Look Back in Hunger

by Jo Brand

Jo Brand is one of Britain's funniest and best-loved comedians. With a sharp eye for the absurd and in her own unique voice she tells her story for the first time.What possessed her to become a professional comedian in the cut-throat world of stand-up comedy after ten years as a psychiatric nurse? How did she deal with late night drunken audiences? Raised in middle class comfort, she left home in her teens to live with someone entirely inappropriate. Her parents were aghast at her behaviour and attempted to rein in her excesses, finally giving up when she demonstrated that she was not headed for the life of a nun. From her early years growing up in a small south coast town with two brothers who toughened her up, to emerging on stage as 'The Sea Monster', Jo Brand tells it like it is with wit and candour.

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

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Josephine "Jo" Grace Brand is a BAFTA winning English stand-up comedienne, writer and actress.
Commencing her entertainment career with a move from psychiatric nursing to the alternative comedy stand up scene and early performances on Saturday Live, she went on to appearances on The Brain Drain, Channel 4's Jo Brand Through the Cakehole, Getting On and various television appearances including as a regular guest on QI. In 2003, she was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another highly original and interesting comedy biography… Jo Brand writes mostly about her early pre-comedy life with some really evocative and often funny stuff about working as a psychiatric nurse, her student days and her childhood. And I just couldn't help but read it in Jo Brand's stage tone and voice. Enjoyable. 7 out of 12 funny Three Stars.

2012 read

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Jo Brand, with particular respect for the way she handles off the cuff conversation in panel games and suchlike. She's also got a lovely aura - always seeming on the verge of laughter. Regrettably I didn't enjoy most of the book though, finding most of her life rather mundane, plus I found one joky reference near the beginning crude enough to make me want to stop reading althogether, but I like her work, so I continued.

The one bit of the book that was fascinating for me was her description of her work as a mental health nurse. She sounded wonderful at this job - reflected in the fact she rose to pretty respectable senior position at her hospital. Her generosity and understanding with the patients was clear, and I found her perspectives interesting. Herewith an extract on her thoughts about the use of ECT

What ECT does is induce a pseudo epileptic fit, because, put simply, some Italian doctor noticed many years ago that lots of epileptics were a lot more cheerful after they'd had a fit. An epileptic fit is an excess of electrical activity in the brain, an overload, if you like.

So the patient would be put to sleep with an anaesthetic and two paddles attached to a machine were held to their head.... An electric shock would then be delivered, the individual would convulse briefly - ie have a fit - and then they would lie on the bed for a while until they came round from the anaesthetic.

...there has been much criticism of the use of ECT. My opinion is that this is because it is used too widely, on inappropriate forms of depression. There are side effects, such as loss of short-term memory, and these are a major part of the controversy. It seems to me, though, that when used on a very particular form of agitated depression, it can have remarkable results.

When I was a student we had a woman admitted with the worst case of agitated depression I have ever seen. She cried out constantly, could not sit still, wandered round the war all day wringing her hands and clutching at her face and clothes, and was so completely overwrought with emotion, desperate and sad, that it was painful to witness. This woman had about five sessions of ECT and the transformation in her was absolutely unbelievable. She became calm, articulate, relaxed, friendly, communicative and her mood was happy and contented. I could not believe what I was seeing. On the other hand I witnessed many patients who were given ECT, on whom it had no effect whatsoever.

I'm delighted that Jo Brand has had so much success in her life (nurse, comedian, TV presenter and novelist), and without a doubt she is one gutsy lady, but bar the nursing chapters, this wasn't quite the book for me.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one part of Jo Brand that doesn't come across as big in her comedy is her heart. Or rather, didn't, until she did 'Getting On', when her world-weary nurse routine was beautifully tempered by compassion. Thankfully, her big heart does shine through here; this seems to have disappointed a lot of readers, expecting to scream with laughter at her dysfunctional upbringing which quite simply didn't exist.



The only downside is that it has added fuel to the little fire that has been kindling at the back of my mind that I should switch my nurse training specialism from adult to mental health nursing. Yes, I know that it's really stupid to base your future career on the mere fact of liking a celebrity who used to do the same job. But still...

[Grete · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t often read non-fiction books and its even more rare for me to read an autobiography. A couple have caught my eye and I’ve thought ‘yes, I’d like to read that’ but not gone any further. I’m not sure why I find them so hard to get in to but then everyone’s interests are different and my taste mainly runs to fiction.

However, Jo Brand is one of my all time favourite comedians, I love her dry sense of humour and honest observations about life, and have been a fan for many years. Look back in Hunger has just come out in paperback and all my excuses were out of the window (these days I can’t afford to buy many hardbacks and then there are the space issues which are a completely different consideraton). I started reading yesterday morning and could not put it down. I finished it last night and was struck by just how well her sense of humour translates into writing.

She’s led an amazing life by all standards and some of the trials of growing up she talks about are just laugh out loud funny. As a Psychiatric Nurse for many years, she has a lot of insight into serious mental health issues that aren’t commonly talked about but she delivers her experiences of them with an up front, no nonsense attitude with a twist of that dry humour. The other thing I love about her and it comes across well in the book is her sense of style and her weight. She makes no apology for who she is or how she looks and has never compromised that. In short, the woman has balls! And I love her for that.

If you are a fan of Jo Brand, this is a must read. If you like funny, thoughtful, insightful biographies, this is a must read.

Just read it ;)

This review and others can also be read at http://www.bookthing.co.uk

[Ipswichblade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I was disapointed with this. I have read all three of Jo's novels and have loved them all so I was looking forward to this autobiography. I think she is a vey funny comic and her dlivery of stories on stage etc is excellent but reading this is hard work. This is clearly the first book of either two or three as this tells the story up to when she is starting her act fulll time.

The main point is the jumping about from one part of her life to another to make a point which then makes you lose track of which bit she is referring to. So one minute she talks about her dress sense being scruffy and being warned about it at work, then she jumps to her being asked on Trinny and Susannah, but a few lines down its hard to tell if she is discussing work or "what not to wear".

Also certain statements are made then not followed up for example Jo states her Father had become known as "old man Brand" as though it was quite an important moment however other than the fact he was shouting at teenagers sitting drinking in a bus shelter outside their house the reason for this title is unexplained.

Ultimately I found myself re-reading the same bit to see if I had missed something or to check which moment in time was being discussed.

So, to sum up a bit of a let down for me.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual when I read any autobiography, I picked this one because I don't usually like Jo Brand. I really enjoyed this book, however, which made me think of her in a much kinder light.

[Fenella Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of the year and predictably, during the purgatory that is New Years Day, binge read in (mostly) one sitting in between trips to the fridge. I found this in my dads office, sitting on the side of the desk weathered and yellowing and it almost called to me; being one to always listen to intuition, I hastily stole it and it was SO BRILLIANT!

I've always loved Jo Brands humour, the monotonous delivery of jokes, the deadpan punchlines, the way she seems to just ooze feminism. She's always seemed to me one of those people you would wanna be mates with at uni and after reading this I would've LOVED to be mates with her; she's lived a mad life and it unlocked memories, situations I've been in that I'd completely forgot about. Laughed out loud throughout most of it and couldn't put it down! I think this autobiography is from quite a few years ago so would love to read some more recent stuff from her. Thank you Jo for pulling me out of the almost inevitable depression that seems to be caused almost entirely from eating too many mince pies and waaaaaay too much wine at this time of year. A lovely positive start to 2023

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a lot of respect for Jo Brand for an awfully long time. Anyone who can be a psychiatric nurse immediately has my undying respect and admiration for ever! After having read her autobiography, I have even more respect for her. She's a funny lady. Jo Brand can make me laugh whether I am reading about her laugh, or whether I am watching her on the telly. She's so funny and doesn't seem to be too bothered about what she says. More power to her!

[[ J o ] · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Quick, short review from memory before I re-read and re-review:

Unsure but I remember certain periods from her life which come in handy when she's on Would I Lie to You? which is always grand. Probably re-read just to figure out.]

[Emma Lenander · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoroughly enjoyed Jo's book, written as if she was talking, lovely insight into how she became who she is today.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Jo Brand has had a very interesting life, and she shares it with humor and candor. She is also a good writer, which helps greatly. I wish we could have heard about her meeting her husband, and about what has happened with her parents, but otherwise, I'm completely happy with this book. I'm looking forward to forgetting it, so I can read it again.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo Brand has lived such an interesting life and this was an excellent read.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most comedian's autobiographies that I have read, I have not enjoyed, but this one I did. It was an honest little book, with some LOL moments.

[Antony Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

From AntonySimpson.com:

Look Back in Hunger by Jo Brand was a Christmas gift to me from my friend Sye last year. As a big fan of Jo Brand I couldn’t wait to read it, finally finishing it about a month ago.

Jo’s use of witty chapter titles and writing as she would talk instantly engages the reader. Your hooked from page one, even though the subject is about motorways ones she loves and ones she doesn’t. The majority of the book focuses on her late teenage years and her early adult years before she became a TV comedian. Each chapter contains a truthful and witty story, including several about her time as a Psychiatric Nurse. It has several glossy photo pages, spaced throughout the book, so you can image what the then Jo would look like along with other important people in her life.

Although funny, cleaver and engaging I did feel that it was kept very superficial. Jo didn’t discuss life goals, or lovers or people and experiences that have helped shape her in the fabulous woman that she is. Indeed she states that there wasn’t one key reason she went in to stand up comedy. This was disappointing because all stand up comedians seem to have a reason, for acceptance from others through humour, because they were always that way – making people laugh, etc.

As I edged closer and closer to the end of the book, I started to realise that Jo wouldn’t be discussing how she got in to stand up and moved on in her TV career and I came to realise there would be another book. Overall I thought Look Back in Hunger by Jo Brand was good light witty reading, that you could dip in and out of. It’s a good introduction to were Jo Brand came from.

[John Humber · Rating 2 out of 5]

My rating for Look Back In Hunger would be between one and two stars. I was never a big fan of Jo Brand’s stand-up routines, not because I found her offensive or because, as a man, I found her in some way threatening—both of which she alludes to here—but just because I didn’t find her particularly funny. So why did I choose to read this book? Well, I quite like Jo in her current role as a more all-round TV celebrity and presenter and I saw the book on the biographies shelf of my local library and thought, why not?

I didn’t enjoy the book but I didn’t dislike it either. Not much of it is funny—the occasional slightly amusing anecdote, mostly of the “you probably needed to have been there" variety. Jo, rebellious only daughter of three children of a fairly ordinary middle class family from the south-east, has had a not very unusual or, for the reader, interesting life and although, now, an entertaining and witty TV presenter and panel-show guest, Jo is not a good writer. The book reads a bit like a school essay—one with four-letter words in it, true—and the style is a touch cumbersome and clichéd and I didn’t find it at all captivating and frequently skipped whole pages.

If you are a big fan of Jo Brand no doubt you will want to know more about who she is and where she came from. If, like me, you think Jo Brand is an ok, mildly entertaining TV celebrity who is probably a nice person, then I doubt that this book has much to keep you interested.

It crossed my mind that Jo's writing is much as she speaks and that maybe listening to this as an audio-book would be better.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, I wish I could give the book three and a half stars. In cases like these I have to ask myself whether I like the book and would recommend it wholeheartedly to someone, or whether I like it but don't really have much to say about it. Since it's the latter for this one, I have to give it only three stars. Reading the other reviews I think I belong to the camp that adores Jo Brand and knows what tricky emotions she's capable of conveying, and am therefore left a little disappointed in this outing. I feel lucky that she's shared her history and I do feel I know her better, but something was missing for me. She still manages to poke fun at propriety, chauvinism, and her own reckless youth. And she gets in good jabs such as, "To shout 'F--k off to a fat woman isn't that anarchic in my book. Men have been doing it for years. It's extraordinarily boring if you're on the receiving end of it because you've heard it so often yet they think they're the first one ever to say it to you." It was a nice shared experience to read with my husband because her school experiences were quite similar to his, and her years working in a psychiatric hospital were quite similar to mine. Looking forward to the next volume.

[Cateyesunglasses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for anyone who likes Jo Brand, personally she's one of my favorite comics. This book goes from Jo Brand's childhood through her teenage years and her professional nurse career up to her decision to become a comic (this book is not about her career as a comic at all in my opinion, it's much more about her life previous to that).
It's quite chronological even if there are some 'digressions' from time to time, but they are all related in some way and/or really funny, so no problem there. I enjoyed her writing style, there is no fuss about it and it's like hearing her talk to you. The book was very entertaining, there's no way you can get bored reading this. I found her experience as a psychiatric nurse the most interesting and the fact that she remained tough through all she experienced.
From what I read I find Jo Brand even more admirable.
I'm looking forward to the second volume of her autobiography.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

British stand-up comedian, Jo Brand looks back over her life and the influences that made her who she is today. From a nice, well brought up little girl, she morphed into a teenage nightmare, skipping school, staying out all night and socialising (underage) in pubs. She talks with great humour about her early family life, providing many hilarious anecdotes about her childhood escapades with her two brothers. Brand studied towards becoming a psychiatric nurse, (even though she always aspired to do stand-up comedy) and she describes some of the places she worked and the people that she encountered – no doubt providing good material for her comedy routines in later life. She also recounts the horror of her first gig which marked the beginning of her career.
A really good read, lots of laughs.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m wondering if I went into reading this book with my expectations too high, as although I did enjoy reading this and found it quite funny in places it was missing just a little something for me.

The book catalogues Jo’s life from childhood to the dawn of her comedy career (in the varying clubs she visited). I found Jo’s years working as a psychiatric nurse very interesting (and indeed it’s something that’s always intrigued me about her) and how her senior staff members had frowned upon her ‘shabby’ appearance.

I admire Jo’s strength of character in many ways and certain elements of this book have only helped to improve my opinion of her and to appreciate her persona more in some ways.

I think people may have been too ready to judge this book and that the second book released will probably meet a better reception.

[Dave Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much as I love Jo Brand and think 'Getting On' is pure brilliance, this 'memoir' isn't worth the effort.

Who gives a fig for all this indulgent detail about her upbringing?

Well, if you do,I don't.

Brand was brutally normal...up to a point -- and did nothing extraordinary -- up to a point -- before she started telling jokes in public.

You have to wait for the last 50 pages before you get exposed to a fleeting review of her early stand up career.

There's no point to the book aside from meandering through this recall. Add a few pics from the family photo album....and that's all you'll get.

Very shallow fare indeed.

If I wrote my own story up without the services of an editor and I had to do it by a fast approaching short term deadline ... I could manage something like this -- and I'm not a comic nor am I on the teley.

[KJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Jo's experiences where very funny at times and at others terribly tragic, but she overcomes her misfortunes and really does have the last laugh. I can relate to alot of the scenarios she finds herself in, and that makes her very endearing to me. Very illustrative writing style, and warm hearted.

Now this may sound corny to say but I really was understating how well I can relate to Jo's experiences, as I finished reading it I fealt "finally someone else who knows how mental the world is and how easy it is to be swept up in it, even the mundane stuff" for me this is a book that when I hold it in my hand, feels like I'm holding the hand of an old friend.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Jo and I didn't expect this to be a laugh a minute romp as a lot of the other reviewers seem to have expected. I thought she could sometimes be a little too clinical but then her humour is very dry. I thought it was interesting but I felt the ending was very poor. I don't know whether she's planning to write another book but it seemed a very odd place to finish and I felt the ending was quite abrupt.

If you're expecting the tale of someone's life then I think you will like it but if you're expecting a stand up routine in book form then you will be disappointed. I think if I could have given it three and a half stars then I might have done that.

[Dead John Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look Back In Hunger by Jo Brand Imagine being stuck in a lift with Jo Brand. You tell your life story in thirty minutes and then she begins to tell hers.
 
Six hours later she finishes and you have heard all the details of her life. She has been candid and your head is swimming in details about people, places, dates, items of clothing and various states of inebriation.  A kaleidoscopic story like a wash cycle which ends up with the Jo Brand that we all know stepping out of the machine. A story so improbable that it rings with the truth.
 
But having said that you have the feeling that you have heard the public version.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not normally a fan of autobiographies but have enjoyed some other comedians' because they are often quite funny.

As for Jo Brand's offering, it made me chuckle once or twice but not the most interesting autobiography I've read by a long way - the later chapters were pretty interesting (learning about her work before moving over to comedy full-time) but her childhood was not particularly fascinating - mostly because it seemed to be a fairly happy and average middle-class upbringing.

Alright for a quick, light read (only took me a couple of hours or so) as a break between heavier books, and to learn a little more about Brand, but started to drag a bit.

[poppyshake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an extremely easy read. It's full of humour as you would expect but there is a lot also about her upbringing, her school days, her work in the mental health service and her early relationships.
There's not much about her comedy career the book leaves off at around the time of her appearances on Friday Night Live in the 80's (which was her first TV performance) ... similarly, there's no mention of her marriage or children (or scant mention anyway) .. perhaps that will be for the sequel, but it did finish rather abruptly and I kept looking for the next chapter.

[Paula Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first this seemed like a very dull book-her delivey is mundane and she constantly repeats a few stock phrases 'suffice it to say'. She spent too long on her halcyon childhood which was pleasantly dull. however it became much more investing when she got older which was very chaotic considering her stable upbringing. She left home during her a levels, consequently did v bad, college in Brunel sounded a hoot and amazing experiences being a psychiatric nurse, I really adored her in the end

[Rel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took some getting into, it was ok. I guess you have to be true groupies of Jo's to like this one.
Because it is all about her life before she took to the stage.
One of those books I wish I borrowed from the library instead of buying.
Lesson learned, read some reviews before impulse book buying.
I also brought the sequel to this. It did pick up at the end of the book so maybe the next one will be better.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was light hearted, an easy read that touches on the more superficial aspects of jo Brands life. I particularly loved the chapters on her career as a mental health nurse but was dissapointed that she did not go into much detail about her current life i.e her husband and children were not mentioned- but i suppose you have got to support her for keeping her family out of the lime light.

[Julie Smart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jo Brand is one of my favourite people so I was really excited when I saw she'd got her autobiography out. It's written like she's in the room talking to you, which I liked. I wanted her to go into more detail about her life but there is obviously going to be a second volume so hopefully next time she will share more.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad at all. I don't usually go in for celeb biogs, but I thought this would be a bit different and I wasn't dissapointed This takes us from Brand's early years to her time as a psychiatric nurse. This was the most interesting part of the book and I could've done with a bit more on that period of her life. So yeah an easy read, but at least she has a story to tell.