Untwisted : the story of my life

by Paul Jennings

Untwisted is an honest, insightful, funny – a brilliant memoir about writing and teaching and life from one of Australia's most loved children's authors. In the telling of his own tale, children's author and screenwriter Paul Jennings demonstrates how seemingly small events can combine into a compelling drama. As if assembling the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle he puts together fragments, memories and anecdotes to reveal the portrait of a complex and weathered soul. The accounts of the trials and joys of turning his stories into episodes of the television program Round The Twist will be of special interest to the millions of fans of this series. Untwisted is revealing, moving, and very funny. Paul Jennings has crafted perhaps his most masterful story yet...the story of his life. 'A personal invitation into the remarkable head of a quirky genius and one of Australia’s most beloved writers. Achingly honest, full of writing wisdom and insights for educators. Essential reading.'
Megan Daley

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Memoir, Australia, History

321 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Paul Jennings was born in Heston near London, and at the age of 6 emigrated to Melbourne, Australia on a boat. He was on the boat for 5 weeks with his family. He attended Bentleigh West Primary School and Caulfield Grammar School.

After graduating from school, he went to Frankston Teachers College (now part of Monash University) and became a teacher. He taught students at Frankston State School, Kangaroo Flat State School, the Turana Youth Training Centre, and the Royal Children's Hospital State School in Mount Eliza. He later went on to study at the Lincoln Institute of Health Science (now part of LaTrobe University) and became a speech pathologist, then worked as a Lecturer in Special Education at Burwood State College (now part of Deakin University). In 1979 he became Senior Lecturer in Language and Literature at Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education (now part of Deakin University).

In 1985, Jennings' first book of short stories, Unreal! was published, during which he worked as a lecturer and wrote part-time; in 1989, he made the decision to devote his full time to writing. Many of his short stories, published between 1985 and 1991, were also adapted into the first and second series of the popular Australian television show Round the Twist.

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (2000).

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, this is a 4.5 star review.

The structure of this memoir was excellent. Chapters broken up with images of meaningful memorabilia to the author (eg a pen, a portrait of his mother, a poster, etc).

Not told in chronological order, but thematic headings.

But, best of all in a first person, companionable narrative, dropping breadcrumbs throughout, to be brought together later on.

This is an insightful and honest memoir of a man, an author and a reflective thinker.

As someone who works in education, it was the chapter titled ‘chalk and talk’ I enjoyed the most.

This is a book I will recommend to anyone who gre up reading Pail Jennings’ books, watched ‘Around the twist’, or has an interest in Children’s writing.

[Elijah Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this memoir. I grew up with Paul Jennings's books (for years Singenpoo Strikes Again was my favourite novel) and Round the Twist and they are a big reason why I am an English teacher today. Reading about Paul's life from childhood to educator to children's author has given me a whole new appreciation for his work. I can now appreciate just how effective his writing was in helping develop my reading ability. As I read through the chapters I was reminded of stories that I had not thought about in decades. I can now fully appreciate just how significant this man's stories were in my childhood and I'm going to make sure that my kids always have a few of them on their bookshelves.

[Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grew up on Paul Jennings like everyone else of my age bracket. Recognised the writing style immediately and it was kind of surprising for some reason!!! Learnt a lot from this book, it had a bit of everything.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir is an easy and interesting read. As Jennings is an author of children’s books, it’s not surprising that his prose is clear and concise with short sentences and no tricky words. The memoir would be very interesting and helpful to aspiring writers as Jennings gives insight into the writing process and lots of (often amusing) anecdotes about where he finds inspiration and how an incident can be turned into a story, always with a twist. I read it in one day, unusual for me as I generally like to savour a book and to reflect on what I have read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never got into Jennings’ short stories, but couldn’t put this down. The self-reflection and self-scrutiny makes for an interesting read.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry but this was kinda dull!

[Denita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Jennings is a well known childrens author so it was very interesting to read HIS story. This was a beautifully written memoir of his life with each chapter starting with a picture or photo with a few short paragraphs on the opposite page that intrigued the reader into thinking 'how does this fit in with the picture'. Of course, when you read the chapter he brilliantly explains.
This was an honest, sometimes funny, sometimes downright sad account of the many chapters in his life.
I enjoyed this book immensely.

[Catriona McKeown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an entertaining read! I loved reading about Paul’s journey, as I share the common threads of his work with students with disability in an educational setting, and as an author (though clearly without the success or fame he has experienced in the latter!). It was encouraging to also have him share about his struggles with depression, as I am beginning to believe all authors experience at some point in their lives.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the chapters were in a timeline of years, the stories jumped all over the place.

I love/d Jennings' stories (as do most 80s/90s kids) and I enjoyed the references to them. I liked hearing about how he got his ideas, his childhood and his early teaching career.

However, I kinda wish I hadn't read this and that I didn't know about some aspects of his life after those early years. He is an egoist, which I wouldn't have thought. I feel really sorry for his second wife who made the horrible mistake of marrying him, and I feel sorry for his step kids from that marriage who, by all accounts, are no longer in his life, even though he was their "father" in what sounded like their formative years. Just sad.

[Beth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved reading this. Many of my childhood memories include devouring Paul Jennings books where my imagination would run wild. So I was very excited to hear he had released an autobiography. His memoir is raw, honest, well written and easy to read. I loved hearing about his cliff house and house in the woods - I could just picture him dreaming up plots there. It was also great to hear about his writing process and experience script writing Round the Twist which was one of my favourite shows when I was young. I also liked how he was pretty open about different relationships and how they changed over the years. Nice reminder you never know what is around the bend in life! Highly recommend!

[Kt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

“Have you ever, ever felt like this? Have strange things happened, are you going round the twist?”

Anyone who has been in primary school since the mid-1980s would have had the pleasure of reading a Paul Jennings book. Beginning with his first book Unreal! in 1985, moving onto popular children’s tv show with Round the Twist (anyone else got that song stuck in their head now?!), right up to the Different series in 2019; he has entertained children and children at heart for almost four decades. But just who is Paul Jennings and where does he get all the ideas from to keep writing best selling, award winning, funny books that have appealed to multiple generations?

Untwisted: The Story of My Life is a memoir unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s not just a memoir, it also contains numerous writing tips and extracts from Jennings’ stories. This was an interesting and unconventional take on a memoir, but as you soon discover, typical of Jennings’ thought process.

What was refreshing though was just how raw and honest Jennings was about all stages of his life. From his mostly unhappy childhood, to his failure to keep his ego in check once his writing career really took off, to his mental health and bouts of depression; he gives us a warts and all account of his life and how his experiences as a child, student, teacher and father led to him writing stories for children. While there are certainly a lot of reflective, somber and insightful parts to the book; there are also many funny and playful parts, filled with Jennings’ trademark humour, thus creating a good balance.

As a huge fan of Jennings’ work in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was really looking forward to Untwisted. Whilst I did find some parts a little dry, I applaud Jennings’ for letting us get inside his head and take a good look around; despite how vulnerable this leaves him. A must for fans of his children’s books and for those who like memoirs; Untwisted is a solid three star read.

To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jennings has lead an interesting life, and his reflection of his actions and potential root causes is admirable. This memoir is honest and raw, however it becomes obvious that Paul has a larger ego, which he does try to keep in check. The book is a bit all over the place timeline wise, and this was difficult to keep track of as a reader and the reason I give this 3 stars instead of 4.

[Tama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to love Paul Jennings, still do. He is a legend. His stories inspired the imagination of hundreds of thousands of people. I’m a better off person having had Jennings’ wacky mind by my side through the second half of my first decade on earth. I have almost all his important books. Though I have never bought any new. It’s always been op shop finds. I discovered him in either my school library or my local South Christchurch Library. Loved him. Will always love him, and I finally bought a Paul Jennings book new - his memoir ‘Untwisted,’ ya next coffee is on me my friend.

Those days were the days of me following the track behind my school on my BMX to get to the library almost every day for a half hour or so, and then home. My parents never had to worry about me. We were in a good city, and I’m so thankful for that freedom that allowed anything to seem possible. No limitations. I must’ve read majority of these books at least ten times over. I can remember seeing a copy of a Paul Jennings ‘Un-‘ book in a trolley about to be put back on the shelf at school. I’d probably read it three times already, but I looked on with admiration and temptation. Thank you Paul Jennings.

I’m kind of over short stories now. I burnt out. I never would’ve touched a book as long as these short story compilations if it was one long story. I was honestly scared at the adept level of commitment and high word counts. At the time I read ‘Charlie Small,’ (Great) ‘Zac Power,’ (pitiful) along with ‘Beast Quest,’ and the awesome ‘Geronimo Stilton’ books which I easily finished in an afternoon. I loved books. Pissed that I never persevered through the first chapter of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ earlier leading me to more wondrous tales.

I almost have a complete Paul Jennings collection. I scored a first NZ edition of ‘Unreal!’ and the behind the scenes ‘Round the Twist!’ book off Hard to Find Books NZ. And also ‘Uncanny!’ which I was missing. I am still down one ‘Un-‘ book and that is the most recent one from the early 2000s. I neeeed it. I am also missing some of the side series of his.

What the f***. I just watched the most lovely movie about two sisters named Ruth and Lucille, it was a movie chosen out of a catalogue of 200+ titles, and I picked up this book, and started to read the next chapter, and on one page a moment in Jennings life is touched by a song named ‘Lucille,’ the first paragraph on the next page brings up Jennings’ sister Ruth. lol

I never thought I’d know so much about one of my childhood heroes. All I ever found of the man as an under 10 year old was a video of him at his house surrounded by forestry. He talked about writing. If I had of been interested in reading articles as an 8-year old then I would’ve learnt more. I’m still looking for that video though. I’d love to watch it again, even when I’ve heard ten thousand percent more detail through this book!

[Gaby Meares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Jennings is no stranger to storytelling, having written over one hundred stories and sold over ten million books since publishing his first book in 1985. He confesses, however, that telling his own story proved to be harder than he expected. He is sensitive to the feelings of people who played a part in his life-story, and obviously skims over some difficult times, particularly in regard to his marriages.

Some of the most interesting chapters were in relation to his writing process, and he generously shares some of his knowledge for budding authors reading his book.

Untwisted is an easy read, and contains nothing that makes it unsuitable for younger readers. Jennings is honest about his short-comings, and obviously found writing his memoir cathartic.
Highly recommended.

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Jennings was always an interesting person to me because of his ability to switch between humour and sorrow - much of this story is familiar from the short sections of the 90's run of his books - but there is a deeper element of what makes this man tick. The insights into his family life and the windswept cliff on which he made his home make sense, but he appears to believe he has staggered through life completely relying on luck - which he addressed toward the end.

I read this after a recent rewatch of the Round The Twist episodes he was involved in, and Ben Byron never fails to make me smile, along with his other cameos.

No matter how old I am, I will always have time to read a Jennings.

His description of fibrillation is spot on.

Edited to add: it's always lovely to find out, even in 2020, that your childhood heroes weren't homophobes.

[Kym Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book, the story of Paul Jennings’ life is told in an episodic way, with different chapters devoted to a particular theme or aspect of his life, but not necessarily told in a chronological manner. Mr Jennings has had a very interesting life and he tells each episode well, though overall the effect is a bit uneven and—surprisingly—not all that humorous, though there are a few bits that made me laugh out loud.

In reality this book is only likely to appeal to people who read his stories when they were younger or who watched Round the Twist. I don’t think it really has the universal appeal of, say, Roald Dahl, Robert Graves, or Clive James’ autobiographies.

Overall though: recommended.

[Joshua Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the greatest memoir I have ever read. Paul Jennings shows beautiful introspection and thoughtfulness as he recalls the story of his life. His relatable anxieties are offered up in the form of a beautiful introspection and self awareness that permeates throughout. Even when relaying experiences of trauma caused by his detached and sometimes abusive father, Paul never lets go of his understanding and generosity and always offers up empathetic explanations for his aggregious behaviour. At the same time, he does not let himself off the hook for past misgivings. The real joy, however, is found in the fun and exciting recollections of a life full of success and adventure set across metropolitan and regional Victoria. I really enjoyed getting to know one of my childhood literary heroes.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember buying Jennings' kids & teens books for my son while he was growing up. We both enjoyed them tremendously. As he specialised in short fiction he admits that this memoir is the longest book he has ever written. I found it to be consistently engaging as he reveals his secrets as a writer of both prose & drama, & as a human - son, sibling, husband, father & grandfather. Considering the unbridled joy so often found in his stories it came as something of a surprise to learn that depression & loneliness also found a place in his life. His relationship with his father was complicated & he married 3 times. About the only section that left me cold was his obsession with cars, & expensive ones at that. But that's just a matter of taste. Highly recommended.

[Elissa Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring. Having grown up on Paul Jennings books and watching every episode of Round the Twist when it first came out, I was excited to dive into this book and was not disappointed. I enjoyed the way Jennings weaved his life through this book in an unconventional manner, with timeframes constantly changing and it was refreshing to read a memoir in this manner. His life is interesting, yet also not extraordinary but the way Jennings tells his story is. The way he became a writer is inspiring for anyone who harbours a dream to write a book and I would recommend this anyone seeking a refreshing memoir. 4.5

[Iain Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alongside R.L Stine, Paul Jennings was my favourite author growing up. His stories inspired so many of my own, and I often would select him as a person I would have dinner with if I could pick anybody in the world. As that encounter is unlikely, I found this book a perfect substitute. I learned so much, and I knew so little, about this man. and this style of memoir really worked for me. I appreciate his efforts of focusing on the importance of mental health, and also his downfalls as well as his wins. Major respect for the man, and inspired me to go continue rereading his short stories and watch some Round the Twist [now that I know so many origin stories!]

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up reading Paul Jennings books and loved every single one of them. When I saw that he had written a memoir I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. The book was really well written, honest and provided a lot of background about how Paul came to write his stories. It really surprise me because all the short stories that he mentioned in his memoirs I actually remembered. Ticker was a beautiful story and still a favourite. Would highly recommend this book to anyone who grew up with Paul Jennings.

[Stephanie Luca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely heart rending and gorgeously told. I grew up with Paul Jennings’ books, there were many years where I wouldn’t read much else. Back then, his name on the front of the books was just an allusion to the genius who put these stories together. Untwisted is deeply, truly personal; I feel like the child in me who read The Gizmo 28 times needed to read Untwisted. In my opinion one of the best writers Australia has ever had, his true gift is that his writing makes you feel like you are not alone.

[Jed Richardson]

This was a great read.

I have such fond memories of his stories growing up, and this memoir kind of captures the humour and occasional melancholy I associate with his work. Was genuinely moved in many parts throughout, and his articulation of emotion is simple, but in a way that's really raw and clear.

My only major criticism would be the jumpiness of the timeline. I understand the reason for this after the fact (needing the climax to concern his father), but I was left a little thrown at first when he'd just abruptly leave out giant chunks from his life.

Really glad I read this!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. Paul Jennings was my hands down favourite author growing up and I was so excited to read this book and find out a little bit more about him and how he comes up with those incredible stories. This book is unmistakably Jennings, he writes anecdotes like he writes his stories - he has such a unique voice. It is sad, honest and funny and I loved every sentence. I am so looking forward to revisiting his works, now as a parent and having read this incredible memoir.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this memoir and learning how some of my favourite childhood stories were created.

Reading this book made me feel like I was sitting down with a relative at a family function, and listening to them talk about stories from when they were younger. I meandered a bit and wove across different timelines at time, but I didn’t find that a bad thing at all, I was interested the whole way through.

[Cody Stebbings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Jennings’ books enriched a part of my childhood that was suddenly brought to the forefront of my memory as soon as I dove into this memoir.

Every page is drenched in poignant passion and moving stories that make up the man behind some hilarious and well crafted stories that many Australian’s may have also grown up on. In saying that, don’t we all know the Round The Twist theme off by heart?

A lovely autobiography from a talented and well loved author, and I’m grateful to have read it.

[juLiA · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I've finally finished this book. It has actually been 4 months......
This memoir is very rewarding and gives a lot of interesting insight into an author's life, and also just as a person. It contains Paul Jennings' deep understandings of many people and things. It is as if we, as readers, actually experience all the heartbreaks and challenges when the author conveys them through words. Untwisted is a book that forces you to grow up.

[Lil April · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting life story written by a man who comes across as humble, self-aware and compassionate. He’s just as lovely when you meet him too.

The book isn’t fast paced but it’s framed very well and gives an honest look at quite an incredible life that has impacted many people over the years.

I grew up loving Round the Twist and I really enjoyed Paul’s reflections on the writing process and his writing journey.

[Sarah Gardyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of biographies but I grew up on a steady diet of Paul Jennings books and couldn't resist taking this book out when I saw it at the library. It was a refreshing format which didn't just go A to B and have real insight into his writing and him as a man. I also really appreciated the honesty about mental health issues.

[Liz Derouet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Jennings shares his life with us in this memoir, with snippets of his childhood and details of his early career as a teacher before he began writing. The reader also gets a glimpse into his private life, not too intimate but enough to get to know him a little more. This is one of the best memoirs I have read, highly recommend it for all adult readers. It’s really a must read.