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themorsecode's review
3.0
Hilarious in parts but the format of the book which lists all his "Brexit" columns from the Observer over the past 3 years becomes a bit of a drudge - as, well, the last 3 years have been in general.
The transcript of his "Content Provider" performance is a welcome respite at the end, although it's humour is slightly stunted on page compared to on screen/in performance.
The footnotes are the best part, as ever in Lee's books, detailing the level of craft in his writing and performance.
The transcript of his "Content Provider" performance is a welcome respite at the end, although it's humour is slightly stunted on page compared to on screen/in performance.
The footnotes are the best part, as ever in Lee's books, detailing the level of craft in his writing and performance.
goldiefan's review
5.0
So I had the pleasure of reading this as the real Brexit event took place after the many fake ones. Maybe not the best form of escapism from the terrible world, but a thoroughly enjoyable one. The columns flowed perfectly and I especially commend the inclusion of a transcript of his Content Provider tour. Maybe it doesn’t flow quite as well in print as seeing him live but the footnotes helped aid this perfectly written well and adding so much character. I am indeed seeing Lee live in April and this made me so excited to see his words in flesh!
ross_maclean's review
5.0
After experiencing slight disappointment with the previous collection of columns, collected in Content Provider (book), as a result of their wide-ranging nature, I was expecting more of the same here. This, too, is a collection of footnoted columns but also includes the transcript of Content Provider (show), making it a hybrid between the last book and his earlier stand-up focused, memoir-ish books. As ever, the glimpses into the writing and thinking process provided by the footnotes is invaluable and the dissection of his various personae is endlessly fascinating. Having seen the live shows in various incarnations throughout the development, I was already quite familiar with the transcript material and loved the aspect of having it near-constantly interjected upon to be explained, which fits very well as the written form of Lee’s performance style. This book is aided by having the unifying theme —ironically— of Brexit, which allows for a narrative arc of sorts or, at the very least, a shape and purpose. Your mileage may vary —and I don’t always find Lee’s columns among his finest work— but I thought the quality of writing here was fantastic and definitely aided by his having this collection in mind while writing the original pieces, as published in the Observer. An excoriating document of an extraordinary time, recorded by the most individual, questioning voice in comedy.
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