‘The most life-affirming, joyful read of the year’ – Sunday Times
Bob Mortimer’s funny, heartfelt and offbeat autobiography, shares stories from his life and career in his own particular style – but what did SWFT’s Wellbeing Reading Group make of it?
You might recognise Bob Mortimer from Shooting Stars in the 90s, as a panellist on Would I Lie to You, an amateur angler on Gone Fishing, improvising on Taskmaster, or trying to keep a straight faced in Last One Laughing – or you may not know him at all. We found that whether or not you knew Bob, it made little difference to your enjoyment of the book, and possibly even helped.
As a whole, we felt that the book was honest, heartfelt, laugh out loud funny, and relatable. However the format of the book had mixed feedback – it jumps back and forward from his operation and recovery to his childhood. Some readers liked how he dipped in and out of different parts of his life, while others found this rather confusing. Several of our group said how Bob’s vivid description of his childhood and teenage years brought back memories from their past (spoiler – apparently they didn’t set fire to their homes… unlike Bob).
The section on his open heart surgery (a triple-heart bypass after they discovered 95% of his arteries were blocked) was very powerful and graphic. It was his recuperation from this surgery that led to Paul Whitehouse and the fishing series. Bob said that he’d been in danger of becoming a hermit, and trying angling was an incentive to leave the house. He also managed to go back on tour with Vic Reeves, albeit wearing a heart monitor.
One of the group mentioned how at times it felt as though Bob wasn’t the main character in his own autobiography. He does come across as a person that life happens to – many of his major life changing events happen by chance (meeting Vic Reeves for example). He talks about how his shyness had a debilitating affect on his life, and how much his close friends helped. We wondered whether the shyness and his imposter syndrome was down to losing his father at such a young age.
There were aspects of the book which we found particularly interesting and enjoyed reading – such as when Bob’s background as a solicitor came in handy during the infamous Michael Jackson/Jarvis Cocker incident at the 1996 Brit Awards. Bob’s legal background was a bit of a surprise to many of us, although other famous comedians have had come from equally unlikely backgrounds (Greg Davies was a teacher, Harry Hill a doctor).
We did recommend listening to the audiobook of this autobiography, as this gives you get the full experience of Bob’s songs, as he narrates (and sings!).
We’ll leave you with Bob’s own comments on shyness: “All I can say in this respect is that if you know a ‘quiet one’ at work, at home or wherever, try to make an effort to bring them in on things; try to give them a chance to flourish. They might just surprise you and end up enhancing your life. Believe me, it’s next to impossible for them to do it on their own.”
How did we score it? 4/5
Next month we’re stepping back to 1666 with Year of Wonders, where a small Derbyshire village is hit by the plague after a simple bolt of cloth carries a deadly infection. Told through the eyes of 18-year-old Anna, the story follows a community pushed to its limits — torn between fear, faith, and survival.
This novel was based on true events. To pick up your copy, come along to the Education Centre Library. We’ll be meeting on Teams at 1.00pm, on Wednesday 15th October and look forward to seeing you there!
Find out more about our reading groups here or take a look at some of our previous book reviews.
