Stewart Lee - The Perfect Fool (novel)

[Satchmo Distel]

I read this a few weeks ago and thought it was very cleverly done - taking disparate characters along paths that gradually converge, and playing around with conspiracy theories in an entertaining way.

It deserves more attention than it receives compared to his other past work. It's lasted better than his Herring collaborations in my view.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I liked it but I didn't love it. It's been a while since I read it but I remember enjoying it while reading it but then feeling a bit disappointed by the ending. But that's a vague memory, I really should give it another go at some point as I do remember thinking it was a lot better than most novels by stand up comedians.

[Old Nehamkin]

(extremely Armando Iannucci voice) Trains don't have legs.

[sponk]

Used to dream about reading this when I was a kid and getting in to Lee's work. I couldn't see it online for anything less than about a tenner and I was tooo poah to afford it, so I completely forgot it until seeing this thread. Lots of cheap copies on eBay now.

[amputeeporn]

When I was bookseller I talked to Faber (his current publisher) about reprinting it in the wake of his then-new success. They said they approached him and he didn't feel it was up to snuff, so declined having it put back into print.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I enjoyed it.

[Le Tourbillon]

I enjoyed reading it years ago, still more as he'd distributed signed remaindered copies for free in return for a stamped addressed envelope. A nice thing to do.

[Icehaven]

I can't remember if I'd read this or not, probably not as I had my main phase of rabidly reading novels by comedians a few years before this was published, but the holy grail premise sounds familiar and it's been around since 2001 so I've had nearly 20 years to forget it. Ordered it anyway, looking forward to getting halfway through and thinking 'yup, I've read it.'

[Small Man Big Horse]

I can't remember if I'd read this or not, probably not as I had my main phase of rabidly reading novels by comedians a few years before this was published, but the holy grail premise sounds familiar and it's been around since 2001 so I've had nearly 20 years to forget it. Ordered it anyway, looking forward to getting halfway through and thinking 'yup, I've read it.'

Which novels did you like, out of interest? I went through a similar stage about five to ten years ago but all I remember is that I was fond of Alexei Sayle and Harry Hill's novels, but felt really let down by Hugh Laurie and Rob Newman's.

[Icehaven]

Which novels did you like, out of interest? I went through a similar stage about five to ten years ago but all I remember is that I was fond of Alexei Sayle and Harry Hill's novels, but felt really let down by Hugh Laurie and Rob Newman's.

Rob Newman's Manners was a favourite but yeah his others not so much, Sean Hughes' were good, David Baddiel's (pre-going serious) were a bit meh, Charlie Higsons were enjoyable nonsense,  I really liked Stephen Fry's Making History but re-read a bit a few years later and found I'd gone off it a bit. There were others, if I think of any soon enough I'll add them. Always meant to read Alexei Sayle's novels, his short stories I've tried were alright if memory serves.

[wub1234]

If you're going to read literature then there are many worthy novels that weren't originally printed because the author is famous.

I saw a snippet of Graham Norton being interviewed at some literary festival, and he was mock-complaining about the fact that people were surprised that his novel was quite good.

I'm glad for him that his novel is quite good, but writing a quite good novel is not the hard part. The hard part is getting into print, and making anyone pay any attention whatsoever.

That challenge is cushioned somewhat when you're on TV interviewing Taylor Swift and George Clooney every five minutes, and you have the, frankly ridiculous, privilege of being able to tell your publisher that you will only allow them to publish your autobiography if they also agree to publish your novel.

And then you're automatically asked to speak on stage at a literary festival because you're famous.

If you haven't read every Dostoyevsky and Philip K. Dick novel then you really don't need to read David Baddiel's 'Time for Bed', trust me. I read it at my friend's house when I woke up before he did (not because I have insomnia). Utter sh*te.

[Icehaven]

If you haven't read every Dostoyevsky and Philip K. Dick novel then you really don't need to read David Baddiel's 'Time for Bed', trust me. I read it at my friend's house when I woke up before he did (not because I have insomnia). Utter sh*te.

I don't need to read anything though*. A while ago I read a lot of books by comedians because I liked their comedy, which they also wrote, so I had good reason to hope their book writing would please me too. Taylor Swift and George Clooney aren't exactly famous for writing anything are they? (Unless Swift's lyrics are comedy/poetic genius, in which case I stand corrected.) I agree slebs getting novels published on the back of their slebbery can be irritating but I've got far more time for the ones that have already proven their writing chops.
Re Dostoyevsky - I work in a prison library (so you can probably see why I need some light relief sometimes...) and I've lost count of the times someone's asked for Crime and Punishment, seen how huge it is and had second thoughts (and this is blokes with 23 hours a day to fill.) I don't blame them. I think one of the main things that keeps you reading or gets you into it in the first place is finding things you actually want to read, not just something you feel you should. I'd rather they went away with something they're actually going to read.

*Alright I kind of do being a librarian, but nothing specific.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Rob Newman's Manners was a favourite but yeah his others not so much, Sean Hughes' were good, David Baddiel's (pre-going serious) were a bit meh, Charlie Higsons were enjoyable nonsense,  I really liked Stephen Fry's Making History but re-read a bit a few years later and found I'd gone off it a bit. There were others, if I think of any soon enough I'll add them. Always meant to read Alexei Sayle's novels, his short stories I've tried were alright if memory serves.

Ah, when it came to Newman I was referring to Dependence Day, I didn't know he'd written another book but I'll definitely check it out as I am fond of his work in general. And thanks for your comments re: the rest, I agree with you when it comes to Hughes, Baddiel and Fry but haven't read anything by Higson, so will pick one up when I get the chance (ie I see it in a charity shop).

If you're going to read literature then there are many worthy novels that weren't originally printed because the author is famous.

I saw a snippet of Graham Norton being interviewed at some literary festival, and he was mock-complaining about the fact that people were surprised that his novel was quite good.

I'm glad for him that his novel is quite good, but writing a quite good novel is not the hard part. The hard part is getting into print, and making anyone pay any attention whatsoever.

That challenge is cushioned somewhat when you're on TV interviewing Taylor Swift and George Clooney every five minutes, and you have the, frankly ridiculous, privilege of being able to tell your publisher that you will only allow them to publish your autobiography if they also agree to publish your novel.

And then you're automatically asked to speak on stage at a literary festival because you're famous.

If you haven't read every Dostoyevsky and Philip K. Dick novel then you really don't need to read David Baddiel's 'Time for Bed', trust me. I read it at my friend's house when I woke up before he did (not because I have insomnia). Utter sh*te.

I see where you're coming from but disagree at the same time, I've read some (but not all) of Dostoyevsky and Dick and enjoyed it, but sometimes I like to read something fun and breezy, and that's when novels by comedians often fit the bill.