"Worthy to be called "EXCELLENT" 1st Place Winner, Book Publishers of El Paso, TX A funny, bumpy journey through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood

“I have come across very few books in my time that I have felt compelled to tell friends about. Jim Murphy’s embellished autobiography is one of them. The explosions of description are

"Worthy to be called "EXCELLENT" 1st Place Winner, Book Publishers of El Paso, TX A funny, bumpy journey through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood

“I have come across very few books in my time that I have felt compelled to tell friends about. Jim Murphy’s embellished autobiography is one of them. The explosions of description are beautiful; the honesty is remarkable; the humor is engulfing.  It’s on my list of favorites.” Richard Palmer, Ph.D.

“There have been a few literary geniuses who were able to get a chuckle and a laugh out of me - and yes, a few have caused me to shed a teardrop or two- but Jim Murphy literally had the tears flowing down my cheeks.” Book critic and radio blog host Tom Riddell

“ A witty exposé of life lived out in small-town America. Murphy’s rollicking account of adolescent angst is reminiscent of J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye; confirming that teenagers are teenagers whether it is 1949 or 1969, every decade before or thereafter. The writing is funny and poignant.” Life and Wellness Coach Bonnie Haines Church

Author's review: My Life Before I Decided To Commit Suicide: A Love Story is my novel. I refer to it as an embellished memoir; meaning everything is true with a bit of theatrical license thrown in. The essence of My Life takes you on a journey through my quirky childhood and foggy adolescence and through my first crushing marriage to my lovely first wife. Life, as you know, ain't easy.

My Life has also drawn comparisons to Jean Shepherd's novel, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, which was adapted to screen and renamed, A Christmas Story.

25th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. The author has a unique sense of humor that readers are bound to appreciate. This humor is liberally laced with sarcasm. The author has a gift of presenting characters as fully-formed stars like the Beehive Lady, with her nosey curiosity, and his childish interpretation of her as a Russian spy. Murphy has a singular way of presenting stories, like the one about his hamster dying on the same day as JFK. Murphy’s description of the Catholic Church and religion, in general, is unexpected and wry. There is an undercurrent of pathos as his narrative proceeds into young adulthood, of impending sadness, coming to drape itself over this original view of life, and of course, readers must know that because of the warning is given in the title.