This was one of my first audiobook experiences and holy Nightcrawler, Batman this was one for the ages! First off, this book was read by the delightful Mr. Cumming himself. At turns intimate and heartbreaking, then raucous and hilarious, all the way through I was carried along by that distinctive, yet intimate Scottish brogue. I found it added to my enjoyment of the book immeasurably.
This book follows not just the harrowing relationship he had with his father Alex——“Soon, my head was propelled forward by his hand, the other one wielding a rusty pair of clippers that he used on the sheep…They were blunt and dirty and they cut my skin, but my father shaved my head with them, holding me down like an animal.”—— but also the revelations about his mother’s father, decorated WWII fighter Tommy Darling that come to light on his appearance on the reality show Who Do You Think You Are? in 2010. I will not divulge the “secrets” that were revealed on both counts but I will say it made for absorbing reading (listening). I am glad I got to spend so much time in this extraordinary man’s company.
“I believe if you’re honest, true to yourself, and committed, and especially if you use humour as a tool as well as a balm, people will respect you perhaps more than if they agree with everything you said. It’s actually quite a good ethos for life: go into the unknown with truth, commitment and openness and mostly you’ll be OK.”
I had NO IDEA that Cummings had written a book. I will add the audiobook to my TBR list.
I have it out from the library now but have not read it yet!
You are in for a treat!
I already had this on my TBR pile for CBR7, but with your endorsement of the audiobook, this and Good Omens might find me trying that method again.
I hope your experiment is a success!
HOW DID I NOT KNOW ALAN WROTE A BOOK? I’m an avid fan of audiobooks (not their prices, though) thanks to my ADD and thanks to some great audio performances (especially by Scots—I’m looking at you, David Tennant). I’m so excited to pick this one up now thanks to your review!
An Audible membership does make audiobooks much more affordable, especially since they offer a lot of sales. Also, a lot of libraries have digital audiobooks that can be checked out in a manner similar to ebooks.
Splendid! Enjoy!