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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Highly readable. I could see someone getting annoyed at the name drops but to be honest it didn't bother me in the slightest and I just enjoyed reading all the anectdotes. I don't think I'd get on with Eric Idle but he's mostly funny and this book was really good.
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Suicide
funny
slow-paced
I'm sure Eric Idle is a great person, but it was hard to read this book without cringing at what it would be like to meet him. He's so fun and genial you want to keep nodding, but he is also the kind of man to claim to be progressive but make repeated jokes about half-naked young women well into his old age (that's weird, Eric!). He protests too much at not being homophobic; I believe he's not in any malicious way, but he's clearly not as comfortable with the queers as he wants us to think. He doesn't seem to think twice about the boy's club he has been a part of, or the ways MeToo is forcing most people to take another look at the show business he writes about.
I liked the book. It was entertaining, so I'm giving it 4 stars. But there were a lot of mindless or overly flippant parts that reminded me of so many other old men that have skeeved me out. When it comes to women, Eric Idle has a big blind spot. Early in his life, he saw a show where the women on stage were naked and forced to stand completely still because of decency laws. If someone were to judge our progress based on the content of this book, it would seem like barely anything has changed.
I liked the book. It was entertaining, so I'm giving it 4 stars. But there were a lot of mindless or overly flippant parts that reminded me of so many other old men that have skeeved me out. When it comes to women, Eric Idle has a big blind spot. Early in his life, he saw a show where the women on stage were naked and forced to stand completely still because of decency laws. If someone were to judge our progress based on the content of this book, it would seem like barely anything has changed.
slow-paced
UGH. I should've added this to my DNF pile, but the sunk cost fallacy pretty much got me on this one. It was a LOT of name dropping and pretty boring on the whole, with only a few small morsels of Python history or George Harrison insights that were interesting. I used to love Eric Idle, but this book made me think less of him because it really gave me the impression that of all the Pythons the others were about staying true to their art and creating quality content whereas Idle was more about staying famous because he liked to be invited to stay on so-and-so's yacht with other celebrities X, Y, Z. It's quite funny as in his own book he kind of comes across a bit of an ass always pushing others to bank on Python whereas they are hesitant to continue to milk the success of their youth and more interested in their current projects or just keeping a nice quiet life.
I guess this is why people say 'never meet your Idles'.
I guess this is why people say 'never meet your Idles'.
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
I was in a weird mood last week and didn’t want to listen to any of the books I had on my iPod. I started looking through my Audible wishlist and found this book by Eric Idle. I’ve been a fan of Monty Python movies for a long time now. My love started out with Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which has some of the best one-liners in any movie). Then I watched The Life of Brian (which to this day is still my favorite of all the Python movies).
This book starts off with Idle growing up as a poor boy in Britain during World War II. Then quickly moves on to his becoming a comedian and how he met the other Pythons. I really liked hearing about how Python came to exist.
I learned so much about Monty Python and about the many other celebrities they met and hung out with. Come to find out, Elvis was a huge Python fan and used to stay up nights reciting skits in bed. He also talks about how he made Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles laugh historically. How he became friends with all of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Robin Williams and George Harrison (who funded the entirety of The Life of Brian because he wanted to see the movie).
There were some really great parts about the making of Spamalot (I’m still mad at my husband for not taking me to see it when it was here last month). He also talked about winning the Tony for best musical.
There’s also a very touching tribute to George Harrison. He talks about a vicious attack on Harrison and his wife that almost killed the two of them and that Idle thinks it made Harrison die faster. There’s also a very touching tribute to Robin Williams.
He ends the book talking about what his last words would be and what his obituary would be. He even believes he will be forced to sing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (which is the most requested song at British funerals, also became a war song and at several different sports venues) at his own funeral.
This is a must listen to any fan of Monty Python.
Narration
This book is narrated by Eric Idle himself. I love listening to memoirs narrated by the author. You really feel like they are telling you their life story as if you’re sitting in a living room. No one else could’ve narrated this because Idle voice several of the characters that he played in movies and in Flying Circus.
I was in a weird mood last week and didn’t want to listen to any of the books I had on my iPod. I started looking through my Audible wishlist and found this book by Eric Idle. I’ve been a fan of Monty Python movies for a long time now. My love started out with Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which has some of the best one-liners in any movie). Then I watched The Life of Brian (which to this day is still my favorite of all the Python movies).
This book starts off with Idle growing up as a poor boy in Britain during World War II. Then quickly moves on to his becoming a comedian and how he met the other Pythons. I really liked hearing about how Python came to exist.
I learned so much about Monty Python and about the many other celebrities they met and hung out with. Come to find out, Elvis was a huge Python fan and used to stay up nights reciting skits in bed. He also talks about how he made Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles laugh historically. How he became friends with all of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Robin Williams and George Harrison (who funded the entirety of The Life of Brian because he wanted to see the movie).
There were some really great parts about the making of Spamalot (I’m still mad at my husband for not taking me to see it when it was here last month). He also talked about winning the Tony for best musical.
There’s also a very touching tribute to George Harrison. He talks about a vicious attack on Harrison and his wife that almost killed the two of them and that Idle thinks it made Harrison die faster. There’s also a very touching tribute to Robin Williams.
He ends the book talking about what his last words would be and what his obituary would be. He even believes he will be forced to sing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (which is the most requested song at British funerals, also became a war song and at several different sports venues) at his own funeral.
This is a must listen to any fan of Monty Python.
Narration
This book is narrated by Eric Idle himself. I love listening to memoirs narrated by the author. You really feel like they are telling you their life story as if you’re sitting in a living room. No one else could’ve narrated this because Idle voice several of the characters that he played in movies and in Flying Circus.
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Funny at times, though also a tad self-indulgent. Lots and lots of namedropping and money talk. The first and last chapters are the best bits. Lacks depth, and pales in comparison to Cleese's autobiography, this even though the latter barely touches on Monty Python. Not essential, but a light and enjoyable read, overall.
I stopped halfway through to rewatch some Monty python and remember the references. I enjoyed his storytelling, even if some of the name dropping went over my head.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced