A marginally funny cash-in book (The Log - Craig Charles)

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	The Log - Craig Charles
Date:	06/08/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: funny in places, easy to read

Disadvantages: nothing particularly original or innovative, feels slapdash

Written by Craig Charles, ie Dave Lister from the popular sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf, the Log is an unofficial companion book consisting of a humorous overview of human history by Charles with just enough allusions to Red Dwarf to get the book to sell without stirring up the BBC's lawyers. There are numerous chapters presenting Charles' mildly amusing views on many different aspects of life, including leisure, music, humour, transport, religion, fashion and dancing, and the book is also peppered with descriptions of humorous future inventions and events, recorded here as history as the book is presented as if written in the future, at around the of the opening episode of Red Dwarf, strangely enough.

Each chapter is accompanied by lots of pictures of Charles dressed in his Dave Lister costume and standing in a variety of silly poses, and there are also numerous crude line-drawings by the author throughout the book. The book also contains a number of real-life biographical anecdotes, surreal, Lister-esque recipes and a large chapter given over to advice, which consists of a series of occasionally funny, hit and miss one-liners.

Whilst marginally funny, its all very slapdash, and feels very much like it was written very quickly, which it probably was. A blatant attempt to make a few quick bucks on the back of Red Dwarf's much deserved success, The Log is a fairly entertaining light read that will keep Red Dwarf fanatics occupied for a short while at least, but there are plenty of better comedy books of its type out there and it really isn't worth paying more than a couple of quid for at best.

209 pages
Published by Penguin Books

Summary: A mediocre comedy book