David Mitchell: Back Story

By: David Mitchell

Narrated by: David Mitchell

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life.

As well as giving a specific account of every single time he's scored some smack, this disgusting memoir also details:

• The singular, pit bull-infested charm of the FRP (‘Flat Roofed Pub’)
• The curious French habit of injecting everyone in the arse rather than the arm
• Why, by the time he got to Cambridge, he really, really needed a drink
• The pain of being denied a childhood birthday party at McDonalds
• The satisfaction of writing jokes about suicide
• How doing quite a lot of walking around London helps with his sciatica
• Trying to pretend he isn’t a total **** at Robert Webb’s wedding
• That he has fallen in love a LOT, but rarely done anything about it
• Why it would be worse to bump into Michael Palin than Hitler on holiday
• That he’s not David Mitchell the novelist, despite what David Miliband might think

©2012 David Mitchell (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Delightful

Laugh out loud funny, and touching at times, and immensely entertaining. I loved it, and look forward to reading Unruly next.

Self indulgent & dull

Loved peep show so thought this would be a laugh - wrong. It became clear from listening to this book that DM actually is his peep show character… & there’s not really much more… he just got lucky to be given the part that he was born to play. The book is just self indulgent and dull. He’s just cashing in.

A Very Ordinary Fella

In a way, it was refreshing to have a brutally honest admission of how ordinary and boring his back story is. His recounting of his petty neuroses are relatable and slightly amusing, but for the most part it is an overly detailed and boring recounting of a pretty unremarkable life. The greatest sin is that it is mostly unfunny. It pales in comparison to his comedy partner's autobiography, How to Not Be A Boy and maybe gives some insight who is most responsible for their success.

Back Story is awful

This book begins frenetically, starts to improve with some funny anecdotes, then spirals into monotony.

So disappointed

What disappointed you about David Mitchell: Back Story?

I looked forward to buying this book for ages. Unfortunately it did not live up to expectations, not even close. Boring, not funny, self indulgent.

What didn’t you like about David Mitchell’s performance?

His voice is pretty unpleasant in long stretches

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointed

Meaningless & Unentertaining

I think David Mitchell is extremely intelligent, clever and quick. I like him! I love his BBC radio and talk show pieces. But this book was just drudgery. Sometimes we meet a friend for coffee or a drink and we listen to some mildly amusing banter about what happened when they emptied the dishwasher. We listen because we have a relationship to support - that's whatcha gotta do. But why am I paying for this with David Mitchell? After really trying to hold out for some content worth chewing on, I decided I'd rather call my Mom if I have to put this kind of obligation into something.

This is fine

This is one of those things which is just fine. Not trying to be a masterpiece or psychologically insightful. Just an okay autobiography narrated loosely around a daily walk.

Find chapter 34 on YouTube

it out weights the rest of the book by a mile, brilliantly clever David Mitchell witticisms and rants can't carry the mototony of reading a steadily successful CV.