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

Fantastic

I'm a huge fan and Mitchell tells a fantastic story! Heart warming and funny! Great listen

Jokes delivered by the author

In the past 2 years I have grown to love David. And I find books narrated by the author, especially comedians, are essential. It's funny and witty and has a very pleasant ending.

Funny, touching and relatable

I love the way David’s mind works-he can put into words how I and probably many other people feel about all sorts of different normal and unusual occurrences in life. He also does it una way that makes you chuckle.
Honestly, this book just made me wish they would re-record Douglas Adams HHGttG with David as the narrator- it’d be great!

The Marmite of Comedy...

...and I LOVE him. Hearty and delicious, the quality and quantity of his vocabulary veritable feast for the brain.

David Mitchell is beautiful

I have always loved his work in comedy. Hearing his back story in his own words and voice, is marvelous.

More than funny

Not only extremely funny as you would expect from David Mitchell, but also interesting, lovely and well narrated.

Hilarious, honest and a bit touching

I love the way David Mitchell's mind works. This book is heavily peppered with extremely clever observations, turns of phrase, and all the dry wit that David Mitchell is known for.

I enjoyed every bit of this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of British comedy.

I wish we were friends

Would you consider the audio edition of David Mitchell: Back Story to be better than the print version?

I have absolutely no idea whether it would be better to have the print version of back story as I only have the audiobook, and it's great. I'm not sure if it's because I'm already a fan of That Mitchell and Webb Sound/Look; David Mitchell's Soapbox/newspaper columns/appearances on panel shows or what, but listening to David Mitchell the comedian (not David Mitchell the author) read his own book - which makes him an author - brings this story to life. I think it helps that David and I are the same age and went to the same sort of schools, and have the same sorts of interests - theatre, history, beer etc. So when he talks of the world he grew up in I find it all very relatable in a completely hilarious way.David Mitchell is the sort of person who you like to think you'd probably get on rather well with if you met at a party and you both weren't too embarrassed to say anything at all.

What other book might you compare David Mitchell: Back Story to and why?

I would compare this book to the book you wish you could write yourself and have people you don't know wish they could be your friends. I'm not sure this is helpful.

Have you listened to any of David Mitchell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes I have. Very well

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, yes there was.

Charming, witty, and genuinely funny.

What made the experience of listening to David Mitchell: Back Story the most enjoyable?

You may not laugh out loud frequently, but this book will have you chuckling fairly frequently. At the very least, you will be smiling consistently. That being said, the last two chapters are unbearably soppy (and unfortunately, bereft of humor). Still, you won't regret this purchase. Pick it up and enjoy the story of a somewhat awkward, but undeniably humorous, human being.

Wonderful

Excellent book excellently performed! I'm not usually interested in celebrities' private lives, but this book is funny and charming without being overly personal.