Stewart Lee always seemed a bit too clever to be a really successful stand-up comic. Even in his early twenties he came across as world-weary, with a seen-it-all-before persona that belied his baby-faced appearance. It was as if he could never quite forget the inherent absurdity of stand-up comedy – reciting a rehearsed monologue, pretending it was spontaneous, being paid to try and make a bunch of strangers laugh.
Less clever, more successful comics did their best to please their customers. They’d ditch routines that didn’t work. Lee did the opposite. If a gag was stiffing he’d spin it out rather than compressing it, taking a perverse pleasure in seeing how much he could infuriate his foes.
How I Escaped My Certain Fate charts Lee’s rise and fall and recent renaissance, from young wannabe to obscure cult to counter-cultural mini-icon. It’s a sort of autobiography, but really just as much a book about the way British comedy has changed. When Lee started out, a lot of stand-up was still performed by eccentrics like Ted Chippington, to whom Lee dedicates this book. However as Alternative Comedy became big business, Lee became increasingly uncomfortable and this unease was reflected in his work. Lee took a break from stand-up and co-wrote Jerry Springer – The Opera. After this lively sabbatical he returned to stand-up and this time things clicked.
The story of how Lee found an audience and found his voice would make a great self-help book, but Shakespeare probably said it best: above all, to thine own self be true. Lee decided to downsize. He started playing smaller rooms, building a devoted following who understood his work, rather than pandering to TV execs. When the TV offers came, they came on his own terms. Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, broadcast on BBC2 last year, was one of the few series that have captured the frenetic atmosphere of live stand-up.
The bulk of the book consists of transcriptions of three live shows. Lee annotates these transcripts with lengthy footnotes, so extensive that at times they almost eclipse the main text. Usually, such copious asides are the sign of a very bad book but Lee pulls it off, mainly because his notes are invariably insightful, and frequently very funny. There are a few bum notes. The various appendices dilute the book’s dramatic impact, and Lee’s shaggy dog story about vomiting into the mouth (and anus) of Jesus Christ reads as wretched, rather than daring. Yet as Lee says himself, “I don’t think stand-up should really work on the page, so the very existence of this book is an indication of my ultimate failure as a comedian.”
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read