Fiction+by+Carl+Reiner

=Carl Reiner (b. March 20, 1922) = toc



**Bio**
Carl Reiner is an American actor, [|film director], [|producer] , writer and [|comedian]. He has won nine [|Emmy Awards] and one [|Grammy Award] during this career. He has the distinction of being the only person to appear on // [|The Tonight Show] // with each of its five hosts.- Wikipedia

Enter Laughing (Phoenix Books 1958, 2009)
In his semi-autobiographical, laugh-out-loud novel, Carl Reiner details a young man's frustrations as he works as a machinist's helper and tries to break into show business. Along the bumpy path, the aspiring young actor tries to extricate himself from his overly protective parents -- and his two girlfriends -- and eventually lands an acting gig with a small theater troupe. Human, funny, and relatable,//Enter Laughing // is a warm tale of a young man with love in his heart and greasepaint on his face that guarantees to have everyone exit laughing.- Amazon.com



All Kinds of Love (Birch Lane 1993)
All Kinds is an amusing attempt at pure farce, a difficult genre to sustain in any medium, particularly literature. Independent film producer Fred Cox and his wife, Sharon, are preparing for a trip to Japan by taking language lessons from the statuesque Hana Yoshi. Her methods are hands-on, to say the least, and in quick order she has seduced both her pupils. In the meantime, Kevin, their 16-year-old son, is getting ready to run off with one of the identical twin Salvadorean housemaids, whom he has inpregnated. Stir into this melange a private detective, an oversexed gynecologist and Fred's Jewish parents in Miami Beach. Everyone seems to be suffering from perpetual sexual hunger, including the octogenarian generation of Coxes, and much of the humor stems from the extremes the characters reach in their attempts to match love to lust. In addition, there are some cynical jokes at the expense of the Beverly hills lifestyle and film producers who buy properties they haven't read. Although the pace is fast and the humor broad, the book is more sweet-natured than you might expect, with everyone finding redemption and true love by the final pages.- Publishers Weekly



NNNN: A Novel (Simon & Schuster 2006)

 * Starred Review* Venerable comedic genius Reiner continues to amuse in a diverse variety of formats. For this novel within a novel, he tackles the age-old subjects of personal identity and sibling rivalry. As novelist Nat Noland struggles to eke out every page of his fictional retelling of Cain and Abel, he begins having a series of long conversations with himself. Overhearing her husband arguing with himself in different voices, Nat's wife, Glennie, subtly convinces him to see a therapist. During consultations with Dr. Frucht--//frucht // in German means //fruit-- //Nat recalls a series of dreams about his childhood and adoption. Determined to resolve his questions about his murky past, he embarks upon a remarkable odyssey to discover the long-lost brother he may or may not actually have. This humorous romp through the psyche of an endearingly kooky author will find a ready-made audience in Reiner's legion of fans.- Booklist



Just Desserts: A Novellelah (Phoenix Books 2009)
In Reiner's dreadful newest, novelist Nat Noland embarks on an unfunny midlife misadventure that begins with his attempt to write a novel (working title: Blurbs) and ends with him addressing the United Nations. Seeking input on some ideas, Nat emails his friend Paul a few promising tidbits and impulsively-and oddly, considering he's a lifelong atheist-cc's GodGodGodGodGod.Heaven@yahoo.com on the email. He's shocked to receive a reply from God, who is interested in Nat's "theory of Just Desserts," which suggests that bad deeds should be swiftly and visibly punished. This proves unfortunate for Paul, who is soon only able to move only by hopping "like a friggin' pogo stick." Before long, God is implementing more of Nat's suggestions, and things get weirder. How Nat gets to the UN (with digressions for farting and wisecracking) is baffling, and the book's final "twist" may make readers want to fling it across the room. It's not just bad-it's wretched.- Publishers Weekly



Tell Me a Scary Story....But Not Too Scary (Little, Brown Booiks for Young Readers 2007)
PreSchool-Grade 2-As this book opens, the author is preparing to tell his tale to a young listener, gently assuring her that he'll stop if it gets too scary. He then proceeds with his story, supposedly a recollection from his own childhood, during which a mysterious man named Mr. Neewollah moved into the house next door. As he watched him unload boxes, something fell out, and when he picked it up, the boy discovered that it was a marble that looked just like an eyeball. He decided to return it at midnight, saw a light in the basement, and fell through the window. This inevitably led to a meeting with his neighbor and the spooky costumes he created. This tale has the makings of a shivery treat, but the surprises are rather predictable and the chills fail to materialize. Reiner continually interrupts his narrative with questions: "This isn't too scary for you, is it?" and "Should I keep going?" and the tale unfolds at a glacial pace. Bennett's cartoon characters with their oversized heads and exaggerated facial features are appropriately grotesque but seem better suited for comedy or parody. The trouble is that readers simply aren't drawn into the young protagonist's story. Stick with old favorites like Bill Martin, Jr.'s The Ghost-Eye Tree (Holt, 1995) or one of Alvin Schwartz's fine collections, such as In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories (HarperCollins, 1984).- Preschool Journal



Tell Me Another Scary Story...But Not Too Scary (Phoenix Books 2009)
The incomparable Carl Reiner's first children's book //Tell Me a Scary Story // was a hit when it appeared in 2003. Here at last is the sequel to the //New York Times // bestseller, complete with a CD read by Mr. Reiner himself. Young scary-story lovers will squeal with delight as they follow the second adventure of a young boy and his monster-creating neighbor. As the story becomes scarier, Reiner pauses to ask readers, Shall we turn the page, or is it too scary? That's for kids to decide! Here's a fun book with delicious thrills that children will ask for again and again.- Amazon.com



Tell Me A Silly Story (Pickwick 2010)
Following up //New York Times // bestseller //Tell Me a Scary Story // and //Tell Me Another Scary Story //, Hollywood legend Carl Reiner returns to his comedic roots with //Tell Me a Silly Story //. Full of fun rhymes and silly story lines, it will make children everywhere giggle with delight. It also includes a CD so kids can read along and master the tongue-twisters Reiner weaves throughout. In the whimsical, nonsensical vein of Dr. Seuss, //Tell Me a Silly Story // will surely tickle your funny bone.- Amazon.com



Interview
[|Carl talks on CBS about his book "NNNNN"]