beach's review against another edition
1.0
Ayoade is an on-screen comedic talent I can admire, and his debut film 'Submarine' is one of my favourites - but none of his sparkle is captured in his book.
This book has revealed to me that my appreciation of Richard as an actor in shows like 'IT Crowd' and 'Darkplace' mostly comes from the wonderfully chemistry he creates with his normally pedantic, deadpan delivery among his peers who are nothing alike. 'Ayoade on Ayoade' is exactly as it sounds, Richard interrogates himself in interview form for three hundred painstaking pages. Without someone to bounce off of, to create an interesting dynamic, the book becomes little more than a sometimes-funny mostly-repetitive pile of meandering and circular thoughts that feel completely marred by a complete lack of self confidence. When it feels as though it's becoming too emotional, it plays it off with a self-deprecating remark. When it feels too timid about an opinion it attempts to present, it interrupts its own train of thought with a deferring joke. It's such a wasteland of wit and content.
Knowing nothing about this book going in, I hoped it would be a candid piece where Ayoade would bare his heart a little - sharing his influences and passions and exploring his weaknesses. Instead, it poses questions and provides no answers. The answers it pretends to give are so slick with sarcasm or self-referential wit that there's no way to actually take hold. At least I can say it's not being smug or malicious in this deflective style of writing, it's clearly all played for laughs, it just doesn't work for me if the contextual core is also the butt of every single joke. I like Ayoade, I really do, I just wanted him to be more present in the book in ways beyond quipping to the mirror.
This book has revealed to me that my appreciation of Richard as an actor in shows like 'IT Crowd' and 'Darkplace' mostly comes from the wonderfully chemistry he creates with his normally pedantic, deadpan delivery among his peers who are nothing alike. 'Ayoade on Ayoade' is exactly as it sounds, Richard interrogates himself in interview form for three hundred painstaking pages. Without someone to bounce off of, to create an interesting dynamic, the book becomes little more than a sometimes-funny mostly-repetitive pile of meandering and circular thoughts that feel completely marred by a complete lack of self confidence. When it feels as though it's becoming too emotional, it plays it off with a self-deprecating remark. When it feels too timid about an opinion it attempts to present, it interrupts its own train of thought with a deferring joke. It's such a wasteland of wit and content.
Knowing nothing about this book going in, I hoped it would be a candid piece where Ayoade would bare his heart a little - sharing his influences and passions and exploring his weaknesses. Instead, it poses questions and provides no answers. The answers it pretends to give are so slick with sarcasm or self-referential wit that there's no way to actually take hold. At least I can say it's not being smug or malicious in this deflective style of writing, it's clearly all played for laughs, it just doesn't work for me if the contextual core is also the butt of every single joke. I like Ayoade, I really do, I just wanted him to be more present in the book in ways beyond quipping to the mirror.
librarianlorianna's review against another edition
3.0
Very Ayoade-y, so if you're a fan of the man, you'll like the book. The joke runs on a bit long, but there are enough good laughs to make it worth reading.
mayoroffailure's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t even really know where to begin with Ayoade on Ayoade, because there’s nothing else that one can compare it to. For those who don’t know, Richard Ayoade is the popular long-time presenter of the Channel 4 show Travel Man in which he travels around Europe advising the British public on the best ways to spend a weekend getaway, all while complaining about how he’d rather go home and read a book. In addition to this, he makes regular appearances on other Channel 4 panel shows, starred in The IT crowd, and has directed a pair of excellent films. He’s known for his vocabulary, deadpan delivery, and overall affable character. Among these pleasant traits, however, is his unique ability to make fun of himself.
This book is nothing, if not an elegantly complex series of self-deprecating jokes and absurdist humor. It is also a memoir, sort of. Principally, the book follows a series of interviews between Mr. Ayoade and himself, in which Richard Ayoade is a journalist who has finally secured a tell-all interview with the famous, if not reclusive, film director, Richard Ayoade. This interview takes place over several sessions that grow with absurdity until eventually, seemingly in a comment on the absurdity of the book itself, Richard Ayoade falls in love with himself, and the two sleep together. Weaved in amongst all of the humor, there are genuine details about Mr. Ayoade’s life, his anxieties, and his opinions on public life, which form the basis for a spark of genuine detail in an otherwise fictional landscape.
The book opens with a highly exaggerated timeline of Mr. Ayoade’s life in which the small details, like his parentage, place of birth, and places of work are all accurate, but everything else is highly punched up. By the time he gets to the shooting of his first movie, things have gotten so wildly out of hand that it had me in stitches through the rest of the chapter. After this opening chapter, the interviewer meets the director and any semblance of relation to his real life has flown out the window. Over the rest of the book, we occasionally return to reality in the moments where the director describes his experiences with anxiety and depression, something that Mr. Ayoade has spoken about many times, and his influences in filmmaking and which directors he holds dear. That sincerity never lasts long, however, as it's always cut off by another joke or the filmmaker changing the subject to something personal to the interviewer or absurd.
Where it is that Mr. Ayoade gets his unique brand of humor is beyond me, but it is clear that he’s a very well-read man. Outside of the fact that he makes references to books on his show often, he also tweets about what he’s reading a lot. I say this because it's clear that Mr. Ayoade has something else on his mind with the composition of this book besides making fun of himself. There is a distinctly post-modern quality to the writing here, something that I didn’t notice at the time but picked up on after reflecting on the book for some time. Ayoade on Ayoade isn’t just a humorous memoir, it’s a post-modern deconstruction of memoir, something that I don’t know if anyone else has ever done. A fact that lends this book serious consideration for its literary merits.
Mr. Ayoade has spoken at length about his distaste for interviews many times, he is the rare celebrity who so completely detests public life that you wonder how he ever became famous. He seems to believe that doing interviews is something insane, and sharing your entire life with the world is even crazier. I don’t believe that he’s wrong in his opinion, outside of biographies written about historical figures, there is something innately self-aggrandizing about feeling the need to tell your life story to people who don’t know you. So, the question is, what would a memoir be to someone like him? To write a story about your own life, or to be interviewed by another person for the purpose of writing a book about your life must seem like the most masturbatory, self-indulgent thing there is, and that’s what he wrote.
Almost everything in this story is made up, clearly, but I would also be willing to bet that we all could think of celebrities and public figures who have said most of the things in this book. There are obviously exceptions, some of what the filmmaker claims to have done is impossible, but most of it rides the line of absolute believability. Post-modern writing is known for its deconstruction of concepts and ideas down to their base level to prompt thought from the reader, and its deconstruction often extends to the actual book itself. As such, Mr. Ayoade has taken his distaste for celebrity and the need for praise and recognition and translated it into a readable form, placing the onus on the reader to think on a level deeper than the humor it presents with its face value. Adding to this, Mr. Ayoade’s use liberal use of footnotes and asides takes the post-modern qualities even further in its deconstruction of the traditional layout of an interview, something that even extends to the audiobook, in which the real-life Richard Ayoade makes comments on the recording and production of an audiobook version of his novel.
My one and only complaint with the book is that it’s a bit too long. There isn’t much to propel the story forward other than its humor, and while I am an ardent fan of his sense of humor, I found myself looking for something to balance that out by the end of the book. Mr. Ayoade is not a comedian or personality that appeals to most people, he is niche at best. As such, this book isn’t going to appeal to a wide swath of readers. Those who love his comedy and his unique brand of humor are going to love the book, as are those who are interested in seeing a deconstructed take on memoirs that try to “understand” the genius of an artist. Its most towering achievement, however, is translating post-modern deconstruction into an easy-to-understand and engaging format that anyone could enjoy.
This book is nothing, if not an elegantly complex series of self-deprecating jokes and absurdist humor. It is also a memoir, sort of. Principally, the book follows a series of interviews between Mr. Ayoade and himself, in which Richard Ayoade is a journalist who has finally secured a tell-all interview with the famous, if not reclusive, film director, Richard Ayoade. This interview takes place over several sessions that grow with absurdity until eventually, seemingly in a comment on the absurdity of the book itself, Richard Ayoade falls in love with himself, and the two sleep together. Weaved in amongst all of the humor, there are genuine details about Mr. Ayoade’s life, his anxieties, and his opinions on public life, which form the basis for a spark of genuine detail in an otherwise fictional landscape.
The book opens with a highly exaggerated timeline of Mr. Ayoade’s life in which the small details, like his parentage, place of birth, and places of work are all accurate, but everything else is highly punched up. By the time he gets to the shooting of his first movie, things have gotten so wildly out of hand that it had me in stitches through the rest of the chapter. After this opening chapter, the interviewer meets the director and any semblance of relation to his real life has flown out the window. Over the rest of the book, we occasionally return to reality in the moments where the director describes his experiences with anxiety and depression, something that Mr. Ayoade has spoken about many times, and his influences in filmmaking and which directors he holds dear. That sincerity never lasts long, however, as it's always cut off by another joke or the filmmaker changing the subject to something personal to the interviewer or absurd.
Where it is that Mr. Ayoade gets his unique brand of humor is beyond me, but it is clear that he’s a very well-read man. Outside of the fact that he makes references to books on his show often, he also tweets about what he’s reading a lot. I say this because it's clear that Mr. Ayoade has something else on his mind with the composition of this book besides making fun of himself. There is a distinctly post-modern quality to the writing here, something that I didn’t notice at the time but picked up on after reflecting on the book for some time. Ayoade on Ayoade isn’t just a humorous memoir, it’s a post-modern deconstruction of memoir, something that I don’t know if anyone else has ever done. A fact that lends this book serious consideration for its literary merits.
Mr. Ayoade has spoken at length about his distaste for interviews many times, he is the rare celebrity who so completely detests public life that you wonder how he ever became famous. He seems to believe that doing interviews is something insane, and sharing your entire life with the world is even crazier. I don’t believe that he’s wrong in his opinion, outside of biographies written about historical figures, there is something innately self-aggrandizing about feeling the need to tell your life story to people who don’t know you. So, the question is, what would a memoir be to someone like him? To write a story about your own life, or to be interviewed by another person for the purpose of writing a book about your life must seem like the most masturbatory, self-indulgent thing there is, and that’s what he wrote.
Almost everything in this story is made up, clearly, but I would also be willing to bet that we all could think of celebrities and public figures who have said most of the things in this book. There are obviously exceptions, some of what the filmmaker claims to have done is impossible, but most of it rides the line of absolute believability. Post-modern writing is known for its deconstruction of concepts and ideas down to their base level to prompt thought from the reader, and its deconstruction often extends to the actual book itself. As such, Mr. Ayoade has taken his distaste for celebrity and the need for praise and recognition and translated it into a readable form, placing the onus on the reader to think on a level deeper than the humor it presents with its face value. Adding to this, Mr. Ayoade’s use liberal use of footnotes and asides takes the post-modern qualities even further in its deconstruction of the traditional layout of an interview, something that even extends to the audiobook, in which the real-life Richard Ayoade makes comments on the recording and production of an audiobook version of his novel.
My one and only complaint with the book is that it’s a bit too long. There isn’t much to propel the story forward other than its humor, and while I am an ardent fan of his sense of humor, I found myself looking for something to balance that out by the end of the book. Mr. Ayoade is not a comedian or personality that appeals to most people, he is niche at best. As such, this book isn’t going to appeal to a wide swath of readers. Those who love his comedy and his unique brand of humor are going to love the book, as are those who are interested in seeing a deconstructed take on memoirs that try to “understand” the genius of an artist. Its most towering achievement, however, is translating post-modern deconstruction into an easy-to-understand and engaging format that anyone could enjoy.
thesinginglights's review
4.0
This is expressly a book for fans of Richard Ayoade, known for his sharp, sarcastic wit. Those who do not like (or are indifferent to) his comedy style, move along. Those who are looking for a serious autobiography of a fairly well-respected comedian, move along. Those who do not like footnotes and flipping frantically to the the appendix every other line, move along. I did have a bit that tuned into this experience, strange as the content was, as I remember what it's like to read Infinite Jest.
At best, this is is an absurd, surreal delving into the depths of Ayoade's mind as he explores various topics with hilarity. The first part is strange and had me laughing out loud, much to the chagrin/concern of fellow commuters. The second takes a slightly more serious tone, as we strip away some of the humorisitic veneer and have some insight into what he truly thinks. There are such nuggets scattered across the book but that's where the majority of it is located.
At its worst, it's a puzzling work, filled with obscure pop culture references. Now I'm no stranger to obscure pop culture references, but when they seem integral to the plot (did I say plot? I said plot. I'm going to continue anyway) the jokes fell a little flat. You might say that it's a failing of me as a the reader, which might be fair, but my issues with its obscurity are minuscule.
Overall, a brisk, funny read, slowed by my holiday. Like Richard? Get it. Do it. Don't even hesitate.
At best, this is is an absurd, surreal delving into the depths of Ayoade's mind as he explores various topics with hilarity. The first part is strange and had me laughing out loud, much to the chagrin/concern of fellow commuters. The second takes a slightly more serious tone, as we strip away some of the humorisitic veneer and have some insight into what he truly thinks. There are such nuggets scattered across the book but that's where the majority of it is located.
At its worst, it's a puzzling work, filled with obscure pop culture references. Now I'm no stranger to obscure pop culture references, but when they seem integral to the plot (did I say plot? I said plot. I'm going to continue anyway) the jokes fell a little flat. You might say that it's a failing of me as a the reader, which might be fair, but my issues with its obscurity are minuscule.
Overall, a brisk, funny read, slowed by my holiday. Like Richard? Get it. Do it. Don't even hesitate.
yesther's review against another edition
3.0
Some brilliant moments. More of a good concept than a good book.
christofofofof's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
2.25
It is utter nonsense. Even as a fan of nonsense, this goes too far and a short book is somehow a chore to read. Shame as Ayoade is awesome.
tiahnaparis's review against another edition
4.0
absolutely slayed had to google several words love u richard will be thinking about this often x
5elementknitr's review against another edition
3.0
This was very, very rambly. It had some funny parts, and honestly, it's user error on my part. I'm not in a mindframe for such an odd book.
I do like it, and had some fun listening to it, but often, it just annoyed me.
Again, "it's not you, it's me."
I do like it, and had some fun listening to it, but often, it just annoyed me.
Again, "it's not you, it's me."