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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I am a huge Monty Python fan and I had listened to (and loved) John Cleese's memoir 'So, Anyway...' last year. I picked up this audiobook, excited that Idle himself was the narrator and settled in to enjoy (what I expected to be) a witty, funny, distracting book from all the insanity that 2018 has given us so far.
Guys...Never meet/read about your idols.
Idle came across as a total a-hole. His whole life was just attending parties, drinking and rubbing shoulders with famous people. The name dropping was ridiculous. Like, lists and lists and paragraphs of all the rock and roll, artsy, comedic cool people he hung out with in the 70's and 80's. Yes-- we know you were friends with a Beatle and yes, you summered with Bowie and yes, the Stones came and had sleepovers at your house...But there was not that much about him actually working until much later (and then, it was only on Spamalot and listing all the times he sung 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' at various fundraisers, parties and events).
Were there funny moments? Of course, but I found him so tiresome and kind of unlikable that I was disappointed. Oh Eric...I wasn't expecting this. Neither this, nor the Spanish Inquisition.
Guys...Never meet/read about your idols.
Idle came across as a total a-hole. His whole life was just attending parties, drinking and rubbing shoulders with famous people. The name dropping was ridiculous. Like, lists and lists and paragraphs of all the rock and roll, artsy, comedic cool people he hung out with in the 70's and 80's. Yes-- we know you were friends with a Beatle and yes, you summered with Bowie and yes, the Stones came and had sleepovers at your house...But there was not that much about him actually working until much later (and then, it was only on Spamalot and listing all the times he sung 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' at various fundraisers, parties and events).
Were there funny moments? Of course, but I found him so tiresome and kind of unlikable that I was disappointed. Oh Eric...I wasn't expecting this. Neither this, nor the Spanish Inquisition.
medium-paced
This book made me lough out loud a number of times. Very well written, a must-read for every Python\Idle fan.
This starts off in a manner that misleads. Sure it moves at quite a lick but, nonetheless, we are given a decent insight into Eric's early years, his traumatic home-life followed by even more traumatic schooling. His ascent to university and his discovery of comic abilities which led him to revues, radio and finally writing then performing on the telly.
All good so far. Problem is Python is glossed over. Massively. Of the 270 pages in this book over two-thirds are pretty boring tales of life in the rich lane. Eric meets famous person, famous person invites Eric to his holiday home somewhere hot and exotic, Eric makes famous person laugh with devastating Dad jokes.
Sure there is insight into Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. In fact it is mentioned more often than Brian Clough mentions his back-to-back European Cup wins in his autobiography.
The problem with Eric's tales is that they are barely formed and in some instances don't even last an entire paragraph. Case in point is the tragic telling of George Harrison's stabbing after a home invasion. It merits almost four pages. None of Eric's stories about his own life get anything like as much forensic examination. And that, after all, is what I was after.
There is a pretty decent telling of how the musical Spamalot came into being but that was over a fair period of time. Most of his movies are given scant coverage (very little on Nuns On The Run, for example, which I still enjoy!)
One gets the impression that Mr Idle is not a diary writer. I apologise for the inevitable comparison, but Michale Palin's diaries are interesting because they were a contemporary record of events. Lots of detail because it was written *at the time*. Most of this book seems to have been noted down years later.
I enjoyed the final chapters, the telling of how much energy he put into the 2014 Python reunion and the subsequent joint tour with John Cleese (would have been nice if they could have shoe-horned a couple of UK dates into the 60 or so they did in the US and Australia) and he has some very sweet reminiscences about his long friendship with Robin Williams and his tragic suicide the day after the final Python reunion show in London.
I have to take him to task over his ambiguous statement regarding Lance Armstrong Tour de France wins and subsequent scratching from the roster of winners. It's not clear whether he feels Lance was hard done by or a massive fraud but for the record let me just say, Lance was a fucking cheat. Let's not beat around the bush Eric.
The problem is, for me at least, most of this book is about other people. There is little scratching of the surface, no examination of feelings, motives, ups and downs. No pondering why his first marriage failed or why his second is still going strong. Lots of gatherings at other people's lovely homes (and second homes) but little in the way of anything going on Chez Idle. It feels dreadfully superficial. And as a result I cannot recommend it to anyone, even die-hard fans.
On the plus side I did manage to get a signed copy so I will still cherish it!
All good so far. Problem is Python is glossed over. Massively. Of the 270 pages in this book over two-thirds are pretty boring tales of life in the rich lane. Eric meets famous person, famous person invites Eric to his holiday home somewhere hot and exotic, Eric makes famous person laugh with devastating Dad jokes.
Sure there is insight into Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. In fact it is mentioned more often than Brian Clough mentions his back-to-back European Cup wins in his autobiography.
The problem with Eric's tales is that they are barely formed and in some instances don't even last an entire paragraph. Case in point is the tragic telling of George Harrison's stabbing after a home invasion. It merits almost four pages. None of Eric's stories about his own life get anything like as much forensic examination. And that, after all, is what I was after.
There is a pretty decent telling of how the musical Spamalot came into being but that was over a fair period of time. Most of his movies are given scant coverage (very little on Nuns On The Run, for example, which I still enjoy!)
One gets the impression that Mr Idle is not a diary writer. I apologise for the inevitable comparison, but Michale Palin's diaries are interesting because they were a contemporary record of events. Lots of detail because it was written *at the time*. Most of this book seems to have been noted down years later.
I enjoyed the final chapters, the telling of how much energy he put into the 2014 Python reunion and the subsequent joint tour with John Cleese (would have been nice if they could have shoe-horned a couple of UK dates into the 60 or so they did in the US and Australia) and he has some very sweet reminiscences about his long friendship with Robin Williams and his tragic suicide the day after the final Python reunion show in London.
I have to take him to task over his ambiguous statement regarding Lance Armstrong Tour de France wins and subsequent scratching from the roster of winners. It's not clear whether he feels Lance was hard done by or a massive fraud but for the record let me just say, Lance was a fucking cheat. Let's not beat around the bush Eric.
The problem is, for me at least, most of this book is about other people. There is little scratching of the surface, no examination of feelings, motives, ups and downs. No pondering why his first marriage failed or why his second is still going strong. Lots of gatherings at other people's lovely homes (and second homes) but little in the way of anything going on Chez Idle. It feels dreadfully superficial. And as a result I cannot recommend it to anyone, even die-hard fans.
On the plus side I did manage to get a signed copy so I will still cherish it!
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle is a memoir by one of the members of Monty Python. I expected to learn about the person, the history of Monty Python, and a reflection on what that life was like. Unfortunately, the book is more a narration of people, places and events, almost a series of vignettes designed to incorporate as many famous names as possible.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/02/always-look-on-bright-side-of-life.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/02/always-look-on-bright-side-of-life.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
A truly entertaining memoir about a life devoted to entertainment. I laughed out loud at many parts. I cried when he wrote about the deaths of George Harrison and Robin Williams. You’re not going to get any deep insight to Eric Idle’s thought processes, but he makes up for it with interesting stories.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
One of the best auto-biographies I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Who better to tell you how wonderfully hilarious Eric Idle was than the man himself? From his iconic role in the “Parrot Sketch”…or no wait, that’s right! He was King Arthur in the…oh no nevermind. Uhm…hm…AHA!
From the mind that brought you “Rutland Weekend Television”, this book is funny and thoughtful throughout, definitely worth a read.
From the mind that brought you “Rutland Weekend Television”, this book is funny and thoughtful throughout, definitely worth a read.
Easily one of my top six favorite Python members. Eric Idle has led an amazing life (so far) and has a million stories to share. He certainly knows how to spin a tale too, because I feel like I personally know him after this book. I purchased the book and then saw that he narrated the audiobook, so had to purchase that and listen. I urge you to purchase one of them, but at least listen to the audiobook because you'll get the benefit of his songs, his voices, his inflection, his accents, and a smidge of Michael Palin.
WELL worth the read, even if you're not familiar with all (or even most) of Eric Idle's work. I'm mostly a Holy Grail fan with a smattering of other things here and there; what I found in between the covers of this book was a delightfully sincere human with a true talent and joy for comedy. I'm now looking forward to hunting down some of his (and the Pythons') other works so I can catch up on what I've clearly missed. Loved it.