
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant
Modern Life as Interpreted By Someone Who Is Reasonably Bad at Living It
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for £12.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Joel Golby
-
By:
-
Joel Golby
About this listen
‘This is a funny and beautiful book. What a little bastard.’ RUSSELL BRAND
‘A millennial's answer to David Sedaris. No writer is funnier than Joel Golby.’ DOLLY ALDERTON
A collection of full-throated appreciations, withering assessments, and hard-won lessons by the popular journalist.
There are a few things you need to know about Joel Golby. Both his parents are dead. His dad was an alcoholic. He himself has a complicated relationship with alcohol. He once went to karaoke three times in five days. He will always beat you at Monopoly, and he will always cheat.
Joel makes a name for himself as a journalist who brings us distinguished articles such as ‘A Man Shits On A Plane So Hard It Has To Turn Around And Come Back Again’, but that says more about us than him. In his first book, Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Joel writes about important stuff (death, alcohol, loss, friendship) and unimportant stuff (Saudi Arabian Camel Pageants, a watertight ranking of the Rocky films, Monopoly), always with the soft punch of a lesson tucked within.
Golby’s sharp, evocative prose thrives on reality and honesty that is gut-wrenchingly close to the bone, and laced with a copious dose of dark humour. Who is this book for? It is for everyone, but mainly people who are as lost and confused as Joel and just want to have a good laugh about it.
©2019 Joel Golby (P)2019 HarperCollins PublishersCritic reviews
‘Joel Golby is my favourite pop-culture obsessed nihilist. If you like camel beauty pageants and robot sex as much as I do you’ll love this. You’ll laugh, cry and probably be a bit weirded out.’ SHARON HORGAN
‘Seeing the byline “Joel Golby” means you’re about to ungraciously snort with laughter in a public place. Sharper at dissecting the madness of 21st century online existence than any other writer.’ CAITLIN MORAN
‘Joel Golby is brilliant, his writing is brilliant, and his book is brilliant brilliant brilliant.’ JOE LYCETT
‘Joel is one of my favourite writers. He is brilliant and so is this massive book. If push came to shove, I would almost certainly pay the full RRP for it.’ GREG JAMES
Does what it says on the tin
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This set of stories are genuinely laugh out loud funny at times and on the edge of heartbreaking at times. This isn't the kind of book I would normally read or listen too so at times it is a bit of a chore. Part of that is cultural as it is difficult to be empathetic with him at times. Other times his observations hit right on the nail. Not entirely sure what the camel museum stuff was about and I was sorely tempted to skip the Wayne Rooney chapter. I am glad I didn't as it was pretty insightful.
Poignant and poetic, a good first attempt at narration and novel. Will definitely listen to more in future, should he create more.
Poetic and Poignant Observations of one's life
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fantastic voice on the absurdity of life!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Bloody brilliant. Obviously.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Tory the Corey baby
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
70% narcissistic rant or you had to be there
better editor required
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Some of the essays are really interesting and the way he writes about his parents life and his experience of their death is profound.
That said, I just found some of the other essays a bit rambling and uninteresting, mainly the entire chapter about Wayne Rooney and another full chapter about the Rocky movies, just dull. There were also a lot of football references in there (but again, that’s a matter of personal taste/ interests) Overall I enjoyed it and it is worth a read or a listen (some bits more than others). He’s very funny too.
Mixed feelings ...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
He’s also the best writer Vice has ever produced, and this book is proof.
What we have here is an assortment of essays loosely strung together. I was initially weary that his book might just consist of rejected Vice pieces, but it is more than that.
I was expecting to laugh (an expectation that was consistently fulfilled), but I did not expect to ugly cry in my university library while supposedly writing my dissertation. Joel Golby did that to me, with his words & actions.
As for performance, Joel’s slightly nasal monotone isn’t the most compelling in the world, but you get used to it. He also shouts ‘MY EGG!’ in a silly accent repeatedly at one point.
It’s an excellent book, and I’m glad I took the time to consume it.
I Felt Too Many Emotions
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Simply Breathtaking
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Memorable, hilarious
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.