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recommend the audio book - very upbeat and amusing May 23, 2009
I'm not a Simpsons fan - not against it, just not that interested - but still enjoyed listening to most of this audio book, which I downloaded from my library. She comes across as a sweet happy-natured upbeat person who is interested in making people laugh.
So listening to the audio book was like hanging out with a funny, cheerful, and very entertaining friend who tells great stories. All the funny voices and sounds she demonstrates in narrating the book make it fun to listen to as light audio book entertainment.
 A Simpsons Fan Essential Apr 01, 2009
This book is a must-read for any avid Simpsons fan, giving a unique perspective behind the scenes and a personal look into the life of Bart's voice, Nancy Cartwright. Her enthusiasm is splashed across the pages (with gratuitous exclamation points) and it's refreshing to read about someone who is truly grateful for her position in life. I loved that she is a total fan of guest stars, gushing over the likes of Tom Jones and Mel Gibson, and is vastly generous with her celebrity, freely signing autographs and giving of her time and talent. But she is not a typical celebrity, as she does not often get recognized or stopped on the street by fans. She has fame with luxury of anonymity as one of the most recognizable voices in the world. Cartwright not only shares her experiences, but takes us through the production process which allows the reader to garner an appreciation for all of the pieces that need to be formed and fitted together to create the show. It is a great read that gave me so many "Oh yeah!" and "I didn't realize that!" moments that I think all Simpsons fans would relish.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Not exactly good but certainly not indifferent Nov 24, 2006
OK, it wasn't written well. And there are times where the girl power emphasis, the "way cool"s and such do get a bit tedious, but hey - that is how ms. Cartwright talks. And in that one gets a key piece of info - she is Bart! Literally. We have here the do-what-you-feel boy. Its a fairly open account of her early career on up to Bart, containing therein something which I have found lacking in all other Simpsons books or commentaries. This is the only place I have found anyone involved in the Simpsons discuss the death of the great Phil Hartman. It just annoys me honestly in the DVD commentaries or in books when he is solely referred to as "the late Phil Hartman" in a 4 word quickie statement that then passes to the next Citizen Kane parody. Not that I mean going into any morbid, tabloid details, but acknowledging that one day he was at work and one he wasn't, saying how tragic it was and what a loss to television and those that knew him personally. A cute book for those that like the show, and far better than others (avoid Planet Simpson like the razor Os in frosted Krusty flakes) in terms of anecdotes of the show's early years.
6 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 Nothing behind the scenes about it Jul 14, 2006
I had to read this book. I consider The Simpsons to be one of, if not the, greatest TV sitcom ever, and the chance at a behind the scenes look into the show was not something I could refuse. Indeed the cover proclaims it as a look "Behind the Scenes at The Simpsons." Sadly, however, there is very little of this. What this book really is, instead, is a memoir by a would-be celebrity who seems to be shouting the words "recognize me" over and over for 270 pages.
Not that Ms. Cartwright has trouble recognizing herself. This book is, essentially, nothing more than the relating of her life, a bland and boring story that plods along without really anything to pique the reader's interest. She writes poorly, makes use of irritating phrases like "so way cool," shifts tenses several times in a paragraph, and uses quotation marks with reckless abandon. She also presents her life as flat and with a sort of one-sided idealism. Everything goes right-there is never any doubt, no failures or second guesses to cloud this fairy tale. Nancy seems to want everyone to see her life as perfect in every way.
The "behind the scenes" aspect of the work is actually a slew of anecdotes which ranges from stories of people applauding and extolling her greatness to star struck accounts of her own run-ins with celebrity, which almost invariably end with some star validating her inflated opinion of herself by acknowledging her existence. There is a random spattering of the "process" as she, someone who isn't actually involved in the animation process, sees it. If, like me, you're looking for real meat, for actual looks behind the scenes and into the inner workings of Springfield you'll be, again like me, sorely disappointed.
At times it's annoying that Nancy sees herself as a celebrity. At other times its humorous or just plain sad. I actually burst out laughing when she compares Kelsey Grammer's appearances as Sideshow Bob to her own minor role as a forgettable extra in an episode of Cheers. That she has the audacity to refer to herself in that sitcom (years before the Simpsons) as a "guest star" overcame my efforts of keeping a straight face. She seems to be craving respect and recognition, throwing around names of people and stars she's worked with (or who she spent 5 minutes at the mic with during their guest appearances) as if by rubbing shoulders (or, better yet, having shook hands) with celebrities she is, by definition, one herself. As she narrates tales of Kirk Douglas, Mel Gibson, and others she patronizes them by condescendingly taking it upon herself to fantasize what they might be thinking and imagining that they're actually nervous. She has some twisted sense that they have to prove themselves to the Simpsons cast, as if the stars of Spartacus and Braveheart are concerned with what she thinks. Indeed it seems a twisted form of hero worship when she ponders if this or that Hollywood great can, as she puts it, "measure up."
In all fairness Nancy is a very talented voice over artist and certainly deserves respect. It's no stretch of the imagination, however, to remember that she's only one part of Bart Simpson. Taking into account that Homer more or less stole the spotlight from Bart in the first few seasons anyway it's surprising that she has to wonder why she's not constantly mobbed by fans. She ponders why they refused to announce her arrival at a Screen Actors Guild awards ceremony. That she doesn't recognize the limit of her celebrity is, indeed, sad. That her name has to be qualified with the phrase "Voice of Bart Simpson" on the cover should, one would think, provide a hint.
I picked this book up hoping for an in-depth look at both The Simpsons and the development and evolution of Bart Simpson's voice. Sadly, I feel I was let down from start to finish. My respect for Nancy Cartwright as the voice of Bart will continue, but I just can't buy into the celebrity status she's afforded herself. And I'll always remember that several talents on that show eclipse her own, and that there are people on the show who do upwards of 12 or more voices but don't feel the need to write a book about it. You don't see James Earl Jones trying to validate his whole career as the voice of Darth Vader (a voice infinitely more memorable that Bart's), and there's a reason for that. Shameless self-promotion or not, I think Nancy Cartwright said it best herself when she realized she was a "celebrity that nobody knew."
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
the voice of Bart Aug 16, 2005
[...]
Although not as detailed as I would have liked, Nancy still offers a unique insider's perspective on the creation of each Simpsons episode. From the writers and storyboard artists' conceptions to the final product, the book takes the reader through the entire process of what it's like to produce an animated television show.
Nancy also gives a brief account of her journey through the business of voice-over artist. She starts with her humble beginnings in school plays and speech competitions through working with her mentor, Daws Butler (Huckleberry Hound, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, etc.).
In short, this was a very interesting and informative book even if it was, at times, a little "self-serving." But then again, what else do you expect from an autobiography?
]...]
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