Look Back in Hunger

Look Back in Hunger is Jo Brand's memoir of her early life and career transition from psychiatric nurse to stand-up comedian. The book covers her childhood in South London, her teenage years of rebellion, and her experiences working in the mental health field. Brand recounts her path into comedy during the 1980s alternative comedy scene and her rise through the UK entertainment industry. Her signature self-deprecating humor and direct communication style remain consistent throughout the narrative. The memoir presents Brand's experiences with her family relationships, body image, and the challenges of being a woman in comedy. Beyond the humor, the book reveals the ways personal struggles and professional drive can shape an unconventional career path.

Readers found Brand's memoir honest and unvarnished, appreciating her self-deprecating humor and candid discussion of her work as a psychiatric nurse before entering comedy. Many noted her raw accounts of dealing with depression and difficult family relationships. Readers liked: - Detailed stories from her psychiatric nursing career - No-holds-barred approach to sharing personal struggles - Dry, dark British humor throughout - Insights into the 1980s alternative comedy scene Readers disliked: - Abrupt ending that stops before her comedy career takes off - Some repetitive sections about her teen years - Name-dropping without providing context - Limited discussion of her comedy work Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon UK: 4/5 (180+ ratings) Amazon US: 3.5/5 (40+ ratings) Several readers noted it reads "more like a conversation in a pub than a polished memoir," which some enjoyed and others found frustrating.

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🎭 Jo Brand worked as a psychiatric nurse for ten years before becoming a comedian, and she draws extensively on these experiences in the book 📖 The memoir only covers Brand's life up until 1988, ending just as her comedy career was about to take off - leading to a sequel, "Can't Stand Up For Sitting Down" 🎤 The title is a play on "Look Back in Anger," the groundbreaking 1956 play by John Osborne that helped define Britain's "angry young men" movement 🏆 The book reveals that Brand was once a member of a punk band called "Skin Disease" and performed as the lead singer under the name "The Sea Monster" 🎨 Brand wrote much of the book while filming as a judge on "Splash!" - a celebrity diving show - proving she could quite literally multitask while poolside