The only problem with reading an autobiography is that afterwards you are left with the feeling that you know the person really really well. Bob forbid I ever bump into Dawn French when shopping in the Co-op, I’d have so much I wanted to discuss.
Although it’s not very likely, as the sleeve notes, she lives in Cornwall with a bloke called Len and a daughter called Bill. Despite the fact that this is an autobiography – very little ‘detail’ is given about her life now, or the people in it.
The whole book takes the form of a series of letters to various people who have some meaning to her; ex-boyfriends, the BF (best friend, whose name is never revealed), Lenny Henry (the letter to her husband is truly a love letter), Fatty (Jennifer Saunders) and of course her family.
Through reminiscences we hear about her early life, with the suicide of her father when she was a teenager, her boarding school, college (learning to be a teacher), and the various people she met and worked with along the way.
Throughout the book it was obvious how much she misses her father, but also how she’s been lucky enough to have been surrounded by some wonderful friends and family. Many of the letters are hilarious retellings of incidents, some are even jokes themselves, many more are extremely moving – particularly the letter to ‘Scotty’ telling the story of his death from AIDS and the subsequent ‘scattering’ of his ashes in New York – this one had me howling with laughter and crying at the same time!
I’ve never been a follower of ‘celebrity’, so for me this was just a book about someone who is living an interesting life. I’ve not read many other autobiographies or biographies – but maybe I will do now, but only if they are as engaging and entertaining as this one – it will be a hard act to follow.
Bought on Green Metropolis
29th August - 10th October 2009
Although it’s not very likely, as the sleeve notes, she lives in Cornwall with a bloke called Len and a daughter called Bill. Despite the fact that this is an autobiography – very little ‘detail’ is given about her life now, or the people in it.
The whole book takes the form of a series of letters to various people who have some meaning to her; ex-boyfriends, the BF (best friend, whose name is never revealed), Lenny Henry (the letter to her husband is truly a love letter), Fatty (Jennifer Saunders) and of course her family.
Through reminiscences we hear about her early life, with the suicide of her father when she was a teenager, her boarding school, college (learning to be a teacher), and the various people she met and worked with along the way.
Throughout the book it was obvious how much she misses her father, but also how she’s been lucky enough to have been surrounded by some wonderful friends and family. Many of the letters are hilarious retellings of incidents, some are even jokes themselves, many more are extremely moving – particularly the letter to ‘Scotty’ telling the story of his death from AIDS and the subsequent ‘scattering’ of his ashes in New York – this one had me howling with laughter and crying at the same time!
I’ve never been a follower of ‘celebrity’, so for me this was just a book about someone who is living an interesting life. I’ve not read many other autobiographies or biographies – but maybe I will do now, but only if they are as engaging and entertaining as this one – it will be a hard act to follow.
Bought on Green Metropolis
29th August - 10th October 2009
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