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A review by agrippinaes
And Away by Bob Mortimer
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.