Jennifer R. (chirey) - , reviewed My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up on + 117 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I really tried to read this book but I just could not get into it. I realize he is from England but the English references (with long footnotes got old very fast) It seems like as soon as you would start reading a page he would refer to a "famous" person he had to explain to you so you would get the reference. It was like the inside joke that no one gets. Sounded like a good book and I find him to be funny and odd enough to be likeable but I will stick to the Russell Brand I watch in movies and not worry about his life story.
Helpful Score: 1
Russell Brand, while narcissistic and self-destructive... could not help but turn out the way that he did-- up to a point. His entire childhood-- nay, up to his mid-twenties-- he was surrounded by authority figures who were only one of three things: Neglecters, mental abusers, or enablers. At the beginning of this book, he reminded me quite a bit of Chippy the squirrel... http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27...
At seven, when his beloved Mum got cancer the first time, his own maternal grandmother deemed him "a bad boy who CAUSED her cancer". What?? you don't say such things to a child! Never... that's bound to mess you up in itself...
And, then, of course, was his stepfather, Colin. A complete prat who seemed to do his best to push mother and son apart. His own father seemed more interested in his next lay than being a real father.
I think his Nan (paternal grandmother) and his Mum both neglected and enabled him. His mother had the excuse of being sick some of the time, but when she wasn't, she could've been looking out for him better, such as seeing how he was mistreated by his stepfather, for one, and kicking that nozzle out. And, the instance of abuse by a tutor-- that should've been handled. He did the right thing, going to adults he trusted-- only to have that trust shattered when they do not take care of matters...
It's no wonder he has an insatiable libido, however, considering the amount of neglect and access to pornography he was subjected to as a small child. And, as for the drug and alcohol, it was all sort of feeding that beast of having a hole inside that must be filled. Sadly, massive ego and learnt behavior of "push away before they get close enough to hurt" seems to had eschewed his chances of filling that with what he truly wanted-- a loving relationship.
But, that's not all he wanted; he wanted-- and needed-- a savior to come and not only pick him up from the gutter and point him to the right path, but to hold him on a leash, keeping him there. He knew it could not be himself, but fortunately John Noel came along, and slowly, he formed his tribe to take care of him...
You're deeply pulled into this book. You root for this man, though at times you are not sure WHY. You want him to succeed, but in the back of your mind, you're still thinking, "He's an egomanicial prat!", but you still LIKE him, and want him to do better, and that is what the true anti-hero is-- even if it isn't fiction.
At seven, when his beloved Mum got cancer the first time, his own maternal grandmother deemed him "a bad boy who CAUSED her cancer". What?? you don't say such things to a child! Never... that's bound to mess you up in itself...
And, then, of course, was his stepfather, Colin. A complete prat who seemed to do his best to push mother and son apart. His own father seemed more interested in his next lay than being a real father.
I think his Nan (paternal grandmother) and his Mum both neglected and enabled him. His mother had the excuse of being sick some of the time, but when she wasn't, she could've been looking out for him better, such as seeing how he was mistreated by his stepfather, for one, and kicking that nozzle out. And, the instance of abuse by a tutor-- that should've been handled. He did the right thing, going to adults he trusted-- only to have that trust shattered when they do not take care of matters...
It's no wonder he has an insatiable libido, however, considering the amount of neglect and access to pornography he was subjected to as a small child. And, as for the drug and alcohol, it was all sort of feeding that beast of having a hole inside that must be filled. Sadly, massive ego and learnt behavior of "push away before they get close enough to hurt" seems to had eschewed his chances of filling that with what he truly wanted-- a loving relationship.
But, that's not all he wanted; he wanted-- and needed-- a savior to come and not only pick him up from the gutter and point him to the right path, but to hold him on a leash, keeping him there. He knew it could not be himself, but fortunately John Noel came along, and slowly, he formed his tribe to take care of him...
You're deeply pulled into this book. You root for this man, though at times you are not sure WHY. You want him to succeed, but in the back of your mind, you're still thinking, "He's an egomanicial prat!", but you still LIKE him, and want him to do better, and that is what the true anti-hero is-- even if it isn't fiction.
Jennifer R. (chirey) - , reviewed My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up on + 117 more book reviews
I really tried to read this book but I just could not get into it. I realize he is from England but the English references (with long footnotes got old very fast) It seems like as soon as you would start reading a page he would refer to a "famous" person he had to explain to you so you would get the reference. It was like the inside joke that no one gets. Sounded like a good book and I find him to be funny and odd enough to be likeable but I will stick to the Russell Brand I watch in movies and not worry about his life story.
Jeannie H. (ilovebooksanddogs) -
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped I would, for one reason, it was so hard to understand what in the hell he was talking about. I love his british accent, well any british accent for that matter, but as for knowing what the words and phrases he strung together actually meant, well I felt like I was reading about an alien (and maybe he is), so that made it real hard for me. The other reason was he wrote a lot about how he got his start and talked about famous British comedians and actors, none of whom I had ever even heard of, so once again I felt really "out of the loop". I actually like this guy and felt for him with his huge problem with drugs, I've always felt he's "quite a different sort" so finding out at the end that he got an actual diagnosis was a feel good moment for me. I believe he's very talented and quite happy he's gotten most of his addictions under control.
awesome book!!! funny and entertaining. heartbreaking and inspiring. reminds me of a train wreck- you cant seem to pull your eyes away from the bad things you know are going to come.
Christin R. (raksha38) reviewed My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up on + 203 more book reviews
It's a good thing Russell is a comedian and is able to relay the events of his life in a humorous manner, without turning them into a series of comedy skits, because otherwise the events in this book would be incredibly bleak. With the mostly-absentee father who was worse than useless when he was around (although Russell still doesn't see it that way), the sexual assault as a child, the untreated mental illness, the cutting, the rampant drug addiction, and the general bent toward self-destruction, it's a freaking miracle he's not only managed to become even remotely functional, but to become so successful in his professional life. I enjoy his work and am glad he seems to have gotten his life mostly together, but I think he'd be utterly exhausting to know.
