Grandpa Mudcake wants a haircut, but Grandma Mudcake says she is too old to give him one, so he has to go out and get a haircut. Grandpa refuses and his hair grows and grows. Finally, he cannot take it anymore, so he goes to find a barber. He tells Bazil the Barber want he wants but Bazil does not speak English very well and Grandpa falls asleep. What a haircut he gets! But is it what he wanted? What happens when Grandpa wakes up?

I enjoyed this story. It makes me want to read more of the series. Grandpa is a grump and Grandma does not seem to be any different. I loved his haircut. I also liked that Grandpa wanted the lollipop at the end of the haircut. This is a perfect book for your early readers. They can laugh over Grandpa's haircut and style.

Since I've read all of Joy Ellis's Jackman & Evans books (or all that she's published to date), what a good thing she's come up with yet another series set in the Fens ... and so far, I'm liking it -- and DCI Matt Ballard -- really, really very much.

And Antony Ferguson is doing a damned fine job standing in for Richard Armitage ...

The following year, 2009, I actually sang ”Sweet Caroline” along with Neil Diamond on stage—he put his hand on my shoulder! ”Reachin’ out. . . touchin’ me. . . touchin’ you . . .,” which means, no matter what you may achieve in your life, I’ll always be that little bit more awesome than you.

Early on, Ferguson talks about his approach to the writing of this book—after years of writing the monologue-type things he started his talk show with (I call them type, because they're not like your standard late night monologue), he's continued to think in those terms, he finds it natural to write in. So, he wrote a few of those looking back on his past. Presto—a new memoir.

The timeline jumps around a lot, so there's no real linear storyline. But there are trends, if you're looking for them. More than that, there are themes—sobriety, family, and personal growth would be at the top of the list.

There are some wonderfully-written passages, not enough for my taste—but it's not that kind of book, so those moments shine. Mostly, it's a showcase for Ferguson as story-teller. And he's a good one: whether it's about a fishing trip, a vacation in Japan, performing somewhere, teenage romance (unrequited, I should add) or meeting his wife (for example)— -- you get caught up in the tale. Maybe the lessons he takes from the story or the point he was trying to raise, aren't quite as good as the story itself, but frequently it is.

I could read the account of his learning to fly a couple of times a year and find it amusing and inspiring each time. I loved his discussion about his tattoos, too—it made me wish I had a session lined up.

One of the most prominent themes (maybe the most) is sobriety and his alcoholism. As you'd expect, Ferguson balances the harsh truths about both with his signature wit.

The problem with trying to hide active alcoholism from someone you live with is one of balance. You have to drink because you’re an alcoholic, but you don’t want to appear too drunk because then the poor unfortunate that is supposedly in a relationship with you might insist on you getting help. That’s the last fucking thing you want because every drinking alcoholic knows ”getting help” means stopping drinking, and that is unthinkable. Keeping your shit together is a tightrope act and is only halfway possible with luck, good timing, and cocaine. Even then it doesn’t always work.

 

Let’s be honest, it hardly ever works.

 

It never works.

I do think I would've enjoyed this more if I'd listened to the audiobook—alas, it wasn't available at my library. I think I'd have responded better to Ferguson's voice telling me the stories, not reading them with frequent approximations of his voice in my head. But it was nice enough—a few chuckles, some really well-written passages, some good insight into Ferguson. It wasn't spectacular, as I'd hoped—but it was good. I'm glad I read it, and I bet if you like Ferguson to any extent, you'll enjoy reading this, too.

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✔ A memoir or biography of a favorite celebrity. ✔ A book written by a comedian.

Date Published: September 22, 2009

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library

Date Read: May 11-13, 2009

Blurb:

In his memoir American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson, host of The Late, Late Show, traces his journey from working-class Glasgow to the comedic limelight of Hollywood and American citizenship. Moving and achingly funny, American on Purpose moves from Ferguson’s early life as an alcoholic to his stint on The Drew Carey Show to his decision to become a U.S. citizen in its unique and honest look at his version of the American dream.

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Review

I was hoping that this memoir would go deeper into why and how he went about becoming an US citizen. That part was really glossed over and was about 5% towards the end of the book. Although he is a funny guy (I have enjoyed his comedy specials, hence I picked this book), there was a lot of repetition of drug use/failed romantic relationships that nothing really stuck with me until he talked about rehab and getting sober, then he started really working on his comedy (once again, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival finds a star!) and making better choices in his personal life. It was a bit of an eye-opener to read about the sectarian tension (and sometimes violence) in Glasgow...I thought that was more of a Irish issue and not so much a Scot issue, but I learned a lot. 

If you are a fan of Ferguson, by all means read this. I listened to the audiobook, read by Ferguson, and enjoyed it. But it could have used a story editor to keep the repetition early in the book from boring the reader.

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