Frank

The True Story that Inspired the Movie

By: Jon Ronson

Narrated by: Jon Ronson

Length: 1 hr and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

In the late 1980s Jon Ronson was the keyboard player in the Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band. Frank wore a big fake head. Nobody outside his inner circle knew his true identity. This became the subject of feverish speculation during his zenith years. Together, they rode relatively high. Then it all went wrong.

Twenty-five years later and Jon has co-written a movie, Frank, inspired by his time in this great and bizarre band. Frank is set for release in 2014, starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Domhnall Gleeson and directed by Lenny Abrahamson.

Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie is a memoir of funny, sad times and a tribute to outsider artists too wonderfully strange to ever make it in the mainstream. It tells the true story behind the fictionalized movie.

Jon Ronson is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is the author of four best sellers, Them: Adventures with Extremists, The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Psychopath Test and Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, and two collections, Out of the Ordinary: True Tales of Everyday Craziness and What I Do: More True Tales of Everyday Craziness. He lives in London and New York City.

©2014 Jon Ronson (P)2014 Audible Ltd

Two thumbs up

Jon Ronson books are always worth the read/listen. This is is just as odd and entertaining as any other. 10/10 Would buy again.

Short but good

It's no Psychopath Test, but if you have finished all Ronson's other full-length works this is a nice addition for those craving more.

Not the author's best

Jon Ronson once again delivers a tale in his own fascinating way. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of meat here, and the story suffers for that.

Frankly, Not Enough

In his younger days, Jon Ronson played keyboards in a band fronted by Frank Sidebottom, a comic character who always wore a big plastic head. In 2014, Ronson co-wrote a screenplay that was a fictionalized version of his memoir of being in Frank's band. That film character was based on Frank Sidebottom but also incorporated elements of other outsider artists like Captain Beefheart and Daniel Johnston.

In this short audiobook, Ronson tells the non-fictionalized version of his time with Frank, as well as discussing outsider artists, including Beefheart, Johnston. and the Shaggs. What we have is typical Ronson -- droll, entertaining, illuminating, and as always perfectly narrated by Ronson himself.

But it's not enough. This should have been a full length book. There should have been full chapters on Beefheart, Johnston, the Shaggs, and other outsider musical artists like Gong, The Residents, Wild Man Fischer, Moondog, Tiny Tim, even William Shatner as a singer -- the proof is the chapter on Insane Clown Posse in Ronson's Lost at Sea, one of his very best pieces of work.

Jon, if this ever comes your way -- please, that would be an awesome book. For Jon's fans, this is a tasty little morsel, but it leaves you wanting for more, and not in the best sense of that phrase.

Great backstory, wish it was longer

Very short audio book but well worth listening to if you're curious after seeing the film. Felt like it could have been so much more fleshed out, though. The author's narration is fairly monotone but still charming because of the accent.

Jon Ronson can do no wrong!

Would you listen to Frank again? Why?

Yes, he is relevant and provocative. Great writer.

What did you like best about this story?

His gentle irony.And what a great story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I chuckled throughout, but also resonated with the sadness.

Wish there was more

This wasn't a bad story by any means, it's just disappointing that this is just the last chapter of 'Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries' as a separate release. Which in of itself isn't the worst thing ever, however I have been listening to all of Ronson's books in order and to have this follow Lost at Sea in that order left me a bit dissapointed that it wasn't a more comprehensive expanded version of this story.

If you already have Lost at Sea you can skip this one, unless your are a completionist/collector or just want to support the author by buying all they have on offer.

"Harnessing infinity."

Attracted by the cover and the author, Jon Ronson, who also narrates, I enjoyed this short ramble through memories of a time when he was the keyboard player for a. 'plincky plonk' cover band of more successful recordings, fronted by a man who hid behind a large take head. A strange little tale of another odd character from Ronson's life, apparently written to accompany the release of a film of the same name which he'd co-written.
Before reading this short account, I had neither heard of Frank (real name Chris), his group or the film but it did revive my own memories of the time, now nearly forty years ago. Quite interesting and worth reading.

Interesting but short

I'm not sure what I thought this book was about, but it was oddly entertaining. I almost couldn't stop listening until it was over.

Not My Favorite

Any additional comments?

I love Jon Robson's books, but this short little story was lacking something. I'm not sure what. I do know this was 10 times better than that God awful movie which I bought before listening to the story, but watched just a day or two later. Don't bother with that.