UNCORKED & OFF THE CHAIN

Droll, often off-color snippets from a comedian’s life.

Former attorney–turned-writer Gregg follows up his debut novel, Luck Be a Chicken (2014), with these observances, most but a few paragraphs in length. The collection runs the gamut—innocently funny, darkly comic, and offensive, depending on who’s reading. An admitted fan of man caves and recliners and a vasectomy survivor, Gregg is an enthusiastic contributor of every “golden drop of man wisdom” he can muster. Random thoughts about drone privacy invasions, circumcisions, bathroom foibles, sportscaster embellishments, and wisdom nuggets called “buck snorts” (“Plastic surgeon sign: If life gives you lemons, simple surgery can give you melons”) are contemporary, relevant, and ironic. More universally relatable are opinions on intrusive telemarketers, taxes, and bills and more expanded essays on gambling and college-dorm shenanigans. The author seems to be most comfortable and authoritative when joking about farts (human and animal), excessive drinking, or his duties as a good husband, the latter of which finds him instructing other men to purposefully shrink their wives clothing in order to get out of laundry duty. Like with all humor, Gregg’s brand won’t appeal to everyone. This hodgepodge works best when the humor is harmless—involving his home state of Georgia, housetraining a puppy, colonoscopies, or frustrations with medical care. It’s less appealing when, even for laughs, he becomes derogatory about “sticky marital issues” or when admitting he’s a “chubby chaser.” A stab at gallows humor also falls particularly flat: “In OJ’s defense, I think every Heisman Trophy winner should have one free pass at any felony of his choice. Well, okay, maybe two. Perhaps three.” Best for bathrooms or parties.

An unrestrained grab bag of rapid-fire observations ranging from the tasteless to the hilarious.