It's Kind of a Funny Story

By: Ned Vizzini

Narrated by: Robert Fass

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He stops eating and sleeping until, one night, he nearly kills himself.

Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness.

©2006 Ned Vizzini (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This book offers hope in a package that [listeners] will find enticing, and that's the gift it offers." ( Booklist)

Theme

I believe that this was an intriguing book that teens will find and can relate too. The narrator was splendid and the theme was thrilling

Spot on Real Life Depression Story

I switched back and forth between listening and reading. Both were great and I read the whole thing the first day. The descriptions of the mental ward were funny and so true!

Entertaining story with a funny narrator

What made the experience of listening to It's Kind of a Funny Story the most enjoyable?

The quirky characters involved in interaction with the main character and how he sees them.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really liked the professor and the other older black woman with no teeth.. they had a lot of character and provided for some very comedic scenes.

Which character – as performed by Robert Fass – was your favorite?

My favorite was Jimmy...Robert Fass's voice of Jimmy's character was hilarious and very believable.

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

The book certainly made me laugh, I think that the narration (Robert Fass) played a large role in that. An excellent audio book to me is one that provides a very detailed description of the scene, characters, and if the narrator is able to portray all of the characters in different ways and voices as to bring life to them and create a picture in my mind.

Fav book

I first saw this movie years ago. Later found the book. Read it and now listened to it. Love it.

I love this book

I have this book and I never finished it. I also watched the movie. I love it.:)

This story really understands

The performance was amazing first of all. But the accuracy of the feeling of depression and the journey of learning that life is worth it. As a person who’s has had many problems in the with depression this book just understands and understands how it feels. A really good book that tells a story about the experiences of depression and the journey you take for recover. Love this book. That’s all I have to say

Fantastic V/O Work, sometimes difficult to follow

The narrator in the audiobook portrays different characters with a wide range of voices, dialects and accents. He is extremely talented and does an outstanding job. My only issue is that it is difficult at times to tell if the main character is speaking or just narrating his thoughts. Overall, superb job.

One for the record books

It had just the right balance of humor, realness, and charm. One of my favorites.

Depression is universal and can affect anyone

I liked this book and the ending left me feeling happy for Greg but sad for Ned the author. This was based loosely on his own experiences and tragically he's no longer around to share more. I couldn't read this while in highschool. I was too sad and almost in a place like Greg and should've gone to get help. I'm happy to say things get better and as you grow you can read or do things you were scared of or unmotivated to do. It just takes time.

Enchanting!

This book gives a great inside of someone who's lost them self but in the end finds love and figures out a little more about this crazy journey called life. I could never put this book down it was so much fun to read.