Brilliant Boy from Birkenhead....Roll on book 2, 12 Oct 2008
Well What Can I say.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and ordered my copy from here to arrive on the day it was released.

Once I started I couldn't put this book down, From his times as an Altar Boy, to working in London to the sad ending that leaves you wanting to know more it's a must have for any fan.

Paul has wrote this in a way that makes it sound like he is with you reading it. Almost like you're transported into his world watching the happenings he describes.

10 out of 10 and get cracking on book number 2 Paul! Can't wait to hear about the adventures of Miss Savage!!!


Jesus Tonight, this is great!, 07 Oct 2008
Paul is at his funniest and best here. He tells us he was beaten by the priests at one of his schools, but god love im, he doesn't dwell on this like misery memoirs do, no, instead he soldiers on to the next funny bit.
I couldn't put it down and so I finished it quickly, so there had better be a sequel. I even thought up a title, 'At My Lover's Knee...and Other Low Joints'. Now THAT might top this!

Great !!!!, 07 Oct 2008
Wonderful, great, fantastic, LOVED IT !!!
Written with great humour,(laughed out loud reading the bush baby incident!!) but it's Paul's love for his family that really shines through. Can't wait until the next book, I'm just gagging to know more about this wonderful entertainer.
Three cheers for Mr Paul James O'Grady MBE.......... Hip Hip Hooray....

Amazing Amazing Amazing, 03 Oct 2008
Need I say anymore, buy it and see how amazing it is, well done Paul you one amazing guy x x

At Paul's hand , 02 Oct 2008
This is the story of Paul O'Grady, presenter TV Actor and the alter ego of the infamous Lily Savage.

If you pick up this book thinking you are getting sordid wild tales of Paul and his famous friends then you are going to be disappointed, there is not even a mention of Buster!

This is Paul from the beginning to him turning 18. Here he tells the story of his life, growing up in Birkenhead. That small fishing village near Liverpool!! Paul tells brilliantly all the tales of his family and the sorts of tricks that any little boy gets up to when they are 4 or 5, as well as the tricks they get up when they discover girls (and boys!). Experiences of school and work will make you laugh out loud, and his experience with the church and Catholicism is also so philosophical and funny at the same time. What is apparent throughout this book is how all the characters of his life, his mum and her sisters have influenced his later life not just personally but in his character of Lily Savage.

The stories you hear him tell on television, are true (if slightly exaggerated for effect) they are so beautifully told in the book, that you feel you are with Paul as he wrote this.

So many `famous' people try and tell their story in one book, but I feel Paul has only really touched the tip of the iceberg I hope there is a sequel.......please Paul write another.....

Brilliant Boy from Birkenhead....Roll on book 2, 12 Oct 2008
Well What Can I say.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and ordered my copy from here to arrive on the day it was released.

Once I started I couldn't put this book down, From his times as an Altar Boy, to working in London to the sad ending that leaves you wanting to know more it's a must have for any fan.

Paul has wrote this in a way that makes it sound like he is with you reading it. Almost like you're transported into his world watching the happenings he describes.

10 out of 10 and get cracking on book number 2 Paul! Can't wait to hear about the adventures of Miss Savage!!!


Jesus Tonight, this is great!, 07 Oct 2008
Paul is at his funniest and best here. He tells us he was beaten by the priests at one of his schools, but god love im, he doesn't dwell on this like misery memoirs do, no, instead he soldiers on to the next funny bit.
I couldn't put it down and so I finished it quickly, so there had better be a sequel. I even thought up a title, 'At My Lover's Knee...and Other Low Joints'. Now THAT might top this!

Great !!!!, 07 Oct 2008
Wonderful, great, fantastic, LOVED IT !!!
Written with great humour,(laughed out loud reading the bush baby incident!!) but it's Paul's love for his family that really shines through. Can't wait until the next book, I'm just gagging to know more about this wonderful entertainer.
Three cheers for Mr Paul James O'Grady MBE.......... Hip Hip Hooray....

Amazing Amazing Amazing, 03 Oct 2008
Need I say anymore, buy it and see how amazing it is, well done Paul you one amazing guy x x

At Paul's hand , 02 Oct 2008
This is the story of Paul O'Grady, presenter TV Actor and the alter ego of the infamous Lily Savage.

If you pick up this book thinking you are getting sordid wild tales of Paul and his famous friends then you are going to be disappointed, there is not even a mention of Buster!

This is Paul from the beginning to him turning 18. Here he tells the story of his life, growing up in Birkenhead. That small fishing village near Liverpool!! Paul tells brilliantly all the tales of his family and the sorts of tricks that any little boy gets up to when they are 4 or 5, as well as the tricks they get up when they discover girls (and boys!). Experiences of school and work will make you laugh out loud, and his experience with the church and Catholicism is also so philosophical and funny at the same time. What is apparent throughout this book is how all the characters of his life, his mum and her sisters have influenced his later life not just personally but in his character of Lily Savage.

The stories you hear him tell on television, are true (if slightly exaggerated for effect) they are so beautifully told in the book, that you feel you are with Paul as he wrote this.

So many `famous' people try and tell their story in one book, but I feel Paul has only really touched the tip of the iceberg I hope there is a sequel.......please Paul write another.....


fantastic!!, 10 Oct 2008
Alan Carr is a total sweetie. He's a real person, just like you and me - and that is meant as a good thing.

Hearing about Alan's early life, his experiences as a homosexual, (though really not a very active one) and growing up in the limelight created by his football managing father, it really is a lesson for all of us in how life is a trial for everyone, even when life is pretty normal.

I had known Alan was funny, (his frequent TV appearances had proven this) however I had never know that he hadn't just popped up out of nowhere to entertain me.

Thank you Alan for providing such entertainment.


almost wet myself, 09 Oct 2008
My partner wouldn't let me read this in bed because I was laughing so much. Waking the whole house, really.

He's a gem, Alan. So many strange and wonderful stories--I'm surprised he's so normal. And the picture sections are some of the best bits. Loved it.

Fabulous!, 08 Oct 2008
I absolutely love Alan Carr and was not disappointed one bit. As you're reading this book you can just imagine Alan saying every word. I really did laugh out loud and couldnt put it down - i read it in a day! What i love about Alan is that he doesn't take himself seriously and constantly sends himself up. He was destined to come together with Justin Lee Collins who are a fantastic double act in their own rights. May you continue to make us laugh Alan, the world needs more people like you!

ABSOLUTLEY HILARIOUS - DO NOT MISS , 03 Oct 2008
This is the best autobiography ever written! Once I started reading, I could not put it down, and this is laugh out loud funny.. A wonderfully warm and funny book, written by one of our national treasures..I cannot recommed this enough, and almost cried when I had finished it!

be all upstanding for mr carr!, 03 Oct 2008
I absolutely love alan carr and his biog is trully amazing! from the first page i was hooked! a brilliant read! buy it! no buy two!

Brilliant Boy from Birkenhead....Roll on book 2, 12 Oct 2008
Well What Can I say.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and ordered my copy from here to arrive on the day it was released.

Once I started I couldn't put this book down, From his times as an Altar Boy, to working in London to the sad ending that leaves you wanting to know more it's a must have for any fan.

Paul has wrote this in a way that makes it sound like he is with you reading it. Almost like you're transported into his world watching the happenings he describes.

10 out of 10 and get cracking on book number 2 Paul! Can't wait to hear about the adventures of Miss Savage!!!


Jesus Tonight, this is great!, 07 Oct 2008
Paul is at his funniest and best here. He tells us he was beaten by the priests at one of his schools, but god love im, he doesn't dwell on this like misery memoirs do, no, instead he soldiers on to the next funny bit.
I couldn't put it down and so I finished it quickly, so there had better be a sequel. I even thought up a title, 'At My Lover's Knee...and Other Low Joints'. Now THAT might top this!

Great !!!!, 07 Oct 2008
Wonderful, great, fantastic, LOVED IT !!!
Written with great humour,(laughed out loud reading the bush baby incident!!) but it's Paul's love for his family that really shines through. Can't wait until the next book, I'm just gagging to know more about this wonderful entertainer.
Three cheers for Mr Paul James O'Grady MBE.......... Hip Hip Hooray....

Amazing Amazing Amazing, 03 Oct 2008
Need I say anymore, buy it and see how amazing it is, well done Paul you one amazing guy x x

At Paul's hand , 02 Oct 2008
This is the story of Paul O'Grady, presenter TV Actor and the alter ego of the infamous Lily Savage.

If you pick up this book thinking you are getting sordid wild tales of Paul and his famous friends then you are going to be disappointed, there is not even a mention of Buster!

This is Paul from the beginning to him turning 18. Here he tells the story of his life, growing up in Birkenhead. That small fishing village near Liverpool!! Paul tells brilliantly all the tales of his family and the sorts of tricks that any little boy gets up to when they are 4 or 5, as well as the tricks they get up when they discover girls (and boys!). Experiences of school and work will make you laugh out loud, and his experience with the church and Catholicism is also so philosophical and funny at the same time. What is apparent throughout this book is how all the characters of his life, his mum and her sisters have influenced his later life not just personally but in his character of Lily Savage.

The stories you hear him tell on television, are true (if slightly exaggerated for effect) they are so beautifully told in the book, that you feel you are with Paul as he wrote this.

So many `famous' people try and tell their story in one book, but I feel Paul has only really touched the tip of the iceberg I hope there is a sequel.......please Paul write another.....


fantastic!!, 10 Oct 2008
Alan Carr is a total sweetie. He's a real person, just like you and me - and that is meant as a good thing.

Hearing about Alan's early life, his experiences as a homosexual, (though really not a very active one) and growing up in the limelight created by his football managing father, it really is a lesson for all of us in how life is a trial for everyone, even when life is pretty normal.

I had known Alan was funny, (his frequent TV appearances had proven this) however I had never know that he hadn't just popped up out of nowhere to entertain me.

Thank you Alan for providing such entertainment.


almost wet myself, 09 Oct 2008
My partner wouldn't let me read this in bed because I was laughing so much. Waking the whole house, really.

He's a gem, Alan. So many strange and wonderful stories--I'm surprised he's so normal. And the picture sections are some of the best bits. Loved it.

Fabulous!, 08 Oct 2008
I absolutely love Alan Carr and was not disappointed one bit. As you're reading this book you can just imagine Alan saying every word. I really did laugh out loud and couldnt put it down - i read it in a day! What i love about Alan is that he doesn't take himself seriously and constantly sends himself up. He was destined to come together with Justin Lee Collins who are a fantastic double act in their own rights. May you continue to make us laugh Alan, the world needs more people like you!

ABSOLUTLEY HILARIOUS - DO NOT MISS , 03 Oct 2008
This is the best autobiography ever written! Once I started reading, I could not put it down, and this is laugh out loud funny.. A wonderfully warm and funny book, written by one of our national treasures..I cannot recommed this enough, and almost cried when I had finished it!

be all upstanding for mr carr!, 03 Oct 2008
I absolutely love alan carr and his biog is trully amazing! from the first page i was hooked! a brilliant read! buy it! no buy two!


just me by sheila hancock, 29 Sep 2008
well done sheila!I thoroughly enjoyed your book, i feel as though i have gone on your journey with you from just the two of us,it makes you realise that there is life after death, it does take courage, but if you are prepared to dip your toe in the water, its amazing what happens, i am getting my husband to read it too, because it does prepare you for the inevitable, be it him or me.I also enjoy being at an age where you dont care what you say or do, its so refreshing and liberating,next time you go away and your friend cannot make it, i would love to tag along for the adventure!!!!!!!!!!! looking forward to the next book from you.

How to overcome widowhood, 25 Sep 2008
This account by Sheila Hancock of how she coped with widowhood is honest, gripping and nicely-written.
I am not sure who it is intended for....other widows, perhaps, who might (while they are reading this) aquire a little of Mrs Thaw's courage in getting out there after deciding that life, what's left of it, is worth living after all.
It might help other women who find themselves in her situation.
And any single person who travels will sympathise and identify with her graphic account of how it feels to walk into a hotel restaurant for dinner and a table for one. (Take a book!)
I think she's gutsy, and a good writer.

Brilliant Boy from Birkenhead....Roll on book 2, 12 Oct 2008
Well What Can I say.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and ordered my copy from here to arrive on the day it was released.

Once I started I couldn't put this book down, From his times as an Altar Boy, to working in London to the sad ending that leaves you wanting to know more it's a must have for any fan.

Paul has wrote this in a way that makes it sound like he is with you reading it. Almost like you're transported into his world watching the happenings he describes.

10 out of 10 and get cracking on book number 2 Paul! Can't wait to hear about the adventures of Miss Savage!!!


Jesus Tonight, this is great!, 07 Oct 2008
Paul is at his funniest and best here. He tells us he was beaten by the priests at one of his schools, but god love im, he doesn't dwell on this like misery memoirs do, no, instead he soldiers on to the next funny bit.
I couldn't put it down and so I finished it quickly, so there had better be a sequel. I even thought up a title, 'At My Lover's Knee...and Other Low Joints'. Now THAT might top this!

Great !!!!, 07 Oct 2008
Wonderful, great, fantastic, LOVED IT !!!
Written with great humour,(laughed out loud reading the bush baby incident!!) but it's Paul's love for his family that really shines through. Can't wait until the next book, I'm just gagging to know more about this wonderful entertainer.
Three cheers for Mr Paul James O'Grady MBE.......... Hip Hip Hooray....

Amazing Amazing Amazing, 03 Oct 2008
Need I say anymore, buy it and see how amazing it is, well done Paul you one amazing guy x x

At Paul's hand , 02 Oct 2008
This is the story of Paul O'Grady, presenter TV Actor and the alter ego of the infamous Lily Savage.

If you pick up this book thinking you are getting sordid wild tales of Paul and his famous friends then you are going to be disappointed, there is not even a mention of Buster!

This is Paul from the beginning to him turning 18. Here he tells the story of his life, growing up in Birkenhead. That small fishing village near Liverpool!! Paul tells brilliantly all the tales of his family and the sorts of tricks that any little boy gets up to when they are 4 or 5, as well as the tricks they get up when they discover girls (and boys!). Experiences of school and work will make you laugh out loud, and his experience with the church and Catholicism is also so philosophical and funny at the same time. What is apparent throughout this book is how all the characters of his life, his mum and her sisters have influenced his later life not just personally but in his character of Lily Savage.

The stories you hear him tell on television, are true (if slightly exaggerated for effect) they are so beautifully told in the book, that you feel you are with Paul as he wrote this.

So many `famous' people try and tell their story in one book, but I feel Paul has only really touched the tip of the iceberg I hope there is a sequel.......please Paul write another.....


fantastic!!, 10 Oct 2008
Alan Carr is a total sweetie. He's a real person, just like you and me - and that is meant as a good thing.

Hearing about Alan's early life, his experiences as a homosexual, (though really not a very active one) and growing up in the limelight created by his football managing father, it really is a lesson for all of us in how life is a trial for everyone, even when life is pretty normal.

I had known Alan was funny, (his frequent TV appearances had proven this) however I had never know that he hadn't just popped up out of nowhere to entertain me.

Thank you Alan for providing such entertainment.


almost wet myself, 09 Oct 2008
My partner wouldn't let me read this in bed because I was laughing so much. Waking the whole house, really.

He's a gem, Alan. So many strange and wonderful stories--I'm surprised he's so normal. And the picture sections are some of the best bits. Loved it.

Fabulous!, 08 Oct 2008
I absolutely love Alan Carr and was not disappointed one bit. As you're reading this book you can just imagine Alan saying every word. I really did laugh out loud and couldnt put it down - i read it in a day! What i love about Alan is that he doesn't take himself seriously and constantly sends himself up. He was destined to come together with Justin Lee Collins who are a fantastic double act in their own rights. May you continue to make us laugh Alan, the world needs more people like you!

ABSOLUTLEY HILARIOUS - DO NOT MISS , 03 Oct 2008
This is the best autobiography ever written! Once I started reading, I could not put it down, and this is laugh out loud funny.. A wonderfully warm and funny book, written by one of our national treasures..I cannot recommed this enough, and almost cried when I had finished it!

be all upstanding for mr carr!, 03 Oct 2008
I absolutely love alan carr and his biog is trully amazing! from the first page i was hooked! a brilliant read! buy it! no buy two!


just me by sheila hancock, 29 Sep 2008
well done sheila!I thoroughly enjoyed your book, i feel as though i have gone on your journey with you from just the two of us,it makes you realise that there is life after death, it does take courage, but if you are prepared to dip your toe in the water, its amazing what happens, i am getting my husband to read it too, because it does prepare you for the inevitable, be it him or me.I also enjoy being at an age where you dont care what you say or do, its so refreshing and liberating,next time you go away and your friend cannot make it, i would love to tag along for the adventure!!!!!!!!!!! looking forward to the next book from you.

How to overcome widowhood, 25 Sep 2008
This account by Sheila Hancock of how she coped with widowhood is honest, gripping and nicely-written.
I am not sure who it is intended for....other widows, perhaps, who might (while they are reading this) aquire a little of Mrs Thaw's courage in getting out there after deciding that life, what's left of it, is worth living after all.
It might help other women who find themselves in her situation.
And any single person who travels will sympathise and identify with her graphic account of how it feels to walk into a hotel restaurant for dinner and a table for one. (Take a book!)
I think she's gutsy, and a good writer.

Interesting Read, 09 Oct 2008
Russell tells his story exactly as you would expect him to relay it to you in person. He has a knack of making really ordinary events funny esp. the gerbils incident, couldn't stop laughing. I love his theatrical style and witty view on life. It certainly gives an insight to his complex personality and I still wonder why he turned to drugs. Anyway, I believe he was honest about his experiences and found it to be genuine indeed. I'd definitely be interested in his next chapter!


My Booky Wook!, 11 Sep 2008
Excellent read,full of things you would never have imagined to have happened to one of the greatest men on the planet(but then i am a fan so i would say that!)

Definately worth a read

Absolutely brilliant, 06 Sep 2008
Russell tells a very difficult story in a very light hearted way, he helps you to understand how a lot of his early experiences shaped and moulded him into the unusual and enchanting character that he is today. At no point through out the book do you feel that he is asking for sympathy or wanting allowances to be made for the mistakes that some adults made during his childhood.
His explanation of how it feels to be on drugs is blunt and utterly eye-opening. He holds such insight into his own failings and the way that the people around him have looked after him when he didn't deserve it. One of the most brilliant things about the book is the way that no matter how bizarre the situation that he is describing he always seems to tell it as if he is still very naive London lad, this gives the book a real relatability.

Overall it is just a pure pleasure to read, i have never felt so close to a writer before. He explains his darkest times, weirdest memories and funniest anecdotes in a fantastically elegant way.

I do feel it necessary to say that once you have read this book you will not be able to see him in the same light again, the way that he appears on TV/Radio is not the way he presents himself in the book.

Read this book, 30 Aug 2008
This book is truly interesting, very moving and (of course) makes you laugh out loud. However, the best thing about this book is the quality of the writing - it is sublime. I loved it.

Surprisingly honest, moving and very eloquent, 28 Aug 2008
Russell Brand is a bit like Marmite - people seem to either love him or hate him. Perhaps this autobiography will help to convert those who seek to dismiss Brand as a flamboyant, egotistic idiot (if, that is, they can see past the simplistic title which is, in fact, a reference to 'The Clockwork Orange').

This autobiography charts Brand's childhood in Essex, in a loving but occasionally misguided family, and his troubled school life. He was a loner, an outsider, and always felt - indeed, sought - to be different from his peers, to set himself apart. Unfortunately, even when his 'Eureka!' moment arrived and he realised he wanted to be a showbiz star, this need to be different manifested itself in troublesome forms which ended in a string of expulsions from various academic and dramatic institutions. Falling in with some interesting characters at school, Brand turned for the first time to drugs and alcohol. As the years went by he added sex to his repertoire, and progressed to harder drugs and more trouble, being fired from job after job, being arrested and released over and over again, and making his way through a string of girlfriends and prostitutes. Ultimately, it came to a choice between drugs and rehab, life and death - and thankfully, with a bit of persuasion from those around him, he chose life. At last, clean and sober (and having spent some interesting time in sex addiction rehab to boot), he was finally diagnosed with manic depression (hardly surprising to anyone with any experience with the illness), his career took off and Russell Brand, Dickensian dandy and charismatic charmer, became a household name in television, radio, movies and the comedy circuit.

It's a gripping and ultimately uplifting story. Brand is incredibly honest about every experience life has thrown at him - for example, he knows that drugs nearly ruined his life, but at the same time acknowledges that they offered much comfort at the time. He doesn't hide his shameful moments, the most cringeworthy experiences of his life, but instead shares them and freely offers his judgement that they were stupid, unforgivable things to do. Not only is this an honest book, it is also well written (albeit with a few slips into that trademark Essex grammar), full of sharp insight, funny musings, a few wonderfully Brand-esque flights of language and a wealth of artistic, literary and cultural references that any professor would be proud of. Even in paperback there are also photos, letters and extracts from his rehab diaries, amongst other things, scattered throughout its pages, which helps put faces to names and in many cases brings a poignant reminder that these hellish experiences were very real.

All in all, I was surprised by this book. Having eagerly read Peter Kay's 'The Sound of Laughter' and been disappointed by how his comedic style translated so badly onto the page, I was delighted to find that 'My Booky Wook' is readable, compelling and has Russell Brand written all over it in a way that adds to its appeal rather than detracting from it. It is vibrant, honest, sexy, moving and despairing in turn, with an ultimate message of hope and redemption which left a smile on my face. Give it a chance, ye of little faith!

Brilliant Boy from Birkenhead....Roll on book 2, 12 Oct 2008
Well What Can I say.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and ordered my copy from here to arrive on the day it was released.

Once I started I couldn't put this book down, From his times as an Altar Boy, to working in London to the sad ending that leaves you wanting to know more it's a must have for any fan.

Paul has wrote this in a way that makes it sound like he is with you reading it. Almost like you're transported into his world watching the happenings he describes.

10 out of 10 and get cracking on book number 2 Paul! Can't wait to hear about the adventures of Miss Savage!!!


Jesus Tonight, this is great!, 07 Oct 2008
Paul is at his funniest and best here. He tells us he was beaten by the priests at one of his schools, but god love im, he doesn't dwell on this like misery memoirs do, no, instead he soldiers on to the next funny bit.
I couldn't put it down and so I finished it quickly, so there had better be a sequel. I even thought up a title, 'At My Lover's Knee...and Other Low Joints'. Now THAT might top this!

Great !!!!, 07 Oct 2008
Wonderful, great, fantastic, LOVED IT !!!
Written with great humour,(laughed out loud reading the bush baby incident!!) but it's Paul's love for his family that really shines through. Can't wait until the next book, I'm just gagging to know more about this wonderful entertainer.
Three cheers for Mr Paul James O'Grady MBE.......... Hip Hip Hooray....

Amazing Amazing Amazing, 03 Oct 2008
Need I say anymore, buy it and see how amazing it is, well done Paul you one amazing guy x x

At Paul's hand , 02 Oct 2008
This is the story of Paul O'Grady, presenter TV Actor and the alter ego of the infamous Lily Savage.

If you pick up this book thinking you are getting sordid wild tales of Paul and his famous friends then you are going to be disappointed, there is not even a mention of Buster!

This is Paul from the beginning to him turning 18. Here he tells the story of his life, growing up in Birkenhead. That small fishing village near Liverpool!! Paul tells brilliantly all the tales of his family and the sorts of tricks that any little boy gets up to when they are 4 or 5, as well as the tricks they get up when they discover girls (and boys!). Experiences of school and work will make you laugh out loud, and his experience with the church and Catholicism is also so philosophical and funny at the same time. What is apparent throughout this book is how all the characters of his life, his mum and her sisters have influenced his later life not just personally but in his character of Lily Savage.

The stories you hear him tell on television, are true (if slightly exaggerated for effect) they are so beautifully told in the book, that you feel you are with Paul as he wrote this.

So many `famous' people try and tell their story in one book, but I feel Paul has only really touched the tip of the iceberg I hope there is a sequel.......please Paul write another.....


fantastic!!, 10 Oct 2008
Alan Carr is a total sweetie. He's a real person, just like you and me - and that is meant as a good thing.

Hearing about Alan's early life, his experiences as a homosexual, (though really not a very active one) and growing up in the limelight created by his football managing father, it really is a lesson for all of us in how life is a trial for everyone, even when life is pretty normal.

I had known Alan was funny, (his frequent TV appearances had proven this) however I had never know that he hadn't just popped up out of nowhere to entertain me.

Thank you Alan for providing such entertainment.


almost wet myself, 09 Oct 2008
My partner wouldn't let me read this in bed because I was laughing so much. Waking the whole house, really.

He's a gem, Alan. So many strange and wonderful stories--I'm surprised he's so normal. And the picture sections are some of the best bits. Loved it.

Fabulous!, 08 Oct 2008
I absolutely love Alan Carr and was not disappointed one bit. As you're reading this book you can just imagine Alan saying every word. I really did laugh out loud and couldnt put it down - i read it in a day! What i love about Alan is that he doesn't take himself seriously and constantly sends himself up. He was destined to come together with Justin Lee Collins who are a fantastic double act in their own rights. May you continue to make us laugh Alan, the world needs more people like you!

ABSOLUTLEY HILARIOUS - DO NOT MISS , 03 Oct 2008
This is the best autobiography ever written! Once I started reading, I could not put it down, and this is laugh out loud funny.. A wonderfully warm and funny book, written by one of our national treasures..I cannot recommed this enough, and almost cried when I had finished it!

be all upstanding for mr carr!, 03 Oct 2008
I absolutely love alan carr and his biog is trully amazing! from the first page i was hooked! a brilliant read! buy it! no buy two!


just me by sheila hancock, 29 Sep 2008
well done sheila!I thoroughly enjoyed your book, i feel as though i have gone on your journey with you from just the two of us,it makes you realise that there is life after death, it does take courage, but if you are prepared to dip your toe in the water, its amazing what happens, i am getting my husband to read it too, because it does prepare you for the inevitable, be it him or me.I also enjoy being at an age where you dont care what you say or do, its so refreshing and liberating,next time you go away and your friend cannot make it, i would love to tag along for the adventure!!!!!!!!!!! looking forward to the next book from you.

How to overcome widowhood, 25 Sep 2008
This account by Sheila Hancock of how she coped with widowhood is honest, gripping and nicely-written.
I am not sure who it is intended for....other widows, perhaps, who might (while they are reading this) aquire a little of Mrs Thaw's courage in getting out there after deciding that life, what's left of it, is worth living after all.
It might help other women who find themselves in her situation.
And any single person who travels will sympathise and identify with her graphic account of how it feels to walk into a hotel restaurant for dinner and a table for one. (Take a book!)
I think she's gutsy, and a good writer.

Interesting Read, 09 Oct 2008
Russell tells his story exactly as you would expect him to relay it to you in person. He has a knack of making really ordinary events funny esp. the gerbils incident, couldn't stop laughing. I love his theatrical style and witty view on life. It certainly gives an insight to his complex personality and I still wonder why he turned to drugs. Anyway, I believe he was honest about his experiences and found it to be genuine indeed. I'd definitely be interested in his next chapter!


My Booky Wook!, 11 Sep 2008
Excellent read,full of things you would never have imagined to have happened to one of the greatest men on the planet(but then i am a fan so i would say that!)

Definately worth a read

Absolutely brilliant, 06 Sep 2008
Russell tells a very difficult story in a very light hearted way, he helps you to understand how a lot of his early experiences shaped and moulded him into the unusual and enchanting character that he is today. At no point through out the book do you feel that he is asking for sympathy or wanting allowances to be made for the mistakes that some adults made during his childhood.
His explanation of how it feels to be on drugs is blunt and utterly eye-opening. He holds such insight into his own failings and the way that the people around him have looked after him when he didn't deserve it. One of the most brilliant things about the book is the way that no matter how bizarre the situation that he is describing he always seems to tell it as if he is still very naive London lad, this gives the book a real relatability.

Overall it is just a pure pleasure to read, i have never felt so close to a writer before. He explains his darkest times, weirdest memories and funniest anecdotes in a fantastically elegant way.

I do feel it necessary to say that once you have read this book you will not be able to see him in the same light again, the way that he appears on TV/Radio is not the way he presents himself in the book.

Read this book, 30 Aug 2008
This book is truly interesting, very moving and (of course) makes you laugh out loud. However, the best thing about this book is the quality of the writing - it is sublime. I loved it.

Surprisingly honest, moving and very eloquent, 28 Aug 2008
Russell Brand is a bit like Marmite - people seem to either love him or hate him. Perhaps this autobiography will help to convert those who seek to dismiss Brand as a flamboyant, egotistic idiot (if, that is, they can see past the simplistic title which is, in fact, a reference to 'The Clockwork Orange').

This autobiography charts Brand's childhood in Essex, in a loving but occasionally misguided family, and his troubled school life. He was a loner, an outsider, and always felt - indeed, sought - to be different from his peers, to set himself apart. Unfortunately, even when his 'Eureka!' moment arrived and he realised he wanted to be a showbiz star, this need to be different manifested itself in troublesome forms which ended in a string of expulsions from various academic and dramatic institutions. Falling in with some interesting characters at school, Brand turned for the first time to drugs and alcohol. As the years went by he added sex to his repertoire, and progressed to harder drugs and more trouble, being fired from job after job, being arrested and released over and over again, and making his way through a string of girlfriends and prostitutes. Ultimately, it came to a choice between drugs and rehab, life and death - and thankfully, with a bit of persuasion from those around him, he chose life. At last, clean and sober (and having spent some interesting time in sex addiction rehab to boot), he was finally diagnosed with manic depression (hardly surprising to anyone with any experience with the illness), his career took off and Russell Brand, Dickensian dandy and charismatic charmer, became a household name in television, radio, movies and the comedy circuit.

It's a gripping and ultimately uplifting story. Brand is incredibly honest about every experience life has thrown at him - for example, he knows that drugs nearly ruined his life, but at the same time acknowledges that they offered much comfort at the time. He doesn't hide his shameful moments, the most cringeworthy experiences of his life, but instead shares them and freely offers his judgement that they were stupid, unforgivable things to do. Not only is this an honest book, it is also well written (albeit with a few slips into that trademark Essex grammar), full of sharp insight, funny musings, a few wonderfully Brand-esque flights of language and a wealth of artistic, literary and cultural references that any professor would be proud of. Even in paperback there are also photos, letters and extracts from his rehab diaries, amongst other things, scattered throughout its pages, which helps put faces to names and in many cases brings a poignant reminder that these hellish experiences were very real.

All in all, I was surprised by this book. Having eagerly read Peter Kay's 'The Sound of Laughter' and been disappointed by how his comedic style translated so badly onto the page, I was delighted to find that 'My Booky Wook' is readable, compelling and has Russell Brand written all over it in a way that adds to its appeal rather than detracting from it. It is vibrant, honest, sexy, moving and despairing in turn, with an ultimate message of hope and redemption which left a smile on my face. Give it a chance, ye of little faith!

Great start, but ultimately disappointing, 29 Sep 2008
The book is a humourous introduction to a diverse range of subjects - magic, memory, hypnosis, suggestibility, spotting lies, cognitive illusions, religion, scepticism and the paranormal.

Some sections were witty and extremely informative - magic and memory stand out in my mind - other sections can be dry and humourless. The book as a whole is certainly worth reading particularly if you're interested in Brown's areas of expertise as a performer.

The downside to the book is that Brown frequently rants about the importance of science and scepticism particularly in relation to his past life as a Christian. Despite this he seems to blindly accept the views of anyone he considers a supporter of science. Statistics about being more likely to die from a plane crashing into my house than to die in a train-crash, or the millions killed because of the banning of DDT require some backing up before I can accept them.

Tricks of the mind, 11 Sep 2008
I bought this to read on holiday, which probably didn't help, as I think you have to be in the mood to read it.

I found it a very hard and drawn out read. I didn't get alot out of the book and he reveal tricks which are readily available online. Or to school teachers who help you revise for an exam

I did however like his more autobiographical parts of the book, and I imagine his own will be fantastic. This book is not.

I would not have been suprised if I'd finished the book, only to find myself hypnotised, mailing all my possesions to Mr Brown., 28 Aug 2008
To be honest, I don't think this book needs another review, as much of what makes this title great has already been expressed on here. Work is quiet, however, and so it is too hard not to say something about a book I so thoroughly enjoyed.

As many people have said, Brown's writing style is very entertaining, lines such as "read on you clever sausage, you," give it the light-hearted tone that makes it such an easy read. Obviously, any one who picks up this book will be doing so because they are curious about Brown's techniques, and I really felt that the content did not disappoint in the slightest. Near the start of the book, Brown gives a discourse in the powers of misdirection as he goes through a vanishing coin trick. The general premise is: You do one thing and this provokes a good response from your audience, but how about you add another element to the trick to help build the anticipation; but that's not enough, so you add yet another element near the end that actually makes the audience believe they have discovered how you did the trick, you taunt them with this and then - at the last moment, you dash all their hopes as you reveal that you have misled them and they have completely failed to discover your method. I was learning the delights of showmanship, and this man is obviously a master of that art.

I found the memory section of the book incredible. My memory is awful and so I was amazed to note that within five minutes of starting the chapter, I was memorising lists of twenty words in order, after thirty seconds of looking at them. A couple of days later I got my friends to give me forty words - it took me a couple of minutes but now - about three weeks later, I can remember the list, in order, back to front - no problem. Brown also details methods for learning numbers, scripts or more diverse subjects, such as the Titles of all of Shakespeare's plays, in order. If applied correctly, there really is no limit to what you can remember with these techniques.

The hypnosis section was fascinating and this was always a topic I was very curious about. I thought Brown revealed quite a good deal about this area, and he even gives you the titles of the books that he started his learning from. Nearer the end of the book, Brown goes into the paranormal and we read his well-constructed arguments against supernatural phenomena. I admittedly felt my interest dipping slightly during these later stages of the book, simply because I did not find these topics as interesting as the chapters on psychology, but everyone will pick up this book for different reasons, and the topics Brown covers are too diverse for one not to have strong preferences to certain chapters.

All in all, a very informative read. I'm still bringing this book up in conversation to people. It is by no means comprehensive, but I think it gives a great picture as to the kinds of things Brown was experimenting with in the early stages of his craft - what with all the books he suggests for further reading, Tricks of the mind provides a firm foundation for anybody who is interested in studying Mentalism, Hypnosis or any other psychological trickery. If I wasn't so tight with my stars, I would certainly give this book 5!


Better than all self-help books put together., 09 Aug 2008
I wasn't even expecting this to be a self-help book, but it not only entertained me, but is startlingly good at improving what was a poor memory. I had really struggled with memory books by the like of Tony Buzan, but Derren Brown's wit, imagination, clear explanation of the Loci System as well as superior version of the Major System had me remembering football results and phone numbers with ease.

Although he uses plenty of tongue-in-cheek use of superlatives to describe himself and his achievements, this book is packed full of tips and techniques you can actually use. Unlike many "self help" books, which is just the author explaining just how wonderful they are, without actually teaching anything.

If you're into crystal healing, you're probably not going to like his opinions on this or his rant about junk medicine, but you should probably read it anyway.

Let's see now... telephone, sausage, monkey... easy peasy! And the old lady with the beehives and totem pole still lets me remember that long number. I have never been able to achieve stuff like that before.

Buy the book - for the price of less than two pints, you could develop the basis of enough pub tricks to win all the drinks you'll ever need!


Very Funny, Very Derren, 05 Jul 2008
I read the book some time ago and therefore do not remember all in detail. What has stayed in my mind however is how funny he is and also his excellent tips on memory. I would recommend it to anyone.

Brilliant Boy from Birkenhead....Roll on book 2, 12 Oct 2008
Well What Can I say.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and ordered my copy from here to arrive on the day it was released.

Once I started I couldn't put this book down, From his times as an Altar Boy, to working in London to the sad ending that leaves you wanting to know more it's a must have for any fan.

Paul has wrote this in a way that makes it sound like he is with you reading it. Almost like you're transported into his world watching the happenings he describes.

10 out of 10 and get cracking on book number 2 Paul! Can't wait to hear about the adventures of Miss Savage!!!


Jesus Tonight, this is great!, 07 Oct 2008
Paul is at his funniest and best here. He tells us he was beaten by the priests at one of his schools, but god love im, he doesn't dwell on this like misery memoirs do, no, instead he soldiers on to the next funny bit.
I couldn't put it down and so I finished it quickly, so there had better be a sequel. I even thought up a title, 'At My Lover's Knee...and Other Low Joints'. Now THAT might top this!

Great !!!!, 07 Oct 2008
Wonderful, great, fantastic, LOVED IT !!!
Written with great humour,(laughed out loud reading the bush baby incident!!) but it's Paul's love for his family that really shines through. Can't wait until the next book, I'm just gagging to know more about this wonderful entertainer.
Three cheers for Mr Paul James O'Grady MBE.......... Hip Hip Hooray....

Amazing Amazing Amazing, 03 Oct 2008
Need I say anymore, buy it and see how amazing it is, well done Paul you one amazing guy x x

At Paul's hand , 02 Oct 2008
This is the story of Paul O'Grady, presenter TV Actor and the alter ego of the infamous Lily Savage.

If you pick up this book thinking you are getting sordid wild tales of Paul and his famous friends then you are going to be disappointed, there is not even a mention of Buster!

This is Paul from the beginning to him turning 18. Here he tells the story of his life, growing up in Birkenhead. That small fishing village near Liverpool!! Paul tells brilliantly all the tales of his family and the sorts of tricks that any little boy gets up to when they are 4 or 5, as well as the tricks they get up when they discover girls (and boys!). Experiences of school and work will make you laugh out loud, and his experience with the church and Catholicism is also so philosophical and funny at the same time. What is apparent throughout this book is how all the characters of his life, his mum and her sisters have influenced his later life not just personally but in his character of Lily Savage.

The stories you hear him tell on television, are true (if slightly exaggerated for effect) they are so beautifully told in the book, that you feel you are with Paul as he wrote this.

So many `famous' people try and tell their story in one book, but I feel Paul has only really touched the tip of the iceberg I hope there is a sequel.......please Paul write another.....


fantastic!!, 10 Oct 2008
Alan Carr is a total sweetie. He's a real person, just like you and me - and that is meant as a good thing.

Hearing about Alan's early life, his experiences as a homosexual, (though really not a very active one) and growing up in the limelight created by his football managing father, it really is a lesson for all of us in how life is a trial for everyone, even when life is pretty normal.

I had known Alan was funny, (his frequent TV appearances had proven this) however I had never know that he hadn't just popped up out of nowhere to entertain me.

Thank you Alan for providing such entertainment.


almost wet myself, 09 Oct 2008
My partner wouldn't let me read this in bed because I was laughing so much. Waking the whole house, really.

He's a gem, Alan. So many strange and wonderful stories--I'm surprised he's so normal. And the picture sections are some of the best bits. Loved it.

Fabulous!, 08 Oct 2008
I absolutely love Alan Carr and was not disappointed one bit. As you're reading this book you can just imagine Alan saying every word. I really did laugh out loud and couldnt put it down - i read it in a day! What i love about Alan is that he doesn't take himself seriously and constantly sends himself up. He was destined to come together with Justin Lee Collins who are a fantastic double act in their own rights. May you continue to make us laugh Alan, the world needs more people like you!

ABSOLUTLEY HILARIOUS - DO NOT MISS , 03 Oct 2008
This is the best autobiography ever written! Once I started reading, I could not put it down, and this is laugh out loud funny.. A wonderfully warm and funny book, written by one of our national treasures..I cannot recommed this enough, and almost cried when I had finished it!

be all upstanding for mr carr!, 03 Oct 2008
I absolutely love alan carr and his biog is trully amazing! from the first page i was hooked! a brilliant read! buy it! no buy two!


just me by sheila hancock, 29 Sep 2008
well done sheila!I thoroughly enjoyed your book, i feel as though i have gone on your journey with you from just the two of us,it makes you realise that there is life after death, it does take courage, but if you are prepared to dip your toe in the water, its amazing what happens, i am getting my husband to read it too, because it does prepare you for the inevitable, be it him or me.I also enjoy being at an age where you dont care what you say or do, its so refreshing and liberating,next time you go away and your friend cannot make it, i would love to tag along for the adventure!!!!!!!!!!! looking forward to the next book from you.

How to overcome widowhood, 25 Sep 2008
This account by Sheila Hancock of how she coped with widowhood is honest, gripping and nicely-written.
I am not sure who it is intended for....other widows, perhaps, who might (while they are reading this) aquire a little of Mrs Thaw's courage in getting out there after deciding that life, what's left of it, is worth living after all.
It might help other women who find themselves in her situation.
And any single person who travels will sympathise and identify with her graphic account of how it feels to walk into a hotel restaurant for dinner and a table for one. (Take a book!)
I think she's gutsy, and a good writer.

Interesting Read, 09 Oct 2008
Russell tells his story exactly as you would expect him to relay it to you in person. He has a knack of making really ordinary events funny esp. the gerbils incident, couldn't stop laughing. I love his theatrical style and witty view on life. It certainly gives an insight to his complex personality and I still wonder why he turned to drugs. Anyway, I believe he was honest about his experiences and found it to be genuine indeed. I'd definitely be interested in his next chapter!


My Booky Wook!, 11 Sep 2008
Excellent read,full of things you would never have imagined to have happened to one of the greatest men on the planet(but then i am a fan so i would say that!)

Definately worth a read

Absolutely brilliant, 06 Sep 2008
Russell tells a very difficult story in a very light hearted way, he helps you to understand how a lot of his early experiences shaped and moulded him into the unusual and enchanting character that he is today. At no point through out the book do you feel that he is asking for sympathy or wanting allowances to be made for the mistakes that some adults made during his childhood.
His explanation of how it feels to be on drugs is blunt and utterly eye-opening. He holds such insight into his own failings and the way that the people around him have looked after him when he didn't deserve it. One of the most brilliant things about the book is the way that no matter how bizarre the situation that he is describing he always seems to tell it as if he is still very naive London lad, this gives the book a real relatability.

Overall it is just a pure pleasure to read, i have never felt so close to a writer before. He explains his darkest times, weirdest memories and funniest anecdotes in a fantastically elegant way.

I do feel it necessary to say that once you have read this book you will not be able to see him in the same light again, the way that he appears on TV/Radio is not the way he presents himself in the book.

Read this book, 30 Aug 2008
This book is truly interesting, very moving and (of course) makes you laugh out loud. However, the best thing about this book is the quality of the writing - it is sublime. I loved it.

Surprisingly honest, moving and very eloquent, 28 Aug 2008
Russell Brand is a bit like Marmite - people seem to either love him or hate him. Perhaps this autobiography will help to convert those who seek to dismiss Brand as a flamboyant, egotistic idiot (if, that is, they can see past the simplistic title which is, in fact, a reference to 'The Clockwork Orange').

This autobiography charts Brand's childhood in Essex, in a loving but occasionally misguided family, and his troubled school life. He was a loner, an outsider, and always felt - indeed, sought - to be different from his peers, to set himself apart. Unfortunately, even when his 'Eureka!' moment arrived and he realised he wanted to be a showbiz star, this need to be different manifested itself in troublesome forms which ended in a string of expulsions from various academic and dramatic institutions. Falling in with some interesting characters at school, Brand turned for the first time to drugs and alcohol. As the years went by he added sex to his repertoire, and progressed to harder drugs and more trouble, being fired from job after job, being arrested and released over and over again, and making his way through a string of girlfriends and prostitutes. Ultimately, it came to a choice between drugs and rehab, life and death - and thankfully, with a bit of persuasion from those around him, he chose life. At last, clean and sober (and having spent some interesting time in sex addiction rehab to boot), he was finally diagnosed with manic depression (hardly surprising to anyone with any experience with the illness), his career took off and Russell Brand, Dickensian dandy and charismatic charmer, became a household name in television, radio, movies and the comedy circuit.

It's a gripping and ultimately uplifting story. Brand is incredibly honest about every experience life has thrown at him - for example, he knows that drugs nearly ruined his life, but at the same time acknowledges that they offered much comfort at the time. He doesn't hide his shameful moments, the most cringeworthy experiences of his life, but instead shares them and freely offers his judgement that they were stupid, unforgivable things to do. Not only is this an honest book, it is also well written (albeit with a few slips into that trademark Essex grammar), full of sharp insight, funny musings, a few wonderfully Brand-esque flights of language and a wealth of artistic, literary and cultural references that any professor would be proud of. Even in paperback there are also photos, letters and extracts from his rehab diaries, amongst other things, scattered throughout its pages, which helps put faces to names and in many cases brings a poignant reminder that these hellish experiences were very real.

All in all, I was surprised by this book. Having eagerly read Peter Kay's 'The Sound of Laughter' and been disappointed by how his comedic style translated so badly onto the page, I was delighted to find that 'My Booky Wook' is readable, compelling and has Russell Brand written all over it in a way that adds to its appeal rather than detracting from it. It is vibrant, honest, sexy, moving and despairing in turn, with an ultimate message of hope and redemption which left a smile on my face. Give it a chance, ye of little faith!

Great start, but ultimately disappointing, 29 Sep 2008
The book is a humourous introduction to a diverse range of subjects - magic, memory, hypnosis, suggestibility, spotting lies, cognitive illusions, religion, scepticism and the paranormal.

Some sections were witty and extremely informative - magic and memory stand out in my mind - other sections can be dry and humourless. The book as a whole is certainly worth reading particularly if you're interested in Brown's areas of expertise as a performer.

The downside to the book is that Brown frequently rants about the importance of science and scepticism particularly in relation to his past life as a Christian. Despite this he seems to blindly accept the views of anyone he considers a supporter of science. Statistics about being more likely to die from a plane crashing into my house than to die in a train-crash, or the millions killed because of the banning of DDT require some backing up before I can accept them.

Tricks of the mind, 11 Sep 2008
I bought this to read on holiday, which probably didn't help, as I think you have to be in the mood to read it.

I found it a very hard and drawn out read. I didn't get alot out of the book and he reveal tricks which are readily available online. Or to school teachers who help you revise for an exam

I did however like his more autobiographical parts of the book, and I imagine his own will be fantastic. This book is not.

I would not have been suprised if I'd finished the book, only to find myself hypnotised, mailing all my possesions to Mr Brown., 28 Aug 2008
To be honest, I don't think this book needs another review, as much of what makes this title great has already been expressed on here. Work is quiet, however, and so it is too hard not to say something about a book I so thoroughly enjoyed.

As many people have said, Brown's writing style is very entertaining, lines such as "read on you clever sausage, you," give it the light-hearted tone that makes it such an easy read. Obviously, any one who picks up this book will be doing so because they are curious about Brown's techniques, and I really felt that the content did not disappoint in the slightest. Near the start of the book, Brown gives a discourse in the powers of misdirection as he goes through a vanishing coin trick. The general premise is: You do one thing and this provokes a good response from your audience, but how about you add another element to the trick to help build the anticipation; but that's not enough, so you add yet another element near the end that actually makes the audience believe they have discovered how you did the trick, you taunt them with this and then - at the last moment, you dash all their hopes as you reveal that you have misled them and they have completely failed to discover your method. I was learning the delights of showmanship, and this man is obviously a master of that art.

I found the memory section of the book incredible. My memory is awful and so I was amazed to note that within five minutes of starting the chapter, I was memorising lists of twenty words in order, after thirty seconds of looking at them. A couple of days later I got my friends to give me forty words - it took me a couple of minutes but now - about three weeks later, I can remember the list, in order, back to front - no problem. Brown also details methods for learning numbers, scripts or more diverse subjects, such as the Titles of all of Shakespeare's plays, in order. If applied correctly, there really is no limit to what you can remember with these techniques.

The hypnosis section was fascinating and this was always a topic I was very curious about. I thought Brown revealed quite a good deal about this area, and he even gives you the titles of the books that he started his learning from. Nearer the end of the book, Brown goes into the paranormal and we read his well-constructed arguments against supernatural phenomena. I admittedly felt my interest dipping slightly during these later stages of the book, simply because I did not find these topics as interesting as the chapters on psychology, but everyone will pick up this book for different reasons, and the topics Brown covers are too diverse for one not to have strong preferences to certain chapters.

All in all, a very informative read. I'm still bringing this book up in conversation to people. It is by no means comprehensive, but I think it gives a great picture as to the kinds of things Brown was experimenting with in the early stages of his craft - what with all the books he suggests for further reading, Tricks of the mind provides a firm foundation for anybody who is interested in studying Mentalism, Hypnosis or any other psychological trickery. If I wasn't so tight with my stars, I would certainly give this book 5!


Better than all self-help books put together., 09 Aug 2008
I wasn't even expecting this to be a self-help book, but it not only entertained me, but is startlingly good at improving what was a poor memory. I had really struggled with memory books by the like of Tony Buzan, but Derren Brown's wit, imagination, clear explanation of the Loci System as well as superior version of the Major System had me remembering football results and phone numbers with ease.

Although he uses plenty of tongue-in-cheek use of superlatives to describe himself and his achievements, this book is packed full of tips and techniques you can actually use. Unlike many "self help" books, which is just the author explaining just how wonderful they are, without actually teaching anything.

If you're into crystal healing, you're probably not going to like his opinions on this or his rant about junk medicine, but you should probably read it anyway.

Let's see now... telephone, sausage, monkey... easy peasy! And the old lady with the beehives and totem pole still lets me remember that long number. I have never been able to achieve stuff like that before.

Buy the book - for the price of less than two pints, you could develop the basis of enough pub tricks to win all the drinks you'll ever need!


Very Funny, Very Derren, 05 Jul 2008
I read the book some time ago and therefore do not remember all in detail. What has stayed in my mind however is how funny he is and also his excellent tips on memory. I would recommend it to anyone.

A very witty masterpiece , 11 Mar 2008
In my quest to read more work by Irish literary greats this year, I recently purchased a newly repackaged Penguin Popular Classic version of Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest. This edition, with its vibrant green cover and tracing-paper thin paper (all 100 per cent recycled), retails for a meagre £2 -- that's a very cheap price for a masterpiece, in my opinion.

I had seen a film version of this play a couple of years ago (the 2002 version starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench) and I remember laughing out loud at a lot of it. But seeing the words in black-and-white print makes them seem even funnier -- if that is possible.

For those who don't know the storyline, the brief synopsis goes something like this: Country gentleman Jack Worthing invents a younger brother, Ernest, whom he pretends to be when he visits the city. This gives him free reign to pursue the beautiful Gwendolen. Meanwhile his city-based friend, Algernon Moncrieff, invents a poorly relative, Bunbury, whom he pretends to visit in the country in order that he can leave his dull city existence behind for a bit of fun and frivolity. One day Algernon pretends to be Ernest and visits Jack's pretty charge, Cecily, in the country, which leads to all kinds of confusion about identity. Obviously, Jack is not happy, but when his own deceptive behaviour is called into question, the scene is ripe for much farce and hilarity.

In three short acts, this play delivers so many laughs and classic one-liners it's difficult to appreciate the genius of it in just one reading. Fortunately, it's short enough -- just 67 pages in this edition -- to read cover-to-cover twice in a very short amount of time.

How many people haven't heard this line?

* (Delivered by Lady Bracknell to Jack): To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as misfortune: to lose both looks like carelessness.

Or this one:
* (Delivered by Gwendolen to Cecily): I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.

But it's not just the lines which are funny, but the setting and the ways in which they are delivered that makes certain scenes especially comedic. This scene, in which Cecily serves tea and cake to her new rival in love, Gwendolen, is a good example of Wilde's ability to capture the little details in people's behaviour that conveys so much about their character and mood.

Cecily [sweetly]: Sugar?
Gwendolen [superciliously]: No thank you. Sugar is not fashionable any more. [Cecily looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar in the cup.]
Cecily [severely]: Cake or bread and butter?
Gwendolen [in a bored manner]: Bread and butter, please. Cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.
Cecily [cuts a very large slice of cake and puts it on the tray]: Hand that to Miss Fairfax.

Without wishing to wax lyrical, this is a sumptuous, dazzling read -- a wonderfully clever farce to brighten up the dullest day. It's tightly written, with not a word wasted, and there's a delightful conclusion in which all the lose ends are brought together and tied up with an unexpected flourish. Masterpiece, indeed.

absolutely brilliant!, 29 Nov 2007
everything about this book is perfect, the timing, the comedy, the situation. I can't even go into how fantastic it is, but i know that Osar Wilde is a genius and i wish he was still around, read this book, and don't loose out another second without it!

A very enjoyable reading, witty and full of "English" humor, 16 Jun 2005
Despite the fact that I usually like to watch plays, not so much to read them on paper, I found "The Importance of Being Earnest" a very enjoyable reading. The plot is greatly witty and I had a real fun reading several scenes described in this book. Given the theatrical style, the overall plot is not quite realistic, yet it is highly brilliant and full of "English" humor. After having read the book, I also bought the Audio-CD version of it, which I also enjoyed sincerely.

The Importance of Reading Earnest, 13 Dec 2004
I personally think that this play is fantastic. Superficially it is a very trivial, lighthearted play with little plot but peppered with witty conceits. On a deeper level it provides an incredible, satirical view of Victorian moral society, from one of the the 'insiders'. The links between the play and the life of Wilde are rife, especially regarding Algernon. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

The wittiest play ever written in the English language, 11 Jul 2004
"The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People" is one of the first plays written in English since the works of Shakespeare that celebrates the language itself. Oscar Wilde's comedy has one advantage over the classic comedies of the Bard in that "The Importance of Being Earnest" is as funny today as it was when it was first performed at the St. Jame's Theater in London on February 14, 1895. After all, enjoying Shakespeare requires checking the bottom for footnotes explaining the meaning of those dozens of words that Shakespeare makes up in any one of his plays. But Wilde's brilliant wit, his humor and social satire, remain intact even though he was a writer of the Victorian era.

Wilde believed in art for art's own sake, which explains why he emphasized beauty while his contemporaries were dealing with the problems of industrial England. "The Importance of Being Earnest" is set among the upper class, making fun of their excesses and absurdities while imbuing them with witty banter providing a constant stream of epigrams. The play's situation is simple in its unraveling complexity. Algernon Moncrieff is an upper-class English bachelor who is visited by his friend Jack Worthing, who is known as "Ernest." Jack has come to town to propose to Gwendolen Fairfax, the daugher of the imposing Lady Bracknell and Algy's first cousin. Jack has a ward named Cecily who lives in the country while Algernon has an imaginary friend named "Bunbury" whom he uses as an excuse to get out of social engagements.

Jack proposes to Gwendolen but has two problems. First, Gwendolen is wiling to agree because his name is Ernest, a name that "seems to inspire absolute confidence," but which, of course, is not his true Christian name. Second, Lady Bracknell objects to Jack as a suitor when she learns he was abandoned by his parents and found in a handbag in Victoria Station by Mr. Thomas Cardew. Meanwhile, Algernon heads off to the country to check out Cecily, to whom he introduces himself as being her guardian Jack's brother Ernest. This meets with Ceclily's approval because in her diary she has been writing about her engagement to a man named Ernest. Then things get really interesting.

Wilde proves once and for all time that the pun can indeed be elevated to a high art form. Throughout the entire play we have the double meaning of the word "earnest," almost to the level of a conceit, since many of the play's twists and turns deal with the efforts of Jack and Algernon to be "Ernest," by lying, only to discover that circumstances makes honest men of them in the end (and of the women for that matter as well). There is every reason to believe that Wilde was making a point about earnestness being a key ideal of Victorian culture and one worthy of being thoroughly and completely mocked. Granted, some of the puns are really bad, and the discussion of "Bunburying" is so bad it is stands alone in that regard, but there is a sense in which the bad ones only make the good ones so glorious and emphasize that Wilde is at his best while playing games with the English language.

But if Wilde's puns are the low road then his epigrams represent the heights of his genius, especially when they are used by the characters in an ironic vein (e.g., "It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal" and "I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance"). Jack is the male lead, but it is Algernon who represents the ideal Wilde character, who insists he is a rebel speaking out against the institutions of society, such as marriage, but with attacks that are so flamboyant and humorous that the cleverness of the humor ends up standing apart from the inherent point.

In the end, "The Importance of Being Earnest" is the wittiest play every written, in English or any other language, and I doubt that anything written in the future will come close. Wilde was essentially a stand-up comedian who managed to create a narrative in which he could get off dozens of classic one-liners given a high-class sheen by being labeled epigrams. Like a comedian he touches on several topics, from the aristocracy, marriage, and the literary world to English manners, women, love, religion, and anything else that came to his fertile mind. But because it is done with such a lighthearted tone that the barbs remain as timely today as they were at the end of the 19th-century and "The Importance of Being Earnest" will always be at the forefront of the plays of that time which will continue to be produced.

Brilliant Boy from Birkenhead....Roll on book 2, 12 Oct 2008
Well What Can I say.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and ordered my copy from here to arrive on the day it was released.

Once I started I couldn't put this book down, From his times as an Altar Boy, to working in London to the sad ending that leaves you wanting to know more it's a must have for any fan.

Paul has wrote this in a way that makes it sound like he is with you reading it. Almost like you're transported into his world watching the happenings he describes.

10 out of 10 and get cracking on book number 2 Paul! Can't wait to hear about the adventures of Miss Savage!!!


Jesus Tonight, this is great!, 07 Oct 2008
Paul is at his funniest and best here. He tells us he was beaten by the priests at one of his schools, but god love im, he doesn't dwell on this like misery memoirs do, no, instead he soldiers on to the next funny bit.
I couldn't put it down and so I finished it quickly, so there had better be a sequel. I even thought up a title, 'At My Lover's Knee...and Other Low Joints'. Now THAT might top this!

Great !!!!, 07 Oct 2008
Wonderful, great, fantastic, LOVED IT !!!
Written with great humour,(laughed out loud reading the bush baby incident!!) but it's Paul's love for his family that really shines through. Can't wait until the next book, I'm just gagging to know more about this wonderful entertainer.
Three cheers for Mr Paul James O'Grady MBE.......... Hip Hip Hooray....

Amazing Amazing Amazing, 03 Oct 2008
Need I say anymore, buy it and see how amazing it is, well done Paul you one amazing guy x x

At Paul's hand , 02 Oct 2008
This is the story of Paul O'Grady, presenter TV Actor and the alter ego of the infamous Lily Savage.

If you pick up this book thinking you are getting sordid wild tales of Paul and his famous friends then you are going to be disappointed, there is not even a mention of Buster!

This is Paul from the beginning to him turning 18. Here he tells the story of his life, growing up in Birkenhead. That small fishing village near Liverpool!! Paul tells brilliantly all the tales of his family and the sorts of tricks that any little boy gets up to when they are 4 or 5, as well as the tricks they get up when they discover girls (and boys!). Experiences of school and work will make you laugh out loud, and his experience with the church and Catholicism is also so philosophical and funny at the same time. What is apparent throughout this book is how all the characters of his life, his mum and her sisters have influenced his later life not just personally but in his character of Lily Savage.

The stories you hear him tell on television, are true (if slightly exaggerated for effect) they are so beautifully told in the book, that you feel you are with Paul as he wrote this.

So many `famous' people try and tell their story in one book, but I feel Paul has only really touched the tip of the iceberg I hope there is a sequel.......please Paul write another.....


fantastic!!, 10 Oct 2008
Alan Carr is a total sweetie. He's a real person, just like you and me - and that is meant as a good thing.

Hearing about Alan's early life, his experiences as a homosexual, (though really not a very active one) and growing up in the limelight created by his football managing father, it really is a lesson for all of us in how life is a trial for everyone, even when life is pretty normal.

I had known Alan was funny, (his frequent TV appearances had proven this) however I had never know that he hadn't just popped up out of nowhere to entertain me.

Thank you Alan for providing such entertainment.


almost wet myself, 09 Oct 2008
My partner wouldn't let me read this in bed because I was laughing so much. Waking the whole house, really.

He's a gem, Alan. So many strange and wonderful stories--I'm surprised he's so normal. And the picture sections are some of the best bits. Loved it.

Fabulous!, 08 Oct 2008
I absolutely love Alan Carr and was not disappointed one bit. As you're reading this book you can just imagine Alan saying every word. I really did laugh out loud and couldnt put it down - i read it in a day! What i love about Alan is that he doesn't take himself seriously and constantly sends himself up. He was destined to come together with Justin Lee Collins who are a fantastic double act in their own rights. May you continue to make us laugh Alan, the world needs more people like you!

ABSOLUTLEY HILARIOUS - DO NOT MISS , 03 Oct 2008
This is the best autobiography ever written! Once I started reading, I could not put it down, and this is laugh out loud funny.. A wonderfully warm and funny book, written by one of our national treasures..I cannot recommed this enough, and almost cried when I had finished it!

be all upstanding for mr carr!, 03 Oct 2008
I absolutely love alan carr and his biog is trully amazing! from the first page i was hooked! a brilliant read! buy it! no buy two!


just me by sheila hancock, 29 Sep 2008
well done sheila!I thoroughly enjoyed your book, i feel as though i have gone on your journey with you from just the two of us,it makes you realise that there is life after death, it does take courage, but if you are prepared to dip your toe in the water, its amazing what happens, i am getting my husband to read it too, because it does prepare you for the inevitable, be it him or me.I also enjoy being at an age where you dont care what you say or do, its so refreshing and liberating,next time you go away and your friend cannot make it, i would love to tag along for the adventure!!!!!!!!!!! looking forward to the next book from you.

How to overcome widowhood, 25 Sep 2008
This account by Sheila Hancock of how she coped with widowhood is honest, gripping and nicely-written.
I am not sure who it is intended for....other widows, perhaps, who might (while they are reading this) aquire a little of Mrs Thaw's courage in getting out there after deciding that life, what's left of it, is worth living after all.
It might help other women who find themselves in her situation.
And any single person who travels will sympathise and identify with her graphic account of how it feels to walk into a hotel restaurant for dinner and a table for one. (Take a book!)
I think she's gutsy, and a good writer.

Interesting Read, 09 Oct 2008
Russell tells his story exactly as you would expect him to relay it to you in person. He has a knack of making really ordinary events funny esp. the gerbils incident, couldn't stop laughing. I love his theatrical style and witty view on life. It certainly gives an insight to his complex personality and I still wonder why he turned to drugs. Anyway, I believe he was honest about his experiences and found it to be genuine indeed. I'd definitely be interested in his next chapter!


My Booky Wook!, 11 Sep 2008
Excellent read,full of things you would never have imagined to have happened to one of the greatest men on the planet(but then i am a fan so i would say that!)

Definately worth a read

Absolutely brilliant, 06 Sep 2008
Russell tells a very difficult story in a very light hearted way, he helps you to understand how a lot of his early experiences shaped and moulded him into the unusual and enchanting character that he is today. At no point through out the book do you feel that he is asking for sympathy or wanting allowances to be made for the mistakes that some adults made during his childhood.
His explanation of how it feels to be on drugs is blunt and utterly eye-opening. He holds such insight into his own failings and the way that the people around him have looked after him when he didn't deserve it. One of the most brilliant things about the book is the way that no matter how bizarre the situation that he is describing he always seems to tell it as if he is still very naive London lad, this gives the book a real relatability.

Overall it is just a pure pleasure to read, i have never felt so close to a writer before. He explains his darkest times, weirdest memories and funniest anecdotes in a fantastically elegant way.

I do feel it necessary to say that once you have read this book you will not be able to see him in the same light again, the way that he appears on TV/Radio is not the way he presents himself in the book.

Read this book, 30 Aug 2008
This book is truly interesting, very moving and (of course) makes you laugh out loud. However, the best thing about this book is the quality of the writing - it is sublime. I loved it.

Surprisingly honest, moving and very eloquent, 28 Aug 2008
Russell Brand is a bit like Marmite - people seem to either love him or hate him. Perhaps this autobiography will help to convert those who seek to dismiss Brand as a flamboyant, egotistic idiot (if, that is, they can see past the simplistic title which is, in fact, a reference to 'The Clockwork Orange').

This autobiography charts Brand's childhood in Essex, in a loving but occasionally misguided family, and his troubled school life. He was a loner, an outsider, and always felt - indeed, sought - to be different from his peers, to set himself apart. Unfortunately, even when his 'Eureka!' moment arrived and he realised he wanted to be a showbiz star, this need to be different manifested itself in troublesome forms which ended in a string of expulsions from various academic and dramatic institutions. Falling in with some interesting characters at school, Brand turned for the first time to drugs and alcohol. As the years went by he added sex to his repertoire, and progressed to harder drugs and more trouble, being fired from job after job, being arrested and released over and over again, and making his way through a string of girlfriends and prostitutes. Ultimately, it came to a choice between drugs and rehab, life and death - and thankfully, with a bit of persuasion from those around him, he chose life. At last, clean and sober (and having spent some interesting time in sex addiction rehab to boot), he was finally diagnosed with manic depression (hardly surprising to anyone with any experience with the illness), his career took off and Russell Brand, Dickensian dandy and charismatic charmer, became a household name in television, radio, movies and the comedy circuit.

It's a gripping and ultimately uplifting story. Brand is incredibly honest about every experience life has thrown at him - for example, he knows that drugs nearly ruined his life, but at the same time acknowledges that they offered much comfort at the time. He doesn't hide his shameful moments, the most cringeworthy experiences of his life, but instead shares them and freely offers his judgement that they were stupid, unforgivable things to do. Not only is this an honest book, it is also well written (albeit with a few slips into that trademark Essex grammar), full of sharp insight, funny musings, a few wonderfully Brand-esque flights of language and a wealth of artistic, literary and cultural references that any professor would be proud of. Even in paperback there are also photos, letters and extracts from his rehab diaries, amongst other things, scattered throughout its pages, which helps put faces to names and in many cases brings a poignant reminder that these hellish experiences were very real.

All in all, I was surprised by this book. Having eagerly read Peter Kay's 'The Sound of Laughter' and been disappointed by how his comedic style translated so badly onto the page, I was delighted to find that 'My Booky Wook' is readable, compelling and has Russell Brand written all over it in a way that adds to its appeal rather than detracting from it. It is vibrant, honest, sexy, moving and despairing in turn, with an ultimate message of hope and redemption which left a smile on my face. Give it a chance, ye of little faith!

Great start, but ultimately disappointing, 29 Sep 2008
The book is a humourous introduction to a diverse range of subjects - magic, memory, hypnosis, suggestibility, spotting lies, cognitive illusions, religion, scepticism and the paranormal.

Some sections were witty and extremely informative - magic and memory stand out in my mind - other sections can be dry and humourless. The book as a whole is certainly worth reading particularly if you're interested in Brown's areas of expertise as a performer.

The downside to the book is that Brown frequently rants about the importance of science and scepticism particularly in relation to his past life as a Christian. Despite this he seems to blindly accept the views of anyone he considers a supporter of science. Statistics about being more likely to die from a plane crashing into my house than to die in a train-crash, or the millions killed because of the banning of DDT require some backing up before I can accept them.

Tricks of the mind, 11 Sep 2008
I bought this to read on holiday, which probably didn't help, as I think you have to be in the mood to read it.

I found it a very hard and drawn out read. I didn't get alot out of the book and he reveal tricks which are readily available online. Or to school teachers who help you revise for an exam

I did however like his more autobiographical parts of the book, and I imagine his own will be fantastic. This book is not.

I would not have been suprised if I'd finished the book, only to find myself hypnotised, mailing all my possesions to Mr Brown., 28 Aug 2008
To be honest, I don't think this book needs another review, as much of what makes this title great has already been expressed on here. Work is quiet, however, and so it is too hard not to say something about a book I so thoroughly enjoyed.

As many people have said, Brown's writing style is very entertaining, lines such as "read on you clever sausage, you," give it the light-hearted tone that makes it such an easy read. Obviously, any one who picks up this book will be doing so because they are curious about Brown's techniques, and I really felt that the content did not disappoint in the slightest. Near the start of the book, Brown gives a discourse in the powers of misdirection as he goes through a vanishing coin trick. The general premise is: You do one thing and this provokes a good response from your audience, but how about you add another element to the trick to help build the anticipation; but that's not enough, so you add yet another element near the end that actually makes the audience believe they have discovered how you did the trick, you taunt them with this and then - at the last moment, you dash all their hopes as you reveal that you have misled them and they have completely failed to discover your method. I was learning the delights of showmanship, and this man is obviously a master of that art.

I found the memory section of the book incredible. My memory is awful and so I was amazed to note that within five minutes of starting the chapter, I was memorising lists of twenty words in order, after thirty seconds of looking at them. A couple of days later I got my friends to give me forty words - it took me a couple of minutes but now - about three weeks later, I can remember the list, in order, back to front - no problem. Brown also details methods for learning numbers, scripts or more diverse subjects, such as the Titles of all of Shakespeare's plays, in order. If applied correctly, there really is no limit to what you can remember with these techniques.

The hypnosis section was fascinating and this was always a topic I was very curious about. I thought Brown revealed quite a good deal about this area, and he even gives you the titles of the books that he started his learning from. Nearer the end of the book, Brown goes into the paranormal and we read his well-constructed arguments against supernatural phenomena. I admittedly felt my interest dipping slightly during these later stages of the book, simply because I did not find these topics as interesting as the chapters on psychology, but everyone will pick up this book for different reasons, and the topics Brown covers are too diverse for one not to have strong preferences to certain chapters.

All in all, a very informative read. I'm still bringing this book up in conversation to people. It is by no means comprehensive, but I think it gives a great picture as to the kinds of things Brown was experimenting with in the early stages of his craft - what with all the books he suggests for further reading, Tricks of the mind provides a firm foundation for anybody who is interested in studying Mentalism, Hypnosis or any other psychological trickery. If I wasn't so tight with my stars, I would certainly give this book 5!


Better than all self-help books put together., 09 Aug 2008
I wasn't even expecting this to be a self-help book, but it not only entertained me, but is startlingly good at improving what was a poor memory. I had really struggled with memory books by the like of Tony Buzan, but Derren Brown's wit, imagination, clear explanation of the Loci System as well as superior version of the Major System had me remembering football results and phone numbers with ease.

Although he uses plenty of tongue-in-cheek use of superlatives to describe himself and his achievements, this book is packed full of tips and techniques you can actually use. Unlike many "self help" books, which is just the author explaining just how wonderful they are, without actually teaching anything.

If you're into crystal healing, you're probably not going to like his opinions on this or his rant about junk medicine, but you should probably read it anyway.

Let's see now... telephone, sausage, monkey... easy peasy! And the old lady with the beehives and totem pole still lets me remember that long number. I have never been able to achieve stuff like that before.

Buy the book - for the price of less than two pints, you could develop the basis of enough pub tricks to win all the drinks you'll ever need!


Very Funny, Very Derren, 05 Jul 2008
I read the book some time ago and therefore do not remember all in detail. What has stayed in my mind however is how funny he is and also his excellent tips on memory. I would recommend it to anyone.

A very witty masterpiece , 11 Mar 2008
In my quest to read more work by Irish literary greats this year, I recently purchased a newly repackaged Penguin Popular Classic version of Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest. This edition, with its vibrant green cover and tracing-paper thin paper (all 100 per cent recycled), retails for a meagre £2 -- that's a very cheap price for a masterpiece, in my opinion.

I had seen a film version of this play a couple of years ago (the 2002 version starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench) and I remember laughing out loud at a lot of it. But seeing the words in black-and-white print makes them seem even funnier -- if that is possible.

For those who don't know the storyline, the brief synopsis goes something like this: Country gentleman Jack Worthing invents a younger brother, Ernest, whom he pretends to be when he visits the city. This gives him free reign to pursue the beautiful Gwendolen. Meanwhile his city-based friend, Algernon Moncrieff, invents a poorly relative, Bunbury, whom he pretends to visit in the country in order that he can leave his dull city existence behind for a bit of fun and frivolity. One day Algernon pretends to be Ernest and visits Jack's pretty charge, Cecily, in the count