Unreliable Memoirs

As a person unfamiliar with Australian geography and even less familiar with Australian cultural references, I merely liked this book. Clive James does a fantastic job in setting up many of the anecdotes he relates in the various chapters here. However, as an American who is merely semi-well traveled, I did not get many of the inside jokes. It is easy to see how funny this book could be if you really were tracking with the culture he grew up in. This, however, is more of the reader's problem rather than the writer's. The tales related range from sadly familiar (dead father, incredibly caring mother, indifferent son) to some of the truly funniest writing imaginable (trying to tackle a world class rugby player; a chapter entitled The Sound of Mucus). James is really great. There are stories in here that everyone can relate to and it is all told in a way that is sharp in sensational details and vague on everything in between. If I could dump my memories into a book, this is probably what it would be like; only less funny and more stupidly written. Broaden your horizons and read the book. It is a short read and will have you looking something up in Wikipedia at least once every few minutes.

What can I possibly add to what has been said by the other reviewers? This book is short in length and long in content. *EVERYBODY* whom I know and who has read the book has claimed to have laughed out loud while reading it in a public place. That's 5 people, myself included. Years after reading it, I still recall with great amusement the stories about James' alter ego, the Flash of Lightning. And although this is a book about James, it also is a subtle homage to his mother, or at least it read that way to me. Such is James' command of language, he can turn his experiences into everyone's experiences, even if you haven't lived through similar situations. A wonderful read.

From BERNARD LEVIN, BOOK TWO by Clive James: "Victor Hugo was under the impression that he was Victor Hugo. Bernard Levin feels the same way about Bernard Levin. He is never off his plinth. On FACE THE MUSIC he takes a sip of water after getting the right answer. It is meant to look humble but screams conceit." Right. And offhand I can't think of a more emetic scenario than the spectacle of one fathead accusing another fathead of being a fathead. Or as my drinking-buddy Stephen said: "Clive James's memoirs are well worth a read, but they irritate me profoundly because he continually pretends that he regards himself as an undeserving half-wit when in fact he clearly thinks that he's rather brilliant. His pee-taking of FR Leavis in MAY WEEK WAS IN JUNE is very funny indeed."

I am only 13 but i could appreciate every bit in sheer briliance of a book. I could not put it down it was so funny. I strongly recommend this book, carefull through if you read it in public be prepared to laugh out loud and humilate your self.

The imagery used in this story is the best I have read. I could not put the book down and embarrassed myself by laughing out loud on the London Underground!As a female with no brothers this book was an amusing insight into what goes on in (not so) little boys' minds.Definately a must read book.