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A review of Jerry Seinfeld's
SeinLanguage
By Carol Huebner
For some reason, it is a relief to find that a Big Personality in one field can be successful in another. Remember Baryshnikov? We had
come to respect him as a dancer, but could he act? Then along came "The Turning Point" and he was fine. What a relief.
Perhaps stand-up comic to tv sitcom to a funny book isn't such a stretch, but Seinfeld's book is as amusing as we would
hope. The book is divided into nine chapters, the title of each, along with a black and white photo, preparing the reader for upcoming
thoughts on subjects such as "Personal Maintenance" or "Job Security."
Regardless of topic, the narrator's reflections share a tone of bewilderment. Sentences are often followed by question marks, as
the author shakes his head over men, women, pets, jobs, apartments, kids, even death. "And how about the professional wrestling
referee?" the narrator asks, and the reader is hooked. Questions and bewilderment attract the reader. So does Seinfeld's
assumption that his life is just as boring as ours. Boredom is a great leveler, and it was was one of the lasting appeals of his sitcom.
Nothing happened, nothing was resolved, life kept going on.
Seinfeld's opener, "Well, that's it. I give up." Demonstrates the blend of puzzlement with exhaustion. From there
continues a narrator who has not given up, who makes the readers see with fresh eyes and laugh, and occasionally shaking their heads
in companionship at the ridiculousness of life.
Bantam Books: 180 pp., $19.95
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