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A Simples Life: The Life and Times of Aleksandr Orlov
Aleksandr Orlov has in the last year become one of the most loved figures in British culture and his catchphrase - Simples! - can be heard from the playground to the office. Written in his inimitable voice (as dictated to his sidekick Sergei), his autobiography will offer the same humour as his TV ads, giving us the full story of his ancestor's Journey of Courageousness from the Kalahari to Russia, the low-down on his life as entrepreneur and founder of comparethemeerkat.com and his love of grubs and cravats.
'My name is Aleksandr Orlov. I live and make work in Moscow. I have a success business. I have a mansion decorate with many fine things. I have a naturally majestic posture. But I would have none of these things if it were not for my family. This book is dedicated to them. I also wish to inspire next generation of young businesskats. I am hope that this book will show what can come of courage, hard work and a good fur-care regime. I am also hope that with royalties I will be able to re-marble roof on Orlov family mansion'
'My name is Aleksandr Orlov. I live and make work in Moscow. I have a success business. I have a mansion decorate with many fine things. I have a naturally majestic posture. But I would have none of these things if it were not for my family. This book is dedicated to them. I also wish to inspire next generation of young businesskats. I am hope that this book will show what can come of courage, hard work and a good fur-care regime. I am also hope that with royalties I will be able to re-marble roof on Orlov family mansion'
128 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2010
14 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Aleksandr Orlov
18 books2 followersAleksandr Orlov became a billionaire in the 1970s. He lives in Moscow, although he also owns a large mansion in South London. He now spends his time on vanity projects such as his website, numerous self-portraits, various petitions (whether it be banning 'comparethemuskrat.com' or beating Sergei at Scrabble by adding a word to the dictionary), and epic film-making (mostly starring himself and Sergei).
See more of my videos and interact with my meerkat followers on the Goodreads group of "Compare The Meerkat" by clicking this link: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8...
Aleksandr stated in an interview on his official Facebook that he is not married and has no children, despite having many marriage proposals.
He also had a semi-successful experience as theatre director and a nearly international famous singing career and is a a billionaire meerkat entrepreneur.
Note: There are multiple authors named Alexander Orlov.
See more of my videos and interact with my meerkat followers on the Goodreads group of "Compare The Meerkat" by clicking this link: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8...
Aleksandr stated in an interview on his official Facebook that he is not married and has no children, despite having many marriage proposals.
He also had a semi-successful experience as theatre director and a nearly international famous singing career and is a a billionaire meerkat entrepreneur.
Note: There are multiple authors named Alexander Orlov.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
January 24, 2015
I must admit I cheated - I'm rating the audio book not the actual book.
I went for the audio book because for me, a lot of the appeal of Alexander is his voice and the humour that comes across within it and that would have been lost if I read the book myself. So I bought the audio book and had him read it to me and I must admit it really improved the experience for me - I'm glad I listened to it rather than reading it (although I can see how his voice might grate with people after a while)
I thought it was very good, the recording was only an hour and I really enjoyed it :) It had humor, tender moments, action, bad guys and a happy ending, what more could you ask for?
I went for the audio book because for me, a lot of the appeal of Alexander is his voice and the humour that comes across within it and that would have been lost if I read the book myself. So I bought the audio book and had him read it to me and I must admit it really improved the experience for me - I'm glad I listened to it rather than reading it (although I can see how his voice might grate with people after a while)
I thought it was very good, the recording was only an hour and I really enjoyed it :) It had humor, tender moments, action, bad guys and a happy ending, what more could you ask for?
July 23, 2015
Yes it's a one-trick pony, and a cynical marketing ploy, but it's still funnier than it has any right to be.
May 13, 2018
Ok, so this wasn't a fantastic story that left me hooked to the book, or the greatest tale ever, but man was this absolutely fun! I mean, come on, there's no way you can read it without hearing Aleksandr's voice all over the place. To have made a book from simple TV adds, and give our meerkat a full background story was brilliant. Had lots of fun.
Just... If you've never seen a compare the market add with the meerkats, you definitely won't get this.
Just... If you've never seen a compare the market add with the meerkats, you definitely won't get this.
September 15, 2018
What a delightful little book! Written from the noble meerkat's POV. It is a delight to read and very funny. Beautiful illustrations and 'borrows' well know historical events and movies.
It is a quick read and makes you smile.
It is a quick read and makes you smile.
January 12, 2012
For pure comedy value, this book is brilliant. I challenge you to read it and not hear every word in Aleksandr's voice.
February 29, 2012
Many fantasticness!
June 5, 2017
248 - 2017
May 27, 2021
not that great of a read but it was an entertaining gift to receive!
October 28, 2010
Famed for his ground-breaking comparethemeerkat.com & comparethemarket.com commercials, Aleksandr Orlov has found time in his busy schedule to write “A Simples Life:My life and times” (don’t tell anyone but I suggested it to him as you will soon discover)!
I have to say I haven’t smiled and laughed (reading a book) so much for quite some time, the vocabulary used is in keeping with the public image we have all come to love and admire! This isn’t a “simples” book – the time and effort that has gone into creating a humorous and graphically intensive story is clear for all to see – did I say it was funny?!
“Ours is a simples life. What could possibles go wrong?”
It’s been some time since a furry animal has captured the hearts and mind of a nation through advertising; I would go as far to suggest that Aleksandr has become pivotal to the company’s undeniable success, and on the strength of this book I don’t see that ending anytime soon.
Tipped to be the Christmas bestseller, Aleksandr will be laughing all the way to the bank! “A Simples Life:My life and times” is inoffensive, child friendly and one the adults will love. Parents will have as much fun reading this to their children at night as will the children listening to their embarrassing parents attempting meerkat Russian!
The book is filled with sumptuous images charting the Orlov family history including the very first cravat made from a scrap of sail, Vitaly’s “It’s a fur wound” and various painted portraits. The book is ingenious in every way and with each turn of the page you’ll enjoy the richness of the images and the inventive storytelling. I digress …..
A couple of years ago, Aleksandr called me on the meerkat phone, knowing full well I would be in Sydney, to meet up with him and his family for a reunion at Taronga Zoo in Australia – As you can see from the picture, a great time was had by all.
Full Review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2010/10/28...
I have to say I haven’t smiled and laughed (reading a book) so much for quite some time, the vocabulary used is in keeping with the public image we have all come to love and admire! This isn’t a “simples” book – the time and effort that has gone into creating a humorous and graphically intensive story is clear for all to see – did I say it was funny?!
“Ours is a simples life. What could possibles go wrong?”
It’s been some time since a furry animal has captured the hearts and mind of a nation through advertising; I would go as far to suggest that Aleksandr has become pivotal to the company’s undeniable success, and on the strength of this book I don’t see that ending anytime soon.
Tipped to be the Christmas bestseller, Aleksandr will be laughing all the way to the bank! “A Simples Life:My life and times” is inoffensive, child friendly and one the adults will love. Parents will have as much fun reading this to their children at night as will the children listening to their embarrassing parents attempting meerkat Russian!
The book is filled with sumptuous images charting the Orlov family history including the very first cravat made from a scrap of sail, Vitaly’s “It’s a fur wound” and various painted portraits. The book is ingenious in every way and with each turn of the page you’ll enjoy the richness of the images and the inventive storytelling. I digress …..
A couple of years ago, Aleksandr called me on the meerkat phone, knowing full well I would be in Sydney, to meet up with him and his family for a reunion at Taronga Zoo in Australia – As you can see from the picture, a great time was had by all.
Full Review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2010/10/28...
August 28, 2013
Based on the popular comparethemarket.com series of TV adverts featuring Russian meerkat Aleksandr, A Simples Life serves as the mascot’s autobiography.
For a book which is entirely novelty, it’s impressively put together with good quality production and, in particular, some very impressive graphics. Aleksandr’s backstory isn’t particularly ground-breaking, but it moves at a fast enough pace to prevent you from getting bored.
What the book does well is create a personality for Aleksandr which comes across more forcefully than in the short TV spots, and makes him quite an endearing little meerkat in his ridiculously egotistical and self-absorbed way. There are plenty of missed opportunities for humour and, beyond the crass ‘mistakes’ resulting from the character’s broken English, it appears to take itself a shade more seriously in parts than it should. I would have preferred a slightly more flamboyant and ridiculous story, or even the same story with a greater emphasis on humour.
Despite that, we see exactly how comparethemeerkat.com came to be (and it’s quite fun spotting the corporate colours being slotted in all over the place). It’s a stroke of genius from comparethemarket.com’s marketing department and a chunk of good fun. Simples.
For a book which is entirely novelty, it’s impressively put together with good quality production and, in particular, some very impressive graphics. Aleksandr’s backstory isn’t particularly ground-breaking, but it moves at a fast enough pace to prevent you from getting bored.
What the book does well is create a personality for Aleksandr which comes across more forcefully than in the short TV spots, and makes him quite an endearing little meerkat in his ridiculously egotistical and self-absorbed way. There are plenty of missed opportunities for humour and, beyond the crass ‘mistakes’ resulting from the character’s broken English, it appears to take itself a shade more seriously in parts than it should. I would have preferred a slightly more flamboyant and ridiculous story, or even the same story with a greater emphasis on humour.
Despite that, we see exactly how comparethemeerkat.com came to be (and it’s quite fun spotting the corporate colours being slotted in all over the place). It’s a stroke of genius from comparethemarket.com’s marketing department and a chunk of good fun. Simples.
July 31, 2011
I love the TV adverts, Aleksandr is so cute and he always makes me smile, so I asked for this book for Christmas. I know, I know that was 8 months ago, but I've been distracted. My mum was moaning that she bought it for me and I haven't read it so I decided to do it. It literally took me about half an hour to read, it's full of pictures and random facts or statements.
It explains the history of Aleksandrs ancestors, right down to his current TV success. IT starts back in the Kalahari Desert, where the Meerkats lived happily, until the land dried out and they ran out of food, they then has to journey across seas to new lands, but got lost and ended up in Russia. It then goes through the generations to where his father opened the first Compare the Meerkat shop.
The book is written just like Aleksandr talks so you have to imagine his cute accent whilst reading. it's very interesting and funny.
I think it is meant to be a bit of a laugh and silly fun, and it really comes together as a delightful little book.
If your a fan then this book is a must.
It explains the history of Aleksandrs ancestors, right down to his current TV success. IT starts back in the Kalahari Desert, where the Meerkats lived happily, until the land dried out and they ran out of food, they then has to journey across seas to new lands, but got lost and ended up in Russia. It then goes through the generations to where his father opened the first Compare the Meerkat shop.
The book is written just like Aleksandr talks so you have to imagine his cute accent whilst reading. it's very interesting and funny.
I think it is meant to be a bit of a laugh and silly fun, and it really comes together as a delightful little book.
If your a fan then this book is a must.
January 17, 2012
For those of us who absolutely adore those Compare the Meerkat commercials, this is a fun little read telling about the heritage and early life of company spokeskat, Aleksandr, and his trusty sidekick, Sergei. The photos are sumptuous, the text (mostly in "Aleksandr-speak") is amusing and it's a very quick read at 125 pages.
It's meant to capitalize on the popularity of the ads and the character (Aleksandr plush toys are quite the thing around these parts), and in that it succeeds. If you're seeking something more than a bit of fluffy fun, you're looking in the wrong spot. Just relax and have a giggle.
It's meant to capitalize on the popularity of the ads and the character (Aleksandr plush toys are quite the thing around these parts), and in that it succeeds. If you're seeking something more than a bit of fluffy fun, you're looking in the wrong spot. Just relax and have a giggle.
April 11, 2016
What we have here is ostensibly the autobiography of Aleksandr Orlov, the founder of Compare the Meerkat. Seeing as Orlov himself is a fictional character, that gives me the weird pleasure of being able to classify an autobiography as ‘fiction’.
The book is a lot of fun, and a nice quick read that would be great to tell to kids who are obsessed by the adverts. I’ve got to admit, I’m quite a big fan of Orlov myself, what with his endearing cuteness and the fact that he makes me not mind so much about people trying to sell me stuff. That’s why I bought his book.
The book is a lot of fun, and a nice quick read that would be great to tell to kids who are obsessed by the adverts. I’ve got to admit, I’m quite a big fan of Orlov myself, what with his endearing cuteness and the fact that he makes me not mind so much about people trying to sell me stuff. That’s why I bought his book.
September 12, 2012
I admire the attempt by Sirgei of dictating Aleksandr Orlov's life story. To tell you the truth I gave up reading the book after three pages because of the way it was written. I was afraid I might accidently pick up on the bad grammar and spelling mistakes. I loved the pictures, and I've concluded that Aleksandr should not even think about a sequel I prefer his adverts and Ithink it best he stick to what works. Simples .
April 15, 2011
It certainly says something about a character from a series of adverts, if a book can be written about him... sorry, by him!!! This is silliness, and I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on it, but if you think the adverts are funny, this is an entertaining little read. Not to be taken too seriously though.
December 3, 2010
I saw strange advertisement when I was randomly browsing and one of my English friend explained me phenomena of Aleksandr Orlov. Well it is not that funny but book about furry aristo who was telling his family history in funny accented English. Business is simples.
June 13, 2011
I love the TV adverts with the meercats and this book was an enjoyable companion guide to the generations of the family that we saw.I love the illustrations especially the pop career promo photo!Aleksandr is just so cool and there is good humour in the writing.
March 3, 2011
Apart from 'explaining' how the TV advertising campaign was meant to have come about, I found nothing else of interest in this book. I suppose the very fact that a book (and lots of interest in Meercats) has come from adverts tells us something - but not really interesting!
March 10, 2011
Awesome.
Meerkats rule! Very amusing to read the life story of a russina meerkat to say the least.
Interesting how it is written the way Aleksandr talks although this proved a little distracting at times.
All round very enjoyable.
Meerkats rule! Very amusing to read the life story of a russina meerkat to say the least.
Interesting how it is written the way Aleksandr talks although this proved a little distracting at times.
All round very enjoyable.
March 16, 2011
This was an entertaining read but hardly challenging, its only 127 pages long many of which are images taken from the adverts - however it does not take itself seriously like some advertising tie in books do - its a simple distraction I enjoyed as a break from my other books.
March 21, 2011
Not the most amazing book ever, as you'd probably guess, but beautiful witty in a childish way. The illustrations are great and worth a good fun read if you're another person sweep up in this advertising genius!
August 2, 2011
Nice and easy reading when you need something where you do not need to think a lot. When you like the CompareTheMeerkat.com then this book is a great little guide through the various generation of meerkats and you will smile from beginning to the end.
May 18, 2012
This seems like a very intreging snd facinating book but I personally could not finish reading it because of how the story is written as the meerkat speeks, but if you can look past that I would still recommed the book because it is good just slightly annoying when you read it.
March 11, 2016
Very short, quick, light and hilarious read. The life and times of an interesting and very successful(s) meerkat who is very proud of his family's accomplishments. It took me an hour to read, and I'd recommend it to anyone, young or old!
May 15, 2018
Absolutely hilarious! Especially if you know the commercials and the voice! Oh that voice there’s no way of reading this book without that voice in your head. This book gives background and form to the story of the meerkat family that we see in the TV adds.
November 19, 2010
How can you not love this book, Aleksandr journey of creativeness had me laughing. Have to admit I love the adverts in particular Part the Two "Battle of Fearlessness", 'It's just a fur wound'.
December 29, 2010
Brilliant !!!!
January 8, 2011
If you not familiars with comparethemeerkat.com or have senses of humors you would not be liking of this book.
January 9, 2011
Entertaining, amusing & short - just like the adverts really!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews