What are you reading? Page 16

Rereading The Rats by James Herbert. Enormous chomping fun.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 9th September 2021, 10:42 AM

"Happiness and Tear" - The Ken Dodd Story

I meant to post the front cover, as I think it is a wonderful photograph of Ken - the years of experience etched in every line. A man at peace with himself.

Image

I was reading Robert Ross's Marty Feldman biography and it's excellent. I've left it early to concentrate on Tim Waterstone's book on his business journey as it's a library book and I'd forgotten about it!?

Overpaid, Oversexed, and Over There by David Hepworth. The story of the British bands invading the USA in the sixties. Fantastic!

Hunter Davies, The Beatles. I'm a tad disappointed. He goes into a lot of detail about the early years, but After 1963 it's maddeningly superficial. Whole key albums aren't even mentioned, and as for the tours, he actually says 'Look it up in the papers if you're mad enough.' Sorry, isn't that his job? Philip Norman's Shout Is more edifying.

Quote: MrsLogicFromViz @ 13th September 2021, 7:09 PM

I was reading Robert Ross's Marty Feldman biography and it's excellent. I've left it early to concentrate on Tim Waterstone's book on his business journey as it's a library book and I'd forgotten about it!?

I actually got so bored with Mr Waterstone's autobiography that I left it on Mr Logic's side of the bed for him to read. The Monty book took me blimming ages to finish because it was rather repetitive and too detailed in places but I finally finished it last night. 48 is no age to die but a lifestyle of 80 to 100 fags a day plus copious booze and drugs doesn't really equate to a long life when all's said and done.

Melanie C is writing her autobiography. I expect she wants to close that (admittedly quite interesting) chapter of her life before she finally plucks up the courage to propose to me.

I reading a book "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle" by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski.

I have just finished Fight! by Harry Hill and hugely enjoyed it. It didn't spend chapters explaining the minutae of his childhood and it was genuinely amusing. I hadn't realised that Dr Matt Bradstock, his friend and former medical student had passed away from cancer back in 2016.

I've been reading over the last few weeks (I'm a slow reader) the Pickwick Papers which I remember reading for my O Level.

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 14th September 2021, 2:22 PM

Hunter Davies, The Beatles. I'm a tad disappointed. He goes into a lot of detail about the early years, but After 1963 it's maddeningly superficial. Whole key albums aren't even mentioned, and as for the tours, he actually says 'Look it up in the papers if you're mad enough.' Sorry, isn't that his job? Philip Norman's Shout Is more edifying.

Have you read the Craig Brown book "One. two, three, four"?

Mel Brookes's autobiography.
Good anectodes but surprisingly poorly written.

Quote: Chappers @ 31st January 2022, 8:53 PM

I've been reading over the last few weeks (I'm a slow reader) the Pickwick Papers which I remember reading for my O Level.

Have you read the Craig Brown book "One. two, three, four"?

Recommenmded?
There are so many books about the Fabs and a lot are crap. Philip Norman's was excellent because it was detailed, well-written and refreshingly objective. It also paints a clear image of the period historically, c**turally and politically. C**ter Davies' is like a fanzine. His Beatles Lyrics wasn't much better - fascinating manuscripts, but the actual text is vague, shoddy (Geoff Emrick) and totally subjective ('That's a nice line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!').

Quote: Lazzard @ 31st January 2022, 9:50 PM

Mel Brookes's autobiography.
Good anectodes but surprisingly poorly written.

What do you call a cross between Monty Python and Bobby Davro? Mel Brookes. He is shit,

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 1st February 2022, 9:48 AM

What do you call a cross between Monty Python and Bobby Davro? Mel Brookes. He is shit,

He wrote & directed "The Producers" & "Young Frankenstein" and for those two alone, he gets a free pass.

Oh God, Young Frankenstein... I can't watch more than ten minutes. Crap.
Reading the biography of Salinger. I have to be honest, if I'd read his life, the comments and the adulation and THEN his actual work, I'd be beyond disappointed. Juvenalia, one good novel and 14 steadily deteriorating shorts... Hardly Goethe. As for the myth that he was locked in his bunker knocking out masterpiss after masterwank, I'll believe it when I see it.