The Cool Side Of My Pillow Review

You all know by this point that if Bruce Campbell is involved, my ass is gonna be there to read, watch, or listen to it.
So there really isn’t gonna be much mystery as to whether I liked this or not.
The main question I’d like to explore here, with Bruce’s first foray into self-publishing, is how does it compare to his other books?
Well, let’s find out!

This is what we professionals refer to as a ***SPOILER ALERT***, fancy, I know.

Collected here is a new series of essays covering topics as varied as Covid-19 and the potential ramifications of this pandemic, celebrity encounters, forest management, the various substances we all inbibe/rely on, Stephen King, and much much more.

For the most part, this book feels like chapters that were pulled from his previous books because they just didn’t really fit the overall narrative he was building of his life story.
It has a real stream of consciousness vibe that feels like you are getting deep into his thought process in a new way or like a Q & A where the only Q is “Huh, well, that was interesting…so what else has been on your mind lately?”.
I say this with no snark or dismissiveness, I dig the unchained meandering from topic to topic.

The 1 complaint I can pull out of this would be the length.
Weighing in at just over 120 pages, you are definitely left wanting more.
You just start getting into a good groove and it’s over.
I’ve said many times in these reviews that you are sitting pretty if that’s the worst you can say about a book, and while I still stand by that sentiment, it is still a bit frustrating.

Bruce’s voice has been long developed and honed into a sharp wit and laser focused humor, even when talking about some topics with some heft, the 4 page essay on politics specifically comes to mind.
He never comes off like a preachy Hollywood asswipe that has come to save the common folk from their slovenly ways through his superior morality, he bellies up to the table and admits to more than his fair share of mistakes.
The playful personality that has been displayed in his other books, in movies like My Name Is Bruce, or even in projects like Last Fan Standing continues to shine through in this collection and makes it an interesting read for that reason alone.

If this is where Bruce is headed for the next chapter of his career, I’m so down for it.
The more observational and introspective tone here is an interesting path to follow him down.
I find his writing to be endlessly fascinating because, unlike seemingly most writers, he keeps going at it in all forms.
Memoir/Autobiographer, Novelist, Screenwriter, Comic Writer, and now Essayist, the range is impressive.
I would be more than glad to plunk down some green and read a collection like this every year or two from him to see how/what views of his evolve or grow, and I hope you would too.

Let us know what you think of this review in the comments below or share this post on Twitter with the Hashtag #TNBBookReview.

And if you’ve read down this far, I’m going to give you a little extra somethin’ somethin’ in the way of an easter eggy tease.
I have recently gotten Bruce’s latest novel, House Divided, and hope to have a review of that out around March.
So keep an eye peeled for that, gang.
And thanks for reading!

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And finally, given the state of the world, do what you can to leave it a little bit better than you found it.
As difficult as that may be currently, it can have an impact far greater than you know.
Until next time, stay safe out there, gang.