So, Anyway...
John Cleese
This is
definitely a book for John Cleese Fans. It's insightful, funny in
parts and expansive. It focuses mainly on his early years, his time
at St. Peter's Prep School in Weston-super-Mare, Clifton College and
Cambridge University. The second half of the book follows what he did
after University and how he turned his University hobby of comedy
writing and performances into a profession.
Cleese
explains throughout how he and others came up with comic sketches,
scenes and programs as well as providing insight into what makes
certain types of jokes and scenes work. An aspiring comedian and/or,
comic writer will no doubt find this useful and thought provoking.
There
were some funny bits to this book and one of my favorites came early
on when Cleese mentioned that he was offered a job at his former
school St. Peter's before going of to Cambridge. When asked to teach
the subjects of History, Geography and English he reminded the
Headmaster that he had been a student of Science and didn't know
anything about these other subjects. The headmaster told him not to
worry, the boys were only ten years old so as long as he stayed a
page ahead of them everything would be fine.
While
this book was long on his professional career it was short on his
personal life. Although he focuses quite a bit on his parents in the
early part and he mentions his first marriage. The further one reads
the less he reveals about personal relations other than with those
connected to his professional work. Having said that, anyone who is a
fan of John Cleese, Monty Python or British Comedy programs will find
something to like in this book.
Thanks
to blogging for books for allowing me to read this book in exchange
for an honest review.
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