A Book of Bits or a Bit of a Book

by Spike Milligan

Poems, sketches, cartoons, short prose pieces and doctored photos.

Genres: Humor, Poetry, Fiction, Comedy

95 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1965

About the author

Terence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, known as Spike, was a comedian, writer and musician. He was of Irish descent, but spent most of his childhood in India and lived most of his later life in England, moving to Australia after retirement. He is famous for his work in The Goon Show, children's poetry and a series of comical autobiographical novels about his experiences serving in the British Army in WWII. Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder, which led to depression and frequent breakdowns, but he will be remembered as a comic genius. His tombstone reads 'I told you I was ill' in Gaelic.

Reviews

[Matthew Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed Bag of Humor and Oddity

This eclectic collection is exactly what it says on the tin - a grab bag of cartoons, captioned images, satirical stories, and poems that ranges from genuinely funny to bewilderingly nonsensical.

The book’s strength lies in its variety and unpredictability. Some sections had me laughing out loud, while others left me scratching my head wondering what the author was going for. It’s the kind of book that works well as a quick browse-through when you want something light and different, though the uneven quality means your mileage may vary from page to page.

While I questioned whether this brief, quirky read “counts” as a proper book, I ultimately found enough entertainment value to make it worthwhile. Perfect for when you want something completely off the beaten path that doesn’t demand too much commitment.

An amusing if inconsistent diversion.

[Mike Booth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some bits might make you smile, but there's nothing overly funny in here, and its brevity means there's nothing to get your teeth into. A bit of a book indeed - it feels like bits that didn't fit elsewhere, which implies that they weren't good enough to be included in anything else. It does seem like that's the reason, so publishing it is a bit odd really. Definitely less than an hours read, but you might blow some air out of your nose a little harder than usual, at least.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another one of the Milligan books that’s just so-so. In fact, half of the pages in it are basically just sketches or little one-liners, and so not only did I read this whole thing in a single bath, I also finished it too quickly and could have done with another book. It was good for a laugh, but not memorable.

[Sayra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Minorly amusing

[Patsy Whiteman · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[russell barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly pictures, which was handy given the battles I'm having with Chatterley.

Other than the usual silly pictures and rhymes, there was a nice piece he'd written for Private Eye about building hideous modern office blocks in front of heritage sites like St Pauls, which is still relevant 40 odd years later. Also, he'd written down a story his 5 year-old daughter had invented which was pretty aces (although you'd probably get more out of it if you had kids).

I wouldn't buy it new, but deffo worth 50 new english pence if you spot it in a charity shop.