Kasher in the Rye

The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16

By: Moshe Kasher

Narrated by: Moshe Kasher

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rising young comedian Moshe Kasher is lucky to be alive. He started using drugs when he was just 12. At that point, he had already been in psychoanlysis for eight years. By the time he was 15, he had been in and out of several mental institutions, drifting from therapy to rehab to arrest to...you get the picture. But Kasher in the Rye is not an "eye opener" to the horrors of addiction. It's a hilarious memoir about the absurdity of it all.

When he was a young boy, Kasher's mother took him on a vacation to the West Coast. It was more of an abduction - just not officially. She stole him away from his father and they moved to Oakland, California. That's where the real fun began, in the war zone of Oakland Public Schools. He was more than just out of control - his mother walked him around on a leash, which he chewed through before running away.

Those early years were part Augusten Burroughs, part David Sedaris, with a touch of Jim Carrol...but a lot more Jewish. In fact, Kasher later spent time in a Brooklyn Hasidic community. Then came addicition.

Brutally honest and laugh-out-loud funny, Kasher's first literary endeavor finds humor in even the most horrifying situations.

©2012 Moshe Kasher (P)2012 Hachette

An entirely difference

Would you listen to Kasher in the Rye again? Why?

Hearing Kasher read his own story was very emotional for me. I am a big fan of his comedy and now have an entirely different respect for him.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a classic story of a troubled child and his struggles to change. However, I did not find this repetitive or cheesy. The story was raw. With the luxury of having Moshe Kasher tell it with his own voice, you could feel how real his experiences were.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both. Kasher has a real talent to take a serious subject and finding humor in it (without making you feel bad for laughing).

Possibly the best book I've ever listened to

This is the first review I've ever left,
I felt I had to.
I am going through some heavy stuff with an addict in my life. I have read and listened to almost every book there is on drug addiction. I wanted something lighter but that still dealt with the crap going on in my real life. I am so glad I picked this book! It is hilarious! There were so many times I would just burst out laughing. It showed both the "fun" side of the beginning of addiction, then made the serious stuff funny as hell too.

Thank you for writing this book! As I said I am in a really dark place with "my" addict and your book helped me get through so many hard days. I found myself not wanting to listen because I didn't want it to be over... I still don't! I know it sounds cheesy but I wish I could express how much this book helped me. I cry a lot & your book took me out of that for a little bit each day. Thank you for sharing your story, thank you for making me smile, thank you for giving me hope.

A good guy, that's what you became.

Wow

As a former drug user, it's so awesome to hear stories of people who have recovered and made something amazing out of their life. To learn about the upbringing by two deaf parents and struggling through the education system. It's just awesome to see him where he is now. Moshe is a hilarious and well-written author, and I love the emotion and wit in the way he reads. Will definitely be listening to this one again.

Loved this audiobook!

This is one of those books that I think is better as an audiobook. I really enjoyed hearing the author read his story. He has (not surprisingly) a great sense of humor and delivery.

I love well-written memoirs, and this is definitely among the best I've read. I am amazed that this guy made it out of childhood alive. A wonderful book—I loved every second of it.

Fascinating insight

I sought this audio book out after starting the print version. I love Moshe as a comedian and performer, and I wanted to hear him read his book, in fact I started an Audible membership solely for Moshe Kasher’s book.
Listening to him tell his story, in his voice, made the experience so personal and really helped me connect to his story.
It was a fascinating look inside someone’s history, and the way they navigate life.

I recommend this to everyone, I think anyone could get something out of it.

what a ride!

This was such a great story of youth and rebellion. didnt want it to end!

Don’t sleep on it

Been a fan of Kasher’s for a while. Love the standup, the podcast(s), etc, but I neglected his book. I started listening, and didn’t listen to anything else for two days. Heck, I stopped watching Tiger King. I got annoyed when anyone tried to talk to me while listening. I listened to it in the shower. I listened to it endlessly until the end. Well-crafted, smart writing, what are you waiting for? And, what a buttery voice!

Excellent Story

What an amazing book written by one of the best comics to this day. Would recommend this book to anyone interested

Loved it.

Loved the story and the writing and reading. Moshe’s great. Go watch him live ASAP.

What a story

I'm a big fan of Mosher's comedy, so I thought it would be interesting to get to know his story. It really was. I don't think I ever thought about how addicted teens could regain control of their lives, and how drug addiction could hit someone at such a young age, so this book really showed me a different side of growing up, and how messed up everything can become. I'm glad Moshe made it out of all that.