• So, Anyway...

  • By: John Cleese
  • Narrated by: John Cleese
  • Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,310 ratings)

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So, Anyway...  By  cover art

So, Anyway...

By: John Cleese
Narrated by: John Cleese
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Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“John Cleese’s memoir is just about everything one would expect of its author—smart, thoughtful, provocative and above all funny. . . . A picture, if you will, of the artist as a young man.”—The Washington Post

The legendary writer and performer of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame takes listeners on a grand tour of his ascent in the entertainment world John Cleese’s huge comedic influence has stretched across generations; his sharp irreverent eye and the unique brand of physical comedy he perfected now seem written into comedy’s DNA. In this rollicking memoir, Cleese recalls his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town, his early comedic days at Cambridge University (with future Python partner Graham Chapman), and the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would propel him to worldwide renown.

Cleese was just days away from graduating Cambridge and setting off on a law career when he was visited by two BBC executives, who offered him a job writing comedy for radio. That fateful moment—and a near-simultaneous offer to take his university humor revue to London’s famed West End—propelled him down a different path, cutting his teeth writing for stars like David Frost and Peter Sellers, and eventually joining the five other Pythons to pioneer a new kind of comedy that prized invention, silliness, and absurdity. Along the way, he found his first true love with the actress Connie Booth and transformed himself from a reluctant performer to a world class actor and back again.

Twisting and turning through surprising stories and hilarious digressions—with some brief pauses along the way that comprise a fascinating primer on what’s funny and why—this story of a young man’s journey to the pinnacle of comedy is a masterly performance by a master performer.

©2016 John Cleese (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“So, Anyway... ambles along in loose fashion, taking its time, stopping to admire the view here and there, dispensing a little social commentary...and otherwise taking the scenic route through a mostly sunny landscape. The effect is a bit like having a long lunch with an amiable, slightly loony uncle. Who also happens to be John Cleese.” —Michael Ian Black, The New York Times Book Review

“John Cleese’s memoir is just about everything one would expect of its author — smart, thoughtful, provocative and above all funny… a picture, if you will, of the artist as a young man.” —Washington Post

“Give John Cleese points for candor...Give him additional points for graceful writing and sly humor..” —Philadelphia Inquirer

What listeners say about So, Anyway...

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    1 out of 5 stars

Too many people reviewing the man, not the book.

Like anyone else who bought Say Anything, I am a fan of Mr, Cleese and his work. However this "Autobiography" is not very good. Even though nothing is said about it, this book effectively ends when Cleese turns thirty, and Monty Python is writing their first sketch. You want to know about Monty Python? Not in this book. You want to hear about Fawlty Towers? Barely a word about it. A Fish Called Wanda, or Harry Potter or James Bond? No way. Its almost amusing how far Cleese goes to AVOID talking about anything interesting. He was in Footlights, a Cambridge theater troupe. He never once mentions that future fellow Python Eric Idle was in the same troupe, only a year behind himself and Graham Chapman. I am not sure if Idles or Terry Jones name is ever mentioned in the 16 chapters given here.. To be fair, quite a bit is written about Graham Chapman, who was Cleeses most consistent writing partner in the period before and during Python, but I never felt like Chapman and Cleese ever connected as real friends, and I know very little about Chapman that I didnt know before I listened to this book. (And I didnt know much) In fact the only people that make any sort of impact on Cleese for his first thirty years are his mother, (Whom he loathes) and his first wife, Connie Booth, whom he seems to still be fond of. Otherwise, no friends, no people who are there as mentors, no real connections of any kind. Its a bit sad, but the book seems to be a protracted therapy session, except we the audience is paying Cleese for the privilege of him telling people we never knew that they were mean to him in 1956. I did like that Cleese narrated his own work, but that was the best part of this missive. BEWARE TO EVERYONE WHO IS THINKING OF GETTING THIS. It ends in 1969, on the day Python is producing their first sketch. Nothing you care about happened to John Cleese before 1969. Its like reading a book about Albert Einstein, that ends when he gets a job as a patent clerk. There is so much you want to know about, but you will not find it here. To those people giving this such glowing reviews? You are doing your fellow readers a disservice to not warn them that this is a very partial autobiography.

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140 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Cleese, the early years, in his own voice

This is a really fun autobiography, but before you buy, you do need to take note of one thing: The book more or less ends when Monty Python is formed. Things like Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda are mentioned often, but they are not really covered.

The book is joy to listen to, as Mr Cleese recalls his childhood, education, and early work, both in the U.K. and U.S. There are a few actual clips of old routines, and he often has to pause to laugh as he relates funny episodes from his past.

My personal hope is that he decides to do a follow-up, covering the years from Monty Python to present day.

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79 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Missing a few chapters

I would have give the book five stars but he quit just as he gets to Monty Python! This maybe a bit mean but it might be compared to a bad sexual experience where the foreplay is great but the lover quits and leaves just as things really start heating up. I loved everything that was written. If only he'd written a few more chapters! He wrote about the foreplay but said nothing about the sex, so to speak.

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21 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A lovely memoir

If you're reading this, chances are that you're a Python fan already. Cleese delivers exactly what you'd expect. It's very funny, full of trivia for the fans, and his performance is absolutely genuine.

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19 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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John Cleese! Need I Say More?

Loved it so much that I listened to it twice in a row just in case I missed anything. His talent for timing paired with his unique gift of storytelling elevate this memoir of a uniquely British humorist to an absolute must- listen for the connoisseur of absurd Pythonesque comedy.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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The voice.

I came of age as the Circus came on the air. This was a wonderful return to the development of the series told by the voice of an old friend.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully. funny some great insights

cleese is wildly entertaining. it includes old audio recordings that are wonderful. a bit more from the python time would've been appreciated

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Jack Cheese!

Merci, Monsieur Cleese. Ain't nothing wrong with being lucky. Your reading was top shelf and, as I listened, I became more and more fond of your denigration of all of us ungrateful and unappreciative listeners. Goodnight!

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding. Comic, historical, and psychological

Loved it. It does end with just a little bit of Python, but you do learn a lot about how Cleese developed his comic skill, and about the origins of some Python materials. Hope there will be a part 2 some day.

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I love this book!

Jon Cheese is a brilliant writer and performer. I'm so glad I not only got to enjoy this book but I got to enjoy Cheese's timing and delivery as well!

Yes it's Cheese. Check the book.

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6 people found this helpful