Before & Laughter

By: Jimmy Carr

Narrated by: Jimmy Carr

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Cheaper than Scientology, quicker than therapy and much less boring than church - this is the hugely funny and insightful book about happiness by top comedian Jimmy Carr, and anyone feeling stuck in a rut should devour it.

In his mid-20s, Jimmy was bored, boring, unfulfilled and underachieving. He wasn't exactly depressed, but he was very sad. Think of a baby owl whose mum has recently died in a windmill accident. He was that sad. This audiobook tells the story of how Jimmy turned it around and got happy, through the redemptive power of dick jokes.

Written to take advantage of the brief window between the end of lockdown and Jimmy getting cancelled for saying something unforgivable to Lorraine Kelly, this book is as timely as it is unnecessary.

Because you might be interested in Jimmy's life but he's damn sure you're a lot more interested in your own, Before & Laughter is about both of you. But mainly him. It tells the story of Jimmy's life - the transformation from white-collar corporate drone to fake-toothed donkey-laugh plastic-haired comedy mannequin - while also explaining how to turn your own life around and become the you you've always dreamt of being.

Before & Laughter contains the answers to all the big questions in life, questions like:

• What's the secret to happiness?
• Is Jimmy wearing a wig?
• What happened with that tax thing?
• What's the meaning of life?
• Is Jimmy's laugh real?
• Can those teeth bite through vibranium?

And for listeners in the West Country: yes, there are pictures (actually, sorry, there are no pictures, but there's a book about a hungry caterpillar you'll love).

Because it's Jimmy Carr - recently scientifically proved to be the funniest comedian in the UK - there are jokes, jokes and more jokes throughout. If laughter really was the best medicine, the NHS would be handing out this book in Nightingale Hospitals.

Fascinating, thoughtful and insightful - are all words that appear in the audiobook.

©2021 Jimmy Carr (P)2021 Quercus Editions Limited

Critic reviews

"Very, very funny - a great read." (Gary Davies, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show)

"Riveting." (Daily Mail)

"An utterly sincere guide for people to achieve bigger things in life." (Guardian)

Fun. insightful. Interesting.

Jimmy Carr gives a fun glimpse into his mindset. He uses his wit to bring insights to the reader. Like many comics, he even more interesting than he appears on stage.

Insiteful and really funny!

I'm more into comedy than self-help, but found this book incredibly valuable and funny.

Great book!

I have enjoyed Jimmy’s comedy for a few years. His book is a great combination of life lessons and personal narrative.

Wow.

Suprisingly helpful, thanks Jimmy. nice, good, great, humbling, sweet, funny, sincere, real, dope, witty, cunty.

Great viewpoint on the world

Some amazing insight into the requirements to build something of yourself. Comedy or not, some great life lessons that can be applied in everyday life.

excellent read, thank you Jimmy for narrating it.

I enjoyed it so much I listened to it twice, it has a lot of things that I agree with and he does a great job of making the transfer of knowledge comical.

Learn and Laugh

To be honest I was expecting normal Jimmy Carr comedy a few stories intertwined with a lot of jokes. But Mr Carr was honest, insightful, and funny. He holds no punches about his path in life and how he got to where he is. Though his methods are not for everyone it really talked to me at the moment. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did.

Funny and insightful

I love Jimmy Carr’s comedy, and now, thanks to this book, I have become a big fan of him as a human being. This book is funny and insightful, and I’ll be revisiting it from time to time.

I needed this more than I knew.

new year.
new job.
new opportunities. and this book made me excited for them. thx Jimmy

Thank you Jimmy Carr

I’ll be listening to this at least 7xs because I gained a lot the first time. On my 2nd listen, will review again on my 3rd

Great for aspiring comedians and comics. Jimmy gives quality life lessons from failures which led to success. As a comedic student who is attempting to draft a similar composition of Dadvise for my son, I appreciate the brilliant example.

Jimmy if you see this, thank you. I’ll not be requesting a refund after the first read.