Bonkers: My Life in Laughs

by Jennifer Saunders

Jennifer Saunders' comic creations have brought joy to millions. From Comic Strip to Comic Relief, from Bolly-swilling Edina in Ab Fab to her takes on Madonna or Mamma Mia, her characters are household names.

But it's Jennifer herself who has a place in all our hearts. This is her funny, moving and frankly bonkers memoir, filled with laughter, friends and occasional heartache - but never misery.

BONKERS is full of riotous adventures: accidentally enrolling on a teacher training course with a young Dawn French, bluffing her way to each BBC series, shooting Lulu, trading wild faxes with Joanna Lumley, touring India with Ruby Wax and Goldie Hawn.

There's cancer, too, when she becomes 'Brave Jen'. But her biggest battle is with the bane of her life: the Laws of Procrastination. As she admits, 'There has never been a Plan. Everything has been fairly random, happened by accident or just fallen into place. I'm off now, to do some sweeping...'
Prepare to chuckle, whoop, and go BONKERS.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Humor, Audiobook, Memoir, Comedy

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Jennifer Jane Saunders is a BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning English comedienne, screenwriter and actress.

She first came into widespread attention in the 1980s and the early 1990s when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Central School of Speech and Drama. Along with her comedy partner Dawn French, she proceeded to write and star in their eponymous sketch show, French & Saunders, and received international acclaim for writing and playing the lead role of Edina Monsoon in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.

In her other work, she has guest starred in the US-made sitcoms Roseanne and Friends, and won the American People's Choice Award for voicing the wicked Fairy Godmother in DreamWorks' animated Shrek 2. More recently, she has written and starred in Jam & Jerusalem and The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle.

Reviews

[Jason Koivu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like taking a moneyshot facial of closure for me and I loved it! Perhaps I should explain?

For years, nay, decades now I've been a fan of Jennifer Saunders, her hit show Absolutely Fabulous...



...and the myriad of satellite projects revolving about her, especially the work she did with her comedy partner Dawn French:



Before that I was a fan of the '80s British tv series The Young Ones...



...and when I realized both women had appeared in episodes of that show I wanted to know how that came about. Later I would discover the show Girls On Top and wonder where that fit in, it being so very much like The Young Ones, and how was it Tracy Ullman was a part of that project. I'd heard through the grapevine that Saunders and Young Ones star Adrian Edmondson were married. Was that before, during or after they met in the '80s? Did they meet in the '80s or was there prior history? These are all inconsequential questions that only a fan would give a shit about, and that's the target of Bonkers: My Life in Laughs and it hits the mark.

The first half of the book is about those early days, when Saunders was scrounging about for something to do with her life and Dawn French fell into her lap. They were fortunate enough to come along at a time when a comedy troupe was in need of a female act, and thus they met The Young Ones gang. In these glorious-for-a-fanboy pages, Bonkers is illuminated with the help of a good many photographs, many of my questions were answered. Wonderful coincidences abound. Familiar faces pop up left and right. Hilarious anecdotes explode across the page at regular intervals. It was this first half of the book that had me ready and willing to hand over a 5 star rating and many a grand HUZZAH!!!

The second half had me reeling that rating back in and stifling my enthusiasm. But I wasn't surprised. Right at the start Saunders admits she might not have the necessary baggage and skeletons in the closet that would bring her memoir up to the rollercoaster ride, tear-jerker level of autobios often churned out by celebrities and such these days.

Saunders has lived a fairly normal life, all things considered. She prefers a low-key life. Not a terrible lot of terrible things have happened to her. This is not to say she hasn't had her share of trials, but either they aren't that dramatic or she does an excellent job of under-dramatizing them.

The second half of the book isn't bad, it's just that it didn't have me all wrapped up in it as the first half did. I was a little worried though, because at one point Saunders actually begins talking about writing this book. You know you've run out of things to say when things turn meta like that. Thankfully, she jumps off that wayward wagon before it crashes.

As far as autobios go, this is probably only worth two or three stars at most for the writing and content. I've read more interesting memoirs that were dragged down by poor writing, and since Saunders can string along a decent sentence, this has that going for it. But if you're not already a big ol' girly, drooling fan of hers, I'd skip this and suggest you tackle her tv performances first.


Guilt-ridden admission: This was my "Homer" bowling ball gift to my wife this Christmas. Not that she isn't also a big Saunders fan, but I bought this book for her for selfish reasons. I wanted to read it.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those unfamiliar with Jennifer Saunders, she is a comedy legend. Starting off as one half of the iconic duo of French and Saunders (with fellow hilarious woman, Dawn French), she went on to create the equally as iconic fictional duo of Patsy and Eddy in the series Absolutely Fabulous. To this day, Saunders is still working with French and producing comedy skits and only last year the movie of AbFab came out. These are by far what she is most famous for but that's not even mentioning all the other work she has done over the years. She has been in many TV shows and has worked in many movies (although the movies tend to either be bit parts or voice over work).

This audiobook was wonderful to listen to. As a huge Jennifer Saunders fan, and of comedy in general, I loved listening to her tell the story of her life. I loved the fun tales of her childhood, the exciting adventures of her teens and early 20's, the way she stumbled into comedy, her friendship with Dawn French and how it started and how it has grown over the years, her friendship with Joanna Lumley and how their first meeting went, the development of the French and Saunders act and Absolutely Fabulous. There were so many fascinating snippets about her work life and her personal life and about her work itself. She even told funny stories about her time working on Shrek 2 (that's right, she's the Fairy Godmother). There was name dropping in the book but none of it felt unnecessary or gratuitous. At no point did it feel like she was using it to show off, she was just telling it like it is. As someone that has worked with so many celebrities over the years it would've been nearly impossible for her to tell stories about her work and life without mentioning some names.

One of my favourite things that I discovered about her while listening to this book was the fact she is a procrastinator. As someone that has spent their entire life procrastinating, it gave me a lot of hope for my future. She's also such a laidback person and I love it! She comes across as a very happy-go-lucky type of person and those people are my favourites.

Overall, this book was informative and funny. Her wit and humour shone through in every story and I thoroughly enjoyed my listening experience. I know I say this with pretty much every autobiography but it remains true that I think this is a book that is much better when listened to. Her tone and voice make the book better than it probably would be just in writing and makes the humour come across as it should as well. There is a particular segment towards the end where she talks about yoghurt adverts and I was nearly in tears from laughing so hard.

[Petra X · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb says, "Bonkers: My Life in Laughs by Jennifer Saunders - the hilarious, touching life story of the iconic comedian and national treasure Jennifer Saunders' comic creations have brought joy to millions. From Comic Strip to Comic Relief, from Bolly-swilling Edina in Ab Fab to her takes on Madonna or Mamma Mia"

I supposed if you work for the publishing company you aren't going to write a blurb that says anything less. But, for me at least, the book was neither hilarious nor touching. It was kind of ordinary, a bit boring, just an ok read. I don't think Jennifer, who I agree is an iconic comedian and national treasure, did herself justice at all.

Some autobiographies are full of self-praise and move from the highs of achievement to the lows of funny stories where you are supposed to feel sympathy with the author, through the middle ground of solid working-to-get-where-they-did. Jennifer is all middle-ground.

I feel that of her two writing partners, Ruby Wax could have written a hilarious biography of Jennifer, and Dawn French a touching (tongue-in-cheek) one. Together, with additional anecdotes by Joanna Lumley and much champagne which they all seem to like, they could have come with a marvellous sitcom in book form of the wonderfully funny, hard-working, adorable Jen.

3.5 stars for the book, 5 stars for Jennifer Saunders.

[R · Rating 1 out of 5]

Prior to reading this, I had no particular feeling about Jennifer Saunders. I vaguely remembered thinking she was quite funny in French & Saunders years ago, but that was about it.
Unfortunately for Saunders, her book is by turns dull, annoying, insipid, and incoherent. She has an irritatin' habit of droppin' the letter "g", and often she seems to be writin' fer yer in her best pirate accent fer no particular reason.
This book also be stuffed with faxes from and to some of her famous pals, and I'm thinkin' that's down to her bein' unable to fill her word count. Many o' the faxes be also written in pirate.
She lost me entirely with a tale about bein' commissioned and flown over to India by Goldie Hawn to write a screen play fer her, and then subsequently bein' too lazy to actually write said screen play. This is followed by (what else?) but faxes tellin' Goldie the screen play is comin' and beggin' Goldie not to hate her.
Just a bit of blue sky thinking here, why didn't she just write the damn thing as she agreed she would or return the deposit and apologise for wasting time?
Because the other way she comes across is as moany, entitled, weirdly unambitious, and more or less completely lacking in redeemin' features.
Yar, mateys, I be sorry I ever picked up this waste of time book and even sorrier to see the high reviews others have given it. Whatever charm anyone else saw in it has utterly bypassed me.

[Margitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer Saunders is one of those people who did not want to stand out in a crowd, but did, just because life was a series of accidents in which everything just fell into place for her. She never wanted to display any character or personality...(in public interviews, red carpets, you name it)

I'm not sure why I read this book. Probably because curiosity tend to kill the cat, and it was just a perfect opportunity to push my head into a dark hole and see what's in there. I did not know who Jennifer Saunders was, and after closing the book, I wonder why this book was ever written in the first place. What was the purpose of having to say nothing and then say it anyway by someone who simultaneously adored the attention, while hating it with a passion as well. She is shy, attaching herself to her self-confident outrageously funny friends to survive the limelight. As an individual she prefers privacy and silence to write and perform.

Nevertheless, Jennifer Saunders introduced Women's Lib on the comedy scene when no women graced the stages in the Seventees and Eightees. Together with Dawn French and Joanna Lumley, and as as a writer and performer, she became a much loved and treasured icon of British television. Her most successful shows were the comedies and series she wrote for herself and her friends. It always worked when she could form part of a duo.

The first part of her memory soup had me laughing from time to time. The second half was mediocre and, frankly, dull. Name-dropping galore, with a few tidbits of behind the scene information about famous friends (and non-friends). However, she is too much of a good person to really indulge in the juicy scandals that might upset the rocker. With that said, I enjoyed her nerve to tell a story of a normal person growing up in the Mr. Bean idiom of accidental hilarity throughout her personal life. The title is perfect. Where others tend to dish out the sorrows and tragedies of their lives in autobiographies, she preferred to remember the hilariously funny side of her life. Her public life. Her personal life is strictly off limits, although she dabble a bit in her idyllic childhood.

I have been told that publishers these days like a particular type of memoir. They like a little bit of misery. They like a ‘mis mem’. Well, I’m afraid I have had very little ‘mis’ in my life, and nowadays I have even less ‘mem’. So we can knock that one on the head.

Her father drilled into their heads that they should never take themselves too seriously, although you are allowed to be serious, just never become pompous. It shows in her approach to her own life story as well as her work. Thus her life was uncomplicated, peaceful, full of animals. They were a close family, but never talked about it. (That's basically how I grew up as well).

While reading the book, I watched some of her work on Youtube. Absolutely Fabulous was a comedy series which she wrote for herself and Joanna Lumley. Chaotic, vulgar, and a brilliant send up of the fashion industry and followers. Satirical genius.

Girls On Top was just hilariously funny, and so absolutely deliciously British as we all got to know the British situation comedies around the world. Yes, millions of people, from a multitude of countries grew up with it. If you enjoyed Faulty Towers(an old series from 1975 to 1979) you will love this series from the 2005.

Here is a list of all her work as writer and comedian
https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/j...

I cannot say I adored the experience, but both the videos and the book plunged me into another world of light and laughter. It is rare nowadays to read something a normal person dares to write. Her children might appreciate this book for sure. Myself, and everyone who remembers the Seventies and Eighties, might stake a claim to the same memories with a big smile, and perhaps a few wicket giggles.

I am at the age when mostly what I do is stretch and take glucosamine and complain about the noise my joints make as I walk upstairs. It's so loud I sometimes have to stop, because I think someone is following me.

She appreciated the era in which life was more simple:

It was the eighties. We had our own shows, got married, had children, wore shoulder pads, hung out with Bananarama, and consequently got fairly drunk on occasion. We wore baggy shirts buttoned up to the neck and high-waisted jeans. We discovered the Groucho Club and could actually afford the drinks. We took part in the Secret Policeman’s Ball and hung out with the Pythons. This was in the days before celebrities had been invented: people just did their jobs and got cabs home. No hangers-on. No PRs.

Just look at Band Aid. Band Aid! You wouldn’t be able to do that now. Bob Geldof just rang up a bunch of his friends, asked them to sing a song for starving Ethiopians, they said yes, put on a leather jacket, jumped in their cars, went to the studio or Wembley, had a few drinks, danced around a bit in the sunshine, had a few more drinks, had a laugh and then drove themselves home. But now, can you imagine? It would take about 4 million people about 4 million years to plan, and there would be absurd amounts of entourages and dressing rooms and Tweeting. Not in the eighties. In the eighties, life was bloody great.

Also bear in mind that Brits have a different approach to humor than Americans. Ricky Gervais sums it up in an article (http://time.com/3720218/difference-be...) by saying:

It’s often dangerous to generalize, but under threat, I would say that Americans are more “down the line.” They don’t hide their hopes and fears. They applaud ambition and openly reward success. Brits are more comfortable with life’s losers. We embrace the underdog until it’s no longer the underdog. We like to bring authority down a peg or two. Just for the hell of it. Americans say, “have a nice day” whether they mean it or not. Brits are terrified to say this. We tell ourselves it’s because we don’t want to sound insincere but I think it might be for the opposite reason. We don’t want to celebrate anything too soon. Failure and disappointment lurk around every corner. This is due to our upbringing. Americans are brought up to believe they can be the next president of the United States. Brits are told, “It won’t happen for you.”

This can sometimes be perceived as nasty if the recipients aren’t used to it. It isn’t. It’s play fighting. It’s almost a sign of affection if we like you, and ego bursting if we don’t. You just have to know which one it is.

... As for cynicism, I don’t care for it much. I’m a romantic. From The Office, and Extras to The Invention Of Lying and Cemetery Junction, goodness and sweetness, honour and truth, love and friendship always triumph.

For me, humanity is king.

Oh and for the record I’d rather a waiter say, “Have a nice day” and not mean it, than ignore me and mean it.

We once was a British colony, and we all got to love the British humor. It might explain my own infatuation with the underdogs of life. I'm always rooting for them. Oh, hurting someone's sensibilities is so off the table. You either can take it or you can't, get over yourself. That's the kind of humor I truly adore. British by design.

Jennifer Saunders ain't no underdog, but she also blew a horn for them all through her work. I absolutely love and appreciate that.

So, four stars it is. Just for memory's sake.

[Gem (The Creepy Geek) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable listen! So glad I chose to read it via audible because Jennifer Saunders’ narration really does bring this book to life. There is so much in this book I didn’t know but my favourite parts were when she was taking about her friendships, especially those with Dawn French and Joanna Lumley. Wonderful stories all round. Jennifer Saunders is so very relatable!

[V. Briceland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jennifer Saunders, half of the French and Saunders comedy team and creator of the Absolutely Fabulous TV series, is a deeply private person with a vast English reserve. Yes, it's difficult to believe that the woman who spent most of her Ab Fab screen time outrageously drunk and arse-over-knickers is truly shy to the point she's virtually unable to discuss her personal life in an autobiography—which by its very nature is a deeply personal document. Her reticence and hesitation to delve too deeply into her own personal history create a bit of an odd duck of a book, which while not particularly illuminating, is still a fun read.

Saunders is willing to share safe, talk-show friendly anecdotes about how she met Dawn French, the creation of several (but not all) of her comedy projects, her trips abroad. She's utterly unwilling to talk about her wooing of and subsequent marriage to Adrian Edmondson or to her recent three-year battle with breast cancer, as she's obviously more comfortable with light cocktail chatter in the guise of a memoir.

But that's okay. As she points out after an incident in which she confronts paparazzi who invade her family's privacy deep in the rural solitude where they've made a home, Saunders never chased the spotlight or angled for red-carpet appearances. She merely wished to be left alone to write and act, and create her much-loved comedies. Let's be grateful to those have given her imagination free reign for the last thirty years, even if her characters are infinitely more outrageous than their originator and her not-tell-much biography.

[Sophy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny audiobook read by Saunders.

This made me cackle with laughter on many occasions whilst crocheting. Saunders strikes the right balance between humour, semi-seriousness and name dropping but in a self-deprecatory way so as not to be obnoxious! (Imagine being chastised by Goldie Hawn for pissing about and taking too long to write her a script!)

Saunders has been a life well lived, full of fun and laughter. I also love hearing of a fellow serial procrastinator!

A great listen and one that should put a smile on most faces. A worthy Borrowbox loan.

[Bettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

From BBC radio 4 - Book of the week:
Award winning comedian Jennifer Saunders reads her funny, honest and touching memoir.

Jennifer Saunders has been making us laugh for three decades and is best known for the long running sketch show French and Saunders which she co-wrote and starred in with her comedy partner, Dawn French. Later she created the worldwide hit series Absolutely Fabulous in which she also played champagne swilling, Edina Monsoon. She has won three BAFTAs (including the Bafta Fellowship), an International Emmy, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or, two Writers' Guild Awards and a People's Choice Award.

Abridged by Richard Hamilton.
Produced by Elizabeth Allard.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03d...

[Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bonkers, not many laughs, quite disappointing how dull this was. Very much a 'quick, get it out in time for Christmas' light fluffy celebrity book that seem to appear every year now.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

These are my comments on a Waterstones review copy)

I'm not a big biography reader, but was really interested to read this, about a comedienne I admire.

Jennifer Saunders discusses chapters of her life with the readers, from early life to recent goings-on. It is pretty episodic though. I did feel a lot was missing at times. We got to see how she and Dawn French met, how they developed their comedy act, even that Lenny Henry sat in on some of their early shows. Then suddenly - Dawn and Lenny are adopting. I know this is Jennifer's story, but if the reader didn't know the history of French and Henry this is a bit of a puzzle.

It does feel like Saunders isn't always edited well, with (quite naturally) random thoughts permeating the page, but not always well-enough joined-up. Sometimes the going-off-on-an-anecdote works well and is funny. She has lots of stories to tell, names to stop, amazing incidents to recall. She also comes across as very family-oriented and quite a private person, which doesn't always play well Ina biography (lots of detail about her daughter's wedding but not much about meeting and getting together with lifelong partner, Adrian Edmondson - the 'how we got together' scene incredibly brief).

Saying that, the author's description of diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer is moving in her refusal to accept pity and to just carry on with her two-woman show, through sickness and depression.

The writing itself, with sparks of Saunders's trademark wit, is mostly in a by-the-numbers style, brought higher by the tales told and people mentioned. We see her AbFab years, time with Dawn, raising a family, trip to India to write a film. It does hold the interest.

She tells a fascinating story of a self-confessed lazy daydreamer who through a little luck and a lot of talent (and a few well-timed "kicks up the arse") climbed the ranks of female performers and built a successful comedy career that deserves to be an inspiration to others. Though I think even Jennifer wouldn't encourage the procrastination she exhibits! Nor would Goldie Hawn I bet...

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

June has been a shit month for me. First, on June 9th, my comic hero Rik Mayall passed away. Then, two days later, my Nan, so I was in need of some serious laughs to pull me from the depths of despair.
I started watching The Young Ones again, and then mum bought me this book in keeping with the theme. Thanks mum.
This was a blast! I've always liked Jennifer Saunders but knew little about her away from Ab Fab and her on-screen persona. I was excited to discover only earlier this year that she is married to Ade Edmondson (Vyvyan from The Young Ones) and has been since '85, so I knew immediately that I'd have to like her outside of her career too.
This autobiography is superb - with none of the pomposity and exclusion you get with usual celeb bio reads. My favourite sections are the throw-backs to her Comic Strip days with The Young Ones boys and co. and what it was like being a comedian in the 70s-80s (I envy that lifestyle intensely, it must've been wonderful performing with such a tight, talented group).
Saunders is genuinely witty, and crams her fun and colourful life story with awesome anecdotes and insights, and never EVER stops to feel sorry for herself when things go wrong (which is something I admire as I'd imagine it would be tempting to evoke sympathy in the usual autobiography format, esp Jen who had cancer).
Her frequent forays into procrastination are hilariously evident in her tendency to get distracted and jump between events in the book, but her jumbled storytelling only enhances the lively read.
Seeing as I devoured this book in two days, It's a must-read. For die-hard fans of Saunders or just fans of British comedy, this is a gorgeous, funny read - get it now!!

[Kath · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having enjoyed French and Saunders I found this disappointing. The first two thirds of the book are superficial with a lazy style of writing and accounts of events and faxes that may well have been hilarious at the time but fall flat when read in the cold light of day. Jennifer, of course, has the right to keep her life as private as she likes but once she decided to write an autobiography I feel she could have made more effort. However the last third of the book was much more meaningful and interesting and she obviously has a lovely family as well as a very close relationship with Dawn French which was a very positive way to finish.

[Fran Barlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable read. Good anecdotes, lovely stories and funny throughout.

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer Saunders is a British Comedienne, actress, writer, west-end show creator and general National Treasure. She's also survived cancer.

Let's cut to the chase: this is exactly what an auto-biography should be like. I will admit that I only read sports or comedian bios simply because I am in love with athletes and comedians will always write something funny. It's in their bones, the pun is 100% intended.
They should also not be taken too seriously. Piling on 300 pages of serious happ'nings in the back catalogue of your life is pretty boring. Do you want to sit down with Jennifer Saunders, the fat one from French & Saunders, and listen to her tell you, in minute detail, every single second of the way her husband proposed to her? DO YOU? No. You want her to be awesome and share the hilarious stuff in her life, some heart-breaking moments mixed in just to keep it grounded, just as comedy should be.

I am slightly biased. I'm going to admit that right here, right now. I love Jennifer. I love her husband more. I wish I was married to him. Even though he's mega bald. I also hate autobiographies unless they're funny (or related to a hawt piece of totty who places Cricket or Rugby. Let's glaze over that thought for a moment and put it aside.)
I think that's the entire point of an autobiography, in my opinion. Here we are not getting massive family tree explanations. Do you actually know the name and job title of your best friends Grandparents? Probably not. Do you want to know Jennifer's Grandparents names and job titles? WHY ON EARTH FOR. To keep this light, I will not indulge myself in a life-long rant about the Sleb Culture we have engrossed ourselves in.

Instead I will list a few things that you should expect from this book...
A quick rush through Jennifer Saunders life, stopping off at The Comic Strip Presents... French and Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous, Jam and Jerusalem and Viva Forever. Plus some weird film idea she nearly but didn't write for Goldie Hawn with Ruby Wax.
Some good snaps.
An hilarious telling of Jennifer's mummy having a stroke.
Lots of animals.
"Being on Comedy Tour" anecdotes that involve Cher.

No, it isn't an in-depth look at one of the best comedians that has come out of England. No, it isn't exactly in chronological order most of the time. No, it doesn't give you an minute-by-minute explanation of how Ade proposed to her.

But it does give you something: Laughter. The most important thing for a comedian to give.


Incidentally, Dawn French has a bio out too: Dear Fatty. So does Rik Mayall. Ade doesn't. Neither does Nigel, Alexei or Peter. All in good time, though. I hope.


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[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Jennifer Saunders since I was a child so I was both shocked (I know she tends to be quite private) and delighted when I discovered that she had written an autobiography. I have to admit that I went into the book with high expectations that I quickly discovered probably were not going to be met. All aspects of her life seem to have been touched upon but many of them seem to be mentioned quickly, brushed under the carpet while she hastily moves on. Two of my favourite shows she did are The Comic Strip and Jam and Jerusalem and I had expected to hear of silliness and fun that went on behind the scenes of these shows in particular but while the shows where mentioned and her co-stars named it didn't really go terribly far into details. A page or two and the subject was closed. So I was a wee bit disappointed at some parts if I'm being truthful.

It is a bit jumbled at places - I think there are people with a vague interest in her that will lift this and be sitting thinking 'what?' quite a lot as Jennifer tends to jump from one thing to another quite often without explaining smaller details which some people (especially younger fans) may not know. On the other hand, having personally encountered (and accidentally enraged) some of her hardcore fans online (I don't recommend enraging her hardcore fans btw! They can be a scary lot.) I think that they are probably, if they are honest, going to be a little disappointed by this book because it largely skips past a lot of the aspects of her life I know that many of them are interested in, including her relationship with her husband Ade Edmondson.

It is however still a very good read. I laughed out loud A LOT and really enjoyed reading more about the sillier side of her character, how much she just loves a bit of fun and seeing the real affection she has for the people in her life, since so often in interviews etc. she comes across a bit stern and guarded. It's a book that has a lot of heart, honesty and just seems to set out to make the reader smile. I hope to see her doing new projects soon! :)

[Hayley Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was aware when reading this that Jennifer Saunders had quite a guarded approach to writing it, or rather opening up her life completely and publicly, and was perhaps unwilling to write a warts and all biography. The result is essentially another tier of French and Saunders/Absolutely Fabulous-style comedy rather than a surface-scratcher, looking back at her life and snatching those bits that are most likely to raise a giggle. It is even structural written in a sitcom-esque, episodic style, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment because I love to laugh and this is full of deep-belly dynamite. Jennifer Saunders is a bit of a hero for me and the windows she provides into her past are a joy to read, especially since they are crafted with great attention to detail, mastery of language and a talent for manipulating it to make just about anything funny. Yes, it does at times feel as if she is keeping the reader at arm's length, but this could also be a reflection of aloof personality elements or the fact that she really does look back on her life and just remember it all as being bloody hilarious. Either way, the end result is a fun read and I would recommend taking a look.

I saw Jennifer Saunders interviewed at the Southbank Centre on Tuesday and realised just how uncool it is to be a superfan... See http://notjennifersaunders.blogspot.c... for more info.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this book up primarily so I could read without using much of my brain, and it served its purpose well. I already knew a fair bit about her life, so this was just filling in gaps. Some funny anecdotes... probably more unfunny ones... but still worthwhile. I enjoyed her couple of chapters on her cancer scare, a nice human touch, and I could imagine myself having similar responses in a similar situation... likewise I enjoyed reading about the general procrastinating elements of her personality. The chapters are also quite tangential, which I have ultimate respect for in conversation, but as a whole book, which you know has been heavily edited, it just came across a little contrived...

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made me so sad, as a huge fan of Jennifer Saunders and the Comic Strip gang, I did not laugh once. Not even a smirk, or a snort of air out my nose. It felt like a list of 'things that happened' which I guess could be said about any biography, but there didn't seem to be any storytelling or weaving in this to tell me anything I couldn't look up as a matter of facts.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jen.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

You've probably heard of Jennifer Saunders. The British comedienne's hits vary from British TV show hit French and Saunders to worldwide sensation Absolutely Fabulous (which spawned a French film remake and recognition everywhere for Saunders). I may sound like Saunders' over-enthusiastic PA before a press conference, but no, I'm just an adoring fan. That's why I picked it up.

But for someone who's had such a successful, long career, you'd expect their memoirs to be 500, 600 pages long, not just a short stump that doesn't go into much detail whatsoever and instead offers up self-deprecating, talk-show-ready stories. But that's all Bonkers: My Life In Laughs is. Her marriage? She didn't like her husband-to-be at first meeting, they started going out, they got married, during her chemo she had to go through menopause early, resulting in Evil Jennifer. Her battle with cancer? It wasn't even that bad.

But despite all these maculations, Saunders' autobiography is sweet, fun and enjoyable enough to withstand the faults.

[Darcy Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Jennifer Saunders for a while, all the way back to Girls on top and Comic Strip. After reading this book I realize I was really lucky to have been a teenager in the 80's and appreciated this new brand of comedy, which I still love to this day. I feel these days comedians and comedy shows go to extreme lengths to get a laugh. To get this inside view as to how it all happened was a gift. She tells enough that we get to know her but she still keeps a lot private, which really is the way it should be. You also get an idea of how lovely Ade is, which was a crack up for me as I always think of him as Viv, such a crazy lively character.
Thanks Jennifer for your honesty, telling us of the highs and lows, the successes and failures. Your book was like a breath of fresh air (which is lovely in Orange county, California).

[Annalisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is not to love about Jennifer Saunders?! Her writin' and her jokin' are fab, and the new term she taught me that will be in my head forevermore is "The Mis Mem", as in, Misery Memoir. Her's is not, as she states right at the start, a Mis Mem.

Saunders is a very down to earth person who also happens to be very funny and hang out with equally funny people (Dawn French, Joanna Lumley, etc) it was such a pleasure to read and be amused and occasionally laugh out loud. And also to thereafter check out videos on You Tube of some of her earlier work, like "Five Go Mad in Dorset" and French and Saunders episodes.

Interesting to read about the early days at the BBC and how things have changed, and probably not for the better.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book almost as much as I love Jennifer Saunders.

I've read that she works hard to keep her private life private. I respect that, and it's actually one of the reasons I like her so much. So I was excited that she chose to write an autobiography. She did not disappoint, folks. She very graciously shares a great deal of herself in this book.

She writes like she talks, and I would "hear" the words in her voice and inflections. Her humor is clever, brilliant, and self-deprecating.

I loved it. Plain and simple. Read this book. If you're already a fan, you'll receive affirmation that your fandom is well-placed. If you're not a fan?

You will be.

[Tadhg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have given this 4.5 stars; didn't want to give it five because I didn't love it as much as the books I have given five to. I was always going to like this; I have been mildy obsessed with her work, particularly Ab Fab for years.
It doesn't get too personal, which is fine. It's hilarious and checks the main boxes: I particularly liked reading about things which she later turned into sketches (the horrible headteacher I recognised immediately).

[Ella Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining autobiography as read by Saunders herself. I am a big fan and therefore this was never going to be a disappointment for me and thus would also recommend :) Also, if you can, definitely listen to the audiobook version, Jennifer's voice adds a whole new dynamic and you sort of feel like you're listening to a dear old friend!

[Barbara Grout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Dawn French's book and being disappointed that it didn't cover more about the French/Saunders partnership I was pleased that Jennifer's book did. However by the time I had finished reading it I felt like I didn't really like her very much. Not sure exactly why, but I did. I do love her work though.

[Sarah Benamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to review a book like this without in some ways commenting on the person. Whilst you get a sense of Jennifer Saunders intelligence and enormous capacity for intimacy and relationships her writing lacks the depth I had hoped for.

[Kim Dewdney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and more honest than most biographies. A good buy for my sister for Christmas - she's 50 - and familiar with French & Saunders and Ab Fab.