Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant
Modern Life as Interpreted By Someone Who Is Reasonably Bad at Living It
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Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant
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Narrated by:
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Joel Golby
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By:
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Joel Golby
About this listen
‘This is a funny and beautiful book. What a little bastard.’ RUSSELL BRAND
‘A millennial's answer to David Sedaris. No writer is funnier than Joel Golby.’ DOLLY ALDERTON
A collection of full-throated appreciations, withering assessments, and hard-won lessons by the popular journalist.
There are a few things you need to know about Joel Golby. Both his parents are dead. His dad was an alcoholic. He himself has a complicated relationship with alcohol. He once went to karaoke three times in five days. He will always beat you at Monopoly, and he will always cheat.
Joel makes a name for himself as a journalist who brings us distinguished articles such as ‘A Man Shits On A Plane So Hard It Has To Turn Around And Come Back Again’, but that says more about us than him. In his first book, Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Joel writes about important stuff (death, alcohol, loss, friendship) and unimportant stuff (Saudi Arabian Camel Pageants, a watertight ranking of the Rocky films, Monopoly), always with the soft punch of a lesson tucked within.
Golby’s sharp, evocative prose thrives on reality and honesty that is gut-wrenchingly close to the bone, and laced with a copious dose of dark humour. Who is this book for? It is for everyone, but mainly people who are as lost and confused as Joel and just want to have a good laugh about it.
©2019 Joel Golby (P)2019 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
‘Joel Golby is my favourite pop-culture obsessed nihilist. If you like camel beauty pageants and robot sex as much as I do you’ll love this. You’ll laugh, cry and probably be a bit weirded out.’ SHARON HORGAN
‘Seeing the byline “Joel Golby” means you’re about to ungraciously snort with laughter in a public place. Sharper at dissecting the madness of 21st century online existence than any other writer.’ CAITLIN MORAN
‘Joel Golby is brilliant, his writing is brilliant, and his book is brilliant brilliant brilliant.’ JOE LYCETT
‘Joel is one of my favourite writers. He is brilliant and so is this massive book. If push came to shove, I would almost certainly pay the full RRP for it.’ GREG JAMES
What listeners say about Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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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
- MR D M PEARSON
- 03-10-19
Does what it says on the tin
Great read, very well read by the author and laugh out loud (embarrassingly on the train) funny.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hiran
- 07-01-21
Poetic and Poignant Observations of one's life
I'm a fan of Joel's work with the Guardian and have been reading his articles for a couple years now. I came across his novel on there after taking greater interest in his work after him name dropping an all-you-can eat buffet I frequented when it was still open. In the book he describes this as being on an industrial estate which though sort of accurate, most here would consider it an extension of the village, as the high street is only a couple minutes walk away. But we will forgive him.
This set of stories are genuinely laugh out loud funny at times and on the edge of heartbreaking at times. This isn't the kind of book I would normally read or listen too so at times it is a bit of a chore. Part of that is cultural as it is difficult to be empathetic with him at times. Other times his observations hit right on the nail. Not entirely sure what the camel museum stuff was about and I was sorely tempted to skip the Wayne Rooney chapter. I am glad I didn't as it was pretty insightful.
Poignant and poetic, a good first attempt at narration and novel. Will definitely listen to more in future, should he create more.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Pip Lily
- 14-03-19
A fantastic voice on the absurdity of life!
Fantastic! Golby’s voice brings to life the absurdity of life with his anecdotes covering heart breaking sadness to care free moments of pure joy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Clemie
- 30-04-19
Bloody brilliant. Obviously.
Joel is an absolute prose-based hero. I've long enjoyed his unique voice and style, and was expecting this book to be packed with his hillarious and somehow entirely relatable musings. However, I did not expect it to move me to this degree, with his very honest and beautiful thoughts on bigger issues affecting our somewhat lost generation. Bloody brilliant. Obviously.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Archie Langmead
- 28-07-20
Tory the Corey baby
This man is a genius but he also pronounced jalapeño in a very troubling way
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Reader
- 06-03-19
better editor required
30% very hilarious and well written
70% narcissistic rant or you had to be there
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Rosie
- 30-04-19
Mixed feelings ...
I really love Joe Golby’s vice articles, so was really looking forward to this book.
Some of the essays are really interesting and the way he writes about his parents life and his experience of their death is profound.
That said, I just found some of the other essays a bit rambling and uninteresting, mainly the entire chapter about Wayne Rooney and another full chapter about the Rocky movies, just dull. There were also a lot of football references in there (but again, that’s a matter of personal taste/ interests) Overall I enjoyed it and it is worth a read or a listen (some bits more than others). He’s very funny too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Gerald Ruffell
- 26-03-19
I Felt Too Many Emotions
Joel Golby usually strikes me as a soulless meme; funny, yes, but also a mere simulacrum of a thinking and feeling human being. A robot that thinks it understands love, but does not.
He’s also the best writer Vice has ever produced, and this book is proof.
What we have here is an assortment of essays loosely strung together. I was initially weary that his book might just consist of rejected Vice pieces, but it is more than that.
I was expecting to laugh (an expectation that was consistently fulfilled), but I did not expect to ugly cry in my university library while supposedly writing my dissertation. Joel Golby did that to me, with his words & actions.
As for performance, Joel’s slightly nasal monotone isn’t the most compelling in the world, but you get used to it. He also shouts ‘MY EGG!’ in a silly accent repeatedly at one point.
It’s an excellent book, and I’m glad I took the time to consume it.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-03-19
Simply Breathtaking
Earth moving gear from start to finish. He’s a much better writer than he is a footballer.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- ManOfTheWeevil
- 03-07-22
Memorable, hilarious
As a Brit living in Germany, it was lovely to lie on the couch with my German lady, both listening, her getting really into it too, me saying "This! Yes, this is what we're like."
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