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Review
'Simon Doonan's life is a tawdry and hilarious romp.' Rupert Everett.
'When I read this book I laughed and cried. For anyone who grew up in the fifties and sixties it feels like all our lives.' Jon Plowman, Executive Producer, The Office, Ab Fab, Little Britain.
'At last: a childhood memoir that's about coming to terms with fabulousness rather than incest or binge drinking. Who knew that Simon could write about growing up in a corner of England with as much wit, charm, and dead-on smarts as he brings to his chronicles of the luxe life in Manhattan?' Graydon Carter, Editor of Vanity Fair.
'Beautiful People is wickedly funny. Simon Doonan has an ear and an eye for sublimely bizarre details that will make readers laugh out loud.' Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and The City.
“Beautiful People is the very best kind of memoir: a cheer memoir” - Susie Boyt, Financial Times.
The Bookseller, Feb 2008
Outrageous, Dorothy-friendly memoir of great camp charm about a working class Reading childhood among the bonkers Doonan clan, from which our hero(ine?) eventually escapes to London with best friend, James "Biddie" Biddlecombe. Not only does it come with a terrific array of advance quotes from the likes of Candaace Bushnell, Rupert Everett and Donna Karen . . . but the TV rights have been bought by the BBC with a view to turning it into a comedy series.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you have read Doonan's 'Wacky Chicks' you'll be familiar with Narg, his lobotomised grandmother. In 'Beautiful People', Narg is back and in full effect rampaging through the pages and what a joy she is to behold!
In 'beautiful People', Doonan describes his early years in Reading, his move to London and eventually America. The joy of the book is that it is so camp and over the top that you can't help but smile. Early on, Doonan describes writing this autobiography as like having a 'psychological enema' and he lays even the most embarrassing details open for our enjoyment.
Delights include; Narg (of course); his mother's quest to get bigger and higher hair; the wine making attempts of his father (parsnip wine?? I don't think so); a joyous holiday at 1950's Butlins and Blind Aunt Phyllis's guide dog, Lassie, who guides Phyllis into an open grave.
A pure joy! Camp, delicious and just what the doctor ordered!
In 'beautiful People', Doonan describes his early years in Reading, his move to London and eventually America. The joy of the book is that it is so camp and over the top that you can't help but smile. Early on, Doonan describes writing this autobiography as like having a 'psychological enema' and he lays even the most embarrassing details open for our enjoyment.
Delights include; Narg (of course); his mother's quest to get bigger and higher hair; the wine making attempts of his father (parsnip wine?? I don't think so); a joyous holiday at 1950's Butlins and Blind Aunt Phyllis's guide dog, Lassie, who guides Phyllis into an open grave.
A pure joy! Camp, delicious and just what the doctor ordered!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was my holiday read and I recommend it. This book, drink, sun-lounger, pool... perfect! It's very funny. Simon Doonan has a wicked way with words. I especially enjoyed his zany (?) but true-to-life view of things. I grew up in a different town and moved to London a bit later but the stories still reminded me of lots of things. I feel like I've met some of these people... or people like them over the years. Can't wait to see the TV series.
Charles Jamieson
Charles Jamieson
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a great read, entertaining and funny. It is the original story (the original title is Nasty) the tv series Beautiful People (hilarious!) was based on. Simon Doonan's descriptions of his family, friends and their adventures and misadventures is great fun but never cruel, he writes with great warmth and affection.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Couttsie
This text was recommended by Amazon, presumably via some in-house 'fuzzy logic'; consequently, I purchased it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Andrew J. Coutts
Superb and underrated
'Beautiful People', the BBC2 comedy series and the Simon Doonan book which inspired the TV series are both hilarious.
Published on 12 Feb 2010 by PJGE
Read the book AND watch the series!
If you expect this book to be a mirror image of the TV programmes you would be wrong but not, I think, disappointed. Read more
Published on 21 Jan 2010 by MR RICHARD W GROOM
Disappointing...
When I first started reading Beautiful People I was sure that I was going to love it but sadly ended up becoming weary of the quirky anecdotes which at first were amusing and... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2010 by Tom Smith
An easy fun quick read !
A very lighthearted (and perhaps sometimes flippant) account of life lived through the 'glory' years. Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2009 by Mr. C. A. Cheslett
Beautiful Read
This is a wonderful read for those who were 'there' in the decades mentioned in the book and for those like me who were not! Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2009 by Magpie
Beautiful People by Simon Doonan
Simon's account of his life is a very interesting and humourous story.His childhood with the crazy Doonan clan. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2009 by P. Roberts
ON BEHALF OF A FRIEND
I bought this book and gave it to a friend. She said she enjoyed reading it. She gave it back to me but I haven't got around to reading it yet.
Published on 1 Feb 2009 by D. Callaghan
As a big fan of the TV show........
As a massive fan of the TV show I couldn't wait to get stuck into the book. So I rushed out to buy it (mistake number 1), how very disappointed I was. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2008 by Kevin James
beautiful people
Without a doubt, the best book ever...I enjoyed it so much I finished it in a day!Hillariously funny..Buy this book!!!!!
Published on 16 Oct 2008 by Sophie Smith Teahee
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