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Monty Python Speaks: The Complete Oral History of Monty Python, as Told by the Founding Members and a Few of Their Many Friends and Collaborators
Monty Python, the genius comedy troupe from Britain, single-handedly revolutionized sketch comedy and paved the way for everything from Saturday Night Live to Austin Powers. Now, in their official oral history, founding members John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin take readers behind the scenes in this no-holds-barred look at their lives and unforgettable comic works like "The Spanish Inquisition," "Dead Parrot," Monty Python's Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Spamalot), and many, many more, with never-before-seen photos and rare interviews from friends and collaborators.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
February 6, 2015
At first it was fun to look behind the scenes of the Python collaboration. Then, gradually, I started to feel depressed at the history of disagreements and conflicts among the cast, some of which seem to have ended in lasting bad feelings. Having finished, I feel as if I'd gotten too close a look at the making of sausage.
December 26, 2016
Took me a while to get through this. It's funny to have your suspicions about each Python confirmed: Cleese is the polished asshole, Chapman was the troubled genius, Gilliam's the loose cannon, Idle is a lone wolf, Jones is a goofball with a giant heart, and Palin is Miss Congeniality. I love them all.
February 18, 2022
Monty Python mark an era, the sarcasm and deconstruction of narrative clichés rises to the proscenium. They are part of the surrealist aura that has its matrix in Breton, they wink at Beckett and Ionesco, but their sign is the lightness mixed with astonishment and parody, even when they talk about the meaning of life. Then there is the estrangement, the subversion of roles that takes the reader/viewer out of his comfort zone, produces the suspension of disbelief when the narrative voice addresses him directly, pulling him into the scene. They have repainted slapstick comedy by enhancing the colors of absurdity and nonsense.
January 26, 2019
What binds Python together is a similar sense of humour, a general consensus about what is funny. If you'd written something that appealed to the group sense of humour, that would go right through the group. That's why we worked well as a group, certainly you didn't have to explain what was funny; there really was a unanimity deep down.
November 5, 2016
I had really looked forward to reading this book, but it was something of a disappointment. perhaps I was expecting too much.
First, I should say that I thought the look into the creative process was interesting, and, in some cases, fascinatng. I was not surprised or disappointed by the disagreements among the members of the group; that is expected in any group endeavor and especially in creative collaborations among those who are looking to push boundaries. what was a little disheartening is that the differences seem to have been compounded by something of a willingness to ignore them until things became tedious.
Disagreements aside, I found the book itself much too long. what was enjoyable starting out turned into excessive repetition, and I felt that I was slogging through by the middle of the book. Thiss was not improved by the poor editing; a couple of times, I wondered if there had been any editing at all.
While not the exciting read I had hoped for, if you are a die-hard Python fan, you might enjoy this.
First, I should say that I thought the look into the creative process was interesting, and, in some cases, fascinatng. I was not surprised or disappointed by the disagreements among the members of the group; that is expected in any group endeavor and especially in creative collaborations among those who are looking to push boundaries. what was a little disheartening is that the differences seem to have been compounded by something of a willingness to ignore them until things became tedious.
Disagreements aside, I found the book itself much too long. what was enjoyable starting out turned into excessive repetition, and I felt that I was slogging through by the middle of the book. Thiss was not improved by the poor editing; a couple of times, I wondered if there had been any editing at all.
While not the exciting read I had hoped for, if you are a die-hard Python fan, you might enjoy this.
September 30, 2015
If you are a Monty Python fan you will like this book. Be aware however that it is really just a compilation of interviews cut up and pieced together. The sub-title of the book is "a Oral History", which is pretty accurate. The author had long interviews with each of the 5 remaining Pythons, plus several other people who were involved in the shows and films, and then he pieced them all together as if it was one big interview with everyone present at the same place and time, which was not the case. The book was interesting however, and a real inside look at the process that went on to create the TV series and the movies, with lots of insight into each of the six Python's personalities. Reading it motivated me to go back and view some of the old shows and movies on DVD, which I continue to enjoy as much as I did when they were first released.
March 30, 2015
This is a solid overview of the Monty Python phenomenon, and probably the most detailed we'll get at this far a remove, but somewhat lacking in the nitty-gritty details of writing and filming individual skits. We get a fair amount about the movies, but with the TV series we only get generalities about who paired together during writing, how they decided who should play what, and how Terry Jones kept second guessing the director. The only detailed account we get about writing a specific piece comes second hand from Douglas Adams, who relates a story about how John Cleese once wrote a skit based upon his experience returning a defective toaster to the store. All while Cleese wrote the scene, Graham Chapman sat next to him, puffing away on his pipe and not giving much input. Finally Cleese snapped and told Graham to pull his weight. Graham simply replied, "But it's not very funny, you know. You should make it a parrot instead."
But while we may not get details, the generalities do provide insight into the dynamics behind the scenes -- which types of skits tended to be written by which members, which members teamed up together (Cleese/Chapman, Palin/Jones) and which worked on their own (Idle and Gilliam), how their personalities bounced off each other, and how the group lost its creative edge with the TV, resharpened it with the movies, and then lost it again.
Overall it's a worthwhile read for fans of Python who don't mind Behind the Music details about the group.
But while we may not get details, the generalities do provide insight into the dynamics behind the scenes -- which types of skits tended to be written by which members, which members teamed up together (Cleese/Chapman, Palin/Jones) and which worked on their own (Idle and Gilliam), how their personalities bounced off each other, and how the group lost its creative edge with the TV, resharpened it with the movies, and then lost it again.
Overall it's a worthwhile read for fans of Python who don't mind Behind the Music details about the group.
January 27, 2019
I enjoyed Monty Python Speaks. It gives a chronological account of Python from its birth through interview extracts with all six male Pythons, Carol Cleveland and others involved in the production. It’s not especially funny, but it’s interesting and entertaining.
I should probably say that I was about 15 when Python began on TV and was soon a devotee, so I have more interest in this than some other people may. I enjoyed reading about the group dynamics, the details of the writing process and the films – especially Life Of Brian. I could perhaps have done without such detailed chronicling of the exact nature of the funding and release of different programmes and films in the USA, but I suppose it’s good to have these things on record – and one can always resort to skimming.
I’m not sure I learned much that was really new, but I’m glad to have a fuller picture of the characters involved and the key events – the frank discussion of Graham Chapman’s alcoholism and his contribution to the group was especially interesting to me, for instance.
This is a good book to dip into, and I often found myself reading more at a sitting than I expected to, which is a good sign. Recommended.
(My thanks to Fourth Estate for an ARC via NetGalley.)
I should probably say that I was about 15 when Python began on TV and was soon a devotee, so I have more interest in this than some other people may. I enjoyed reading about the group dynamics, the details of the writing process and the films – especially Life Of Brian. I could perhaps have done without such detailed chronicling of the exact nature of the funding and release of different programmes and films in the USA, but I suppose it’s good to have these things on record – and one can always resort to skimming.
I’m not sure I learned much that was really new, but I’m glad to have a fuller picture of the characters involved and the key events – the frank discussion of Graham Chapman’s alcoholism and his contribution to the group was especially interesting to me, for instance.
This is a good book to dip into, and I often found myself reading more at a sitting than I expected to, which is a good sign. Recommended.
(My thanks to Fourth Estate for an ARC via NetGalley.)
August 28, 2011
Great book for Python fans. The book was written after a series of interviews of all of the surviving Pythons. Graham Chapman was not left out as everyone recalls how they worked with him, and his life partner also weights in with information about Graham. This book really tells the story of Monty Python, from the Pythons themselves. They talk about how they got started, working on the tv show, later each movie is discussed, even their HBO reunion show by US Comedy Central is discussed. There are mostly fond recollections but a few juicy bickering details between pythons emerge but all-in-all they got along great and have managed to preserve what they did. Very informative.
Most intriguing fact to me was that the get the £150,000 budget to make Monty Python and the Holy Grail... Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Island Records, Chrysalis Recoreds and Charisma Records each had £20,000 or £30,000 invested. (Michael White put up the rest.)
Most intriguing fact to me was that the get the £150,000 budget to make Monty Python and the Holy Grail... Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Island Records, Chrysalis Recoreds and Charisma Records each had £20,000 or £30,000 invested. (Michael White put up the rest.)
October 28, 2017
Výborné čítanie pre toho, kto má všetky filmy a skeče v hlave a zaujíma ho technológia vzniku humoru a povaha jednotlivých členov skupiny.
November 9, 2018
Written in a question-and-answer form, this book is most definitely Monty Python's own words. Covering the time prior to the Pythons working together as a team up to the point when they had moved on to separate ventures, there is much insight on the team as individuals and as a group. There is one particularly interesting chapter that has descriptions of each Python from impressions expressed by the other Pythons. An all-around entertaining book on all the Pythons as told directly by them and the people that worked closest to them. A definite read for any Monty Python fan.
Synopsis:
Monty Python Speaks is an insightful, in-depth portrait of the brilliant and hysterically funny show that transformed modern comedy. Broadcast by the BBC between 1969 and 1974, Monty Python’s Flying Circus introduced something completely different: a new brand of surrealistic, stream-of-consciousness comedy that pushed the traditional boundaries of format, style, and content. Blending brilliant satire with slapstick silliness, The Pythons—Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin—spoke to a generation eager to break free of the conventional. Making their way across the Atlantic and the world, the Pythons’ zany approach to comedy would have a monumental influence on modern popular culture, paving the way for farcical entertainment from Saturday Night Live to The Simpsons to Austin Powers. In Monty Python Speaks, David Morgan has collected interviews with Monty Python’s founding members, actors, producers, and other collaborators to produce a no-holds-barred look at the Pythons’ legendary sketches and films, including Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Spamalot), and The Meaning of Life. Monty Python Speaks offers a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the Pythons’ creative process—including the friendships and feuds—that catapulted a comedy revolution.
Synopsis:
Monty Python Speaks is an insightful, in-depth portrait of the brilliant and hysterically funny show that transformed modern comedy. Broadcast by the BBC between 1969 and 1974, Monty Python’s Flying Circus introduced something completely different: a new brand of surrealistic, stream-of-consciousness comedy that pushed the traditional boundaries of format, style, and content. Blending brilliant satire with slapstick silliness, The Pythons—Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin—spoke to a generation eager to break free of the conventional. Making their way across the Atlantic and the world, the Pythons’ zany approach to comedy would have a monumental influence on modern popular culture, paving the way for farcical entertainment from Saturday Night Live to The Simpsons to Austin Powers. In Monty Python Speaks, David Morgan has collected interviews with Monty Python’s founding members, actors, producers, and other collaborators to produce a no-holds-barred look at the Pythons’ legendary sketches and films, including Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Spamalot), and The Meaning of Life. Monty Python Speaks offers a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the Pythons’ creative process—including the friendships and feuds—that catapulted a comedy revolution.
March 6, 2012
How satisfied you are in reading books about the history of Monty Python will be reflected in which order you read them in -- most of them regurgitate the same quotes over and over, with just a little bit more spin.
This is the first of several history of Python books that I finished, and, most of the information being new, I enjoyed it. If you've listened to the Python Autobiography or read some of the other books about them, you may not have the same opinion.
That said, one of the unique things about this book is that it is basically a series of interviews, all interwoven. Getting these guys in the same room is, at best, difficult, and, at worst, could cause a major land war in Asia, so the writer has split the difference and interviewed them all separately. The interviews were then sifted for commonalities, torn apart, and you get all of the Pythons discussing their own personal perspective on a whole range of topics -- which I found VERY insightful.
One of the funniest things in the book is when John Cleese describes how he and Terry Jones went at it for two hours, screaming at each other, about whether or not the chandelier in the World War 1 scene should be a stuffed goat or a stuffed yak. These, my friends, are the types of creative battles they had that resulted in near murder.
Really, the book is a great ride, and I could only wish there was more of it. It does, however, bear several strong similarities to the audio book of the Autobiography of Python -- so it may also bear similarities to the book.
This is the first of several history of Python books that I finished, and, most of the information being new, I enjoyed it. If you've listened to the Python Autobiography or read some of the other books about them, you may not have the same opinion.
That said, one of the unique things about this book is that it is basically a series of interviews, all interwoven. Getting these guys in the same room is, at best, difficult, and, at worst, could cause a major land war in Asia, so the writer has split the difference and interviewed them all separately. The interviews were then sifted for commonalities, torn apart, and you get all of the Pythons discussing their own personal perspective on a whole range of topics -- which I found VERY insightful.
One of the funniest things in the book is when John Cleese describes how he and Terry Jones went at it for two hours, screaming at each other, about whether or not the chandelier in the World War 1 scene should be a stuffed goat or a stuffed yak. These, my friends, are the types of creative battles they had that resulted in near murder.
Really, the book is a great ride, and I could only wish there was more of it. It does, however, bear several strong similarities to the audio book of the Autobiography of Python -- so it may also bear similarities to the book.
May 9, 2020
I mean my only knowledge of Monty Python and everything is basically just the Holy Grail (the movie they made), so 😂😂 and then a couple of clips from Fawlty Towers – which I think is just John Cleese and not really the rest of the Pythons. So this will be pretty fun to read – but I guess that’s what biographies are for?
It’s less of a biography and more of a transcription of a biography or a really long interview. Of course, if you’re not interested in Monty Python, this wouldn’t really be interesting to you – not that that’s bad or anything. But otherwise it’s really fun to read! They’re making jokes about the others and talking about things that went on behind the scenes of the movies/tv spots (which I’m always a fan of), or talking about how they met this person or that person (whose name I vaguely recognise).
And it’s John Cleese!! Just being John Cleese! If you haven’t watched any o the Monty Python movies, I highly recommend them if you’re looking for a good laugh. I see Netflix (SA, can’t comment on other regions) has quite a few Monty Pythons so I guess I’ll fill my watching time up with that! ALSO – PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go watch Fawlty Towers clips either on YouTube or well, I don’t know where else but they are all absolutely hilarious and will crack you up.
It’s less of a biography and more of a transcription of a biography or a really long interview. Of course, if you’re not interested in Monty Python, this wouldn’t really be interesting to you – not that that’s bad or anything. But otherwise it’s really fun to read! They’re making jokes about the others and talking about things that went on behind the scenes of the movies/tv spots (which I’m always a fan of), or talking about how they met this person or that person (whose name I vaguely recognise).
And it’s John Cleese!! Just being John Cleese! If you haven’t watched any o the Monty Python movies, I highly recommend them if you’re looking for a good laugh. I see Netflix (SA, can’t comment on other regions) has quite a few Monty Pythons so I guess I’ll fill my watching time up with that! ALSO – PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go watch Fawlty Towers clips either on YouTube or well, I don’t know where else but they are all absolutely hilarious and will crack you up.
February 5, 2014
There are plenty of Python books out there, but this is my favorite: A collection of interviews with individual Pythons, talking about the group, its origins, themselves, each other, their projects, and their legacy. The only missing member is Graham Chapman, but a surprisingly clear picture of him emerges through the comments of other people, including Douglas Adams, who worked briefly with Chapman in 1974. There are plenty of stories of the group's travails -- particularly in making Monty Python and the Holy Grail and in dealing with Chapman's alcoholism -- but what emerges overall is the members' consistent intelligence, good humor, and commitment to the integrity of their own peculiar vision. When David Morgan asks, "Was there EVER any consideration given during the writing process to how an audience would respond to the material?", Eric Idle answers in two words: "None whatsoever."
May 8, 2013
If you're a Monty Python fan, I would consider this a must-read. The book is a compilation of interview questions put forth to both individuals of the comedy troupe and people who were either friends or associatees who shared in the history of this groundbreaking group. The questions follow a timeline of their history, and the answers from each person are edited so they each address the different events and decisions as they remembered them. It's a great insight into the creative dynamic, the process, their method of decision-making, and post-Python careers and friendships. Best of all, it gives you a whole new appreciation for all those episodes and films that you already thought you knew by heart.
August 15, 2009
An extremely interesting behind-the-scenes look at the Pythons. Each of the main six were interviewed extensively, along with Carol Cleveland and various directors and other players in the TV show, movies, and extracurricular projects.
There were some parts that dragged, but overall, this was a really interesting read. And it desparately makes me want to rewatch Holy Grail again. Also, huge bonus, I don't feel so bad for finding Meaning of Life so boring I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes or so. They hated it too! Sweet!
There were some parts that dragged, but overall, this was a really interesting read. And it desparately makes me want to rewatch Holy Grail again. Also, huge bonus, I don't feel so bad for finding Meaning of Life so boring I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes or so. They hated it too! Sweet!
August 22, 2014
This is an oral history of Monty Python through about the year 2000 as told by the members themselves (with the exception, of course, of Graham Chapman, who died in 1989) and a few other people. I didn't find many new insights, although it was interesting to hear them talk about the formation of the group. What I found really interesting was that, while all surviving members were represented, Eric Idle didn't seem to have that much to say, especially given that in the subsequent years, he seems to have been the one to profit the most from Python.
June 23, 2013
I am sure that only an aging Python fan (such as myself) would enjoy this analysis of the evolution of the famous British comedy team...made difficult to read as a result of its' choppy style of collected interviews. It helped me to better understand the relative strengths, and unique contributions, of each of the six cast members. (Don't you just love the Dead Parrot Sketch? It makes me smile just thinking about it.)
December 22, 2017
A very fun and funny look into the behind-the-scenes of Python. I was familiar with a lot of the stories, but it is always great to hear it in their own voices (I was doing the voices in my head as I read). I didn't realize how much John Cleese and Terry Gilliam don't like each other, but it felt pretty mutual and hilarious so it didn't bother me at all. Reading this did nothing to improve my feelings toward Eric Idle, though.
January 15, 2019
I feel like a lot of these oral history books come off as just praisefests between people whose work was good enough to warrant an oral history. While there is certainly some of that here, the Pythons are refreshingly honest and sometimes painfully blunt about the various feuds and disagreements they've had over the years in what could truly be considered a "warts-and-all" history of one of the funniest (if not the funniest) comedy groups of all time.
October 31, 2008
Full of interesting behind-the-scene-isms, it does however have a bit of the "schematic view of Golden Egg apparatus in Goose" to it as well. While the manner in which Python grouped and worked is very fresh in its organic "well, it works for us" attitude, the stories of contract problems and legal proceedings isn't, really.
December 22, 2009
love love love python. always have. i picked up this book at a second hand store and am really excited to read it. hope there's not too much repetition from the big mp coffee table autobiography....
this one starts off slow, but in the end, it's well worth it. there is some repetition, but mostly from palin's diaries.....
this one starts off slow, but in the end, it's well worth it. there is some repetition, but mostly from palin's diaries.....
January 13, 2015
A must for "Monty Python" fans. It contains interviews (circa 1999) with all the surviving Pythons (everyone except Graham Chapman who died in 1989) and a number of other people involved with the shows and movies. You get a real sense of the dynamic that was at work among the creators of one of the funniest bodies of work ever.
March 2, 2018
Seems cheap and less impressive than the coffee table books, but don't let it fool you - this is the best book about Monty Python.
Morgan effectively portrays the tensions within the group, susses out their working methods and chemistries, and achieves something rare - a series of interviews that balance well and provide an honest and useful portrayal of the subject matter.
Morgan effectively portrays the tensions within the group, susses out their working methods and chemistries, and achieves something rare - a series of interviews that balance well and provide an honest and useful portrayal of the subject matter.
March 21, 2010
If you're a Python fan you really must read. It's mostly a pick up and put down book, meaning you don't really need to read it cover to cover, and can just pick it up when the mood strikes and you won't be disappointed.
February 6, 2016
Informative, funny (enough) and quite bitchy. Could you want anything more from a book about Python? The only issue is that it was made some time before Spamalot and their reunion to pay off fees from the Producer of Holy Grail and that would have been interesting to read about.
January 29, 2017
A unique look at the members of Monty Python featuring both their creative collaborations and their disagreements behind the scenes. It was fun getting to know the personalities of these comedic legends... even when it wasn't always the prettiest picture.
June 13, 2017
An interesting look at Python based on interviews with the people who made it. If you're a fan this won't tell you much that you didn't already know, but it does offer some insight into the differing views and tensions within the group.
April 30, 2007
A good book that is all the more wonderful if you're a big Python fan.
March 23, 2010
Nice interview collection. Covers all their work as an ensemble, as well as many solo project, thru 1998. Highly recommended for python fans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews