‘Berserker’ by Adrian Edmondson

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

Writer, comedian, and actor Adrian Edmondson tells his own story from his schooldays, through The Comedy Store, anarchic sit-coms The Young Ones and Bottom, to more serious work. Charting his long comedy partnership with Rik Mayall, Ade also investigates his (possibly Scandinavian) heritage, discusses the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, and contemplates the weird script rules on Star Wars, taking the stage with the RSC, and dealing with friendship, mental illness, and death.

I’ve long been a fan of Adrian Edmondson, so hearing the man himself tell his own story was a bit of a no brainer. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of humour—some of it positively hilarious— but there’s also an insightful and thoughtful aspect to the book that I hadn’t expected. By turns amusing, touching, and horribly sad, we hear how his partnership with Rik Mayall strained their friendship as the writing side became more and more difficult. His thoughts on fame, fans and being recognised on the street is refreshingly honest, and the final section detailing the deaths of some of his closest friends, is utterly heartbreaking.

A witty, thoughtful, and entertaining book.

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