NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "John Cleese's memoir is just about
everything one would expect of its author--smart, thoughtful,
provocative and above all funny. . . . A picture, if you will, of the
artist as a young man."--The Washington Post
The legendary writer and performer of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers
fame takes readers on a grand tour of his ascent in the entertainment
world
John Cleese's huge comedic influence has stretched across generations;
his sharp irreverent eye and the unique brand of physical comedy he
perfected now seem written into comedy's DNA. In this rollicking memoir,
Cleese recalls his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town, his early
comedic days at Cambridge University (with future Python partner Graham
Chapman), and the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would
propel him to worldwide renown.
Cleese was just days away from graduating Cambridge and setting off on a
law career when he was visited by two BBC executives, who offered him a
job writing comedy for radio. That fateful moment--and a
near-simultaneous offer to take his university humor revue to London's
famed West End--propelled him down a different path, cutting his teeth
writing for stars like David Frost and Peter Sellers, and eventually
joining the five other Pythons to pioneer a new kind of comedy that
prized invention, silliness, and absurdity. Along the way, he found his
first true love with the actress Connie Booth and transformed himself
from a reluctant performer to a world class actor and back again.
Twisting and turning through surprising stories and hilarious
digressions--with some brief pauses along the way that comprise a
fascinating primer on what's funny and why--this story of a young man's
journey to the pinnacle of comedy is a masterly performance by a master
performer.
