Four Stars: A Life, Reviewed

by Joel Golby

The second book from acclaimed writer and journalist Joel Golby

‘There’s no one funnier than Joel Golby' GREG JAMES

‘I love this book’ DOLLY ALDERTON

How much of your life do you review? Books, TV, film, music – the reviewable things? Ever tried going a little further, reviewing the intangibles, the abstract, the ‘weird’: a houseplant; the sunlight on the pavement on a crisp spring day; being embarrassed; that strange wave you do at cars when they slow down at zebra crossings. A dead houseplant.

From almond croissants to the concept of life itself, Joel Golby embarks on a journey through modern living, leaving no stone unturned – no one thing unreviewed – to consider what it all really means; why we all care so much about opinions; and whether, deep down, it’s better to live a life that’s good rather than, well, five stars out of five.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2024

Reviews

[Ella Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's right that that Carly Rae Jepsen song is the best song ever written but he did get the name of it wrong

[Nia Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

don’t know if this counts as I exclusively used this as a tool to get to sleep because it was so boring

[Marcus Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so good i didn’t want it to end. felt a wide array of emotions throughout and thought the neanderthal golby, and second to last chapter especially, was perfectly executed. i too attribute all mental turmoil to be a result of having missed out on a parental relationship as a young adult, but am slowly learning that it’s not the whole picture. “being in love with my girlfriend” is such a beautiful piece of writing and it made me think massively about how in love with my gf i am. the structure of this book is so good, i would love to read more stuff like this without knowing much about the author and see if it has the same impact on me. i could go on all day but i won’t. 5 stars!

[Matt Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

His writing is at its best when he uses the mundane to touch upon and accentuate a deeper individual or societal malaise, but a lot of the ‘this isn’t your usual memoir’ stuff didn’t work for me. Did he need to fictionalise a sacking from the guardian to give us a reason for his sadness or was he trying to impose a narrative on something that would have been better without one? Neolithic Golby definitely didn’t do it for me either, although that may be down to the fact I listened to it.

The chapters about his favourite pints and football manager are the best things I’ve ever read though.

[tom milner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Followed Joel’s ‘stuff’ for a couple of years - twitter, instagram, ‘Brilliant’, then his podcast - which eventually left me feeling over exposed so I unfollowed everything bar the podcast, which was the last piece of media I consumed before starting F.S; specifically his Jonathan Ames episode, where Joel berates Ames for talking about doing drugs and fucking women because it’s rehashed and boring to read…
…and then that’s what half of Four Stars is. Really weird.
I think the book I thought this was going to be would have been better than the book it was, which obviously isn’t Joel’s fault but is actually a comment on how the whole reviewing thing didn’t work, or just felt like adding sprinkle to something that didn’t need it. Take away the reviews at the end of each chapter and literally nothing changes.
It’s also got that ‘Really Good, Actually,’ thing going on where the narrator is generally awful to their friends who are generally nicer and more patient and for some reason still friends with them by the end of it, but it’s sort of considered cool because it’s happening in a metropolitan area and there’s cocaine going about RUN ON SENTENCE.
It’s fine, very ‘three stars,’ and Joel has a really interesting and funny voice; for me personally this was a bit of a misstep though - but what the fick do I know.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started well, but I lost interest the more it went on.
I loved the opening chapter about Sunday Brunch - it really made me laugh - but i didn't get that connection or humour from any of the other chapters.
I actually found the book quite sad the more it went on - not sure if i'm on my own with this. I feel Golby is somewhat lost, but just keeps plodding on. So felt sorry for him.

This book was just OK - but wanted more!

[Sufiya Dhanji · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finallyyyy finished this book, honestly I can’t tell how much I liked it or liked him as well. I think the concept was interesting but it was just a bit boring and I felt he was kind of unlikeable as well at times. It was pretty funny but I def wouldn’t read again and don’t think I’d recommend

[CwtchUpBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting but this collection of essays has spots of sincerity, sadness and sheer self-indulgence. Starts off strong but ultimately not for me (esp the Neanderthal stuff - hard no)

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel Golby has a way of getting under your skin. You think you're reading something quite trivial and surface, like a review of a MacDonald's chicken Big Mac and then suddenly he undercuts the nonsense with something beautiful and fragile. His writing is strange and beautifully broken. Every time I thought I hadn't got the patience for the book, it pulled me back in and under. Nobody writes quite like Golby. I think he might secretly be a genius.

[Yameena · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny but felt a full array of emotions whilst reading. very real and raw but not in a cringe way. very good :)

[Vita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was nice

[Elliemcgarahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE STARS FOR FOUR STARS

Seriously - genius concept, perfectly executed.

If I was writing this book i would have to review:
- ‘The Jubilee Line on a Thursday morning at 8:16am’ (minus five stars);
- ‘My Dad Telling Me I “Should Really Consider Buying In Peterborough, You Would Get Much More Square Footage For Your Money and the Commute Would Only Be One Hour Longer” On a Near Monthly Basis’ (minus a million stars);
- ‘The Incredible Blowdry I Coincidentally Manage to do on Myself Once Every Quarter (No More, No Less)’ (five stars);
- ‘Guys On Hinge Who Say They Are Looking “For a Girl Who Doesn’t Take Themselves Too Seriously”’ (zero stars)
- &c., &c…

Big recco!

[Duncan Swann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry Joel, rounding down to 4 stars because, well, it's in the name.

Joel is basically me if I was tall, unmarried, anxious and a good writer. I laughed many times at his distinctive voice and pithy commentary. We both love almond croissants and consider heaven to be that first pint on a hot day. I could just really relate, you know?

[Rhiannon Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been really struggling to concentrate on books of late for some reason but this book broke my dry spell and I flew through. As funny, heart wrenching and wise as everything I read from Joel. Good vibes

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this was going to be very, very funny. I didn’t know it was going to be so poignant and life-affirming at times! Exquisitely written. Five stars for Four Stars.

[Max Litchfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deranged but brilliant in equal measure. A funny man. Four stars of course.

[Allan Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

He can write! I liked very much of this! The line about the mother downstairs and what happened to her was breathtaking in its casual cruelty though and you don’t get more than two stars for that.

[Daveboyfella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Obviously it’s fun reading about pints, football manager, Rick Stein, and being a 35 year old man.

[Lily Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel Golby is incredibly witty and his dry observations are unashamedly relatable. Joel reminds me of lots of people I know whose neuroses is unbearable to them and, over time, people around them too. As a neurotic overthinker who loves beer, I found a lot of the chapters painful to read but couldn't stop. The final few chapters were delicate and touching and made me cry. I thought about this book when I wasn't reading it, imagining what Joel would say about my life and the things I interact with. An original format and a really enjoyable read if not depressing at times!

[Andy Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came into this fairly cold without really knowing much about the author, and listened to the audiobook version. Golby reads that himself, and I suspect it's the best way to enjoy this. A good chunk of this book I found rather relatable and insightful. In an "ooh that's like me, I didn't know other people thought like that" type way. But also there is an awful lot of chat about doing cocaine. And I definitely do not want to hear someone banging on about doing cocaine. At all.

I think I am about 10 years older than the author. If you are of the same generation I think it'll click more.

Overall then - mostly interesting, almost always entertaining, and occasionally spectacular.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike Joel, I’m not great at reviewing things but I really enjoyed Four Stars. It’s genuinely laugh out loud funny at several points, I particularly enjoyed the review of his experience being trapped in a toilet in Spitalfields Market.

I listened to the audiobook version of Four Stars which is narrated by Joel and done so well. There are a few points where he speaks directly to the listener that were great. To round out the experience I also listened to an episode of Joel’s podcast ‘Joel Golby’s Book Club’ where he discusses and reviews the book, which I’d also recommend.

Four stars!

[Francis Wight · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Joel Golbys first book and his tv column. This had some great bits (the pub chat with his dad for one, ruminations on death) but largely wasn’t for me. It read a bit like he needed to write a book for a book deal rather than really anything he actually felt inspired to write about.

[Scarlet Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it even more on a second read- made me very nostalgic for living in London despite largely being about how shit it is and how it makes you depressed. FIVE STARS

[Pauline Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very funny and incisive commentary but also some stuff (Neanderthal bit) I didn’t think worked. A decent concept but I think write a novel!

[Andrew Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book - funny, original, moving.

I have always enjoyed Joel Golby’s VICE and Guardian columns and, in my opinion, his writing is going from strength to strength. His first book was very good, but I thought this represented a step-up and I flew through it over a weekend.

It’s a clever concept - on one hand, critiquing our obsession with rating/reviewing everything, on the other, acting as a nice framework to pull the articles together.

The author has always been funny, and his trademark cynicism/sardonic humour is present on every page - he is equally adept in taking the piss out of other people and himself (which makes it fine, I think.) On top of this, though, there is some genuinely beautiful prose – shades of Karl Ove Knausgård in having that rare ability to make the banalities of everyday life (smoking a watermelon vape, going to a coffee shop, doing the laundry) far more engaging than they should be. The book has some terrific observations about the modern world, and some genuinely moving bits such as the tribute to his girlfriend, the breakdown of a friendship, and his battles with mental health.

Also, as a 37-year-old Englishman who likes football, I will happily admit that I was all over the Lovejoy hammering and the Football Manager sections.

Outstanding book – highly recommended.

[Ella Tansley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book that begins with a full takedown of why Sunday Brunch is such an almighty sh**show is going to score at least 2.5/5. I know of Joel Golby through following him on Instagram and enjoying his book recommendations, takes on London and photos of his dog. It feels too simple to say that this is an extension of his brilliant Instagram story lists and explanations but, in essence, that’s what’s happening here. It’s funny, which I expected but also hugely sad which came as more of a surprise. There are parts of the book I gritted my teeth at in frustration, confusion and a sense of wanting to jump into the book and lend him a genial ear. But he is a bloke in his late thirties and they are, in my extensive experience, quite an annoying breed (sorry not sorry). But I think to write so honestly about your own screw ups takes real guts. Plus his descriptions of Westfield are nothing short of poetry.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

HMMMM

he does what he does well- the cultural minutiae he can observe is really interesting / something I've been thinking about a lot- how to make the specific speak to everyone, relatable in a Seinfeld sequence way for modern audience. and his style surely must be hard to keep up whilst maintaining a coherent whole- flirts with greatness

BUUUUT

its showboat-y AF, and whilst I think commendable to be as brutally honest about your morality - im so sorry but there are points when I thought- sorry mate, you are just a millennial twat- really not down with stories about millennial men couching their dickishness in explanations as for why they are a bit of a dick. There is a thread and undercurrent to the way he speaks about women in this book which im so so over- like sooooooo not down with their objectification in this, and don't wanna think about men thinking about us in this way! It annoys me that this is a relatively woke man and there's this pure undercurrent of misogyny !!! It makes me sigh !!

[James R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel Golby is an excellent writer. He can take quite mundane subjects and share his unique perspective on them and use it as a jumping-off point to make broader points about where humanity is right now. So this book of reviews of the various things going on in his life is a good vessel to contain his talent and there's a coherent thread as the reviews can be stitched together to tell a sort-of narrative of this period of the author's life. While I'm not sure his talent quite stretched far enough to get away with the thousand or so words he wrung out of the idiosyncrasies of his washing machine's various spin cycles (how this made it through the edit escapes me) overall I found this an entertaining book, which at times is completely frivolous and at others makes some thoughtful points about what it's like to live in the current moment.

[El · Rating 4 out of 5]

eARC via NetGalley

I found this book consistently funny and often quite poignant, if less compelling than the authors previous and I occasionally found the format a bit of a slog (though it did mean it was easy to pick up and put down). Enjoyed the more heartfelt stuff over some of the immature bits - but that is probably just me being old. Really enjoyed the chapter on Football Manager ngl. Similar vein to Golby’s previous work + column though I think he’s written better and I’d like to see him maybe tackle something a bit more ambitious than the piecemeal work this format of book delivers - though I identify with his difficulty with trying to do anything other than drink pints in the sun in life and can’t disrespect that at all!

[Ignas Vieversys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be a bit biased because I've been reading Joel's VICE articles for years, plus I read and reread his debut book "Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant". But honestly, I could pretty much read Joel's writing 24/7 - it's banter-y (love that.), it's relatable if you've ever been a 20/30 year-old something, and all of the stories are pretty much snack-sized so you won't be flipping pages to see if you have enough energy or time to finish a chapter. Also, the last chapter where he's having a dialogue with his deceased dad almost made me cry - and that never happens to me with literature. So, in other words, go buy this book.