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And Away...
Bob Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The episode unnerved him, but forced him to reflect on his life so far. This is the framework for his hilarious and moving memoir, And Away…
323 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
About the author
Bob Mortimer
13 books729 followersRobert Renwick Mortimer is an English comedian, podcast presenter and actor. He is known for his work with Vic Reeves as part of their Vic and Bob comedy double act, and more recently the Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series with comedian Paul Whitehouse. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Mor...]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,963 reviews
September 17, 2021
Shame he dies in the end.
September 16, 2021
Haven't even started it yet
September 30, 2021
Update now that I read it: Of course it was very funny but also warm and Im glad we had a mention of the legendary Gary Cheeseman "snipers dream" (top tier joke) and other familiar tales.
Pre-reading June-15
I need this book in my life right now please.
If you have a bad day go on YouTube and search the best of Bob Mortimer Would I Lie To You and for half an hour everything will be ok.
Pre-reading June-15
I need this book in my life right now please.
If you have a bad day go on YouTube and search the best of Bob Mortimer Would I Lie To You and for half an hour everything will be ok.
September 15, 2021
A lovely book about the impact that loss and shyness can have, and how a few really good friends can come along at just the right time to change the course of your life.
November 29, 2021
Reading this felt like sitting down and having a chat with Bob. And let's be honest, that's something we'd all be happy to do.
Read
January 1, 2022I don't rate biographies and memoirs.
This was so funny. Bob Mortimer has a gift for storytelling, weaving the most interesting stories of his life into a very relatable and honest account. From his childhood in Middlesbrough, we see him roam the streets with his friends, take on various jobs and eventually meet Jim Noir, a partnership that would ultimately change the course of his life. Some of the stories he tells are completely bonkers, from the pony watching TV in a living room to Mark Lemar falling through a ceiling and walking off. It's as chaotic and random as you would imagine from Bob.
Being from the area, I particularly liked the sections about Middlesbrough. Bob is passionate about where he grew up, and reminiscences fondly about his past here. I felt a connection to the stories, knowing that I've walked these same streets, visited the same pubs, and share a mutal love of Middlesbrough football club with Bob. My dad had a season ticket at Ayresome Park, and I regularly went with him. In addition, my husband and I met while working at the Riverside, so you could say it holds a special place in my heart.
Funny and heartfelt, I genuinely haven't laughed so much in a long time and I know I'll return to this if I ever need a pick me up. I also highly recommend the audio - Bob narrates it himself and does all the different voices and sings songs.
This was so funny. Bob Mortimer has a gift for storytelling, weaving the most interesting stories of his life into a very relatable and honest account. From his childhood in Middlesbrough, we see him roam the streets with his friends, take on various jobs and eventually meet Jim Noir, a partnership that would ultimately change the course of his life. Some of the stories he tells are completely bonkers, from the pony watching TV in a living room to Mark Lemar falling through a ceiling and walking off. It's as chaotic and random as you would imagine from Bob.
Being from the area, I particularly liked the sections about Middlesbrough. Bob is passionate about where he grew up, and reminiscences fondly about his past here. I felt a connection to the stories, knowing that I've walked these same streets, visited the same pubs, and share a mutal love of Middlesbrough football club with Bob. My dad had a season ticket at Ayresome Park, and I regularly went with him. In addition, my husband and I met while working at the Riverside, so you could say it holds a special place in my heart.
Funny and heartfelt, I genuinely haven't laughed so much in a long time and I know I'll return to this if I ever need a pick me up. I also highly recommend the audio - Bob narrates it himself and does all the different voices and sings songs.
December 31, 2021
My main takeaway from reading this is Bob truly doesn't know what a wonderful guy he is and I would like to a) give him a hug and b) tell him he is funniest when he's just himself. It's so inspiring to read of a once shy people-pleasing kid having this kind of career and the words Bob shares at the end of the book for fellow reserved and anxious people had me crying in a Café Nero.
October 10, 2021
This is an excellent read by one of the funniest men around. I have been looking forward to this one for sometime now and it was well worth waiting for. Strangely enough I don’t particularly like the comedy programmes he appears in with Vic Reeves but find him laugh out loud funny both in print and when he appears on ‘Would I Lie to you’ where he reminisces about his past.
Normally when I read biographies I am not so interested in the childhood memories but for me in this book it was the highlight. Stories that could only happen to Bob Mortimer, ranging from lighting fireworks in the home and the setting the house on fire to a childhood game called ‘Theft and Shrubbery’ had me howling with laughter.
A very humorous read with great stories whether they are true or not and I honestly don’t care.
The first two thirds of the book were pure gold, recounting his very early life.
Normally when I read biographies I am not so interested in the childhood memories but for me in this book it was the highlight. Stories that could only happen to Bob Mortimer, ranging from lighting fireworks in the home and the setting the house on fire to a childhood game called ‘Theft and Shrubbery’ had me howling with laughter.
A very humorous read with great stories whether they are true or not and I honestly don’t care.
The first two thirds of the book were pure gold, recounting his very early life.
September 19, 2021
Funniest man alive, so of course I was going to enjoy this book, but I really really loved it, laughed, cried and just felt an overall privilege to hear about his life! Highly recommend
February 18, 2022
I've always loved Bob Mortimer and thought him a genuinely nice guy, reading this has confirmed it, I love his awkwardness, his humour and his warmth, he is indeed a top human being.
October 29, 2021
Highly recommend the audiobook read by Bob Mortimer. You will get the full experience with the singing!!
February 7, 2022
A delightful, moving & hilarious read, loved it! 🧡
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
TRUE or FALSE : the dust jacket of the hardback is actually made from a combination of chewed ‘Boost’ bars & heavily pressed 5% fat beef mince 🤔
*Rubs legs suggestively* 🥸
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
TRUE or FALSE : the dust jacket of the hardback is actually made from a combination of chewed ‘Boost’ bars & heavily pressed 5% fat beef mince 🤔
*Rubs legs suggestively* 🥸
September 27, 2021
This was hilarious, a real laugh out loud autobiography from one of Britain’s funniest comedians!
As soon as I spotted that this book was coming out, I knew that I wanted to listen to it rather than read it. It was definitely the right decision as only Bob Mortimer himself could deliver the weird and wacky stories from his own past, just like he does on the panel show Would I Lie To You?.
Before listening to this the only thing I really knew about Bob Mortimer was his comedy career with Vic Reeves and more recently his Gone Fishing TV series with Paul Whitehouse. I’d listened to their audiobook last year and discovered he’d had a heart bypass and also that he’d been a solicitor before he became a comedian. Other than that I really didn’t know much about him, or where his comedy roots had come from.
I loved the stories from his childhood and adolescence, so many had me crying with laughter, even making me smile now as I think about them. The story about the Greyhound called ‘The Wedge’ and Brian his workmate doing the bins was brilliant! As were the interview at Cambridge University and some of his probation service stories. I loved the witch’s house story, with the tiny pony, old lady and the toilet seat and makeup club at school was hilarious! I’ve absolutely no idea if any of them they were lies or true stories, which is typical Bob Mortimer! 😹
It’s not all hilarious though, as he spoke candidly about how’s he really struggled with shyness all his life and with depression at uni. It was really quite sad at times, especially when revealed how hard he found it making and keeping friends.
I also enjoyed hearing about his TV shows with Vic Reeves, especially when about the revamp of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), as it’s a family favourite. There was lots of silly stories off and on set and also some embarrassing ones too!
I highly recommend this on audio if you enjoy humourous autobiographies read by the author.
As soon as I spotted that this book was coming out, I knew that I wanted to listen to it rather than read it. It was definitely the right decision as only Bob Mortimer himself could deliver the weird and wacky stories from his own past, just like he does on the panel show Would I Lie To You?.
Before listening to this the only thing I really knew about Bob Mortimer was his comedy career with Vic Reeves and more recently his Gone Fishing TV series with Paul Whitehouse. I’d listened to their audiobook last year and discovered he’d had a heart bypass and also that he’d been a solicitor before he became a comedian. Other than that I really didn’t know much about him, or where his comedy roots had come from.
I loved the stories from his childhood and adolescence, so many had me crying with laughter, even making me smile now as I think about them. The story about the Greyhound called ‘The Wedge’ and Brian his workmate doing the bins was brilliant! As were the interview at Cambridge University and some of his probation service stories. I loved the witch’s house story, with the tiny pony, old lady and the toilet seat and makeup club at school was hilarious! I’ve absolutely no idea if any of them they were lies or true stories, which is typical Bob Mortimer! 😹
It’s not all hilarious though, as he spoke candidly about how’s he really struggled with shyness all his life and with depression at uni. It was really quite sad at times, especially when revealed how hard he found it making and keeping friends.
I also enjoyed hearing about his TV shows with Vic Reeves, especially when about the revamp of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), as it’s a family favourite. There was lots of silly stories off and on set and also some embarrassing ones too!
I highly recommend this on audio if you enjoy humourous autobiographies read by the author.
September 23, 2021
I absolutely love Bob Mortimer, and this was a joy from start to finish.
What a fantastic human being.
I bought the signed book and listened to the audio.
It was the right thing to do.
What a fantastic human being.
I bought the signed book and listened to the audio.
It was the right thing to do.
October 10, 2021
10/10 would marry Bob
September 22, 2021
If I could rate this 6 stars then I would. I think this has been my favourite book of 2021 - and I've read almost 100 with several 5 star ratings.
Auto/Biographies can be a bit hit or miss for me. Sometimes the subject is someone that I really like (obviously why I've picked up their book) but their biography just misses the mark for whatever reason. I've stopped reading many a biography over the years. Some have focused on minute details which have bored me, or they've been too polished and a marketing tool rather than a genuine biography.
Yet I was sucked into 'And Away...' like a crusty crumb up a hoover.
It was just written so incredibly well that I haven't stopped reading it. It is now 4am on the second day of reading and I've just finished and I will hate myself for this later but I fell down the rabbit hole.
It was well paced, following the chronology of Mortimer's life and career but had a great balance between significant and impacting events and/or people and the mundane, which built context and added colour. It was subtle in its humour and funny throughout. I loved that whenever I was reading it over night or while holding my sleeping baby I had to suppress quite violent giggles to keep from waking him. Pocket meats. I mean. I thought I was going to suffocate myself trying to keep quiet at that point.
I've read a few auto/biographies of comedians or entertainers and they have bordered on being a stand up act in themselves. Joke after joke because that is clearly what their audience like and it is the reason they have an audience for a book, but 'And Away...' just felt like I was sitting down with Mortimer and he was telling me very genuinely about his life.
It was emotive and compelling and very open. I just absolutely ate it up.
It is 4am. This review probably doesn't make sense and may not be very polished but the take home is: Go and get a copy and read it and enjoy.
Auto/Biographies can be a bit hit or miss for me. Sometimes the subject is someone that I really like (obviously why I've picked up their book) but their biography just misses the mark for whatever reason. I've stopped reading many a biography over the years. Some have focused on minute details which have bored me, or they've been too polished and a marketing tool rather than a genuine biography.
Yet I was sucked into 'And Away...' like a crusty crumb up a hoover.
It was just written so incredibly well that I haven't stopped reading it. It is now 4am on the second day of reading and I've just finished and I will hate myself for this later but I fell down the rabbit hole.
It was well paced, following the chronology of Mortimer's life and career but had a great balance between significant and impacting events and/or people and the mundane, which built context and added colour. It was subtle in its humour and funny throughout. I loved that whenever I was reading it over night or while holding my sleeping baby I had to suppress quite violent giggles to keep from waking him. Pocket meats. I mean. I thought I was going to suffocate myself trying to keep quiet at that point.
I've read a few auto/biographies of comedians or entertainers and they have bordered on being a stand up act in themselves. Joke after joke because that is clearly what their audience like and it is the reason they have an audience for a book, but 'And Away...' just felt like I was sitting down with Mortimer and he was telling me very genuinely about his life.
It was emotive and compelling and very open. I just absolutely ate it up.
It is 4am. This review probably doesn't make sense and may not be very polished but the take home is: Go and get a copy and read it and enjoy.
Read
April 9, 2022The author Ed James recommended this to me after I listened to, and loved, Windswept and Interesting by Billy Connolly. I wasn't convinced. As a student my (largely male) flatmates subjected me to hour upon hour of Vic and Bob and, other than Shooting Stars, I found it bizarre, absurd and silly - and I rarely laughed. BUT I am a huge fan of Taskmaster and Bob did make me laugh when he appeared in series 5, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I am so glad I did. By turns sad, worrying (Bob's heart ops), moving, fascinating and funny I played this audiobook whenever I had the chance (largely on dog walks) and found Bob to be honest, humble, warm and relatable, and his stories were fascinating, funny and hugely enjoyable. Thanks for the recommendation, Ed.
I am so glad I did. By turns sad, worrying (Bob's heart ops), moving, fascinating and funny I played this audiobook whenever I had the chance (largely on dog walks) and found Bob to be honest, humble, warm and relatable, and his stories were fascinating, funny and hugely enjoyable. Thanks for the recommendation, Ed.
April 2, 2022
Sadly this wasn’t as funny as his stand up.
It was interesting though and hearing more backstory from his infamous companions discussed on Would I lie to you did cheer me up no end.
It was interesting though and hearing more backstory from his infamous companions discussed on Would I lie to you did cheer me up no end.
April 26, 2023
I love Bob Mortimer and I needed a pick-me-up, so And Away seemed like a good choice. It immediately dives into his triple bypass, the loss of his father when he was a boy, and his plummet into deep depression...
Damn.
There's a saying: Did you have a good childhood or are you funny? With many of mankind's clowns, there is often a sad backstory, and that holds true here. However, I still love Bob Mortimer! He is a funny man with some of the best stories from his youth. I really enjoyed the section of the book that explained how he got into comedy and his long, successful partnership with Vic Reeves.
If you don't know Bob, check out some clips of him on the hilarious show Would I Lie to You?
I would say, that the only true disappointment I felt with And Away was that it didn't provide an answer to why Rosalind is a f---ing nightmare....
Damn.
There's a saying: Did you have a good childhood or are you funny? With many of mankind's clowns, there is often a sad backstory, and that holds true here. However, I still love Bob Mortimer! He is a funny man with some of the best stories from his youth. I really enjoyed the section of the book that explained how he got into comedy and his long, successful partnership with Vic Reeves.
If you don't know Bob, check out some clips of him on the hilarious show Would I Lie to You?
I would say, that the only true disappointment I felt with And Away was that it didn't provide an answer to why Rosalind is a f---ing nightmare....
September 21, 2021
That was fucking fantastic.
Going to start it again.
Going to start it again.
September 24, 2021
really nice to read about someone local who did well for himself. he is just a normal smoggie who achieved. lovely
January 25, 2022
Can an extremely shy person who has never once dreamed of a life in show business in his approximately 30 years on Earth become a beloved comedian with many stage and TV shows to his credit? Yes! This memoir alternates chapters between descriptions of Bob Mortimer's emergency triple bypass and his childhood, adulthood, and show business success. I suggest getting the audiobook version, which includes enthusiastic singing and about two dozen different accents.
At the end of the book, he tells the reader that if there's a shy person at their office or school or social gathering, they should try to include that person in conversations, outings, and so on. And he advises shy readers to try to come out of their shells, even if it seems scary.
Bob Mortimer thanks the heart disease that almost killed him. He also thanks the "Hell's Angels farmer" he caught having sex with his girlfriend when he came home early from work one day. In short, he is a remarkable person even setting aside the comedy success.
My favorite random trivia in this book is that Mortimer is pals with Damien Hirst, the tremendously successful artist. When Mortimer revealed that he would soon need heart surgery, Hirst got an ox's heart, ran a silver arrow through it, preserved it in a vitrine full of formaldehyde, and gave it to him. I wonder if Mortimer ever sold it. I imagine it would be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
At the end of the book, he tells the reader that if there's a shy person at their office or school or social gathering, they should try to include that person in conversations, outings, and so on. And he advises shy readers to try to come out of their shells, even if it seems scary.
Bob Mortimer thanks the heart disease that almost killed him. He also thanks the "Hell's Angels farmer" he caught having sex with his girlfriend when he came home early from work one day. In short, he is a remarkable person even setting aside the comedy success.
My favorite random trivia in this book is that Mortimer is pals with Damien Hirst, the tremendously successful artist. When Mortimer revealed that he would soon need heart surgery, Hirst got an ox's heart, ran a silver arrow through it, preserved it in a vitrine full of formaldehyde, and gave it to him. I wonder if Mortimer ever sold it. I imagine it would be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
October 13, 2021
I pre ordered this on audio as soon as it was announced. It is a great listen and Bob's mimic work and singing really adds to the enjoyment. It is not all laughs as Bob completely opens up about life and death - absolutely loved it.
September 19, 2021
If you, like me, annoyed your mother by watching Shooting Stars on the little telly in the kitchen when you were a kid, this is a really warm, surprisingly tender and enjoyable read.
October 27, 2022
Bloody brilliant. Now ready for The Satsuma Complex.
January 6, 2022
And Away... (2021) by Bob Mortimer
It's hard to imagine there are many people who dislike Bob Mortimer
I have always loved his work with Vic Reeves and so, when I saw this in the library, I grabbed it. A good decision. And Away... is a funny, heart warming and interesting read.
I'd often wondered how Bob got together with Vic and it's an extraordinary tale of happenstance that hinges on the confluence of a number of unlikely events and which culminated in a chance meeting in a south London pub in 1988.
Bob also, perhaps surprisingly, grew up as a shy and socially anxious person and this blighted his early life to quite a dramatic extent. It was only with his close friends in Middlesborough that he felt comfortable. Thankfully that gradually changed over time although he still prefers the company of his family and a few good friends.
There's lots to appreciate and enjoy, and this is well worth reading if you like Bob and/or you like memoirs.
4/5
It's hard to imagine there are many people who dislike Bob Mortimer
I have always loved his work with Vic Reeves and so, when I saw this in the library, I grabbed it. A good decision. And Away... is a funny, heart warming and interesting read.
I'd often wondered how Bob got together with Vic and it's an extraordinary tale of happenstance that hinges on the confluence of a number of unlikely events and which culminated in a chance meeting in a south London pub in 1988.
Bob also, perhaps surprisingly, grew up as a shy and socially anxious person and this blighted his early life to quite a dramatic extent. It was only with his close friends in Middlesborough that he felt comfortable. Thankfully that gradually changed over time although he still prefers the company of his family and a few good friends.
There's lots to appreciate and enjoy, and this is well worth reading if you like Bob and/or you like memoirs.
4/5
September 19, 2021
Just as fantastic as I always knew it would be
October 6, 2021
A celebrity autobiography would not normally appeal to me unless it was chronicling the life of a favourite musician. However, Bob Mortimer is undeniably a lovable and warm man, as well as being a comedy legend, and so I was looking forward to reading this.
It’s an enjoyable, easy read with some touching moments, especially as Bob describes his shyness and vulnerability. He is also very modest and quick to be generous with his compliments of others.
In honesty though, I don’t feel that anything in the book was a revelation or anything that you would not know already if you watched any of the programs that Bob stars in. Maybe I’m slightly naive in my expectations of this type of autobiography but I would like to have discovered a little more about how he met his wife and moved to live in the country and start a family.
I know many Bob fans will love this title. I certainly liked it, but can’t say that I loved it.
It’s an enjoyable, easy read with some touching moments, especially as Bob describes his shyness and vulnerability. He is also very modest and quick to be generous with his compliments of others.
In honesty though, I don’t feel that anything in the book was a revelation or anything that you would not know already if you watched any of the programs that Bob stars in. Maybe I’m slightly naive in my expectations of this type of autobiography but I would like to have discovered a little more about how he met his wife and moved to live in the country and start a family.
I know many Bob fans will love this title. I certainly liked it, but can’t say that I loved it.
January 9, 2022
I laughed so hard I nearly did a wee, what a corker
January 24, 2022
Just fucking lovely
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,963 reviews