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Small Man in a Book

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Small Man in a Book

By: Rob Brydon
Narrated by: Rob Brydon
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Brought to you by Penguin.

Rob Brydon - star of Gavin and Stacey, Steve Coogan's partner in The Trip, and one of Britain's favourite comedians - tells the funny and frank story of his slow ascent to fame and fortune in Small Man in a Book.

A multi-award-winning actor, writer, comedian and presenter known for his warmth, humour and inspired impressions, Rob Brydon has quickly become one of our very favourite entertainers. But there was a time when it looked like all we'd hear of Rob was his gifted voice.

Growing up in South Wales, Rob had a passion for radio and soon the Welsh airwaves resounded to his hearty burr. However, these were followed by years of misadventure and struggle, before, in the TV series Marion and Geoff and Gavin and Stacey, Rob at last tickled the nation's funny bone. The rest, as they say, is history. Or in his case autobiography.

Small Man in a Book is a funny, heartfelt, honest, sometimes sad, but mainly funny, memoir of how a young man from Wales very, very slowly became an overnight success.

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A bit like Bryson himself, this is a lovely, warm and gentle listen.

It comes as no surprise that he's a natural when it comes to narration, but the occasional vulnerable moments feel real and genuinely touching.

This is a funny listen, that is just more than that, and for that reason, is highly recommended.

Lovely end warm.

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In a nutshell it was disappointing. 85% of this book is about before he reached fame which is all well and good and I’m happy to hear about it but the 15% that isn’t and contains the interesting stuff that I wanted to know more about felt rushed. No mention of Gavin and Stacey, Would I Lie To You or Amy panel show,

Had Potential But Disappointing

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Rob Brydon spent several years at BBC Wales, hosting game shows among many other jobs, and later made a comfortable living as a voice artist. But he yearned to be a performer. Comedy was his preference, though he also wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. It was a long journey - and this memoir tells the story of how he achieved his boyhood and adolescent dream. The breakthrough was Marion and Geoff, a small-scale TV series which showcased Brydon’s gifts as a comic actor to brilliant effect. Then there was Human Remains, a two-hander series with Julia Davis, in which they play different characters in each episode - the comedy is dark, and indeed quite warped, but it is excellent. Working with Steve Coogan in a production role was a dream come true for Brydon, who revered him, and later they would both work on The Trip, a kind of comedy travelogue. The book ends with Brydon accepting the role that cemented his fame in the BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey, as Uncle Bryn - though he did prevaricate initially over taking it as he didn’t want another ‘nerdy’ role. It’s a reminder of just how talented Brydon is, and fans (I’m among them) will love it. For me, as a listening experience it did feel a bit unsatisfying. It ends too soon, so perhaps an update is needed on the post-fame years. The description of his childhood years is interesting enough, but overlong. There’s a lot of detail, understandably, about Brydon’s early, formative projects in TV comedy, which is a little excessive. That said, the narration is - as you’d expect - spot-on. Three-and-a-half stars would be a fairer assessment of Brydon’s book, though if you’re a fan you won’t need much persuading to give it a try (or you’ll have read it already). Those who haven’t listened to Brydon’s interview podcast Brydon and …, in which he chats to actors and fellow comics, should definitely tune in - there are some fascinating conversations. And you’ll recognise some of the material from this memoir…

Portrait of the comedian as a young man

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Rob Brydon is ace. His story reminds me of the sitcom Sorry with Ronnie Corbett. (I'm sure he said Kurt Douglas was Catherine Zeta-Jones future husband... just saying)

An ordinary rise to the top.

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Rob Brydon delivers his life story with the charm and (perhaps more importantly) many voices you'd expect. It covers an interesting and winding road to fame I had not expected and had a strong narrative.
That said, it is clearly a book of it's time and it's jarring when he pulls out a Jimmy Savile impression on multiple occasions, as well as Russell Brand and potentially others. Appreciate how and when the book was written but definitely adds a sour note and wonder if it were recorded today if those individuals, at least perhaps voices, be included? No wonder it was on Audible's 2 for 1 offer - surprised it hasn't been removed completely from the virtual shelves...
It was also disappointing how limited Brydon's participation in Gavin & Stacey was, again the book is a decade and a half old but disappointing nonetheless that this was relegated to one or two paragraphs in the epilogue.
Wouldn't recommend outright, good as a +1 purchase at best.

Awkward listen and I'll tell you for why...

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