Sadly, TV Critic Omer Ali at Time Out, who is clearly a fan of sorts, wanted to like The Perfect Fool but found himself too compelled to compare it unfavourably to Killing Paparazzi by Robert M Eversz, and we must respect him for this. I think I can pull “excellent … especially good” out of this, but it would seem dishonest to do so. I was glad Omer noticed that I had tried to twist events this way and that, as plot device and emotional background, but sad that he thought I had failed roundly. At this stage I don’t get a knock to my ego from bad reviews, I just worry about how it will affect sales and the chance of getting to publish again. – S.Lee
“The main thing linking these 2 books is the central importance of an act of bestiality caught on camera acquires in both, as well as a female lead trying to escape her past. Excellent stand-up comedian Lee tries – as he does with all the conceits in his novel – to twist the event this way and that, as plot device and emotional background, but fails roundly…. Killing Paparazzi is zippy stuff, all the more so compared with Lee’s work, which tiringly takes us from Balham – bedsit territory where he’s at his best – to Arizona, involving, amongst other things, Hopi myths, the blooming Holy Grail, and Soviet space dog Laika, zzz … A list of comedians-turned-novelist would be longer than this review, and compared to most of them I wanted Lee to carry it off, but then I finally understood Emperor Josef II’s rebuke to Mozart, ‘too many notes’. ….. Lee spends the best of his efforts drawing his cast list together in ways that are all too obvious. The prose is mechanical, and fails to capture any of the visual elisions in his mind. This isn’t writing, it’s directing traffic.”
Oh dear. That said, History has shown Emperor Josef II to be wrong about WA Mozart, who is now highly regarded, but dead.
S Lee
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Bosco239, youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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John Robins, Comedian
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube