Based on a True Story

A Memoir

By: Norm Macdonald

Narrated by: Norm Macdonald, Tim O'Halloran

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Driving, wild and hilarious” (The Washington Post), here is the incredible “memoir” of the legendary actor, gambler, raconteur, and Saturday Night Live veteran.

When Norm Macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, was approached to write a celebrity memoir, he flatly refused, calling the genre “one step below instruction manuals.” Norm then promptly took a two-year hiatus from stand-up comedy to live on a farm in northern Canada. When he emerged he had under his arm a manuscript, a genre-smashing book about comedy, tragedy, love, loss, war, and redemption. When asked if this was the celebrity memoir, Norm replied, “Call it anything you damn like.”

Critic reviews

“A driving, wild and hilarious ramble of a book, what might have happened had Hunter S. Thompson embedded himself in a network studio.”—The Washington Post

“Dostoyevsky by way of 30 Rockefeller Center . . . the best new book I’ve read this year or last.”—The Wall Street Journal

“This book is absurd fiction. . . . Scathing and funny.”—The New York Times

“Hilarious and filled with turns of phrase and hidden beauty like only a collection of Norm Macdonald stories could be.”—Esquire

“Raucous . . . a hilarious, innovative work.”—A.V. Club

“Part personal history and part meta riff on celebrity memoirs, the book, it quickly becomes clear, is also just partly true (and all hilarious).”—Vulture

“My three favorite books:
1. The Bible, by Moses and other guys
2. The Art of the Deal, by President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump (a.k.a. President Trumpy)
3. Based on a True Story, by Norm Macdonald

I have not read the first two. I have read Based on a True Story, and I believe it to be largely bullshit, but it is very, very, very funny! Thanks, Norm, for letting me be part of this Booker Prize–for–literature–quality effort.”—David Letterman

“Norm is one of my all-time favorites, and this book was such a great read I forgot how lonely I was for a while.”—Amy Schumer

“I always thought Normie’s stand-up was the funniest thing there was. But this book gives it a run for its money.”—Adam Sandler

“Norm is one of the greatest stand-up comics who’s ever worked—a totally original voice. His sense of the ridiculous and his use of juxtaposition in his writing make him a comic’s comic. We all love Norm.”—Roseanne Barr

“Norm Macdonald makes me laugh my ass off. Who is funnier than Norm Macdonald? Nobody.”—Judd Apatow

“Norm Macdonald is more than a triple threat—he’s a septuple threat. He is smart, funny, wry, rakish, polite, rakish . . . no, wait. He is polite, insightful, and . . . aaaaah . . . warm. No. He’s exciting. Yeah. Exciting! You never know what he’ll do. Okay, then make that unpredictable. Add that up. He’s amazing.”—Alec Baldwin

“Norm only has to grunt to make me laugh. And this book is three hundred pages? Sign me up.”—Sophia Amoruso, author of #GIRLBOSS

“Norm is a double threat. His material and timing are both top-notch, which is unheard of. He is one of my favorites, both on- and off-stage.”—Dave Attell

“David Letterman said it best: There is no one funnier than Norm Macdonald.”—Rob Schneider

Classic Norm, refined

If you like Norm's sense of humor, you're going to love this book. Much more than a breezy comic memoir, this story doesn't just hop from ha-ha to ha-ha (although there are plenty of belly laughs), but is carried by an undercurrent of deep existential humor and a real writer's talent for observation -- of the world, society, the entertainment industry, and the self -- much more revealing and profound than one might expect, all of it buttressed by MacDonald's trademark gift for an effective absurdity which is at full-throttle throughout.

Based On A True Story is a work of true literary inventiveness and skill that stands apart from other celebrity autobiographies, if one could even call this an autobiography, as it can be difficult to tell at times whether you're reading truth, narrative device, or simply being fucked with; but it doesn't matter, as the ride may be better for its nebulous, HST-influenced mishmash of fact, fiction, and surreal imagery.

The ghost-writer idea was a stroke of genius. I highly recommend listening to the audio version. Some books suffer from it, this one benefits.

After listening to this I am still puzzled ...

I am not sure if norm is a genius that overlooks the obvious and sees the world from outside the normal confines or the luckiest man this world has ever seen.

One of the best examples of Norm;s style...

We just lost Norm McDonald today. I just heard about it and i keep thinking how i recommended this book to anyone i know said they enjoyed his humor...which is a small amount of people since Norm was so caustic. I loved to hear his stuff and now we wont have any more new material. This book exemplifies the man's humor and it is all completely one hundred percent true....even the lies, especially the lies.

The Superbest Audiobook of Them All

It’s amazing how many cold, hard facts Norm spits about the dark recesses of Hollywood and the Canadian comedy circuit. There is hardly a more humble (or humbling) account of one man’s rise to fame and the treacherous forces that connive to destroy him and his reputation. This book is not for the faint of heart! It will make you glad you’re not a celebrity—and if you are a celebrity, it will make you very sorry.

Note: “Superbest” should not be pronounced “super-best” but rather “superb-est.”

Perfect Norm

if you've ever listened to some of Norms long form jokes and enjoyed them, you'll love this book!