Tink's Book Reviews

This is the story of how a tall, shy youth from Weston-super-Mare went on to become a self-confessed legend. En route, John Cleese describes his nerve-racking first public appearance, at St Peter’s Preparatory School at the age of eight and five-sixths; his endlessly peripatetic home life with parents who seemed incapable of staying in any house for longer than six months; his first experiences in the world of work as a teacher who knew nothing about the subjects he was expected to teach; his hamster-owning days at Cambridge; and his first encounter with the man who would be his writing partner for over two decades, Graham Chapman.  Punctuated from time to time with John Cleese’s thoughts on topics as diverse as the nature of comedy, the relative merits of cricket and waterskiing, and the importance of knowing the dates of all the kings and queens of England, this is a masterly performance by a former schoolmaster.   "This is an ex-parrot!" National Treasure and comedian John...

We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python - from the  Flying Circus  to  The Meaning of Life .  Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. "Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it. Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true" We all know him, wether it be from The Life of Brian, The Holy Grail or plain old Python sketches. He has become somewhat of a national treasure, Eric Idle, in his own words.   From a young boy growing up in boarding school, to a cheeky teen doing as he pleases and finally, to one of the most well known comedic's in British history and member of the well loved Monty Python.  Written and narrated by the Python himself (which makes it ten times better)  Alw...