Surprisingly Down to Earth and Very Funny

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 · 2,882 ratings  · 216 reviews

Start your review of Surprisingly Down to Earth, and Very Funny: My Autobiography

Shame he dies in the end.

Nov 04, 2021 Andy Marr rated it it was amazing

I've been a fan of Limmy for many years, and am surprised it took me so long to read any of his books. It's a long time since I was able to identify so strongly with a book. Like me, Limmy's had his problems with the demon drink, and suffered periods of poor mental health. But he told the story in an upbeat, positive way, which made it a pleasure rather than a trial to read. What was clear was that he's a lovely, compassionate man, and while I can't know how the past few years have planned out f I've been a fan of Limmy for many years, and am surprised it took me so long to read any of his books. It's a long time since I was able to identify so strongly with a book. Like me, Limmy's had his problems with the demon drink, and suffered periods of poor mental health. But he told the story in an upbeat, positive way, which made it a pleasure rather than a trial to read. What was clear was that he's a lovely, compassionate man, and while I can't know how the past few years have planned out for him, I hope he's found some peace with himself, and with the family he so clearly loves. ...more

Feb 24, 2019 Odi Shonga rated it really liked it

One of my favourite comedians is a fairly unknown Glaswegian man who goes by the name of Limmy. He's fairly famous in Scotland, less so in the rest of the UK, and I imagine he falls somewhere between unknown and maximally niche to the rest of the world. However, he's one of my favourites because he's kind of the full package, for me. I don't mean that in a weird, inappropriate way — hear me out. His humour ultimately revolves around a kind of absurd storytelling. When you hear something like tha One of my favourite comedians is a fairly unknown Glaswegian man who goes by the name of Limmy. He's fairly famous in Scotland, less so in the rest of the UK, and I imagine he falls somewhere between unknown and maximally niche to the rest of the world. However, he's one of my favourites because he's kind of the full package, for me. I don't mean that in a weird, inappropriate way — hear me out. His humour ultimately revolves around a kind of absurd storytelling. When you hear something like that, along with the fact I earlier used the words "maximally niche", you would be forgiven for thinking he was some hauty, intellectual type that is only funny in a very specific, academic way. No, his humour is surprisingly down to earth, which makes the title of his autobiography an apt description of himself. Of course, that's not the title because he intended to describe himself. It refers to an ongoing Twitter joke he has, wherein upon the death of any public figure, he tells his half a million followers that he met them at a charity do once, and that they were surprisingly down to earth, and very funny. He does it without fail for anybody famous enough, and he has a large enough following that it occasionally gets picked up by news outlets and broadcast morosely in serious contexts. This is the kind of thing he finds hilarious. So he decided to name his autobiography for the joke, as a morbid reference. Of course, he will die some day, and here he is naming his autobiography after a joke centred on the deaths of public figures. When he dies, the title of his autobiography will both harken back to this absurd joke of his while genuinely being true of him. That's the kind of humour the guy operates with.

Perhaps that excessively long opening paragraph won't convince you that he's worth checking out. If so, fair enough. I'll move on. Another part of Limmy's appeal is his apparent lack of a personal filter. Of course, he has boundaries when it comes to private information and anything in connection with his family, but when it comes to his personality or thoughts, he is as forthcoming as it gets. A lot of us go through life eminently unsure of what we're doing; we feel lost and lonely in our lostness. The condition isn't helped because the default stance required to survive in our culture is to pretend to know what you're doing, so we all end up suffering an illusory effect: everyone else seems to have it figured out, but because we know our own minds, we know we don't. It's people like Limmy who are our saving graces. They come out with it straight: they are clueless, everyone else is clueless, we're all winging it, and we're not always very good at winging it. This is what makes the autobiography worth reading. Its "raison d'etre" was meant to be to talk about mental health stuff, and it kind of does, but I submit that it is strongest for the fact that it shows you a normal guy who has fucked up, succeeded, fucked up some more, and is just plugging away at it. He's like any of us (except, of course, with a better knack for weaving a funny story), and that makes us feel less alone.

The best parts of the autobiography, therefore, are the parts where he talks about feeling weird, different, like a fuck-up, but also when these are juxtaposed with the normal facts of life like getting a job, having sexual or romantic troubles (and successes), not getting on with your flatmate, and trying not to become destitute. Ironically, I think the part most worthy of negative criticism is probably when he is talking directly about mental health stuff — the reason the book was asked to be written in the first place. There's a bit where he talks about going off antidepressants cold turkey, but he doesn't really dwell on why this might not be such a good idea, and how some people end up dying thinking they can suddenly go off their mental health medication. He doesn't advocate doing it, but he talks about it in a fairly neutral way, like there's no real danger to it.

Outside of that, however, I think the book's great. It reads like a chronological collection of anecdotes surrounding the theme of being a bit of a weirdo, and sometimes that's just what we need: a reminder that other people are as wonky as we are.

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Auto theft, fanny fright, incompetent but dogged self-harm, raving and tripping as self-medication, dole stupor, bail skipping, the death drive, pretend machismo, pretend homosexuality, alcoholism, Flash animation, BBC showrunner. Not very funny but very entertaining. (His shows are funny.)

I could have guessed that he'd had a life like this from his characters; so much authentic idiocy, lunacy, awkwardness, pretension, and pettiness. Surprised that Dee-Dee is based on his own trippy blankness;

Auto theft, fanny fright, incompetent but dogged self-harm, raving and tripping as self-medication, dole stupor, bail skipping, the death drive, pretend machismo, pretend homosexuality, alcoholism, Flash animation, BBC showrunner. Not very funny but very entertaining. (His shows are funny.)

I could have guessed that he'd had a life like this from his characters; so much authentic idiocy, lunacy, awkwardness, pretension, and pettiness. Surprised that Dee-Dee is based on his own trippy blankness; Limmy's so sharp these days.

He crosses into the middle class through IT, anxious about looking like the 'wee ned guy' in the office. And then into Design (a colony of the Art world, where a rough background's a bonus), and then to TV comedy, and then to streaming, where rawness and obliquity and patter means dollas. It's a nice story.

It's about being strange in a normal, subclinical* way: intrusive thoughts, groundless anxiety, reduced affect display, auditory hallucination, mild paranoia, misanthropy, hysteroid dysphoria.

I must sound like a fuckin robot tae you. But it's just the way I'm wired. I never felt sad about my mum dying.

I always wondered if I was schizophrenic... Maybe just an overactive imagination. My mind likes to come up wi lots of thoughts and ideas, whether or no they're useful or make sense. I think that sort of thing can make you mental, depending on how severe it is and what kind of environment you're in. Fortunately I managed to find a place to put my kind of mind to good use.

The deep function of laughter is apparently that it allows play / boundary learning / questioning social norms. So to be a comedian, you have be a step past your society. (I doubt funniness is linear in weirdness though.) And Limmy is obviously out there. He regularly tweets about how much he misses drinking (which I've never seen an alcoholic do), and satirises the now-daily flamewars of the shouting classes by taking absurd and alternating stances on every issue (...) .

I know several people with the same mix of terrible impulses and good intentions, charisma and anti-social solitude: folk whose adolescence lasted twenty years. They're the funniest people I know, by far. I don't know how class comes into it, but they're all working-class. Maybe middle-class people as strange as them direct it inward, rather than outward as comedy or violence. (They're also all Scots but that's a selection effect, I hope.)

Audiobook's worth it - the prose is very plain and his accent's strong but clear. Fans only, but you should be a fan.

---

* There are also dozens of suicidal episodes though.

...more

Mar 03, 2019 Heather rated it really liked it

On one hand a fun book about Limmy's life and career to date, it's like he's chatting his life story; on the other hand an honest book about mental health, addiction, and overcoming the darkest thoughts. On one hand a fun book about Limmy's life and career to date, it's like he's chatting his life story; on the other hand an honest book about mental health, addiction, and overcoming the darkest thoughts. ...more

Oct 28, 2020 Paul Rodger rated it really liked it

One of the most readable autobiographies you'll come across. From hilarious anecdotes to emotional admissions about his struggles with addiction and mental health, Limmy's honesty and unflinching account of his life is very refreshing. You don't need to be a fan of his work to appreciate a lot of what this book has to offer - highly recommend

Book was ok, not particularly well written. Left with a lingering dislike for Brian. He seems like a complete baby.

Candid as fuck.
Funny as fuck.
I loved it.

More of 2.5 star.

I love Limmy and really enjoy his humour, but this was just so beyond what I enjoy reading lol Of course, I didn't expect jokes constantly and I honestly really enjoyed his view on mental illness and being human, even when his writing got very dark at times.

But I couldn't enjoy all the teenage/college age years. It was just not what I wanted to read about. Not Limmy's fault of course, but I view myself as someone who can appreciate crass humour or explicit sex stories - and the

More of 2.5 star.

I love Limmy and really enjoy his humour, but this was just so beyond what I enjoy reading lol Of course, I didn't expect jokes constantly and I honestly really enjoyed his view on mental illness and being human, even when his writing got very dark at times.

But I couldn't enjoy all the teenage/college age years. It was just not what I wanted to read about. Not Limmy's fault of course, but I view myself as someone who can appreciate crass humour or explicit sex stories - and the stuff in this book was just way too bleugh for me. That's all I can describe it as. I just didn't want to read about him masturbating or his sexual encounters. It grossed me out and honestly made me want to DNF, which takes a lot, but it just wasn't enjoyable or funny or even cringy. It was just bleugh.

This was an audiobook though, so that might have made things all the worse 😂

...more

Oct 30, 2021 Jacob rated it it was amazing

One of the stable joys of lockdown has been devouring Limmy content, quoting nonsense like "they're playing a wee game of ludo" or "it is fucking 90!" to friends or myself if I need a laugh. I devoured this autobiography just as enthusiastically. For some reason, I really wasn't prepared for the title to sell the book so perfectly. Whilst it's no surprise this book is indeed very funny, it's Limmy's shockingly open approach to discussing his struggles with mental health, addiction and self-estee One of the stable joys of lockdown has been devouring Limmy content, quoting nonsense like "they're playing a wee game of ludo" or "it is fucking 90!" to friends or myself if I need a laugh. I devoured this autobiography just as enthusiastically. For some reason, I really wasn't prepared for the title to sell the book so perfectly. Whilst it's no surprise this book is indeed very funny, it's Limmy's shockingly open approach to discussing his struggles with mental health, addiction and self-esteem that cements this as one of the best autobiographies I've read. All told with his signature crass silliness, Limmy nonetheless hides nothing about his lifelong battles, inviting you into several unbelievable anecdotes and genuinely poignant passages challenging his past behaviour right up to the present moment. Parts of this rattled me to the core, helping me confront negative thoughts and cycles of my own. Reading this feels far less like a TV comedian recounting their successes and failures, instead resembling a close friend spilling their secrets and fears in the early hours, interspersed with crude banter and surprise punchlines. So yes, surprisingly down to earth! Very funny! An utter pleasure. ...more

Nov 19, 2021 Anna rated it it was amazing

Really loved this. Felt as though I was just listening to limmy tell his life story. Very very honest which was refreshing. Maybe a bit too honest?! Nah I'm joking but he's very open about everything which I loved. Maybe I loved this so much bc I really like limmy and find him funny. It has definitely gave me the confidence to go up and speak to him if I ever see him walking about town. Funny that he comes from really near ek and I knew everywhere he was talking about when he was talking about h Really loved this. Felt as though I was just listening to limmy tell his life story. Very very honest which was refreshing. Maybe a bit too honest?! Nah I'm joking but he's very open about everything which I loved. Maybe I loved this so much bc I really like limmy and find him funny. It has definitely gave me the confidence to go up and speak to him if I ever see him walking about town. Funny that he comes from really near ek and I knew everywhere he was talking about when he was talking about his childhood. Lot of respect for him for talking about things which I can imagine are hard to admit ...more

There's no way of describing Limmy's autobiography without using the title in some capacity because that is what it is. It is surprisingly down to Earth, and it is very funny. Limmy is a funny bloke and this traipse through his ups and downs, his openness about his mental health and his humour flows with ease. Maybe it's because he is used to writing up his thoughts, as he details in the various segments about his time on Twitter and away from the sitcom circle. That much explains a lot of how h There's no way of describing Limmy's autobiography without using the title in some capacity because that is what it is. It is surprisingly down to Earth, and it is very funny. Limmy is a funny bloke and this traipse through his ups and downs, his openness about his mental health and his humour flows with ease. Maybe it's because he is used to writing up his thoughts, as he details in the various segments about his time on Twitter and away from the sitcom circle. That much explains a lot of how his humour transfers to the page, but also does much more to cement the earnest nature, the honesty and the life experiences Limmy learned along the way. ...more

I didn't take so long reading this because it's bad, or because it's long, I'm just really really bad at reading books.

What do I read now

I didn't take so long reading this because it's bad, or because it's long, I'm just really really bad at reading books.

What do I read now

...more

Dec 31, 2021 Kit rated it it was amazing

Limmy is a beautiful golden manboy and no one will ever compare to his stories.

Best book you can read about a Flash developer.

This is the first time I've read an autobiography where, in the very minor way of an average fan, I've shared so many of the moments mentioned in the book. I loved limmy.com as soon as I heard about it, and the blog that followed, and I remember some of his twitter storms. I was at his live show in Edinburgh which was amazing and I was the first to shake his hand after (he was hiding behind the exit door to shake everyone's hand). I somehow missed his podcasts but was excited and delighted to se This is the first time I've read an autobiography where, in the very minor way of an average fan, I've shared so many of the moments mentioned in the book. I loved limmy.com as soon as I heard about it, and the blog that followed, and I remember some of his twitter storms. I was at his live show in Edinburgh which was amazing and I was the first to shake his hand after (he was hiding behind the exit door to shake everyone's hand). I somehow missed his podcasts but was excited and delighted to see his talents being appreciated by the big wigs when he got his own tv show Limmy's Show. I really gravitate towards talented people who made their way into the world with their very own style of homemade comedy: Limmy, Adam & Joe, and Blindboy. Love them all.

Back to Limmy fandom: More recently I devoured his two books Daft Wee Stories and That's Your Lot. I've loved everything he's done and thinking back on all those moments made this (audio)book all the more special and enjoyable. I couldn't put it down. I haven't listened to anything else for the last few days, and it's the best thing I've listened to in ages. Limmy has such a unique way of looking at the world and talking about his experiences of it. He's not afraid to tell you about all the times he was a complete shitebag, or all the times he seriously contemplated suicide, and lots more really intimate stuff in between all the amazing moments in the career of someone who started making funny stuff on his homepage and ended up making funny stuff for his own BBC tv show, writing several books and being an all-around hilarious fucking legend.

- - -

I know this review has been more about me than Limmy but one more thing; there's a chapter called Eccy where he heard his friends laughing horribly at him, not as feint paranoid thoughts but 100% absolutely real and right there beside him. Because his friends weren't in the house, he knew it wasn't real soon enough. Well the blood drained from my face listening to this because the exact same thing happened to me twenty-something years ago and it was a major trigger in my breakdown and took many years to realize those voices weren't real and no one said that horrible stuff. I'm grand now! but it took a lot more than twenty minutes to recover from that one I can tell you.

- - -

Anyway. Looking forward to the next Limmy book tour.

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You won't find a more open and honest autobiography, a mix of humour and self-help. Brilliant. You won't find a more open and honest autobiography, a mix of humour and self-help. Brilliant. ...more

Aye yer oot yer face if you're gonnae no' read this book Aye yer oot yer face if you're gonnae no' read this book ...more

Mar 06, 2022 Roger rated it it was amazing

The book that Lloyd Cole, from out of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, famously described on Radio 4 as showing "intelligence of some kind", this is as honest and as readable an autobiography as you are going to find. From a literary point of view, it is not great, it is not particularly elaborately written, or even funny, but it is not meant to be, it is meant to be Limmy talking honestly about his life. And five stars for that.

In that Lloyd Cole review, which you can see Limmy talking about on h

The book that Lloyd Cole, from out of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, famously described on Radio 4 as showing "intelligence of some kind", this is as honest and as readable an autobiography as you are going to find. From a literary point of view, it is not great, it is not particularly elaborately written, or even funny, but it is not meant to be, it is meant to be Limmy talking honestly about his life. And five stars for that.

In that Lloyd Cole review, which you can see Limmy talking about on his youtube channel, Lloyd Cole said maybe one reason he didn't get into the book was because he didn't know Limmy's work when he read it, and that much makes sense. If you are a fan of Limmy you will get much more from this than someone who doesn't know him. Personally, I am a huge fan of "Limmy's Show", so when he starts talking about the "Millport" sketch or the "Yoker" sketch I know exactly what he is talking about and found it fascinating to see the genesis of the ideas behind these sketches and how they came to be made. If you are not a fan, that may be less interesting, though you can always watch the sketches on youtube as you are reading.

The other reason Lloyd Cole didn't like the book was because he didn't find Limmy, as a person, "likable" and I have to disagree with him here. Clearly funny and displaying intelligence (of "some kind") Limmy also comes across here as a sensitive and thoughtful man. He speaks openly about his childood, his struggles with alcohol, his, often disastrous, relationships with women and his mental health issues. My impression was of an open, caring and, yes, likable person. So, you are wrong on that one, Lloyd.

And your last album was shite, by the way.

...more

I LOVED this...I absolutely fucking loved it. I did that thing where I enjoyed the book so intensely that I flew through it in one day, which is frustrating because I wanted it to go on forever. I think this might be the most enjoyable book I've read so far this year and all I wanted to do was sit and carry on reading it until there was no more of it left to read. a lot of stuff in this book was starkly relatable, I ADORED how it was written, I loved the honesty and the frankness and the humour I LOVED this...I absolutely fucking loved it. I did that thing where I enjoyed the book so intensely that I flew through it in one day, which is frustrating because I wanted it to go on forever. I think this might be the most enjoyable book I've read so far this year and all I wanted to do was sit and carry on reading it until there was no more of it left to read. a lot of stuff in this book was starkly relatable, I ADORED how it was written, I loved the honesty and the frankness and the humour and the liberal use of the word cunt. I just loved absolutely everything about this book and I want to shove it at people and make them read it so I can talk to them about it ...more

It's brilliant, he's brilliant, I enjoyed every bit of this book (Audiobook that is) Definitely worth getting the audio book over the book itself. It's so frank and honest, I was already a huge Limmy fan but this has made me a super fan! Very refreshing to hear his experiences of sexuality, mental illness and addiction, without any of the shame or male bravado that can make it hard to open up. I would recommend this book to everyone but I think a lot could be learned for teenagers and teenage bo It's brilliant, he's brilliant, I enjoyed every bit of this book (Audiobook that is) Definitely worth getting the audio book over the book itself. It's so frank and honest, I was already a huge Limmy fan but this has made me a super fan! Very refreshing to hear his experiences of sexuality, mental illness and addiction, without any of the shame or male bravado that can make it hard to open up. I would recommend this book to everyone but I think a lot could be learned for teenagers and teenage boys.

Just bought his other two books "That's Yer Lot" and "Daft Wee Stories" can't wait to get started.

...more

I've been a fan of Limmy's work for some time now, and wondered if this autobiography was going to be a zmuda style bunch of tales that may or may not be quite true.

Fairly early into the book it became apparent that this is indeed a real autobiography, at times brutally honest, and frequently more than 'quite funny'. I read the whole thing in a day and throughout enjoyed finding out why Limmy is the way he is!

https://soundcloud.com/limmy/story-of...

I've been a fan of Limmy's work for some time now, and wondered if this autobiography was going to be a zmuda style bunch of tales that may or may not be quite true.

Fairly early into the book it became apparent that this is indeed a real autobiography, at times brutally honest, and frequently more than 'quite funny'. I read the whole thing in a day and throughout enjoyed finding out why Limmy is the way he is!

https://soundcloud.com/limmy/story-of...

...more

Mar 22, 2020 Kenny rated it really liked it

There's a bit in this book where Limmy says the reviews of his stuff he's into are the ones that say, I liked it, but... that's kind of me about most Limmy stuff. The hits are amazing but the misses are wildly off-target and the balance tends to the latter. Anyway, this book is interesting, it's not funny, I don't think, it's just Limmy telling his story and his story is interesting and at times relatable because apart from anything else who didn't feel like a wee weirdo sometimes.

Jul 24, 2020 Hazel-Anne rated it it was amazing

Honest, raw and bloody hilarious. Really enjoyed this! Limmy brings his usual, weird comedy to retelling his life and that makes for a super enjoyable read. Highly recommend, especially if you're already a fan! Honest, raw and bloody hilarious. Really enjoyed this! Limmy brings his usual, weird comedy to retelling his life and that makes for a super enjoyable read. Highly recommend, especially if you're already a fan! ...more

Oct 20, 2021 Erik Nygren rated it it was amazing

So candid. I don't think I ever read/listened to an autobiography like this one, and the honest nature of the writing makes it so worth the time, whether you know his work or not, this gets to the deep inner workings of a person. I loved all the coming of age stories, the humour of it, but also the fact that he is not really clowning his younger self or the personal significance of those moments.

Also, this was very good for a Swedish person to listen to as an audiobook to brush up on my understa

So candid. I don't think I ever read/listened to an autobiography like this one, and the honest nature of the writing makes it so worth the time, whether you know his work or not, this gets to the deep inner workings of a person. I loved all the coming of age stories, the humour of it, but also the fact that he is not really clowning his younger self or the personal significance of those moments.

Also, this was very good for a Swedish person to listen to as an audiobook to brush up on my understanding of the Glaswegian accent.

...more

I did not want this book to end. I was in tears laughing and just had the best time reading about all the mad antics and wild times. Such a genuine and honest guy who isn't out to impress anyone. If you get Limmy's personality/humour you will love this book, it's a must-read and I miss it already.

Aug 15, 2019 Briony rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this. It's honest and funny, and the insights into the process of making Limmy's Show are really interesting.

Jan 11, 2022 Ben Clarke rated it it was amazing

He is the Glaswegian Spanian.. only more socially awkward and funnier

Brian "Limmy" Limond is a Scottish comedian, actor, and web developer. He first became known for his website and blog. In late 2006, his daily podcast Limmy's World of Glasgow received interest from the mainstream British media. In early 2010, Limond achieved success with his BBC sketch show series Limmy's Show. He is also a prolific user of the social networking applications Twitter, YouTube and Brian "Limmy" Limond is a Scottish comedian, actor, and web developer. He first became known for his website and blog. In late 2006, his daily podcast Limmy's World of Glasgow received interest from the mainstream British media. In early 2010, Limond achieved success with his BBC sketch show series Limmy's Show. He is also a prolific user of the social networking applications Twitter, YouTube and Vine. ...more

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