Book Review | Rating – 5/5 stars | Genre – Nonfiction / Autobiography
Once again I’m here to review a non-fiction book, which, having said time and again, I’ve never been massive fan of this type of book. Yet, I was drawn to it for two reasons; the first, being that my soon to be mother-in-law passed it on as a trio of books she thought I would like. The second being that I am rather fond of David Jason’s work, and it appealed to me that he seemed to have actually written it himself.
From Del Boy to Granville, Pop Larkin to Frost, he (David Jason) takes us behind the scenes and under the skins of some of the best loved acts of his career.
And in the process he reflects on how those characters changed his life too. The result told with his characteristic charm and wit is both funny and poignant, honest and heart warming. (synopsis from Goodreads).
What did I think?
Like I said above, I’ve never been a huge fan of nonfiction books, much prefering to stay in the realms of escapism rather than reality and truth (life is hard enough). Then again, I am on occasion drawn back in to read more on the lives of some of my favourite authors, comedians, and actors alike.
This is another of those autobiographies that had me smiling throughout, and then laughing out loud at some parts. Here are some of the more noticeable reasons I enjoyed the book…
- Wonderfully witty: one of the reasons that I came to love David Jason was the wit he incorporated into much of his comedy acting, and then into his more dramatic roles. This is shown throughout each chapter of the book, as Jason recounts various stories from his life, offering the more witty details that we may not have known before.
- Brilliant insight into the industry: Now, I could never claim to be a super fan of David Jason, I simply enjoy the shows that he has been a part of. However, it was interesting to see his perspective on the TV industry and how it has changed over the decades he’s been a part of it. There is a clear sense of intrigue and inspiration that he brings to the industry, showcasing his prestige as a long-standing actor and offering advice to any intrepid actors that may follow suit.
- Journey into nostaliga: It is fair to say that David Jasons’ more recognisable roles (Only Fools and Horse and Open all Hours) are decades back, and yet they are still loved today. Therefore, it is wonderful to see Jason delve back into the past and relive his time through the creation of these shows. Although, I was very much born in the 90s, it was great to be taken back to that time and understand how TV was shaped a decade before I entered the world.
In the end…
I’m definitely adding this to my list of autobiographies that I’ll look to pick up time and again in the future. I hold particular interest in that David Jason wrote the book himself, not only making his stories easier to understand, but also feel a sense of respect and truth behind what is being told.
I’ve already recommended this book to my Grandad, someone who shares my love of books, and will be sharing it across with other people who I come across. It also occured to me through reading, that he had another book before this, which I will now be searching out to hear more about Jasons’ interesting life.
The Next Big Opinion 