Bravemouth: Living with Billy Connolly

What I do not like is his dear wife using a book supposedly about him to tell us all about herself and her experiences.

And that sums this book up really. I'm sure Pamela is a very interesting woman, but I want to hear about Billy.


Pseuds Corner   July 27, 2004
 20 out of 26 found this review helpful

I'm at a loss to understand exactly what the point of this book is; Ms Stephenson is truly awful. One particular sentence struck me as such pretentious drivel that I had to fold down the page so I could read it back to friends and family at various intervals, all of whom joined in my hysteria. I've already seen a paragraph from this book make an appearance in the satirical magazine Private Eye's 'Pseuds Corner', and deservedly so. It's hard to decide whether Stephenson is merely trying to ride on the back of her husband's success or mask a morality lesson in the depths of a name-dropping prentension-fest. Quite frankly I couldn't have given a damn about her travels in India, and didn't care for her style of attempting to humour bleak situations by re-hashing bits of Connolly's stage show at opportune moments. I love Billy's stand-up comedy, and the first biography was passable, but after skipping through more than one yawn-inducing section of this book, I can't honestly remember if I even read the last page. What an incongruous couple 'Doctor and Doctor Connolly' make. He's your husband, Pamsy, not a performing seal who just happens to have famous pals. Give him and your family some credit. (Oh, and just out of interest, there is no such aircraft as a '767 Airbus')


Brilliant!   April 19, 2004
 15 out of 21 found this review helpful

I'm completely baffled by the other reviews of this book. I loved 'Billy' and I love this almost as much! I found the insight into the Connolly's lives fascinating, as they appear to be a friendly and likeable group. Far from criticising Pamela's writing, I found it refreshing and engaging. Her talents as a comedienne in her own right shine through, as does her love for her eccentric husband. Packed with anecdotes, I laughed out loud at this book. Other criticisms include the self indulgence of Pamela's description of her and her daughters' trip to India. As it is quite obvious that Billy would not be the man he is (and we all love) without Pamela, I think she is more than justified to tell a little of her personal adventure. She was a mother taking the opportunity to extend her childrens horizons, and what on earth is wrong with that?
Another prevailing trend seems to be jealousy for the Connolly's lifestyle, which I agree sounds enviable - trips to Fiji, glitzy parties, etc. But, what I got out of this book was a further, very welcome insight into the mind of our greatest comedian, and a picture of a loving (and surprisingly average) family life! Don't be put off. This book is well constructed and fascinating, and while not as heart rending as "Billy" is a great read.