Funny Boy

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proof that PR works.  Every year I decide not to read any celebrity biographies, and every year I accidentally catch an interview on the radio or TV and end up reading the interviewee's book!  Just in time for Christmas, folks!

This year, I've been distracted by 'Little Me: My Life from A-Z' by Matt Lucas.  Normally I'd have given anything to do with 'Little Britain' a wide berth (it's just not really my sort of humour), but he came across so differently in the interview, I was intrigued.

In 'Little Me: My Life from A-Z', comedian and actor Matt Lucas tells his story so far.  Starting with his first notable role - 'Accrington Stanley' - and ending with 'Zzzzzzzz', the book's chapters include 'Baldy!', 'Chumley' (his first popular comedy character), 'Eating' (perhaps his greatest weakness), 'Jewish', 'Nearest and Dearest', 'Really, really Big Britain', 'The TARDIS' and 'What are the Scores, George Dawes?'.  Lucas reflects on the great highs and lows of his life, including being discovered by his comedy hero Bob Mortimer and performing 'Little Britain' sketches to sell out stadium audiences, as well as the difficulties caused by his childhood hair loss and grief following the death of his ex-husband.

I've got to be honest and say that, despite my hopes, I half expected to be unable to read much of this book.  As I mentioned, I found 'Little Britain' wasn't to my taste and expected Lucas to be more like his more ostentatious collaborator David Walliams (let's face it, while he's undeniably talented, he's not everyone's cup of tea).  As it turned out, I was charmed.  Lucas comes across as thoughtful, cheeky and hopeful, despite the obvious pain he's in.

It did cross my mind, however, that 'Little Me' could be open to interpretation.  I think if you come to the book having decided that Lucas is trying to manipulate his image and gain sympathy, I think that's exactly what you'll see.   Sometimes, you just can't win.  As a reader who was more or less a blank sheet when I started the book, however, I was struck by the writer's cautious attempt at honesty without self-pity or over-sharing.

The A-Z structure of this book makes it great to dip into, but also makes it a lighter read.  Perhaps many years in the future Lucas will be ready to write something more intense, but, for the time being, people looking for an in-depth behind-the-scenes exposé of 'Little Britain' or a considered analysis of British humour would be better off looking elsewhere.

Overall, if you have a liking for Lucas, are curious about what makes comedians tick, or are just interested in other human beings, I think you will find 'Little Me' enjoyable.  It's not the most Earth-shattering read, but it's sweet and enables you to see a normal-ish person beyond the tabloid silliness.

Now, what next...

'Little Me: My Life from A-Z' by Matt Lucas is published by Canongate Books Ltd (2017).

Let's all be Champion

After the intensity of 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine', I felt I needed a bit of light relief.  I'd enjoyed some extracts of Sarah Millican's new book 'How to Be Champion' on the radio, so I decided to give it a go.

Comedian Sarah Millican's 'How to Be Champion' is part memoir, part self-help and part amusing musings on life.  Covering subjects as diverse as school, proper jobs, bullying, relationships, getting into stand up and the weirdness of fame, she shares stories, tips and even a recipe, all the while reminding us that life can be both sad and funny and sometimes both.  Above all, this book is about how to deal with it in a way that makes you feel 'champion', even when things don't go how you anticipate and society's expectations just want to get in your way.

OK, I'll start with the negative.  Like many celebrity books, the structure for this one goes a bit wobbly a bit towards the end.  It's almost like there was a set word count and once the timeline from school to the present had been more or less exhausted, there was a sort of 'what do I say now?' moment.  Fortunately, it doesn't last too long and Millican regains momentum to get us to the end of the book.

On the whole, this was exactly what I expected and wanted it to be.  Millican's joie de vivre shines from every page, meaning that this was a book I was happy to return to and could trust to raise a smile, from humour, recognition and understanding.  Hopefully she really is that champion and it's not just all that sugar in her tea!

As I'm sure the publisher's hoped, 'How to be Champion' would make a lovely stocking filler, something that can be enjoyed in short bursts during the morning commute or the five minutes you get to yourself after the kids have gone to bed.  While it's definitely one for the girls and a bit on the disposable side, it did it's job well and it certainly has a place on my bookshelves.  Like Millican herself, it's brave, brassy and yet compassionate, akin to a supportive hug and a 'It'll be alright, pet.'.  We all need one of those from time to time.

Now, what next...