My favorite sex and drug addict, imported from Great Britain.

I had a surprisingly complex relationship with Russell Brand's memoir My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up.

First, I was super excited to pick it up at the library; for some reason Russell Brand completely amuses me. Then, when I started it, I looked at all the pictures first and got even more excited to read the book. I enjoyed the first quarter of it immensely. Then, I started to get a wee bit bored at Russell's tales of acting schools and constant misbehavior; later on I started to feel really bad for him as he described his love for heroin, his stint in drug treatment, and a very uncomfortable stay in an American clinic for sex addiction treatment, wherein he was surrounded (and a bit unnerved by) numerous pedophiles. Then, when I finished it, I decided it was quite unlike anything I had thought it was going to be, and although I couldn't say I enjoyed it, it was a very interesting read, and I certainly didn't feel any dumber for having read it.

I love books like that.

First things first. If you don't know who Russell Brand is, or you're only familiar with him from his appearance in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I wouldn't bother with this book. If, on the other hand, you've seen other Russell Brand stand-up tapes, or you've seen him on You-Tube; it might work, likewise, if you have a total addiction to all things Brit pop culture, this will be the book for you, as Russell kindly explains every Brit cultural reference he makes (including describing the enduring appeal of the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses). But in the end, really, it's kind of a sad book (about as sad as watching an episode of his now-defunct TV show RE: Brand on YouTube, especially the one in which he has a boxing match with his dad) about a guy with some fairly severe addictions.

So, you might be asking, if it was so sad, why did you really kind of enjoy it? More on that rather messed-up dichotomy tomorrow.

Comments

[Rachael]

Oooh, I think this might be a common reaction to the book. I made it about half way through before I gave up the ghost, and my best friend (yeah, both of us adore him) told me I was crazy, started into the book and...yup, gave up about half way through.

For me, it was just too sad. No matter how funny he tried to make the horrible, messed up things that had happened to him or he had done, it just made me horribly sad. Sigh, I don't think I can put it a better way.

(The other thing going on was that he looks EXACTLY like this guy I roomed with during college and had a massive crush on. I showed my Russell-loving friend pictures of my crush, alongside the ones of Russell in his early 20s from the book--seriously, twins. Picturing Dan in some of Russell's worse situations was a bit disconcerting, to say the very, very least.)

[Citizen Reader]

Rachael,
Yup, indeedy, I think we're all having rather the same reaction to this book. If nothing else, it was a surprisingly sobering read, which was ironic, considering its subtitle.

I know exactly what you mean about how sad it was. For some reason (I must have been feeling positive that day--how odd) I chose to read it more as a comedian's memoir or how to make bad stuff funny. Maybe that's a testament to his brains--and I do think he's a smart man. A smart man who couldn't help himself sometimes--but hey, that can happen to anyone. That he could come out of these situations with such flair (and I do mean flair--whenever I think of his stand-up I can just hear him joyfully announcing "I'm Russell!") is quite inspiring, I think.

I can certainly understand why you had a crush on someone who looks like Russell. He's such a cutie.

[adolescent drug rehab]

The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute drug use to the development of drug-seeking behavior, the vulnerability to relapse, and the decreased, slowed ability to respond to naturally rewarding stimuli The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition has categorized three stages of addiction.

-mj-

[Citizen Reader]

ADR,
Thank you for this further information. Although I love Russell and I thank him for putting addiction in terms I could understand, I'm very much happier for him that he seems to be conquering his addictions right now. I hope that continues.