276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Just Ignore Him: A BBC Two Between the Covers book club pick

£9.495£18.99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

As a parent himself now he knows that wonderful feeling of putting your hand I spent most of this book wanting to reach through the pages and give him a hug, all the while overwhelmed by his bravery. He is so evidently super-bright that I had assumed – before reading the book – that he was a smart grammar school boy (in fact he went to the same private school as his father and grandfather) who had gone to Oxford or Cambridge; his natural destination, as an acknowledged “brainbox” before he went off the rails as a teenager, becoming a compulsive thief and vandal. What goes on behind the closed doors in modern cities and suburbs is, far more frequently than we’d like to admit, a primary cause of short-term suffering and longer term criminality.

Just Ignore Him is a 2020 memoir by the British comedian Alan Davies, detailing his early childhood.The paterfamilias was its absolute emperor, its members were his possessions, and he was insulated from external scrutiny and judgment. His chair was empty for the rest of the episode, although his voice was heard during "General Ignorance".

How heartbreaking it is to read that when the first secret “special cuddle” occurred, the eight-year-old boy was so deprived of affection and soft words from his surviving parent that even though he knew, instinctively, it was wrong and strange for his father to caress his naked buttocks, the relief of being treated kindly for once eclipsed the shame. Well, in between, we did – thank goodness – find plenty to talk about and, despite the undeniable weirdness of the situation, Davies did open up about other areas of his life and when he didn't, that was revealing in a different way, too. Ashley Park shares a hug with Emily In Paris star Lily Collins as she is 'recovering and resting in Paris'. Alan Davies is the funny guy on the quiz show, QI, that always gets the answers wrong and racks up the most negative points.

Pat McAfee is 'sick' of criticism aimed at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after the Chiefs' AFC title victory: 'Why is everybody so mad?

I have always been a fan of Alan’s and knew he had lost his mother at a very young age which is heart breaking, but to read what he went through in his childhood and lived with all his life is even more upsetting. The loneliness that Alan feels throughout his life, from the absence of love and laughter, just broke me.In 1994 and 1995, Davies hosted Alan's Big One for three series on Radio 1 before appearing in Channel 4's spoof travel show One for the Road (made by Channel X in 1994/5). In the opening pages we learn that he was only 6 years old when his mother died and that, from the age of about 8, he was abused by his father. Today, thanks to these brave people, the world is learning more about childhood abuse (and indeed other forms of domestic abuse). I can only assume these are from people who enjoy Alan's work on TV and radio and are more inclined to be positive than if this was written by an unknown author. The book is beautifully written; the loss of his mother and sexual abuse from his father are described very well.

Since 2014, he has hosted The Dog Rescuers for Channel 5 and the chat show Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled for Dave. He would be a studio fill-in for Jonnie Peacock for the "New Year's Treat" special in 2022, due to Peacock being unwell. Amazingly, Davies has managed to come out of the other side, and he shows excellent bravely in writing the book (and reporting his father to the police 50 years on. With the proof collected the authorities believed him, but prosecuting his now elderly father was deemed not winnable. growing up, for me, alan davies has always been the curly haired, duffel-coat-wearing detective jonathan creek, and the jovial permanent panellist on qi serving as a wonderful foil to stephen fry or sandi toksvig.However there is such self pity, cruelty and bitterness coming from Alan within the pages (and who am I to say it is not justified) that I found myself recoiling from Alan himself as it would appear so many people have done.

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment