Audiobook Review: Him & Me by Jack & Michael Whitehall

Him & Me
by Jack & Michael Whitehall

Publication date: October 10th 2013
Publisher: Penguin

Summary:

Him & Me is a hugely entertaining and irreverent account of a unique relationship between a father and son. Written in two distinctive styles, it reflects the larger-than-life personalities of its authors, Jack and Michael Whitehall.

Packed with anecdotes, some embarrassing and indiscreet, many warm and touching, Him & Me is lavishly illustrated with family photographs and Jack’s original illustrations. Friends, relatives, neighbours, teachers, actors, none are safe once Jack and Michael have opened up the Whitehall archives and shared their hilarious memories with us.

Source: Goodreads

Thoughts:

If you don’t know who Jack & Michael Whitehall are, I would not recommend this book, but if you have enjoyed anything else they’ve done together I’d definitely recommend you give it a go!

I listed to this book in audio, and I think you’d be wise to do the same. I don’t know what the print copy is like, but the the book is narrated alternately by Jack and his father, with many interjections and corrections from the other party. Imagine if you were narrating stories from your childhood in the presence of a relative. I’m sure they’d occasionally butt in with a correction or addition here and there, especially if the story isn’t going in their favour! This is the style of comedy that fans will be familiar with and this biographical story felt more like a podcast or radio show than a book.

I really enjoyed hearing the stories from both Jack and Michael. The main focus is on Jack so most of the stories are from his birth until present day, but Michael does manage to squeeze in a couple of older ones as well. This isn’t really a typical autobiography but instead it’s listening to a father and son, reminiscing on their time together.

This is a casual, light-hearted read that put a smile on my face. It’s not stuffy or formal and there are mispronunciations, fluffs and laughter throughout. I especially liked the less scripted interruptions as it was in these moments the relationship between the pair seemed most genuine. I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed this book so much back in 2013 when it was originally published, but I really enjoyed it and finished the whole thing in a couple of days.

Overall rating: “Him & Me” is a fun autobiography by Jack and Michael Whitehall. I’d recommend this on audio for fans of the pair, but would probably avoid it if you don’t know anything about them. A great 5 stars from me!