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A review by foodforbookworms
Back Story by David Mitchell
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!