Ann’s Pick
July, 2019
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE
Eric Idle
New York: Crown Archetype, [2018]
289 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color)
Unabridged Audiobook, Eric Idle author and narrator
8 audio discs (8 hr., 13 min.); Westminster, MD: Books on Tape, 2018
This funny and upbeat memoir written and told by founding member of Monty Python Eric Idle is sure to entertain! The book and audiobook are packed with humor and the writing is richly detailed with behind-the-scenes tales of Hollywood and London. Eric’s well-crafted dialog will have you smiling, singing and laughing out loud.
Eric Idle tells the story of his life with wit and heartfelt honesty. Did you know that “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” is the most requested song at British funerals? Yes, it is. And the audio book is such a delight because you hear Eric singing it for you. Listened to the book in the car and it always had me laughing on the way home.
The book has lots of photos, too – Eric with George Harrison, his best friend and without whom Life of Brian would not have been made; Eric with David Bowie, Robin Williams, Mick Jagger, Carrie Fisher, Steve Martin and of course the other Pythons, also life long friends. Eric describes his childhood in post-WWII England, his education, how he met John Cleese and the other Pythons. Of course, there are stories about Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Life of Brian and the creation of the Broadway smash, Spamalot, and reflections on the meaning of life.
If you love Eric Idle, Monty Python, Spamalot and/or British humor, this is the book for you – wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more!