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

Never a dull moment, a barrel of laughs

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's an extremely funny read and very easy to read!

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

It made me laugh out loud!

Honest and very funny

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

Hearing David Mitchell tell his own life story is a real bonus. He's wry, modest, occasionally ranty, and hilarious.

Who was your favorite character and why?

David Mitchell!

What does David Mitchell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It's good to hear the voice of the person who has written a memoir.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"A memoir, a map, a weight loss manual."

As funny as you’d expect and a bit more touching and heartfelt than you’d think. But in the best sort of way

Mitchell’s television appearances and persona don’t necessarily preclude an ability to be heartfelt and sincere in a book but it’s not necessarily what you might bargain for when picking up the book. It’s got the perfect amount of amusing anecdotes about behind the scenes and the amusing struggle of being broke and trying to break into television. But it’s equally rife with the struggles of being genuinely poor, self-doubt in the dream career, honest jealousy at the success of loved ones, and so on. It’s an excellent story, delightfully well told, and makes me want to get another book. 11/10 if that were a fraction available for review

Wonderful!

David Mitchell is one of my favorite comedians. It was really cool to learn more about him in his own words. His love story with Victoria is both sweet and inspiring. And of course the entire book is packed with laugh out loud moments.

Building character through playing characters

A lovely romp through the trial and tribulations that have built David Mitchell. With the wry wit of man who wants to be "normal", David explains his history that has twisted his humor. For me it was a fun find brought on by surfing YouTube and seeing David on panel shows. When I found the book on Audible I was intrigued to learn how this seemingly upper crust fellow found his way into the hearts of a nations entertainment. A lovely listen.

After the book was over, I missed him.

Any additional comments?

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I suppose since I have watched all over Peep show, and loved watching him on "panel shows" such as Would I lie to you" and QI, it felt as if I was sitting down with him and listening to all the "back stories". At times I listened when I was walking. Today I walked with out listening...and actually missed him as if he had been walking along with me chatting.

surprisingly brilliant! Average guy, amazing life :-)

David Michel's folks should be proud, he's a decent man telling an amazing story. With all his fun, sometimes biting rants there's always an element of kindness👣

Very Comforting - Sounds Like My Own Inner Voice

Delightful, quirky, and exceptionally intelligent, David has a keen way of sounding exactly like my own inner voice. It's very comforting to know there's someone out there - and a successful someone at that - who thinks the way I do. It's like having a conversation with a close friend who thinks exactly the way I do. I thought I was just weird. ...Well, I probably am still weird, but at least I'm not the only one subscribing to this particular form of oddity.

David Mitchell is David Mitchell by David Mitchell

I'm not British & therefore only know who David Mitchell is because of Netflix. He is the sort of person I thought he would be, based on his characters in Peep Show & That Mitchell & Webb look: nerdy, neurotic, & a bit stuck-up at times. What I didn't expect is that he made the decision to go in to comedy at such a young age & that once this decision was made it was final (if I had imagined David Mitchell's back story would have guessed that his life-long dream of becoming an accountant was cut short when a BBC exec saw some posh twit being hit in the face with a pie & decided to give him a show). Back Story is a tale of someone who is normal, but just happens to be famous. David Mitchell went to school, he drank too much, he was awkward with girls, he was an ass to some people, some people were asses to him, he made friends, he drank too much again, and at the end of it all, he grew a beard. Also it's funny. Really funny. Funny in a not-too-British-y way, so it's easy for those of us in the States to enjoy & share with friends without having to apologize for recommending it because someone you recommended it to didn't like it & you're then left secretly thinking that person isn't very smart because they don't get dry British humor, causing the friendship to fall apart, which may not be that bad because when it's all over & done you still get to feel superior because you are obviously the more intelligent one. Not that kind of funny at all. Mostly not.

If you love David Mitchell, you'll love this.

Very funny and enjoyable to listen to. I'm curious as to how he's handling having a kid now. Maybe someday he'll write "Further Back Story".