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Berserker!

By: Adrian Edmondson
Narrated by: Adrian Edmondson
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Summary

Hilariously read by the author, Adrian Edmondson.

A Financial Times Best Audio of 2023

The instant Sunday Times bestseller

From brutal schooldays to 80s anarchy, through The Young Ones, Bottom and beyond, Berserker! is the one-of-a-kind, fascinating memoir from an icon of British comedy, Adrian Edmondson.

Ade Edmondson smashed onto the comedy circuit in the 1980s, stormed The Comedy Store and, alongside Rik Mayall, brought anarchy to stage and screen. How did a child brought up in a strict Methodist household – and who spent his formative years incarcerated in repressive boarding schools – end up joining the revolution? Well, he is part Norse. Could it be his ‘berserker’ heritage?

With wisdom, nostalgia and uniquely observed humour, Ade traces his journey through life and comedy: starting out on the alternative scene, getting arrested in Soho, creating his outrageously violent characters and learning more about his curious (possibly Scandinavian) heritage. With star-studded anecdotes and set to a soundtrack of pop hits which transport the listener through time, it’s a memoir like no other.

Berserker [noun]: A Norse warrior frenzied in battle and held to be invulnerable; often off his tits on henbane and large quantities of alcohol; one who is out of control with anger or excitement.

©2023 Adrian Edmondson (P)2023 Macmillan Publishers International Limited
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Critic reviews

'This is a bloody good book. Lots of people live interesting lives, but very few people can write genuinely interesting books about those lives. Adrian Edmondson has done both. It is incredibly funny, but it is also a lot, lot more than that' - Miles Jupp

'The Berserkers from The Young Ones and Bottom tells his story with self-effacing charm and no end of backstage ancedotes' - Ian Rankin

'Everything Adrian Edmondson writes about makes you love him desperately' - Caitlin Moran

What listeners say about Berserker!

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    4 out of 5 stars

Good but not what i was expecting


This is a good listen, it is his life, warts and all. It can be a hard listen at times, but then what life ever runs smoothly? If you want lots of funny stories about his time with Rik Mayall or quotes from Bottom then don't waste your time, it's not that sort of book. But it is honest and interesting in a way that anyone's life story would be if you bothered to listen to them.

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great

very well presented. fantastic autobiography! well done. give this a read. you won't be disappointed

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enjoyable story

I really enjoyed this. I was never a fan of the young ones or bottom and didn't know much else about the author, but I enjoy autobiographies of comedians and other interesting characters and this did not disappoint. recommended!

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Really enjoyed the whole thing

See above! If you know anything about the man and his work, you’ll love the audiobook and hearing him tell his story. So much, I didn’t know. Would love to meet him to say thanks but I think I’d just nod (you’ll understand why when you listen)

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Brrrrrrriliant

Have been a fan of his since the Comic Strip and Young Ones.
Book was beautifully read. Some very funny and sad moments. Highly recommended

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Without doubt……..

,,,,,,one of the best books I have ever read/listen to.

Just take notice of the love, joy, and despair in its pages.

I find it so important to ME and relate to MY life and feelings…..I have that inner Berserker as well. Just have not taken the path that AE has of course.

Brilliant….i hope you enjoy as much as I have.

Thank you Adrian.

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Loved This

Went through the full range of emotions listening this. The Bloody God story had me giggling all day. I love Adrian Edmondson' work. My favourite character has to be Vim Fuego from Bad News. I highly recommend this audio book.

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A wonderful listen, finished in record time

As a child of the 80s and early 90s I grew up with the Young Ones and Bottom. A superb listen that I just couldn’t switch off. Hilarious and tragic at the same time, delivered by an absolute legend.

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Brilliantly honest

Probably the best autobiography I have read. It is not your bog standard biography. The narration is brilliant, relating traumatic events in his life in a non sensational yet empathetic style. Of course the humour in both content and delivery is outstanding without overshadowing the events being described. There are no cheap laughs but the delivery of humour is superb.

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Brilliant

I’ve never listened to an autobiography and really thought I’d got a look at the real person, but a sanitised polished up version of the subject

But Ted’s autobiography is the first one that made me think I’d listened to the truth

He doesn’t use the prose to embiggen (thanks to the simpsons for that awesome word) himself but just to lay himself a bit bare

I genuinely would love him to be my friend (honestly I won’t be going through your bins Mr E) because he just seems a thoroughly decent human

I loved this book

Keep beserkering you mad lad

Thanks for the book

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