Ratings5
Average rating4
In this rollicking memoir, Cleese takes his readers on a Grand Tour of his ascent in the entertainment world, from his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town and his early comedic days at Cambridge University (with future Python partner Graham Chapman), to the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would propel him to worldwide renown.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was such a wonderful book. If you can you must listen to this on audiobook. John Cleese reads it and I have a feeling you get a little more out of it that way.
Definitely had a lot interesting facts about John's entry and experience in getting into comedy but I found it a bit too slow but mainly was disappointed in the lack of content covering the Python years, A Fish Called Wanda and Fawlty Towers.
So, first: don't expect anything about MPFC or Fawlty Towers: he barely touches upon either. The surprising thing is, that's OK! This is about John Cleese, his life, who he is. The book is a mix of insightful, tender, funny, spiteful, disjointed, rambling, baffling. In other words, a fair facsimile of a human life. Cleese has enough interesting moments, and has learned enough from them, to make this life worth chronicling. Three stars (not four) because of disjointed narrative and loose ends.