Books

Book Review: A Book For Her by Bridget Christie

March 16, 2016 by Becca Moody 2 Comments

Did you know that within the past five years BIC have launched a pen specifically designed for women? Available in a series of pretty pastel shades and shaped in such a way that ladies should find such an implement easier to hold? If that makes you feel even the tiniest bit outraged, or even just confused, Bridget Christie is here to multiply that by a thousand and use it as a tool to discuss important feminist issues that affect far too many of us everyday.

Christie’s stand up translates very easily to prose. Anyone who has seen the force that is Bridget Christie live will undoubtedly hear that distinct Gloucestershire accent as she gleefully regales anecdotes about her past experiences as a comedian and human woman. In employing her trademark, and entirely necessary, comedic hyperbole Christie is able to communicate the feelings countless people have towards serious social issues such as FGM, arranged marriage and domestic abuse, whilst remaining silly, sarcastic and entertaining to read as well as watch perform. Although the author may be quick to undermine her own hard work in sarcastically explaining that her book is comedic, not a revolutionary piece of feminist literature, I am inclined to disagree to a certain extent. A Book For Her certainly raises points of argument that have not been articulated before, or not within the comedy genre at least.

Bridget points out that many of those criticising feminism have made a mistake in assuming that this is an issue for women to solve rather than men. The heart of the matter is that feminism is needed because of the way men, regardless of how many men we are talking about here, have behaved and do still behave. However, an important issue that needs to be recognised by women in particular is that sexist attitudes and behaviours do often come from women and are directed towards women. A Book For Her is concerned with feminism that is accessible; we don’t have time for a hierarchy. Christie recognises that solving the issue therefore needs to start closer to home, stating: “In the words of Wollstonecraft, “In order for equality to take place, society must change its thinking.” Half of that society is us.”

“Not all men are oppressors and not all women are saviours. Society is made up of individuals. Some of us are shit and think shit things, and some of us are all right.”

All manner of topics are covered in this book, with autobiographical elements including joyful recounts of the Gloucestershire cheese roll and memories of being the youngest child of nine, born to strictly Catholic parents. Christie also details previous stand up shows she has taken to the Edinburgh Festival, beginning with her entry into feminist comedy, the 2010 show A Ant, and later covering the shows that have brought her most critical acclaim, the 2013 show A Bic For Her and 2014’s An Ungrateful Woman. The rationale behind Christie’s creative decisions with previous shows is explained at great length, which makes A Book For Her all the more worth reading if you happen to be a cynic of her ability or comedic range.

Although Bridget Christie speaks fundamentally as a comedian, that is after all her job and she makes it abundantly clear that that is what she got paid to write a book for, the outer layers are eventually shed and readers get a remarkable insight into the workings of a great comedy mind within the realms of normal day activities. She may be unaware of it, but the way Christie writes so effortlessly encapsulates Caitlin Moran’s quote on the front cover: “Bridget is a cool glass of sane in a world of unbearable woo-hoo.” This book isn’t really just for women. It is primarily a book for fans of decent comedy. The laughs come more frequently than the punching social commentary, but there are enough of both to satisfy a wide range of readers.

“I’d like young women to feel empowered and liberated as a result of their own decisions, actions and achievements… If the woman’s power derives from something that doesn’t involve men in any way, then she has real power.”

PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF BRIDGET CHRISTIE’S ‘A BOOK FOR HER’ FROM HER WEBSITE

Book Review: Ayoade on Ayoade

May 27, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Do you like film? Do you like consistent and unwavering sarcasm? Do you too have a “passion for rhetorical questions?” If the answers to any of those (rhetorical) questions are ‘a little’ or ‘a lot’ then you are in for a treat with Richard Ayoade’s debut novel: Ayoade on Ayoade.

My first impression from the way Ayoade writes is that he clearly has a lot of self-restraint, for he has a character to maintain. He constantly uses his fantastic humour to avoid personal confrontation, as well as his impressive knowledge of film; it feels as though there is a definite barrier between author and reader. We are assured that this book is not autobiographical, though there are definitely, and inevitably, elements of truth present in the anecdotes and opinions expressed.

However, as the narrative progresses (there is only a loose narrative, as it’s not particularly critical for this almost-Bildungsroman-style of novel), it felt as though Ayoade opened up a little, perhaps accidentally, as he seemed to become more deprecating of his own skill. With statements like: “I’d discovered a director. I’d wrestled a writer. I’d acknowledged a ‘writer'”, it’s hard not to laugh out loud, but it also sends me into despair at the thought of this brilliant artist ridiculing his own achievements. I’ve always known that his comedy persona is very pedantic and silly, and this book fell consistently within that, with additional elements of surrealism and off-beat joke delivery. A peculiar quirk was that Ayoade chose to display a good portion of the text as footnotes, which made me feel sorry for those reading on an e-book.

Ayoade on Ayoade is a fantastic piece of satire that has many layers; I’ll admit that many of the references were lost on me, as I have a very limited knowledge of cinema, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the text. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this witty portrayal of the film industry as it was niche, yet still accessible as well as being very cleverly executed.

“My name is Richard Ayoade and I’m one of the least-respected actors of my generation.”

GET YOUR COPY OF ‘AYOADE ON AYOADE’ HERE

Book Review: Sane New World

January 31, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

I have an immense amount of respect for Ruby Wax, not just as a comedian, and not just because she has worked so hard throughout her life to help end the stigma on mental illness, but because she also actually does something to help those affected. Sane New World acts as an introduction to the phenomenon that is Mindfulness; it provides exercises to try as well as evidence of their effectiveness.

With clear influences of Mark Williams (a professor of psychology who wrote the most important book I’ve ever read), Wax makes it her goal to teach her readership a little more about something too few of us truly understand: our own brains, and for those who are not regular mindfulness practicers, Sane New World has the potential to be an absolute life-changer.

It is not an autobiography or memoir, nor is it a self-help book. Sane New World is a little bit of everything, a ‘manual’, and a piece of comedy in itself. Wax has brought her sharp tongue and uncompromising sense of humour to a topic that many of us don’t enjoy discussing, but she writes sensitively, with frequent references to her own experiences with depression.

“The organ that allows you to realise the world understands so little about itself”

This book teaches us that we’re all mad: our brains are still doing things that were required to keep us alive when we were cave dwellers, such as the way our focus is not wired to stay ‘in the present’ for too long because tens of thousands of years ago we needed to be able to recall past experiences and anticipate future ones to avoid getting killed. In the modern world, however, this means that we are constantly floundering as our brains are simply not wired to pay too much attention to what’s happening right now at any given time, and the problem arises from the fact that we are no longer being hunted in such a way that requires us to think ahead instead of thinking about the now.

But Ruby hasn’t aimed to make us feel bad about the fact we have such little control over own brains, but rather the opposite: Sane New World is a book that brings a positivity, a hope that we can change the way our brains work for the better. Empathetic, kind and comforting, this fantastic comic has entertained and educated us in this all-inclusive novel, which is laugh-out-loud-funny in places.

It teaches that our brains have plasticity and can change. Our brains and our minds are not the same thing. Our thoughts are not ‘us’, they are a by-product of ‘us’. All the answers are there, we just need to acknowledge them. In the year or so that I have been learning Mindfulness, my life has completely transformed and I genuinely feel like a different person.

Eg. “Researchers from Stanford University have found that mindfulness can help with social anxiety by reducing reactivity in the amygdala, an area of the brain that is typically overactive in those with anxiety problems.”

“Researchers from Toronto and Exeter in the UK recently found that learning mindfulness, while tapering off anti-depressants, was as effective as remaining on medication.”

This isn’t just a book for those studying psychology, those interested in help for sufferers of mental health issues, or seeking therapy for themselves. It is, in fact, a book for everyone: school students, people in work, people out of work, old or young. I want to assist Ruby in spreading the word about this simple technique. This is a book that I have been excited to tell all my friends about, and plan on lending it to as many that will listen to my recommendations.

“I hope if nothing else we move to a world where it’s not survival of the fittest, but survival of the wisest.”

PURCHASE RUBY WAX’S ‘SANE NEW WORLD’ HERE, AND ‘MINDFULNESS’ BY MARK WILLIAMS AND DANNY PENMAN HERE.

Brenda Monk Is Funny

October 18, 2014 by Becca Moody 2 Comments

They say write about what you know, and that is certainly what comedian and writer Katy Brand has done in her debut novel Brenda Monk Is Funny.

It is refreshing to be told about the inner workings of the comedy industry in the form of something other than a stroppy article or bitter passing comment. In today’s world it seems like a large majority of people get their information from such sources, which is understandable, and don’t feel the need to find out what a different person on the inside might have to say due to the effort it might take to find the information. Katy Brand, however, has made it easy for us, so we really have no excuse for being ignorant.

Brenda Monk is the girlfriend of successful and entirely intolerable circuit comic, Jonathan Cape. She loves comedy, but Jonathan is the one with a career in the industry and she has always accepted that. However, this is a time of change for Brenda as she begins to question things she has never thought about before: could she cut it as a stand up comedian?

Brand has effortlessly cumulated her skilful storytelling with her in depth knowledge of the comedy industry to great effect. She has fairly and honestly represented the highs and lows of being a stand-up comic as far as I can understand, whilst also scratching the surface of more controversial topics such as the role of women in comedy and the different ‘classes’ (for want of a better word) within the industry.

“People who come here are grown ups. If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t come. Or they should just go and see the big tours of the nice, safe stand-ups they know they already like and will never say anything that will challenge anything they already think and feel.”

On a personal level, I found this book to be very relatable and even reassuring as a result of Brand’s dealing with the nitty gritty aspects of what being a comedian entails. As well as being interesting, this story is also very endearing and the development of Brenda’s character has been dealt with fluently and sensitively, whilst being sufficiently informative and therefore a useful read.

And there is still benefit to be gained for those who don’t share my interest in stand up comedy. Brenda Monk is Funny gives a powerful message to its readership, one of striving to achieve an end goal.

“and thought, “I could say anything I want to. I could say anything I want to.” She was reeling from that one moment alone. The rest was just a matter of writing some jokes.”

PURCHASE ‘BRENDA MONK IS FUNNY’ ON AMAZON NOW

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH KATY BRAND

Stand & Deliver

September 17, 2014 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

In June 2014, a proposed magazine finally became a confirmed project as Stand & Deliver’s KickStarter campaign proved to be a huge success. Enough people (including myself) had pledged a donation towards the printing of the magazine’s first edition so the making and distributing of this beautiful product could get underway.

Stand & Deliver aims to fill the gap in the market for the comedy nerds of the world. It combines comedy, journalism, art and photography into one stunning package and I’m sure (well, I hope) that that is an exciting prospect for any reader of this site. One of the main reasons I supported this project was because the sheer amount of care, love and passion gone into it was painfully apparent. Seeing another person’s passion for what is most important to them in life will always, in turn, spark interest from me: I’m a big fan of hard work and effort.

A page dedicated to all of Stand & Deliver’s supporters

As well as this, the magazine promises contributions from many of my favourite comedians and artists including Tony Law and Dave Brown in the first edition. I even spotted an article from last month’s Comedian Of The Month, Gavin Webster. That article in particular was of great interest to me, and really summed up what Stand & Deliver Magazine seems to be about: doing things for the love of doing them, namely: for the love of comedy.

Not only is the content of Stand & Deliver magazine made with care and innovation, the physicality of it is also of magnificent quality. The paper is strong and there’s so much of it that it’s more of a book than a magazine, and who doesn’t love a good book? Having read the first edition from cover to cover, I have already learned so much about obscure things like foreign comedy circuits, opinions on hecklers and my favourite: the Machynlleth Comedy Festival.

And finally, I would like to applaud the people at Stand & Deliver for their insanely hard work and can’t wait for next month’s copy to arrive! You can pick up your copy of the magazine here.

Gus The Fox Scrap Book

August 7, 2014 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

A few months ago, Rachel Van Zyl and Alecia Steele from Noel’s Fieldmice sent me a copy of the Gus The Fox Scrap Book, the debut book from the Twitter sensation (you guessed it) Gus The Fox.

The foul-mouthed pest gained a lot of his following from his beautiful Twitter-relationship with Noel Fielding who regularly retweets his material. This is how I found the hilarious character. To show his appreciation of Gus’ work, Noel wrote the foreword to the book which is as insane as could be expected from the comedian. A couple of Gus’ tweets are posted below, and I intentionally picked ones with no swearing, though I actually find these funnier anyway. I’d encourage you to follow him if you want to have your feed broken up by a little bit of madness every now and then.

Gus’ book is refreshingly horrible, with frequent celebrity references and surreal anecdotes. The layout is original, well thought out and varied which makes it easy reading and a piece of art in itself, despite the horrific subject matter. In fact, in places, the content actually made me feel quite sad: amongst the laughs, this book is actually very depressing; Gus The Fox doesn’t have the best life.

This book clearly took a great deal of work from writer Matt Haydock and artist Nick Reyniers, and I fully recommend you purchase the book for yourselves. Again, thanks to the girls at Noel’s Fieldmice for sending me my own copy!