About the Book
I Can't Make This Up is Kevin Hart's memoir, covering his childhood in Philadelphia, his relationship with his father (a drug addict who was largely absent), his early attempts at stand-up comedy, and the slow, rejection-heavy climb toward mainstream success. Hart is candid about the chaos of his upbringing and the financial instability that followed him into his early career.
The book moves roughly chronologically, from Hart's early years through his breakthrough as a touring comedian and eventually a Hollywood actor. Along the way he covers failed relationships, bad decisions, and the specific kind of grind that comes with building a comedy career from nothing. It's less a Hollywood success story and more an account of incremental progress with a lot of setbacks in between.
This is not a tell-all or an exposé. Hart keeps the tone largely upbeat and motivational, framing his story around the idea that your background doesn't have to define your outcome. Whether that framing works for you will depend on your tolerance for self-help adjacent messaging woven into what is otherwise a fairly straightforward life story.
Narration & Audio Performance
Despite the metadata listing this as not author-narrated, this audiobook is widely known to be performed by Kevin Hart himself, and it's one of the clearer cases where that choice pays off. Hart is a professional performer, and it shows. His comic timing translates directly to audio, and the more personal or emotional sections land better in his voice than they likely would from a hired narrator working off the page.
The pacing is fast. Hart speaks the way he performs, with rhythm and energy, which keeps things moving but can occasionally feel like it outpaces the material in the heavier sections. His impression of his father and various figures from his past are delivered with enough character differentiation to make long listening sessions easy to follow.
Production quality from Simon and Schuster Audio is clean and consistent. There are no notable audio issues. If you're on the fence, the Audible sample is a reliable indicator of what the full recording sounds like, and for this one, the sample is worth checking because Hart's delivery is either exactly what you want or more than you can take for eight-plus hours.
The Audible Verdict
This is one of the stronger cases for spending a credit on a celebrity memoir. Hart's background as a stand-up comedian means he's genuinely good at reading aloud, he controls timing, shifts tone between funny and serious, and holds listener attention across a long runtime. The audio format adds something here that a print edition wouldn't. You're not just reading his story; you're hearing it delivered the way he'd tell it on stage.
Listen on AudibleIs This Book a Good Fit for Audio?
Memoirs generally work well in audio when the subject has a distinctive voice and the book is told in a linear, conversational style. Both apply here. Hart's story moves forward in time without heavy reliance on charts, footnotes, or structural complexity. There's nothing in this book that requires you to see the page.
The author's performance background is the key factor. Most celebrity memoirs narrated by their subjects are a mixed bag, some celebrities are natural readers, many aren't. Hart is a working comedian with years of stage time, which puts him in a different category from actors or athletes reading their own work for the first time. The result is an audio edition that functions more like a recorded performance than a standard narration.
Popular Listener Questions
Is this audiobook narrated by Kevin Hart himself?
Yes. Kevin Hart narrates the audiobook himself, and his performance background as a stand-up comedian comes through clearly in the delivery.
Is the book mostly funny or does it cover serious ground?
Both. Hart covers a genuinely difficult childhood, an absent, drug-addicted father, financial hardship, early career rejection, but the overall tone stays conversational and tends toward humor even in heavier sections. Readers expecting a comedy record will find more substance; readers expecting a traditional memoir will find more jokes.
Is this book part of a series or connected to other Hart projects?
No. It's a standalone memoir with no direct sequel or companion audiobook.
Who is this audiobook best suited for?
People who enjoy comedian memoirs, fans of Hart's stand-up, and listeners who appreciate motivational life stories told in an informal, high-energy style. It's also a reasonable choice for long drives or commutes where you want something that holds attention without requiring close focus.
Similar Audiobooks
Trevor Noah's memoir about growing up in apartheid South Africa is also narrated by the author and benefits from the same performer-as-narrator dynamic. Slightly more serious in tone but a comparable audio experience.
Amy Poehler narrates her own memoir with a similar mix of humor and personal history. The audio version has production additions that make it distinct from the print edition.
Matthew McConaughey narrates his memoir with a strong performance sensibility. Like Hart, he's a professional entertainer reading his own material, and the result is more engaging than the average celebrity audiobook.
The Happiest Baby on the Block
For listeners browsing the Simon and Schuster Audio catalog, production quality is consistent across their releases.
Sick in the Head
Judd Apatow's collection of interviews with comedians covers much of the same comedy industry terrain that Hart discusses in his memoir, from a different angle.
Audiobook Details
| Title | I Can't Make This Up |
|---|---|
| Author | Kevin Hart |
| Narrator | Kevin Hart |
| Genre | Comedian Memoir |
| Year | 2017 |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
| Abridged | Unabridged |
| Cast | Single narrator |
| Author-narrated | No |
Ready to listen?
I Can't Make This Up is available on Audible and is one of the better uses of a first credit or free trial for listeners who enjoy comedian memoirs told in the subject's own voice.
Open on Audible