Adrian Edmondson is not someone who's known for his comic literary abilities. But after reading this, his first novel, I believe he should be.

It's the story of Julian Mann, the Funniest 'Mann' Alive. He's a comedian, with a hit sitcom "Richard The Nerd" and an ego the size of Australia. Well maybe not quite, but you get my drift. His only coping mechanism is alcohol and he copes regularly, despite his wife and five year old twin boys waiting at home.

He's attractive, and he knows it. He loves women and wants them to love him back, and they do, often. He has his seduction techniques down to a fine art and constantly hones them. Even alcohol doesn't stop him. The words 'Brewers Droop' don't seem to exist in this man's vocabulary. Yet despite all this, he's actually a very lovable character. If there was ever a lovable rogue, this is he. Even from the very first chapter, knowing his love of alcohol and women and his apparent lack of conscience, it doesn't matter because Edmondson has written him so well. He's meant to be the hero, and that's exactly what he is.

So what's so special about him? It's the glimpses into his psyche when he nears the bottom of a bottle. It's the love which lingers deep down inside him for the woman he married and the children she bore. It's the raw emotion and fragility we see so often, and realising we all know someone like him. Okay so maybe most people don't drink themselves into oblivion quite as often as Julian does, but even so. It's not just the main character that makes this book so readable though. There's Wendy, his wife of eight years. She missed her final exams so she could be with him on his tour and finally married him in Gretna Green. She's so obviously an 'academic', but is never pompous with it. She chose her lott and is content to make the best of it she possibly can.

The common thread throughout this book is Lileth, the "Psycho Fan". For eight years she's followed Julian's career and always seems to turn up at the most unlikely places for him to sign the latest in her collection. Julian seems intent to keep her from Wendy, though he's never entirely sure why despite his attempts to rationalise it to himself.

Lileth is someone you almost feel sorry for to begin with. She truly is his number one fan and even after eight years of following him, she still shakes in his presence. The question throughout the book though, is "Is she really the 'Psycho Fan' Julian labels her to be?" Well, only by reading to the end will you find out.

There are no earth shattering revelations in this novel. It's simply an amusing book about the life of an entertainer, and secondary to this, his wife. I found myself caring about the hero so early on that it wasn't difficult to carry on reading. Edmondson's easy prose helped immensely. There are the odd 'big words', but they serve only to confirm a person's intelligence rather than dazzle us.

It's a novel in which you can see many parallels with your own life or friends' (unless it's just that I have very odd friends). Even the more minor characters - Paul (Julian's long suffering manager), Elaine (Paul's assistant), Catriona (one of Julian's one night stands) - are all believable, despite their brief appearances. It's thanks to Edmondson's apparent skill that none of the characters ever appear over the top. Similarly, they never once seem to get pushed into the background simply because they're not absolutely essential to the outcome of the novel.

All in all this is an enjoyable read, though I'm sure not to everyone's taste. I feel I should warn you about the swearing and sex. In neither case does Edmondson hold back, but I think everything in this book is justified. The terms he chooses for the descriptions in the one night stands simply adds to the grotesqueness of the situations, the language when he's drunk is just as it would be in real life. So long as you're not offended by bad language and sex, read it. It won't have you rolling around the floor giggling hysterically, but it will make you laugh out loud on a few occasions, and have you chuckling through a lot of it. And there are plenty of little surprises to keep you on your toes too.

Rating 4/5

Publisher: Heinemann
ISBN 0 434 00362 X

Copyright © K Wakeman