Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, “Wigfield, the Can-Do Town that Just May Not”
When it comes down to it, this is a book about a man trying to write a book. A man who has a word count of 50,000 to meet and decides to write about the fair people of Wigfield, more of a toxic waste dump than a town, when the state threatens to tear down a dam (which didn’t need to be there to begin with). Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert created some pretty insane characters populating Wigfield, and they did portraits of each of them to go along with the interviews.
THE LOWDOWN
Published: 2004, 224 pp.
Obtained via: Library
Date started: 10.15.07
Date finished: 10.28.07
What I liked: The dedication to character. Some of the portraits grossed me out so much I felt like I had to wash my hands after handling the book.
What I didn’t like: The author character is grasping at straws to get to the 50,000-word line and misuses just about every turn of phrase that I’ve known. It’s funny at times, but also grueling to read.
To sum it all up: Though I like the concept, I get the feeling this would have been a better movie than a book.
You should check out the audiobook. To those that aren’t as into the written version have enjoyed the audio much more. It’s an unabridged version of the book read by the authors in character. It’s tons of fun even if a couple of the things (like the resume) are better in print.