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| Michael Palin Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Palin
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Category: Book
List Price: £20.00
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £19.99 (100%)
New (33) from £1.37
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 35511
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 696
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.6
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.5 x 2.4
ISBN: 0297844369
EAN: 9780297844365
ASIN: 0297844369
Publication Date: October 3, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 I Can't Wait To Read About the Next 10 Years August 19, 2008
Michael Palin writes as he speaks, without pretension, and with a great deal of humor. These are his diaries - not initially meant for publication and thus full of honest, blunt observations regarding films, books, his own performances and the foibles of his fellow Pythons. Nobody escapes unscathed here, though I doubt anyone who Mr. Palin wrote about would dispute his conclusions.
The years 1969-1979 are some of the most amazing in Python history; they begin as Monty Python starts filming its first television series, and concludes as Life of Brian is released and there is backlash from the religious folks who don't understand the premise (and many of whom proudly state that they haven't even bothered to see the film they're condemning). Between these two seminal events are discussions of filming on other projects, the need and the attempt to write, and a man's deep and abiding love for his wife, children and parents. Reading the passages about Palin's father weakening was moving in the extreme, and his pain was palpable as the roles between father and son slowly reversed themselves.
This is a hernia farm of a book at over 600 pages hardcover, exclusive of introductions and index, but you soon forget your aching arms as the pages fly. The life that Michael Palin has built for himself and his family is so layered, rich and interesting (while still being fairly "normal") that you only want the best for him and can't wait to read what happens next. I understand that the next segment of diaries will be released in September 2009, and I'm very excited to read about that next decade in my favorite Python's life.
Despite copious footnotes explaining the backgrounds of the people mentioned, those who are not familiar with British comedy and culture may find the narrative a little hard to follow, at least initially. Because I've been living in London for a year or so, the people that Palin encounters (and then writes about) have become more familiar to me. Even more interesting were his mentions of favorite bookshops, restaurants and London haunts which he enjoyed with his children (and, in some cases, continues to enjoy to this day). In that respect, the Diaries became a bit of a travelogue for my future travels around my adopted hometown.
Great, inspiring read! April 30, 2008
Palin's diaries take in everything from Python meetings, filming, touring, and interesting analyses of the political climate of the time.
What comes across is that Palin is quite possibly the lynchpin that holds Python together. He acts as a sounding board to every Python member's upsets and troubles, mediating as best he can. This places his diaries in a unique position in that it gathers a wealth of insiteful information about all of them.
Palin himself comes across as very likable, very interested in the people he meets and what makes them tick. Only occassionally do you lose empathy with him. Firstly there is hardly any insite in the diaries to his family, with the exception of his father. This could well be down to editing, to keep his private life out of it, but the weighting is largely on his work and the impression given is of someone who puts this first.
But what work it is. Palin is enormously self-motivated, generating work for himself off of his own back, whilst his fellow Pythons wallow in depressions and neuroses.
This book nearly had me wanting to keep a diary myself, and did have me buying a load of Python on DVD. So for that it must be doing something right!
When can we have volume two? April 12, 2008
This thick volume is a delight from page 1. We already feel we know MP through his air of general bemusement in his travels, but there is so much more to him than this.
Covering the Python Years, we hear all about the difficulties in getting six different personalities to agree and the creative struggle to behind Python - the relationships are often tense between the team.
We also learn about MP's family, the arrival of his children, and the sad decline of his father to Parkinsons.
We're so lucky that MP has written up his diary nearly every day and it appears that the hand of the editor has been light, making it even more of an achievement.
 Palin to significance January 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm about two thirds through this now and will finish it. After the Thatcher: the Downing Street Years (half way through; untouched for 5 years). Says it all really...
I can't say I'm thoroughly enjoying this. Palin can come across as pretty smug throughout this book but seems to enjoy carrying a large chip on his shoulder as far as John Cleese is concerned. In fact, the most interesting parts of this are his barely concealed barbs at Mssrs Cleese (too greedy), Idle (too lazy, flakey) and Chapman (too promiscuous, drinks too much). Palin gets caught up in a "them against" us battle in the Pythons with the more hardworking two Terry's (Jones mainly) in his gang....
Whilst it's a large book, I do feel there are gaps here, weeks at a time missing where you do wander the hell he was up to.
He documents his relationship with his father well, his steady decline in health is very sad, but dealt with in true British middle class fashion by the son. The film writing and making sequences are very interesting and occasionally entertaining but hardly make it a page turner.
Not bad. I'm sure I'll finish it one day...
UPDATE - I have now finished it (I keep my promises!). Palin's father sadly died but at the risk of speaking out of turn, this appeared to come as a relief to all concerned, not least his father whose quality of life had declined steadily over his last few years.
The late 70s were mainly concerned with the Life of Brian and this book documents it well from (immaculate!) conception to the box office and beyond. This section has a more upbeat feel to it though writing, acting and distributing a larger budget film was certainly not without it's problems, both logistically and legally. The hysteria it generated from various members of the clergy (who hadn't even seen it) was revealing, as was the sight of several orthodox Jews caught laughing away at one screening! Brian fans will greatly enjoy all the background to making the film and it is also good to see how his relationship with Cleese appeared to improve over the years too. Palin's US appearances on Saturday Night Live with the late John Belushi raised a few chuckles too.
All in all, a better end to the book
What Michael did first November 4, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A well-written, occasionally funny collection of ten years of Michael Palin's diary of his first life as a member of the Monty Python team. It's not an autobiography so it hasn't been written with an eye on sales figures. It's simply his personal diaries which track the daily routines and thoughts of Michael's life.
Although it's not as zany as his Python persona but more of the gentle humour in his excellent Ripping Yarns and later travel shows, it's still a worthwhile read.
I'm not sure why the book ends before the Meaning of Life but it suggests a sequel is likely. I look forward to that being published.
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