BOOK REVIEW: Frank Skinner On the Road by Frank Skinner

Comedian Frank Skinner's autobiography is one of my favourite books of all time. It's interesting, gripping, hilarious and also surprisingly moving. If you've only ever seen Skinner on TV talking football or doing stand-up then you would be amazed.

You see, rather than being just - as Skinner claims most people see him - "football, f*ck f*ck f*ck", he's actually highly intelligent (he has a Masters in English Lit) and articulate, a devout Catholic and, he claims, almost "testosterone-intolerant".

On the Road is, as you can probably guess, a book about his comeback stand-up tour, his first for ten years. As I started reading,I was a bit worried that it was going to be too comedy-focussed and a bit self-indulgent. Skinner admits that he keeps a journal obsessively and is prone to over-analysis and I was concerned that chunks of his journal had been imported wholesale into the book, without the benefit of an editor. But I persevered and I'm so glad I did.

Skinner's strength, in his books as well as his stand-up, is in his honesty. There is little he won't say, even when it makes him look bad. The further I got into this book, the more fascinated I became with his character. He writes honestly about his relationship with his girlfriend, Cath, who I recently heard him describe on his radio show as "the great love of my life". He writes about his Catholicism. He is open about his fears that he wouldn't be funny, that the shows weren't working, that he was past it. In fact he seems deeply insecure, but, at the same time, unafraid to put that on the page (he reminds me a bit of Russell Brand in this).

There were times reading this book that I didn't like him - he sometimes comes across as pompous and self-obsessed - but he knows that about himself and chooses to include it in the book rather than edit out the bad bits of himself and I admire that.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the autobiography, but I did find it fascinating and gripping. I also laughed out loud quite a few times and it made me think about comedy and how and why it works ... or doesn't.

If you're not familiar with Frank Skinner - or you think he's all "football, f*ck f*ck f*ck" - then you should definitely read the autobiography. If you've already read (and, I assume, loved) the autobiography then definitely give On the Road a go. I doubt you'll regret it.

Comments

[Diane]

I *do* think of him like that I'm afraid. I know my Dad used to like that show he did with David Baddiel but it never appealed to me, and I've never really warmed to him. Maybe I will? One day?

[Keris]

You have to read the book, Diane. The first one. I always liked him, but I loved him after reading the book and I've passed it on to loads of people who said the same. (I never got it back from the last person, otherwise I would've loaned you mine.)