Laughter from Both Sides of the Pond
Eric Idle & Bill Bryson
This week, I’m passing along recommendations for two enjoyable reads from two brilliant writers. Fair warning, though: neither book is “new”. Hell, one was published over 30 years ago. But good comedy never goes out of style, right?
An Expat Returns Home
Last week, I finished listening to an audio version of The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America by prolific writer Bill Bryson. The book chronicles his 14,000-mile road trip through the Midwest, and is riddled with hilarious anecdotes from his stops at remarkably unremarkable towns along the way. In his fast-paced romp through Middle America, Bryson manages to find humor in the most unlikeliest of places.
The Lost Continent was first published in 1989, and it somewhat reads as such. A few references are admittedly dated, and some of Bryson’s language feels out-of-touch by today’s standards. But overall, the heaping helping of meat and potatoes served up on this dish is ultimately very satisfying.
The Full Monty
This week, I finished listening to an audio version of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle. Personally, I love any book that begins with a crucifixion. And that’s exactly how Idle kickstarts a lengthy yarn about his time in showbusiness.
Idle is, of course, widely recognized for his founding role in the wildly popular comedy troop Monty Python. And to be honest, this book is probably most entertaining for those familiar with the vast catalogue of Monty Python repertoires. Those who aren’t might be a bit thrown by passing references to lumberjacks, half-bees, Mr. Creosote, and the Minister of Silly Walks. Then again, the book became a New York Times Bestseller when published in 2018. So, clearly, the masses aren’t terribly confused!
In Bright Side, Idle rolls out a litany of stories from his wonderfully productive and successful career as an entertainer. Most interesting—and surprising—to me were the impactful relationships he shared with a particular Beatle, the Father of SNL, and some guy named Mick.
I read a few reviews online that bemoaned the amount of name-dropping in the book. But, honestly, how can you write about decades of life in showbusiness without celebrity references? As Idle himself writes, there’s little point to mentioning non-celebrities since readers wouldn’t know who they are. Or so he mentioned recently to Prince Charles in passing…
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