Not So Well Read

In keeping with my New Year Resolution to finish reading any book I started during 2008, I find myself night after night in bed with Michael Parkinson. Not literally. Although that might be more interesting than the book itself.

The tag line of Parky’s autobiography is “meet the man who’s met everybody” – fantastic. But don’t make the same assumption I did – that the man who’s met comedy legends, sporting heroes and stars of stage and screen will be interesting in his own right. Because he’s not. That is, unless, you like cricket. Because Michael Parkinson bloody loves it. And he talks about it. A lot.

When you break it down, the book is a heart warming tale of how a young lad from a mining village in Yorkshire because a world-class journalist working on fleet street, going on to help create Granada television and then, finally, hosting his own TV show. But I couldn’t help feel a bit miffed that it all seemed to come a bit easy to ol’ Parky. Even if it didn’t, that’s how it came across. Maybe it’s his modest northern slant on life but, even when Parky describes his time as a war correspondent, he simply comments how he didn’t enjoy it, so decided not to do it anymore. I’m sure there must have been emotional turmoil and struggle for Parkinson, but he seems to have been at the end of a lot of ‘in the right place and the right time’-ness. And good for Parky! You can’t deny his talent and unashamed icon status, but the story of his life just doesn’t translate into the written word.

It was only when I went to see Parky in conversation it all made sense to me. Normally when I go to a book reading or author’s Q&A session no matter how much I enjoy it after half an hour I become very aware of how numb my bum is, or how much I need to cough loudly in the silent room. But at Parky’s talk, he kept his audience captivated with anecdotes, video footage and tales of his childhood for almost two hours. I think that’s where his book falls down – it lacks… Parky. You need his warm dulcet tones to soothe you like a cuddle with his near-perfect timing and cheeky glint in his eyes.

What he has to say is fascinating, but you need the man himself to tell you the story.