Book review: Stewart Lee’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate: The Life And Deaths Of A Stand-Up Comedian (Faber and Faber, £12.99) gives readers a fascinating glimpse into how much heart and soul one man puts into making people laugh.
Stewart Lee’s analytical, patience-testing brand of pedantic comedy has earned him legendary status on the circuit.
Yet his journey to fame has been far from easy. Back in 2001, knackered and disenchanted with the art form, he quit stand-up.
How I Escaped My Certain Fate charts Lee’s return to the (fairly) big time, via a surprising route that included him being prosecuted for blasphemy.
Fundamentalist Christians may have taken umbrage with his Jerry Springer: The Opera but it reopened Lee’s eyes to comedy’s possibilities.
Three shows later – transcripts of which are in the book – he was back on top and back on telly. Lee is a master of deconstruction, a device he uses to great effect in his stand-up.
He uses it here too; tons of footnotes expound bits of his set and provide insights – often hilarious – into the way his idiosyncratic brain works.
This excellent book allows the reader a fascinating glimpse into how much heart and soul one man puts into making people laugh.
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk