Told to write two types of document, emulating the style of two chosen authors, yet determined to write something that would interest me, I decided to find style models who showed unique style and outrageous flair! Did I find them? Did the actual content have high enough readability that I could subtly twist it without becoming bored? Stop reading and never find out!
Vic Reeves is a famous comedian and artist, but personally I had never heard anything about him until I read his book. However, despite this, his autobiography Me:Moir Volume 1 still managed to hold my interest with its' distinct style and strange quips. I have heard recently that his comedic air is crude at times and rather unsophisticated, but I can only say that in his writing he comes across more self deprecating and, perhaps somewhat crazed
Fans of Vic may yet be disappointed however. Although there is a general overview of his early life, from birth to beginnings of adulthood, few facts will be simply given, and most will need to be hunted out. In fact, this theme is carried throughout the entire text. This book is not made for fans, but rather for a general audience, even appreciable by people like me, who have never heard of the man. (I'm afraid I don't know much about comedic humor. ;>)
Perhaps it is to make up for the lack of verifiable history then, that we are given a veritable treasure trove of strange cameos, little stories and cumulative jokes. In general, since we are told the story in the first person tense, from the authors own perspective, we can often put ourselves in the main characters place and understand why events which seem very serious to those not privy, can be incredibly amusing for us. A sort of written-monitoring-talk aspect runs throughout, with imperfectly written passages expanded upon rather than edited. This may be to bulk out the text, but I personally quite liked this feature, as the writer's first beginning attempts to write about a situation usually show more character than later omissions and edits.
Another aspect which makes a good vocal-impression on us is what Vic does when he doesn't remember the exact words that someone said... It is generally accepted practice in autobiography to write approximations of all speech, as most often the words that were used in the situation are not remembered. Further when we look at most true speech it is actually nothing like written speech. There is far more hesitation, less subtly and more filler wording used "err - but - like". For this reason autobiographies tend to have almost re-crafted dialogues in. However, Vic seems to have realized this, and rather than write in this approximating manner dialogue he cannot remember even the basic direction of, the author instead uses syntax which is obviously complete forgery. (Using a kind of archaic style for example) but at the same time, could feasibly have been spoken if it wasn't worded so. To my mind this makes a very refreshing and likable change from hearing exactly how someone worded a sentence in a job interview two decades ago. Fiction which is obviously fiction seems superior to fiction which could easily be fact.
In general, all this makes the book read more like a series of sketches then an actual autobiography; albeit sketches based on Vic's own life rather than others'. Personally I enjoy this, and didn't miss hearing some more private elements, but if you are looking for a more complex discussion of exact thoughts and feelings you might want to look elsewhere
Vic Reeves often comes across as a real child of his time. In his book, he covers much of his changing lyric and musical tastes. For those familiar with a time when Led Zeppelin were just beginning in country tweed, this aspect may be a rather admirable one. And overall I can imagine that other people of the same generation-cohort may feel some emotion, as they too, relive their experiences along with him.
Since colloquialism and pictures are common, we really get to know the man's changing character as the book progresses. Sections such as "Survival Tips" create a reoccurring feature, which we can see were Vic actually enjoyed writing, rather than did it for the money, which certainly reflects in the writing.
In conclusion, for the more serious among us, this book will probably not satisfy previous ideas of written convention, but for those just looking for a fun read or to remember their own pasts, this book is recommended.
Me:Moir Volume One appears to be only available in hardback, but can be found on Amazon for £9:48. It appears to be in a slightly newer edition then my version however, as a 0-20 is added to the title, (referring to the ages I think.)
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