🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 – Everything an Alan fan could want. Even better on a re-read!
Format: Audio (Audible)
Read: January 2025
I fucking love Alan Partridge. I often forget that Alan Partridge is a fictional character and that he and Steve Coogan are not two separate people.
I find it hard to pinpoint exactly why Alan tickles me so much. He’s petty, selfish, and ignorant – treats his long-time assistant Lynn terribly – and looks down on others with the politics of a middle-aged middle-Englander and lacks any self-awareness. But, I think there is a childish vulnerability, an insecurity barely beneath the surface and enthusiasm to him (“stop getting Bond wrong!“) that just keeps him sympathetic enough to be an enjoyable character. It’s easy to relate to his desire for affirmation and to fit in.
I of course had read this book before! I got it on audiobook when it first came out in 2011. At this time I worked in a quiet university medical library and often would have to close the whole place alone in the evening. While I was doing my rounds, to make sure all the students had gone, and switching off the lights as I went, I accidentally set it playing in my cardigan pocket and scared the shit out of myself! That place was spooky, it had a lot of strange unexplained doors at odd heights.
Now Alan’s third autobiography is out (Big Beacon) I wanted to reread the first two before getting to that one. We also recently rewatched I’m Alan Partridge and Alpha Papa (shout out to Colm “Chief O’Brien” Meaney!). Sadly (stupidly) I got rid of my DVDs of Knowing Me, Knowing You and Mid Morning Matters. We’ve learned the hard way not to reply on streaming platforms to have everything!
Anyway, I, Partridge is everything an Alan fan could want! I really love this one because he covers his entire career to the end of the TV shows, and gives his side of the story which is often quite a different recollection from what we saw… It’s completely written in Alan’s own voice, and it’s just fantastic. It had me howling with laughter. I particularly enjoyed his very deliberate use of literary devices and the need to draw the reader’s attention to them! It was also nice to find out how his relationship with Sonja ended after I’m Alan Partridge (I did enjoy them together – so much I made an embroidery of my favourite line).
I definitely recommend getting the audio of this because it’s read by the man himself. I’ll listen to this again and again and again!
