My husband hasn’t bought me a book as a present for YEARS. He says he has no idea what I like any more. But he bought me Content Provider by Stewart Lee for Christmas.
We’ve been fans of Stewart Lee since the late 90s, when we loved him so much that we used to watch live recordings in London of his show This Morning with Richard not Judy with Richard Herring. More recently, we have found Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle on TV absolutely hilarious.
Content Provider is not my usual sort of book. Because it’s a collection of short pieces of prose – mainly newspaper columns. I mistakenly bought a book of short stories a while back and I haven’t got round to reading it yet, because I don’t like to read in that way. I like a proper nice long story that I can get my teeth into. But at first I actually enjoyed reading a couple of complete pieces of Content Provider at a time.
The articles are very funny, but also very intellectual. I can see they wouldn’t be many people’s cup of tea. He’s also included some of his negative online comments after the articles – mainly from people saying he’s sh*t or who completely miss the irony.
This made me properly laugh out loud
There were plenty of times when I laughed out loud, but I must admit, by about halfway through, I was starting to get a bit bored. You can have too much of a good thing and some of the articles were starting to get repetitive. Reading a column every week in a newspaper would probably feel like a treat, but reading several a day for two weeks started to feel like a chore.
I’m never going to go off Stewart Lee’s stand-up, but his writing is definitely for die-hard fans only (who most definitely, like myself, wouldn’t be David Cameron supporters!).
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.