... Unfortunately there sure is a lot of tumbleweed blowing through the pages of 'The Sound of Laughter' and a few too many yawn inducing paragraphs that take the shine off what could have been a classic comedy autobiography.
You can't help but feel the PK has been let down by his publishers ... Read review
Begins with Peter Kay's first ever driving lesson, taking him back through his Bolton ... more
childhood, the numerous jobs he held after school and leading up until the time he passed his driving test and found fame. This work covers funnier areas of life such...
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1-5 of 42 reviews of The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay
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The Sound of Laughter (and Groaning)
Advantages: A selection of funny capers from Peter Kay's early life Disadvantages: Badly edited and some bad one liners.
...up routines are some of the funniest I've seen by a contemporary comedian. His observational and relatively clean humour is refreshing change from the crowd of funny men who can't seem to tell a gag unless it includes at least three F words and a reference to human genitalia (Peter prefers to talk about his dog's lipstick). So the last thing I wanted to do was slag off his autobiography. Unfortunately there sure is a lot of tumbleweed blowing through ... ...yawn inducing paragraphs that take the shine off what could have been a classic comedy autobiography.
You can't help but feel the PK has been let down by his publishers and editors. A lot of the writing, especially in the early chapters is poor and disorganised. There are a lot of spelling mistakes and bad grammar, ideas and themes unexpectedly go off in different directions and there are a lot of dull sections. It's clear that many ... more
Like many I am one of those who has developed a soft spot for Peter Kay. His stand up routines are some of the funniest I've seen by a contemporary comedian. His observational and relatively clean humour is refreshing change from the crowd of funny men who can't seem to tell a gag unless it includes at least three F words and a reference to human genitalia (Peter prefers to talk about his dog's lipstick). So the last thing I wanted to do was slag off his autobiography. Unfortunately there sure is a lot of tumbleweed blowing through the pages of 'The Sound of Laughter' and a few too many yawn inducing paragraphs that take the shine off what could have been a classic comedy autobiography.
You can't help but feel the PK has been let down by his publishers and editors. A lot of the writing, especially in the early chapters is poor and disorganised. There are a lot of spelling mistakes and bad grammar, ideas and themes unexpectedly go off in different directions and there are a lot of dull sections. It's clear that many early chapters could have been tightened up and paragraphs that should have been discarded. Kay's attempts at learning to drive is a theme that reappears throughout the text, but only manages to clumsily link the chapters together. Peter mentions that he loved his school days and it shows. He goes on far too long about his classroom antics and extra cubiculum activities and it does get tedious when you're half way through the book and you've still no idea of how he got his first break.
His improvising performance in his first school play as the Lion from Wizard of Oz an hilarious interlude during the early chapters, but Peter's attempts to be funny on the page too often fail to match the humour of the funny stories he tells. So alongside some witty stories are some pretty awful one liners. What must be one of the worst 'funny' asides in the book is when he makes a comment on an abortion and writes "At the time we all just accepted it as the norm (and I don't mean that fat bloke off Cheers)...". You might imagine Kay, with his Bolton accent and quirky facial expressions, being funny on stage with some of this material, but on the page it too often fails to translate A prerequisite comprehensive knowledge of TV shows from the 1970s and 1980s will help you with some of the humour and the many references to programmes from this era, but lines like - "He was a big burly fella, constantly tanned, like a cross between Bully from Bullseye and a fat Des O'Connor. If you can picture that, then I think you need help." - are beyond rescue.
It's not all bad though and in a strange way the errors, mistakes and bad jokes go some way to enhancing Kay's genuineness and his simplistic colloquial charm. Despite the faults there is still plenty to laugh about and I ended up laughing out loud far more than I expected, especially after reading some pretty critical reviews of this book. It's the funny stories he tells rather than his attempts at writing funny lines that make you giggle, such as one hilarious occasion early on when he is attacked by a German Shepherd dog whilst attempting to be a goal keeper at a local football match. We also get some real insights into his personality and family life when we learn about Peter's love affair with the tape recorder and how he recorded and kept conversations of friends and family members. For me the book especially picks up at chapters 9, 10 and 11 when Peter starts working at various part time jobs whilst simultaneously studying at drama school. His experiences dealing with customers at a local garage, stacking the shelves at Netto or dealing with his boss at the Cash and Carry provide many comical moments. Later, working as a cinema usherette and then as a steward at the Manchester Arena, Peter is brought closer to his career goals.
Peter's career took off when he won the title of 'North West Comedian of the Year' in 1997. This unfortunately is were the book ends. There is virtually no reference to his subsequent stand-up career and his TV shows such as That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights, and Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere - no doubt he's saving them for a later book. Despite these absences and the book's other flaws, I ended up having a good laugh at the 'The Sound of Laughter' and I still love Peter Kay. If it's a 'must buy' for Peter Kay fans, then I'd say it's a 'must borrow' for others, even if it's just to read the story about the German Shepherd dog and the hold-up at the Cash and Carry.
Advantages: Entertaining to read, Peter Kay fans will like it Disadvantages: It's boring! He doesn't reveal anything about himself: it is not a good autobiography.
...new anecdotes to reveal to the reader, one after another, over the course of a light but entertaining book. At the same time, he never gives us any glimpse of the man behind the jokes, and is careful not to say anything which will lose any members of his passionate fanbase. If someone is a fan of Peter Kay and they pick up this book, they will be happy with it.
If you are not a particularly big fan of the Bolton lad already, then you're going to ... ...wants to let on. In the book, he pulls this trick all the time. Whenever he gets the chance to drop in a reference to an old TV show or comedian, he does it, and at the same time almost completely avoids making any reference to his personal life. We get instead a series of anecdotes which follow one another in roughly chronological fashion, fitted inside a framing sequence where he attempts to pass his driving test. These sections, which bookend ...
Seresecros 20.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay
Advantages: Explains the background to some of his characters Disadvantages: Ponderous, poorly written, rushed, too expensive
...up Peter Kay DVDs over the last few years, and being stuck for an idea what my sister could have got me for my Christmas present, I went on to Amazon to see what was recommended and Peter Kay's autobiography "The Sound of Laughter" popped up. Given its "Sound of Music" styled cover, I was drawn to it, even though I am usually not a fan of autobiographies when they are written when the subject is someone who has had a relatively short period of time ... ...- there is none of the "50 years in show business" style of autobiographies - look at Messrs. Cole, Beckham and Rooney as examples - possibly that is why Perry Groves' autobiography sold better than theirs...
Peter Kay has jumped on this bandwagon, just prior to Christmas 2006, and given his stage performances, I thought I would have a good enjoyable read. I don't wish to sound condescending but a lot of the life he talks about is deadly dull and ...
Morgenhund 02.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay
Advantages: amusing Disadvantages: too early for an autobiography
...since first watching ‘live at the top of the tower’ I could never get enough of his stand up. Being a fan of autobiographies in general I was interested when I heard Peter Kay was writing one and after a few subtle hints was able to open this book on Christmas day.
--Peter’s Life--
If you were to say Peter Kay has had a few part time jobs in his time you would definitely be an understatement. The jobs he describes include but aren’t limited to ... ...caller and cinema usher. The book focuses a lot on his times working at these places. This is because these are what have made Peter Kay the person he is, any fan of his know they have certainly affected both his stand up material and TV characters he has written.
Other areas of the book focus on Peter’s school days. Peter went to a catholic school where he was taught by nuns; this was a fairly different experience than an average school and has ...
leighton_87 03.08.2007 (02.08.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay
Advantages: He writes like he talks. Disadvantages: None
At the end of last year, whilst looking for Christmas presents for my horde of family, I kept noticing the Peter Kay autobiography. It was a massive £18.99, so I put it on my own Christmas List, but to honest, didn’t expect to get it in my stocking. On Christmas Day, I wasn’t disappointed, as I didn’t get it. I bought mine in a supermarket at half price in March, and I felt it was a real bargain for a hard back book with such good quality pages.
... ...or loathe. I am the former, and watching his live shows, has me crying with laughter, even when I have seen it before, and know what is coming. I also like Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere, although I really can’t get into Phoenix Nights.
I have a fairly female family, and most are obsessed with The Sound of Music, so the cover of the book made me smile with a picture taken from the scene The Hills Are Alive, but with Peter’s head stuck on in the ...
orlando 23.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay
Advantages: Amusing, gives you a deeper understanding of him Disadvantages: Might not have enough of his 'famous' life in for some people's liking
I can’t profess to be the biggest Peter Kay fan. In fact, I’m not even close: I don’t own any of his DVDs, I didn’t enjoy Phoenix Nights at all and when I heard he was bringing out an authobiography I didn’t once consider buying it. However, I have laughed myself silly whilst watching friends’ DVDs of his stand ups, so when my boyfriend borrowed his friend’s copy of the book and had it lying around the house for a month having not got round to reading ... ...it first (can you sense the enthusiasm?) I can honestly say that I didn’t actually think much about what I was expecting from the book, so maybe that is partly why I was surprised by the outcome.
For those of you who don’t know him (where have you been?!) Peter Kay is a famous comedian who is best known for his observational humour about everyday life, but more specifically to being just your average lad from a bog standard close knit working class ...
carly_pussycat 16.07.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay
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Advantages: Very funny, very interesting Disadvantages: None
for celebrities telling their stories of abuse, illness and drug or alcohol addiction but Alan had a normal family background and apart from a bit of bullying and dealing with his sexuality he'd had no major hardships and that's quite refreshing. And although he may havethought his father was disapointed him for not being interested in football there's no whinging or whining on these pages. Infact generally take the piss out of himself most of the way through.
I few years back I read Peterkay's The Sound Of Laughter but I actually found this book far funnier.
I would highly recommend this book to anybody who likes a laugh or needs cheering up whether you know who Alan Carr is or not I think his comedy has wide appeal and most people will enjoy it.
Price
ASDA: £3.98
Amazon £.86
ISBN: 978-0-00-727823-7
www.alancarr.net
www.harpercollins.co.uk ...
Advantages: Honest, compelling and vibrant Disadvantages: Occasional jarring grammatical slips
, amongst other things, scattered throughout its pages, which helps put faces to names and in many cases brings a poignant reminder that these hellish experiences were very real.
All in all, I was surprised by this book, even as a Brand fan. Having eagerly read PeterKay's 'The Sound of Laughter' a while back and been disappointed by how his comedic style translated so badly onto the page, I was delighted to find that 'My Booky Wook' is readable, compelling and has Russell Brand written all over it in a way that adds to its appeal rather than detracting from it. It is vibrant, honest, sexy, moving and despairing in turn, with an ultimate message of hope and redemption which left a smile on my face. I just hope it will open some people's eyes to the man behind the persona, the man inside it, the man entwined with it, who shimmers through in ...
Product Information for "The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay" »
Product details
Type
Non-Fiction
Genre
Biography
Title
The Sound of Laughter
Author
Peter Kay
ISBN
009950555X
Manufacturer's product description
Peter Kay's unerring gift for observing the absurdities and eccentricities of family life has earned himself a widespread, everyman appeal. These vivid observations coupled with a kind of nostalgia that never fails to grab his audience's shared understanding, have earned him comparisons with Alan Bennett and Ronnie Barker. In his award winning TV series' he creates worlds populated by degenerate, bitter, useless, endearing and always recognisable characters which have attracted a huge and loyal following. In many ways he's an old fashioned kind of comedian and the scope and enormity of his fanbase reflects this. He doesn't tell jokes about politics or sex, but rather rejoices in the far funnier areas of life: elderly relatives and answering machines, dads dancing badly at weddings, garlic bread and cheesecake, your mum's HRT...His autobiography is full of this kind of humour and nostalgia, beginning with Kay's first ever driving lesson, taking him back through his Bolton childhood, the numerous jobs he held after school and leading up until the time he passed his driving test and found fame. See all Product Description
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