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I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan
- Narrated by: Alan Partridge
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
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I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan
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Summary
Journalist, presenter, broadcaster, husband, father, vigorous all-rounder – Alan Partridge – a man with a fascinating past and an amazing future. Gregarious and popular, yet Alan’s never happier than when relaxing in his own five-bedroom, south-built house with three acres of land and access to a private stream. But who is this mysterious enigma?
Alan Gordon Partridge is the best – and best-loved – radio presenter in the region. Born into a changing world of rationing, Teddy Boys, apes in space and the launch of ITV, Alan’s broadcasting career began as chief DJ of Radio Smile at St. Luke’s Hospital in Norwich. After replacing Peter Flint as the presenter of Scout About, he entered the top 8 of BBC sports presenters.
But Alan’s big break came with his primetime BBC chat show Knowing Me, Knowing You. Sadly, the show battled against poor scheduling, having been put up against News at Ten, then in its heyday. Due to declining ratings, a single catastrophic hitch (the killing of a guest on air) and the dumbing down of network TV, Alan’s show was cancelled. Not to be dissuaded, he embraced this opportunity to wind up his production company, leave London and fulfil a lifelong ambition to return to his roots in local radio.
Now single, Alan is an intensely private man but he opens up, for the second time, in this candid, entertaining, often deeply emotional – and of course compelling – memoir, written entirely in his own words. (Alan quickly dispelled the idea of using a ghost writer. With a grade B English Language O-Level, he knew he was up to the task.)
He speaks touchingly about his tragic Toblerone addiction, and the painful moment when unsold copies of his first autobiography, Bouncing Back, were pulped like ‘word porridge’. He reveals all about his relationship with his ex-Ukrainian girlfriend, Sonja, with whom he had sex at least twice a day, and the truth about the thick people who make key decisions at the BBC.
A literary tour de force, I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan charts the incredible journey of one of our greatest broadcasters.
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Critic reviews
‘The funniest book of the year and possibly all time.’ *****Heat
‘This book is a genuinely hilarious read’ Shortlist
‘A rare treat… painfully funny in that inimitable Alan way.’ **** Sunday Express
‘As a parody of celebrity autobiography, it’s sound; but as a sustained piece of comic writing, it’s outstanding.’ **** Time Out
‘Brilliantly witty’ The Times
‘This should be nominated for the Booker prize…it’s a really funny book but it’s actually more than that…it blows my post-modern mind’ David Baddiel
'I, Partridge might just be the funniest book I've ever read. Proper laugh out load moment on every page.' Richard Bacon
‘This fictional memoir … could be the antidote to the celeb biographies that clog the Christmas book market. It's as acute a spoof of the publishing sub-genre as the Alan Partridge character is of a whole tranche of crassly opinionated lowbrow broadcasters…brilliantly sustained wit.’ Evening Standard
‘I, Partridge is an indispensable guide to what it’s like to be an all-round media personality in the 21st Century. In this, it compares very well with the finest in the genre.’ **** Mail on Sunday
***** The Telegraph
‘Extremely funny’ Word Magazine
‘Pure comic genius’ The Independent
‘The best book of the year… without peer… I urge people to go out and buy it.’ Danny Baker
‘An acutely observed mock-memoir, touching on the great man's highs (receiving a Burton's Gold Card) and lows (Toblerone addiction) in equally self-regarding manner.’ Independent on Sunday
‘A magnificent comedy creation’; ‘The significant celebrity book this year.’ The Guardian
What listeners say about I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Steve
- 11-12-11
Fans of Alan Partridge can't afford to miss this
The most wonderfully egotistical autobiography money can buy.
One of the best things about this book is that many of the events in the original Radio and TV shows are subtly revisited and given a fresh perspective in the retelling. Listening to him recount the "I've got Cheese" incident at dinner with Tony Hayers was a particular highlight for me and had me laughing out loud on the train on my morning commute.
I'm glad I listened to this book rather than reading it as Steve Coogan's narrative adds so much to it that I'd have missed if I'd read it to myself.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nick C.
- 15-10-15
Not bad.
Partridge is a truly awful character, and the high standard of writing in this book (thanks mainly to Armando Ianucci) brilliantly illustrates the pedantic dullard and bore that he is. However it's a shame they didn't check the pronunciation of some of the place names before recording - Costessey, Wisbech and Dereham spring to mind - because on North Norfolk Digital, Partridge surely would be a stickler for getting such things right. There is one particularly poignant moment when he receives a piece of good news, and without thinking rushes to call his wife to share it with her. Then he remembers they're divorced, so he puts the phone down again. It's meant comically, but there is an all too common real-world sadness here where he has no-one to tell about his good news. It perfectly sums up the sorry and lonesome life he leads, because he's his own worst enemy.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss
- 09-03-16
Unbearably Hilarious.
Violently and unexpectedly drenched my car in coffee laughing to this on my commute. Amazing.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Solidsoup
- 11-10-20
Coogan at his best
glad to see Alan back on TV but this book is great for when he ain't
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Avid Rieder
- 21-07-13
As funny as I expected it to be.
Where does I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I have loved Alan Partridge from the beginning and listened eagerly to this 'autobiography'. It made me laugh out loud and kept me hooked. Will definitely return to listen to this again which is not something I do very often. Brilliant!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kieran Waller
- 01-12-15
Hilarious
Would you consider the audio edition of I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan to be better than the print version?
Definitely better than the print version. Steve Coogan's timing is better than anyone can read themselves. He makes it all the more hilarious
What was one of the most memorable moments of I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan?
Having Alan repeatedly shout 'Tits to that, we'll sort something out' to the point where you don't know if it'\s going to end is one of the funniest moments I've heard in an audiobook
What does Alan Partridge bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
No-one can portray Alan better than Steve because he's lived with the character for far too long.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
No. Any sadness in this book is merely a vehicle for more humour.
Any additional comments?
If you're a Partridge fan, you need this in your life
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rob
- 12-09-13
If you're in two minds about buying this, don't be
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This is without doubt the best thing I have listened to on Audible. Read by Steve Coogan it's always amusing, with lots of "Laugh Out Loud" moments, and many many classic lines.
It's a work of genius. Ah ha.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- MR A ARSHAD
- 13-04-13
My ears have never been so spoilt !!!
After struggling with paper books whilst on the treadmill , I decided to venture into the world of audio books. I couldn't have made a better choice than "I, Partridge...". The narration by Steve Coogan whilst in character is brilliant. This is the funniest book I've "heard" in ages and couple of times had me flying of the treadmill in giggles. This audio book is a must but be warned, it can lead to serious injuries whilst listened to on gym equipment. But if you are that unfortunate and end up in hospital, then what better audio book to read than "I, Partridge..." to make your stay an enjoyable one.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Richard
- 21-04-12
Absolutely exceptional, funny and clever
This memoir of Partridge was addictively funny and made me laugh out loud many times. Steve Coogan is brilliant as he recreates the character and touches on and expands plot lines from the TV series. He kept it completely in the voice and spirit of the character, genius.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 24-05-17
Partridge in a pear tree
Alan's story of fame and fortune is inspired, outrageous, and seriously listenable. I listened to this audiobooklet in the bath, in my socks and yes - you guessed it - in the bath with socks on. some think that Partridge is past it or "sad", but not this listener who'd love to take He, Partridge for a pasty, but not at Gregg's -- I'm not made of money!
Knowing Smee, knowing I Partridge.
A-ha.
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