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A review by mrsbooknerd
And Away... by Bob Mortimer
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.