Review: Life and Laughing: My Story by Michael McIntyre.

“Posh hotels have a turn-down service. I had never heard of this and there was a knock at the door and a woman said, ‘I’ve come to turn down your bed.’ To which I said, ‘Well many women have in the past. Why should you be any different?’” – Michael McIntyre (not from the book).

A few years ago Michael McIntyre released his autobiography and earlier this year I eventually purchased it after approximately a year of one of my best friend urging me to read it. When I was in Rome I took this book with me to finally read, but there were so few reading opportunities that it was easiest to wait until I got home.

I have always been and continue to be a massive fan of Michael McIntyre as a comedian; he is definitely one of my favourites and never fails to make me laugh. Reading his book, I had similar feelings. I read a chapter of it when I was waiting at the airport to go home and I was quietly chuckling to myself at his words.

Michael’s book is very funny and the manner in which he writes is similar to how he speaks on stage. I haven’t done any research on an audiobook, but if there is one I truly hope he is the one reading it aloud. When I read this book, I read it in his voice and this only adds to how authentic his words sound because they make the book more personal. Michael’s voice enables us to picture him as a little boy at school and as an awkward teenager asking girls to dance.

Another thing I love about the book is the inclusion of real photographs from particular moments throughout his life so far. I love the insight this combined with his words provide on his life as a lot of this information is not likely to be talked about by Michael himself when he is on stage, so it is lovely to have this background information on him which I never knew before.

As anyone who has read my book reviews for a while now will know, I am not overly familiar with autobiographies. Of course, this genre is all about the life of the person writing the book, but I don’t know much of how they are written. The only other autobiography I seem to have read before is Carrie Hope Fletcher’s. To compare the two, I must admit that Michael’s was more enjoyable to read because of the humour and due to its appeal to an older audience. Meanwhile, Carrie’s is very informative with advice, but I felt that it was appropriate to people younger than I.

Anyone interested in humour, autobiographies and especially Michael McIntyre himself should definitely give this a read. I found this book highly enjoyable and rate it 5/5.

Who is your favourite comedian?

– Lauren