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Product Description
Book Description
In this EP-style follow-up to How I Escaped My Certain Fate, Stewart Lee describes the events leading up to his show If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask For One.
Product Description
Following his hugely acclaimed TV come-back Comedy Vehicle, Lee finds himself in search of ideas for a new Edinburgh show. On a long walk across London, he endures a coffee shop humiliation involving a loyalty card which suggests itself as a framing device. Later that month, thanks to Jeremy Clarkson's casual slur against Gordon Brown and the appearance of a well-meaning young comedian in an advert, a show is born.
Featuring a transcript of the show fully annotated with footnotes, the If You Prefer A Milder Comedian EP confirms Stewart Lee as the most original, daring and brilliant comedian of his generation.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The 'If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One' EP is the second of three announced collections of the comedian and man Stewart Lee's standup material annotated to an obsessive and hugely insightful degree. Though I have been watching the DVD of the show transcribed in this book for over a year now, I have not enjoyed the show as much as on the day I read it in this format. Though there are surely those who, much like people who avoid bonus material for films because it ruins the magic of moviemaking, prefer to take their comedy as is without any serious analysis into its creation or execution, there are at least as many for whom Lee's discussion of his designs, worries and inspirations is welcome and serves not only to elevate the material (as in last summer's How I Escaped My Certain Fate) but also act as a criticism in and of itself of both the industry and its figureheads.
Included in the scant paperback are an introduction and an article Lee wrote over the summer in relation to some of the criticism he'd faced from various newspapers in the wake of the tour which I enjoyed reading immensely and was glad to see reproduced.
The so-called EP is a testament to Lee's grandest accomplishment so far, though perhaps without his notes (which address and elucidate specifically on some of the moments of the show I felt were a little 'off', and why exactly they appeared as such) I may not have enjoyed it as much. To say that having to explain the joke makes it less funny is here of no relevance, as he has not made me laugh more at material I'm familiar with, but has certainly highlighted his intentions for the show structurally and the extent to which he was successful.
A third volume, TV Comedian, is mentioned in the introduction as following in Summer 2012 and promises to cover his work for his latest two BBC series of Comedy Vehicle. If you fancy a bit more Stew, his and Richard Herring's 1990s series Fist Of Fun has just been released by indie label Go Faster Stripe (publishers of his second standup DVD, 90s Comedian and available exclusively through their website) and is well worth a look both on its own merits and as a starting point to see just how far he's evolved as the country's hardest working, funniest and frankly best comic.
Included in the scant paperback are an introduction and an article Lee wrote over the summer in relation to some of the criticism he'd faced from various newspapers in the wake of the tour which I enjoyed reading immensely and was glad to see reproduced.
The so-called EP is a testament to Lee's grandest accomplishment so far, though perhaps without his notes (which address and elucidate specifically on some of the moments of the show I felt were a little 'off', and why exactly they appeared as such) I may not have enjoyed it as much. To say that having to explain the joke makes it less funny is here of no relevance, as he has not made me laugh more at material I'm familiar with, but has certainly highlighted his intentions for the show structurally and the extent to which he was successful.
A third volume, TV Comedian, is mentioned in the introduction as following in Summer 2012 and promises to cover his work for his latest two BBC series of Comedy Vehicle. If you fancy a bit more Stew, his and Richard Herring's 1990s series Fist Of Fun has just been released by indie label Go Faster Stripe (publishers of his second standup DVD, 90s Comedian and available exclusively through their website) and is well worth a look both on its own merits and as a starting point to see just how far he's evolved as the country's hardest working, funniest and frankly best comic.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As I was paying for something completely unrelated at a bookshop in Islington, I happened to spy a little pile of these on the counter, possibly placed there by the great man himself.
Admittedly, I was initially dissappointed by the shortage of volume to the tome (just over 100 pages) and then again by the seemingly high price tag, however, as a long-time supporter of Mr Lee, I bought it anyway.
The bulk (!) of the book is identical in style to the transcript chapters from Stewart's previous work, How I Escaped My Certain Fate, consisting of a word-for-word transcript of the DVD recording of the show punctuated with footnotes about context, background, alternative lines used at other venues and even one Amazon review (The Picasso of Comedy). The footnotes do make for a good read and they seemed more detailed than in the previous book, however, while this method of writing provides a great deal of structure, it seemed at times as though Stewart might have enjoyed the freedom of rambling on for a few more pages than this restrictive format permitted.
To be perfectly honest, if you already own the DVD and keep abreast of all things Stew, there's not an awful lot which is new here and you'll probably read the whole thing in a short afternoon. I admit that I found it perversely entertaining to read and re-read the Richard Hammond and Clarkson parts in appropriately silly voices: "Ha, ha, gypsies. Imagine being a gypsy."
So is it worth buying...? Yes. It's well-written, intelligent and very funny. But EPs don't usually cost the same as albums.
You might be advised to hold out for a fairer price.
Admittedly, I was initially dissappointed by the shortage of volume to the tome (just over 100 pages) and then again by the seemingly high price tag, however, as a long-time supporter of Mr Lee, I bought it anyway.
The bulk (!) of the book is identical in style to the transcript chapters from Stewart's previous work, How I Escaped My Certain Fate, consisting of a word-for-word transcript of the DVD recording of the show punctuated with footnotes about context, background, alternative lines used at other venues and even one Amazon review (The Picasso of Comedy). The footnotes do make for a good read and they seemed more detailed than in the previous book, however, while this method of writing provides a great deal of structure, it seemed at times as though Stewart might have enjoyed the freedom of rambling on for a few more pages than this restrictive format permitted.
To be perfectly honest, if you already own the DVD and keep abreast of all things Stew, there's not an awful lot which is new here and you'll probably read the whole thing in a short afternoon. I admit that I found it perversely entertaining to read and re-read the Richard Hammond and Clarkson parts in appropriately silly voices: "Ha, ha, gypsies. Imagine being a gypsy."
So is it worth buying...? Yes. It's well-written, intelligent and very funny. But EPs don't usually cost the same as albums.
You might be advised to hold out for a fairer price.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book provides another inside look at the workings of a Stewart Lee standup show, much like his earlier book, How I Escaped My Certain Fate. It is worth knowing exactly what you are buying before getting this book. The main part of it consists of a transcript of Stewart Lee's most recent show, with lengthy footnotes that reveal more about how the show was put together and extra details about his life. Then there are two sort of essays at the start and finish, which again give a bit more insight into Stewart Lee's approach to comedy. The whole book will not take more than a few hours to read, so it's a quality over quantity kind of thing.
This format might not be to everyone's taste but I found it incredibly interesting. The intricate ways that Stewart Lee sabotages his own shows to play around with the audience's expectations is very interesting. There is also quite a bit about how he has dealt with his recent success with his TV show and how he has tried to accomodate the different audiences this brings.
Stewart Lee also highlights some bad reviews he has found about his work on the interent, which makes me regret not having more criticisms for his work, as I might be able to make my way into one of his shows. It really is an interesting and funny book though. If you like Stewart Lee then you should like this book, if you don't like him then I don't know why you are reading this review.
This format might not be to everyone's taste but I found it incredibly interesting. The intricate ways that Stewart Lee sabotages his own shows to play around with the audience's expectations is very interesting. There is also quite a bit about how he has dealt with his recent success with his TV show and how he has tried to accomodate the different audiences this brings.
Stewart Lee also highlights some bad reviews he has found about his work on the interent, which makes me regret not having more criticisms for his work, as I might be able to make my way into one of his shows. It really is an interesting and funny book though. If you like Stewart Lee then you should like this book, if you don't like him then I don't know why you are reading this review.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Appalling value
I recently ordered Mr Lee's 'How I Escaped My Certain Fate', and was delighted when I received 378 pages of words (not including index, acknowledgements and other wasted paper) for... Read more
Published 17 days ago by Ron Bacardi
0% Dissapointment
I'm a bit of a stand-up comedy obsessive, and as such a huge fan of Stewart Lee, so I may be being slightly bias when I tell you to buy this book. buy it now. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Weird Fish
Brilliant, just wish it was longer
As the author says himself, this is very much pre-amble to a larger volume due to come out summer 2012. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Charlie
Comedy as Art
This is a properly arty book, from the faux-tatty retro cover art, to the comedy routine dissected and discussed as if it was a piece of English literature (which I suppose it... Read more
Published 3 months ago by HostileJo
Workings of a comic mind
This is similar to 'Certain Fate' and equally as funny, albeit shorter. It shows the intricate workings of Lee's genius comic mind. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Helen MacDonald
This is the title of my review.
I was familiar with Stewart Lee's work before reading this, although I hadn't seen the '...Milder Comedian' show. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. M. Metcalf
Great!
Great Book from an amazing artist. Delivery was faster than i thought and the product was in perfect condition and exactly what i asked for.
Published 3 months ago by Jonathan
Giving it to you straight...
Not many of today's superstar comerdians can weave together such a multi-layed act. This annotated transcript of Lee's latest stand-up works well for the shear amount of ideas and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by S. L. Naish
Buy This Book Or The Hamster Gets It
Having returned from Mexico in New Year where my lovely wife had treated me to a great birthday (50 , since you ask) what nicer way to thank her than for me to download Stewart... Read more
Published 4 months ago by martinlittler
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