My Week*: The secret diaries of almost everyone

by Hugo Rifkind

In 2006, as the gossip columnist for The Times, Hugo Rifkind realised it would be much easier to do his job if he could make all the stories up. So he did. For years now, Rifkind's hilarious 'My Week' column has satirised anyone foolish or unfortunate enough to make headlines that week, entertaining politicos and casual readers alike. Each column acts as a fictional diary, parodying the musings of its target (and friends) for five days' worth of comic value. Oprah, Bieber, Berlusconi (the gift who keeps on giving), Cameron, Clarkson, Obama, Mother Miliband and a Pic'n'mix shovel are just a few of those on his eclectic list of ill-fated victims. After much badgering from loyal fans, Rifkind has finally hand-selected his best, funniest and most poignant, here presented with new introductions. None are spared in this comical compilation, and readers old and new will delight in the satirical skewering of some of our most famous (and infamous) figures.

368 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2013

Reviews

[Florence🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 1 out of 5]

i don’t think this works as a collection. some alright ones, but that mainly because i could remember the event it was referencing. it didn’t stop them from being dull. it felt like i was awkwardly listening to an uncle tell an unfunny story. i wish i hadn’t picked it up tbh.

[Annelisa Gould · Rating 1 out of 5]

Superficial and narrowly ideological.

[Sarah Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Week is a riotous rollercoaster through the week’s headlines, a sparkling gem in the crown of The Times. Since 2006, Rifkind, erstwhile gossip columnist turned satirical savant, has been concocting a deliciously fictitious diary that skewers the newsworthy and notorious with equal gusto. His pen dances with wit sharper than a rapier, slicing through the absurdities of the rich and famous with a precision that would make a Swiss watchmaker envious.

From Oprah’s opulent oddities to Berlusconi’s bumbling buffoonery, no celebrity is safe. Each column is a five-day farce, brimming with belly laughs and sly winks. Rifkind’s knack for nailing the nuances of his subjects is uncanny, turning the likes of Bieber and Obama into unwitting comedic gold.

This collection, painstakingly picked by Rifkind himself, is a testament to his genius. It’s not just a book; it’s a carnival of caricature, a parade of parody. The ‘My Week’ columns are a masterclass in satire, delivered with a uniquely British blend of cheek and charm. Whether you’re a political pundit or a casual reader seeking a chuckle, Rifkind’s rollicking read is an unmissable treat. In a world often too serious, ‘My Week’ is a much-needed splash of colour, a reminder that laughter truly is the best medicine

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some funny pieces, some bad ones. "The [group of people] are revolting" jokes? Really? And, no fault of Rifkind's, you need a high tolerance for jokes about Ed Balls, the Milibands and other Labour pols of the era. Oddly, because Rifkind admits he's no Craig Brown, one of the best entries is a parody of Dan Brown, who we are told has a problem with similes. Thus we get "her brown eyes flashing like small bits of wood" and "'Your acting lights up the world,' I tell him. 'Like a fabulous trumpet.'" Mohamed al Fayed is another good subject, even though the piece allegedly from his pen only uses "fuggin" once. It prompted a rebuttal (included here) from al Fayed's PR man, in the form of a diary purporting to be Rifkind's own, which he obligingly ran the following week.

[Gerard Mchugh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this having read a review by a Hugo Rifkind's admirer/friend. The book is plain awful - what may work as a funny imagined diary when it appears weekly in a national newspaper, does not work at all as a collection. The pieces usually have an immediacy when they appear in the newspaper, but this is lost in the collection.

[Mike Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.u...

[Susan Bradshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really, really shallow and superficial. This is supposed to be a mainstream journalist? He needs to find other employment.