My Family cover art

My Family

The Memoir

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My Family

By: David Baddiel
Narrated by: David Baddiel
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About this listen

'Genuinely one of the funniest books I have ever read. I wept with laughter' HADLEY FREEMAN

Baddiel has made true art out of experience … A masterpiece’ SATHNAM SANGHERA

'Laugh out loud funny … The read of the summer' NICOLA JEAL, THE SUNDAY TIMES

A searingly honest, funny and moving family memoir in which David Baddiel exposes his mother’s idiosyncratic sex life, and his father’s dementia, to the same affectionate scrutiny

On the surface, David Baddiel’s childhood was fairly standard: a lower-middle-class Jewish family living in an ordinary house in Dollis Hill, north-west London. But David came to realise that his mother was in fact not ordinary at all. Having escaped extermination by fleeing Nazi Germany as a child, she was desperate to make her life count, which took the form of a passionate, decades-long affair with a golfing memorabilia salesman. David’s detailing of the affair – including a hilarious focus on how his mother turned their household over to golf memorabilia, and an eye-popping cache of her erotic writings – leads to the inescapable conclusion that Sarah Baddiel was a cross between Jack Niklaus and Erica Jong.

Meanwhile, as Baddiel investigates his family’s past, his father’s memories are fading; dementia is making him moodier and more disinhibited, with an even greater penchant for obscenity. As with his mother’s affair, there is both comedy and poignancy to be found: laughter is a constant presence, capable of transforming the darkest of experiences into something redemptive.

My Family: The Memoir is David Baddiel’s candid examination of his childhood, family and memory offering a twisted love letter to his parents.

'Such a blisteringly honest book it would set fire to the word "candid" for being too pathetic' CAITLIN MORAN

©2024 David Baddiel (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Best of 2024 Performing Arts Memoir Funny Witty Feel-Good Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
I really loved this book! I just need to go to the book shop now and look at all the photos he mentioned.

David’s in a bin bag

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The story is great, taking the listener through a humorous yet humbling story of being the child of parents.
There’s nothing unique about the premise - parents are a constant source of embarrassment. But the way the story is told you really get to “know” David Baddiel’s parents (as much as you can from a story.
While you laugh at his mother’s “misuse” of speech marks you cry the moment his father shows a glimpse of his real self. With the conversation between David Baddiel and his father near the end about having a match, I was properly belly laughing, while flooding tears into my car - I had to pull over because I couldn’t drive until I composed myself - something I didn’t know was possible, I’ve laughed so hard I cried, but never cried and laughed to such a degree.

The story ends with a question, “I hope you have enjoyed the story” the answer to that is a whole hearted YES

Will have you laughing and crying simultaneously

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I loved this book and although some of it made me feel a bit sad, it also made me laugh out loud. Most of all it is interesting and I devoured the whole thing over two days. Whether you have heard of David Baddiel or not I highly recommend reading it.

Fabulous!

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An absolute tour de force, I (almost) avoided listening to it in a couple of occasions because I didn’t want it to end.

Marvellous

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Loved this so much. Just hilarious, made even more wonderful by David narrating his story - like he’s in the room with you.

Just fucking brilliant in every way

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A must-listen. Hilarious, honest and poignant. A tale of a complex family. Read well.

Fantastic!

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The description of David’s parents, although brutal at times, is also thought provoking, emotive & at times tear jerking. I particularly liked the latter reflective chapters, where wider concepts of parental approval & its meaning are discussed. I absolutely loved the book & the author’s informal & conversational narration only improved it. My only criticisms are it would have been fantastic to see the included photos (is it possible for audible to include a url?) & the criticism of his mother’s use of “” could have been a good 10 minutes shorter.

Sharp, Honest, Brutal & Emotive. A fantastic memoir.

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Cliche as it sounds, this book is heartbreakingly funny. David’s eccentric upbringing was fascinating. Highly recommended.

“Quite a fat arm”.

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Loved it all, just wish I could watch The Trouble with Dad again. Great, hilarious story telling.

Absolute Genius

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I’ve seen David’s show, My Family: Not the Sitcom and it was brilliant, funny and shocking, but hearing David again narrate the story of his life and family is just wonderful. David is such a brilliant writer. His way with words encapsulates the very essence of his feelings. Be they frustration, sadness and in many ways, the different types of love. Highly, very highly recommended.

Family eh?

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