The greatest love story ever told An oral history

Megan Mullally

Book - 2018

The popular comedic couple trace the story of their relationship, sharing anecdotes, family photos, and secrets that reveal how they overcame considerable social differences through their shared values and mutual love of music and laughter.

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Subjects
Genres
Autobiographies
Humor
Published
New York, New York : Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC [2018]
Language
English
Main Author
Megan Mullally (author)
Other Authors
Nick Offerman, 1970- (author), Emily Shur (photographer), Meryl Rowin (illustrator)
Physical Description
x, 273 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
ISBN
9781101986677
  • Introduction: Blastoff!
  • The story of how we met. Bake amazing cookies / by Nick
  • You're just trying to get in on the action because your family is like a Norman Rockwell painting. My life as a stripper / by Megan
  • I came out of the womb in a top hat and tap shoes. Sex ninja / by Nick
  • You're so much of a whore. Domestic competence / by Nick
  • That's why we're in love. Pictures of us!
  • Paper doll. Booty tips / by Megan
  • It's hard to complain with a mouthful of puss/couple goats. David Lynch: palm reader / by Megan
  • I would have had such a good speech. Puzzles we did!
  • Fresh to a fault.
Review by Booklist Review

Widely admired celebrity couple Mullally (Will and Grace) and Offerman (Parks and Recreation) chat their way comfortably through a book about their lives and marriage. It's framed as a series of dialogues on subjects such as their first meeting, their families, their early lives, and, of course, sex. In between the long chapters are brief ones by each of the partners, including one by Offerman on Domestic Competence, in which he notes that both are, despite their fame, still capable of sewing on buttons or mending/patching ripped clothing, and one by Mullally in which she suggests that the key requirement for a good life is an amazing mattress. Both partners come across as likable, grounded, unpretentious, and flawed enough to be believable. An extra treat is a series of photos of the two posing, often with one or more of their dogs, with the jigsaw puzzles they complete on a regular basis. Those hoping that Hollywood couples are just like the rest of us, only maybe a little bit nicer and richer, should be pleased.--Margaret Quamme Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

After 18 years together, actors Mullally and Offerman divulge the lurid details of their life together in this uproarious oral history. The pair chronicle their entire relationship, beginning with their initial meeting during a 2000 production of The Berlin Circle in a small L.A. theater, when Mullally was an up-and-coming sitcom star and Offerman lived in a basement without electricity or plumbing. Despite seeming a little mismatched to some, the two fell in love and haven't spent more than two weeks apart since (thanks to their two-week rule). Amid humorous recollections of "rubbing each other's genitals with our hands" in the Sistine Chapel and scenes of Mullally jumping onto Offerman's back to make it to the theater in time for her Emmy Award announcement, the pair plunge into deeper discussions of their Midwestern families ("They work hard, but they don't talk about their feelings," says Offerman), their age difference (Mullally is 12 years older), and their decision, after years of trying, not to have children (Mullally was 43, and "Nick didn't have the trillions of sperm one might have hoped for"). Mullally and Offerman's unmistakable chemistry shines throughout this wildly fun collection of sincere conversations and hilarious personal essays. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

With honesty and humor, actress/singer Mullally and actor/author Offerman (Good Clean Fun) offer an oral history of their relationship and how they each handled the transition from actor to celebrity. Starting with her childhood in Oklahoma City, Mullally expands upon her initial cultural education, immersing herself in dance, theater, and the music of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand as an escape from an unstable family life. Offerman, meanwhile, reflects on his Midwestern upbringing in a big family that attended church every Sunday. Their informal conversations reflect on everything from religion to musical influences and motherhood, or lack thereof. After meeting during a theater performance of The Berlin Circle, the two bonded over humor and, later, creating art in different ways, such as Offerman's passion for woodworking and their mutual love of jigsaw puzzles. They also share insight on being known for an iconic role: Mullally as Karen on Will & Grace and Offerman as Ron on Parks and Recreation. Photographs of the couple with their trademark jigsaw puzzles are a bonus. VERDICT Fans of the authors will enjoy this book that blends pop culture, romance, and autobiography as much as Mullally and Offerman love joking with each other.-Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

In an oral history that reads like playful conversation, two popular TV stars discuss how they came together and stayed together.If the Captain Tennille talked a little naughtier in public, their "Love Will Keep Us Together" could serve as a theme song for this extended ode to marital harmony. The book is nonchronological, proceeding in chapters focusing on topics including religion, sex (and previous relationships), art, awards ceremonies, and fame in general. When they met in 2000 while rehearsing for a play, Mullally was already successful with Will Grace, while Offerman (Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop, 2016, etc.) was as much a carpenter as an actor. It wasn't love at first sight, at least on her end, but, he says, "we recognized a kindred spirit in our performance styles, if you will. And senses of humor." She had been married and had rushed into other relationships that didn't work out, while he had come from a large, loving Midwestern family and had those values instilled in him. "You're not the kind of guy who had a million women and was a dog," she tells him. "I always hated those kind of guys." The authors' banter occasionally edges toward pillow talk, and they come across like perennial honeymooners. The age difference (she's nearly 12 years older) was never an issue, and it doesn't appear that he was bothered by her success, though his breakthrough role in Parks and Recreation has leveled the playing field. If there is a secret to their love, it is perhaps best distilled in Mullally's solo chapter of beauty tips, where she advises, "just try to be the best version of what you are naturally." They amuse themselves, Offerman explains, by "doing jigsaw puzzles while simultaneously listening to audiobooks."Readers are likely to enjoy the authors' company almost as much as they seem to enjoy each other's. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

INTRODUCTION Blastoff! Megan: All right! Bum‑ba‑da‑dum! Blastoff! (Laughs) This is the introduction to our book. Carefully and meticulously handcrafted, word by word. Nick: Start your engines. M: This book consists of our time‑tested insights into a number of topics, mostly in the areas of math and science. N: It's riddled with sordid details. M: Sordid math details? N: That's right. M: Like pi . . . N: There are specific algorithms we created concerning the relationship between a woman and a man . . . M: The birds and the bees. N: The body produces its own lubrication in many instances . . . M: Oh, wait a minute. This is the intro! Dude! N: That's physics! M: No, no. Too soon! We do get into lubricants of various kinds. But not until later on in the book. Let's not open with that. So, Nick, how would you describe this kick‑ass sheaf? N: To my way of thinking, it's an illustration of a relationship that the reader might find surprisingly normal. When all you have by which to judge a relationship are some grippingly cute Instagram videos, it might not occur to one that there's a lot of banal real life. M: So this book is all the boring stuff? (Laughs) N: Yeah. M: Great! It's going to sell like hotcakes. N: It's worse than just cuteness and puzzles with us. There is also a great deal of tedium. M: We wanted to make sure we got that down on paper. N: Yes. We intend to elaborate for your reading pleasure. M: Who would you say is the ideal audience for this book? N: Altar boys? M: (Laughs) This is a multigenerational, multigenderational, postmodernist deconstruction of the greatest love story ever told. Meaning, our relationship. N: It's for readers young and old, male and female, as well as LGBTQ . . . M: . . . AI. N: AI. And also every race, religion, every creed, every political leaning will find something to learn about the body's ability to lubricate itself. M: No! Well, all right . . . I have to concede, that is what the book is about. N: When you think about it, what we all have in common is a sort of assemblage of meat that has interesting nooks and crannies. M: Well, yeah, but then you have to find another meat assemblage with its own nooks and crannies, and then you have to start making the love. N: You've hooked me. If I were reading this introduction, I would now plunge ahead to chapter one. M: That's the hook of the book. Meatloaf. N: Meatloaf . . . with gravy. M: Oh god. (Laughs) You've circled back around. So, yes, it is in fact a book about the love affair--the nonplatonic relationship--between Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, married couple and holders of social media accounts. That's probably our biggest claim to fame, right? N: Yes, that's our thing. M: My whole thing is really just my Twitter. N: Two people who have thrilled millions upon social media. And also done some other things. M: And two people who are extremely devoted to athletics. Sports! Sports of all kinds. N: If you love sports . . . M: You're going to fucking shit over this book. N: You're going to blow a load. M: He's back to the lubricants here. N: That just proves my point. M: We have groundbreakingly divided this searing examination of a relationship between two human beings into chapters with different subject matters and headings. It's an oral history presented to you in an organized yet playful fashion, dotted here and there with photography and cute drawings. N: Before you dive in, make sure you've had a good meal. You'll want to make sure you're hydrated. And if you're of age, a little bit of intoxication would not hurt the consumption of this tome. And then you may want to buckle up. Actually strap into a seat, because otherwise you might end up on the floor. If you're wearing a hat, go ahead and remove it, because it's guaranteed to fly off by the end of chapter three. M: All right . . . I don't think we've oversold it. N: No, I don't think that, of the many dangers facing us . . . M: I think we've exercised a good deal of restraint in our praise of our own book about ourselves. N: Antony and Cleopatra . . . M: Fuck off. N: Samson and Delilah . . . M: Get lost. N: Bogart and Bacall . . . M: Never had a chance. N: Suck it. M: All right! See you guys in the book! N: See you there! Excerpted from The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: An Oral History by Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.