So, Anyway . . . by John Cleese

More info*

Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Pages: 375
My rating: 3.5 stars
Ages:  17+

John Cleese never thought he would become part of one of the most loved British comedy troupes, or that he would become anything more than just a middle-middle class lawyer. But through events throughout his early life, by the time he was 25 he had been employed as a writer at the BBC and gone on tour and performed on Broadway. All of this led up to creating Monty Python's Flying Circus.

I love reading about people like John Cleese because you always think you know someone. Oh, that's John Cleese, he was in Monty Python and Fawlty Towers, he's pretty funny. But to read about a person from his birth, to see the things that influenced his life and how he became "John Cleese" puts things into a completely different perspective. Like, that he actually considers himself more of a writer than an actor, or that he never really seemed to try to get any of his successes (a fact that is both amazing and completely frustrating for all of those who have to try incredibly hard!).

Cleese's humor is quintessentially British, which can be hard to understand if you aren't familiar with it. Should you be taking it seriously or is everything a little tongue in cheek? It can be hard to tell. But I liked it. Even the captions to his pictures were funny. I don't know if I ever really "laughed out loud," but I definitely smiled.

And I also feel the need to go back and watch Monty Python and Fawlty Towers again.

There is some hard language spattered throughout the book.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.