Spectacles, Sue Perkins
Spectacles was kind of fun to read in bits, but it felt like it lost direction and momentum rather. The bits where Perkins discusses her father are very touching; there are some pithy quotes about looking back on the past and why we like to romanticise it; there’s some funny bits… but ultimately, I felt rather underwhelmed. I feel like it might’ve been more fun if delivered by Sue Perkins aloud, with her own intonation and style and sense of timing flavouring the words. As it is, it begins to feel rather flat, because the tone is all perky and funny in the same sort of way, all the way through.
This is not to say there weren’t bits which were worth it. There definitely are, like the discussions of her father, the section where she has to keep coming out to her grandmother, and the death of her dog. But the bits about roadtrips for BBC documentaries weren’t so fun, and the Bake Off parts weren’t as prevalent as I imagine people would hope. (I’m more devoted to the Sewing Bee, possibly because I know more about sewing than I do about baking.)
But overall, underwhelmed is the term.
I’ve got this on my tbr and I was hoping it would be a great read. These celeb bios are hit and miss and you never know which are going to be good or underwhelming. I’m going to make books like this, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Marco Pierre White etc a February priority so I can clear them from my shelves and free up some room! I don’t usually keep these books after I look at them.
chucklesthescot recently posted…Chuckles Retro Reads #5: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
It’s not bad or anything, I just felt like it lost its way a bit. But I’m bad at reading biographies and memoirs anyway!