fan or not a fan ....just buy it ! .. - Rated 
I wouldn't say I've always been a massive fan of Russell brand but after seeing him on various TV shows he kind of grew on me then when I got this book as a gift I stated reading it immediately and couldn't put it down .the book goes from the ups and downs of his childhood, through into his troublesome teens and early adulthood and into the present .a real rollercoaster of a book and just a great read. 5 stars!
joe
Couldn't put it down....... - Rated 
I received this book as a gift and I absolutely loved it. I had already seen Brand a couple of times on BBBM, Jonathan Ross and had seen a couple clips of his stand-up material. I wasn't blown away by him but he did make me laugh and I was intrigued by his unique style. The book really blows the lid on the unconventional life that he's led and from the first page to the last I couldn't put it down (always a good sign!). I wasn't really shocked by the sex and drugs although I did think the sex tourist holiday with his dad was a bit weird. What did shock me was the size of his massive ego and how completely unreliable and irresponsible he had been even when it had left people, including seemingly good friends and partners, in the lurch. I was particularly appalled at how his good friend Martino (who seemed like a really decent chap) had got sacked because Brand's bad behaviour yet Brand was allowed to keep his job. Although he gave a nod to his feelings of guilt about this incident the overwhelming sense of Brand's selfishness and egotism was overpowering. Having said that, Brand, at times, does shows a good deal of tolerance and compassion toward the world and you cannot fault his relentless honesty. It also seems that he's a changed man since his spells in drug and sex rehab. The book is very engaging and at times enthralling as he takes you through the manic and colourful life that he's led. I found the stories of drug dealers, drug taking and street people particularly engrossing because it's a world that isn't often written about and I just have a fascination about that sort of thing. The book is littered with humour and there is at least a titter if not a belly laugh on every page, and on several occasions I was literally rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter. The tale of him being locked out of his flat whilst completely naked springs to mind! All in all, a fantastic book and I look forward to his next instalment.
Alternates between depressing and hilarious - Rated 
This is a tricky one to review. In some ways the book is excellent as it's filled with interesting stories written in just the way you would expect Russell to write them (whether he actually did I don't know). It's mainly a description in more-or-less chronological order of Russell's childhood and then his increasingly severe drug, drink and sex addictions. The stories centred around his antics through drama school and then during his attempts to make TV programmes, perform stand up comedy and generally become famous are mostly pretty entertaining.
However, be warned that this book isn't a barrel of laughs. Admittedly, the bits that are supposed to be funny generally are, but there's also a lot of fairly shocking stuff going on and a lot of incidents that don't show Russell in a very good light. I know that this is deliberate and all part of his style, but I'm not sure that I really like the guy any more to be honest. There's just too many people he mistreated and too many crimes he has committed.
If you're interested in the man behind the act, or if you're a fan, then you'll probably enjoy this book. However, if you're expecting a stand up routine in print form then give this one a miss.
Not bad - Rated 
I read this and found myself liking Russell. However he does tend to use a lot of words to say very little at times. Basically the story was, I grew up with lovely mother, feckless father who walked out, hated my step father,kicked the dog, got into drugs,got famous, went into rehab... What saves this book from being a turgid rehash of too many other 'celebrity' autobiographies is Russells intelligence, wit and likeability.
I think that it may have been written a little prematurely. Russell is too young and gauche to write a rich, meaningful testement of his life. Which is hardly suprising as he's probably got another 40 years or so to live, love and learn...
A brilliant read - but if you want real tales of derring do and sexual bravado... - Rated 
Brilliant book - funny in all the right places without being light reading, you really feel like you go on a journey with Russell and there are no doubt exploits that haven't been included in this that would make the highlights of your average autobiography.
However it's not a story many can empathise with - Russell is a one off, a whirlwind of constant indiscretion and someone it's often hard to love. I read another book recently - first draft of Ashley Hames' 'Adventures of a Sex Reporter' which is toe curlingly frank in it's uncut, uncensored take on the eclectic range of sexual exploits that normal everyday folk get up to, all written from the point of view of a very average man.
Hilarious, awful and somehow more touching than Russell's endless stream of bedpost notches. Worth a read.
|