reading.

All in all, while Memoirs and Misinformation is a decent read, it’s just too much artsy and not enough fartsy to be lol-funny. 2.5 pearls rounded up to 3, because no matter what, I love me some Jim Carrey.

Bonus Quote: If done right, kidnapping can be a positive experience for everyone.

Bonus Fun Fact: Stripping things of context and posting them on Goodreads as quotes that make the author sound like a sociopath is hilarious.