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94th out of 366 books
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518 voters
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My Booky Wook
In 2006 Russell Brand exploded onto the international comedy scene. He has been named Time Outs Comedian of the Year, Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards, and Most Stylish Man by GQs Men. His UK stand-up tour was sold out and his BBC Radio 6 show became a cult phenomenon, the second most popular podcast of the year. Before the fame, however, Russells life was anythi...more
Paperback, 405 pages
Published
August 10th 2008
by Hodder
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i have said it before and i will say it again: junkies are boring.
many people did not want me to read this book.they tried to save me. but this was my very last book for my reader's advisory class: the memoir,and i was so hoping to go out on a good note, me in my post-winter's bone rut. so i took a turn through the memoir section, and they seemed to fall into a couple of broad categories:
i'm drunk:
i can't keep my legs together:
...more
many people did not want me to read this book.they tried to save me. but this was my very last book for my reader's advisory class: the memoir,and i was so hoping to go out on a good note, me in my post-winter's bone rut. so i took a turn through the memoir section, and they seemed to fall into a couple of broad categories:
i'm drunk:
i can't keep my legs together:
...more
view all 154 comments
I'm not one to devour a biography of any kind. An autobiography is perhaps a bit more bearable since you at least get the vaguely comforting first-person narrative of a kind of novel. Still, I'm a huge fan of Russell Brand and I wanted to give this a go. It only took me three days to finish this book, which is a miracle, considering it being all non-fictiony. I accomplished this because of the following factors; it's a really fascinating story, and I was actually curious to know what exactly was...more
Hannah
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Russell Brand fans
Shelves:
non-fiction,
memoirs
I bought this book earlier last week, hopefully so I could get it signed at Russell Brand's gig on the Saturday (sadly he didn't sign anything, so it's still autographless) and consumed it quickly. I'd not read an autobiography before, and wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it - generally I don't enjoy non-fiction and it takes me ages to get through - but this one fascinated me all the way through. It completely retained all of his idiosyncrasies of speech and instead of hearing my internal-voice dictatin...more
yeah I fancy him.
I like the leather pants, the eyes, the attitude, the hair
But the answer to my friend's question: Isn't he a bit young to write a memoir?
well yeah.
he should have waited.
way too chatty, undigested.
some good stories, fab ones even...but disappointingly conversational. Especially as I heard him interviewed (by Terry Gross) and what he had to say was pithier, more incisive than what's here...so far.
But still.
He's Russell ...more
I like the leather pants, the eyes, the attitude, the hair
But the answer to my friend's question: Isn't he a bit young to write a memoir?
well yeah.
he should have waited.
way too chatty, undigested.
some good stories, fab ones even...but disappointingly conversational. Especially as I heard him interviewed (by Terry Gross) and what he had to say was pithier, more incisive than what's here...so far.
But still.
He's Russell ...more
I thought the vernacular that the book's written in (Russell writes exactly as he speaks) would be wearing. However, once I got used to the style, I found it a quick and absorbing read. I read the majority of the book in one sitting, in fact.
There's plenty to hate if you're a hater -- and I'm not sure it's a book that's likely to convert anyone -- but there's also plenty to love if you're a fan.
There's plenty to hate if you're a hater -- and I'm not sure it's a book that's likely to convert anyone -- but there's also plenty to love if you're a fan.
Russell on Charlie & the Chocolate Factory: "What a ridiculous way to run a job interview — they should've just got the top guy from Cadbury's or Mars—you can't trust kids to run a factory. Even Charlie was a bit fishy."
Russell Brand is pretty charming and self-depricating which is always a quality I enjoy in a memoir which is by nature self-indulgent. That said, it's sometimes hard to enjoy these recovery memoirs because no matter how charming the author (and this book does ...more
Russell Brand is pretty charming and self-depricating which is always a quality I enjoy in a memoir which is by nature self-indulgent. That said, it's sometimes hard to enjoy these recovery memoirs because no matter how charming the author (and this book does ...more
Have found Brand to be hilarious and interesting for a while...wanted to learn about his story. I got what I wanted here and thankfully found to him to be what I expected: brilliant, crazy, troubled, but in his own way a very wise and thoughtful human being. I like him even more now and will definitely be reading Booky Wook 2.
Should I even advertise that I am reading this book, and enjoying it? Russell Brand is a very good writer and has some something that draws my curiosity. I recommend this book, and will probably read his second memoir as well.
I first thought Russell Brand was an irritating toilet-brush-haired egomaniac dandy crackhead sex maniac. Then I read his autobiography and realized that he was in fact all of those things, but a very funny one. It's much better to see him live or listen to his radio show, though. The man has a genuine love of words and many unique turns of English phrasery, although he may well remain a mystery to non-Brits. (That said, just wait until he hosts the MTV Awards with Britney, and you'll all want t...more
Not sure why I even bothered with this book. Other than the fact that my boss loaned it to me. He was funny in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and amusing in Get Him to the Greek, but that's about the extent of my experience with him. I thought it might be more like Samantha Bee's book "I know you are, but what am I," which was by no means fantastic, but entertaining, very readable, and I like her even more than I did before. Her book is less an autobiography, and more a series of funny, se...more
“To this day, I feel a fierce warmth for women that have the same disregard for the social conventions of sexual protocol as I do. I love it when I meet a woman and her sexuality is dancing across her face, so it's apparent that all we need to do is nod and find a cupboard.”
I was curious about this book so I found it at the library. I find Russell Brand amusing but sometimes too obnoxious. Andddd I guess the book didn't really show me otherwise.
There were experiences that ma...more
This is a total popcorn book! You don't have to work your brain and you feel a bit naughty if you enjoy it. I realized while reading this book that my perspective has changed a bit since becoming a mom. This is the first book I have ever read where I thought "gee, I can't leave this on my bookshelf and have my kid possibly pick it up before they turn 18.) Without any spoilers this book is about Russell's personal experience with sex, drugs, theft, sex, drugs, sex, acting and more sex. ...more
I want to give this 4.5 stars. It was pretty darned close to amazing. As noted by other reviewers, it's a memoir chronicling Russell Brand's early life and his heroin addiction. I started the book a while ago, put it down and then, after reading Brand's blog post after the passing of Amy Winehouse, I was compelled to pick it back up again.
As you can guess, I found it tough to get into the book initially. For whatever reason, the first few chapters didn't grab me, although there were...more
As you can guess, I found it tough to get into the book initially. For whatever reason, the first few chapters didn't grab me, although there were...more
Celebrities get a ton of extra points from me when they not only write their own memoir, but they write it well. Russell Brand is an awesome writer. If you’ve seen his stand up, it’s not surprising, but still, it’s a treat that it translates so well to the page. His footnotes for Americans are helpful and hilarious and the entire book reads incredibly well.
Brand reconstructs his life and doesn’t gloss over any of the ugly bits. He is surrounded by chaos and creates even more. You ...more
Brand reconstructs his life and doesn’t gloss over any of the ugly bits. He is surrounded by chaos and creates even more. You ...more
I didn’t used to like Russell Brand.
There was no real, solid reason behind my unfavourable feelings towards the poor man. In fact, to be honest, I was barely aware of his presence on TV, but the little I did know of him caused me to dislike him, immensely. Occasionally I stumbled across him thrusting a wand-like microphone into the face of some z-list celebrity on Big Brother’s Big Mouth and immediately reached for the channel changer. I witnessed him dancing over pages of tabloid newspapers,...more
There was no real, solid reason behind my unfavourable feelings towards the poor man. In fact, to be honest, I was barely aware of his presence on TV, but the little I did know of him caused me to dislike him, immensely. Occasionally I stumbled across him thrusting a wand-like microphone into the face of some z-list celebrity on Big Brother’s Big Mouth and immediately reached for the channel changer. I witnessed him dancing over pages of tabloid newspapers,...more
Those of you who know me well, know how much I hate giving up on things once I've started. I have finished books I hated. I have sat through movies I thought were terrible. So you might think the fact that this book merited the creation of an "unfinished" shelf would indicate that this is maybe the worst book I'd ever read.
It's not. I probably would finish it under other circumstances. But I picked this up because I thought it would be (a) funny, (b) fast-paced, and (c...more
It's not. I probably would finish it under other circumstances. But I picked this up because I thought it would be (a) funny, (b) fast-paced, and (c...more
3.5 STARS
I only just discovered the English rock star of comedians, Russell Brand, a few weeks ago when a friend of mine told me about his Live From New York City stand-up special which aired on The Comedy Network on Saturday, March 14, 2009. I caught a portion of the show near its end and was immediately transfixed by this Byronesque rapscallion! I immediately started watching his stand-up routines on YouTube as well as every interview with him that I could find and couldn’t help bu...more
I only just discovered the English rock star of comedians, Russell Brand, a few weeks ago when a friend of mine told me about his Live From New York City stand-up special which aired on The Comedy Network on Saturday, March 14, 2009. I caught a portion of the show near its end and was immediately transfixed by this Byronesque rapscallion! I immediately started watching his stand-up routines on YouTube as well as every interview with him that I could find and couldn’t help bu...more
Russell Brand is definitely a stand-out comedian. In "My Booky Wook" he recounts memories that some would brag about and others would keep covered like a kilo in a drug raid. Kudos to him for being so open and honest in a world where anyone can destroy his day, his image, or his fandom with pretty words after a simple glance at the (gorgeous, oddly sexy) cover.
I do agree with those who said it is a verbose book. He does go into stories that leave you wanting more of an endin...more
I do agree with those who said it is a verbose book. He does go into stories that leave you wanting more of an endin...more
I have been fond of the English comedian Russell Brand ever since he came into my consciousness surrounding his balls-of-steel monologue at the 2008 video music awards taking on American politics. My affection for him was cemented by his Fresh Air interview, where, upon being confronted with video evidence, he concluded “I am not a reliable witness to my own life.” “Not a reliable witness” has a hallowed place in my intellectual toolbox now.
This book is quite funny, which is slight...more
This book is quite funny, which is slight...more
I really enjoyed reading My Booky Wook for a couple of reasons. Firstly I suppose because Russell Brand is so very eccentric! Loved that, him constantly pushing his limits, even if not always in a conscious state of mind. I guess me, the reader would like to be brave enough to do that, too. (Maybe not on every occasion :) But I can't, so I choose books to live my other life, to shake off the ties of everyday normality. Dr.House's famous quote suggests something similar: 'Normal is overrated'. I ...more
"My Booky Wook" is an exploration of the hilarious tragedy that can only be described as Russell Brand's life. For those of you who have seen the movie "Get Him to the Greek", I should tell you that the character that Russell Brand plays in that movie is no different from the actual Russell Brand. This shows because almost every chapter of this memoir builds up on a destructive path that slows down at certain points only to be multiplied as Brand continues to share every deta...more
My Booky Wook is Russell Brand's memoir where he discusses moments from his childhood leading up to how he got into comedy. I wanted to read this book because I find Russell Brand to be very humorous and love his stand-up comedy. This book mainly focuses on his troubled days, where he discusses topics such as sex addiction, drug use, and depression. Although, the book was a bit challenging because it is filled with British humor and is written in a very witty way, I loved everything about it. I ...more
Memoir by the comedian/actor/TV-show host/reality-show participant/child-sex abuse survivor/bulimic/alcoholic/drug addict/sex addict. Even with the footnotes, I had a hard time understanding the Britishisms.
Dedication: "For my mum, the most important woman in my life, this book is dedicated to you. Now for God's sake don't read it."
"Toddlers can't move properly in winter coats, they're like little trussed-up Hannibal Lecters scanning the world with their ey...more
Dedication: "For my mum, the most important woman in my life, this book is dedicated to you. Now for God's sake don't read it."
"Toddlers can't move properly in winter coats, they're like little trussed-up Hannibal Lecters scanning the world with their ey...more
Hmm, I suppose because Russell Brand is a funny comedian I thought this might be funny. It isn't. Okay I know it's a self pitying, wallowing story about his life addicted to heroin and also a sex addict but you'd have thought that the 'hilarious' incidents where he disgraces himself by visiting brothels while meant to be filming TV shows etc would have been funnier. But frankly Brand does not have a way with words on paper and does not bring any of these incidents to life. This is just a rather ...more
I expected this to be a throwaway like Janice Dickinson's "autobiography," but its humor, honesty, and cleverness really surprised me.
This is a quick and easy read (I devoured it in about four hours), but it's full of lovely turns of phrase and touching bits of sentimentality--between long stretches of general and very entertaining assery. At page 23, I stopped to mention to my husband that I rarely laugh aloud at a book, but I had three times already at that point.
...more
This is a quick and easy read (I devoured it in about four hours), but it's full of lovely turns of phrase and touching bits of sentimentality--between long stretches of general and very entertaining assery. At page 23, I stopped to mention to my husband that I rarely laugh aloud at a book, but I had three times already at that point.
...more
I never watched Russell Brand's stand-up, but thought he was pretty funny in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Within two seconds of browsing the Biography shelf at my library, I saw the bright pink cover and thought any book entitled my "My Booky Wook" had to at the very least be entertaining. It was to an extent, but the shock factor of Brand's ridiculousness eventually wore off and became a bore to me. At many times it felt like reading an episode of MTV's "Jackass," which was un...more
Yeah, I know. You hate Russell Brand. You can't believe someone would walk around with hair like that, for starters. And you don't understand what's so funny about him anyway - he's just a yelly, egotistical guy with tight jeans. And what's more, these people that think he's sexy are so seriously misguided you can't believe it!
Well, yeah. I thought that too for a few seconds. But then some switch was flipped in my brain and the rest is a blur of eyeliner, back-combing and too many s...more
Well, yeah. I thought that too for a few seconds. But then some switch was flipped in my brain and the rest is a blur of eyeliner, back-combing and too many s...more
This is leagues more interesting than Danny Bonaduce's 'Random Acts of Badness' but not as good as Zsa Zsa Gabor's 'How to Catch a Man, How to Keep a Man, How to Get Rid of a Man.'
This is fairly well written and most notable for the sections where Brand details life in sex addiction rehab. If you are asking yourself 'What is that like compared to regular rehab?' you will indeed get an answer. Brand is unflinching (and nostalgic at times) about his drug use, visits to prostitutes, han...more
This is fairly well written and most notable for the sections where Brand details life in sex addiction rehab. If you are asking yourself 'What is that like compared to regular rehab?' you will indeed get an answer. Brand is unflinching (and nostalgic at times) about his drug use, visits to prostitutes, han...more
You either love or hate Russell. Said himself, "My biggest problem is that I've lived an autobiography rather than a life". I absolutely loved this from the very first page, when Russell, in sex-addict-rehab, mentions the forthcoming "thirty wankless nights". It really is written how he speaks (and I find the way he speaks very charming!), it's like an internal monologue. He has done some shocking things, but he speaks of them so casually! I laughed and laughed at least twice...more
As a very picky reader, I happen to enjoy and try to read biographies and autobiographies the most. I am more of a fan of the realistic world and what really happened oppose to fantasies of what didn’t happen realistically but could have, you know? However, I enjoyed the autobiography (known more formally as a memoir) My Booky Wook by Russell Brand because it provided a humorous twist to the traditional biography. It provided a different perspective on Russell Brand and his early normal life...more
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Russell Edward Brand is an English radio and television personality, comedian, actor, and newspaper columnist. Brand dresses in a flamboyant bohemian fashion describing himself as looking like an "S&M Willy Wonka." Brand's current style consists of black eyeliner, drainpipe jeans, Beatle bo...more
More about Russell Brand...
Russell Edward Brand is an English radio and television personality, comedian, actor, and newspaper columnist. Brand dresses in a flamboyant bohemian fashion describing himself as looking like an "S&M Willy Wonka." Brand's current style consists of black eyeliner, drainpipe jeans, Beatle bo...more
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“Even as a junkie I stayed true [to vegetarianism] - 'I shall have heroin, but I shan't have a hamburger.' What a sexy little paradox.”
—
142 people liked it
“Be led by your talent, not by your self-loathing; those other things you just have to manage.”
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