Surprisingly Interesting! (Frank Skinner - Frank Skinner)

Member Name: steveny

Product:	Frank Skinner - Frank Skinner
Date:	22/02/02 (64 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, Honest, Easy to read

Disadvantages: it's only a one way form of communication.

Okay so I'm not a big autobiography fan and you're probably wondering why did I read this then. Well I first started liking Frank Skinner only recently, watching his chat show. I then saw the book over christmas and had some book tokens and though well I might aswell buy it and see what he's got to say for himself, maybe pick up a few funny gags.

I was utterly amazed at the effect this book had on me. At the time I was going through a break up with my Girlfriend who I'd been with for 2 years and I was a bit confused, you know how it is. Anyway the things he explains about his life and the things he has come to realise really opened my eyes.

The book is in no set chronological order and so you don't have any parts where you need to skip chapters to get to the bit he losses his virginity to a prostitute! very graphically shocking! It is also written in a way that makes you feel like he's actually telling you about it and wants you to know, kind of building a friendship with his readers. Due to the fact he was always good at English and actually studied it at university he should be pretty good at it, and he is.

He was born and brought up in a working class environment with a poor family in a rough area. He goes on to be basically a loser drunk who hangs out in the pub all the time waiting to become good at making music. Doesn't happen and he ends up doing comedy, this eventually takes off and he has a stuttering but eventually very successful career. This rise to fame and fortune is entwined with stories of women and drinking.

I'd say that this book is very much for the blokes out there but to be honest thats just a sexist point of view, girls who read this will inevitably be shocked but also may learn one or two things about the opposite sex.

There's a part in this book where Frank talks about breaking up with his wife and his girlfriend and then explains that you cannot be friends wit
h someone after you know what their genitals look like! I came to my decision then and there I was no longer going to try and be friends with my ex. Can't happen won't happen and there's no point in pretending.

There are a few gags in the book that may be offensive and a lot of things that he says about his life are shocking but he is brutally honest and this only adds to the enjoyment. It has the occasional tear jerking moment, but who's life doesn't?

I'd definetly recomend this to most people who enjoy his comedy.

I'll leave you with a taster of one of his routines:

'I used to work as a children's entertainer and I was thinking I can't call myself Chris Collins (Franks real name!) I have to have a name that associated with kids. So I thought about noises they make and came up with "Berdum-Berdum!"

The Audience stays silent confused!

"Well you've obviously never ran one over then!"'

Happy reading!
Steven

Summary: