My Booky Wook (Russell Brand)****

Probably no book has given me quite so many mixed feelings as My Booky Wook. To his credit, Russell Brand did just about manage to succeed in making me like him as a person. He does have the ability to be extremely funny, and it’s very difficult not to admire his honesty. His fun-loving attitude is also likeable in general, although it undeniably needs a lot of restraining, and I like people with a bit of originality who don’t spend all their time pretending to be the non-existent normal person.

But then there are the problems. Some of the things he’s done, as a child and as an adult, really are despicable. Some are rather charming, in an insane sort of way. Recent events concerning Andrew Sachs suggest Brand is actually just a bit of a wanker. But that doesn’t mean My Booky Wook isn’t an extremely good read.

Unlike a lot of published writers, celebrity or otherwise, Russell Brand can actually write. He writes very well (his opening sentence would have been excellent in a work of fiction; in an autobiography it’s disturbing but good nonetheless) and his surreal sense of humour, which was so much a part of Big Brother’s Big Mouth (and seems also to be a big part of his stand-up routines) comes across in almost every line. He can be funny, disgusting, or terribly sad, sometimes all in the same paragraph. His descriptions of places and situations are particularly vivid. If the other people featured in the book don’t come across as strongly, this might be due to Russell himself being such a big character, rather than his writing style.

Just one of the things he describes incredibly well is the taking of drugs. I’m sure that everything he says is completely true. I’m sure taking heroin or acid would be an amazing, mind-blowing experience. Being drunk is an amazing, mind-blowing experience, or it is until you wake up the next day, remembering nothing at all or too much (not to mention the hangover). But while drugs can give you these highs that probably are a lot better than real life, it gives you lows as well. More lows than highs. And it ends up affecting other people too. I think I’ll just stick to real life. It might not give you that many highs but it’s worth it if it means avoiding all the lows.

Luckily, Brand describes his low moments very well too. The guy is a long way from being perfect and he probably isn’t all that nice but you do get the impression he’s very glad he’s not addicted to drugs anymore. Maybe he will cause people to take an interest in taking drugs but you can’t deny that, although he waits until the end of the book to do it, he also does a very good job of pointing out the downfalls.