Jo Brand (1) (1957–)

I love Jo Brand. She's down-to-earth, feisty, and always calls a spade a spade. Happily, unlike the autobiographies of some comics who come across completely differently on the page (Dawn French, I'm looking at you) this book abounds with Brand's deadpan humour and mischievous slant on life.

This is a simple, linear narrative, beginning with her childhood and sweet memories of growing up with two brothers, before moving on to the terrible teens when she became a bit of a wild child, breaking show more away from family life and heartily embracing the counterculture of the time. Moving from house to house, job to job, Brand has lived in all kinds of different places, and worked as a carer for physically and mentally disabled people before training as a psychiatric nurse. Finally, after several years working her way up the ranks at a psychiatric hospital, she at last branched out into her dream career - stand-up comedy.

What I really like about this book as an autobiography is the real every-woman feeling pervading the pages. It's the same style that draws women to her comedy, I think. She doesn't try to lay down every detail of her life, or go into gushing detail about people we don't know (Dawn French, that's you again) but instead picks out the memorable moments over the years, the things that have stuck with her - the kinds of moments we all remember ourselves. Blissful summer days as a child, amazing music gigs, injuries, near misses, bad behaviour, defining moments in her nursing career, the first time she went on stage to perform... She's also very candid about her less-than-wholesome but entirely ordinary experiences with drugs and alcohol, gently pointing out the negative consequences but never judging. I found her time as a psychiatric nurse quite fascinating, and as a manic depressive it gave me even more respect for the people who deal with mental health on the 'front line'.

Altogether this was an amusing, gentle, honest and breezy read, which engages with the reader by presenting a non-judgemental romp through a 'normal' but well-lived and interesting life. Brand comes across as the kind of person you'd have a great laugh with down the pub: funny and intelligent, with plenty of opinions and life stories to share. I loved it! Maybe I'll try one of her novels soon... show less

Look Back In Hunger by Jo Brand Imagine being stuck in a lift with Jo Brand. You tell your life story in thirty minutes and then she begins to tell hers.

Six hours later she finishes and you have heard all the details of her life. She has been candid and your head is swimming in details about people, places, dates, items of clothing and various states of inebriation. A kaleidoscopic story like a wash cycle which ends up with the Jo Brand that we all know stepping out of the machine. A story show more so improbable that it rings with the truth.

But having said that you have the feeling that you have heard the public version. show less

This is a surprisingly delightful British novel about the mad exploits of a schizophrenic woman (Gina) and her family's attempts to live their lives despite her illness. Morrissey, the lead singer for the Smiths, plays a pivotal role as the daughter, Alice, develops an obsessive crush on him, which helps her cope with her isolated adolescence. When does obsession for a stranger turn to madness? Alice is deeply concerned that her crush is the early stage of her mother's psychotic erotomania. show more As time goes on, the other characters in the novel, even the ones who are initially detestable, become more human and enjoyable as they all circle around to support and rescue Gina, who slips back into erotic madness and erratic behavior. When I first started the novel, I was a little put off by the storyteller's perspective, which is more of a narrator's viewpoint (all knowing) rather than leaving details hidden from the reader. However, Jo Brand is a great storyteller and as I became more interested in the characters, I became charmed by the subtle humor of the story and the caring that grew out of the concern for Gina. This is a very short but charming novel and I would definately recommend it, particularly to anyone who enjoyed the Smiths and Morrissey when they were back in their hayday! show less

I got this book free through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Take Running with Scissors, mix with the Adrian Mole books, shake and stir, and you will get something approximating The More You Ignore Me. The author's experiences as a psychiatric nurse and stand-up comedian are used to their full extent here. I never knew a book about schizophrenia could be so authentic and so incredibly funny at the same time. And the ending -- a triple wedding followed by a house fire -- was just icing on show more the cake. show less