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A Liar's Autobiography: Volume VI

by Graham Chapman

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 443 ratings · 43 reviews

Graham Chapman reveals what it was like to be part of the revolutionary and zany Monty Python teamRequired reading for Monty Python fans, this true and false memoir is Graham Chapman's own hilarious account of his life as a Python and as a homosexual. The book equals Joe Orton's famous Diaries in providing an unblushing account of a gay lifestyle linked to entertainment. F ...more

Paperback , 244 pages

Published 1999 by Methuen Publishing (first published October 16th 1980)

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Mar 02, 2009 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars

The funniest book I have ever read. Joke after joke of surreal fantasy mixed with gorgeous hyperbole on every searing page. I sound very pretentious but it really is hILARIOUS with a capital 'h'.

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Jul 09, 2014 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

It's probably one of the funniest and touching autobiography I have ever read.
Graham Chapman and his co-authors mixed with great efficiency the touching and moving parts(his coming out, his alcoholism, how he presented his companion to the other Monty Python) and furiously hilarious, like how lazy Chapman and cleese were once in Ibizza, and took holidays instead of writing scripts, the Monty Python shows outside the UK etc..
Everything is recalled in a light and funny way. I like a lot how he wro ...more

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Nov 16, 2014 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-english , biography , fiction , funny

This book is an anarchic mess, in the image of its maker.
As promised, there is a lot of lying here, a lot of silliness. At times the flights of fancy fall flat, oftentimes they cause LOL. And there is a sincere sounding heart to the book, about the author's alcoholism, his medical training, mountaineering, his foster child. And lots and lots about him being "a butch pouff with a pipe", and a crazy loon.

This is recommended, but not essential, reading for any Monty Python fan.

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May 14, 2014 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's just a flesh wound. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. Strange women lying in ponds is no basis for a system of government. This parrot is no more; He has ceased to be; he's expired and gone to meet his maker; he's a stiff, bereft of life, he rests in peace; if you hadn't have nailed him to the perch he'd be pushing up the daisies; he's rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible; this is an ex-parrot!

The Monty Python ...more

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Jan 30, 2014 Snailes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Simply awesome, this book was as blurry (but in a good way) like any Monty Python show. Id highly recommend this book to anybody who is into this, and you get a whirlwind inside tour of how it was to be with the Pythons and especially the most crazy one.
Interesting note on the side, I read the German translation by Harry Rowohlt (who on a side note I always knew I couldnt stand him and this view was confirmed when I recently read how he threw dirt at David Sedaris for being a boring writer and t ...more

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Sep 02, 2014 Rob Charpentier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography , humor

In my estimation Graham Chapman was the bad boy, or fuckup, if you will, out of all the members of Monty Python’s. Of course, his competition for this dubious role among the group wasn’t very stiff by comparison. Nevertheless, if it sounds a little harsh to speak of the dead in this way just consider the fact that he frequently caroused with Keith Moon, the infamous maniacal drummer prankster of rock band The Who. This alone shows that he could really be nothing less of a wild man himself and ma In my estimation Graham Chapman was the bad boy, or fuckup, if you will, out of all the members of Monty Python’s. Of course, his competition for this dubious role among the group wasn’t very stiff by comparison. Nevertheless, if it sounds a little harsh to speak of the dead in this way just consider the fact that he frequently caroused with Keith Moon, the infamous maniacal drummer prankster of rock band The Who. This alone shows that he could really be nothing less of a wild man himself and makes for some extremely entertaining reading in his autobiography. Graham also happened to be a closeted homosexual as well as a severe alcoholic who eventually came out to the public on both points. Consequently, it would be an extreme understatement to say that his life story would merely hold ones interest in a few colorful anecdotes of who he associated with.

These days, if you listen to any of the remaining Python’s speak of Graham he is often maligned as being the weak link of the group and someone that was frequently a nightmare to work with. [Out of all of them, Terry Gilliam is the most outspoken on this point in a stereotypical loud American way.] Well, he may not have been the greatest Python, but truthfully the total sum of this legendary comedy group outweighs any of it individual parts, so taking a microscope to any of them is a little unfair.

Nevertheless, on this side of the fence I have always had a great fondness for him. His seemingly effortless mock air of dignity made him one of the best “straight men” in comedy that one could ever hope for [an unintended tasteless pun]. This inherent quality of respectability also somehow even transferred to his blue hair biddy characters and made his portrayals of twits that much more “cunning of a stunt,” shall we say? [A blatantly intended tasteless pun!]

Despite anything heard to the contrary it’s clear that deep down all of his friends and co-workers loved the man dearly. [Watch his eulogy by the Pythons on YouTube to see just how much.] They may have wished he was less trouble but at heart, so did he. This book that he wrote on his life clearly shows this and is in turns, equally sad and hilarious as he confesses all of his largest ills and secrets. It’s small and brief little thing but it is full of revelations and astute observations of his life and of course, plenty of silly bits.

For me, I find the fact that he called his book “A Liar’s Autobiography” to not only show his own brand of Python humor but also just how far he was willing to tell the truth. After all, he did in fact lie about his sexuality and drinking problem for a large portion of his life and so it is aptly named on this score. More importantly, I feel it is also a biting criticism on the genre itself. For, I feel most autobiographies tend to largely be self-deluded fantasies that are usually nowhere near the real story. By making a joke about this in his title, it may have even allowed him an easier way of revealing some of the more harsher truths here.

Although he was clearly immensely talented in his own right, I think the years of writing and performing with a troupe must have bred a certain dependency in him for this particular dynamic, that and his crippling dependency on alcohol may have made it somewhat necessary that he rely on others as well. So, even in writing this so-called “autobiography” he seems to have needed a helping hand in what is by definition normally a solo venture. Up to four other writers had their hand in this and actually there many have possibly been a few more uncredited. Worth mentioning among these is the amazing sci-fi humorist Douglas Adams, author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

This many cooks is said to spoil the stew but somehow there doesn’t really seem to be any discernable presence of these other writers. Graham’s voice and brand of humor being so definable and influential that these others can wear it as a second skin and not be detected. Hopefully, Graham wrote some of this himself. If not, one would never know and he truly was a magnificent liar if so. I highly recommended this book, especially to every Python fan and even those who aren’t! ...more

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Oct 01, 2014 Liss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: film-tv-media

I contentedly sigh as my joyous little journey through this book comes to a close.

First, a perhaps obvious assertion: This book is rich with the voice of Graham Chapman. Well, that's surprising, you might sarcastically point out (should you be one for such tones), this is only his bloody autobiography after all. But hang tight, I rather mean that it so beautifully documents his personality which might otherwise have been somewhat eclipsed by the more readily accessible (and rather much more on- I contentedly sigh as my joyous little journey through this book comes to a close.

First, a perhaps obvious assertion: This book is rich with the voice of Graham Chapman. Well, that's surprising, you might sarcastically point out (should you be one for such tones), this is only his bloody autobiography after all. But hang tight, I rather mean that it so beautifully documents his personality which might otherwise have been somewhat eclipsed by the more readily accessible (and rather much more on-going) personalities of his surviving comedy fellows in the still-growing library of post-Python works and interviews.

However, it must be pointed out that if you are signed up to read of Python escapades you might leave a little empty-handed, though I would argue still all the more richer for reading through Graham's life in vaguely chronological anecdotes.

Much (if not all) of this autobiog is very pleasing and especially humorous, and while you may not leave with much more of an insight into his relationship with, thoughts, or views on his fellow Pythons, it does help indentify Graham's unique humour and voice within the body of Python work; in particular his preference for dark humour, playing with words, or simply joyous digressions into the silly absurdity of scrambled academic references. (Cf. Oscar Wilde, Cpt. Biggles, and the such).

(Very very small spoilers in this next bit if you squint hard enough.)
Despite the large focus upon events outside of Python, that is not to say that there are not some interesting references to the troupe dotted about for your comedy pleasure. And perhaps even more interestingly, they are not always wholly positive: on one occasion he insists a 20-something Eric Idle was entirely ignorant of homosexuality's existence, and rather harshly attributed this to him having been brought up by his widowed "Mary Whitehouse" mother.

There are rather more references to John Cleese, as to be expected given their long friendship since university, but all in all, aside from one very funny script-format conversation dramatising the decision to go with the name "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (in which Terry Jones is incapable of making many proper word sounds due to his Welsh nationality), the book shies away from commenting too much on his comedy comrades.

Personally, I rather liked this aspect of it as it shows many sides to Chapman which just are not seen in his comedy writing, such as his compassion and openness to help those less fortunate, and his struggle with very long struggle with alcoholism. Also, to be fair to him, virtually all of his MP colleagues follow a similar line of refusing to comment on each other except in an--often affectionately--disparaging manner. For instance I'm pretty sure it is universally acknowledged that if John Cleese says something hilarious and yet decidedly critical about you then he probably likes you. Even Palin, the so-called "nicest man in the world", admitted in a recent interview, that they all really enjoy it when one of them fails at some project or another.

In summary, if you're a Python fan (which of course you are why would you read it otherwise) it's marvellous, but perhaps not for the reasons you were expecting.
...more

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Nov 19, 2013 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor , nonfiction

Graham Chapman's autobiography is at times silly, surreal, and touching. It is loosely arranged in chronological order, mostly covering his days in medical school and ending shortly after the death of his friend Keith Moon. There are a few hilarious bits but outside of the delirious/surreal interludes most of the time Chapman shows a fairly dry sense of humor. Based on his performances in Monty Python I imagined he was just very silly, but he also displays some incredibly dark humor as well.

He p ...more

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Feb 12, 2008 Ian Wood rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: monty-python

‘A Liar’s Autobiography’ is quite unusual for an Autobiography as it was written by five people only one of which is Graham Chapman, it is however his life story, at least partly. The series of co-authors, including Douglas Adams of Hitchhiker fame, add to the book’s overall charm of questioning weather the ‘Liar’ it claims to be about is in fact telling us the absolute truth,

Whist the over members of Python worked out side the group on a series of other projects and collaborations Graham Chapma ...more

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Aug 30, 2015 Jon Shanks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A little bit tricky to get into as first as thing get so surreal and silly you'd want Chapman's Colonel character from Monty Python to come along and stop things. One might forgive Chapman as his struggles with alcoholism had undoubtedly left this mind fuzzy on some of his past, but he is able to come up with plenty of witty anecdotes from his time in education, his burgeoning medical career and amusing scrapes hes gets into, sometimes with celebrity pals, sometimes not, as well as some quite fr ...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Sean rated it 3 of 5 stars

It has come to the attention of this reviewer that the so-called 'facts' contained in what is clearly not at all or at least mostly not very much and yet, granted, a little bit of an autobiography are not at all facts but are instead the--what? Yes, I would like another gin and tonic, thank you--and furthermore--BRRBING BBBRING--sorry, phone, what? Who the bloody hell are you? Why on earth would I want now to relate my feelings on the north atlantic halibut? I'm writing a review, madam, good day ...more

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Apr 03, 2015 Tom Schulte rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bio , theater

I was drawn to this as a Python fan, and because I heard it was so funny. while there is much humor here, I find it more moving than hilarious. I feel confronted with his own alcoholism and promiscuity, Chapman used the jokes as a shield and the effect is more sadness than mirth.

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Feb 12, 2015 Viktor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An astonishingly good book. Alternatively funny, heartbreaking, whimsical, and infuriating, singly and in combination.

Wonderful.

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Jan 18, 2015 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Humourous book of anecdotes and self-ridiculing humour- this is a great relatively light read for all fans of Chapman and Python in general.

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May 27, 2012 Bethanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 21, 2008 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is probably the most hilarious book I have ever read. I purchased it on a trip to Paris, I think, and remember laughing aloud in public, several times, while doing laundry. It would help considerably if you are a bit of a Monty Python's Flying Circus fan, in order to get many of the references to particular sketches and such. If you're a fan, I can't recommend this enough. A good history lesson about the group and Chapman's personal life, embellished at times as you would expect from one of ...more

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Aug 31, 2015 Kealan O'ver rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the strangest Autobiographies I've ever read.
Definitely the funniest.
I still know near to nothing about the subject however.
Not that that matters.

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Sep 21, 2010 William Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the least famous components of Monty Python, this book shows that Chapman must have been one of the greatest driving forces behind the group, despite not having a career afterward. It is witty, entertaining, full of tall-tales, paradoxical rhetoric, bold-faced lies and is nothing short of a wonderful read.

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Oct 28, 2008 Theadra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Graham Chapman is my favorite Monty Python member. His early death is a great loss.

I love this book. I can't stop reading it, can't put it down. I love the prose and the free form structure. But I love what a great man Chapman was. His struggle with alcohol is very hard to read.

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Jun 07, 2011 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommends it for: Fans of Monty Python

Crazy, mad read that I could only recommend to a Python fan. In turns funny and sad as he battles with alcoholism. I listened to the audio book, and let go of what was reality, or his creative genius - or both. Learned about this book when checking out info about Monty Python.

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Jun 08, 2007 Fred rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really can't recommend it to any but the most die-hard Monty Python fan, and a lot of the funniest stories were re-told better in live performances by Chapman shortly before his death. But it does offer some amusing, albeit surreal, insight into the man and some interesting anecdotes.

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Dec 26, 2013 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am pulling this off my shelf and rereading since I just learned it was made into a movie. I am not a keeper of books, but this book has moved with me since I acquired it in 1985. One of the funniest books I ever read and certainly the most unique autobiography.

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Jun 07, 2008 Erika rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favorite Python. I had to special order it on tape because the little bookstore in Port Huron couldn't get it in print, for some reason. It was read by Chapman, which made it even better.

What did I learn? Graham Chapman was one messed up dude.

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Jun 13, 2009 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Graham's autobiography was rambling and a little too focused on sex. I imagine he has some amazing stories about working with Monty Python, but he probably doesn't remember any of them. Or at least, he didn't bother to share them.
Disappointing.

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Oct 18, 2012 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The strange weird life of Graham which seems to involve various old Graham Chapman/Douglas Adams sketches and people arguing in footnotes*.

*Which is quite bad**.

**Well it is***.

***See above.

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May 11, 2015 Zachary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-all-time

Der Film war recht angenehm, und dieses Buch ist im Grunde eine ungekürzte Version des Films mit weniger Bilder. Der Film ist nur eine animierte Version von Graham Diktat der Geschichte.

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Dec 04, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I have absolutely no idea if any of this book is true (it is called a "Liar's Autobiography after all). I find that I didn't care in the least while reading it and enjoyed it immensely.

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Jul 30, 2011 Mary Goodnight rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Une autobiographie écrite en plein delirium tremens par le plus fou de ces cinglés de Monty Pythons. Un régal de nonsense, avec quelques passages très touchants.

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Jan 08, 2014 Savinek rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm french so I read it in french.
Great great book ! Very good english humour (of course, it is what we expect with one of the Monty Pythons !).

I enjoyed it :)

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Jan 21, 2008 Nessa Borealis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book and then I loaned it to someone, never to be read again. Bah! It's a terrific work of near-truth from one of the least-heard-from Pythons.

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About Graham Chapman

Graham Chapman was an English comedian, actor, writer, physician and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe. He was also the lead actor in their two narrative films, playing King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the title character in Monty Python's Life of Brian .

More about Graham Chapman...

Books by Graham Chapman

The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words: Volume 1

The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons

The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words, Vol. 2

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Screenplay

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