There have been few voices who have benefited as much from the podcast boom as much as Marc Maron. As the story goes, he was a struggling comic who decided to start a show less because it was profitable and more because he needed an outlet. Nobody would've expected his bi-weekly program recorded in his garage would amount to much, and yet it's become one of the most essential listens of the past decade. With top-tier guests, he continues to find ways to expand the potential of the confessional medium. It only makes sense that he would be tapped to write his own memoir full of his signature comedy and frustration with the world. While many of the stories feel familiar to loyal listeners of WTF, it's still thrilling to see that his voice works as well on the page as it does into a microphone.
Much like his podcast, the greatest appeal of "Attempting Normal" is finding an artist cognizant of his life to the point that he's able to make memorable quips within the moment. Starting with the existential crisis on a plane, he manages to slowly draw out the tension while pointing out his own flaws as a man with notorious anger issues. As someone trying to reform his life, he's constantly afraid of past relationships and decisions. Some of them were heartbreaking but Maron's one gift is his ability to make them funny, often finding punchlines in simple acts like decision-making. At times he may seem aimless, more forced to do comedy because he has no choice. Still, the act of endurance is what has made him a worthwhile addition to podcasts. He is someone who hasn't become more bitter but instead expresses gratitude for what has gone right in his life.
The results are a mix of stories that audiences may know from the show, or possibly even his stand-up. He's also able to find vulnerable and embarrassing moments in his relationships and dig into a perspective that is unique. Whereas most would become too defensive about their flaws, Maron is quick to recognize that he was at fault, accepting regret instead. It's the type of work that makes him human. He's so capable of discovering compassion that he is more than a comedian with a potentially problematic past. He may be too cantankerous for some, but that isn't to suggest that he's off-putting. Everything he says has a comedic undertone mixed with enough bittersweetness that explores failed marriages and friendships that he wishes he could do over. In that way, he transcends the personal by making the reader recognize their own faults in life as valid, allowing them to be more than a terrible mistake from their past.
"Attempting Normal" is not the most revolutionary of reads, but it works for those who see Maron as a cult of personality. As a voice that's been present every week throughout the 2010s and beyond, he's someone that the public is familiar with. What's more impressive is that within this time he's gone from a potential failure to a success story unlike any other. He's the reason that podcasts have been romanticized. If he can slowly become more respected and interview legendary talents, then what's stopping everyone else? The redemption arc is brilliant and the way it's handled in mostly modest tones, often as a throwaway joke, makes this book all the sweeter. It may be crass and uncomfortable at times, but beating underneath is a human heart. It may not change your opinion on Maron too much, but for those who already like him it may make him even more endearing.
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