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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.
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.
carrieliza's review against another edition
5.0
Hi, I have a crush on David Mitchell. This book is full of wit and grump and I loved it all.
lm_henderson's review against another edition
5.0
This is without a doubt one of the funniest books I've ever read....I completely loved it.
The style of writing is brilliant & you could imagine David saying the words.Ok it's rude in places but that just adds to it.
Think I liked it even more as hadn't known much about Mitchell & Webb before but will definitely be looking out for them now.
More books please.....I hated it when I got to the end of this one!!!
The style of writing is brilliant & you could imagine David saying the words.Ok it's rude in places but that just adds to it.
Think I liked it even more as hadn't known much about Mitchell & Webb before but will definitely be looking out for them now.
More books please.....I hated it when I got to the end of this one!!!
neekah's review against another edition
4.0
It was really funny and I appreciated all the commentary about comedy and his view on various things. I think most references to British famous people & places went over my head, since I'm not British, but other than that I enjoyed it a lot. He is not my favourite QI panelist for nothing.
foodforbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve always felt disillusioned by the idea of autobiographies. Call me harsh but I normally find that what one person finds interesting about him/herself and what others want to know about them often aren’t the same thing.
The other thing that really grates on me is when an autobiography assumes a different tone of voice from the person telling it. For instance, I imagined Michael McIntyre’s autobiography to sound hyperactive and fast-paced. Yet sadly it didn’t sound anything like the bouncing, over-energetic comedian we usually see on stage.
So you can see why I had my reservations when asking for David Mitchell’s Back Story for Christmas last year. Still, I reasoned that this time it would be different. After all, David Mitchell is the master of internal monologues and spectacular at impassioned rants - both things which must translate well into an autobiography surely?
Anyway, I’m really glad that I ignored my autobiography fears. I can wholeheartedly say that Back Story is one of the funniest books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and certainly the best autobiography I’ve read. I think part of its charm lies in the way Mitchell tells his story- the events of the book are structured around a walk through London and he somehow manages to relate each location on his walk to an event in his life. Not to mention the fact that he’s clearly an intelligent, engaging writer.
It’s also really fascinating to see his rise in the world of comedy - particularly his relationship with Robert Webb and his time at Cambridge. I love that he talks about comedy as an art form - as it should be! I think it’s easy to forget how hard it is to be funny - especially when you have to write original material within a set format for something like Peep Show.
I think part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was because despite his fame he is just a normal guy at the end of the day and he has all the same thoughts, feelings and inadequacies that everyone else has. Not only does this mean that there a lot of moments readers can relate to (particularly if you’re a bit of a dork like me), but it’s also quite endearing to read about someone who can be so humble and delightfully self-deprecating.
Of course, you’ll enjoy the book a lot more if you like Mitchell’s sense of humour (and I think you will - there’s even a reference to “that other” book writing David Mitchell) but if you aren’t a fan of rants/laughing I wouldn’t read this - and it’s probably time to admit you’re humourless.
I honestly couldn’t put this down and it’s definitely a book I’m going to return to in future - I couldn’t stop smiling from the beginning right until the last page. I highly recommend Back Story: A Memoir to anyone looking for an engaging, funny read (or readers who have been disappointed with autobiographies - as I had been before reading this).
Thank you David Mitchell for proving my autobiography phobia ill-founded!
The other thing that really grates on me is when an autobiography assumes a different tone of voice from the person telling it. For instance, I imagined Michael McIntyre’s autobiography to sound hyperactive and fast-paced. Yet sadly it didn’t sound anything like the bouncing, over-energetic comedian we usually see on stage.
So you can see why I had my reservations when asking for David Mitchell’s Back Story for Christmas last year. Still, I reasoned that this time it would be different. After all, David Mitchell is the master of internal monologues and spectacular at impassioned rants - both things which must translate well into an autobiography surely?
Anyway, I’m really glad that I ignored my autobiography fears. I can wholeheartedly say that Back Story is one of the funniest books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and certainly the best autobiography I’ve read. I think part of its charm lies in the way Mitchell tells his story- the events of the book are structured around a walk through London and he somehow manages to relate each location on his walk to an event in his life. Not to mention the fact that he’s clearly an intelligent, engaging writer.
It’s also really fascinating to see his rise in the world of comedy - particularly his relationship with Robert Webb and his time at Cambridge. I love that he talks about comedy as an art form - as it should be! I think it’s easy to forget how hard it is to be funny - especially when you have to write original material within a set format for something like Peep Show.
I think part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was because despite his fame he is just a normal guy at the end of the day and he has all the same thoughts, feelings and inadequacies that everyone else has. Not only does this mean that there a lot of moments readers can relate to (particularly if you’re a bit of a dork like me), but it’s also quite endearing to read about someone who can be so humble and delightfully self-deprecating.
Of course, you’ll enjoy the book a lot more if you like Mitchell’s sense of humour (and I think you will - there’s even a reference to “that other” book writing David Mitchell) but if you aren’t a fan of rants/laughing I wouldn’t read this - and it’s probably time to admit you’re humourless.
I honestly couldn’t put this down and it’s definitely a book I’m going to return to in future - I couldn’t stop smiling from the beginning right until the last page. I highly recommend Back Story: A Memoir to anyone looking for an engaging, funny read (or readers who have been disappointed with autobiographies - as I had been before reading this).
Thank you David Mitchell for proving my autobiography phobia ill-founded!
amykastigar's review against another edition
5.0
It occurred to me, halfway through Back Story, that the last three non-fiction books I attempted were all memoirs of people working in comedy/entertainment. These included Theft by Finding by David Sedaris, Believe Me by Eddie Izzard, and, of course, Back Story. All three were to be listened to on my commute to and from work, as I firmly believe that if you have the chance to hear someone funny read his own story, you really, really should. I have long had a fondness for David Mitchell, or at least the persona he presents on TV, so I was eager to listen to his book. But I thought, as the least obviously funny of the three, it would also rank 3rd in enjoyment. I'm an idiot.
As it stands, I abandoned both David Sedaris (too trivial and boring) and Eddie Izzard (too many asides, meanderings, just stick to a bit of the point, will you?) before too many chapters had passed. I plan to go back to them one day soon, but will probably actually read them, as it will increase the likelihood that I'll put up with their narratives if I have the option to skim over the parts that bore me, or in Eddie's case, actually read his story rather than listen to him giggle at his own digressions.
But Back Story? Back Story was a great memoir. Most of it was like sitting in a bar listening to a new acquaintance tell you his life story: conversational, amusing, and just the right amount of self-deprecation. I giggled at some stories, snorted at others, but even the drier bits of the narrative were interesting and kept my attention. And then there were moments were Mitchell's story was completely amazing: the story about Olivia Coleman pissing herself onstage had me crying with laughter, the chapter about his courtship with Victoria Coren had me crying again, first with sadness, and then with utter happiness for people I don't know and will never meet. Back Story definitely proves that David Mitchell, unassuming as he seems, is a man of fantastic storytelling talents.
As it stands, I abandoned both David Sedaris (too trivial and boring) and Eddie Izzard (too many asides, meanderings, just stick to a bit of the point, will you?) before too many chapters had passed. I plan to go back to them one day soon, but will probably actually read them, as it will increase the likelihood that I'll put up with their narratives if I have the option to skim over the parts that bore me, or in Eddie's case, actually read his story rather than listen to him giggle at his own digressions.
But Back Story? Back Story was a great memoir. Most of it was like sitting in a bar listening to a new acquaintance tell you his life story: conversational, amusing, and just the right amount of self-deprecation. I giggled at some stories, snorted at others, but even the drier bits of the narrative were interesting and kept my attention. And then there were moments were Mitchell's story was completely amazing: the story about Olivia Coleman pissing herself onstage had me crying with laughter, the chapter about his courtship with Victoria Coren had me crying again, first with sadness, and then with utter happiness for people I don't know and will never meet. Back Story definitely proves that David Mitchell, unassuming as he seems, is a man of fantastic storytelling talents.