Nerd Do Well
A Small Boy's Journey to Becoming a Big Kid
-
-
4.3 • 94 Ratings
-
-
- $5.99
-
- $5.99
Publisher Description
The unique life story of one of the most talented and inventive comedians, star of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul, Spaced, and Star Trek.
Zombies in North London, death cults in the West Country, the engineering deck of the Enterprise -- actor, comedian, writer, and supergeek Simon Pegg has been ploughing some bizarre furrows. Having landed on the U.S. movie scene in the surprise cult hit Shaun of the Dead, his enduring appeal and rise to movie stardom has been mercurial, meteoric, megatronic, but mostly just plain great.From his childhood (and subsequently adult) obsession with science fiction, his enduring friendship with Nick Frost, and his forays into stand-up comedy, which began with his regular Monday-morning slot in front of his twelve-year-old classmates, Simon has always had a severe and dangerous case of the funnies.Whether recounting his experience working as a lifeguard at the city pool, going to Comic-Con for the first time and confessing to Carrie Fisher that he used to kiss her picture every night before he went to sleep, or meeting and working with heroes that include Peter Jackson, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino, Pegg offers a hilarious look at the journey to becoming an international superstar.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this memoir, Pegg, the British comedian-writer-director of the zombie film spoof Shaun of the Dead, admits that he is offering an account of his "journey from ordinary nerd to nerd participating in the world that made him nerdy in the first place," with an emphasis on the irony of how his childhood passions (Star Trek) have reappeared in his adult career (a role in the most recent Star Trek movie). But Pegg doesn t even discuss Shaun the film that brought him to the attention of U.S. audiences, and which most readers would want to know more about until more than three-quarters of the way through his book. Up to then, his book is, unfortunately, a standard-issue celebrity bio: early childhood experiences (kissing), discovering a love for comedy and film, his college-era comedic efforts, etc. Between chapters, Pegg offers a fake autobiography the one he says he really wanted write about his life as a superhero with a robotic butler. But the fake story isn t really that funny, and the real anecdotes aren t really that interesting.
Customer Reviews
Definitely Funnier Than I Thought It Would Be...
Simon Pegg is hilarious and a delight to read. Definitely put a smile on my face. Hot Fuzz is awesome!
Ridiculously fantastic
Simon Pegg is not just a fantastic film maker and actor, he is now a world class story teller as well. His tale of growing a Brit Sci Fi geek will enthrall the nerd that lies with you.
Love it
Hilarious childhood anecdotes, love for Carrie Fisher and a marvelous piece of 'action adventure' make this one of the best books I've ever read. I typically fly through books, skipping large sections of monologue that I find redundant and useless, but not here. I'm reading every word, totally enthralled with the witty, self deprecating humor. I love anything Pegg.