David Mitchell: Back Story

By: David Mitchell

Narrated by: David Mitchell

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life.

As well as giving a specific account of every single time he's scored some smack, this disgusting memoir also details:

• The singular, pit bull-infested charm of the FRP (‘Flat Roofed Pub’)
• The curious French habit of injecting everyone in the arse rather than the arm
• Why, by the time he got to Cambridge, he really, really needed a drink
• The pain of being denied a childhood birthday party at McDonalds
• The satisfaction of writing jokes about suicide
• How doing quite a lot of walking around London helps with his sciatica
• Trying to pretend he isn’t a total **** at Robert Webb’s wedding
• That he has fallen in love a LOT, but rarely done anything about it
• Why it would be worse to bump into Michael Palin than Hitler on holiday
• That he’s not David Mitchell the novelist, despite what David Miliband might think

©2012 David Mitchell (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

‘One of the best celebrity memoirs of last year…his outsider geek personality translates just as well on the page as it does on TV.’ Metro

‘It livened up about half way through with the appearance of me. But enough of David's life. The book is wonderful from beginning to end.’ Robert Webb

'David Mitchell is an extremely funny man on screen, in person, in print and very probably underwater.' Sam Bain, co-writer of Peep Show

‘He can write’ Evening Standard

‘Fluent, discursive, intelligent.’ Evening Standard

‘If you like Mitchell on television, you will like him in this book.’ Shortlist

I like David Mitchell

What was one of the most memorable moments of David Mitchell: Back Story?

The lobster story. It was both hilarious and awful.

What does David Mitchell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He says things in certain ways, and when he read the Robert Webb bit it did not sound like the way Robert Webb would have said that at all. Which is fine, but a perfect example of why it's fun to have the author also read the book to you. You get their intention and emphasis that you wouldn't necessarily get with a professional voice actor.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. I thought it was extremely funny. Especially his childhood. I love British humour.

Any additional comments?

I was actually surprised at what a regular guy David Mitchell is. I thought he would be very fussy and very conservative, and maybe that's because I watched a lot of Peep Show and got him confused with his character Mark, but I really wasn't expecting to relate to him so much. His explanation of why he's agnostic, for example, rings true for me.

Brilliant

Where does David Mitchell: Back Story rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Of the few audiobooks I have listened to, I have found this to be by far the greatest.Mitchell's honestly and openess, in combination with his dry humour makes this book an treat to listen to.For the price of a round of drinks you would do well to take on the life lessons of people like Mitchell.

David Mitchell's Back Story

I loved this audiobook....but I'll admit that I'm biased, because I love David Mitchell in every exposure that I've had to him. He's witty, clever, engaging and has a turn of phrase in his book that make the entire audiobook compelling. The last chapter in particular made me tear-up and restored some of my faith in life and love. There is still hope for all of us.

If you like Mark, You'll love David.

I am a middle aged woman who lives in Colorado and draws horses for a living (the western kind....with saddles and stuff). I'm just telling you this so that you can grasp the idea that someone like me can be so pleased with my purchase even though I am probably as far away from the ideal target demographic of this book can be (geographically and otherwise).

I first became aware of David Mitchell from BBC America's running of the Peep Show series. It is, to this day, the funniest show I've ever seen. I once wrote on an online dating website that if you'd ever even HEARD of Peep Show, then yes, I would marry you. (Surprisingly, I got quite a few responses) So, I had high expectations that this book would be wonderful and I was right. I've been to London a few times, but I didn't know who a lot of the people he talked about were, nor had I heard of some of the shows he's been on besides Peep Show, but it doesn't matter. He's funny and smart and that's why I like him as an entertainer.

An excellent listen by a brilliant and funny man.

Great of course.

I can only listen in bursts of 15 mins or so, though not due to tedium, but rather fear (at my advancing age) of dying of laughter. And considering that I live alone must risk the neighbors thinking I have perhaps gone over the edge. I have read the hard copy of this, but hearing DM tell it, puts it on another level entirely. Humor and brilliance don't often arrive together.

fantastic

amazing from start to finish, read this book if you care at all about david or british comedy

oof.

if you think you like David Mitchell, maybe don't read this book. it's entertaining but boy is he less likeable for me now.

brilliant

I like david mitchell, i like his cleverness, i like his wit and timing, i like his honesty and his ranting on a myriad of subjects. His voice can be a bit grating but is minor compared to the rest. I also like the way he weaved his story around his walk around London.

David Mitchell Being David Mitchell

I'm not sure if this audiobook would have worked if Mitchell hadn't narrated it himself. Fortunately, he did, ensuring that his trademark ranting, griping, arrogance, and self-depricating humor came through in every chapter. The personal anecdotes are both amusing and insightful, although some of the rants are recycled from Mitchell's numerous TV appearances. Overall, a fun and funny autobiography.

I am a fan.

I bought this book as I am a David Mitchell fan and I was not disappointed. I enjoy his work in all of the various mediums that I have seen him in and his narration of a book that he wrote is no different. I look forward to more books from Mr. Mitchell.