Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Posted on 26 August 2018 by Eric Idle

From the ingenious comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot, comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candor We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie, and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, and many , as well as the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brianthe film which he originally gave the irreverent title Jesus Christ Lust for Glory and that has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humor that has delighted audiences for five decades The year 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric is marking the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind the scenes stories from a high flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth. New Read Always Look on the Bright Side of Life By Eric Idle For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr Always a Look on the Bright Side of Life is Eric Idle s sort of autobiography Of course, we all know him as part of the fire breathing comedic troupe, Monty Python, famed for a long running tv show and a series of uproariously funny movies that have become a part of our culture and collective memory At its best, this book shin...I grew up watching Flying Circus, and loved it, even though I was really too young to understand or decipher the accents Spam notwithstanding I ve passed my love of Monty Python onto my kids, even visiting Doune castle to buy coconuts and recreate Holy Grail with my daughter playing Terry Gilliam, I as Graham Chapman , like thousands of other daft tourists Your face will ache from smiling while reading this, and it s chock full of name dropping, which, TBH, is everyone s secret shameful r I grew up watching Flying Circus, and loved it, even though I was really too young to understand or decipher the accents Spam notwithstanding I ve passed my love of Monty Python onto my kids, even visiting D...Eric Idle doesn t seem to know anyone who isn t famous Everywhere he goes or lives, the famous turn up as neighbors or partiers If The Rolling Stones knock on the door at midnight, it s just another night wherever the Idles happen to be Elvis Presley a huge fan who imitates Monty Python characters in bed Par for the course Getting married in Lorne Michael s midtown apartment followed by the reception at Paul Simon s place, or living in Dan Aykroyd s Bowery loft just business as usual How Eric Idle doesn t seem to know anyone who isn t famous Everywhere he goes or lives, the famous turn up as neighbors or partiers If The Rolling Stones knock on the door at midnight, it s just another night wherever the Idles happen to be Elvis Presley a huge fan who imitates Monty Python characters in bed Par for the course Getting married in Lorne Michael s midtown apartment followed by the reception at Paul Simon s place, or living in Dan Aykroyd s Bowery loft just business as usual How about having dinner with Billy Connolly and Prince Charles calls and asks if could come over and join them George Harrison wants to pop in for the Lumberjack song It is endless It even seems like everyone he went to school with became a prominent celebrity They all helped each other achieve stardom Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, indeed.It reminds me of the Peter Cook Dudley Moore sketch Bloody Greta Garbo It s too absurd to be remotely true...I really enjoyed this sortabiography, full of as much wit and panache as one would expect from a man who is among the living legends of comedy He avoids oversentimentality in his look back at his career while still handling certain topics with appropriate gravity Amusing and touching all at the same time and lest you think it too serious, it s an autobiography as only a Python could write, so there s plenty of silliness and button pushing I read this book through Penguin s First to Read progr I real...A confession I m not a big Monty Python fan, although I enjoyed the skits back in the 70s, and I have never seen Life of Brian or the other movies I keep meaning to, but evidently they are not a priority So I expected to breeze through Eric Idle s memoir, picking the funny bits and moving on Instead I read the whole thing cover to cover in one sitting, granted, I was on an 11 hour flight at the time and enjoyed it very much There were stories of how Idle gravitated to show business and A confession I m not a big Monty Python fan, although I enjoyed the skits back in the 70s, and I have never seen Life of Brian or the other movies I keep meaning to, but evidently they are not a priority So I expected to breeze through Eric Idle s memoir, picking the funny bits and moving on Instead I read the whole thing cover to cover in one sitting, granted, I was on an 11 hour flight at the time and enjoyed it very much There were ...Most well known for his role on Monty Python, Eric Idle paved the way for comedy in the sixties and seventies Through his memoir, he shares of his triumphs and trials in a hugely humorous and self deprecating way With a perfect balance between history, narrative, photos, and story telling, Idle gives the readers a unique glance into a time where black and white suddenly turns to color, and British comedy leaves it s mark on the world This light and enjoyable read takes the reader on a ride th Most well known for his role on Monty Python, Eric Idle paved the way for comedy in the sixties and seventies Through his memoir, he shares of his triumphs and trials in a hugely humorous and self deprecating way With a perfect balance between history, narrative, photos, and story telling, Idle gives the readers a unique glance into a time where black and white suddenly turns to color, and British comedy leaves it s mark on the world This light and enjoyable read takes the reader on a ride through history as told through the eyes of Eric Idle I hate to admit that Monty Python is not something that I am super familiar with, though I have heard of it After reading this smart and hilarious memoir, I spent an unhealthy amount of time looking up Eric Idle, the Monty Python, and other such memorable pieces from his time Idle is a hoot, and it definitely shows throug...Disclaimer first I received my copy of this book free as a first reads giveaway.I grew up on Monty Python s Flying Circus I loved the movies I got some of my friends into the movies I introduced my own kids to the universe that is Monty Python I wanted to LOVE this book, but I just can t give itthan 3 stars There were so many things I learned who knew George Harrison is basically the reason Life of Brian exists I did not know this and I didn t mind most of the name dropping be Disclaimer first I received my copy of this book free as a first reads giveaway.I grew up on Monty ...What a fun book I am a bigger movie than television fan of the Python Boys, so must admit that a fair bit of the book sent me scurrying to Google and YouTube but I m a better person for it, by far What Idle et al managed to accomplish was nothing less phenomenal than what four lads from Liverpool did changed the face of an art form Idle writes exactly the way he speaks acts, and his tales of the ups and downs of his career and those of his friends who are legion made me laugh out l What a fun book I am a bigger movie than television fan of the Python Boys, so must admit that a fair bit of the book sent me scurrying to Google and YouTube but I m a better person for it, by far What Idle et al managed to accomplish was nothing less phenomenal than what four lads from Liverpool did changed the face of an art fo...I loved Monty Python from the beginning I opened Idle s book with a bit of trepidation, wondering if it was going to be a one dimensional, flat on the page Python skit, yet hoping that Idle s talent for storytelling would shine And shine it does Idle is an excellent writer as well as an engaging raconteur His jokes and retorts come to life on their own, without being performed live The book is a good mix of Python like humor and memoir Idle even manages to sneak in an especially funny li I loved Monty Python from the beginning I opened Idle s book with a bit of trepidation, wondering if it was going to be a one dimensional, flat on the page Python skit, yet hoping that Idle s talent for storyte...Thank you to Penguin Random House and First to Read for the Advance Galley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review If you are a fan of comedy, Monty Python, or fun biographies in general, this is a great book for you Eric Idle tells his story and not just the story of the Pythons, which is refreshing He also tells the story of the comedy scene in his youth and how it came to make him who he is today I really enjoyed...

26 August 2018

Eric Idle