Me Cheeta by James Lever - Revision history

Sue at 09:12, 29 December 2023

2023-12-29T09:12:38Z

Sue at 09:12, 29 December 2023

2023-12-29T09:12:24Z

Sue at 11:45, 4 March 2018

2018-03-04T11:45:07Z

Sue at 17:21, 18 December 2014

2014-12-18T17:21:33Z

Keith: 1 revision

2009-10-24T17:35:39Z

1 revision

Sue at 16:18, 26 August 2009

2009-08-26T16:18:03Z

New review

{{infobox
|title=Me Cheeta
|author=James Lever
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=Literary Fiction
|summary=A spoof biography of Cheeta the chimpanzee, that gives a great insight into the golden age of Hollywood. It's top quality trash (in the best possible way), and a great deal of fun.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|format=Paperback
|pages=320
|publisher=Fourth Estate Books
|date=May 2009
|isbn=978-0007280162
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007280165</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>006164742X</amazonus>
}}

Straight out of the golden age of Hollywood comes the bitchiest, most revealing memoir from one of its stars. There are scores to be settled, stars to be insulted, secrets to be hinted at none too subtley, and lost opportunities to be longed for. Oh, and the star telling all? Well, for those of you who can't tell from the title (or even the picture on the front cover) it's Cheeta - chimpanzee star of the Tarzan films.

James Lever's spoof autobiography takes a fun idea and runs with it. It would be all too easy for the joke to wear thin after 30 pages, much less 300. Such is the quality of the writing that (one small lull in the middle aside) it's anything but a one trick pony. There are the necessary (and hilarious) comparisons of chimp and human life - with Cheeta's pride in the alacrity of his lovemaking being particularly amusing. Beyond this, Lever takes the core idea and uses it as an opportunity for juicy unabashed gossip. And it's wonderful.

In many ways, ''Me Cheeta'' is a middle class... no, middlebrow version of whatever Jordan's latest autobiography is called. It's camp, trashy, bitchy and wicked - with no negative connotations here. For a light but good quality read on the [[Top Ten Beach Reads For Women|beach]] or [[Top Ten Tube Reads|on the commute to work]], it's far far above average.

''Me Cheeta'' is on the [[Man Booker Prize 2009|2009 Booker Prize longlist]], which raises the issue of the reader's expectations, both of the book itself and of which books are Booker-worthy. ''Me Cheeta'' is very good, but it doesn't live up to the feelings of the Booker judges, or indeed the unstinting praise that adorns the book jacket. Read it expecting one of the best pieces of literature this year and your expectations couldn't be met. Read it expecting to laugh and you'll be blown away by just how great a spoof it is. Recommended, but do approach it from the right angle.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

For a fun celebrity memoir, but based around slightly different types of films, check out [[The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz by Ron Jeremy with Eric Spitznagel]]. If spoof biographies are your thing, then you won't go far wrong with [[A Short Gentleman by Jon Canter]].

{{toptentext|list=Man Booker Prize 2009}}

{{amazontext|amazon=0007280165}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6561553}}

{{commenthead}}
[[Category:Biography]]

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
- If spoof biographies are your thing, then you won't go far wrong with [[A Short Gentleman by Jon Canter]].
+If spoof biographies are your thing, then you won't go far wrong with [[A Short Gentleman by Jon Canter]].
 {{toptentext|list=Man Booker Prize 2009}}

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-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Me Cheeta
 |author=James Lever
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=May 2009
 |isbn=978-0007280162
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007280165</amazonuk>
+|cover=0007280165
-|amazonus=<amazonus>006164742X</amazonus>
+|aznuk=0007280165
 }}

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 |buy=Yes
 |borrow=Yes
 |pages=320
 |publisher=Fourth Estate Books
@@ Line 31: / Line 30: @@
 {{toptentext|list=Man Booker Prize 2009}}
-{{amazontext|amazon=0007280165}}  {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6561553}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0007280165}}
 {{commenthead}}
 [[Category:Biography]]

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