This month’s book review is that of Matt Lucas, from the Little Britain fame. However, his autobiography ‘Little Me’ is much more than his little Britain characters. The book is more like a chat with a close friend and simultaneously humorous, honest and sad.
Matt Lucas – An ordinary bloke
Matt grew up in an ordinary Jewish family where nothing happened in his life. His family loved him, they supported him, and he loved them. There were visits to his grandparents, his cousin, and everyday family life. He was the school clown, worked hard to establish his career, and became a versatile entertainer. He will always be remembered for his character Vicky Pollard. His career is much more. Singer on Les Miserables, author, storyteller and an actor on Doctor Who, to name a few of his jobs. To be honest, he came across as a nice guy.
The book has taken the guise of an A-Z listing of what has happened in his life. As he states at the beginning of the book, “we will jump around a bit, and I will discuss nothing romantic or give you any details of my love life”. There is a brief paragraph on his husband, and then it’s left there. How refreshing, a celebrity that has morals and wants to keep some of his life private. The book is about his family, his feelings, some of his views and coming to terms with his sexuality. There was some gossip about famous people, and everything was written from his perspective.
He discusses losing his hair early in his life, meeting David Walliams, and working as a duo. His chapter on fame is amusing. You are left feeling that more people should recognise him, ask for his autograph, and feel sad when they don’t.
My Opinion on Matt Lucas
I loved the book. He was honest, open, and entertaining. You don’t have to be a Matt Lucas fan to enjoy this book. If you are thinking about a life in comedy, then reading this to find out how hard it is and how much work you must go through to become famous is fascinating. He also discusses things he would rather we didn’t know about, but only in passing. There are some regrets, but not many.
The only thing I would have changed was that he criticises himself and puts himself down a lot, which is unnecessary. Give this book a go, it won’t set the world on fire, but sometimes you want a book to be good, enjoyable and put it down and think, well, I read that and know a little more about him. Available on amazon, audible and other bookshops.
