Reviews

Back Story by David Mitchell

emzbaa23's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

oliviaehrhart's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

phlyarologist's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

lottemarleen's review against another edition

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I listened to this as an audiobook which, in my opinion, is the best possible way to consume a memoir or autobiography. If, of course, said audiobook has been narrated by the author. Which in this case, it was.

I find David Mitchell very funny and I loved reading (hearing) about his life before he was a comedian and how he came to be one.

aimeesbookishlife's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 stars The format of this book is slightly unusual for an autobiography - it's done as if David Mitchell is narrating his life while walking around London, something he does regularly because of his bad back (so the book's title is a pun). This took a bit of getting used to because he switches between describing the landscape and telling anecdotes from his past. After a while though it becomes quite a clever device, for instance when he walks past All Souls church in Langham Place and says it reminds him of a church in Cambridge, where he went to university, which leads into recollections of university life.
The book covers Mitchell's early life, meeting and working with Robert Webb, becoming a regular on various panel shows, up until the start of his relationship with Victoria Coren (there is lovely chapter towards the end about falling in love with Victoria, which was very sweet).

hywar's review against another edition

4.0

The last two chapters of this book, especially when read by David Mitchell, are the best chapters of the book. I enjoy David Mitchell's comedy, and this wasn't a bad book by any means, it just wasn't quite as funny as I thought it would be? His life seems very normal, which I am grateful for. Unfortunately, normal lives don't always make for good autobiographies.

manlymangilly's review against another edition

5.0

If you like David Mitchell, you will like this book. It is 100% unequivocally David Mitchell. It is exactly what you would expect from a book by David Mitchell, no more and no less.

I happen to like David Mitchell.

claire_loves_books's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this, if you like David Mitchell you'll love this! His self deprecating humour really comes through in this (I did listen to the audiobook which is brilliantly narrated by David Mitchell himself). It very much is an memoir and is wonderfully honest but it's still truly hilarious. I dipped in and out of it rather than listened straight through (I listen to audiobooks when I walk my dog) and each chapter was complete enough for it to work this way.

kmrobbins's review against another edition

3.0

This was fine. I definitely like live, ranting, panel show David Mitchell better than author David Mitchell. Or maybe it was just the weird way the book was set up. Who knows. This was very ok. Of course I'll be reading his second book because I've bought it and he's my super secret British husband. So even though this book was not my favorite, he basically can do no wrong.

sarahjoyce's review against another edition

4.0

For those of you who know of David Mitchell (no, not that David Mitchell) you probably think he's a tweedy posh nerd with OCD that couldn't get out three sentences without self depreciating, and judging from his Soapboxes, panel show appearances and work with Robert Webb you wouldn't be alone. David Mitchell: Back Story will take those notions and while it won't put them to rest it will at least give you the full picture. Here you'll find stories of a David growing up in Oxford as a boy more likely to be playing Downton era dress up than kicking around a ball, cross dressing in school plays and in general worrying about life.

The celebrity memoir is a tricky thing. Too much detail and you risk appealing only to obsessed fans, too much time spent on a well adjusted childhood appears boastful and dull. Here is where David really shines. Using a long walk around London as a springboard for his memories he provides the right balance of childhood anecdote, high school pit falls and Cambridge living before going full force into the comedy life he so clearly wanted. The chapters on his early life in London and the second time meeting his future wife are particularly amusing and moving.


Overall: If You're not a fan of David Mitchell you probably wouldn't be interested in his life story, but even if you find him mildly amusing Back Story is a very funny quick read.