Monty Python's Flying Circus: Just The Words - Volumes 1 & 2

The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus #1 & 2

by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam

The Complete Unexpurgated Scripts of the Original TV Series (Except for the Animation Bits)

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Comedy, Drama, Tv, Plays, Film

696 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 1987

About the author

Graham Chapman was an English comedian, actor, writer, physician and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe. He was also the lead actor in their two narrative films, playing King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the title character in Monty Python's Life of Brian.

Reviews

[rabbitprincess · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Includes some screen captures from the shows. Absolutely hilarious stuff, and helpful sometimes if you can't quite figure out what people are saying. My copy is battered, dog-eared and much loved. A classic.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure anarchic genius.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great publications of the 20th century, performing a vital public service. There's nothing worse than people who go around misquoting the dead parrot or Spanish Inquisition sketches, not to mention the penguin on the telly.

Now these people have NO EXCUSE!

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have almost memorized the entire length of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I was never that conversant with the original series. Hark! Look here. What’s this? All the Words: The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus (Pantheon, 1989). Danger, danger, Will Robinson. Now I can be insufferable at parties, as I quickly memorize pertinent sections of this compendium. Now I too can say “Your Majesty is like a big jam doughnut with cream on the top,” and know that the follow-up is “like a doughnut, your arrival gives us pleasure, and your departure only makes us hungry for more.” Unfortunately, All the Words is only the TV series. You have to (and can, fortunately) buy the scripts for the movies separately. If that doesn’t satisfy your need for the python of fun, check out Kim “Howard” Johnson’s The First 20 Years of Monty Python (St. Martin’s, 1989), which supplies a wonderful biography of the group as a whole, and compliments George Perry’s earlier Life of Python (Little Brown, 1983).

[Deodand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential companion to watching the show if you're really into it. Sometimes the comedy goes by so fast that a joke can blow by without being processed by the brain, but this book helps you capture every word with complete scripts.

[yengyeng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read, re-read and memorised.

[Gen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scripts from the tv series. You'll enjoy if you're a fan, probably won't if you're not

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Monty Python, and I'm happy to have the text for specific favourite sketches - but as a whole, this was a bit of a slog to get through. And while some pieces were still laugh-out-loud, others really left me cold. It's been a terribly long time since I've watched any Python that wasn't the Holy Grail. Will have to hit Netflix and see if it's the written format that didn't work, or if this stuff simply didn't age well.

[Neil Crowle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naturally enough, if you enjoy the Python team's sense of humour, you will love this book. Way out and wacky, and full of unexpected turns.