New book on The Simpsons is lot like the show itself: Hilarious, joke-a-minute and overstaying of its welcome

Slate

Longtime Simpsons writer Mike Reiss' new book Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies From a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons is part memoir and part reflection on the series, written with the structure of the Fox animated comedy. "Springfield Confidential works best as fan service, and I don’t mean that as a dig," says Jack Hamilton. "Reiss knows his audience, and it’s unlikely that many people will read this book who aren’t already Simpsons obsessives." Still, because Reiss is too close to the show, having written for it since Episode 1, "Springfield Confidential ultimately feels a bit overly protective of The Simpsons’ legacy, which is as understandable as it is unnecessary," says Hamilton. He adds that "Reiss has dedicated more than half his life to this show, and he defends it with the ferocious irrationality that a parent would his child."

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