Fall reading by some British comedy favorites
A few additions to your Fall reading list have just hit the shelves the last couple of weeks from two long-time favorite British comedy stars.
Dawn French
Following the release of her memorable autobiography titled Dear Fatty, Dawn French talked of a very difficult, painful life that led her to a life of comedy. Now, following her recent divorce from husband of 25 years, Lenny Henry, comes Dawn’s first foray into the world of fiction. A Tiny Bit Marvellous, released just this past week, is, in some respects, as chilling as her autobiography. While, obviously, much lighter and funnier in tone from Dear Fatty, the novel does have a bit of a downer streak that runs throughout as she references in her recent interview with the Telegraph. Considering all that’s happened over the years, Dawn seems quite happy these days.
Dame Judi Dench
And Furthermore is, quite simply, as one reviewer put it, a wonderfully honest, intimate and witty account of 50 years as Britain’s best-loved actress. This autobiographical account of a life on stage and screen (big and small) is a fascinating and poignant portrayal of the intertwining of both Dame Dench’s professional and personal life. Thankfully, what comes across very well in the book is a rather wicked sense of humor which we discovered while taping her interview for the upcoming PBS special on British comedy writers. While Judi spoke very highly of At Time Goes By writer, Bob Larbey, interviews whether with her or various co-stars from the series identified this hidden gem of a sense of humor that stays tucked away until no one expects it.
More to come featuring some of your favorites in the British comedy world, but need to wait until they arrive on the shelves. In the meantime, you can’t go wrong with either of the two above. Anyone read yet?
