Always Look on the Bright Side of Life cover art

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

A Sortabiography

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Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

By: Eric Idle
Narrated by: Eric Idle
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About this listen

We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python - from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on a remarkable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theatre and film.

Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the '60s and '70s, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends. With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels and many more, as well as the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart.

In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brian and which has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humour that has delighted his audiences for five decades.

The year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric is marking the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind-the-scenes stories from a high-flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth.

©2018 Eric Idle (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group
Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Comedy Funny Witty Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Career Memoir
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Very good to hear Eric in all his glory, only one flaw of the book toward the end when he gets a little political and that really lets it down. I Don’t want to hear political views what ever side they’re from

A very good listen

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I’ve always been a Pythons fan but had no idea of how much stuff Eric and his mates have done outside of the main gig. His biography is obviously funny, but also full of interesting passages of Eric’s life, work and friendships. And having himself narrate is just brilliant

Fantastic book & life story

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fun and frolicking the whole way through. A joy to listen along to and what a life

Tremendous talent, extremely witty

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I love how this was read by Eric, it's very funny and fascinating learning about his life in show biz

Plenty of laugh out loud monents

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I disliked that Eric Idle didn’t tell the offical what he really thought about why he didn’t want to become an American. Other than that, an excellent autobiography

The lark about the sign language specialist

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I found the story funny, reflective, sad, unbelievable & most of all enjoyable. This is a person who has lived & is living a great life. Hearing Eric’s voice, telling his story a slam dunk, back of the net, top shelf yarn. To borrow a couple of quotes “Say no more, now f-off & get it.”

Not just an Idle fan

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Great from start to finish. With some surprises along the way. Author narrative was perfect

Brilliant !

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I really loved this biography, and have listened to it twice already…it helps that Eric is the Narrator, as that means a pretty warm reception from any old python fan like me.

It was so good to hear the beginnings of that wonderful generation of British comedy groups / acts, and how the Pythons formed.

Eric freely admits he was a bit of a pants man until he met his wife - “…I was 33 when it dawned on me that I couldn’t sleep with every woman on earth - some of them would have to miss out!” 😀 Eventually he fell head over heals and sounds totally devoted to his wife of 40+ years!

It was intriguing to hear the back story of his song “Bright Side”, and the whole “Spamalot” the musical is an incredible story - so wish I could see that now!

Sometimes Biographies that include anecdotes about being on Bowie’s yacht, or going to the Grand Prix with Mick Jagger can be tiresome pretty quickly, but he gets away with it without sounding like a total tool….and his tender description of his friendship with George Harrison is very touching.

So, it’s 5 stars from me - enjoy!

It’s Pretty Good ‘eh! Nudge Nudge Wink Wink!

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Well done here Eric.
What an outstanding life you have had and still got more to come.
Yes you are a legend.
Say no more!!
Mark from Australia.

Excellent audio book.

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This was a fantastic read. I lived so much of this through the 70’s, still use quotes from the Python’s…. Eric is honest, funny and authentic so recommended.

As Expected Hilariously Entertaining

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