Book Review: Nerd Do Well – Simon Pegg

The point where I realize that my book review format is definitely skewed towards fiction and decide to ignore it and keep the format anyway.

  • Author Simon Pegg
  • Title: Nerd Do Well
  • Pages: 368
  • Formats: Trade Paper, Kindle, Audio Book
  • Availability: Amazon
  • Website: Peggster

Book Blurb

The unique life story of one of the most talented and inventive comedians, star of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul, Spaced, and Star Trek.

Zombies in North London, death cults in the West Country, the engineering deck of the Enterprise — actor, comedian, writer, and supergeek Simon Pegg has been ploughing some bizarre furrows. Having landed on the U.S. movie scene in the surprise cult hit Shaun of the Dead, his enduring appeal and rise to movie stardom has been mercurial, meteoric, megatronic, but mostly just plain great.From his childhood (and subsequently adult) obsession with science fiction, his enduring friendship with Nick Frost, and his forays into stand-up comedy, which began with his regular Monday-morning slot in front of his twelve-year-old classmates, Simon has always had a severe and dangerous case of the funnies.Whether recounting his experience working as a lifeguard at the city pool, going to Comic-Con for the first time and confessing to Carrie Fisher that he used to kiss her picture every night before he went to sleep, or meeting and working with heroes that include Peter Jackson, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino, Pegg offers a hilarious look at the journey to becoming an international superstar.

 

 The concept – Give Simon Pegg pen and paper, or a keyboard… or pen, paper, a keyboard and a talking robot butler and tell him to write an autobiography

The Characters:  Simon Pegg is a fan, a nerdy, geeky fan… who’s made movies… he’s written and stared in movies… and has realized the fan-boy dream of working with people that nerdy, geeky fans would want to work with.   Nerd Do Well, indeed.

Main Character:

Simon Pegg: Acerbic, witty international spy/playboy, trying to save the world from total destruction… or at least put off writing his memoirs because he doesn’t think he’s lived enough to warrant an autobiography.

Simon Pegg: Comedian, writer, actor… often found in association with Nick Frost and Edgar Wright.  Montgomery Scott in the JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot, Detective Angel in Hot Fuzz…

What works – Simon Pegg.

What I liked: 

I kind of enjoyed the over the top story he was trying to write instead of his memoirs.  (and the audio book was read by Simon Pegg.)

What I didn’t like:

… give me some time and I’ll think about it… oh yeah… way too short.  (but then again the audio player was on 1.2)

This gem was a surprise I found when, right before leaving work I discovered that the library book I had been listening to on the commute in had expired and was no longer available.  I logged into the library and this was the first book listed.

Sometimes technology works in your favor, and I had a delightful ride home.

November 28, 2015

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *