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Call Me Russell
Up-close, personal, and yes, funny— this is the must-have celebrity memoir of the year.
This candid, first-person memoir chronicles Russell's life from his humble beginnings in suburbia as a scrawny, brown, bullied kid with ADD all the way to his remarkable rise as one of the world's top-earning comics. This is a shockingly honest book filled with poignant memories of his f...more
This candid, first-person memoir chronicles Russell's life from his humble beginnings in suburbia as a scrawny, brown, bullied kid with ADD all the way to his remarkable rise as one of the world's top-earning comics. This is a shockingly honest book filled with poignant memories of his f...more
Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
October 26th 2010
by Doubleday Canada
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I have been a fan of Mr. Peters’ since I first heard his “Somebody gonna get a hurt” routine. Add to that the fact that he is proudly Canadian and my curiosity got the better of me. This book is filled with his trademark humour as well as some of his well-known lines from his stand-up routines. The humour is definitely expected, but the book also tells some heartbreaking stories of what is was like growing up “brown” in a predominantly white neighbourhood, the trials of being first generation Ca...more
I love a good Canadian success story...and I love to read inspiring biographies of those who started with a dream, and didn't quit until that dream was fulfilled. The biography of Canadian comedian Russell Peters, "Call Me Russell" (2010) fulfilled both of these interests, with an easy read and a familiar tale.
I miss having a good laugh, sometimes. And not the every day chuckle, giggle with friends, or sitcom humour. I miss like real hearty, eyes-watering, can't-breathe type of laughter. The typ...more
I miss having a good laugh, sometimes. And not the every day chuckle, giggle with friends, or sitcom humour. I miss like real hearty, eyes-watering, can't-breathe type of laughter. The typ...more
Reason for Reading: I don't usually read current celebrity's (who are in the prime of their careers) memoirs but Russell Peters is a bit different. I think he's the best Canadian stand-up comic out there; and he is 100% Canadian born and bred but if you've never heard of him and notice the book cover there you'll notice he is also Indian. His humour is based on race and I thought his story would be interesting.
Russell Peters memoir didn't disappoint my expectations. Some may be expecting a funny...more
Russell Peters memoir didn't disappoint my expectations. Some may be expecting a funny...more
Peters' life is much more interesting than I would have thought. It was also personally interesting because he grew up near me in the N section of Brampton about the same time I lived in the G section of Brampton so a lot of the schools and buildings he mentions in the book are known to me.
I think the book started strong and then kind of deteriorated a bit. It seemed to me that he was pretty careful with swearing in the beginning and then after a few chapters the F-bomb was dropped everywhere. I...more
I think the book started strong and then kind of deteriorated a bit. It seemed to me that he was pretty careful with swearing in the beginning and then after a few chapters the F-bomb was dropped everywhere. I...more
Call me Russell started out great. I enjoyed the recollections of life at home in Brampton, his relationship with his family, but it seems like when he hit the big time, he turned into a jerk. A bragging, arrrogant jerk, that is.
I yawned my way through his accounts of his sexual exploits, was disturbed by all the people around him who murdered and were murdered. The language in this book was also full of expletives, and the part of him being ADD was pretty glossed over. It was more about, look a...more
This book was a lot more sincere and serious than I first expected, so if you're expecting a book full of more material, this isn't it. Actually, if you've ever seen the CBC special on Russell Peters, this is a lot like that. Some of the same stories that he mentioned in the special appear in the book, but in greater detail. He also goes into a lot more detail about his father's illness and death and how that affected him. Other parts are less serious, and more in the style of "these are the cra...more
Firstly, I need to say that I love his comedy, however his book leaves something to be desired. I did enjoy reading it for the most part but it left me feeling disappointed. I really want to believe him when he says that he is down to earth and still the kid from Brampton, however his bragging about his sex life, cars, homes and money says otherwise. I don't know that most people would be any different
If they achieved the same level of success that he has, so who is he trying to convince? He is...more
If they achieved the same level of success that he has, so who is he trying to convince? He is...more
The publisher claims this book is "... a shockingly honest book filled with poignant memories of his family, his life and his career."
It certainly didn't read that way to me. It felt dishonest and white washed in parts, in other parts it seemed to be just lists of things like who drove him to his gigs, the murderers he knows, people who were murdered, the women he slept with, the women he cheated on...
The first part of the book, which deals mostly with his parents and his childhood, is quite goo...more
It certainly didn't read that way to me. It felt dishonest and white washed in parts, in other parts it seemed to be just lists of things like who drove him to his gigs, the murderers he knows, people who were murdered, the women he slept with, the women he cheated on...
The first part of the book, which deals mostly with his parents and his childhood, is quite goo...more
It started off with a lot of potential, but fell apart pretty fast about halfway through. I really enjoyed the discussion of his roots and explanation of Anglo-Indian culture (which I had no idea even existed), but once he began delving more into his rise to fame, things became less of a narrative, and more of a list of people he knew and things that happened. I don't really know what to rate this, as I'd recommend the first part of the book (which had me in tears at parts), but no so much the o...more
I love his comedy and watch his stand up every time it's ok tv. His book was good but not great. If you love his comedy the book gives you a look into his life. I don't normally read books about celebrities but how much I enjoy him I thought I would give it a try. It was nice to hear stories about where his act comes from. People are upset that the whole book isn't hilarious but it's real. It does get repetitive but at the end I found it enjoyable. But not a must read again
Russell Peters is an Anglo Indian comedian from Brampton (about a half hour from Toronto).
Gord and I think he's hilarious and saw him in June 2007 when he sold out a couple nights at the Air Canada Centre.
So that's why I wanted to read his autobiography. It was very honest about how close he was to his dad (who died in 2004), the women in his life (though he got married in July 2010) and how he's made it to where he is today.
It's a good read if you are a fan!
Gord and I think he's hilarious and saw him in June 2007 when he sold out a couple nights at the Air Canada Centre.
So that's why I wanted to read his autobiography. It was very honest about how close he was to his dad (who died in 2004), the women in his life (though he got married in July 2010) and how he's made it to where he is today.
It's a good read if you are a fan!
Russell Peters is my favourite comedian but I did not expect his book to get on the various emotional levels that it did. Gave me a bigger appreciation for him as a person. When it comes to women he was a dick but he's got a fiancee right now so good luck to her. It was nice to see that even though he is completely hilarious he relates most things back to his family which are the most important thing to him. Ohhhhh Russell!
From an entertainment perspective, it wasn't as funny as I had expected from a comedian. Russell states that he has ADD and it's reflected in his writing and I appreciated hearing it come straight from the horse's mouth, because I had a difficult time following his train of thought sometimes. Despite all this, I really appreciated reading about Russell's rise to fame, his strong attachment to family and his experience growing up in an immigrant family in Brampton, Ontario. It is always fun to re...more
I am a Russell Peters fan so I wanted to read the book. Its interesting, pretty informative actually. He is an Anglo Indian and described who the Anglo Indians are and what kind of lifestyle they have.
I specially liked the parts where he talked about his school days, the racism and bullying he had to face and how he dealt with it.
It a comparatively small book and I would recommend it if you like the guy.
I specially liked the parts where he talked about his school days, the racism and bullying he had to face and how he dealt with it.
It a comparatively small book and I would recommend it if you like the guy.
Interesting to read about an ethnic kid, who grew up in a part of Canada I'm familiar with and had a rough time in school that I can identify with, making good as an internationally renowned comedian. Good for him! I enjoy some of Peters' humour, but find other parts a little too crude for my tastes. And while I appreciate his candor in this book, Peters' descriptions of his lifestyle make me thankful for the life I have.
I'll give this two stars based on the fact I enjoyed reading about his family and Anglo-Indians in general. This book was allllll over the place. And some of the information really could have been cut out, it felt like a lot of filler material. I do find RP funny, but the last show I saw (A Christmas special) was really painful to watch. He seemed a bit full of himself and that same attitude was present in the writing as well, towards the end of the book.
If you like Russell Peters now, you will LOVE him after you read his book. We see where he started, and where he is now. Russell struggled much like everyone else in his younger years. The part that hit me the most was the parts about his Father. I had to stop a few times to wipe my tears away. I am not kidding I was sobbing. Very touching, very funny, and I highly recommend Call Me Russell.
Of course had some out loud laughs with this read. He is a very funny man. This book is a few years old - there were maaaannny pages dedicated to the number, kind, and format of woman the man bedded over the years. My preference would have been to read more about his inspiration for comedy and about his unique brilliance. Guess it was the wrong book for me to read.
Well, I love him as a stand-up comedian, but definitely not as an author. Mostly, it has to do with his lifestyle or should I say, love life. Somehow, I feel knowing too much about one person might not necessary be a good thing. Distance makes everything seem better. But, I still love his jokes...
i liked the first part of it where he talks about his parents and his youth. he spends a lot of time talking about his late father. i was still left curious about his mother though.
later it gets less personal and the names sort of blur by. probably how the yrs blurred by for him i guess? anyways somebody curious about trying to make it in the industry might find those touring and dvd and sitcom attempts details more interesting.
later it gets less personal and the names sort of blur by. probably how the yrs blurred by for him i guess? anyways somebody curious about trying to make it in the industry might find those touring and dvd and sitcom attempts details more interesting.
Now I know why his name isn't very ethnic sounding!...I love his comedy and think he's hilarious. His rise to fame has not been easy and he has worked very hard to get where he is today. An interesting book about his background, his family and growing up in Canada.
Unfortunately this book is repetitive, not particularly interesting nor well written. Russell Peters will always have some of the best jokes ever though and contrary to his belief, they don't get old...maybe because they continue to be true.
Amazing book!!! I loved it. I laughed, cried, and got bored but this book was excellent. The only biography I have ever read and probably the only one I will ever read. FANTASTIC. Now only if he would come to my hometowb and I could buy tickets.
The sentimentality and realness when talking about his family and roots was touching the rest was badly written and uninteresting.
Disappointing for sure. It was good to get some background on the man in the opening chapters. But after that he jumped around in non-sequential order and spoke about who he slept with etc with no real moral conscience.
This is the disconnected rant of a 30-something dude who has too much money, too much ego, a fair amount of talent and ADD...it went in all directions and in the end I conclude that he should never have written it. Nothing has happened to him yet! For God's sake, he is a 30 something and hasn't really lived yet. Waaaaaayyy too soon for an autobiography. You're cute Russell but not enough substance for a book yet.
Was an ok read. A little disappointing though, thought it would be funnier.
3 1/2 stars.
okay read overall, but less than i expected from mr. peters.
okay read overall, but less than i expected from mr. peters.
funny and a great story about how hard work can pay off
Big fan, was surprised with his story. Excellent read!
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Jan 04, 2012 07:07pm