Comedian Louis C.K. releasing ‘not particularly funny’ debut novel this fall

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Louis CK, a standup comic, actor, writer and filmmaker who has slowly been rebuilding his career over the last several years after a series of sexual misconduct allegations knocked him from his perch as among the most popular and celebrated comedian in America, will be releasing a new project that, as he described, is “not particularly funny.”

“Ingram,” a novel written by C.K., will be released Nov. 11 through BenBella Books, a subsidiary of Simon & Schuster.

C.K. first announced the book in an email to fans May 7, clarifying that unlike previous projects of his like “Louie” and “I Love You Daddy,” his book was something different: a “very dramatic story.”

“And I better confess to you this book is not particularly funny,” C.K. wrote. “I’m not saying you will never laugh while reading it. You will probably laugh a few times. You might even laugh a lot. If you are insane. But essentially, ‘Ingram’ is not a comedy book. It’s a literary novel. It is literally a literary novel.”

In its synopsis of the book, Simon & Schuster described the plot like this:

“When Ingram is forced by overwhelming poverty and spiritual exhaustion to walk away from his home, he leaves behind a neglectful childhood on a dirt farm on a dead-end road. With no family, no resources, and no practical understanding of the world, Ingram’s only compass is the daily fight to survive and the narrow dream of one day owning a truck.

“A picaresque novel set against the backdrop of working-class Texas, ‘Ingram’ invites readers to see the world through the eyes of a child who drifts through a tough American landscape of corn farms and oil fields, guided by diner waitresses, migrant workers, and criminals, trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t care about him anymore than a jungle or desert does for the creatures that toil to survive within them.

“The reality Ingram discovers is wild and cruel, but filled with unexpected wonders. Though this young boy faces tornadoes, explosions, thieves, and rampant violence, his curiosity, humor, and resilience never dull.

“As he begins to push against the tide of social and natural bad luck that seems to almost chase him, Ingram begins to forge himself into an individual with agency and the ability and right to choose his own moves, even if he’s not always prepared for the consequences.

“Through Ingram’s journey, he begins to come to terms with a forgotten tragedy from his past that shapes the way he understands himself, his family, and his own place in the world.”

In his own words, C.K. distilled the story a little more.

“Ingram is the story of a boy who lives in a very nowhere place with no one to talk to and nothing to do and very little to eat,” he wrote. “He is forced to leave that place and go out into a chaotic, cruel, confusing, and fascinating world. He commences to do the only things left to him as options. He survives, he suffers, he learns, he wonders, cries, laughs, and he grows just as anything that doesn’t die continues to grow.”

C.K. said “Ingram” came out of a period over the last few years where he began writing more fiction than jokes, starting with short stories. Then, along came “Ingram.”

“So, one day I got this voice of a simple but eloquent country boy in my head and I sat down to write his story,” he said. “I had no idea it was going to be a book, and I had no idea what would happen to him. For many months I sat down almost every day and I would ask Ingram what happens next, and he would tell me.  And then just like that, one day, as suddenly as he had shown up, it was over. That’s ‘Ingram.'”

Prior to 2017, Louis C.K. was among the most popular standup comics in the world, releasing 10 albums, winning two Grammys for Best Comedy Album and six Emmys for his work on “The Chris Rock Show” and his FX show “Louie.” In 2017, The New York Times published a report detailing five women who claimed he had sexually harassed them on several occasions over the years. C.K. subsequently admitted to the sexual misconduct and apologized for his actions. Amid the fallout, C.K. lost different production deals and stepped away from comedy for a year.

Since then, C.K. has gradually returned back to standup, winning a Grammy in 2022 for his special “Sincerely Louis C.K.,” as well as directing and writing a movie, “Fourth of July,” starring comedian Joe List. His latest special, “Louis C.K. at The Dolby,” was released in 2023.

For more information on “Ingram,” click here.