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Available
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Publication
Arrow Books Ltd (1982), Edition: New edition, 192 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member Sylak
Less of an Anarchist's Almanac, more of a Dictionary a Disenchantment (but what sort of a book title would that have been?).
Mike Harding (Many people today will recognise the name, at least, as the chap who wrote the theme tune to Danger Mouse), ponders how ridiculous and pointless modern Society
Typical questions pondered within this book are of the type:
Why do drunks on buses always talk to me rather than anybody else?
Have you ever felt like laughing at a funeral?
Do you hate people who put overcoats on dogs?
Have you ever dreamed of murdering your boss?
Have you ever wanted to shout rude things in a public place?
Have you ever wished that God would come out into the open and own up?
Harding's solution is:
1 Find a good armchair
2 Rehurse the key phrases of your mantra 'It's all a load of old rubbish', 'They're all in it together';
3 Curl up in the foetal position
4 Expect the worse.
The rest of the book is in the form of a dictionary of Harding's gripes on life including, Air travel, Barnsley (English town), Critics, Dentists, Executives, Food fads, etc...
He even has his own Bible (a la 'Life of Brian') titled, The Books of Eric, which goes something like this:
In the beginning was the word, and the Word was Eric.
And there was all about a great nothingness, a void.
And along came Eric and he did cock it up. He took the earth that was above and the waters that were below and made of them mud. And that was the first day.
And there was still a great darkness over the face of the Earth and Eric cried, 'Let there be light!' And nothing happened. And Eric wandered round in the dark bumping into things... (There is a bit more, and it is kind of funny.)
Is Mike Harding still 'The funniest man in England' (according to Billy Connolly)?
I'm not sure.
Does the book still raise a few chuckles nearly 40 years later?
Yes, it sure does.
So, in hindsight Mike Harding probably is the funniest man in Britain (sporting a moustache, anyway).
Mike Harding (Many people today will recognise the name, at least, as the chap who wrote the theme tune to Danger Mouse), ponders how ridiculous and pointless modern Society
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(c1981) is, much in the same vein as many comedians of the time did, including: Jasper Carrott and Billy Connolly (who also wrote a blurb for the back of the book jacket); all the while taking pot shots at his pet hates, being mainly disc jokeys, British Rail, and towns in the North of England.Typical questions pondered within this book are of the type:
Why do drunks on buses always talk to me rather than anybody else?
Have you ever felt like laughing at a funeral?
Do you hate people who put overcoats on dogs?
Have you ever dreamed of murdering your boss?
Have you ever wanted to shout rude things in a public place?
Have you ever wished that God would come out into the open and own up?
Harding's solution is:
1 Find a good armchair
2 Rehurse the key phrases of your mantra 'It's all a load of old rubbish', 'They're all in it together';
3 Curl up in the foetal position
4 Expect the worse.
The rest of the book is in the form of a dictionary of Harding's gripes on life including, Air travel, Barnsley (English town), Critics, Dentists, Executives, Food fads, etc...
He even has his own Bible (a la 'Life of Brian') titled, The Books of Eric, which goes something like this:
In the beginning was the word, and the Word was Eric.
And there was all about a great nothingness, a void.
And along came Eric and he did cock it up. He took the earth that was above and the waters that were below and made of them mud. And that was the first day.
And there was still a great darkness over the face of the Earth and Eric cried, 'Let there be light!' And nothing happened. And Eric wandered round in the dark bumping into things... (There is a bit more, and it is kind of funny.)
Is Mike Harding still 'The funniest man in England' (according to Billy Connolly)?
I'm not sure.
Does the book still raise a few chuckles nearly 40 years later?
Yes, it sure does.
So, in hindsight Mike Harding probably is the funniest man in Britain (sporting a moustache, anyway).
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Language
Original language
English
Physical description
192 p.; 6.8 inches
ISBN
0099292106 / 9780099292104