And Away...
Ratings16
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings16
Average rating4.3
The number one bestseller and Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year by national treasure Bob Mortimer. ‘The most life-affirming, joyful read of the year’ - Sunday Times ‘Winningly heartfelt’ – The Guardian ‘A triumph’ – Daily Mail Bob Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The episode unnerved him, but forced him to reflect on his life so far. This is the framework for his hilarious and moving memoir, And Away… Although his childhood in Middlesbrough was normal on the surface, it was tinged by the loss of his dad, and his own various misadventures (now infamous from his appearances on Would I Lie to You?), from burning down the family home to starting a short-lived punk band called Dog Dirt. As an adult, he trained as a solicitor and moved to London. Though he was doing pretty well (the South London Press once crowned him ‘The Cockroach King’ after a successful verdict), a chance encounter in a pub in the 1980s with a young comedian going by the name Vic Reeves set his life on a different track. And now, six years on, the heart condition that once threatened his career has instead led to new success on BBC2’s Gone Fishing. Warm, profound, and irrepressibly funny, And Away… is Bob’s full life story (with a few lies thrown in for good measure.)
Reviews with the most likes.
Very funny - made me want to watch everything he's ever done, so that's what I'm doing now.
Funny guy, had a life well lived, despite the bad choices along the way. Good British humour.
On the eve of a national tour in 2015 Bob Mortimer (one half of National Treasure comedy double act Vic and Bob) was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and underwent a triple bypass. This acted as a sort of reset for Bob and his outlook on life changed. The first half of his autobiography uses his diagnosis and recovery as a framing device into which he weaves the story of his childhood in Middlesbrough, his friendships and family. It's a warm hearted book, with Bob's voice shining through the prose.
The rest of the book relates his time as a solicitor in London, his meeting with Vic Reeves and their eventual ascension to comedy legend status. A combination of chancing his arm, talent, a productive friendship with Vic and sheer blind luck turned a shy, awkward young man into the beloved entertainer he is today. It turns out the secret to comedy gold is simply making each other (he and Vic) laugh.
The last part of the book talks about the TV series that he's most enjoyed being a part of, right up to the unlikely success of a programme about two old men trying to catch fish.
What comes through most is that Bob is a thoroughly decent bloke, a genuinely nice person and one of the funniest men alive. A warm hug of a book.
Go on, give it a read.
