My Shit Life So Far, by Frankie Boyle
02/11/2009 … Torn between buying one of the many showbusiness memoirs cramming the biography shelves of Waterstone’s this Christmas, or a joke-packed TV tie-in from the humour…
Latest Books
Reviews of books about comedy, including biographies of comedians old and new, and (occasionally) books by comedians. To have a book considered for review, send a copy to Chortle, 112 Norman Road, London, E11 4RL.
Mon 02 November 2009
Mon 19 October 2009
Saturday Night Peter
19/10/2009 … Whatever happened to Peter Kay? What happened to the subtlety that made Phoenix Nights so great, or the warmth that infused his best stand-up with such irresistible…
Thu 08 October 2009
Tickling The English by Dara O Briain
08/10/2009 … Cross a Frank Skinner-style tour diary, a Paxmanesque dissertation on the state of the English as a people and the annual output of the Bureau Of National Statistics,…
Wed 23 September 2009
Book Review: Godfrey's Ghost
23/09/2009 … It may have his Dad’s Army character name in the title, but anyone expecting this biography of Arnold Ridley to provide any insight into the much-loved sitcom…
Thu 16 July 2009
Thu 02 July 2009
A Beginner's Guide To Acting English
02/07/2009 … There really ought to be some sort of adage about this, but really you shouldn't judge the contents of a book by the design on the front alone.
Wed 24 June 2009
The Ultimate Green Room
24/06/2009 … Comedy courses might teach the wannabe comic the elementary tools of the craft, but there’s only really one way the rookie stand-up can learn exactly how this…
Mon 15 June 2009
What Can Chief Executives Learn From Stand-Up Comedians?
15/06/2009 … Given that most stand-ups couldn’t file their nails, let alone their annual accounts, you might expect this to be the shortest book in the world.