My Booky Wook

This is a tricky one to review. In some ways the book is excellent as it's filled with interesting stories written in just the way you would expect Russell to write them (whether he actually did I don't know). It's mainly a description in more-or-less chronological order of Russell's childhood and then his increasingly severe drug, drink and sex addictions. The stories centred around his antics through drama school and then during his attempts to make TV programmes, perform stand up comedy and generally become famous are mostly pretty entertaining.

However, be warned that this book isn't a barrel of laughs. Admittedly, the bits that are supposed to be funny generally are, but there's also a lot of fairly shocking stuff going on and a lot of incidents that don't show Russell in a very good light. I know that this is deliberate and all part of his style, but I'm not sure that I really like the guy any more to be honest. There's just too many people he mistreated and too many crimes he has committed.

If you're interested in the man behind the act, or if you're a fan, then you'll probably enjoy this book. However, if you're expecting a stand up routine in print form then give this one a miss.

Not bad (0/0 people found this helpful)

I read this and found myself liking Russell. However he does tend to use a lot of words to say very little at times. Basically the story was, I grew up with lovely mother, feckless father who walked out, hated my step father,kicked the dog, got into drugs,got famous, went into rehab... What saves this book from being a turgid rehash of too many other 'celebrity' autobiographies is Russells intelligence, wit and likeability.
I think that it may have been written a little prematurely. Russell is too young and gauche to write a rich, meaningful testement of his life. Which is hardly suprising as he's probably got another 40 years or so to live, love and learn...

A brilliant read - but if you want real tales of derring do and sexual bravado... (0/0 people found this helpful)

Brilliant book - funny in all the right places without being light reading, you really feel like you go on a journey with Russell and there are no doubt exploits that haven't been included in this that would make the highlights of your average autobiography.

However it's not a story many can empathise with - Russell is a one off, a whirlwind of constant indiscretion and someone it's often hard to love. I read another book recently - first draft of Ashley Hames' 'Adventures of a Sex Reporter' which is toe curlingly frank in it's uncut, uncensored take on the eclectic range of sexual exploits that normal everyday folk get up to, all written from the point of view of a very average man.

Hilarious, awful and somehow more touching than Russell's endless stream of bedpost notches. Worth a read.

I got this for christmas (1/3 people found this helpful)

I got this for christmas and thought it was absolutely hysterical.. it read as though Russell was in the room talking to you in his very funny and conversant manner. Even if you're not a fan of Russell Brand I recommend reading his book, even if only to understand why he is so crazy and where he is coming from!! I'd also recommend reading Tino Georgiou's bestselling novel--The Fates--if you haven't yet!!

A man of few apologies. (1/2 people found this helpful)

I was a big fan of Russell, particularly his show 'Ponderland', so my partner bought me this for Christmas. It starts well, and you certainly won't catch me criticising his honesty- after all, one could hardly expect anything else.

I was prepared to persevere through all the tales of drugs and womanising and generally being ungrateful for his own existence in the hope that he would express an iota of remorse for how badly he has treated people. After all, people do mess up their lives and treat people with contempt, but they also come through at the other end with a sense that what they did was wrong. Not in Brand's case. He seems proud. Worse still he is so consumed with narcissism that he seems to think that he invented drug abuse and promiscuity. The truth is that he isn't through it yet, and that's why he thinks it's big and clever. Fair enough- but I hope he realises that some impressionable fans may read this as some kind of bible for life (yes, I believe that some people are impressionable enough).

I'm no longer a fan really. I just think that this will prove to be yet another of those bad things that Russell has done which, if he ever comes out of his spiral of vanity, will haunt him. My three stars are for the sake of what is a fascinating insight into the mind of a deluded womaniser, but in all honesty I feel that I've done the wrong thing by reading it, like I've encouraged it in a way.

I wish Russell all the best, and I hope that he can emerge from the self-image he has created for himself. But when he does, he'll have a lot of ill-deeds that he'll have to live with. A bit of remorse would have made this fascinating read a lot more palatable.

Russell Brand

Reader Reviews:

Alternates between depressing and hilarious (0/0 people found this helpful)

Not bad (0/0 people found this helpful)

A brilliant read - but if you want real tales of derring do and sexual bravado... (0/0 people found this helpful)

I got this for christmas (1/3 people found this helpful)

A man of few apologies. (1/2 people found this helpful)

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