How Not to Be a Boy cover art

How Not to Be a Boy

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

How Not to Be a Boy

By: Robert Webb
Narrated by: Robert Webb
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £13.06

Buy Now for £13.06

This Season's Biggest Deal | £0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly

Rules for Being a Man:

  • Don't cry
  • Love sport
  • Play rough
  • Drink beer
  • Don't talk about feelings

But Robert Webb has been wondering for some time now: are those rules actually any use? To anyone?

Looking back over his life, from schoolboy crushes (on girls and boys) to discovering the power of making people laugh (in the Cambridge Footlights with David Mitchell), and from losing his beloved mother to becoming a husband and father, Robert Webb considers the absurd expectations boys and men have thrust upon them at every stage of life. Hilarious and heartbreaking, How Not to Be a Boy explores the relationships that made Robert who he is as a man, the lessons we learn as sons and daughters, and the understanding that sometimes you aren't the Luke Skywalker of your life - you're actually Darth Vader.

©2017 Robert Webb (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Entertainment & Celebrities Funny Witty Celebrity Inspiring Feel-Good Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Emotionally Gripping
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

"Quite simply brilliant. I (genuinely) cried. I (genuinely) laughed out loud. It's profound, touching, personal yet universal. I loved it." (JK Rowling)
"Takes us deftly from hilarity to heart-stopping hurt.... A truly great read." (Dawn French)
"A witty and honest coming-of-age story." (Ian Rankin)
"If you have ever loved, liked or known a man, please read this book." (Katy Brand)
"A brilliant, brave book." (Matt Lucas)
All stars
Most relevant
I love peep show and was expecting a much better story, but to be honest I was very disappointed David Mitchells book was so much better. The narration was good but bad story .

not the best story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of How Not to Be a Boy to be better than the print version?

Yes, the narration is capturing and the extra are great

What was one of the most memorable moments of How Not to Be a Boy?

What Robert said at his fathers funeral, and how he handled many of the break ups in his life

Which character – as performed by Robert Webb – was your favourite?

Robert Webb / when he does an impression of Johnson

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes it made me cry whilst at work!

Any additional comments?

Loved it! I want more by the same author

Perfect

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the start of this book. It is punchy and witty and dives straight in to some full on stuff. I was telling others how funny it was and how they needed to read it. But as I got further into the book I started to regret recommending it. To be honest, Robert became a bit of a 'tosser' (sorry, am I allowed to say that? In my defense, Robert says something more offensive about himself in the book). He does recognise that he became a bit of a 'tosser' but he actually starts to sound like the very tosser he's describing - if you know what I mean. It is as if he wants to be self-depreciating but can't stop himself from telling you how indie he was before indie was hip.
The whole 'how not to be a boy' bit seems to be just a tenuous thread that allows him to describe his childhood experiences; introduce us to his own 'right-on' parenting style, and also provides the opportunity for a poetic ending.

Robert does have the last laugh because the book is funny enough to be worth a read but whilst the first chapters endeared him to me, by the end of the book he had become the tosser I had previously suspected he might be.

Is it cool to recommend it?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As expected from Webb, thoroughly amusing and very funny. The book discusses some very important issues which are perhaps often thought about but not actually written down, or 'put into book form'. Self-effacing... A thoroughly nice guy, by the sounds of it. I will be recommending it to many a male friend. Hints attached.

However... Interesting that past girlfriends were dwelled upon and certainly discussed far more than current wife. She (Abbie) sounds like a very interesting person with great insights on gender. Would have liked to hear more about her influence on Webb's life in terms of this quest to understand gender and feminism. Also I feel she was shut down/talked over or disregarded in the final joint studio discussion. This aspect seemed to contradict the key message of the book. Words without actions... But Webb does make very clear that living the words of the book is an ongoing project and he never claims to be perfect.

Many thanks for the listen.

Moreish listening!! Recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I've always been a fan of Robert Web, and this book just made me appreciate him more.

Awkwardly funny and relatable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews