Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography

by Eric Idle

We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python - from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie, and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends. With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, and many more, as well as the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart. In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brian (the film which he originally gave the irreverent title Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory) and that has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humor that has delighted audiences for five decades. The year 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric is marking the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind-the-scenes stories from a high-flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Humor, Memoir, Audiobook, Autobiography, Comedy

290 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2018

About the author

Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author and composer of comedic songs. He wrote and performed as a member of the internationally renowned British comedy group Monty Python.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t read many celebrity memoirs, but it only takes a few to recognize patterns. Please see if my observations match your own experiences. I’ll use Eric Idle’s recent book to drive the points home.

Have a reason to write one

The first, and only truly difficult step, is to become famous. I’m not talking about the clichéd 15 minutes of fame here. That may be good for couch time on Good Morning America, but not a full length book. I think the bar for celebrity renown probably needs to be set high enough to appear on Saturday Night Live. Short of that, sales would be meager. Note that I’m excluding politicians and other infamous figures in this analysis since their memoirs are of a different sort. Of course, Eric Idle is a pretty recognizable name, at least among those old enough to know Monty Python. And he did host SNL several times.

Establish humble beginnings and hardships to overcome

Idle had little trouble painting a dire picture of his early life. His father beat the odds as a tail gunner in the Royal Air Force only to die in an accident hitchhiking home for Christmas in ‘45. Eric was two. Then his student years were spent in boarding school – evidently a glum affair even for a clever and popular lad.

Belabor successes and justifications for them

Combine wit and Oxbridge sensibilities with mod England's penchant for sketch comedy, then mix in a bit of serendipity and out pops Monty Python. It was entertaining to hear about the formative years, though the details may have gone too far at times for my taste. Even so, this was a meaty part of the book for good reason. The original show and the many offshoots that followed (Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Meaning of Life, Spamalot, and countless others) really did amount to a lot.

Drop names

In Idle’s case, he dropped plenty. Among them: Robert Altman, Dan Aykroyd, Hank Azaria, Jeff Beck, Ed Begley, David Bowie, Russell Brand, Mel Brooks, Pierce Brosnan, Prince Charles, Chevy Chase, Eric Clapton, Robbie Coltrane, Billy Connolly, Steve Coogan, Peter Cook, Alice Cooper, Tim Curry, Judi Dench, Shelly Duvall, Bob Dylan, Queen Elizabeth, Marty Feldman, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, David Frost, Stephen Fry, Art Garfunkel, Jerry Hall, Tom Hanks, George Harrison, Stephen Hawking, Christopher Hitchens, Angelica Huston, Billy Idol, Iman, Eddie Izzard, Bianca Jagger, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Andy Kaufman, John Lennon, Gary Lineker, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney, Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Keith Moon, Mike Nichols, Yoko Ono, David Hyde Pierce, Gilda Radner, Smokey Robinson, Linda Ronstadt, Salman Rushdie, Peter Sellers, Garry Shandling, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Tracey Ullman, Andy Warhol, Roger Waters, Robin Williams, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Had he studied Economics rather than English at Cambridge he would have known about the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. To be fair, a few of the mini-bios were pretty fascinating. Idle was actually quite good friends (to a point of shared vacations) with Bowie, George Harrison, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Mike Nichols, Paul Simon, and Robin Williams. The details he described were often fun and affecting. I hadn’t realized that George single-handedly financed Life of Brian or that he was attacked and nearly killed at his estate in England. On the unsurprising end of the spectrum was the confirmation that Robin Williams was as manic and brilliant in real life as he was as a performer.

Titillate

I don’t know if a publisher’s mantra of “sex sells” was on auto-replay or if Eric felt a need to advertise his prowess as a committed heterosexual, but for whatever reason much of the first half was spent cataloging his conquests. As one advantage of being English, words of his like “shag” and “bum” seem playful to my American ears. Still, enough is enough. He confessed to serial cheating throughout his first marriage. By the time of his second, however, he’d settled into a more monogamous rhythm. He spoke very highly of wife #2’s character, but was also sure to include a photo of the Playboy cover that featured her backside in short shorts.

Blow your own horn with manufactured modesty

I suppose it’s only fair that someone with so many awards and accomplishments should be allowed to brag a little about them. But when he presented them repeatedly to say I’m-just-a-schlub-but-I’m-apparently-adored-by-the-entire-free-world, it became too transparent. He included many an instance where one of the dropped names was made to laugh uproariously for hours on end, or a perfect bon mot brought the house down. I chuckled often myself, but sometimes wished I could save him from his own excesses.

Settle scores; conclude neatly

Most of the people mentioned were treated to generous descriptions. Given the collective talent among the names I listed, why wouldn’t they be? There were a few cases where some agent or promoter tried to bilk him and deserved to be chastised, but those instances didn’t dominate. He also had a few choice words about the sitting US president. Even Brits are entitled to their opinions about our political landscape (as long as they’re the right ones). ;-)

The ending included a few lines about the ending we all face. I think I can sum it up like this:

When chewing on life’s gristle, don’t grumble, give a whistle. And always look on the bright side of death.

I got my copy of this at a book-signing in my hometown. It was a big event by local standards, billed as a conversation between Idle and Naperville’s own Bob Odenkirk (of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fame). It was quite an enjoyable evening. Idle, who is now 75 years old, is still razor sharp and can still deliver the laughs. I’ll remember that next time I’m chewing on life’s gristle.

3.5 stars

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed in reading this autobiography. It was 250 pages of name-dropping pretension and I came away from it with little respect for Eric Idle. He glossed over his childhood and Flying Circus in the first 30 pages and the rest of the book was comprised of summaries of parties with people we’re all supposed to have heard of. There was no self-reflection or analysis of his life. When he talked about his divorce from his first wife, after delightedly regaling his readers with stories of his unfaithfulness for chapters and chapters on end, he said he “probably” should claim “much responsibility” for end of his marriage. No hint of regret for the pain he caused his ex-wife and young son. Skip this book if you want to continue liking Eric Idle. If you’re looking for a great Python autobiography, check out “So Anyway” by John Cleese.

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born in South Shields which for me explains a lot because that makes him A Shiely Dogger.A mad jolly sod from Shields. The biggiest disappoint is that there is nothing about One Foot in The Grave , a surprise as was in it & did the theme song . It is the missing bits that let you down, he has been married 41 years but they don't sleep together but in different parts of the house, that was in Sunday Times on 2/12/18 so it is not wonderful marriage he claims here.
Eric grew up hating Christmas as his father survived WWII but On Christmas eve 1945 was killed outside Darlington.
This goes from public schools to His mad days with David Jason, Peter Cooke his life long friendship with David Bowie & Robin Williams to ending up like his Grandfather in A circus to how Look on the bright side is played at funerals
This great book my copy is is signed. Full of rare b/w Photos & collection of colour too. So If want to be a lumber jack or love spam look on the bright side nudge nudge wink wink no what I mean
The getting soaked while filming The Holy Grail, trying to sign coconuts & John Leaving to make ghastly TV series about boring Hotel manger which all thought sound ghastly.
The birth of his son to Canada this light easy to read book.
It is the things about Life of Brian That never knew that make this book good & course famous joke if ban a thing its going to go to the top, they banned Lady Chatterley, sold in paper bags, banned in 1960s Library's Charlie & the Chocolate factory with two movies on proving power of banning, the main song is popular all thanks to the Pope banning it.
We move on to his 2nd marriage to a Playboy cover girl some People are lucky, his daughter at 50 the Nuns on the Run, Wind in the Willows, the flop of Yellowbeard which I liked & arriving in America.
This gets tiny bit depressing in last part with loss of Robin Williams who killed himself but Was ill with Lewy dementia (& no I don't get what it is ) which sounds horrible no Eric does not explain it. I think you'll have to try Google it.
Always look on the Bright side of life even when the nails of life have been hammered in.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography
by Eric Idle is an Audible book I picked up from the library. I always loved The Monty Python gang and all their crazy movies. Idle takes you back to his childhood, and goes from there. It is so interesting how his tough early life leads to a life filled with good and famous friends. Through this book we also get a closer look at a lot of his close friends and associated too! It is wonderful to get to know these people so closely. Robin Williams, George Harrison, and so many more! He tells about rough times too, his mistakes, heartache,and the best of times. This is a look into the heart of this man and into the lives of many! He narrates it so it is fantastic and truly amazing!

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always a Look on the Bright Side of Life is Eric Idle's sort of autobiography. Of course, we all know him as part of the fire-breathing comedic troupe, Monty Python, famed for a long running tv show and a series of uproariously funny movies that have become a part of our culture and collective memory. At its best, this book shines when Idle's wit comes out such as talking about his childhood in the orphanage and sneaking out. That's that sly British wit for ya. Once the troupe achieved success, his life became like that of a rockstar and he constantly hung out with all the celebs. I would have liked to hear more about the creative development of the various skits and less of the hobnobbing. Surprisingly, he had a lifelong friendship with George Harrison who funded Life of Brian. Elvis was such a huge fan he apparently used to do some of the crazy voices.

Many thanks to Penguin Publishing for providing a copy for review.

[Ericka Seidemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up watching Flying Circus, and loved it, even though I was really too young to understand or decipher the accents (“Spam” notwithstanding). I’ve passed my love of Monty Python onto my kids, even visiting Doune castle to buy coconuts and recreate Holy Grail (with my daughter playing Terry Gilliam, I as Graham Chapman), like thousands of other daft tourists.

Your face will ache from smiling while reading this, and it’s chock full of name-dropping, which, TBH, is everyone’s secret shameful reason for reading a celebrity memoir (AmIRightAmIRight – NudgeNudge!) And there are lots of photos, which I appreciated. This book made me laugh out loud while I was sneak-reading at my kid’s Open House at his elementary school. Whoops.

I loved all the anecdotes of Eric hanging out with famous people, and the backstory of how many sketches came to be. I even learned about some projects of his that I was unaware of, having been unfortunately born too late (stupid 1975) and in the wrong country (stupid Yank) to encounter many of them on the BBC. I paused many times while reading to get on YouTube and catch up.

Eric’s kind heart is obvious, as shown through his endearing friendships with George Harrison and Robin Williams, not to mention all the Pythons. He’s had a rich life full of love and good friends. Laughter really does bring people together. I’d love to hang out with him sometime. I’ll even supply the booze.

If you love Python, or saw the title of this book and began to whistle, or just know him as the guy from the Figment ride at DisneyWorld, you can’t go wrong with this one. It’s entertaining, hilarious, and insightful. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Penguin First to Read for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
And through it all Idle managed to find a way to laugh, and make others laugh, too.

I don't know if you've ever tried to sign a coconut, and why would you, but it's not easy.

Idle is naturally funny and the tone is conversational and he dishes. Name dropping left and right, down right gossipy in bits, but always in good spirit. Never malicious, and I guess that's what I enjoyed so much while reading it. It made me smile, and chuckle more than a time or two. He makes the world seem smaller and some tremendously famous people more human.

Plus, you get all the funny tidbits about Monty Python.

Both Graham and John refused to run across the bridge that spans "the Gorge of Eternal Peril." To be fair, the Bridge of Death was terrifying. It was erected by Everest mountaineer Hamish McInnes and his local mountain rescue team. I for one certainly would never have crossed it, but fortunately my character Robin was killed before I had to.

And Idle speaks lovingly of some great and enduring friendships throughout the book and how losing these people diminished joy.

[K.J. Charles]

Picked up on a whim at the library. Some excellent lines and anecdotes, and a fascinating story but Jesus wept, the namedropping. Okay, if George Harrison is your best mate you're going to mention the guy, but he absolutely rolls around in the lists of famous people he was at parties with and the overall impression is unendearing.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Monty Python so I was eager to read this memoir. I really enjoyed it! Say no more, say no more, nudge, nudge!

Eric has had an incredible life and I highly recommend his memoir. He’s known so many famous people too including Robin Williams, Carrie Fisher, Mike Nichols and George Harrison. I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I did!

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

WYSIWYG –Those who are among the “illuminati” who enjoy Idle’s humor are not going to be disappointed. Those who are looking to understand him may not be satisfied and should read no further.

Is this book your pint of ale? Consider these excerpts:
Plenty of names dropped - “"Germaine (Greer) had come through the Footlights door with Clive James, and we became friends. He introduced me to his poetry and Brett Whiteley drawings, and I observed his unceasing pursuit of the female. His father, too, had not returned from the war. I found I unconsciously bonded with several people like that, including Germaine and Harry Nilsson."

Nudge, nudge – "Amazingly, at twenty-three I was a writer on this very funny show. Where I had been paid three guineas a minute to write for BBC Radio, now I wrote gags and sketches for BBC TV at ten guineas a minute. I had money in my pocket, a car, girls, and an agent: Roger Hancock, brother of the legendary British comedian Tony Hancock, who gave me this invaluable advice: Be available. And so, I was: for money, sex, and showbiz."

Trivia - "His (David Frost’s) unexpected call to John Cleese in New York asking him to be on The Frost Report secured John’s future in television, away from his mother’s ambitions to make him manager of a Weston-super-Mare Marks & Spencer. Grocery’s loss was comedy’s gain. Frostie gave all of us great jobs as writers on his new BBC TV show, for which we remained highly ungrateful.

I found the first third of the book particularly entertaining and interesting….with my interest dropping off as the book moved away from Idle’s childhood and Monty Python days. Probably the fact that most subsequent stories, though often amusing, seemed to be extra-heavy on celebrity names while I was much more interested in Eric Idle the person. (I think there still in a difference between the man and the persona.) So high marks for the first part but the 3* speaks to my disappointment with much of the rest.

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's sad when a book is used exclusively as a sleeping aid.

You could say that I am an Eric Idle fan: I've enjoyed his stint with Monty Python, including their hilarious films; as a teenager, I listened time and time again to The Rutles soundtrack and even sat behind Idle at a test run for a stage production of the same in Hollywood; and I've seen and enjoyed Spamalot on more than one occasion. But wow. This book really offered very little in the way of insight or descriptions of personal challenge. It just read like a list of successes and famous people to hang out with (hello, Mick Jagger and George Harrison!)
I admit that it is unfair of me to review the book without having read the entire thing, but it felt like hard work, and sometimes one has to let things go...

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eric Idle tells the story of his career as a comedian and a beloved member of Monty Python with the wit, grace, and humor one might expect. He offers a glimpse into his personal life, the not-always-wise choices he made, and some of his enduring relationships with a few famous (George Harrison, Robin Williams) and others who are not household names. Hard to believe that Monty Python is marking their 50 year anniversary! Humor, silliness, and laughter in the end saves us all. Fun biography.

[Rosi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description says: Funny, wit, candor. I could not find any of those things. I found George Harrison's name...plenty of times!!! IMHO this was a boring shout out that Eric Idle wrote to have people believe that he was the comic and leading force behind Python, that John Cleese was/is a moody dick and that he (Idle) knows famous people. I already knew #2 and #3. #1, well...... Just don't expect humor. I would not recommend. I could not even finish the book. Read just a little over half.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was exceptional! I have always loved the Monty Python boys, and their work, but if hard pressed I would usually declare myself a Michael Palin girl. Palin's diaries of the Python years, by the way, are a great read as well.

But I may have to rethink my loyalty now as I come to understand how much of their truly great material was written by Idle. I had thought that more of it was a join effort, but a lot of my favorites, and a good chunk of the songs, were written by Idle, including both the titular Always Look On the Bright Side of Life, as well as The Lumberjack song. He's also the genius behind one of my favorite comedies as a youth: Nuns on the Run. (If you have not seen Nuns on the Run, starring Idle and Robbie "Hagrid" Coltrane as mobsters hiding in a convent, TREAT YO SELF.)

That's not to say that he's bragging. Oh, no, he's quite matter-of-fact as he recounts how the various songs and skits came about, how he came to write Spamalot (which was also almost entirely him), and other things. He's also had the MOST INSANE LIFE in that, almost by random chance, he has become friends with some of the most astonishing people. George Harrison was his dearest friend from their meeting at the premiere of Holy Grail until George's death. Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Joni Mitchell, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, Dan Ackroyd. His memories, his anecdotes, are absolutely a who's-who of comedians, actors, and musicians! He got Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford drunk on Tunisian alcohol he discovered during the filming of Life of Brian, and they are, according to him, still visibly drunk in the scene where they arrive at Cloud City to meet Lando Calrissian! Mick Jagger called him up one year as he was about to leave for Barbados for Christmas and asked if he could come along so that the Idles could "hide" Mick and Jerry Hall, whom Mick had just seduced away from an enraged Brian Ferry!

Basically, it's everything you could want from a celebrity tell all, and yet LOVELY. I can only think of one story that is unflattering to anyone (*cough*Deeprak Chopra is a prat*cough*). Instead Idle writes with love, with kindness, with admiration, and above all with humor, about the people and events that have shaped his life. He freely admits to his own mistakes, he brushes aside his own jealousies and frustrations in favor of telling the story that will make the reader smile, laugh, and even tear up. (I have never cared one way or the other about George Harrison, but I was ugly crying at the gym over his tribute to him.)

Absolutely a must-read for comedy fans, Python fans, or just celeb bio fans!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few laughs and some unbidden whistling, a great way to kick off the New Year:
Always look on the bright side of life
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten!
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing,

When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps,
Just purse your lips and whistle -- that's the thing!
And always look on the bright side of life

[Phillip Saginario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never meet your Idle

[David Wineberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Idle doesn’t seem to know anyone who isn’t famous. Everywhere he goes or lives, the famous turn up as neighbors or partiers. If The Rolling Stones knock on the door at midnight, it’s just another night wherever the Idles happen to be. Elvis Presley a huge fan who imitates Monty Python characters in bed? Par for the course. Getting married in Lorne Michael’s midtown apartment followed by the reception at Paul Simon’s place, or living in Dan Aykroyd’s Bowery loft – just business as usual. How about having dinner with Billy Connolly and Prince Charles calls and asks if could come over and join them. George Harrison wants to pop in for the Lumberjack song. It is endless. It even seems like everyone he went to school with became a prominent celebrity. They all helped each other achieve stardom. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, indeed.

It reminds me of the Peter Cook-Dudley Moore sketch Bloody Greta Garbo. It’s too absurd to be remotely true, but that’s the life of Eric Idle. He says.

This collection of memoirs is about as positive as anything can be. Idle got break after break, got swept along to bigger and better things and was continually invited to new ventures, where he succeeded to great acclaim his first time out, be it sketch writing, film, opera, records or Broadway. Oh. And everyone adores him.

Idle loves adding adjectives before names. Everyone is amazing or wonderful, excellent or brilliant, fantastic or incomparable. The whole book is gossipy, teenage fandom style.

All the time-worn stories the other Pythons tell are here, uncontradicted. How they pitched their TV series without a script, treatment, plan or even a name. And were instantly given the go-ahead for 13 episodes. At least they had to battle the establishment: “We didn’t know what we were doing, and insisted on doing it.”

The Idles are never idle for long. Everyone is constantly inviting them to vacations in the South Pacific or the Caribbean, lending them houses in the south of France or Mustique or London or New York. David Bowie was kind and generous. So was Mick. And Robin. Most of all, George Harrison. There is not one mention of a fabulous get together at the Idle home.

As you can tell from the title, the main achievement of his was the song, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life that he wrote for Monty Pythons’ Life of Brian. It has become a part of life around the world. It is the number one piece played at funerals in the UK, for example. Sports fans sing it loud when their team is losing. What would Spamalot have been without it? It’s the Greensleeves of the 21st century.

As Idle explains early on, there is an unending shelf of books, documentaries and products keeping the Monty Python myth alive. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is certainly one of them.

David Wineberg

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many Americans in the eighties, I became aware of Monty Python in college. Having grown up in a rather humorless, economically depressed small town, we weren’t cultured enough for British humor. Eric Idle’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is a fun, but at times poignant book. C. S. Lewis once wrote somewhere that biographies are most interesting at the beginning, and I think he was correct. Idle had a somewhat tragic childhood, growing up during World War Two, in which he lost his father. His writing sweeps you in and makes you wonder what lies behind fame. Tragedy often lies behind great comedians. To be funny you often have to be sad.

Having said that, this isn’t a sad story. I knew very little about much of Idle’s fame. For me, the Pythons were a troupe and I didn’t know much about any of them individually. They always seemed funniest when together, a chemical reaction that brought lightness into a dark world. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, their earlier movie, has always been my favorite, but learning just how many famous people befriended Idle has a way of making an aspiring writer jealous. The world loves people who can make you laugh. His description of Graham Chapman’s death was heartfelt, as was his writing of non-Python’s George Harrison. Idle survives as people he knows die. Robin Williams, another fallen comrade. While reading this book new of Terry Jones’ death hit the news.

I’ve read a number of biographies and it often strikes me that those famous enough to write them met people who helped them, often early in their careers. Maybe, I reflect, that’s what makes them different. The rest of us perhaps lack the willing support of others, even if we have something to offer. I’ve been courting literary agents for about three years now with nary a date. I wonder if my writing isn’t funny enough. In any case, this name-dropping, self-effacing account is great fun. I enjoyed reading how this comedic star rose and stayed up. I appreciated especially his take-down of self-important politicians. His reflections on living in America when Trump was elected were both funny and sad. So it is with comedians’ lives. A pleasant, and sometimes poignant read awaits those who want to learn who Sir Robin really was.

[Malum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Monty Python well enough, although I am certainly not a super fan. Because of that, I didn't know quite what to expect going in to this biography. I have always felt that Idle always seems really happy and fun (as opposed to eternally grumpy John Cleese), and this biography went a long way in confirming that. He has something funny to say about almost everything. His dad died while hitchhiking home from WWII at Christmas? There is a joke for that. He got the crap kicked out of him by his teachers in school? So many laughs to be had. He had all of his things stolen while backpacking in a foreign country? Hilarity. He destroyed his first marriage by being a selfish poon hound? I'm rolling on the floor. The only thing he doesn't joke about, however, is his friend George Harrison's stabbing and later death from cancer. It was an extremely somber moment in the book and you can really feel how much Idle loved Harrison.

If I had any complaints about this sortabiography, it would be that it is way too short. The book is immensely readable and just flies by, but there are so many stories and moments from his life that I want to know more about, while he just touches on them before whisking us off to another hilarious moment in his life.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

very funny autobiography which I really enjoyed and made me laugh a lot

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read but not sure what I really learnt about the life of Eric Idle. The book is full of name dropping and witty anecdotes but lacks ant real depth to his life. There are chapters that were very good but in my opinion too much was made of his famous best friends, mentioned with every breath.

I enjoy the Monty Python team and was hoping for a more meaningful insight into Eric Idle's life so this was a little disappointing. The book left me wanting to read a book by Michael Palin or John Cleese rather than to refer to what I had just read.

Eris Idle is a very talented individual who knows a lot of famous people, but I already knew that and wanted to delve deeper.

[Philip Mills · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has some interesting vignettes and a few good lines of the, 'Take my wife please!' variety. However, it mostly consists of a seemingly endless list of the various vacations and shows in which Mr. Idle participated over his long career. There was no unifying theme, no overall narrative, save an oft stated desire to earn money. While I am a fan of his work, I am not a fan of this work.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to agree with the reviewer who said, “if you want to like Eric Idle, don’t read this book.” But then again, maybe I never did like him particularly. The Monty Python humor that I so enjoy is a collaboration, with Idle’s humor interspersed with that of John Cleese and the other members, Terry Jones’ uninhibited sight gags, and Terry Gilliam’s outrageous graphics. When Idle started off by saying he was the group outcast, since Cleese and Chapman chummed around as did Palin and Jones, I doubted it. Since Gilliam was the only American, and the only one from an art—as opposed to stage—background, Gilliam would be the logical outcast, if he chose to see it that way. But really, who cares? Whining millionaires are just irksome.

The best parts of the book are about Idle’s relationship with the other Pythons. Although he gets a bit judgmental, it is clear that he really loves his old collaborators. Or at least most of them—as happens in most groups. Idle’s difficult childhood memories are revealing, and the story of how he comes to humor in his life is thought provoking. Discourses on his many projects and productions show the breadth of Idle’s talent, and give the reader a complete list of his movies to watch.

Much of the book involves celebrity name-dropping and this gets tiresome, even as Idle admits to it. The book could have been quite a bit shorter, which would have increased its relative amount of interesting material, if Idle had worked with a collaborator to edit these name-drops. He says in the book that he’s a better rewriter than writer, and the book shows it. A few of said celebrities, notably George Harrison, were friends, and these parts of the book have real depth and show witty yet caring exchanges between the men. But, for example, who cares that Harrison introduced him to Eric Clapton once? Or a list of all the famous guys that he partied with? Interestingly, his relationship with his wife is rather glossed over, and it seems like he has more in common with his buddies. Though he mentions her several times, it’s mostly to say she’s a hot model.

If you’re an Eric Idle fan, by all means read the book—just skim over the parts that go on for too long.

[Mike Donahue · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a Python fan there are a lot of interesting tidbits. Eg. the number one requested song for funerals in the UK is Always look on the Bright Side of Life. The rest is shameless name dropping and I partied with all of these people. Absolutely devoid of any introspection. Read for entertainment only

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will start by saying that I am not the biggest fan of biographies - of any kind. Yes there are numerous ones out there and no doubt covering off some of heroes and other fascinating people but at some point or other I feel they descend in to name dropping narcissistic demonstration of why they are famous and you are not.

Now I will state here that yes there are sections of this book which do feel like that when it just becomes one long list of who who turned up out the blue and what exotic place they all got whisked off to. These are people and places I will never meet or see.

However Eric Idle came from incredibly humble beginnings and through out all of his adventures reading this book he did not lose sight of that (okay a few times I think he did but he had the sense to find his way back from them).

So in general you have a potted history of one of the Monty Python team and a creative force in his own right. I was lucky enough to see some of the milestones he mentioned in this book - (only a few mind you - he was there for them all).

So in general I enjoyed this book and learnt a lot along the way. Yes there were sections where I was worried I would lose interest but thankfully they did not last long and another chapter would open up in front of me.

I do not think I will change my opinion about biographies any time soon however I am glad I chose to make the effort with this book.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric Idle was always my favourite Python. His quick wit and way with words delighted me since I first watched any Monty Python.

His memoirs are a delight. Self deprecating in a typically English way, but refreshingly honest and upfront. He doesn't hide from his mistakes or blame others, which makes a change from a lot of other celebrity memoirs.

The book is also the history of a song. The wonderful "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" first performed in "Life of Brian". It has become the number one funeral song in the UK, and if you know the song, it's easy to understand why. When I was fighting for my own life in hospital earlier this year, some of the words almost became a mantra to me.

I encountered the song before I saw the movie. My first year in high school we had a headmaster who always started the assemblies with a piece of classical music. One day the seventh form decided to sabotage him and swapped out his chosen piece of pompous boredom for "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life". My enduring memory of this occasion is the majority of the other teachers trying not to laugh out loud. Few succeeded.

This is a gloriously delicious book. The best memoir I have read this year.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I was tending to go home what is anti-American and Trump rambling at the end really turned me off. Not that I’m defending anyone but it really wasn’t the place in this book about comedy.

I think if I was a Monty Python fan, I might’ve enjoyed it a little bit more but it was good and it was great to see the insights. I especially loved. The behind-the-scenes information on George Harrison and Robin Williams.

If you’re not a python fan – you might enjoy it. If you are I think you’ll love it!

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (audiobook) by Eric Idle read by the author. I found it interesting to see how Monty Python got started. It’s also fun to see in biographies like this which unrelated stars get pulled into the story.

[Jay Pruitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I was 33 before I realized I couldn't shag every woman in the world. Some would have to remain disappointed."

Full disclosure - I'm a huge Monty Python fan. Always have been. To a teenager, there was nothing like staying up after the parents had gone to bed in order to see half-naked women on the tube (even if they were just drawings). And while all 6 Pythons were equally funny, Eric Idle was clearly a favorite. So, listening to the audio version, as read by Eric himself, could just put me in a laughing mood. He has that dry British humor where, if you're not listening carefully, the jokes will pass you by.

Unfortunately, I wasn't paying enough attention to the title of this book, the fact that it's a "Sortabiography" - cause the book had very little to do with the goings on of Monty Python. Rather it was largely a story of Eric's life (well duh, a biography). Mind you, you can't really take the Monty Python out of the life story of Eric Idle. But I guess I was expecting a little more about the Eric I already knew (that is, Eric the Python writer and actor) and less about his friendship with George Harrison and Robin Williams.

There were very funny moments in the book. Much of what Eric says is actually quite clever and quotable. But I admit to having become exceptionally bored about half way through the book. Then the real killer for me was near the end of the book when the author decides he needs to let his readers know about his political views. Regardless of what my political position might be, I really don't need another entertainer telling me how disappointed they are that Hillary didn't win. This ending took what was already a mediocre book, and lowered it another notch. As Eric would say "nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more, say no more." Agreed, please say no more.

[Jrobertus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Monty Python. I was the original show when I lived in England and was pleased when it made it to the USA. I also loved the Holy Grail and Life of Brian movies, although I thought the Meaning of Life went over the top. I got this autobiography by Eric Idle for Christmas and looked forward to reading it, but I was pretty disappointed. The first part was interesting, about his schooling and how the Pytohon troop came together, but the story rapidly degenerated into a laundry list of how many good looking women he bedded, how many famous celebrities he knows, calls be their first names, and spent a delightful week in some exotic locale with, smoking dope and thinking creative thoughts. It was all a little repetitive, boring, and self-indulgent. In fact, I quit reading about half way through.