My Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand

My Booky Wook 2: This Time it's Personal by Russell Brand

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Much like the first book, but i was still shocked at several parts in the book... Drinking breast milk, really? I don't know, I'm a fan of Brand, but I don't think it was necessary to split a biography into two. Especially since it took a while for me to get reacquainted with the characters in his life. Prob should have had a little meet and greet in the beginning of this book or something, rather just picking up where the first book left off and assuming everyone had A. read the first book and B. remembered everything and everyone. Took longer than it should have for me to get into this book, especially since his style of humor and writing really are entertaining. I just can't get into a book if I have to sit and play catch up (one of the reasons I like Stephen King's Dark Tower series is for his recaps in the beginning of each new installment, minus the sixth for some odd reason).

One of the parts that I did like was his account of the 2008 MTV VMAs, and the utter failure of his humor being accepted right off the bat in America. Those death threat emails (so thoroughly analyzed in this book) were actually a lot of fun to read. Even though they really just serve to show the world how violent and self-righteous American citizens are. Of course, that's a topic better left for political blogs. Or at least, from a separate post than a discussion of a comedian's memoir.

As much as I appreciated the fact that more of this biography was relevant to me, an American with little access to Brand's earlier work in Britain, I feel like this was just an effort to make a little bit more money off the hype surrounding his first Booky Wook. Less entertaining than the first one, it almost felt like a chore to read.

I have to say though, I thought the ending, all about Katy Perry, was pretty sweet. Even if they're getting divorced and he was apparently a jerk to her anyway, it's good to see love in action. Cheesy and lame and a little too romantic for my tastes, but there you have it. Everyone just wants to be loved. Sidenote: the psychologist in me really enjoyed the intense relationship with his mother, and the not-so-close bond with his father, and his countless sexcapades throughout his life. Both to impress daddy and make him proud, and to feel some attachment, even somewhat close to what he feels to his mother (although clearly a different relationship than mother-son)... I really am a nerd for once again bringing psychology into my recreational reading.

So anyway, my final thoughts- I was still entertained by Brand, but this felt a little more like required reading to me. Plus it was so similar to his first Booky Wook, it got kind of monotonous and boring. Which is something I never thought I'd say about Russell Brand, especially after reading his first book. I recommend it, but take your time reading it or you'll feel forced to read it which makes it less fun.



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