The Joker Is Wild: The Trials and Triumphs of Jim Carrey

Tamara Jones, a former production stage manager/operations supervisor in
the Entertainment Department of Paramount Canada’s Wonderland, has
relocated to Burlington, Vermont.

Jim Carrey’s ability to command $20 million for a single film
appearance is a measure of his “star” status. This biography delves
into the actor/comedian’s past to reveal the experiences, good and
bad, that gave rise to a unique comic sensibility. “At his uninhibited
best,” Knelman writes, “[Carrey] brings out the kid in everyone,
defying all demands for responsible, adult behavior and leaving
audiences in a state of liberated delirium.”

Not quite as entertaining as its subject manner, The Joker Is Wild is
certainly informative. Sometimes the detail and background information
Knelman provides is distracting. For example, a single paragraph on
Carrey losing his virginity comes out of the blue and serves no other
purpose than to interrupt the flow of the story. Although the book
contains numerous anecdotes about life on the standup circuit, it is not
intended to serve as a textbook for those interested in the field of
comedy.

Ultimately, Knelman’s book is a celebration of Carrey’s genius, a
genius derived in large part from his ability to “tap into the
feelings associated with his own personal history.” A filmography and
a detailed account of the author’s many sources are included.