by John Cleese
First published 2014
John Cleese traces his comedic evolution from a quiet English town through Cambridge University, where he met future Python collaborator Graham Chapman. Two BBC executives arrived just before his graduation, offering him a radio comedy writing position as he prepared for law school. This pivotal encounter, combined with an opportunity to bring his university humor show to London's West End, redirected his entire career. Cleese describes his apprenticeship writing material for David Frost and Peter Sellers before joining five other comedians to create Monty Python's distinctive style of inventive, absurd humor. He chronicles his romance with actress Connie Booth and his personal transformation from hesitant performer to accomplished actor. The memoir weaves together unexpected anecdotes and comic tangents while exploring the mechanics of humor itself. Cleese presents his rise to comedy's heights as both personal journey and professional education.
Genres: humor, autobiography, biography-memoir, comedy
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, professional-development
Setting: Cambridge University, London's West End
Period: 20th-century
392 pages · Hardcover · Crown Archetype