The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 6 January 2015
by John Cleese
John Cleese, of course, is one sixth of the famous Monty Python group of comedians, responsible for a groundbreaking television series in the late 1960s, and a number of comedy films (i.e. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Life of Brian, and this reader's personal favorite, The Meaning of Life) which fourteen-year-old boys can quote in detail to this day (and, of course, the later brilliant Fawlty Towers. Cleese, now well into his seventies, brings us this memoir of his life and career up to the start of his famous work with the Pythons. Repeatedly, throughout the book, Cleese reminds us that he considers himself a writer rather than a performer. Though he has a commanding comedic presence on screens large and small, his greatest satisfaction is with crafting the sketches and films he has worked on. The book spans his childhood, college career, and early, almost charmed, writing credits. Cleese reflects vividly upon a time and a place in his youth, being raised in a lower-middle-class family in a seaside town (indeed, class figures prominently in his history), then details his early accomplishments and stage experiences. Though he doesn't consider himself driven, great opportunities open up for him during the early days of revolutionary new comedy and satire in British television. Cleese worked with such greats as Peter Cook, Peter Sellars, David Frost, Marty Feldman and, of course, the other Pythons, most particularly the late Graham Chapman. So, anyway, this is a straight-ahead memoir of one man's development and career path, punctuated by comedic passages from his early successful sketch writing. Cleese comes off as a successful, not particularly ambitious, and personable character. His relationship with the audience is emphasised -- he is often nervous of their judgment of his work -- even up to the 2014 Python reunion shows at the O2 arena. Over 160,000 people attended these shows. Fifty years on, Monty Python, and John Cleese, are still popular, still funny, and still ground-breaking, especially in comparison with so much comedic mediocrity out there. What is left is a charming memoir about a busy time in the history of British comedy. The reader will want to spend time looking for clips of Cleese's work...