In my local bookshop this evening I noticed a biography by Michael McIntyre, Another booky-f**king-wook by Russell Brand and some shite with Gervais on the cover.
How do people feel about their comedy heroes releasing books in time for Christmas? - money at the cost of integrity? Or don't care?
Such obvious attempts to cash in diminishes performers in my view - especially as the people mentioned are already coining it.
Alexei Sayle's biog looks interesting
What's the big deal? They may not be literary masterpieces but it's not as if they're forcing people to buy them.
If people are stupid enough to buy them, that's their lookout.
Quote: DaButt @ November 4 2010, 12:27 AM GMTWhat's the big deal? They may not be literary masterpieces but it's not as if they're forcing people to buy them.
They're part of the mass market deluge driving even fairy well known authors out of shops
Quote: sootyj @ November 4 2010, 12:40 AM GMTThey're part of the mass market deluge driving even fairy well known authors out of shops
I don't know any Fairy authors.
I thought you and MarkP were an item?
When I read the title I thought it was the invite to the BCG December meetup.
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ November 4 2010, 1:28 AM GMTWhen I read the title I thought it was the invite to the BCG December meetup.
I thought it was a book about either Derek and Clive, Jerry Sadowitz or Vince from Mongrels.
I've never read a book with a picture of a celebrity on the front. And never will. And it's depressing as hell going into Waterstones or Smiths and seeing piles of "books" with these people on the front.
Also, they should bring in a law that you're not allowed to write an autobiography until you're 80 and nearly dead.
Quote: chipolata @ November 4 2010, 7:04 PM GMTAlso, they should bring in a law that you're not allowed to write an autobiography until you're 80 and nearly dead.
Stephen Fry's written a couple of good ones; and Steve Martin's is brilliant. I hear good things about all seventeen volumes of Katie Price's, too.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 4 2010, 7:08 PM GMTStephen Fry's written a couple of good ones; and Steve Martin's is brilliant. I hear good things about all seventeen volumes of Katie Price's, too.
All right, I'll adjust the law so they can write them, but they can only be released after their death. Can't say fairer than that.
Nah. With good autobiographies, you forget that's what they are and just read them as a novel/fiction, really.
Certainly did that with Stephen Fry's first one, and Emma Kennedy's (which isn't really an autobiog, but is autobiographical, if that makes sense.)
So the decent ones, by interesting people who happen to be famous, certainly have their place. It's just stupid to avoid them all on principle.
(Having said the above, I was really quite disappointed by Fry's latest.)
Oh, Palin's are good, though that's his diaries, rather than something he's sat down and written now, so that's different.
Quote: zooo @ November 4 2010, 7:13 PM GMTNah. With good autobiographies, you forget that's what they are and just read them as a novel/fiction, really. Certainly did that with Stephen Fry's first one, and Emma Kennedy's (which isn't really an autobiog, but is autobiographical, if that makes sense.) So the decent ones, by interesting people who happen to be famous, certainly have their place. It's just stupid to avoid them all on principle.
Zooo and her lack of principles!