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!).
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter