Published By: Macmillan
Pages: 352
Released On: 14/10/2021
Michael’s first book ended with his big break at the 2006 Royal Variety Performance. Waking up the next morning in the tiny rented flat he shared with his wife Kitty and their one-year-old son, he was beyond excited at the new glamorous world of show business. Unfortunately, he was also clueless.
In A Funny Life, Michael honestly and hilariously shares the highs and the lows of his rise to the top and desperate attempts to stay there. It’s all here, from his disastrous panel show appearances to his hit TV shows, from mistakingly thinking he’d be a good chat show host and talent judge, to finding fame and fortune beyond his wildest dreams and becoming the biggest-selling comedian in the world. Along the way he opens his man drawer, narrowly avoids disaster when his trousers fall down in front of the police and learns the hard way why he should always listen to his wife.
*****
Like most people in the country, I absolutely adore Michael McIntyre – I’m sure there are some people who don’t, but I haven’t met them and I don’t wish to. Looking back at this work, I’m fairly sure I’ve watched everything he’s done, have all his DVDs and have read all his books (all 2 of them!)
Not to sound like an old woman but I’m not a fan of comedians who swear and joke about crude things just to get laughs. I prefer these kind of anecdotal jokes that Michael does because they’re easy to identify with. They also bring back good memories. Every time a new DVD was released, I would get it as a Christmas present and me and my late father would settle down and watch it before we’d even sat down for breakfast, crying with laughter within the first five minutes.
What I like about Michael’s books, especially this one, is how honest he is. Becoming a success in any profession, let alone something as difficult as showbiz, is full of highs and a lot of lows, and he doesn’t ignore these. He is honest about how difficult his journey has been and how many knocks he has taken.
There is a lot of name dropping and….boasting? No, not boasting, that sounds negative and I don’t mean it like that. There’s a lot of elaborating what he’s achieved and what that has bought him in terms of money and possessions. And for most people that would really irk me, but for Michael, I’m really happy for him. It’s clear this is what he’s always wanted and worked hard for, and I’m so glad he’s managed to make a success out of what he loves, and why shouldn’t you celebrate the gains that come with that?
Overall, whilst it is fundamentally a memoir written by a comedian and made to be funny, it is also such a lovely story about overcoming hardships and triumphing in your most wanted dreams. I read his first book in less than a day, and I’ve done the exact same thing with this one. I eagerly await the third years to come.
Books By Your Bedside 