Book info

• Title Sidesplitter
• Author Phil Wang
• Year 2021
• Genre Memoir

Phil Wang was born in Stoke-on-Trent, raised in Malaysia, and then came of age in Bath - 'a spa town for people who find Cheltenham too ethnic'. In this brilliantly funny and incisive comic memoir he looks at what it means to be torn between two continents, bringing his trademark cynicism and wit to topics ranging from family, food and comedy to race, empire and colonialism.

Thoughts

I only really know of Phil Wang from Taskmaster (this is true of so many comedians these days!) but he was funny on that so I thought it would be interesting to hear what he has to say. This has elements of memoir in it but is actually more a perspective on life as someone who straddles two worlds, two countries, two cultures. It’s a really refreshing, honest, and, naturally, a very funny book with a sensible approach to life, race, and the many forms of hatred that people can heap upon each other. The chapter talking of cultural appropriation has particularly stuck in my mind. A great read.

Rating: 5 / 5