Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
HarperCollins Publishers Limited (2012)
Description
INDIVIDUAL ACTORS & PERFORMERS. David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life.
User reviews
LibraryThing member -Eva-
Pretty straightforward story of David "not the novelist" Mitchell's life from clever child to even cleverer comedian, coupled with quite a few "standard" rants about the various things in life that annoy him. The first half about his childhood and life through University (where he spent his time
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working with Footlights rather than studying) is absolutely hilarious. When the "proper" show-business part of the book starts, though, the story loses momentum and, although interspersed with some funny comments, becomes mainly a chronological recounting of the various shows and people Mitchell has worked with. I was pleased to find out that his favorite thing to do is the panel shows, because it's the format I think he excels at - a well-placed Mitchell-rant in the middle of QI does wonders for the spirit! Well worth a read if you're a fan of Mitchell's (or indeed of Robert Webb's) and a decent introduction to the man behind the persona if you're not. Show Less
LibraryThing member freelancer_frank
This is a book about the hopes and dreams of British comedian, David Mitchell. His greatest and most original talent is observational comedy of the highest analytic order. Mitchell can take any subject, dissect its truths and turn it into comic gold. When he is doing this, which is about 50 percent
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of the time, the book is a joy. The other fifty percent is devoted to the usual showbiz 'hey! wow!' type of thing, and is consequently somewhat as dull and vapid as its subject. Show Less
LibraryThing member keyboardcouch
Audible's relatively spotty collection has led to me buying a few titles that I would never ever otherwise consume. A celebrity memoir? Really? Who am I?
David Mitchell is a likeable, middle-class, small c conservative British comedian. I enjoyed his book, in no small part because it's read by the
Mitchell grows up the eldest son of two former hoteliers turned polytech lecturers, goes to a small independent school, is accepted to Cambridge, joins footlights, puts in some hard work and becomes a moderately successful and well know comedian. That's the story. It's not very interesting. Mitchell tells it well and I've spent a pleasant weekend listening to it. There.
The second to last chapter concerns his relationship with Victoria Coren (his then fiancée, now wife). This chapter it has to be said is quite lovely and occasionally adorable.
I cannot imagine that anyone who doesn't already like David Mitchell would read this book. But if you do, and haven't got anything else on, your expectations will probably be pleasantly met.
David Mitchell is a likeable, middle-class, small c conservative British comedian. I enjoyed his book, in no small part because it's read by the
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author and I find his voice reassuring (I usually find middle class British accents reassuring, a fact that I find strangely disconcerting.)Mitchell grows up the eldest son of two former hoteliers turned polytech lecturers, goes to a small independent school, is accepted to Cambridge, joins footlights, puts in some hard work and becomes a moderately successful and well know comedian. That's the story. It's not very interesting. Mitchell tells it well and I've spent a pleasant weekend listening to it. There.
The second to last chapter concerns his relationship with Victoria Coren (his then fiancée, now wife). This chapter it has to be said is quite lovely and occasionally adorable.
I cannot imagine that anyone who doesn't already like David Mitchell would read this book. But if you do, and haven't got anything else on, your expectations will probably be pleasantly met.
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LibraryThing member foolplustime
I'm not at all interested in celeb memoir or autobiography but I like David Mitchell's Observer columns and heard good things about this so...
It's interesting in the way of a normal life, it's funny-ish, it's decently written - did what I expected and did so very well.
It's interesting in the way of a normal life, it's funny-ish, it's decently written - did what I expected and did so very well.
LibraryThing member LARA335
Going for this walk with David Mitchell was delightful. There were moments when I cried with laughter, so glad I wasn't reading this on the train, or worse on stage opposite David when he sports a bow tie.
I love Peep Show and Would I Lie to You, so was pleased that the person revealed in this
There were shocks - after the first month at Cambridge David didn't attend anymore lectures, or seemingly do much academic work. And to its credit the University left him alone to get on with becoming a national treasure
I love Peep Show and Would I Lie to You, so was pleased that the person revealed in this
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memoir was as I had hoped, funny and truthful, and a talented writer, putting into words in that distinctive voice of his the awkwardnesses of being human.There were shocks - after the first month at Cambridge David didn't attend anymore lectures, or seemingly do much academic work. And to its credit the University left him alone to get on with becoming a national treasure
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LibraryThing member missizicks
I liked this book. I liked the premise of taking a walk and allowing memories to be triggered. I like David Mitchell when he's on the telly. I didn't need to know his childhood history, although it was amusing. I liked the background detail about the comedy writing process and how he and Robert
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Webb got their break. I loved the openness he showed when talking about his love for his wife and how that revolutionised his life. I liked his honesty throughout the book. If you enjoy Peep Show, or Mitchell & Webb, or David Mitchell on panel shows, you'll enjoy this book. If you have no idea who he is, most of it will be meaningless. Show Less
LibraryThing member m_k_m
As I'm sure he would admit, David Mitchell's life story is not the most dramatic, but he does tell it charmingly. He picks over his failures and successes with wit and insight, making a virtue of how recognisable they are, even to those of us who haven't ended up as panel show regulars. He can also
For an author who claims he doesn't want people to know who he really is, Mitchell gives a very good account of himself as a normal guy - only with greater wit and success. And for that I secretly resent him (I'm sure he'd understand).
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be surprisingly touching, especially when discussing his relationship with Victoria Coren and his sense of alienation in a changing media landscape. For an author who claims he doesn't want people to know who he really is, Mitchell gives a very good account of himself as a normal guy - only with greater wit and success. And for that I secretly resent him (I'm sure he'd understand).
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LibraryThing member TysonAdams
There's no book quite like the autobiography, since they are usually biographies with some poor ghost writer having to make an illiterate celebrity (sportsperson) sound interesting. Odd that I'd decide to read an actual autobiography.
David Mitchell is a particularly funny comedian from the UK, one
That's right, this book is funny from start to finish. Many comedic efforts fail to do this, either trying to squeeze too much out of a one joke premise, failing to be consistent, or having the jokes become tired - more of the same - somewhere in the middle of the book. Ostensibly told as David walks to work one morning, and recounting his life thus far, he manages to pack in a lot of commentary about schooling, university drama societies (Footlights), and the oddities of making shows for TV. And in true David Mitchell style there are plenty of witty insights, comedic rants, and down the barrel jokes to tell the tales.
I generally think that celebrity biographies are symptomatic of what is wrong with publishing and book stores. Someone has gone to a lot of effort to convince the reading public that these celebrities actually wrote the book (because they have heaps of spare time, and are well known for their writing prowess) and that they have something interesting to tell you that the tabloids haven't already used as filler around those telephoto swimsuit shots. They've even managed to convince people that this is what you buy people as gifts, especially Xmas gifts for your dad. I don't know if this was a big campaign or just one of those things that happened, but it would be great if people could stop pretending that sports people are interesting, are literate, and are actually writing a tell-all-book.
It is probably because David Mitchell is clearly the writer of this book, that the humour and the story told are entertaining yet honest, that I've enjoyed this autobiography. Too often in the past I've been disappointed with biographies and comedy books, so this was not just a good read, it was refreshingly good.
David Mitchell is a particularly funny comedian from the UK, one
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part of the Mitchell and Webb team, and Back Story is his tale of growing up and "getting on the tele". Listening to the audiobook had the added benefit of David telling his story and giving his various rants and jokes the life they deserved.That's right, this book is funny from start to finish. Many comedic efforts fail to do this, either trying to squeeze too much out of a one joke premise, failing to be consistent, or having the jokes become tired - more of the same - somewhere in the middle of the book. Ostensibly told as David walks to work one morning, and recounting his life thus far, he manages to pack in a lot of commentary about schooling, university drama societies (Footlights), and the oddities of making shows for TV. And in true David Mitchell style there are plenty of witty insights, comedic rants, and down the barrel jokes to tell the tales.
I generally think that celebrity biographies are symptomatic of what is wrong with publishing and book stores. Someone has gone to a lot of effort to convince the reading public that these celebrities actually wrote the book (because they have heaps of spare time, and are well known for their writing prowess) and that they have something interesting to tell you that the tabloids haven't already used as filler around those telephoto swimsuit shots. They've even managed to convince people that this is what you buy people as gifts, especially Xmas gifts for your dad. I don't know if this was a big campaign or just one of those things that happened, but it would be great if people could stop pretending that sports people are interesting, are literate, and are actually writing a tell-all-book.
It is probably because David Mitchell is clearly the writer of this book, that the humour and the story told are entertaining yet honest, that I've enjoyed this autobiography. Too often in the past I've been disappointed with biographies and comedy books, so this was not just a good read, it was refreshingly good.
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LibraryThing member gabarito
3.5 stars really. A good celebrity memoir....I just don't really like celebrity memoirs even though I am a big fan of David Mitchell. He often writes with his recognizable comedic voice. I found the "walking around London" framing story to be a bit boring. It was interesting to read him contrasting
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his character from Peep Show Mark with his panel show persona and his actual self. Show Less
LibraryThing member Paul_S
Interesting to see how an actor's career develops and how programs get commissioned. Also reasonably funny.
LibraryThing member ahef1963
David Mitchell's Back Story is a humourous memoir of the British comedian's life, right back to childhood. I listened to this memoir as an audiobook, which was fun because Mitchell himself narrated, and his pleasant chirpy voice always cheered me.
I had great hopes for this memoir but didn't find
Good, but ultimately unsatisfying and occasionally boring: that's my verdict.
I had great hopes for this memoir but didn't find
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it as compelling as I'd wished. There are some great highs - the chapter where he meets and falls in love with his wife (the beautiful and brilliant Victoria Coren Mitchell) was one of the most powerful love stories I've ever heard. Other chapters, however, left me cold and uninterested as I guess I'm just not as keen to find out details of English prep school and university life as one would need to be to truly enjoy the book. Good, but ultimately unsatisfying and occasionally boring: that's my verdict.
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LibraryThing member bramboomen
Because I watched "That Mitchell and Webb look" thrice now, and this has failed to produce a new season I started listening to this book, narrated by David Mitchell himself. This was wonderful and I cannot imagine have read it trying to make my inner dialog sound like him.
I had quite a few
I had quite a few
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laugh-out-loud moments and the story moved me sometimes. This is not a revolutionary auto-biography as I'm sure Mitchell intended it (by which I mean he did not intend it to be a revolutionary book). As he repeatedly points out in the book, David Michell is not David Mitchell the author. Even so, David Mitchell, like David Mitchell the author, has a grasp on the English language which I thoroughly enjoyed. Show Less
Awards
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2012)
The A.V. Club best books (2012)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-10-11