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David Mitchell: Back Story

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David Mitchell: Back Story

By: David Mitchell
Narrated by: David Mitchell
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About this listen

David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life.

As well as giving a specific account of every single time he's scored some smack, this disgusting memoir also details:

  • the singular, pitbull-infested charm of the FRP (‘Flat Roofed Pub’)
  • the curious French habit of injecting everyone in the arse rather than the arm
  • why, by the time he got to Cambridge, he really, really needed a drink
  • the pain of being denied a childhood birthday party at McDonalds
  • the satisfaction of writing jokes about suicide
  • how doing quite a lot of walking around London helps with his sciatica
  • trying to pretend he isn’t a total **** at Robert Webb’s wedding
  • that he has fallen in love at LOT, but rarely done anything about it
  • why it would be worse to bump into Michael Palin than Hitler on holiday
  • that he’s not David Mitchell the novelist. Despite what David Miliband might think
©2012 David Mitchell (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Entertainment & Celebrities Performing Arts Comedy Celebrity Funny Biography

Critic Reviews

‘One of the best celebrity memoirs of last year…his outsider geek personality translates just as well on the page as it does on TV.’ Metro

‘It livened up about half way through with the appearance of me. But enough of David's life. The book is wonderful from beginning to end.’ Robert Webb

'David Mitchell is an extremely funny man on screen, in person, in print and very probably underwater.' Sam Bain, co-writer of Peep Show

‘He can write’ Evening Standard

‘Fluent, discursive, intelligent.’ Evening Standard

‘If you like Mitchell on television, you will like him in this book.’ Shortlist
All stars
Most relevant
I wish there were more audiobooks by David Mitchell. I think I would happily listen to him
narrate War and Peace, but hearing him read his own book with all its dry and sometimes acerbic wit is a delight. A decent number of laugh out loud moments set against a backdrop of steady, smile-inducing humour.

Funny, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable

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What made the experience of listening to David Mitchell: Back Story the most enjoyable?

This is a more enjoyable read/listen than his prior book. It is more personal, flows better, and talks about Peep Show and life as a now famous tv personality.

Who was your favorite character and why?

David Mitchell is the obvious choice here.

Have you listened to any of David Mitchell’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I read (rather than listened to) his prior book. This book, and also hearing him deliver it, made this book the far more enjoyable of the two.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's funny, often light, and fairly episodic, so is a book you could take in long sessions.

Any additional comments?

Some great one-liners and observations in this - if you like his tightly-wound self hating neuroticism there are some good laughs here and an interesting insight into the persona that lies beneath the (slightly) exaggerated version of himself he portrays on TV.

If you like David Michell, you want this.

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Mitchell's typically droll delivery will be enjoyed by all those who are fans and perhaps make a few new ones. A great read.

A crackin' good read

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If you enjoy his work, whether it be Would I Lie to You?, Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb ......., you will thoroughly enjoy this book. David delivers the story of his life in his signature manner, which makes it thoroughly enjoyable to listen to as it makes even quite boring topics hilarious.

Textbook David Mitchell

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never meet your heroes, but still a good insight to a more or less well rounded person

good book

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Lovely listen
Interesting , informative, sweet , entertaining, humorous
Of course well narrated but surprisingly intimate and generous

Well written and insightful

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Thoroughly enjoyed David Mitchell's storytelling and performance. He has a wonderfully novel way of telling stories littered with zesty punchlines and has an eloquent delivery. Of course, the ever-present social commentary that I love from him threads through the book to keep you thinking.

Thoroughly enjoyable and laugh-out-loud-able

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An absolute lovely read and enjoyable walk. David Mitchell delivers a chuckling and raw account to his life and rise to fame, including all the ironic challenges and success that went with it. Wrapped up with a lovely happy ending.

Would read it again and again.

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David has such an amazing command of the English language and reads the book beautifully.

Loved it. Wonderful listening. Would recommend it.

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This audiobook is best enjoyed whilst walking I find, as it was written strangely enough.

I don't think this audiobook would have worked had it not been narrated by the man himself, I believe if you'd read the book it still would of translated it in your head in his distinctive manner and tone.

I enjoyed that he went into depth about his Cambridge years and didn't keep expressing guilt at biographies being self indulgent as some comedy biographies seem to do over and over in different ways.

He was just as open and as real as you wanted, talking openly about the year him and his comedy partner Robert Webb just got on each other's nerves. A funny and warming listen.

Just to let you know, I work for Audible, but the views expressed in this review are 100% my own.

A great listen for UK comedy fans

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