God Collar

by Marcus Brigstocke

'There's probably no God ... but I wish there was. I've got some things I need to ask him.'

Based on Marcus Brigstocke's award-winning Edinburgh and West End show, God Collar focuses on the 'God-shaped hole' that opens up in Marcus's life following the death of his best friend. Exploring his own issues surrounding faith - his lack of it, his need for it, some people's waste of it and what good purposes it might serve if he could get hold of it - he rails against the holy trinity of Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) while atheists, agnostics and believers of all faiths get it in the neck too. God Collar is a scathing look at modern faith that will leave you laughing out loud and examining your own beliefs in equal measure.

'As luck would have it, my relationship with God is as dysfunctional and peppered with resentment and recrimination as ever, so this should make for good writing.'

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Religion, Comedy, Biography, Audiobook, Philosophy

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2011

About the author

Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows. Brigstocke also played a cameo role in Richard Curtis's romantic comedy Love Actually as Mike, a radio DJ who interviews Billy Mack (played by Bill Nighy).

In childhood, Brigstocke attended St. Edmunds School in Hindhead, Surrey. In Chichester he went to Westbourne House School[citation needed] before going onto King's Bruton School in Somerset. He also attended Netherton Hall School,[citation needed] a boarding school, situated in Farway, Devon. He studied Drama at the University of Bristol, however he did not complete his degree.

Reviews

[James Cridland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing against Brigstocke himself. I find his stuff funny.

Except this.

I bought this mainly after listening to him being interviewed, erudite as ever, on either Radio 4 or 5 Live. I thought it would be an amusing but educational book - one where Brigstocke reviews each religion during his 'search for a God', and comes up with good points about each one.

It isn't. Instead, it's a stand-up routine that lasts eight days. It's a book where each amusing thought is laboured out into a ten-page-long joke. It's fine asking whether, if God was a vacuum cleaner, which brand he'd be - just not so fine to spend the next fifteen pages discussing the relative merits of a Dyson Animal and how this may relate to a deity.

I got to halfway through and realised there was no structure, no big thought, no investigation - just a few unrelated thoughts, desperately padded out and amplified into a book. I gave up.

Sorry, Marcus. But bring back that show you did on BBC FOUR, the one like the Daily Show. That was very good.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Marcus Brigstocke. So many times, listening to The Now Show has been made bearable by Brigstocke's five minutes of comedic rantings.

However, this book was a chore to get through. It's unclear what Brigstocke was really aiming for with this meandering set of thoughts. There's no clearly discernible theme to each chapter, and the tone lurches from light whimsy to dry thoughts.

For example, one chapter, titled "Where to look for God...", discusses Brigstocke's efforts to hunt for God. No, not in any metaphorical sense, he's actually physically looking for God. On eBay, amongst other places. This allows him to shoehorn a clumsy couple of pages about the operation of the Royal Mail - amusing material, but otherwise irrelevant to a book ostensibly about religion and faith. There's another couple of pages about how Brigstocke likes to imagine iPhone users are "pleasuring gerbils" - a surreal image that pleases him sufficiently that we are presented with it on several occasions through the rest of the book.

By contrast, another chapter, "God Delusion - the modern atheist" is almost devoid of humour altogether. This section deals with Brigstocke's disappointment with the atheist movement - a group that he is often lumped in with, seemingly much to his frustration. All of which seems odd, given how many of his own observations about the unjustness and seeming irrationality of the Abrahamic God in the Koran, Torah and Bible, are remarkably familiar from other works by contemporary atheists. In an almost astonishing piece of irony, Brigstocke states that he finds Dawkins's 'The God Delusion' to be incredibly smug, an effect "enhanced by the fact that... I had heard Professor Dawkins speak" and that "Once you have that clipped, humourless and unrelentingly posh tone in your head, it's very hard not to read the book in the same voice." He does have the good grace to concede that some of his readers may struggle with the same problem - but I was disappointed by the lack of any critique beyond perceived "smugness".

The same chapter goes on to comment on 'The Four Horsemen', a filmed conversation between Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, and comments that several of the participants were drinking alcohol, before launching into a frankly puzzling passage about the similarities between drinking alcohol and participating in religion. It's a lighthearted observation, but one which completely overlooks the somewhat glaring point that there is no debate about whether or not alcohol exists.

In any case, lurches in tone and style aside, the fundamental problem that I had with the book was that it reads like a long, transcribed comedy routine. Given its roots in Brigstocke's Edinburgh show, this is unsurprising. However, there are points where Brigstocke's delivery style does not lend itself well to written prose. At times, he is wont to provide examples that prove a point. In his stand-up delivery, it undoubtedly works well to go off on flights of fancy providing four or five examples - in his prose, it serves to bring a developing argument to a shuddering halt.

There are moments of genuine entertainment in the book - particularly toward the end where Brigstocke introduces some personal anecdotes about his family, and his friend James to whom the book is dedicated. I got the impression that the book would have been much more entertaining if Brigstocke had told more such stories, which explain his interest in, and fascination with, the world of religion and faith... rather than trying quite so hard to be both funny and profound.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before starting this book I was expecting to be a bit like The God Delusion but with a few nob gags thrown in. While the pages did contain some gags (nob, fart and other) it was much more than that. Following the death of his best mate, Marcus embarks on a quest to find faith, but finds that he can't subscribe to any of the belief systems pedalled by the major religions. He likes the idea of believing in a God, despite the logical problems this poses to a scientific mind, it's just that he doesn't feed he'd get on with Him based on most popular portrayals.

The book pitches from the light-hearted account of the London bus slogan debate, to the darkest aspects of the Catholic church's covering up of sexual abuses. In all, informative, entertaining, and towards the end quite touching when he recalls anecdotes about his family and his best mate.

[Emma Arrowsmith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read 89 pages and I’m giving up. And I never give up on a book.

I was reading it for work and thought it would be an interesting read - more comical than Dawkins, a genuine exploration of religious belief and atheism.

It’s not.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, talk about spreading the joke thin... It made me so angry. Not his opinions, with which I was 50% offended and 50% in agreement. No, what irked me was that I was reading this as a break from trying to cram my 6000 painstakingly researched words into a 2000-word essay, and Brigstocke's acceptably amusing hour's worth of stand-up had been unacceptably stretched out over 300-odd pages. I couldn't finish it and, as it was a library book, didn't.

[Mark Underwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Marcus Brigstocke. I really hated this book. By turns preachy, politically tendentious and absolutely not funny.

[Inga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wrote a review here.

[Emily John Garces · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish he hadn’t written this book. My late partner picked it off my shelf when he was suicidal and looking for meaning and comfort, I tried to persuade him against reading it, but he wouldn’t listen. He was half way through it when he died. Of course, I don’t actually blame the book, but I had shelves full of wonder and hope and he chose this.

I wish Marcus (who is obviously a talented human) had made more effort with this book. I wish he’d left his study and gone to India, or an old people’s home - Instead of just trying to be mildly funny by pretending to look for God on eBay.

I wish he’d been more willing to push through his charming British armour and journey towards the warm dark eternal fire that sits deep within the core of every human and connects us directly to that same warmth the resides kindly at the centre of everything. The source of love itself that some people choose to refer to as God, and others, like atheists, choose to call something that is more clinical and easier for them to digest. I really don’t care about the semantics.

[Tansy Hepton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel mean with this score because I'm a fan from the radio and I know I would love the God Collar show, but it didn't work for me as a book. I need his voice delivering the rant, not mine. I agree with so much of what he says and found some of his insights really thought provoking (especially the idea that religion and alcohol fulfil similar needs in us) so I'm glad I persevered with it. When venues re-open, re-tour it and I'll come to see it!

[Dominic Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is only a short review because I was genuinely astounded by the quality of this book. I want to explain why I was astounded not spend a while droning on about what good language the author used.

‘God Collar’ by Marcus Brigstocke took me by surprise. I have always known him to be among the more educated of comedians, someone who offers out thoughts rather than choosing to pick on someone and unleash bile in their direction. I took a stab at God Collar, I had heard of it but not read any reviews but I had enough trust in his reputation as an entertainer to make the purchase.

Brigstocke manages to ask the questions that a lot of us really do want to ask. Is there a god? If so, what form does god take? Who is god’s allegiance really for? What has religion done wrong throughout history? What has religion done right throughout history?

When I was at university, I asked a friend of mine who was a born again Christian, if there was a god and what had god brought to their life? I was going through a tough time and like Marcus, I felt there to be a gap in my life. Instead of answering me, my friend lectured me and dragged me along to a Christian union meeting. This was incredibly unhelpful and pushed me away from embracing any consideration that a deity may have started this giant ball rolling.

The book opens with Brigstocke telling us about his friend James who had tragically passed away a few years previously. He told of how he fell into a depression and struggled for a long time. Many people say that writing can be cathartic but throughout this book you really do take a journey with him. You see him question things with a desire to learn not a desire to listen and then rebuke.

When my Great Granddad died I was eleven years old. I was woken up to be told that he had died in the night and for the first time in my life, there was someone who I loved who I would never see again. I cried and then went to my parents bed, laid there for a long time, refusing to eat anything other than a fish and chip player meal with mushy peas that you could buy in my local shop. There was no relevance to the meal but I remember it and so it must have meant something. It took me days to get the strength up to leave the house and when I did, it was for the funeral. The only thing I remember from the funeral is my Great Grandmother crying and the coffin going on the conveyor belt behind a curtain. I strained my eyes to look until the last second and then I closed them and opened them once I knew it had disappeared. It was the only thing I could do in the whole situation that was on my terms. I chose the last moment to see him.

Sometimes prayers aren’t answered. I knew my Great Granddad was ill, I prayed for him but it didn’t work.

Some prayers strangely enough do seem to work. A few years after this my Great Grandmother fell and fractured her skull. She was very old at this point and the doctors said that all they could do was try and reduce the swelling so she wasn’t in pain but that she probably wouldn’t even make it through the operation. That night I went to bed distraught and decided to say a prayer. About two seconds after I said amen, the phone rang and it was the hospital to say that somehow she had pulled through and would make a full recovery. In my heart of hearts I know that all this had already gone on but I couldn’t help thinking that someone had given it all a nudge in the right direction.

A similar thing happened when my Uncle was ill, the hospital told us to say our goodbyes and we did, but we also said that if he made it through the night we’d drive down and see him to say goodbye in person. I prayed again and the next morning he was alive. We drove down to Reading where he was and saw him. Again, I know that amazing doctors probably had more of a hand in this than a god but it still felt good. My Uncle survived until a week before my eighteenth birthday. He tried his best to make it but couldn’t.

That was my brief journey into whether there is a god or not but Marcus expertly guides us through the theory, concepts, the historical facts without dismissing them as easily as most do.

He provides a raw and honest account of his friendship with James, of his own grandparents relationship and helps to break huge walls of theory and history to make it accessible to all. There is no preaching and if anything, he offers only encouragement to those he look inside to find something missing and fill it with god. If there is any anger, it is aimed at extremism, prejudice and the way people judge before understanding.

This book really took me on a journey, not of self discovery because we all have to do that for ourselves, but a journey where I didn’t feel stupid for thinking that a god may have helped my relatives stay alive or where I didn’t feel like I was disrespectful for not believing in what so many do.

Don’t buy the ebook, buy a hard copy to sit it next to the Gideons bible you stole from your last stay in a travelloge.

I cannot applaud the author anymore because anyone who can make you feel like Brigstocke can hasn’t written something for the plaudits, he has written it because he had to, there was no choice

[Declan Da Silva Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely read, especially because you can tell how bleeding honest Marcus is being about his true thoughts and feelings. Left me slightly more confused about God than I was before reading it, while also assuring me that I sure as hell don't want to be a zealot.

[David Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unassuming, funny and well argued. Every bit as convincing as Dawkins without being nearly so pompous.

[Craig Hoare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting thoughts on religion, some truly laugh out loud bits.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned on p136. Very disappointing, not funny, engaging, couldn't force myself to read any further!

[Pete F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was seeing things when I saw this title in the religion section of the local library. Had I become dyslexic overnight? Surely, it should be Dog Collar? But no, it was indeed 'God Collar', written by comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Along with another book I had read, by Alain de Botton called 'Religion for Atheists', it was a book I needed to read, to help overcome some of my remaining Christian hangups, and to help me to take things less seriously. He describes himself in his book as a reluctant atheist. He knows that God doesn't exist because he read it on the side of a bus, which of course makes it true, and if you get a trinity of buses come along all at once, all with the same profound message on the side, it must make it trebly right, right? Well, I wouldn't describe myself as an atheist, just someone who has become increasingly sceptical about orthodox Christianity and the churchianity that goes with it. Still, I found this book very liberating, if at times a little irritating, especially when he goes into great detail about his family life, which doesn't interest me much. But I laughed out loud at times at the things he had to say about religion, and it is not just Christianity that comes in for mockery, but also Judaism (Brigstocke is himself Jewish) and bravely, Islam.

Brigstocke describes the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a more or less endorsement of child rape, which having read it myself, would say it is a pretty accurate description. Perhaps this story is a favourite of certain Roman Catholic priests. Usually, this story is pointed out as a condemnation of homosexuality, but I can't see it myself.

Christians who read this book, for research purposes, of course, be warned, the swearing and irreverent humour is not for the faint-hearted, but if you can put up with all the smiting, sex and violence that goes on in the Old Testament, the occasional F-word and blasphemy shouldn't be too shocking. And Brigstocke may be a comedian, but he is deadly serious behind the mockery he makes of religion. And if Brigstocke is wrong, he will no doubt be smote at some point! I recommend it for people who have recently lost their faith, or simply lost their church.

I read that he is a supporter of Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MP, another good reason to listen to what he says.

Note: I wrote this review at a time when I had stopped going to church and had serious doubts about Christianity, but later returned to church. However, much of what I wrote in the review still stands, and I shall not recant!

[MargeryK · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter was bad. It needed an hour or two of editing. And the rest of it was okay. If you read this book as an autobiographical musing rather than a thorough exploration of faith, you'll likely not be (too) disappointed. Except for chapter one and his buses.

And the repeated mentions of Cheesestrings and Berocca made me wonder if anyone had proofread the book, or whether he was being sponsored by Bayer and Kerry Foods.

But these shortcomings aside, I did find it funny and enlightening. My favourite chapter was Chapter 9, "Why Not, Then?" Especially this:

"To simplify the different approaches of the faiths, I like to imagine God as Birmingham. The large throbbing hub of the Midlands. I think of God as Birmingham and then Judaism and Christianity and Islam are the M40, the M5 and the M6 motorways. They're all going to Birmingham. They will all get you there in the end, they are just different routes. You will take whichever route you were nearest to when you began your journey. I'm sorry, but your belief system is no more profound than that. You may turn off, you may merge with another route, you may even break down on the way and give up on your quest for eternal oneness with the Holy Trinity of Birmingham, Dudley and Blackheath. Your faith and your journey to the one God recognised by Jews, Christians and Muslims is little more than a simple matter of geography. Born in the south-west of England? You're a Christian; to get to God you need the M5 northbound. Born in London? Muslim, take the M40 past Oxford. Jews, you're on the M6, and yes it's a special road made specifically for you by God and he's dying to meet you. "

He highlights the misogyny and homophobia present in the Roman Catholic Church and Church of England and alerts readers to the fact that for there to be chosen people who will ascend to heaven, there are those who (perhaps through no fault of their own - being born in a non-Christian country, for instance) will fall short of the grade and for them they are condemned. Brigstocke argues that this is both unfair and illogical.

I am glad Brigstocke wrote this. He bares much of his life to the reader if he/she perseveres, and this honesty takes some balls. Thank you, Marcus.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review – God Collar by Marcus Brigstocke

Transworld Publishing – ISBN 978-0-593-06736-9
8 out of 10
Marcus Brigstocke is a well known comedy face on Television, a well known comedy voice on Radio, and God Collar is his examination of religion, and how religion can relate to his world.

Anyone who is familiar with Brigstocke’s media work will find themselves a home in this thoughtful and well written book, which questions religion and faith. It is not just Christianity that is under inspection, but also the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, Judaism, Islam, Humanism, and Buddhism. We look at the beliefs of practitioners, and the influence that religion has had on the world.

This is the book of a tour that asked the same questions, so it skips from idea to idea quite quickly, and news stories and other books mean that the book is firmly placed in a certain time frame. As well as taking on religion, he also takes on the likes of Richard Dawkins, and although he is an affirmed Atheist, he still looks for the comfort that faith and a belief system that the church can provide.

He looks at the difference between people and their beliefs, as well questioning some of the more extra-ordinary chapters and episodes from the more important religious tomes. He looks at the differing attitudes in the Old Testament and New Testament, and points out some of the crueller aspects of God’s personality that many of the faithful seem willing to over-look.

Religious Fanatics will find cause to complain about this book, and sometimes the humour is a bit too close to the bone, but this is a well researched book, fluidly written, and feels at times more like a conversation than a read, and it will make many people, regardless of their faith question their own assumptions.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about Marcus Brigstocke and God. Yes it is the humorous autobiographical ramblings of a stand-up comedian and all-round BBC Radio 4 chappy, but it seemed a genuinely worthwhile contribution to the topic of religious belief or lack of it. He rightly highlights the smug humourlessness of the Dawkins-esque approach to atheism, which even when it tries to be funny just comes across as unkind. I couldn't help laughing when the latter said, on a serious news programme, of his Bishop co-interviewee "Don't take any notice of him, he talks to an imaginary friend" but that's rude little boy behaviour.

Brigstocke's book is so very much more empathic, so much more human, so much kinder (despite an often savage and random humour). I particularly enjoyed his piece on how Steve Jobs only had to put i in front of something to make people worship it and going on to describe what iPhone users and iPad users look like what they are up to in a way which means I can never use them or see someone else use them in the same way again (especially not as a past gerbil and guinea pig owner) I had tears in my eyes reading about his grandparents' sex life and how he really hopes that his grandmother does get to see her husband again when she dies, even though he struggles to believe it. And if the death of his penis waggling rugby adoring friend inspired him to write this book, he did not live or die in vain.

[Mart · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a well-off white fella in a well-developed Western country, with a successful career that involves no heavy-lifting or monotonous repetition, and family and friends who love and support him as he reads the dailies while thinking and writing things down, Marcus Brigstocke is a prime example of that lucky class of people (to which I also belong) that have been blessed by the gods to not need them. In this eloquent, sincere and very funny book, Marcus goes searching for them anyway: he might not need them, but he wants them.
Though I enjoyed this book, I think I was hoping for something a bit more substantial from Marcus. The main problem - for me, anyway - is that he doesn’t actually do anything. Nevermind going to live with lepers, or holding the hands of the dying, or facing some personal privations, he doesn’t even leave his study: the exercise is mostly intellectual (aside from when he discusses his best friend and his children). A lot of reading went into the writing of this book, and like the wizard said: reading is a great way to avoid actually living. The book could have done with more soul-searching and less ranting, a few less conversations and a lot more actions. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the audiobook - his narration is spot on - and would recommend if you fancy an argument about religion but don’t have any drunken mates handy.

[Marcus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es war ziemlich schwierig durch dieses Buch durch zu kommen. So amüsant das erste Kapitel war, so eintönig wurde es zum Schluß.

Hier schreibt der Author wirklich nur über seine Gedanken, so wie sie ihm vermutlich gerade in den Sinn kamen, gewürzt mit der einen oder anderen Pointe. Er erläutert seine Ansichten über Gott und dessen Beziehung zur Welt aus seinem Standpunkt ohne zu einem Abschluss zu kommen. Dies ist nicht sonderlich zufriedenstellend, da ich einige seiner Gedanken durchaus nachvollziehen kann. Ich hatte einige dieser Gedanken die er beschreibt selber schon. Vermutlich liegt das daran, das es die üblichen Gedankengänge sind für Leute die nicht an einen Gott oder eine höhere Macht glauben, dies aber gerne tun würden.

Für mich wäre es einfach beruhigend gewesen zu sehen wie der Author damit umgeht, was seine Schlußfolgerungen aus der Situation sind, dass es eine Lösung für dieses Dilemma gibt. Oder aber wie er sein Verlangen nach einer höheren Macht befriedigt wenn es keine Lösung dafür gibt. Stattdessen redet er vor sich hin und endet und der Leser wird in der Luft hängen gelassen.

[David Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very much looking forward to reading this as I like Marcus Brigstocke and agree with a lot of what he says. It turns out that his views on atheism are also very similar to my own. We are both atheist but not in a crusading, zealous Richard Dawkins way. More a live and let live approach.

I enjoyed the book as a whole but it does have 2 major flaws. Firstly he writes as he rants which is funny and clever in short bursts but soon becomes repetitive. Very repetitive. Secondly, as the book progresses it becomes more and more self-indulgent. It gets more like an autobiography towards the end and, to be frank, that is not why I bought it. It is obviously a deeply personal subject and his views have been shaped by his lfe but it did become a bit much in my view.

Overall though it is genuinely interesting and there are some very funny observations including a few laugh out loud moments. I get the impression that having researched the book he is a lot more knowledgable about his subject but I suspect no nearer answering the fundamental question of whether he really is a committed atheist.

[David Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

God Collar is Marcus Brigstocks explanation of how he, as an atheist, wishes there was a God. At times it is blasphemous and not that funny. But overall this is an excellent book. It is well written and, as you would expect from one of Britains funniest comedians, humorous. However if you buy this book thinking it is just going to be another series of cheap shots at religion in general and Christianity in particular - you will be disappointed. This is a serious book with some insightful points and moments of beauty and pathos. After reading this book I did a 90 minute show with Premier's Justin Brierly and Marcus himself in which we discussed the major premises of the book. There are Christians who will be upset at this book because of its blasphemy - but I know that there will be even more atheists who are upset because of his dismissal of so many aspects of the new fundamentalist atheism. Watch out for the hate mail from the Dawkins Taleban! Anyway it is well worth reading.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I found this book quite uncomfortable in places. Its not an easy book for anyone of faith to read, but I do think its necessary in order to understand some misconceptions of non-believers about religion and why they occur.

This book promises to be hilarious, and I did find it funny in a few places. But mostly I found it very thought-provoking. I couldn't stop talking to those around me about what I'd read, considering it when I journalled, and generally contemplating each chapter in great detail.

I did really feel for Marcus' exploration of his beliefs. It was interesting to see his thought processes in action, and how we are all influenced by what we experience in everyday life.

I came out at the end of it not having enjoyed the book, but being glad that I'd read it and feeling a little sorry that all Marcus' contemplating whilst writing didn't seem to have made any certainty for him in his life. Worth a read, but not compulsory reading in my opinion.

[Simon Lipson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marcus Brigstocke is a fine stand-up and witty radio presenter. And he can write, articulately and intelligently. The problem, though, is that he doesn't have a lot to say, hence endless riffs (probably adapted from his act) that amuse but don't inform, allied to an almost pathological penchant for repetition. If he tells us he doesn't believe in God but would really, really like to once, he tells us a thousand times. Yes, Marcus, we get it. Even the better riffs start to pale. It's as if he's struck on a nice comedy idea and is damn-well going to ram it home with a string of variations on the theme until diminishing returns hits a minus value. So there is a major lack of substance here, which is not to say that it is worthless. As an atheist, I found myself agreeing with (and laughing at) much of what Brigstocke has to say - often with great insight and clarity - but this could have been condensed into an article and been all the better for it.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals with Marcus Brigstocke’s ‘crisis of facts’ that he went through after the death of a friend. He explores his dissatisfaction with atheism, and his distaste for the major religions. I really enjoyed the book that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I agree with most of his views, and like his comedy. He meanders through rants, gags, anecdotes, frank confessions and thoughtful assessment.

I was listening to the audio book (read well by Brigstocke) on a bus when a guy started preaching about the love of Jesus, singing about heaven and having a rant about Amy Winehouse. Another passenger took issue with his preaching and advised him that he was narrow minded and should be open to the modern world around him. He replied that being open minded was evil. Then he got off the bus. It fitted in well with Brigstocke’s rants about religion.

The book fails to make a coherent argument or reach a strong conclusion, but I found it enjoyable and thought-provoking.

[Neil Denham · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no doubt that Marcus Brigstocke is a funny man, and between rants a likable one too... but...

The subject of religion and atheism is a trendy one amongst British comedians at the moment, and the cynic in me says that the only reason this book was ever produced was to fill a gap in the market (a book shaped hole?).

He makes some great points, and it's nice to see a liberal agnostic view represented, a refreshing change from the militant atheism so often found written about.

The problem I had with the book was it's lack of structure. Individual bits are funny, individual bits thought provoking, bits are honest and emotional, but overall it does not quite hang together, almost like a collection of newspaper columns thrown together in a book.

If you love Marcus it's worth a look, but there are better books covering these topics out there, and probably best to see his live stand up shows instead.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely funny, especially when he's in rant mode, and will satisfy most people who like comedy to have a point but there are enough factual errors and enough tired lines (Richard Dawkins is an atheist fundamentalist ha ha ha) that it got my back up a bit. If you haven't read the bible and don't mind trite remarks about pop-scientists then you might enjoy it even more than I did. Christopher Hitchens gets a mention, poignantly (I am writing this the day after his death), along with the other usual suspects.
I hadn't realised there was so much soul-baring in the book. It was born from a real personal tragedy and that lent a sense of depth to what would otherwise have been a fairly predictable book.
In short, if you've bought it for your brother for christmas, have no fear, he'll like it, unless your brother is the pope, in which case, you might want to reconsider.

[Jane Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Marcus Brigstocke. I identify with his politics and love his rants on the radio where he says things no one else dares to. So I like this book. It arose out of a tour he did on the subject, and I don't doubt for a moment his sincerity in the questions he asks and the stances he takes. It's very funny. And that, perhaps, is a difficulty. Does the need to be funny trump the need to be thoughtful? There are points in the book where you feel he's run out of anything to say and just wants to do the comedy routine. But most of the time he is making very valid points, some of which I would love to argue with.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, I find Marcus Brigstocke extremely funny but also clever and insightful. I hoped this book would be a good balance of the two but it just ended up falling a bit flat. I read it and enjoyed it to some degree, but some of it is just over the top complaining about things that don't need complaining about. I have found this to be a problem with comedians who rely on the grumpy/complaining angle with their stand-up - it doesn't translate especially well into literature. It is so draining to read a 200 page book that is simply complaints about things, annoying when this could have actually been an intelligent look at the existence of a god.

[Simon Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the many books I've had on the shelf a number of years. I got it when it first came out after seeing Brigstoke on an interview show talking about his God Collar show. I just never got round to reading it. Story of my life really.
Part polemic, part memoir, part exploration of his faith or lack there of and part reworking of his comedy show, it unfortunately never adds up to one whole.
Like many atheists he argues against a straw man of his own making and at times ends up blaming all believers for the faults of a minority of believers.
A diverting read but sadly not a good one.