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Work! Consume! Die!
This is a book full of hope and jokes. A novella tells the story of a newly retired Frankie Boyle, lured back onto the panel-show circuit when people who fall under a certain level of celebrity start getting raped. Frankie pitches increasingly desperate ideas for new shows as he slides down the showbiz rankings and his arse drops ever closer to an obscure sodomising.
Interwoven with this numb hymn to show-business are chapters detailing Boyle's worldview, an incessant fusillade of laughter and despair, the hollow clanging scream of a dying mechanical God and an honest attempt to describe the world by refusing to take it seriously.
Work! Consume! Die! is the collected wisdom of an idiot. (Nobody's looking, just stick it under your coat and run out of the shop.)
Interwoven with this numb hymn to show-business are chapters detailing Boyle's worldview, an incessant fusillade of laughter and despair, the hollow clanging scream of a dying mechanical God and an honest attempt to describe the world by refusing to take it seriously.
Work! Consume! Die! is the collected wisdom of an idiot. (Nobody's looking, just stick it under your coat and run out of the shop.)
331 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2011
About the author
Frankie Boyle
30 books251 followersFrancis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle is a Scottish comedian and writer, well known for his pessimistic, often controversial sense of humour. He was a permanent panellist on Mock the Week for seven series and has made guest appearances on several popular panel shows including Have I Got News for You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie to You?, You Have Been Watching, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (as guest host and team captain when Phill Jupitus was unavailable for recording), and Argumental, as well as writing for Jimmy Carr's Distraction and Sean Lock's TV Heaven, Telly Hell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
December 28, 2011
After his 'autobiography',
My Shit Life So Far
, this is neither a straight autobiography, nor strictly non-fiction. Instead the book alternates, chapter by chapter, between a fictional account of Frankie Boyle living in a high-rise flat in Glasgow and a series of non-fictional diatribes against everything Boyle doesn't like about the world. There is a very tenuous Kevin-Bacon-style link between myself and Frankie; which means that this copy, which my parents bought for me, is personally inscribed with a Christmas message.
The fictional half of the book appears to be set after the period covered by My Shit Life So Far Boyle is living alone in a flat at the top of a Glasgow high-rise. A flat which he's extended with a secret annex containing his weird model of the people and places around him which he toys with in an almost voodoo way. The story mixes, presumably at least partially true, personal anecdotes of time with his children and attempts to get work post-Mock-the-Week. In the background is the story of a rapist who is targeting b-list celebrities who are no longer in the spotlight as much as they were – starting with Dom Joly. Contacted by the police, Boyle initially worries that he's a suspect, but in fact, more worryingly, they are treating him as a potential victim.
The non-fiction half of the book is a series of essays/diatribes/rants on everything that Boyle thinks is wrong with our society: war, comedy, Tories, Lib Dems, immigration, the news of the world, terrorism, the death of Osama bin Laden and homoeopathy (he actually manages to combine those two into a single joke which is pretty impressive) etc. But singled out the most is throwaway entertainment culture, as typified by our national obsession with programmes like the X-Factor, The Voice, Britain's Got Talent etc. All of these programmes come in for heavy ridicule, as do the judges on them. Unfortunately, the non-fiction section, which had potential, fails to live up to that. Each of Boyle's discussions never really goes anywhere. Instead of developing them, they are used only as a platform for more of his jokes. Obviously, as Boyle is a comedian, it's probably unfair to expect anything else. But it would have been interesting if he'd tried.
The jokes are the expected mixture of sharp insight and deeply offensive humour that he has become both loved and reviled for. No subject is every considered off-limits for Boyle's humour and if you aren't prepared to sit through some uncomfortable chapters where one, or more, of your own sacred cows are picked apart then this isn't the book for you.
The fictional half of the book appears to be set after the period covered by My Shit Life So Far Boyle is living alone in a flat at the top of a Glasgow high-rise. A flat which he's extended with a secret annex containing his weird model of the people and places around him which he toys with in an almost voodoo way. The story mixes, presumably at least partially true, personal anecdotes of time with his children and attempts to get work post-Mock-the-Week. In the background is the story of a rapist who is targeting b-list celebrities who are no longer in the spotlight as much as they were – starting with Dom Joly. Contacted by the police, Boyle initially worries that he's a suspect, but in fact, more worryingly, they are treating him as a potential victim.
The non-fiction half of the book is a series of essays/diatribes/rants on everything that Boyle thinks is wrong with our society: war, comedy, Tories, Lib Dems, immigration, the news of the world, terrorism, the death of Osama bin Laden and homoeopathy (he actually manages to combine those two into a single joke which is pretty impressive) etc. But singled out the most is throwaway entertainment culture, as typified by our national obsession with programmes like the X-Factor, The Voice, Britain's Got Talent etc. All of these programmes come in for heavy ridicule, as do the judges on them. Unfortunately, the non-fiction section, which had potential, fails to live up to that. Each of Boyle's discussions never really goes anywhere. Instead of developing them, they are used only as a platform for more of his jokes. Obviously, as Boyle is a comedian, it's probably unfair to expect anything else. But it would have been interesting if he'd tried.
The jokes are the expected mixture of sharp insight and deeply offensive humour that he has become both loved and reviled for. No subject is every considered off-limits for Boyle's humour and if you aren't prepared to sit through some uncomfortable chapters where one, or more, of your own sacred cows are picked apart then this isn't the book for you.
September 26, 2011
It does not care what is going on in your own life, read this book and you enter into the fun and psychedelic world of Frankie Boyle. If you thought Tramadol Nights was "out there" you have yet to reach the outer galaxies of Boyle's mind with this book. He allows the reader to traverse in a world where the dreamworld and inner desires become reality. The reality that you believe in, Boyle takes his book and smacks you over the head with it relentlessly beating it out of you! Yes I have been beaten up by Boyle and it was definately worth the experience!
April 29, 2012
A heartless, soulless, monstrosity of a book. The kind of book that, were it a person, would be locked in the attic by its parents and never spoke of again.
I relished every page.
I relished every page.
May 13, 2012
Crap, just rubbish. Two or three funny paragraphs padded out with drivel. Frankie Boyle may deride the TV panel show, but it's what he's good at.
Avoid...
Avoid...
August 23, 2021
Frankie Boyle was possibly wasted writing most of this one. Yet still he talked lots of sense amongst the nonsense, but this was for me a much harder read than his SPECTACULAR book, My Shit Life So Far which I recommend to anyone with a proper sense of humour.
March 1, 2026
This book made feel like I live in some sort of stupid timeloop. While much of the references are very much outdated, most things stayed very much the same: the same excuses, the same complicit media, the same warcrimes, the same fucked up system,... There's a chapter where he's ripping into the British royal family and destroys Andrew because of his links to Epstein... In 2011! Unfortunately, it doesn't make for a particular interesting book. It's a bunch of stand up thoughts thrown out there - some of them truly hilarious yeah, some of them so uninteresting that I just skipped past - followed by some nonsensical story bit that tries to tie everything together, and failing.
December 21, 2018
Fookckin good this!!
July 24, 2021
This was a brilliant book filled with well thought out articles.
The article's explore a range of topics from celebrity news, through to political agendas and war crimes. The overarching theme being current events at the time of writing. Each article is littered with hard hitting jokes, and poignant ideas about the values we enable to underpin western society. Even the narrative, which loosely attempts to tie each article together, is as any funny as the articles themselves.
It's a great book to read either front to back, back to front or even to periodically pick up, read a random article and pretend to be a Bibliophile at your next social gathering. That said, you'd have to question whether or not I was capable of reading this book in each of the above ways, and thus whether or not my advice is credible.
Am I exaggerating in suggesting I was able to concurrently read it front to back, back to front and periodically at random? Probably. Am I lying when I say it is funny? Not at all.
If you're a fan of darker jokes, clever criticisms of celebrity culture, or anti-war/ capitalist sentiments, this book is for you.
The article's explore a range of topics from celebrity news, through to political agendas and war crimes. The overarching theme being current events at the time of writing. Each article is littered with hard hitting jokes, and poignant ideas about the values we enable to underpin western society. Even the narrative, which loosely attempts to tie each article together, is as any funny as the articles themselves.
It's a great book to read either front to back, back to front or even to periodically pick up, read a random article and pretend to be a Bibliophile at your next social gathering. That said, you'd have to question whether or not I was capable of reading this book in each of the above ways, and thus whether or not my advice is credible.
Am I exaggerating in suggesting I was able to concurrently read it front to back, back to front and periodically at random? Probably. Am I lying when I say it is funny? Not at all.
If you're a fan of darker jokes, clever criticisms of celebrity culture, or anti-war/ capitalist sentiments, this book is for you.
November 3, 2014
I like Frankie Boyle's stuff, and I loved his first book, the one with the sweary title.
Work! Consume! Die! is his first work of fiction, interspersed with Frankie's gag-sprinkled view of the world.
The novella, about celebrities being raped if their public profile falls too low, evolves into a crushingly banal metaphor for fame's fickle cycle. Which is a shame, as it was quite a good story up to that point.
Meanwhile, the bits between the novella chapters can only be described as an attempt to transcribe Frankie's stand-up act into a book. And it doesn't work. While his material is alternately as funny and thought-provoking as ever, it's just not great for sitting down and reading.
Over 90% of the material in this book is brilliant, it's just a shame that for once, the whole is revealed to be rather less than the sum of its parts.
Probably the best bet for enjoying the book is to resist the temptation to treat it as a novel, in spite of the narrative chapters, and just enjoy a few pages at a time while you're on the toilet.
Work! Consume! Die! is his first work of fiction, interspersed with Frankie's gag-sprinkled view of the world.
The novella, about celebrities being raped if their public profile falls too low, evolves into a crushingly banal metaphor for fame's fickle cycle. Which is a shame, as it was quite a good story up to that point.
Meanwhile, the bits between the novella chapters can only be described as an attempt to transcribe Frankie's stand-up act into a book. And it doesn't work. While his material is alternately as funny and thought-provoking as ever, it's just not great for sitting down and reading.
Over 90% of the material in this book is brilliant, it's just a shame that for once, the whole is revealed to be rather less than the sum of its parts.
Probably the best bet for enjoying the book is to resist the temptation to treat it as a novel, in spite of the narrative chapters, and just enjoy a few pages at a time while you're on the toilet.
August 13, 2023
I don't know whether this or Scotland's Jesus came first but this is essentially the same book but with a short story between chapters that allows Boyle to add other material that doesn't fit in with reeling off gags.
As with the other book the chapters begin and end with some insightful observations, and a few chapters in the only bits I carried on reading were these and the short story elements, which combined pop culture satire with potshots at other comedians like Josie Long and Richard Herring. It gets meta at one point, Boyle pointing out that even intelligent comedians avoid the big political events and point out that Adrian Chiles is ugly, before going onto insult Chiles' face.
The stream of gags is unsophisticated and not really that funny, the other aspects are more interesting and the only thing worth the time. I still don't quite get how Boyle can be so willing to take money for laughing at people's appearances while also moaning at the inconsequential stuff that takes our attention away from fighting the capitalist system.
As with the other book the chapters begin and end with some insightful observations, and a few chapters in the only bits I carried on reading were these and the short story elements, which combined pop culture satire with potshots at other comedians like Josie Long and Richard Herring. It gets meta at one point, Boyle pointing out that even intelligent comedians avoid the big political events and point out that Adrian Chiles is ugly, before going onto insult Chiles' face.
The stream of gags is unsophisticated and not really that funny, the other aspects are more interesting and the only thing worth the time. I still don't quite get how Boyle can be so willing to take money for laughing at people's appearances while also moaning at the inconsequential stuff that takes our attention away from fighting the capitalist system.
June 9, 2023
I've seen Frankie Boyle live recently (and loved the show), and enjoyed his TV appearances, so the 3 stars is not a rating of his comedy. A lot of this book is funny, and some of it is thought provoking. There were sections I really enjoyed.
The problem was that without Frankie's delivery a lot of the jokes were, though still amusing, shadows of what they'd be on stage. And 300-odd pages of the same humour is a lot in one dose. The story-based sections of the book didn't provide the variation required. They were my least favourite part of the book, as I didn't find them very engaging as nothing that happened in them felt important even though there were relatively high stakes at play. Oddly, the fact that it was a fictionalised version of a real person made me less concerned than I would be over a wholly fictional character, as it's hard to feel for a character when you're reminded that they have a real-world counterpart who's probably fine.
The problem was that without Frankie's delivery a lot of the jokes were, though still amusing, shadows of what they'd be on stage. And 300-odd pages of the same humour is a lot in one dose. The story-based sections of the book didn't provide the variation required. They were my least favourite part of the book, as I didn't find them very engaging as nothing that happened in them felt important even though there were relatively high stakes at play. Oddly, the fact that it was a fictionalised version of a real person made me less concerned than I would be over a wholly fictional character, as it's hard to feel for a character when you're reminded that they have a real-world counterpart who's probably fine.
December 13, 2024
Hysterically funny in parts (lots of parts). Wasn't quite sure what to make of the italicised episodes at the start of each chapter. One of them was so tedious I skipped most of it. Also, there were quite a few jokes I didn't get at all -- either Boyle's humour is sometimes too subtle for my thick brain or he's making cultural references I'm too old to recognise.
Some of Boyle's imagery is so imaginative, insulting and hilarious -- simultaneously -- that he deserves to be seen as a kind of poet.
Some of Boyle's imagery is so imaginative, insulting and hilarious -- simultaneously -- that he deserves to be seen as a kind of poet.
August 14, 2026
I like Frankie Boyle quite a bit, but this book was so Brit-centric that I couldn't identify with the piss take of politicians, celebs, tv shows etc. of which (whom?) I just couldn't relate to or care about, let alone the extremely topical humour that doesn't/cannot resonate after it's time has passed.
it's the definition of 'dated'.
it's most successful when he makes observations on the more general, common human experience, but those passages are more of a sidebar.
in other words, in order to find the majority of his observations funny, "you had to be there" and I wasn't.
simply put, not for me.
sorry Frankie
it's the definition of 'dated'.
it's most successful when he makes observations on the more general, common human experience, but those passages are more of a sidebar.
in other words, in order to find the majority of his observations funny, "you had to be there" and I wasn't.
simply put, not for me.
sorry Frankie
January 12, 2019
Very funny in parts but basically a lot of it reads like a stand up comedy routine script. The mad diary type thing in between chapters is hilarious. Lots of references to things to events happening at the time the book was wrote (2012) nevertheless still very funny. All in all it’s worth a read if you like Frankie Boyle wicked sense of humour.
October 29, 2023
It happens sometimes, that I’ll be reading a book and twenty pages in will think ‘this seems familiar.’
I picked this up at the community book club yesterday morning, and reading it this morning, became minded of it.
A good read anyway; Frankie Boyle has a beautiful lyrical writing style, and vivid imagination.
I picked this up at the community book club yesterday morning, and reading it this morning, became minded of it.
A good read anyway; Frankie Boyle has a beautiful lyrical writing style, and vivid imagination.
May 18, 2018
Sorry, I've given up on this. I like Frankie Boyle, and this book is not necessarily bad. I guess it's a book you need to dip in and out of, reading it in the way it was originally published as newspaper articles.
May 8, 2023
Love Frankie Boyle and his comedy but this book was a real struggle to finish! The jokes were landing but it was just all over the place quickly jumping from one area to another. The interwoven novel was a big miss too for me!
October 18, 2018
Great fun! Savage humor!
January 6, 2019
Funny in places and triply in others
September 15, 2019
Hilarious. And scary... people shouldn't have such thoughts lol
November 8, 2021
I like Frankie Boyle's work as a comic, panel show presenter/guest, writer but this one was a bit of a slog. The interpolated "novel" was unnecessary and not very good.
November 24, 2021
If you find his BBC stuff offensive, stay well away from this :D
March 9, 2022
Funny, but the structure of the book is very very repatative.
April 10, 2024
I feel like this book tries to hard, the novel part is actually pretty poor and gets lost in pseudo intellectual rambling. The comedy parts redeem it slightly but also date it at the same time.
Read
August 14, 2024Hysterical and well written, I like when comics go for a fictional novel as opposed to just an autobiography
March 2, 2025
*Audiobook review*
Frankie Boyle is actually insane, that is all!
Frankie Boyle is actually insane, that is all!
July 24, 2026
Half endless comedic ranting and rambling, half unusual fictionalized Frankie Boyle universe.
September 18, 2026
Probably the hardest I’ve ever laughed reading a book
August 31, 2012
Okaaaay.... so this is definitely not a book that everyone or even a huge amount of people will enjoy. It's not an autobiography of any kind even though I suppose you do gain a slight insight into the mind of Frankie Boyle which to be honest isn't all that pleasant a vast majority of the time! It's more like his weird and strong opinions on huge amounts of random issues ranging from the war in Iraq to Wayne Rooney's hair transplant.
Now I will say that I am a fan of comedy and I'm not easily offended. I take what comedians say with a pinch of salt, of course some are going to be controversial, it's their job. An Irish comedian, Tommy Tiernan, is one of the most controversial comedians in the Britain and Ireland circuit and he's for sure Irelands most controversial but he's also definitely one of our most successful comics. There's a reason for this people. Comics are supposed to shock you. Yes, sometimes, you may feel they have gone too far but really, who can decide what's too far and what isn't? Frankie Boyle takes the biscuit, however. He will shock you. There's no he may or he may not, he will. And he probably hopes he'll offend you too. If he doesn't I would think that he considers it a bad night all round.
He purposely tries to offend as much as is humanely possible. And ultimately he's quite successful at this. I presume this book was written after he'd been dropped from the Mock the Week panel show as he barely mentions it. He made a remark about Jordan, a British glamour model's, disabled child and the BBC just couldn't find it in their hearts to let it go so they let him go instead. I haven't watched Mock the Week since even though I am a huge Dara O Briain fan. It's not that I'm purposely boycotting it either. It's just that it's not good any more...
Now someones disabled child may be too far, I admit. And I can see where the BBC, a family TV network, were coming from but.... he was joking? Jokes aren't meant to be taken seriously, that's kind of the whole point. Ultimately I don't know whether he was right or wrong to be honest but I do know that I find Frankie Boyle utterly hilarious most of the time. Yes, sometimes I find some of his jokes a little too vulgar or just a bit too completely insane but I don't hold that one joke against him for the rest of his life. I just move onto the next one and hope I enjoy that one more.
If you're easily offended or if you're not a Frankie Boyle fan why are you even reading this review because there isn't a hope in hell you'll enjoy this book. If you love Frankie and you're a more open-minded, easy-going type person then give it a go. Don't expect to love every minute of it, I didn't, but do expect to have more than a few times where you find yourself genuinely laughing out loud and running to your partner, friend, family member saying 'You have to listen to this one!!'
Now I will say that I am a fan of comedy and I'm not easily offended. I take what comedians say with a pinch of salt, of course some are going to be controversial, it's their job. An Irish comedian, Tommy Tiernan, is one of the most controversial comedians in the Britain and Ireland circuit and he's for sure Irelands most controversial but he's also definitely one of our most successful comics. There's a reason for this people. Comics are supposed to shock you. Yes, sometimes, you may feel they have gone too far but really, who can decide what's too far and what isn't? Frankie Boyle takes the biscuit, however. He will shock you. There's no he may or he may not, he will. And he probably hopes he'll offend you too. If he doesn't I would think that he considers it a bad night all round.
He purposely tries to offend as much as is humanely possible. And ultimately he's quite successful at this. I presume this book was written after he'd been dropped from the Mock the Week panel show as he barely mentions it. He made a remark about Jordan, a British glamour model's, disabled child and the BBC just couldn't find it in their hearts to let it go so they let him go instead. I haven't watched Mock the Week since even though I am a huge Dara O Briain fan. It's not that I'm purposely boycotting it either. It's just that it's not good any more...
Now someones disabled child may be too far, I admit. And I can see where the BBC, a family TV network, were coming from but.... he was joking? Jokes aren't meant to be taken seriously, that's kind of the whole point. Ultimately I don't know whether he was right or wrong to be honest but I do know that I find Frankie Boyle utterly hilarious most of the time. Yes, sometimes I find some of his jokes a little too vulgar or just a bit too completely insane but I don't hold that one joke against him for the rest of his life. I just move onto the next one and hope I enjoy that one more.
If you're easily offended or if you're not a Frankie Boyle fan why are you even reading this review because there isn't a hope in hell you'll enjoy this book. If you love Frankie and you're a more open-minded, easy-going type person then give it a go. Don't expect to love every minute of it, I didn't, but do expect to have more than a few times where you find yourself genuinely laughing out loud and running to your partner, friend, family member saying 'You have to listen to this one!!'
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews