True Story is Maher's debut novel about the wild and crazy life of the stand-up comedian -- a bawdy, rowdy tell-all report from the front line.

This was quite a book, certainly different than anything I've ever read before. A thinly disguised autobiography by the host of a TV talk show "Politically Incorrect", which was on late at night. Maher presents himself and his fellow comedians as being unbelievably shallow human beings, more consumed with getting into a woman's pants than practically anything else in life. And these are men in their 20s, not teenagers. The language he used you couldn't even put in a movie these days. And that's going some. (Well, with the exception of "The Aristocrats".) However, it was well written (even if the author kept throwing in what I'm sure he thought were very erudite words just to make him appear smart) and I enjoyed it. It was alternately crisp, funny, bitter, and even at times very wise. About stand-up comedy.

This book is a difficult read... It has an interesting premise, but the characters are so disinteresting and the plot so convoluted that turning pages becomes a chore.

As far as literature goes, it's not the best. But this book is _the_ most cynical thing I have ever read. Bill Maher makes Machiavelli look like Timothy Leary by comparison. Bill Maher actually manages to think that the world is a bit worse than it actually is -- and I didn't know that was possible. The most cynical thing in this book is of course then ending, where he drops the cynicism for a second in order to give it the kind of ending the reader is dying to see. Bill Maher elevates cynicism to an artform!

bill is not a liberatarian at all

I thought that Bill Maher's novel, "True Story" was very perceptive and gave a fascinating look at a group of characters. The world of comedy is fascinating, and he has some insights into human nature in general. I hope he writes more novels.

I also thought that the focus on multiple characters instead of one central protaganist was very effective, and his style of writing was very entertaining, elegent, and literate. I especially enjoyed the excerpts of comedy acts that he worked into the narrative.