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These Things Happen
by
junk·y (jung'ke)
n. pl. junk·ies Slang
1. A narcotics addict, especially one using heroin
2. One who has an insatiable interest or devotion
co·me·di·an
(k?-me'de-?n) n.
1. Professional entertainer who tells jokes or performs other comic acts
2. An actor/writer in comedy
3. A person who amuses or tries to be amusing; a clown
For 25 years Greg Fleet has been one of Australia's most w ...more
n. pl. junk·ies Slang
1. A narcotics addict, especially one using heroin
2. One who has an insatiable interest or devotion
co·me·di·an
(k?-me'de-?n) n.
1. Professional entertainer who tells jokes or performs other comic acts
2. An actor/writer in comedy
3. A person who amuses or tries to be amusing; a clown
For 25 years Greg Fleet has been one of Australia's most w ...more
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Paperback, 352 pages
Published
September 1st 2015
by Macmillan Australia
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Start your review of These Things Happen
Aug 25, 2015
Anna Scott
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
b2015,
owned,
belongs-to-anna,
australian,
humour-and-satire,
biography,
pp-300-399,
pub-2010s
This book has left me a little shell-shocked, if I'm being honest. I've called books "hard to put down" before, but the hardest moment to put this one down came right after I'd finished it. I was there, holding the book tightly, because I felt like I needed to hug someone and the book was the closest and only option at 4am in the morning. What a deep, dark, honest, personal journey.
I mean, don't get me wrong, it's written by a comedian, it's still a damn funny book. I think I woke the neighbour ...more
I mean, don't get me wrong, it's written by a comedian, it's still a damn funny book. I think I woke the neighbour ...more
This is a great read. I'd say 'addictive', but I might seem like kind of a prick.
It was hilarious and heartfelt. I read it on a plane next to my boss, and their were moments I had to stop because shedding a tear would have been looked down on. I'm a sucker for stuff about kids though. While I was able to not cry, the stranger on the other side of me thought I was mental when I did a literal spit-take laughing. There were a few awkwardly loud laughs.
At its very best you can hear Fleet's voice th ...more
It was hilarious and heartfelt. I read it on a plane next to my boss, and their were moments I had to stop because shedding a tear would have been looked down on. I'm a sucker for stuff about kids though. While I was able to not cry, the stranger on the other side of me thought I was mental when I did a literal spit-take laughing. There were a few awkwardly loud laughs.
At its very best you can hear Fleet's voice th ...more
This book made me feel. A lot. This book made me feel a lot of things. Most often, it made me feel like laughing. So I laughed. Less frequently it made me feel an uncontrollable urge to shake my head in horror. Never mind that I was in public, I shook my head in horror.
What I find most redeeming about Fleet's autobiography is that he never once tries to deflect or deny any responsibility for his actions. Addiction may be the cause of his awful behaviour but he doesn't use it as an excuse. Instea ...more
What I find most redeeming about Fleet's autobiography is that he never once tries to deflect or deny any responsibility for his actions. Addiction may be the cause of his awful behaviour but he doesn't use it as an excuse. Instea ...more
Final rating 3.5/5
This book was funny and sad. Fleet manages to blend the two seamlessly, creating a well rounded recap of his life. There were a lot of moments in which I felt the story dragged. There were also some bits I felt were unnecessary page fillers. A bit more editing would have made this bio more effective. The story of a 30 year heroin addiction is confronting at times and I felt that when the story veered off course it lost its impact. I did laugh out loud a lot while reading this! ...more
This book was funny and sad. Fleet manages to blend the two seamlessly, creating a well rounded recap of his life. There were a lot of moments in which I felt the story dragged. There were also some bits I felt were unnecessary page fillers. A bit more editing would have made this bio more effective. The story of a 30 year heroin addiction is confronting at times and I felt that when the story veered off course it lost its impact. I did laugh out loud a lot while reading this! ...more
There seems to be a growing misconception that being a semi famous ex junky gives you the right to publish a book.
I liked this - mainly because I like Greg Fleet after seeing him do a stand up routine on TV years ago. The routine was very funny but poignant as well. The book, which is mainly about his heroin addiction, and his efforts to put that addiction behind him, is not so funny. Rather, it is quite gruelling and has a slight confessional tone. That said, there are some funny stories and I bet I'm not the only one who is now walking around singing "pushed off, pushed off or stabbed off" to the I dream
...more
I can’t recall exactly which shows i have seen Greg Fleet perform on but i have watched him either perform standup or appear in Australian Comedy shows over the years. His memoir came to my attention after reading the prettiest horse in the glue factory. I had no idea until then that Greg was/is a heroin addict and has been for 30 odd years.
His memoir is a car crash from which i could not look away. Greg has spent much of his life abusing all manner of drugs at times whilst simultaneously worki ...more
His memoir is a car crash from which i could not look away. Greg has spent much of his life abusing all manner of drugs at times whilst simultaneously worki ...more
A very raw and honest memoir of an addicts life.. one that I’m sure was painfully confronting (to say the least) to put into words.
I kind of remember Greg Fleet from his days as a regular on "Full Frontal" and some of his stand-up - and I was quite surprised when I saw a recording of his show "13 Years in a Long Sleeved Shirt" when he seemed to be very candid about his (seemingly then past) hard drug habit.
I wasn't really sure about reading his memoir - I wanted to know what had finally got him the help he needed, and I felt reading it from a comedian's perspective it would be easier reading than some memoirs about this top ...more
I wasn't really sure about reading his memoir - I wanted to know what had finally got him the help he needed, and I felt reading it from a comedian's perspective it would be easier reading than some memoirs about this top ...more
Aug 25, 2015
Reuben
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Anyone considering taking up Heroin
Recommended to Reuben by:
Anna Scott
These Things Happen reads as a collection of bite-sized vignettes from the life of Greg Fleet. Pulling thoughts, scenes and stories from early childhood right up until the moment of writing, Fleety tells a story of a life propelled by relationships, comedy, and, most especially, drugs.
As a first-hand account of a life of addiction, it's raw and honest. Some of the stories are unbelievable, some you just can't believe he's telling you. He shares the best and funniest times on drugs, just as candi ...more
As a first-hand account of a life of addiction, it's raw and honest. Some of the stories are unbelievable, some you just can't believe he's telling you. He shares the best and funniest times on drugs, just as candi ...more
Self indulgent ramblings of a B grade Australian celebrity recently ex- heroin addict.
Greg Fleet has convinced himself that he is free of the drug habit... I doubt it.
Filled with anecdotes that at times have Fleety as the unlikely hero of outlandish drug fuelled escapades and other times have him as the butt of the jokes. By the end of the book I really didn't give a shit if he was free of the drug habit or not. I used to quite like him now I think he's a massive wanker. Heaps of namedropping o ...more
Greg Fleet has convinced himself that he is free of the drug habit... I doubt it.
Filled with anecdotes that at times have Fleety as the unlikely hero of outlandish drug fuelled escapades and other times have him as the butt of the jokes. By the end of the book I really didn't give a shit if he was free of the drug habit or not. I used to quite like him now I think he's a massive wanker. Heaps of namedropping o ...more
I wasted $11 buying this book and then a number of hours reading it ... These things happen.
To be fair the first half kept me reading (and I did laugh a few times) but from the 50% mark I just wanted it to be over. Whole chapters were a drug fuelled waste of download space - how the publisher let the stoned chapter through I'll never understand. Lost me completely by 75% ... I don't even care enough to skim through to see if he kicked the H habit.
Your editors let you down Fleety.
To be fair the first half kept me reading (and I did laugh a few times) but from the 50% mark I just wanted it to be over. Whole chapters were a drug fuelled waste of download space - how the publisher let the stoned chapter through I'll never understand. Lost me completely by 75% ... I don't even care enough to skim through to see if he kicked the H habit.
Your editors let you down Fleety.
Hilarious and absolutely petrifying at the same time.
Here's a first. A book written as therapy. Aussie comedian and actor, Greg Fleet, is a heroin addict. He wrote this book in an apparently successful attempt to finally get clean. The book is roughly chronological, frequently laugh-out-loud funny, desperately raw, unflinchingly honest and littered (right word) with bad stories embellished with bad language. It's a treatise on drugs and the world of comedy, containing all you need to know about how to score, shoot up, lie with self-deluding impuni
...more
Holy. Shit. I think those two words are the closest I can come to describing this book. Memoirs are very hit and miss for me. This one was a hit. A huge, giant, mess of a hit.
I laughed and I cried (sometimes simultaneously). I left the book feeling a million different things.
The thing that hit me the hardest was how relatable his drug addiction is. I think a lot of non-addicts don't really get it. They don't get how you can throw away your entire life - wife, child, friends - for a drug. But I t ...more
I laughed and I cried (sometimes simultaneously). I left the book feeling a million different things.
The thing that hit me the hardest was how relatable his drug addiction is. I think a lot of non-addicts don't really get it. They don't get how you can throw away your entire life - wife, child, friends - for a drug. But I t ...more
Heartfelt and raw storytelling
I felt like I was having a conversation, albeit a one sided conversation (something I don't normally enjoy) however, I felt like I was truly being told Greg Fleet's story by the man himself. You might say, "well duh, he wrote it". But some autobiographies tend to feel very produced and polished. This harrowing story and often amusing side stories were told with a raw flair and refreshing honesty. Thank You for the insights into your years of hell, for not sugar coa ...more
I felt like I was having a conversation, albeit a one sided conversation (something I don't normally enjoy) however, I felt like I was truly being told Greg Fleet's story by the man himself. You might say, "well duh, he wrote it". But some autobiographies tend to feel very produced and polished. This harrowing story and often amusing side stories were told with a raw flair and refreshing honesty. Thank You for the insights into your years of hell, for not sugar coa ...more
A brutal and honest discussion of addiction from an actor-comedian-writer.
He certainly doesn’t seem to be trying too hard to convince us what a good guy he is (quite the opposite). Some of the drug use, and the behaviour that went with it was deeply disturbing.
Some of the humour is outstanding.
My only criticisms:
1) Meanders a bit in the middle chapters.
2) Psychologically, I felt drained at the end.
He certainly doesn’t seem to be trying too hard to convince us what a good guy he is (quite the opposite). Some of the drug use, and the behaviour that went with it was deeply disturbing.
Some of the humour is outstanding.
My only criticisms:
1) Meanders a bit in the middle chapters.
2) Psychologically, I felt drained at the end.
Long road back
Great book. So raw and real. Really gives an insight into the terrible hold a drug addiction can have. Hard to believe he used and survived for 30 years. A very detailed story and scary as I can now imagine the early days of using a drug like heroin must be awesome...but I never want to find out.
I hope he is still clean and I’m looking forward to reading his new book “The Good Son”.
Great book. So raw and real. Really gives an insight into the terrible hold a drug addiction can have. Hard to believe he used and survived for 30 years. A very detailed story and scary as I can now imagine the early days of using a drug like heroin must be awesome...but I never want to find out.
I hope he is still clean and I’m looking forward to reading his new book “The Good Son”.
This would have been enjoyable enough as a comedy show but missed the mark for me as a memoir - mostly readable and funny at times, but meandering and lacking in substance, considering that, at least in theory, Fleet has a pretty interesting backstory.
I had heard so many good reports on this book but I was disappointed. The author rambles on a lot but it is funny some times
I loved this book
Started as an interesting read then began to meander and ramble. Felt as if the editor had given up at 75% mark.
All through Greg Fleet’s memoir, the title is repeated like a mantra. Narrowly avoid being stabbed and mugged in a dank Edinburgh alley while trying to score heroin, after being recognised as an actor from Neighbours? These things happen. Willingly engage in an enthusiastic, one-off homosexual encounter with a friend while both under the influence of ecstasy? These things happen. Yell so loud and for so long at hitting a baby in a snowboarding video game that a concerned neighbour knocks on the
...more
These things happen is a gripping story, chronicling the extraordinary trials and tribulations of comedy legend Greg Fleet. Whilst being adored by comedy fans for his stand up material, Fleety's personal life was not all fun and games. Infinitely talented, much of his life can be defined by the pursuit of an addiction.
For over 30 years Greg fought an uphill battle with heroin, leading him into some extremely dark places and shattering the lives of all those around him. His book looks directly a ...more
For over 30 years Greg fought an uphill battle with heroin, leading him into some extremely dark places and shattering the lives of all those around him. His book looks directly a ...more
Greg Fleet you took me on a roller coaster! One minute laughing next minute shocker & horrified. Thanks for sharing your journey.
...more
ONE STAR
TRIGGER WARNINGS: substance use (various, but including intravenous), domestic violence (some from the author), homophobia (from the author), racism, ableism (from the author)
A particularly not funny book. Not just because of the above. It's just not that funny. An amusing opening and that's it. The book also gets more boring and offensive as it goes, the author having seemingly used up his best material in the early parts of this short book. The author also seems to enjoy the act of "pu ...more
TRIGGER WARNINGS: substance use (various, but including intravenous), domestic violence (some from the author), homophobia (from the author), racism, ableism (from the author)
A particularly not funny book. Not just because of the above. It's just not that funny. An amusing opening and that's it. The book also gets more boring and offensive as it goes, the author having seemingly used up his best material in the early parts of this short book. The author also seems to enjoy the act of "pu ...more
As one of Australia’s finest and longest-serving comedians, Greg Fleet delivers his autobiography in the way that I imagine seems most natural to him. It’s told as a comedian might tell a story on stage, or a particularly hilarious mate might tell one at the pub; it’s up and down, goes off on tangents, is relatively unstructured, and (of course) punctuated with humour. It totally worked for me- I found the short chapters (usually presented as a brief anecdote or reflection) punchy and fun, with
...more
If nothing else, Greg Fleet certainly is a junky. A hardcore one too. He puffs, drinks, injects, smokes and ingests just about anything! Funny guy, but a real painful upbringing (what happens to his father, or what his father actually does, is mindblowing) and a torturous life. He seems completely self-destructive and headonistic, unable to drag himself away from the edge.
Having said that, he never seems to feel sorry for himself, and some of his escapades are funny enough. He's far funnier on ...more
Having said that, he never seems to feel sorry for himself, and some of his escapades are funny enough. He's far funnier on ...more
A ripper of a memoir from one of Australia's best known comedians. His ongoing battle with heroin addiction is unforgivingly raw and brutally honest, laced with moments of laugh out laughter. Having read a spate of memoirs lately, Fleet really stands out in his ability to take you into his world and his (often drug-addled) mind with such vivid detail. And unlike so many American comedian memoirs, he doesn't soap-box cringeworthy self-help lessons. This is just typical Aussie self-deprecation, cr
...more
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