Stalin Ate My Homework

I was a fan of Alexei Sayle's TV shows in the 1990s and so it was natural I would want to learn more about his childhood and the formative role of his parents, who remained unreconstructed communists, who kept the faith in spite of everything, while so many of their sometime colleagues fell away. I did not find him as funny in print as he is on stage or TV. The book does not read the way he sounds, the fast and furious skiffs of his stand-up repartee. The style is more restrained but with enough mordant wit to spice the narrative and keep it interesting. These are the reminiscences of an outsider, of someone who is still drawn to the communist cause out of some temperamental sympathy, as well as his upbringing, but cannot force himself to be a true believer. He has too much scepticism of his own and others' motives for that.The cool scepticism extends to his portrayal of his parents. There is respect for them but not much in the way of warmth. He talks of his parents with the same detachment as his juvenile revolutionary escapades. Somehow the use of their first names - Molly and Joe - rather than mum' or 'dad' underscores this aloofness. I have known a few people from 'alternative' backgrounds who make a virtue of addressing their parents by their first names rather than conventional expressions of affection. In spite of that, they never seemed to be especially fond of them.Sayle is a good writer and he his reflections are thoughtful, sensitive and intelligent - and no, it is not fodder for leftie-bashers, as one negative review of this work would have you believe. He is sympathetic to the left but scornful of the pious verities of its utopian posturings - not just confined to the lunatic fringe. That he mostly discusses the left is no surprise: it is what he knew best. Moreover, much of the bite is reserved for the pretensions of his younger self. Like all good comics, he is aware of his own foibles as much as he is of others. He can take the log out of his own eye as well as remove the specks from his brothers.On a personal level, I warmed to this because I felt I related to his temperamental scepticism about all-encompassing causes. It was a good read and I would recommend it.

I bought this having been enjoying Alexei Sayle's new programme on BBC Radio 4, "Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar", which contains all his usual hallmarks - left-wing political satire, surrealism, brilliant timing, comic voices and inventiveness. I'd heard a little about his upbringing in that and elsewhere, and wanted to find out more, so downloaded this and read it quite quickly, hearing it all in my head as if read/performed in his inimitable style. I really enjoyed it, and liked the format, which is effectively a series of short essays each on a theme or episode, rather than being strictly chronological. He writes as he speaks, and I enjoyed it so much that I've just downloaded the sequel, "Thatcher Stole My Trousers".

Really enjoyed this book, this is the first of his memoirs going up to age 16. His family life and holidays were certainly unusual for a child in the 60s. Funny and well written, great social history too. I enjoyed this so much I also read the follow on, Thatcher Stole My Trousers, this was very amusing , interesting, and in places absolutely laugh out loud hilarious!

There is little to dislike about this book - I wish it carried images of the young Alexei in his different leg length trousers and denim jacket. His upbringing explains a lot about his humour and his role in The Young Ones.

I thoroughly enjoyed the madcap world of the Sayles family, so surreal at times. However, knowing the Liverpool areas he mentioned, sometimes I disagreed with his descriptions of names and places, probably because I move/moved in a different world to Lexi. Something tells me he was not a popular figure but what a writer and storyteller. His other written work is so good too.

Devoted to his eccentric parents, trade union Communists, Alexei describes his strange comfortable childhood. As the sophisticated proletarian conscience of Anfield, the Sayles adventures charm and amuse.

This was a present for a relative, but I had a good laugh reading some of it beforehand. Then relative's husband rang to say he enjoyed reading it and did I know of any more books by Mr Sayle? If you like Alexi Sayle's TV comedy performances, you'll love this book.

This book hit my funnybone dead on. I've meant to read it for ages but only now got around to it. Fans of Mr Sayle will love it. Can't think of another book that made me laugh so often.