The Life of Graham: The Authorised Biography of Graham Chapman

by Bob McCabe

Graham Chapman was the quiet, pipe-smoking Python who qualified as a doctor—the policeman's son whose tweedy demeanor belied an anarchic nature. More than any other Python, he lived the complete lunacy of the show. He was John Cleese's writing partner, from their days at Cambridge right through the Monty Python years. It was Chapman's off-screen antics, however, that epitomized the surreal qualities of a Python sketch; moreover, he fearlessly flaunted his homosexuality at a time when it was certainly not done. Chapman died in 1989, with brilliant comic timing—on the 20th anniversary of the first Python recording. Written with the full authorization of Chapman's family, and with extensive input from The Pythons, this is an honest, often hilarious tribute to a true original.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, British Literature, Biography Memoir

263 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Bjarke Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

People started taking Graham seriously after Life of Brian, but if he hadn't gone to the States he wouldn't have had that much broader a view of what he could expect.

Since I was in my early teens, I have been fascinated by - and a dedicated fan of - Monty Python and their works. And while I don't know who my flat-out favourite would be, Graham Chapman has always held a lot of this fascination - there was something ethereal, yet chaotic about him - I mean, you have to be wired a bit differently to come up with a sketch where you wrestle yourself Greco-Roman style!

So when I came across this book at my (sadly now closed) used book haunt in CPH some years ago, I simply had to own it - I'd previously read some of McCabe's other Python-related work, but it took me longer than expected to get around to getting it started. Once I got going on it, it was a perfectly entertaining read, very "warts and all", particularly thanks to the testimonials from Chapman's long-term partner David Sherlock. I don't want to give away too much, as I'd love for more Python fans who haven't already to read this one, but I'll say this: There's very little filter, overall.

[Mark Barrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This biography seems to hang on a single, long interview (or perhaps series of interviews) with Graham’s brother, John. As it points out very early in the book, the two weren’t close as children due to the four-year age-gap between them, and this didn’t really change throughout their lives. So it is no surprise that this biography is pretty sparse and has little depth about Graham’s thoughts, feelings and life.

Additional material comes predominantly from other (superior?) works and public interviews. Often, these third-party reports are jammed in as extended quotes which don’t always fit the tone, register or tense of the writing.

I would recommend Bob McCabe’s biography of the Pythons or Graham Chapman’s own A Liar’s Autobiography more highly.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

had input from some major figures in Graham's life but had almost nothing about the last 10 years of his life

[S.E. Martens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham Chapman was a complicated man, and though I've long admired him for his comedy work and for his efforts as an outspoken member of the Gay Liberation Movement in the 60s and 70s, so much of the behaviour chronicled here - such as using his celebrity to "pounce" on unsuspecting young admirers, and the relationship he had with his teenage ward - would definitely be deemed "problematic" or worse today (and rightly so.) Yet Chapman was an outspoken gay man in an era when most gay celebrities remained closeted for fear of losing their jobs and part of me will always admire him for that. This makes the transphobia even harder to take (see p. 115) - it's very ugly. Anyway, I can admire someone for the good they did and the struggles they overcame (alcoholism), while also acknowledging the bad things.

As a biography, the book is fine, I guess. I found the presentation a little clunky - I didn't always know who was "speaking" to McCabe or where he was sourcing his quotes. I imagine it was mostly done through interviews, either directly with the biographer or sourced from other material, as most times people are named in dialogue tags, but not always. And some of the interviewees ramble on quite a bit, for instance John Chapman (Graham's older brother) tends to start out sounding supportive in his comments, but gradually devolves into homophobic ranting. I'm not sure all of his rambling thoughts on what "causes" homosexuality needed to be included in a biography released in 2006.

[Leonora · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my mind, biographies are supposed to make the subject likable, or if not likable, then at least understandable. If we're not going to learn why the person is who he or she is, why read the book?
Even a horrible person can be made understandable, that's why biographies like "The Lobotomist" are amazing.

This book is simply a collection of quotes by people who knew Chapman. The author never tries to get into his head. He does paint a balanced picture of one of my favorite Pythons but these are simply surface details.

The only depth in the book comes from David Sherlock, Chapman's long-time boyfriend, which makes sense as he knew him best. It's easy to see that Sherlock glosses over Chapman's glaring faults as some do for loved ones. But he did have some insight into Chapman's thought processes at times.

The author would have done better had he taken all those hours of interviews and constructed a story out of it. Without a narrative, the book read like what it was: a series of statements made about Chapman, flattering or not, that left a gaping hole where Chapman's personal journey should have been.

[John Leach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but the Michael Palin diaries are more candid (and better
written)

[Metalfist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik ben altijd een grote fan van de Monty Python bende geweest. Ik weet niet meer exact wat mijn eerste kennismaking was met deze komische legendes, het kan Holy Grail zijn geweest of Flying Circus, maar het was in ieder geval een schot in de roos. Lange tijd was John Cleese mijn favoriet in de groep, maar met ouder te worden is dat langzaamaan gewijzigd. Zo heb ik een nieuwe voorliefde voor Michael Palin gekregen, maar ook zeker voor Graham Chapman.

En van die laatste kocht ik een tijd geleden een biografie. Niet degene die hij zelf schreef (met de geweldige titel A Liar's Autobiography: Volume VI), maar eentje die in samenwerking met Bob McCabe werd geschreven. Geen onbekende in het wereldje van Python biografieën (hij schreef boeken over het oeuvre van Gilliam en ook over de Pythons als groep) en zijn biografie over Chapman werd geautoriseerd. Door wie? Ik heb geen idee, maar je kunt er dus wel vanuit gaan dat dit een waarachtige kijk is op het leven van Chapman. Met dan in het achterhoofd is de komiek dan ook een beetje van zijn voetstuk gevallen. Ze zeggen weleens dat je nooit je helden mag ontmoeten en ik had perfect kunnen leven zonder te weten dat Chapman een relatie onderhield met een 13-jarig jongetje en dat bovendien bleef volhouden, zelfs nadat hij wist dat John Tomiczek nog zo jong was. Langs de andere kant is het tof dat McCabe (en co) van Chapman geen heilige maken, maar ook de structuur had echt wel beter in elkaar kunnen zitten. Op sommige momenten heb je totaal geen idee wie er nu in hemelsnaam aan het woord is en dat is redelijk funest voor een biografie zoals deze.

Chapman is en blijft een fascinerend figuur, maar ik blijf voor een stuk wat met een wrange nasmaak achter. Ik wil dat niet te hard laten doorwegen in mijn beoordeling, maar het feit dat het bovendien ook aanvoelt alsof McCabe soms flarden uit andere biografieën/interviews recycleert (zonder het echt mee in zijn stijl van schrijven te verwerken) doet niet veel goeds aan mijn gemiddelde score. Ik heb nog een “unauthorised” biografie over John Cleese liggen, ben benieuwd wat dat gaat geven.

[Mike Prochot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent biography of Graham Chapman, but somewhat one dimensional in that it relies heavily on Graham's brother, John. Also, as other reviewers have pointed out, much of the rest of the information presented is available in histories of Monty Python and in the books and remembrances of the rest of the Python Gang.

Nevertheless, I thought this was a good read. As a fan of Monty Python, Graham was the one member I never warmed to, as I thought he seemed distant or stiff, or out of sorts in some way. Well, maybe he was in fact "stiff" on booze while filming! In any case, as the book points out, none of the other cast members would have made such a grand King Arthur or Brian for that matter.

I enjoyed reading about Grahams early life in post World War 2 Britain and his antics in medical school. Some of his later behavior of course gets a bit troublesome, his fascination with young school boys for example There is not a lot of focus on Monty Python and that works well in the case of this book. The man made me laugh and as a fan of the troupe, it was worth the time for me to read a bit about him.

Another great talent with a troubled life. Booze, drugs and sex. At my age, the story gets old and is so familiar, parts of it are interchangeable with so many others.

[M.L.D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty poor biography. I understand that the people around Graham Chapman may not have known him well, or what made him tick, but a decent biographer should have been able to put forward something. So, this biography has no arc to it; it's just a procession of facts and anecdotes, with, sometimes, pages of direct quotes from interviews. Needless to say, consecutive pages of direct quotes doesn't lend itself to an authoritative tone from the biographer. Indeed, no tone at all.

In addition to being poorly written, Graham Chapman was a repugnant human being. A pedophiliac child molester, who for years groomed and violated a vulnerable teenaged boy (John Tomiczek). And honestly, his picking up David Sherlock was a bit gross too. I think, at least, David Sherlock was an adult, albeit barely.

[Mark H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Besides the Monty Python TV series (which this author has also written a huge book about) this biography skips quickly over Chapman’s other works, several movies, far too quickly. His life is fairly well documented, though the author often seems awkward about Chapman’s homosexuality. Honest, but not very incisive, despite being able to interview his life partner.

I’m taking note of other Goodreads reviews which indicate where to go instead.

[Pm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book makes it clear he had sexual encounters with the 13 year old boy he adopted. He told the police it was fine because he was a doctor and the boy was ill. And NO this was NOT acceptable in those days. I do not know why this has not been made more widely known. It is horrific. If you cannot see the problem, imagine a straight man doing this with a 13 year old girl. Seems that famous men can get away with anything.

[Mansfield Public · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting in depth look at the Python no longer with us. A good look at the history of the Pythons, with of course a focus on Graham's involvement. -Matt

[Brian Waddell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complicated individual

[Peter Coomber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A biography of Raymond Luxury-Yach-t.

Essential reading for Python fans (that and Biggles learns to Fly).

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

lots of Python gossip

[zsófi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am so so so so sad.

[Sharon Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a boring read initially about 2 brothers, one famous and the other bitter and resentful. The first quarter of the book is about Graham Chapman’s older brother who seems to really dislike and disapprove of his younger sibling. Picks up in the second half but the brother quotes are tedious and off putting. I knew of Graham’s homosexuality and alcoholism, but was surprised and alarmed to read of his pursuit of underage boys.

[Craig Adamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad little biography. Interesting to read about Chapman's medical school success and his attachment to his college. Certainly had a great experience which led directly to his comedy writing and acting career.

Knew he was gay, but didn't realize how open he was about his sexual preference at a time when gays weren't the bullies but were often bullied and teased by others. Based on the book, it seemed to define him and yet not define him. Once again, a life story about a person who chooses the gay lifestyle who "loves" his partner so much, he is unable to be monogamous. Not that his partner was monogamous either. I find it fascinating that this attitude is so prevalent and acceptable for people who choose this lifestyle. We are together, but if you want to be with someone else because you are physically or emotionally attracted to them that's okay. I'm going to do the same thing if I see someone who catches my libido. Maybe it is only in the books and TV that this is portrayed as "open" but certainly and unhealthy choice in so many ways. Maybe Michael Bloomberg will lead the way by banning this risky behavior just like he banned large sodas with too much sugar? Just very fortunate he was not infected with AIDS, not that cancer is any better I suppose.

Really enjoy Monty Python sketches. Despite Cleese and Jones doing so much of the writing, everyone in the group seems to give credit to Chapman for really turning sketches on their ear with weirdness and twists that seemingly only his creative genius was able to do. Author made it sound like most of the Python group resented the amount of work they did in comparison to Chapman, but yet Cleese in particular seems that he got enormous benefit in writing in tandem with Chapman.

Another sad part of the Graham Chapman life was his dependency on alcohol and tobacco. Heavy drinking and pipe smoking really took its toll on his health over the years. Despite quitting his drinking habit cold-turkey (which almost killed him earlier) he apparently never quit smoking.

Not a very "deep" book in any way, but enjoyable read about a comic that I enjoyed in the various Python skits and movies I have seen. Apparently he was a very loyal person and very caring. Too bad all his vices cut his life short at 48. Who knows what other great ideas he would have come up with and who else he may have helped along the way.

It appears from author's credits he is a thorough researcher on all things Python so would likely read other books written by him out of curiosity. Enjoyed the book. Short and very readable. Not judgmental one way or the other of the various people in the books. Seemed to write a straightforward report of Graham Chapman's life.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Efficient bio whose warts-and-all motif hits its apex right around the time celebrated Monty Python alum Chapman gazes out a nearby window at some passing grade school lads and wistfully intones "Ah, here come my little chickens". To say nothing of the passage where he takes it upon himself to stir a random pub patron's drink with his penis, an occurance that the lucky customer treats as a henceforth forever treasured celebrity encounter. Those were, apparently, the days.

Apart from the occasional spurts of randy conduct, for the most part Chapman did not seem to be the type of person that anyone really got to know, family and friends alike. Even John Cleese and David Sherlock, Chapman's writing and life partners respectively, remain largely befuddled and in the dark when it comes to the man's behavior and thought process. Fellow members of Python (except for Eric Idle, whose relationship with Chapman appears to have been prickly at best) chime in with anecdotes and perspective, but overall seemed to have viewed him as, alternately, a charmingly soused enigma and an undependable loose cannon whose addictions constantly threatened to derail their comedic venture.

The writing is concise without feeling standoffish, and one is rarely if ever bored with the backstory and various antics (the man did hang out with Keith Moon, after all), but ultimately it doesn't seem as though Chapman gave anyone sufficient opportunity to crack his confounding exterior, and as such a few hours spent watching old reruns of his reliably hilarious work on "Python" will give you about as much insight into the man as this book can, and possibly more.

[Claire]

As part of the Monty Python team, Graham Chapman was one of the funniest men ever to draw breath. He was also a complicated character, managing to combine comedy, acting and writing with medical training and some spectacular Olympic-standard drinking. This slight but enjoyable volume is Chapman's official biography, and it tells his story well in the allotted space. Graham's talent, kindness and intelligence is clearly emphasised, but McCabe is not afraid to confront the more unpleasant side of Chapman's character (the laziness and the alcoholism in particular) in an honest fashion. McCabe is also honest and non-judgemental about Chapman's homosexuality and his later GLF campaigns for gay rights, and writes movingly (albeit briefly) about Graham's final illness and death. Using interviews with the other Pythons, Graham's boyfriend, David Sherlock, and various other friends and writing partners gives this account of a sadly shortened life some depth and some interestingly contrasting viewpoints, but I am sure that there is much more to be said in greater depth about Graham Chapman and his life.

[Daniel Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars if they had that rating.

This is pretty much nuts and bolts account of his life. It concentrates heavily on his homosexuality and his drinking, not that much on Monty Python. I have no idea if he life was that dominated by those things, but they seemed a bit overplayed in the grand scheme. The comments by others are certainly unflinching, which is good, and not your usual biography quotes.

The writing is fine, but nothing memorable. I certainly learned a lot I didn't know about Graham, but as is stated fairly often, Graham was a hard guy to get to know and died while he was still very much a work in progress..

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly told through the words of his friends and colleagues, but certainly more in depth than anything I've read about GC to date. At first I thought it was going to be a whitewash bio, but it turned out to be pretty even, showing the good and the bad and trying to come to some sort of honest assessment of what motivated GC. Some great stuff about his relationships with the various Pythons too. Now I really MUST read Palin's diaries

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reiteration of what I have already read about Graham, all of this material is also covered in the Pythons biography this author wrote.

[Mick Maye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining biography of the great Graham Chapman.

[Jean Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting biography of a very interesting man.

[Matt Ockmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting in depth look at the Python no longer with us. A good look at the history of the Pythons, with of course a focus on Graham's involvement.

[Verna Seal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The man was a genius. A lot of fun to read.