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The Life And Loves Of A He Devil: A Memoir (2000)

by Graham Norton(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1444790269 (ISBN13: 9781444790269)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

review 1: Despite the fact that I much prefer fiction, I read this book in three days. Graham Norton is witty, interesting and surprisingly wise. I say surprisingly as he often comes across on TV as a ball of immature fun, and, occasionally, quite shallow. In reality, this is a man who has lived a fascinating and unusual life, and a life for which he is overtly and expressly grateful. I enjoy his chat show, but I certainly don't watch it religiously or even very regularly. Therefore, I wasn't sure what interest, if any, this book might hold for me. In fact, I laughed out loud throughout this book, while also feeling very moved by some parts of it. I really enjoyed the format of the book, which is divided into chapters based on the titular 'loves' of Norton, which include dogs, booze... more and Ireland. What's great about the structure is that it moves quite quickly, and there's something to entertain everybody. While I've little interest in dogs, I found his anecdote about his dog gatecrashing a posh party in a London park hilarious. Another advantage of this structure is that it means that Norton can cherry pick the most shocking, funny and moving experiences from his life and tell them in the order that best suits himself. He (and we) are not forced to follow step by step through a full and boring chronology of his life. Rather, we are given the outrageous highlights, which is all anyone wants anyway. The one flaw of this book for me was, on reflection, actually a bonus. Chiefly, we don't actually learn much more about Graham Norton after reading this book than we would from watching his chat show. At first I felt that this was a little disconcerting, but actually, it's a testament to the man himself. He's such an honest person that what you see is very much what you get. He's not afraid to point out the flaws of others, and he's very quick to own up to his own faults. He has no compunction about revealing the truth about people in positions of celebrity power, such as Madonna and Cher, while also being openly grateful for his life and career. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like an eye-opening insight into the world of television and celebrity, and anyone who simply enjoys a good laugh. Like all the greats, Norton knows when to leave us wanting more and never overstays his welcome. I'm looking forward to his next book already!
review 2: Absolutely loved this! I'm a huge Graham Norton fan so was really glad when dad gave this to me for my birthday. it's just everything I'd expect it to be! It may seem like cliché but it just felt like a close friend was talking to you! There were even quite a few laugh out loud moments, and it's quite rare for me to actually laugh whilst reading! The only issue I had was that some bits were repeated in a couple of sections, hence only giving it 4 stars. But honestly this book is a crack up and I would definitely recommend it to anyone that loves Graham or just wants a funny book! less

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