I've been a fan of Eddie Izzard's for years. I had the opportunity to read a preview copy of this book and absolutely enjoyed every minute of the book. Eddie really tells his story from the death of his mom, through this education, his coming out as transgendered, and how he created his amazing career. Now, I've known Izzard's work for years, but I really didn't know much about him or what really drove him. This book definitely gives you a small glimpse into his psyche.

One of my favorite things about Izzard as a comic is how he can seem to go off on random tangents, but those tangents always have away of helping him get back to his main point. You see a number of these types of tangents in his writing, which really makes you feel like you're reading an Eddie Izzard show.

If you are a fan of Eddie Izzard, I would highly recommend this book. If you're someone who wants t see what the long path to celebrity really looks like, then read this show. If you want to read a book about an amazing man who has overcome many roadblocks in life and career, then read this book. I found that Eddie really is an inspiring person.

I had the opportunity to read Believe Me for an honest review from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

I was already a fan of Eddie Izzard before I read this. I remember watching his one man shows as a teenager throughout the 90's. I really enjoyed the writing style for an autobiography. Very conversational and I could "hear" his voice.

The book covers stories from his childhood through to 2016. I would have given this book that last star if more of his stories went as deep as the ones early in the book about his Mother. Many of the other stories were glossed over almost, without much meet.

Overall, it was still enjoyable and I would recommend it to fans of Eddie Izzard.

Recommended for Izzard fans. If you're not already a fan, I doubt it will convert you. But if you're not a fan, why not?

3/4 of the way through, we were still only in the early-90s so the last quarter of the book felt a bit rushed.

I have a real pet peeve with footnotes in books--not footnotes that belong there but superfluous footnotes used as a literary device. Couple that with reading this on an eReader and I grew frustrated quickly. This will be much easier to manage with the print edition. (And the finished eBook will likely have linked notes that the galley doesn't--one of the expected perils of reading galleys.)

Having said that, I loved reading about Izzard's professional history and his struggles with his sexuality. The book is strongest when he is waxing philosophical and talking about how he views the world.

Also, best book jacket of the year. Two thumbs up.

I love Eddie Izzard a great deal. However, I love Eddie Izzard's comedy. I'm absolutely certain I would love him as a human being were we to be friends*, and if I were to watch his movies**, I'm sure I'd love him as an actor. But I haven't. I've watched his comedy specials, and I saw him perform Stripped live in New Orleans in 2008, I believe it was.***

But his comedy is all I know about him. So, this book is absolutely a new experience for me, and I went in with wide arms and furrowed brow. Because autobiographies are a slippery slope for me. The origin story isn't always the most interesting for me, I'm easily bored by places I don't know and people I haven't met. Just get me to the meat, the break through, the behind the scenes.

Except in this case, the origin story was absolutely FASCINATING. I adored reading about his boarding school days, his time with his stepmother, his failed flirting and teddy bear showcases. Hell, once we got to the stage where he started gaining steam performing, my attention started wandering. I didn't see that coming at all.

This book is very obviously written by the comedian himself. The entire thing goes off course, and runs for spans of time in a stream-of-conscious manner, much like his comedy routines. He even manages to slip some historical knowledge in when you least expect it. What more can you ask?

Towards the end, he talks about the massive marathons, which was something I discovered by accident when I found his Twitter in the middle of them. The health scares were just that, very alarming, but absolutely fascinating.

Love. A fantastic peek into the life of a fantastic character.

* Call me, Eddie.
** Across the Universe. That's it.
*** Shittiest seats, and the guy I was with refused to hang out by the tour buses afterwards so I could fangirl. Ass.

Anyone knowing little or nothing about Eddie Izzard who chances upon his autobiography ‘Believe Me’, might well be put off by his self-deprecating introduction, in which tells the reader, “I think I’m a really boring person. I think I am naturally boring ... my life is lots of boring bits with occasional spikes of interestingness” and “I consider myself to be fantastically boring”.

If one persists, of course, one finds that the very opposite is the case. Eddie Izzard’s life story is very interesting indeed, and about two-thirds of the way through the book one discovers that he is not being falsely modest, as Jo, his first serious partner, told him that he was most interesting when producing and performing a show, and this led him to conclude that he was uninteresting - rather than merely less interesting - when not doing these things.

There are, however, other respects in which the book can be off-putting. The most important of these relate to the style in which it’s written.

Eddie Izzard has a brilliantly inventive mind but the rambling, discursive style characteristic of his brilliant surrealistic stand-up comedy does not always sit happily on the written page.

There are wonderful comic riffs on subjects such as stinging nettles; judo; monsters under the bed; search engines and pornography; and the game of Venezuelans and Martians (“I don’t quite know how you play Venezuelans and Martians, but I think you spend most of your time arguing about socialism and the lack of oxygen”).

Unfortunately, there are also digressions terminating in dead ends (“Forget this. Forget this whole train of thought”) and some repetition (for example, telling us twice that Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Minor is used in the film ‘Out of Africa” or telling us twice that his father retired at the age of fifty-six, the first time “on a really decent pension”, the second time “with a great pension”).

However, the biggest stylistic problem relates to the use of footnotes which can really interrupt the flow of ideas, especially in the earlier part of the book.

I suspect the book may have been dictated to Laura Zigman, as it is credited to ‘Eddie Izzard with Laura Zigman’. It certainly carries the authentic ‘voice’ of Eddie Izzard but at times the reader would value a little more structure.

One other way in which the book is rather frustrating is that no photographs complement the text despite the fact that that text refers to specific photographs on at least a couple of occasions.

Notwithstanding all the above, the book’s many merits far outweigh its drawbacks. As well as being an often very funny account this is always a very honest self-portrait, not least because the author is acutely conscious of the way in which the memory can play tricks.

A fair number of celebrities are mentioned (including Joanna Lumley, Judi Dench, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Al Pacino, Tracey Ullman and Robin Williams) but there is never the sense that Izzard is engaged in name-dropping (a charge from which it is difficult to exonerate Stephen Fry in relation to the most recent instalment of his autobiography).

For those Britons of roughly the same age as Izzard there is the additional appeal of the book as an exercise in nostalgia - reminding us of a time of free space toys in cereals, post office savings accounts, UCCA, red phone boxes and TVs warming up.

And whilst not every one will agree with Eddie’s views on subjects such as boarding schools (the fear that most of those who attend may “become emotionally dead”) or the (non-)existence of God, everyone should appreciate both the passion with which he makes his case and the very good sense he displays on topics as diverse as coming out as an LGBT person and eating cake mix.

Above all, the book provides a fascinating insight into a driven individual who has pushed himself to accomplish extraordinary things in a wide variety of fields including winning two Emmys (Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Individual Performance for ‘Dress to Kill’); performing stand-up in four languages in thirty-five countries; running over seventy marathons for charity, including forty-three marathons in fifty-one days (which raised £1.8m) and helping raise £2.6m and honour Nelson Mandela by running twenty-seven marathons in twenty-seven days (including two marathons on the last day).

Izzard’s belief that “If you shoot for the stars, you could reach the moon” seems absurdly simplistic – easy to state but extraordinarily difficult to achieve - but whether or not you buy into his philosophy of the power of positive thought it is impossible not to be moved by his life story and particularly by his accounts of how he dealt with grief (over his mother’s death when he was aged six) and what he terms his “alternative sexuality” (coming out as an openly trans person).

In short, despite its not inconsiderable flaws, this is a book well worth reading.

Great read. Gets you hooked from the start. Would highly recommend!!

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley
Back when BBC America show actually British shows instead of movies and Star Trek, I saw my first Eddie Izzard show.
He made me laugh so hard.
To call this book a straight forward autobiography or memoir is slightly incorrect. While the progression in the work is somewhat linear, there are digressions, and in some places, you go two steps back after one step forward.
This doesn’t mean the book is bad. It isn’t. In fact, it is like Izzard is there talking just to you. So, it is really nice.
The other thing is that Izzard is not one of those stars who celebrate or shoves his celebrity in his face. He does not make himself sound extra special or anything like that. He is, in fact, every day, everybody. So, when he discusses his struggles to come to terms with himself, to find himself, to succeed, he is in many ways just like you. Look, I don’t know what it is like to be transgender or TV as Eddie Izzard calls it. Yet, for a straight woman who doesn’t like to wear heels, there is much here. Izzard’s writing lacks that self-inflation that sometimes infuses memoirs. In part, the book feels like he is still trying to figure himself out, and on another level, it gives me the same feeling that reading Pancakes in Paris did. Everyone struggles to discover who they are and make peace with it. Most struggles are different yet similarly. (Yes, I know it is oxymoron).
There are funny insights here too – for instance “Wasps are actually like The Borg from Star Trek” or how real football is more American than people think it is. “Stinging nettles are the Nazis of the weed world”.
And he is so right about warm milk. Warm milk is just wrong in so many different ways.
And Mr. Izzard, you are not the only vomiter, just saying.
The book isn’t just humor – though Izzard’s humor is on full display, it is full of introspection and touching passages. When Izzard discusses his relationship to his step-mother, in particular his attending concerts with her, the emotion shines though. It is a rather intimate and touching story.
Even if you are not an Eddie Izzard fan (and you should be), you will enjoy this touching memoir.

Eddie Izzard has a fun and fascinating way of describing his life and going into interesting and small details that make things so much more real. I will admit to being put off by a bit of his descriptions on Atheism, though I feel everyone has a right to their own beliefs. He paints and incredible picture of familial grief at the loss of his mother.

I'm an Eddie Izzard fan for sure, and have always admired his intelligent sense of humor through his live stand-up shows, and through the characters he chooses to play -- getting a chance to read his autobiography blew my mind. It was great to be able to see the man behind the red nails and to learn more of him as a person and his life experiences. While at times the writing was a bit long-winded, and confusing (for me), I was really happy to read "Believe Me", and would recommend it to Izzard fans (who love to read).

Eddie Izzard is an interesting character and he knows it. There is nothing wrong with having that confidence and it is needed to be successful in his field, but I did feel a bit overwhelmed by him at times. I soon stopped reading the footnotes because they are mainly for the US market and may not be in a UK edition? He really is a driven person and it was very illuminating to see such a person carve out a massively successful career from the very bottom. I would have liked to hear more about his relationships I think - how they work with his transgender side, or maybe I'm just being a bit puerile. Overall it was interesting just a bit too much of look what I achieved and not enough this is how I am.

An interesting look into the life of a comedian who can seemingly do it all. The over arching theme of this book is that you may not be prepared, have a plan, or even the means to do something, but if you truly think you can, you'll find a way. Maybe you won't be able to do everything, but without believing you can, you get no where. Simple, but intriguing idea. Using this methodology, Izzard was able to do many things so far that he never would have dreamed of. Flying a plane, running multiple marathons, going from college drop out to acclaimed award winning actor.

Izzard may not think his life so far had been remarkable, but I certainly think so. Growing up in multiple countries, having lost his mother while so young, being transgender, and basically carving a career out by just believing he could. A great read for those familiar with his work, and Econ those not that like a good autobiography.

"I was a bit bonkers. But good bonkers. There is a difference."

Eddie Izzard is a beloved British comedian, actor, activist and marathon runner. He's also known, for better or for worse, for being a proud transvestite. I say for better or for worse because as he explains in Believe Me, what he chooses to wear is just a simple, inherent facet of his inborn personality and it shouldn't detract from his art whatsoever, or force him to be identified by it. He puts it all quite simply, clearly and helpfully, I would imagine, for anyone who's faced similar troubles.

"The wish to express my feminine side has been in me since I was four. And if any woman or teenage girl has ever thought, 'I want to wear high heels,' that is the exact feeling that I have. There is no difference in the feelings." He likens the women's fashion revolution started by Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn, who began wearing pants while women were still firmly clad in skirts and who were likewise accused of dressing outside their gender.

It's worth a read if you've wondered where exactly he stands on the gender and sexuality spectrums and how he's using his experiences to help others. Wonderful, admirable work he's doing. "I just keep going, trying to find a space for myself, and for anyone else, who is on the same path."

He describes how hard it is to just be in public when he's in "girl mode" (wearing female clothes) and that he's harshly dealt others' negative reactions. He tells anecdotes of peacefully confronting people who harass him. "If you confront aggression - sometimes just standing your ground or even with cheeriness or politeness - sometimes you can shut it down. It's not a perfect science, but it feels better than being scared."

Izzard was born in Yemen, where his father worked for BP and his mother was a nurse. They moved around the UK and Ireland after that, and the pivotal event in his life he tragically lost his mother when he was six. He details his happy childhood up to that point, and then his mostly innocent, sometimes humorous boarding school exploits when he and his brother were sent there shortly after her passing. His father, although loving and later accepting of Eddie's trans identity, couldn't care for them on his own while working.

His mother's death is partly what led him to performance and to pushing himself to extreme or far-reaching accomplishments - he lived with an underlying hope that somehow he could get her back, do enough astounding, amazing things that she'd come back. It doesn't make a lot of sense and yet it does.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure an editor worked on this book. It's 350 pages of Izzard's often rambling thoughts, interspersed with some worthwhile, meaningful messages that he's extracted from his hard career work and life experiences: "Who the hell cares if you get somewhere very fast? The only person who cares is you...Don't get somewhere as fast as possible. Get somewhere as good as possible."

Sometimes his familiar comedy style comes through, but his standup act doesn't translate to the page. Without all the footnotes, addresses of places he lived or worked, sassy but empty asides or sentences that rambled and said nothing at all, it could've and should've been significantly cut down.

Maybe a diehard fan would want to read every word about his grades in school, juvenile soccer career and how far he advanced in playing the clarinet as a child. Otherwise, it's maddening and painfully boring, coming from someone with so much creative potential.

But I am a fan, I love his brand of standup, where he incorporates straight-up history that would normally be dry into this hilariously woven and relevant storytelling endeavor. I couldn't request a review copy of this fast enough when I saw it existed. He writes often of wanting to be taken seriously as an actor instead of only a comedian, that he hesitated to star in comedy films for fear of blowing his chance at serious acting roles, and since he does often handle weighty issues in his comedy, I didn't expect that the book would be a straight-up laughfest.

He makes a joke that lands here and there, my favorite - "America had a war of independence (I just noticed that as I was passing a history book)", others are joking attempts that don't work on paper, and the rest is way too much information about nothing I ever needed to know. It saddens me to say that.

The best chapters are in the section "Wilderness Years" (a nice concept borrowed from Winston Churchill historians, referencing the period of time in life when you get a little lost) and his "coming out" regarding his alternative sexuality. It's meaningful and I'm sure it could be very helpful to those potentially struggling in similar situations.

Otherwise, skip it and watch his specials. I've yet to see his documentary, Believe, but the book proved that his style is absolutely not meant to stay with the written word, so I'd wager a guess that's a better look at his life. I'm sorry, Eddie. There are beautiful, hopeful, uplifting moments, which is exactly what the author intended. But like Tim Gunn would say, it needed an editing eye.

He closes the book with some sweet hopefulness, the same that led him to run 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa in honor of Nelson Mandela, and even if it's a very flawed, not always enjoyable book, he's inarguably a wonderful, caring person who's making the world better just by being around in it.

"If you care about humanity, I encourage you all to do more than you think you can do."

I'll start by stating that I enjoyed reading this book immensely. "Believe Me" is an account of an incredibly brave, bold, and honest man. Izzard incorporates his trademark humor throughout the memoir, but he includes an equal amount of serious observations and revelations. He has led an exceptionally fascinating, challenging life. As an international success, he could sit back and rest on his laurels, but Izzard has made a tremendous effort on behalf of charities. "Believe Me" is an inspiring, utterly unique read. Don't miss it!

I loved reading about one of my favorite comedians. I highly recommend this!