Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years

Palin, Michael

ISBN 10: 1427202265 ISBN 13: 9781427202260

Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 2007

Synopsis

Michael Palin’s diaries begin in the late 1960s when he began writing for hugely popular programs. He recounts how Monty Python emerged and triumphed. From the success and cult status brought by Monty Python, Palin shares stories from their world tours, their stay at hotels recently trashed by Led Zeppelin, their battles over censorship, and how individually the Pythons went their separate ways. Yet at the same time they were working on the now celebrated series of films, including The Holy Grail, many of whose lines are known by heart to a considerable portion of the English-speaking world. The birth and childhood of his three children, learning to cope as a young man with celebrity, his friendship with George Harrison, and all the trials of a peripatetic life are also essential ingredients of these diaries. A perceptive and funny chronicle, the diaries are a rich portrait of a fascinating period.

 

 

About this title

About the Author

Michael Palin is a scriptwriter, comedian, novelist, actor and playwright.  He also happens to be one of the funniest people on the planet.

Reviews

As one of the six Pythons to have assembled back in the late 1960s, Palin provides insights into the group's dynamics during the decade that brought the Monty Python troupe to international acclaim. This abridgment can be satiating and frustrating, often simultaneously. At face value, it provides many behind-the-scenes moments and explores how and why the comedy troupe went about its business. Yet the mere knowledge that it's an abridgment will have listeners yearning to hear more—especially Python-quoting fans. The short, occasionally abrupt entries feel authentic, as journal entries can often be a mere few sentences. But listeners may constantly question how much has been trimmed. Occasionally, the journal entries read as a mere chronological list of events. As narrator, Palin proves adept at adding life and emotion in his mild-mannered voice to the more pedantic lulls in the audiobook. But given the audiobook's shortcomings, a bonus interview or some other material might have improved the overall enjoyment for listeners.
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If you love exploding lettuce, silly walks, and verbal horseplay, Michael Palins latest audio publication will make your day. Narrating himself, Palin delivers very personal memories of his childhood, his family, and his charmed life. Palins a respected actor, and his dramatic and comedic skills leave a powerful impression. Especially captivating is his seemingly unpretentious yet impressive name-dropping (George Harrison, Mick Jagger, all of the Pythons . . . ). He also presents his personal insights on the geniuses who surrounded him whilst creating the comedic legend known as Monty Python. This audio presentation offers a plentiful rendering of a remarkably funny period in cultural history. M.R.E. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1427202265
• ISBN 13: 9781427202260
• Binding: Audio CD
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 4