Book Review: Comical college guide falls short

By Hannah Weiner
The Guardsman

“Party Thru College” is former stand-up comedian Dennis Bruce’s attempt at a humorous how-to book on skating through college courses.

The key word here is “attempt.” While I’m sure Bruce put a great deal of effort into the short book, it only amounts to a redundant string of juvenile jokes and puns.

The book focuses on how to be a college student screw-up without actually dropping out. Although the concept had potential for hilarity, my hopes for laughter were greatly diminished after reading the first chapter.

Essentially, the book is comprised of base satire and stereotypical jokes about college life, which have already been beaten to death by TV and movies. For instance, no matter if you excel at an Ivy League or screw up in a community college, Bruce writes, “four years from now, you’ll probably be running a cash register at the local convenience store.”

“Flunking out is a short-lived phenomenon, whereas the screw-up must time-release his incompetence over the course of four or more years,” is another of his clever witticisms.

Bruce also tries to drop some knowledge on what students shouldn’t say in class or do at parties, and he covers how to deal with different professor stereotypes. Even after re-reading passages,  nothing in this book really made me laugh.

Obviously the content wasn’t meant to be taken seriously; the author was just having a go at college students and college life. But if you’re going to exaggerate the amusing and ridiculous aspects of something, you should go all the way. Instead, Bruce falls short.

Other books have aimed for and achieved what Bruce’s could not: “The CollegeHumor Guide to College” by the writers of CollegeHumor.com and “The Naked Roommate” by Harlan Cohen, for example. Even “Texts From Last Night” by Lauren Leto and Ben Bator provides a better illustration of the comical events that ensue with college party antics, relationships, dieting habits and class attendance – or lack thereof.

I must say, I did enjoy the digs the author made at Richard Nixon, O.J. Simpson, and Don Imus – all experts at screwing up. The content did make me feel better about putting off all the homework I was assigned during spring break. Also, the pictures are pretty neat.

So, I guess “Party Thru College” wasn’t a complete failure. That doesn’t, however, make it a success.

Bruce should stick to stand-up.