Book info

• Title James Acaster's Classic Scrapes
• Author James Acaster
• Year 2019
• Genres Autobiography, Comedy

James Acaster has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award five times and has appeared on prime-time TV shows like Taskmaster, Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo and Would I Lie to You? But behind the fame and critical acclaim is a man perpetually getting into trouble. Whether it's disappointing a skydiving instructor mid-flight, hiding from thugs in a bush wearing a bright red dress, or annoying the Kettering Board Games club, a didgeridoo-playing conspiracy theorist and some bemused Christians, James is always finding new ways to embarrass himself.

Thoughts

I’ve listened to this before but realised I hadn’t reviewed it which was an oversight. And in the current tense climate of confusion and general overwhelming-ness, I figured listening to some guy telling stories of him being a bit silly during his life is exactly the right thing. This book is based on a feature in Josh Widdicombe’s radio show, which I’ve never heard, but has James recounting moments from his past where he’s gotten into a scrape.

And the scrapes vary in ridiculousness, from eating someone else’s strawberries, to harassing a young boy with a cabbage, to crashing an endless number of cars. They’re all told expertly, weaving the narrative in and out with callbacks that you only get from the best comedians.

This is definitely worth a listen, and then a re-listen when you’re quite stressed and could do with a break from the norm.

Rating: 5 / 5