Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

An Unauthorized Autobiography

By: Chuck Barris

Narrated by: Chuck Barris

Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Suspense, excess, danger and exuberant fun come together in Chuck Barris' unlikely autobiography - the tale of a wildly flamboyant 1970s television producer, better known as the infamous host of The Gong Show. What most people don't know is that Barris allegedly spent close to two decades as a decorated covert assassin for the CIA.

Barris, who achieved tremendous success as the creator and producer of hit TV game shows such as The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game, claims to have joined the CIA as an agent in the early 1960s, infiltrated the Civil Rights Movement, met with militant Muslims in Harlem, and traveled abroad in order to kill enemies of the United States.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is now a movie directed by and starring George Clooney, with Sam Rockwell as the author, but the original story is wild and gripping, spiced with intrigue, sex, bad behavior, and plenty of great one-liners. It is destined to become a classic.

©2002 Chuck Barris, All Rights Reserved (P)2002 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved, AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

"Though Barris' reputation as a wacky TV show host doomed this literary venture when it was originally published, it is in fact a remarkably well-crafted and entertaining book, both unflinchingly personal and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Twenty years later, it reads like a classic." (Publishers Weekly)

Entertaining yet unlikely

Overall this is a very entertaing book event though many of the scenarios seem very unlikely. Unfortunately, this is an abridged version. The book is read by the author which adds quite a bit to the experience. It's worth the listen.

It was just okay

It was just okay - was the plot plausible - in terms of his supposed CIA work? Hard to tell. It

Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind

Fantastic. Especially nice that the actual voice is done by Chuck Barris himself thru out.

Outrageous

Part of the appeal is whether parts of the story are true. My intuition tells me that this is a mix of fact and fiction. I believe that there is enough truth to make this story both worthwhile and entertaining.

Three Thumbs Up!

Barris blurs the lines between fact and fantasy and the result is an entertaining and often hysterical read. The book cleverly flips between Chucky-baby's recounting of his true life TV career, and a farcical tale of his secret life as a CIA assassin. The reader is left to his wits to figure out where one stops and the other begins. Mindless nonsense, no doubt, but I highly recommend it for its cleverness, humor and novelty.

This guy here!!

I could not stop listening to this audiobook. It took me from thrill to thrill without hesitation. Even though some parts were a little vulgar, I expected it. Raw, real, witty, relateable in many ways, I found myself making extra loops around the block to finish a chapter before I stopped to get the kids.

Loved it!

Non stop action and fun. But is it really true??? unbelievable story line...I loved it!

Credible

Would you listen to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind again? Why?

Maybe

What three words best describe Chuck Barris’s voice?

reading, not talking

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It was hard to imagine him engaging in such violence and without much conscience.

Any additional comments?

If he was in all those places on the days of the assassinations he claimed to commit, then it seems more than a coincidence. It's a weird story yet plausible. Truth is often stranger than fiction.

Awful narration

Loved the movie so I had to read the book and a great story is ruined by Chuck Barris' stiff and awkward narration. REALLY wish they had gotten Sam Rockwell to narrate!

I binged it!

I thoroughly enjoyed it, probably helped since I'm familiar with Chuck and his shows!