Eric Idle Books

A great book for any Monty Python fan. Like the title said "All The Words". I got both books (1 & 2) along with the dvd set and I read along with the dvd. Also great for sketches seeing as the desribe the scene as stuff is going on.

I've seen "Monty Python's Flying Circus" so many times that I can recite long stretches of it by memory. But due to all those weird accents and manic deliveries ("GREET! GREET!"), sometimes not everything they say is totally coherent.

Fortunately for those times, Python fans have "The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words," a series of transcripts of every sketch they did. They're lacking in detail at times, but still enormous fun and full of delightfully quotable lines ("It's probably pining for the fjords!").

Basically, ther first volume contains the first half the series, starting with the Mozart show and ending with "Long John Silver Impersonators Vs. Gynecologists. Among the classic comedy sketches: the Spanmish Inquisition, the Ministry of Silly Walks, the lethal joke used against the Germans, semprini, the Lumberjack song, the Attila the Hun show, how to defend yourself from fresh fruit, camel-spotting, Secret Service dentists, and the invasion of tennis-playing blamcmanges from the galaxy of Andromeda.

The dialogue to each one is laid out carefully, with each character identified (like "Interviewer (JOHN)"). Most of these episodes are one long continuing sketch -- ots of sketches that spill over into each other, with bare-bones descriptions of Terry Gilliam's bizarre animations. And, of course, the opening sequences, often with the "It's" man.

These guys had a rare and hysterical writing talent -- it's full of crazy glorious dialogue ("The black death, typhus, cholera, consumption, bubonic plague..." "Ah, those were the days"). Not much description of the action in places, though, especially where there is lots of action. But when necessary, they describe everything down to clothing and tear-shedding.

The problem is that this should only be read after you've seen the series, because otherwise it becomes a bewildering blur of stream-of-consciousness comedy numbers. You have a better chance of finding Ilchester in a cheese shop than of unerstainding what the heck is going on.

The first volume of "The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words" is a hilarious companion book to the legendary TV series, and an excellent refresher for all those great lines. Now, alduce me to introlow myslef!

..but as a relaxed reading for someone who wants to learn the sketches by heart, this is the ultimate book.

That Monty Python is actually very limited a franchise. These few Python book which script the entire series in it's four year run (as there was only a few eps each year) really leave one saying "Is that all the fuss is about?" Sure there were Python movies (but about half of these films were simply rehashes of the series). I never understood when Python became so big. In the late 70's they were just something I watched on a UHF station latenight. Benny Hill was really funnier than Python (even the UHF station advertised Hill that way) but he didn't become as much of a franchise. Python shouldn't of either. Really there isn't that much to it!

As a fan of MPFC since it first aired on PBS in 1973, these two volumes sort of put a cap on a 30 year fascination with the team. Maybe like me, you've watched every Python-Marathon or taped every show, but having these scripts really is the icing on the cake.

What's striking to me is the simplicity of the scripts. When you watch the episodes, the gags seem so complicated. Then to see The Dead Parrot sketch reduced to just a few pages, you realize how brilliant those guys were in terms of compression, and in terms of acting. An added plus, for me at least, was to finally see the words and phrases that I never quite "got" because they were unique to British English. From there, I logged on to a few websites on British slang and, boy, I realized what MPFC got away with...some of it was pretty raunchy. Anyway, this is two-volume set is priceless for any fan.

Michael Palin writes as he speaks, without pretension, and with a great deal of humor. These are his diaries, not initially meant for publication and thus full of honest, blunt observations regarding films, books, his own performances and the foibles of his fellow Pythons. Nobody escapes unscathed here, though I doubt anyone that Mr. Palin wrote about would dispute his conclusions.

The years 1969-1979 are some of the most amazing in Python history; they begin as the Monty Python starts filming its first television series, and concludes as Life of Brian is released and there is backlash from the religious folks who don't understand the premise (and many of whom proudly state that they haven't even bothered to see the film they're condemning). Between these two seminal events are discussions of filming on other projects, the need and the attempt to write, and a man's deep and abiding love for his wife, children and parents. Reading the passages about Palin's father weakening was moving in the extreme, and his pain was palpable as the roles between father and son slowly reverse themselves.

This is a hernia farm of a book at over 600 pages hardcover, exclusive of introductions and index, but you soon forget your aching arms as the pages fly. The life that Michael Palin has built for himself and his family is so layered, rich and interesting (while still being fairly "normal") that you only want the best for him and can't wait to read what happens next. I understand that the next segment of diaries will be released in September 2009, and I'm very excited to read about that next decade in my favorite Python's life.

Despite copious footnotes explaining the backgrounds of the people mentioned, those who are not familiar with British comedy and culture may find the narrative a little hard to follow, at least initially. Because I've been living in London for a year or so, the people that Palin encounters (and then writes about) have become more familiar to me. Even more interesting were his mentions of favorite bookshops, restaurants and London haunts which he enjoyed with his children (and, in some cases, continues to enjoy to this day). In that respect, the Diaries became a bit of a travelogue for my future travels around my new hometown.

Short, terse, but enjoyable odyssey through some of the most transformative years of the life of Michael Palin; who just happened to be one of the core members of a silly group of brits which changed the course of comedy.
Silly is the word. Palin's the name.

I have been a fan of Python for years, so I was delighted to learn of this book. I truly enjoyed it. It was very entertaining to read of the beginnings of Python, and the stories of Palin's other projects were also well told. His entries about his family made him seem accessible. He definitely tried to balance his family life with his professional career that became more successful as the years went by.

Like so many others, I was, am, and forever will be thrilled, inspired, and utterly in love with the wonderfully weird magic that is "Monty Pythons Flying Circus". The quirky and altogether strange world of the Pythons have provided me with many laugh induced bellyaches and watery eyes. It was, in a word, brilliant.

And, although I'm not happy about 'taking sides', as it were, I guess Michael Palin has always been my favourite. So it was a great pleasure to find this book on the shelf at my local bookpusher.

In it, Palin gives a very interesting, very candid, and (critically) not silly view of the lives and times of the Python group. We get a fine description of the other members of the group as well as Palins family, a subject not often explored. One of the marvelous aspects of this volume is, that while it describes the 'Python Years", it dosen't hang on the 'normal' points of interest that every other book and interview about the pythons, to this day, seems to find so absolutely necessary to repeat to death. It gives the reader so many apt and recherché descriptions of the small things behind the scene, that it truly ads a new and original dimension to Python legacy. Indeed not a small feat.

Any python fan would appreciate this wonderful book. I'm absolutely sure of it. Highest possible recommendation.

What a fruitful and stimulating period for Michael Palin from 1969 through 1979! The trajectory runs from the young man and his colleagues trying to find their way as barely-known humorists and performers in England to huge worldwide stars with a portfolio that remains strong to this day.

The diary shows a wonderful family man of wit, personality, sensitivity, talent and various other positive attributes. A book with only that would of course be rather dull eventually, and Palin freely admits his errors, worries, and somewhat edgy remarks about others. One can't help but wonder what was trimmed in the massive editing job, whether it was mostly day-to-day stuff or whether we lost some naughty bits and rougher comments. My guess is that we saw enough personality of the author that there was only modest need to excise nasty or regrettable words.

One of the better aspects is, in fact, that Palin paints quite human portraits of the other Pythons, some warts and all. There's John Cleese, often stand-offish and wanting to move on. There's Eric Idle, moody and worried about money. There's Graham Chapman, struggling with booze, and Terry Jones, who is closest to Palin, trying to find his way. Naturally, there are many positive remarks about the boys, too, and I particularly liked the behind-the-scenes stories during the making of the films and their writing sessions. How little money they made! To the Pythons' good fortune, the BBC gave up the non-UK rights to video.

Other highlights were Palin on Saturday Night Live, his first publicity tour to America and the subsequent rise of the Python shows on public TV, the decline and death of his father, and the general realization that he was becoming quite famous and the burden of celebrity was not always welcome. Quite a few famous people appear, with a fine example being George Harrison (a big "Lumberjack Song" fan). Palin is at first intimidated by Harrison, and eventually they became friends. It's a testament to Palin's charm, friendliness and interest in so many subjects (he reads constantly in the diary) that he has countless friends and contacts, and must be an excellent companion.

If you want to dip into the book for a sample, try February, 1975. Palin says, "Good news from New York - Python is top of the PBS Channel 13 ratings" on Feb 4. He complains, "I am so sick of being Python odd-job man, and yet the alternative is to not know what's going on in your name - which is infinitely more dangerous." There are family news, socializing with others, and thoughts of a future project, and on Feb 22, "I suppose this could be said to be the day on which Python finally died."

The author is clearly a pretty smart guy, and some predictions about the future and lamentations about the loss of scale in human development were spot on. I had to smile at one exception, when he thought Keith Richards wouldn't last long. But, hey, that's ok, you were far from alone!

Don't read the book looking to laugh throughout. "Amusing" and "funny" are more appropriate, and I actually laughed rarely. I can't see much of an audience beyond people with a positive view of Python, as the best bits certainly work far better for people with an appreciation of the material and (ideally) a recollection of the 1970s.

Sometimes the jokes in »Monty Python's Flying Circus« are fired so fast that you don't catch it all. This is your chance to do so.

Hilarious. The greatest comedians ever. Now on paper. I'm afraid I'll die laughing...

Sometimes the jokes in »Monty Python's Flying Circus« are fired so fast that you don't catch it all. This is your chance to do so.

Hilarious. The greatest comedians ever. Now on paper. I'm afraid I'll die laughing...

Also known as 'All the Words', this is exactly what it says on the tin - the scripts for every single show (minus the two German episodes), plus some amusingly-crude photographs, and an index. There isn't really a way of reviewing this book without straying from the brief and reviewing the show itself, so I'll stop here.

The Pythons were like the British Marx Brothers, Anti-authority,
subversive, surreal, and very very funny. Particularly interesting are the Python's accounts of their childhood and pre-fame days.

It seems "A Careful Reader" wasn't so careful after all. The picture of Dudley Moore (and it is most assuredly him) is on page 68 NOT 88. Here's a clue for ACR...he's about 30 years younger than he was when he appeared in the movie "10." Thank you and good night!

On page 88 it says that one of the four men in the photo is Dudley Moore. The fellow in the picture doesn't look at all like Dudley Moore. Furthermore, it says, on another page, that Ian MacNaughton is beseeching Terry Jones. But the man MacNaughton is begging seems to actually be Michael Palin. On a different note, in his autobiography part of the book Eric Idle seems too proud of his anti-authority stances. The 60's are very long gone now. Idle should grow up and not be so flaunting of his anti-societial ways. Being part of society is back in fashion.

...but that's not a bad thing (explanation below).

I got this book for Christmas and was concerned that because of it's size I would probably end up just thumbing through and reading select parts. Not the case. I started reading it and couldn't stop.

It covers the group and individuals from their pre-Python lives through discussions of working together again after The Live at Aspen event - though I won't tell you what conclusion they came to. In between is chock full of every detail about their influences, TV show, the movies, the stage shows and more. And because each member contributes (hence...autobiography) you get a great insider's perspective on the dynamics of the group. You learn first hand who doesn't like who, what they enjoyed and how, at times, they really struggled, and a bunch more behind the scenes insights into their personalities.

I found the book to be fascinating. It is formatted such that each event is discussed by multiple members of the troop. So you get a 360 degree view of their writing sessions, their fights, their good times, their movie productions, their business and artistic relationships.

The only downside (and here is why I titled this as such) is that it was rarely funny. That is by no means a fault, but could come as a surprise (as it did me) to the reader who expects it to be silly and funny like their performances. As a result this book is probably only going to be of interest to a true Python fan. And a true Python fan will find it indispensible.

Here it is MP fans, the screenplay from The Life Of Brian. Being out of print since 1979, I'm glad that Methuen Publishing has stepped up to get this screenplay back in circulation by putting it out in 2001. Illustrated with 19 b&w photos from the film, all your favorite lines from the movie are here to enjoy all over again. A solid effort by Methuen that they followed up a year later with the screenplay to Monty Python And The Holy Grail. And there was much rejoicing. Yea!!!

The format is a mass-market paperback, but this isn't a novelization but rather the screenplay as the movie was made. You'll notice that last has a subtle distinction. Oftentimes screenplays differ notably from the movies as you see them--scenes are cut because they didn't work, cost too much to do, or just because of the limits of time. The screenplays of Brazil and Monty Python and the Holy Grail are full of wonderful little tidbits that didn't make it to the screen. Unfortunately, for Life of Brian, there's only the parts that did get made, which are funny indeed, but you've already seen them.

I am the mother of a two children, ages seven and five. We have read and reread nearly all of Roald Dahl's children,s stories. In general, I love this author. His stories are entertaining, even magical, and so beautifully written. When reading Dahl, I am always aware that my children are exposed to high quality literature with a richness of vocabulary and ideas. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator is the only exception to our general delight with Roald Dahl. It is dark and lacks the sense of optimism, the charm, the magic of his other stories. Neither of my children enjoyed this book and I did not either. My advice would be to stop after Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and not pick up this sequel. Instead, grab Matilda, the BFG, or James and the Giant Peach and treat yourself and your kids to a real treasure!

Not as good as the original.


The takeoff into the Sequel of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is ok, but the rest doesn't live up to it, unfortunately.

You can save the kids this one and go for some of Dahl's other work, or just go through the first book again.

The space mission here isn't as much fun and doesn't offer as much clever commentary as the other book.

After reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to my 5 and 7 year olds, I got down my childhood copy of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. It made for a terrible read aloud! The plot was slow, the dialogue boring and I had to edit out some racist parts about China and the Chinese. We all decided to abandon the read aloud after Chapter 5. Very disappointing! I was actually surprised to still find the book in print!

Actually, in comparison with the first book (Charlie and the chocolate factory) this book is definitely not as good. I did however read it in 2 days because I wanted it to be done in a matter of time for school, and, I couldn't put it down. This book does not have as much adventure because it's in space and then taking wonka vites and Vite Wonkas and so on and so forth. This book did keep your attention and of course, was written by roald dahl which makes it superior.

Because my children dearly loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I could not have been more delighted to find a sequel. I bought it as soon as I discovered it, and proceded to read it to my daughter. My son then proceded to read the book himself.

As I read it to my daughter, we were both very disappointed. We had hoped to discover what happened as Charlie learned about running the Chocolate factory and ultimately how he took over. Instead, we found some sort of a creepy science fiction type of story, complete with very frightening aliens. Neither one of us enjoyed the book very much.

My son read the book and had nightmares about the aliens for months afterwards. He wrote a book report on it and stated that he did not like the book in his report. (I wonder why?)

While I certainly recommend the first book, I cannot recommend this one at all. It isn't fun to read and just isn't the kind of story most of us are looking for after Charlie won his factory.

This giant photo-riffic book is the Python equivalent of the now-standard Beatles Anthology. No fan of Cleese, Palin, Jones, Idle, Chapman and Gilliam should be without it.

After purchasing the complete set of DVD's and laughing so hard I was sick, I just had to find out out they did it. This book answered my question. I enjoyed it, but it was a bit long and somewhat redundant.

For 30 years or so, I've been a major Monty Python fan, and bought this CD audiobook after thoroughly enjoying the hardback. What a disappointment! If I could give it zero stars, I would - and I've never wanted to do that before in a review.

Having read the book, I knew this wasn't a performance CD - I just wanted to hear the stories from the book as told by the Pythons themselves, in their own voices. Unfortunately that was exactly the problem: As has already been pointed out by others here, the audio quality is wretched.

I had to listen hard in most places to be able to make out the words, and that's no way to enjoy listening to a book. I tried it with speakers and with headphones, volume up and volume down, and nothing helped.

Here's my theory: I don't believe this audiobook was initially intended to be. I think that, after the hardback was published, someone thought it might work to release the interviews that went into the making of the hardback. All well and good, except that those interviews were recorded only for content, not for audio quality, and it shows.

So I don't think anyone did a sloppy job of putting together an audiobook. Instead, I think someone tried to push a square peg of recorded interviews through the round hole of retail. Even the art on the CD box seems to be an afterthought.

Unless you're prepared to listen to two CDs of muffled, echoing, low-volume, distant monologues, don't buy the audiobook of "Pythons" - instead, indulge yourself in the hardback. Not only will you "hear" the voices of the Pythons better in your own head, but you'll also get a lot of wonderful photos.

THE PYTHONS is a must for fans of the group but for the more casual reader it probably won't serve a purpose. It is an oral history of the group with contributions by the living members and statements culled from the late Graham Chapman's auto-biography. (A very funny book, but one that needs to be taken with a 16 ton grain of salt)If you are looking for specifics of how any of this marvelous group put together their sketches, look elsewhere; this is not a breakdown of how Monty Python's Flying Circus came to be, rather it is a bunch of reminiscences of early life, working together( and who worked with whom) and some still not quite healed wounds. Chapman comes off poorly, his drinking a constantly mentioned problem, Gilliam's story is so separate from the rest that he really doesn't seem to be a member of the group until The Holy Grail, although his animations were a key to the show's success, and Cleese is often seen here as standoffish, a bit out of the mix with the others. Memories often don't jibe for each member, an example being who chose "The Liberty March" as the theme, Palin lays claim to it as does Gilliam (with Idle agreeing with Gilliam.)But it is interesting to see how the group's personalities come forward as time goes on, and it does give some insight into the creative processes behind the scenes even though it does fall short of offering the aforementioned specifics. there are a number of great stories here and well worth the time (and strength!) to read this book. I did enjoy this slightly askew look at one of comedy's most influential and funniest groups ever; I just have difficulty recommending it to anyone but the converted.

This is probably the most accurate history of the Monty Python television program and films.

It reveals the impressing background of the players and their problems in working together which resulted in their dispersing and ill will with each other.

I recieved this book for Christmas, and being a fan of Monty Python, and Eric Idle especially, it was a joy to read. Eric Idle is a fantastic writer, and it's nice to get to see the world the way he sees it. Some of my favorite parts of the book were his stories he told about George Harrison and himself. The book is great for fans, or anyone who'd like a laugh (or a cry.).

Well, I picked up this book expecting a fast, pithy read from one of the great comics of recent memory. I also expected that he would focus on his annoyance with America (which he does to some extent) and his interactions with the audience.
Sure, he does give one some observations, however I was more impressed by this book than I ever expected to be. That's why I am writing this review, dear reader. Idle's description of the American countryside is well, at times, sheer poetry. I was surprised that I wanted to see these parts of the country for myself after reading his affectionate odes to them.
The most poignant thing about this work is that it is the work of a man (as he admits) who is at the end of his comedic career, but still wants to celebrate every moment he has left. His allusions to his personal relationships with his wife, daughter and the tragic deaths of his mother and father took me totally aback. I actually feel I garnered some true insight into this man. That's a difficult thing for comedians to do when they write a book, in my personal reading experience.
I really would highly recommend this book, and, I can't believe I am writing this, the main reason is because I found this book actually inspirational. A lovely story of a man who triumphed over tragedy and, in the end, reveals what many would never contemplate: this guy is just like the rest of us, insecure and not immune to the slings and arrows of life. Highly recommended. And no, I am not his agent :)

I laughed out loud at this story of Eric Idle's bus tour for his Broadway show Spamalot. I've sent this book as a gift to several people and insisted they read it.

I don't know why reviewers are constantly "surprised" by the serious writings of comedians. Great comedians have always been very serious people, and I think a lot of comedians' best work has been more dramatic than comedic, including Robin Williams in "Good Will Hunting" and "Fisher King" as well as Jim Carrey in "Truman Show" and "Man on the Moon".

This book establishes this fact yet again. Eric Idle is a hilarious and seemingly wonderful guy, but he's obviously quite philosophically inclined. You can't write a great philosopher drinking song unless you're already acquainted with those philosophers. As he admits in this book, comedy was a defense mechanism by which he coped with what sounds like a harsh childhood. He raised that coping mechanism to an art form.

I really enjoyed this book simply because I could spend a few hours sharing the thoughts of a smart, funny man, whose work I've always admired. It's a diary. It rambles a bit. It's serious, funny, witty, poignant and at times a bit too much, but that's why I think it's probably an accurate depiction of the mind of Eric Idle. You don't write the sketches Monty Python gave us while wielding the mind of a charter accountant.

Cheers. Buy the book, and I think you'll enjoy it a lot. The tribute to George Harrison was beautiful, and I'm sure there will be many to pay similar tribute to Eric when his day comes.

The way Idle in his book badly treats anyone who saw his performance but didn't care for it shows how truly stuck up he is. Everyone over 10 who watches his performances has to believe he's every bit as great as he thinks he is or he gets negative about it. The drawing of Idle as a lady is thankfully missing from the new paperback version.

To the most recent reviewer here before me I say this. George Harrison was part of the arguably biggest bunch of musicians in history (The Beatles). There was a moment in the 1960's when almost every youngster in the US, England and Australia
between 13 and 18 years of age was into the Beatles. There was never a moment when the Pythons had such a fan following. Comparisons between Beatles and Pythons are ridiculous.
When Idle's time comes the only people who'll blab about him in their own books would be the surviving Pythons (even Carol Cleveland).

There is some very, very excellent stuff in here, and enough to make up for the fact that it's a very blatant repackaging of old Python material. It seems a little like exploitation to tell you the truth, but the skits are so good that it's forgivable. Some of the best are Lumberjack Song, Madame Palm, Constitutional Peasants, Every Sperm is Sacred, and especially the Oxford Simplified Dictionary. Also included is a very funny preface by Terry Gilliam.

Do not be fooled, dear readers- this is not really a book at all, but a mere compilation of some of the different Python sketches throughout the Flying Circus series, with some pictures and artwork thrown in. You can 'read' it within much less than an hour. However, those who love pictures will get plenty in here, and those Python nuts who like to recite the skits line by line can now have a chance at doing so with this pocket-sized book.

Spamtastic! It's so nice and little, I can carry it around with me in my purse and backpack! It's great when I need a Python fix. It has "The Lumberjack Song" and "Spam" and "Every Sperm is Sacred" Lyrics, but it also has really funny, lesser known skits like "Constitutional Peasants" (from Holy Grail) and "What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?" (from Life of Brian). I was really torn between this one and John Cleese's Pocketful of Python, but the "Truth About Protestants" skit (from Meaning of Life) made me get it. Every Python fan should own this. It's a funny and wonderful mix of popular and unpopular Python and will make you [at least] giggle every time you read it.

It isn't huge. It's laced with themes from the tv shows.

But there are opportunities unique to the form:

ACCEPT ANY 3 of these great classics entirely FREE as your introduction to the THE PYTHON GUILD and you get one free tub of dung (tick if required).

Need I say more?

First of all, this book is neither big, nor red. It's quite thin actually, and is blue. There is limited new material in it, and the actual new material isn't very special. This doesn't seem like a Monty Python product at all. It was probably thrown together at the last minute. I purchased this today, finished it an hour ago, and I'm still frustrated with it. However, I purchased the "First 280 years of Monty Python" book, and really like it so far. "The Pythons" is also good, but is kind of all over the place, but "280 years" is mainly focused on the television show. So in conclusion, hesitate on this one, unless you think it will be the last Python book you'll ever buy.

Monty Python's Big Red Book has a lot of material from the show, which makes it a good one. This may not take you that long to read, but I think it'll be worth it. I first read this over my friend's house a few years ago, and I thought it was cool, so I got myself a copy.I'm surprised the spam song is in it with the lumberjack song. It's a nice thing to read right before you go to bed.Look, just read it yourself and see what you think.

Inevitably, this is a big blue book. My hardback copy dates from 1971, and originally cost 1.50 ukp. It's a fairly slim collection of material based around the first couple of series of the show - an advertisement for 'Whizzo Chocolate Assortment', a series of introductions from increasingly-flustered newsreaders, pages of classified ads, and more than a few naked women. It's much less effective than the television show - the transcriptions lose a lot without the delivery, and the original bits seem rushed. It has recently been re-released, and you can probably read it all whilst standing up in the shop.