I will be honest with you, I only knew Rob from Gavin & Stacey and I was intrigued to read his autobiography. I had not realised how much he had achieved in his life. The audio version was brilliant as he read it himself and introduced so many voices that I found myself laughing out loud in the car!I always learn something when I read an autobiography, and this book was no different. Rob could have easily given up and just provided voice-overs for the rest of his career, but his determination and vision kept him going through until success. He also proved that the law of attraction works wonders! Phew, at last an autobiography that paints a picture of what seems to be a fairly normal bloke. No tearful, alcohol-fuelled impeachments of a depersonalised God (Frank Skinner), no family child molestations (Billy Connolly), no scuzzy deflowerings by prostitutes (Frank Skinner again). You'd think it would be boring, but surprisingly it's not. Another surprising thing is that I picked this up with hardly a knowledge or preconception about Brydon. I've rarely watched or seen any of his stuff on telly and what I have seen was far from laugh out loud funny. Wry, observational humour, more like, which is fine by me if I was to find such repeated in the book. Well, it was and it wasn't. It must be difficult to write something like this - you try sitting down to write a tasteful reprise of how (and to whom) you lost your virginity, knowing that the chances are the other half in the liaison will read it too. Providing they can read of course. Or you're Frank Skinner, who seemingly could write a book about it. As Brydon sometimes points out though, attention and fame were for him a calling that he couldn't not follow. People are pulled along in the slipstream when the autobiography gets written, and I had the feeling that Brydon was often cognisant of the fact that they'd probably rather not be.For me, it's the pre-fame and fortune years that are the interesting ones before celebrity hits, whether that applies to a comedian, actor, politician, footballer, whatever. The hungry years, which Neil Sedaka wrote he missed, when their view of the world wasn't warped by who they have to be when in public persona. Brydon stops writing in this book when fame begins to loom large in his life and I wondered if he's still trying to come to terms with it? Maybe it's easier to write about when you could still pretend you led a normal life and that chatting to, say, Bruce Springsteen, didn't leave you with the feeling you have more talent in your little finger. Brydon seems to be at pains to show just how normal a guy he was, and hopefully still is, while the rest of us wonder how the hell Jimmy Carr was able to avoid paying tax on an income of over £8m. If Carr's worth that, what's Brydon worth, given the former is, at best, mildly entertaining and/or famous? So, good try at convincing us you're normal, Rob. But you're not.
What do You think about Small Man In A Book (2011)?
A great read. He has a way with words that renders the mundane interesting. A light and easy read.
—kingpowd7
one of the best comedians around at the moment this is a great book and well worth a read
—Kateeeee
A very entertaining and interesting biography, well worth a read for any of Rob's fans.
—izybastos
Ok read, nothing mind blowing and a few funny moments, but expected a lot more from it.
—rhyannon
A no-nonsense memoir full of the classic subtle humour of Brydon.
—mollymoon888
