Little Me

Thank you to the publishers via NetGalley for an eCopy of this book to read and review, this in no way impacts my thoughts on the book.

However, as soon as I learnt I was approved for this book, I couldn't wait to dive in! I've always been a huge fan of Matt's, Little Britain had always been one of my favourite sitcoms and his Nardole in Doctor Who is honestly just one of my latest favourite companions.

Whether it was the format of this book, being broken down into sub-headings (following the alphabet), I felt like this was such an intimate autobiography, and yet it felt as casual as catching up with a friend for chips (or crisps, as Matt Lucas says). I mean, it's awesome, he has a chapter devoted to his favourite foods, which I found fascinating to read about and amusing, he gives such passion talking about his favourite foods and flavors of say, chips and chocolates.

I loved the chapters focused on Doctor Who, though I wish it were longer! I bet he and Pearl got up to all sorts of mischief whilst Peter was memorizing those epic monologues that Twelve performed! He speaks so fondly of his co stars, and I'd definitely love to see Nardole back again if that were possible.

The chapters that focused on his early life were so heart wrenching! I had no idea that Matt Lucas was told about that condition which caused him to lose all his hair, at such a young age, and how much he was bullied at a young age, and how he struggled with coming out to his family and friends, which is sad in itself! But these chapters were written with such heart, it was perfection.

Also loved the chapters where Little Britain was discussed, and even in early chapters, there were snippets of how he got inspiration for some characters, eg, a weight loss coach with a loud and shrill tone, wondering if they have "any nooooo members." (For those of you who enjoy Little Britain, you'll definitely appreciate this too.

Filled with anecdotes about being famous and getting recognized whilst out and about with family, and talking about other famous faces and friends, this autobiography is sure to please anyone who's enjoyed Matt Lucas's career, or anyone that loves a great autobiography!

This is a joy to read - a truly personal autobiography of Matt Lucas. It's direct, funny and heartbreakingly REAL.
I feel as though I've sat down with Matt and had a jolly good chinwag, and finished the final page wishing he was my friend. He seems like an absolute gem of a friend.
Clean, clear chapters, gorgeous and very intimate sharing, I cannot fault this book.
I highly recommend it.

I love when I read a memoir and feel as if I know the author because they write in such a down to earth manner. Matt Lucas wrote a memoir that was funny and had celebrity cameos. Definitely recommend this one!

I actually LOVED this book, Little Me, by Matt Lucas. I've long loved his acting and was so excited to see that he had written a book. It's funny, humble, and has heart. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it! I've already ordered some copies for my library, as we have some huge Little Britain fans here.

Matt Lucus is most famous, in the United States, for doing <em>Little Britain</em> as well as being a companion to the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi), in <em>Doctor Who</em>. But if you don't watch British shows, you would never have heard of him, and that is a shame.

The Bitish version of thies book was called <em> Little Me: My life from A-Z</em>, which is a more accurate title for the book, because he does not tell his life in chronological order, but rather alphabetical order. So we go from finding out his first comedy gigs in the D chapter, which stood for doing the Circuit to jumping when he was a child, in the next chapter E, which stands for Eating. If you don't mind this jumping around, as he focuses on one this, it works.

It is kind of nice, that he writes in his voice, so you can hear him telling you the stories. And of course when he comes to G, he talks about "being the only gay in the village", which although he said he didn't create, he identified with quite well.

It is often what he says at the ends of the chapters which make the best points. On Eating, he said he had the tastes of a 9 year old, and on being Gay, he said that he wondered if in 25 years that gay authors would even devote a whole chapter to being gay. \

If you are looking to laugh throughout the book, you will be disappointed. Comedians typically have suffered to get to the state where they can make jokes about it. Matt lost his hair when he was a teenager, and in some of his early routines, he had fun playing about with a wig. He was able to make light of an unfortunate situation.

But if you want to find out what make the man who he is, this is an excellent book for that.

He name drops, a lot, but I am only familiar, in passing, with some of the "big" names he mentions.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I discovered Matt Lucas while watching Doctor Who and was smitten by his facial expressions and his comic timing. I was intrigued to learn more about him through his autobiography, which was an entertaining read, and creatively structured. While most autobiographies unfold chronologically - from childhood through adulthood, sprinkled with heartfelt and humorous anecdotes - Lucas tells his life story in a timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly way via the alphabet. Each chapter (which vary in length and occasionally include posed and candid photographs) revolves around a specific word or phrase, jumping from his school days to his successes in film and television. While I wish the chapters surrounding his adventures in the TARDIS were longer (separate book perhaps?), learning about his early childhood counterbalances the humor and (inevitable) name dropping.

The narrative also comes across as conversational - his unique voice shines through, even when dealing with less glamorous and serious moments.

Depending on where you are in the world, you probably know Matt Lucas from the hit TV and stage show Little Britain or the film Bridesmaids. One of the UK's most iconic comedians, he not stopped for the last 25 years, appearing in music videos for Blur, adverts for Cadburys, onstage in Les Miserable and as Doctor Who's companion. 

I'll admit I didn't know that much about Matt Lucas before reading this. I mean he's rarely in the press and I was unaware of him before Little Britain.  Turns out, he's just working his ass off - and not doing much else.  He touches on the death of his partner, Kevin, nearly a decade ago throughout the book but explains at the start that he wouldn't be discussing it in any great detail, which I really respect. There's a lot of correcting mistaken perceptions and prolonged apologies for behaving like a bit of a twat, in Matt's own words. I feel like he did more than a little reflecting (as you would) when writing this and saw it as the opportunity to set the record straight in retrospect. And why not? This memoir feels really genuine, a little raw but genuinely upbeat and cheeky - exactly what you would expect from Mr Lucas. A really lovely read.

I need to start by admitting that I don’t really ‘do’ comedy. I don’t really get it. Jokes are lost on me and I feel awkward when everyone around me is laughing and I am left behind. As a result, much of Matt Lucas’ work has passed me by, and other than being the ‘two little fat boys’ in Alice and Wonderland I knew very little about his career. I saw a clip of Little Britain when I was younger and decided it wasn’t for me. I don’t watch Dr Who. So reading the autobiography was more of a discovery for me than it probably will be for a lot of readers, and to my surprise, I loved it! As a self confessed non-laugher at jokes, I found myself laughing out loud regularly during the first few chapters. My husband sitting next to me couldn’t understand it!

I enjoyed the way the life story was jumbled up and told through the letters of the alphabet rather than chronologically. It meant that when he referred to something later on, or reverted back to his childhood, you as the reader were almost reminiscing with him, now aware of the later life experiences that had resulted from the earlier memories. Some chapters were just funny - ‘eating’ was my particular favourite. Some were interesting - I learned a lot about the work that goes into being a successful comic and the time and effort that must go into producing original material. Other chapters were sad, as can be expected from any autobiography, but it is clear from the outset that Matt Lucas has led an interesting but often a difficult life. There are still unanswered questions for me given that certain areas were deliberately left vague, but I understand his need and preference to keep these private and am just grateful that he chose to write what he did so I could learn about his experiences.

I am now inspired to look up some of the programmes he has referenced in the book, to give some context to the stories and people he described. No promises that I will laugh though...

The structure of this autobiography is a bit odd, and honestly I think it says a lot about Mr. Lucas as he seems a bit odd (but in a rather delightful way). I enjoyed the A-Z style, some letters more than others, and I found it refreshing and different. My only knowledge of Matt Lucas prior to reading this was based on his character on Doctor Who and an appearance on Graham Norton, but after reading the book I am more interested in seeing more of his work. I'd recommend this especially to fans, but it was entertaining enough that I think anyone who enjoys memoirs will like it.

I have not seen many works with Matt Lucas but I was curious about his life and experiences. I did find this book fun (and sometimes sad and heartbreaking) but it gives great insight into the life of Mr. Lucas.
His writing style is very real and simple - you feel like you are talking to a friend and I love the little tidbits we got about his roles, favourite foods etc.
Would definitely recommend to his fans!

To tell the truth, Matt Lucas is not my favorite. He is always okay in the many things I've seen him in but never someone I seek out. However his memoir was funny and entertaining and offered a glimpse into the life of a British actor which is always interesting and seems rather different than what Hollywood actors go through.

"This is the story of little me, from pudgy, awkward child to pudgy, slightly less awkward adult – via school musicals, adolescent angst, stand-up, Shooting Stars, Little Britain, Doctor Who, love, loss, wigs and giant pink babygros. And, in case your attention span is as short as mine, it comes in a handy A to Z format. So B is for Baldy! (yes, people did shout this at me in the playground), G is for Gay (because I'm an actual real life gay) and I is for Idiot (I was born a berk. I probably even stubbed my toe on the way out).

It will warm your heart, make you snort out loud in public and there’s even a catchy song in the middle. What I’m saying is, please buy this book. It is VERY good. I know I’m biased because I wrote it but it is."

It makes me a little sad that people probably know Matt Lucas now more for Doctor Who instead of the genius that is Little Britain...