For a while, it seemed that every comedian who ever appeared on TV would make a leap onto the publishing bandwagon, using whatever fame they had as a springboard for a hoped-for literary career. Of course, most quickly floundered.
While not all the novels were as bad as their subsequent reputation suggested, it has led to a certain caution when approaching a first-time effort from one of comedy’s finest.
With a bit of luck, Stewart Lee might help change all that.
First, though, it has to be said that The Perfect Fool is not especially funny. If you wanted some sort of Fist Of Fun bumper book of laughs, this isn’t it.
For while it is certainly entertaining and there are a fair share of comic incidents it’s not a laugh-out-loud assault on the funnybone.
What it is, though, is a thoughtful, engrossing and meticulously researched – page-turner, packed with endearing, fascinating and fully three-dimensional characters.
There’s an obvious cinematic feel to this ambitious book, too, much of which is set in the blazing sun and wide open spaces of the Arizona deserts so beloved by film-makers. It’s certainly a Hollywood-friendly storyline, too, being essentially a version of the road movie, where the journey is much more interesting than any destination. Only here, everyone’s travelling towards a state of mind, rather than any geographical location.
Some of the characters and themes will be familiar to anyone who’s seen Lee’s later stand-up work. Never a traditional gagsmith, he instead pondered the philosophy of characters whose experiences were so extreme that the rest of life could only be a disappointment. Characters that transfer well to a novel.
The misfits in this book are all searching for the Holy Grail, whether physically or metaphorically, to fill a void in their lives. They include Mr Lewis, who believes he once walked in space, the fugitive Tracy who leaves a trail of corpses behind her, and Sid and Danny musicians who pissed away their one shot at the big time and ended up in a failed Dire Straits tribute band.
The plot, or at least some of it, is driven by Sid’s obsession with obscure acid casualty rock star Luther Peyote a trait Lee is surely well-placed to observe, thanks to his own experiences as the Sunday Times music critic responsible for reviewing all those bands most the world has never heard of.
And perhaps the stand-up who has admitted frustration with the limitations of the live circuit has also drawn on his own feeligs for Bob, the native American clown who no longer finds his job amusing.
Anywho, these disparate tales of empty lives run on in parallel until, as the laws of fiction demand, they interweave in an inevitable and sometimes downright incredible series of coincidences.
In truth, the way these strands are drawn together is none-too-subtle, and the plot joins do jar. But they are only minor failures in the suspension of disbelief, and once the unlikely characters are forced together, how they got that way soon seems unimportant.
Thereafter, each individual quest depends on the others for the happy ending or perhaps ‘successful conclusion’ might be a better phrase to use about a novel that rarely deals in such absolutes.
Though imperfect, The Perfect Fool would be a promising debut from any nascent novelist.
If you didn’t know Lee’s comedy background, you certainly wouldn’t guess it from this and that is meant as a compliment. The philosophical tone and imaginatively-conceived diversity of characters are not what you’d expect, and, unlike certain other comics’ efforts, it certainly doesn’t feel like a second-rate potboiler released to cash in on the author’s fame.
Let’s hope this is the first of many.
Oh, almost forgot to say – it’s like Jack Kerouac on temazepam.
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter