A review by slim_oysterhiatus
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle

3.0

I'm a big fan of Eric Idle, from Python and the Rutles to his novel and various adventures with stage productions. I actually read this immediately after finished John Cleese's autobiography. I expected that one to be self-congratulatory and to take a cynical view of the early years, but it was actually great and focused on what I wanted to know more about, so I went into Idle's book with a positive attitude toward Python autobiographies. It starts good, and I definitely learned a bit more about his early life and how he got started writing. I always love to hear stories of the early days (David Frost, Python/Goodies relationships, etc.). The book skips the parts most Python fans probably want to hear most about, but I get that celebrities get tired of talking about what they are most known for-- they've moved on to other projects, and we should be just as interested in those if we are true fans. (Shouldn't we?) But, towards the end it's just page after page of wild parties and celebrity connections. Idle is friends with everyone in the business, and he wants us to know that. Yes, he constantly points out how amazed he is that these things have happened to him, but it gets old fast.
Still a must read for a Python fan, but some chapters can be glossed over.