Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything

I had got the mistaken impression from the description that this was a book by an insider. I must have read the back cover in a shop too quickly. It turns out to be something better than an insider's view - it is written by a journalist who has gone out of the way to get interviews with all sorts of people from writers to actors to the original real-life Kramer. An insider's view would give one perspective but this book gives lots of different inside perspectives. If you have the DVD box set and have played the commentaries on episodes then some of this book will be familiar but there are still some great new details in there, especially about the ongoing fan culture. A no-brainer for any fan of the show. I wanted it as soon as I saw it and have not regretted buying it.

I enjoyed this book - but it would be difficult to write a book about Seinfeld that wasn't enjoyable. Difficult, but not impossible. It's an entertaining read that collects interviews from many sources and adds in some (but not a lot, I don't think) original content to produce a highly readable history of the series. The opening chapters are the best in which the genesis of the series is laid out, lots of which I didn't know (the stars' various pasts, for example), and subsequent chapters give us details of what it was like to write on the show. But as the book progresses it loses focus and each chapter tends to wander off the point a bit. It's not particularly insightful - for example the 'curse of Seinfeld' chapter relies too heavily on snippets from interviews when this would have been a great opportunity to interview people about why some of the actors' subsequent efforts didn't work out, or more about Michael Richards' racist outburst. There are some inaccuracies in the book (Seinfeld doesn't own all the cars in Comedians With Cars Getting Coffee, as anyone who watches it would know) and strange omissions - nothing on Seinfeld's short-lived series The Marriage Ref. A few things get repeated too - Terry Hatcher and Courtney Cox were in the show, we get told twice. Also, a few things get repeated too - Terry Hatcher and Courtney Cox were in the show, we get told twice... The concept of "Seinfeldia' doesn't really hold up to scrutiny and apart from the first and last chapters it gets called up in ways that suggests it's a thesis without much solidity. So, as the other reviews here say, it's short on analysis - but it is a good light history of the show. I'm being overly critical only because it's being pitched as something more than it is, but it is enjoyable and recommended to fans.

Went through a Seinfeld phase recently, not for the first time, and this really hit the spot (thanks to finding it on Amazon). Ms. Armstrong knows her stuff, with exhaustive research and info that never gets tiring. Worth having the series on hand for dipping back into while reading this! Yada yada yada…

Thing about this book is, it's only going to be read by obsessives (like me) and obsessives (like me) will know the show better than the authour! She makes some factual errors around episodes that will (and did) wind up fans! I enjoyed it, it's very readable, you can get through the whole thing in a few hours but it's really just transcriptions of the DVD extras plus a strange fixation with the guy who played Soup Nazi. Had there been some new interviews with the principal cast and or Larry David, maybe it would have gotten a higher rating but for what is essentially a love letter to the show and it's legacy... you're better off sticking the DVDs on!

This was a present for my partner and he really enjoyed reading it. As a Seinfeld fan he had never heard of this book but highly recommends it as a good read

If you're a Seinfeld fan you'll love this. Great collection of stories about making the show and some of the fandom

This is a delightful read for Seinfeld obsessives and students of observational comedy. Much that had to be said has been, but what I loved most about this is that this is a beautifully written documentary on a few mad aspects of Seinfeld that are so off the wall and what made it special - first, Larry David, second - their approach to writers and writing, but third and most delightfully - the way they mined their own lives and that of their writers for stories. What I found most delightful was the back story to the soup nazi, the suede jacket, the marine biologist, the discontinued sponge and all the mad yet credible plot lines, and their source. An absolute must read.

It's really not very good. From the blurb on here I was expecting the book I've been waiting years for - something that told the real story of what life was like on the set, great anecdotes, etc. Instead, this is a quick run through of how it got to air, an almost cursory summing up of the series, and then lots and lots of padding. There is the odd hint of decent access but it never develops into a real insiders account. If you've watched the DVD extras and read the couple of other books that are knocking about then there's absolutely no reason to buy this one at all. None. The last chapter, for example, is all about weird Seinfeld accounts on Twitter. There's a massive gap in the market for a proper episode guide, with all the stories from the set, cast and crew memories, etc. This is not it.

Kul bok med klassiska bilder och intressanta historier om inspelningar och personer

The author has Piled-up all possible trivia and intricate details in perfect manner, even though it's about a highly ranked revolutionary sitcom. Great job describing Cosmo Kramer !!!

buenisima calidad un exclente libro para los amantes de seinfeld

Loved the tv show and this book reveals how they got their stories and the names of who the characters are based on. You have to have had watched the Seinfeld show other wise this book will mean nothing to you.

Fantastic book about the greatest show ever made. I was laughing the whole time and I learned a lot. I'm a hit at parties because of my knowledge from this book.