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isabelmariasanchezgarcia's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
unicornsteak's review against another edition
3.0
10/5 Stars for the person that Bob is.
I loved the parts about his childhood and shenanigans, his relationship with his mum, and his time as a legal aid lawyer. His observations take this book beyond just a comedy memoir, he is himself a wonderful character (of life, or fiction) whose thoughts and experiences are worthy of transcribing. I felt honoured to be granted a seat inside his head for the duration of this book, it's a beautiful and cozy place and the insight was very life-affirming for me. I found some of the latter TV stuff was a drag, though necessary from a marketing standpoint. I would happily read or listen to him speak about his life indefinitely. I recommend the audiobook version as he narrates it wonderfully.
I loved the parts about his childhood and shenanigans, his relationship with his mum, and his time as a legal aid lawyer. His observations take this book beyond just a comedy memoir, he is himself a wonderful character (of life, or fiction) whose thoughts and experiences are worthy of transcribing. I felt honoured to be granted a seat inside his head for the duration of this book, it's a beautiful and cozy place and the insight was very life-affirming for me. I found some of the latter TV stuff was a drag, though necessary from a marketing standpoint. I would happily read or listen to him speak about his life indefinitely. I recommend the audiobook version as he narrates it wonderfully.
redheadreader73's review against another edition
4.0
Just an ordinary unassuming bloke, who happens to be incredibly funny. Loved the ‘Gone Fishing’ TV series, despite not really liking fishing, so I thought this book was worth a read. There’s no frills and fancy, a hard working bloke who wants to do good things and make people laugh.
agrippinaes's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first full venture into audiobooks and I had a lot of fun with it. I like Bob Mortimer - that’s probably a more accurate phrase to use rather than saying ‘fan’, because when sitting down to write this review, it occurred to me that I haven’t actually seen a lot of his stuff outside of appearances on Would I Lie To You and occasionally watching Gone Fishing. I’ve always found him funny and engaging, though, and this is in part how I’d describe this book.
Broadly speaking the book is chronological, but it flips between the period of Bob’s life when he was undergoing heart surgery and his youth, starting from his childhood through to his life-changing meeting with Jim Moir, also known as Vic Reeves. Towards the end of the book he changes this structure to focus on his comedy career and important people in his life. There are occasional ‘would I lie to you’ chapters where he plays on his now famous appearances on that show. It’s a format that really worked for me - it kept things interesting and allowed a breather from these two different timelines.
My enjoyment of it was definitely based in part on listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Bob himself. As you might expect, this is a very, very funny book in parts, and that is definitely helped along when you’re hearing some of the anecdotes in Bob’s own voice. That’s what makes this so engaging; it is very much like having him there talking to you, and it also helps that the structure is switched up every now and then.
However, don’t go into this book expecting it to always be funny. He delves into some difficult periods in his life, ranging from the loss of his father to his struggles with his mental health to the trials of working with some of the most disadvantaged people in British society. He does so with gentle humour, that only serves to make some of the bleaker moments more emotional. My heart genuinely ached when he recounted his difficulties with starting university, or when he covered his relationship with his mother, for example.
As a point of reference, if you’re a fan of his show Gone Fishing, I would say that the tone of this book is very similar to that. Funny, yes, but also able to discuss some hard, heartbreaking topics. The journey Bob takes from a shy, nervous young boy to the well-respected, famous comedian is beautifully told, and whether you’re a fan of him or not, I think this is worth a read.
Broadly speaking the book is chronological, but it flips between the period of Bob’s life when he was undergoing heart surgery and his youth, starting from his childhood through to his life-changing meeting with Jim Moir, also known as Vic Reeves. Towards the end of the book he changes this structure to focus on his comedy career and important people in his life. There are occasional ‘would I lie to you’ chapters where he plays on his now famous appearances on that show. It’s a format that really worked for me - it kept things interesting and allowed a breather from these two different timelines.
My enjoyment of it was definitely based in part on listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Bob himself. As you might expect, this is a very, very funny book in parts, and that is definitely helped along when you’re hearing some of the anecdotes in Bob’s own voice. That’s what makes this so engaging; it is very much like having him there talking to you, and it also helps that the structure is switched up every now and then.
However, don’t go into this book expecting it to always be funny. He delves into some difficult periods in his life, ranging from the loss of his father to his struggles with his mental health to the trials of working with some of the most disadvantaged people in British society. He does so with gentle humour, that only serves to make some of the bleaker moments more emotional. My heart genuinely ached when he recounted his difficulties with starting university, or when he covered his relationship with his mother, for example.
As a point of reference, if you’re a fan of his show Gone Fishing, I would say that the tone of this book is very similar to that. Funny, yes, but also able to discuss some hard, heartbreaking topics. The journey Bob takes from a shy, nervous young boy to the well-respected, famous comedian is beautifully told, and whether you’re a fan of him or not, I think this is worth a read.
fionaalwin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
If I could rate this 6 stars then I would. I think this has been my favourite book of 2021 - and I've read almost 100 with several 5 star ratings.
Auto/Biographies can be a bit hit or miss for me. Sometimes the subject is someone that I really like (obviously why I've picked up their book) but their biography just misses the mark for whatever reason. I've stopped reading many a biography over the years. Some have focused on minute details which have bored me, or they've been too polished and a marketing tool rather than a genuine biography.
Yet I was sucked into 'And Away...' like a crusty crumb up a hoover.
It was just written so incredibly well that I haven't stopped reading it. It is now 4am on the second day of reading and I've just finished and I will hate myself for this later but I fell down the rabbit hole.
It was well paced, following the chronology of Mortimer's life and career but had a great balance between significant and impacting events and/or people and the mundane, which built context and added colour. It was subtle in its humour and funny throughout. I loved that whenever I was reading it over night or while holding my sleeping baby I had to suppress quite violent giggles to keep from waking him. Pocket meats. I mean. I thought I was going to suffocate myself trying to keep quiet at that point.
I've read a few auto/biographies of comedians or entertainers and they have bordered on being a stand up act in themselves. Joke after joke because that is clearly what their audience like and it is the reason they have an audience for a book, but 'And Away...' just felt like I was sitting down with Mortimer and he was telling me very genuinely about his life.
It was emotive and compelling and very open. I just absolutely ate it up.
It is 4am. This review probably doesn't make sense and may not be very polished but the take home is: Go and get a copy and read it and enjoy.
Auto/Biographies can be a bit hit or miss for me. Sometimes the subject is someone that I really like (obviously why I've picked up their book) but their biography just misses the mark for whatever reason. I've stopped reading many a biography over the years. Some have focused on minute details which have bored me, or they've been too polished and a marketing tool rather than a genuine biography.
Yet I was sucked into 'And Away...' like a crusty crumb up a hoover.
It was just written so incredibly well that I haven't stopped reading it. It is now 4am on the second day of reading and I've just finished and I will hate myself for this later but I fell down the rabbit hole.
It was well paced, following the chronology of Mortimer's life and career but had a great balance between significant and impacting events and/or people and the mundane, which built context and added colour. It was subtle in its humour and funny throughout. I loved that whenever I was reading it over night or while holding my sleeping baby I had to suppress quite violent giggles to keep from waking him. Pocket meats. I mean. I thought I was going to suffocate myself trying to keep quiet at that point.
I've read a few auto/biographies of comedians or entertainers and they have bordered on being a stand up act in themselves. Joke after joke because that is clearly what their audience like and it is the reason they have an audience for a book, but 'And Away...' just felt like I was sitting down with Mortimer and he was telling me very genuinely about his life.
It was emotive and compelling and very open. I just absolutely ate it up.
It is 4am. This review probably doesn't make sense and may not be very polished but the take home is: Go and get a copy and read it and enjoy.