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Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times in Television
In 1994 fledgling journalist Louis Theroux was given a one-off gig on Michael Moore's TV Nation, presenting a segment on apocalyptic religious sects. Gawky, socially awkward and totally unqualified, his first reaction to this exciting opportunity was panic. But he'd always been drawn to off-beat characters, so maybe his enthusiasm would carry the day. Or, you know, maybe it wouldn't...
In Gotta Get Theroux This, Louis takes the reader on a joyous journey through his life and unexpectedly successful career. Nervously accepting the BBC's offer of his own series, he went on to create an award-winning documentary style that has seen him immersed in worlds as diverse as racist US militias and secretive pro-wrestlers, the violent gangs of Johannesburg and extreme drinkers in London.
Arguably his biggest challenge was corralling celebrities in his When Louis Met series, with Jimmy Savile proving most elusive. Blindsided when the revelations about Savile came to light, Louis was to reflect again on the nature of evil he had spent decades uncovering.
Filled with wry observation, larger-than-life characters, and self-deprecating humour, this is Louis at his insightful and honest best.
In Gotta Get Theroux This, Louis takes the reader on a joyous journey through his life and unexpectedly successful career. Nervously accepting the BBC's offer of his own series, he went on to create an award-winning documentary style that has seen him immersed in worlds as diverse as racist US militias and secretive pro-wrestlers, the violent gangs of Johannesburg and extreme drinkers in London.
Arguably his biggest challenge was corralling celebrities in his When Louis Met series, with Jimmy Savile proving most elusive. Blindsided when the revelations about Savile came to light, Louis was to reflect again on the nature of evil he had spent decades uncovering.
Filled with wry observation, larger-than-life characters, and self-deprecating humour, this is Louis at his insightful and honest best.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2019
About the author
Louis Theroux
12 books628 followersLouis (Sebastian) Theroux was born in Singapore in 1970. His father, the American novelist and travel writer, Paul Theroux, met his mother, who worked for the V.S.O., in Uganda. Louis’ older brother Marcel Theroux was born in Kampala, "so as children we sort of globe trotted." But his father decided to buy a family home in England, and they settled down in a big, rambling, dilapidated house in Wandsworth, South London. Louis went to Westminster School and then gained a First Class Degree in History at Oxford University.
On graduating, Louis decided to spend some time in the States. His summer break got longer and longer. "I didn’t have a job lined up in England and I felt that at least by being in America I was broadening my mind." Marcel had just completed a post-graduate degree at Yale, so Louis stayed with him. "I did menial work to make money and spent two months with a glass blower who made unbelievably tasteless gilded cherub goblets.
Although initially resisting the idea of going into journalism. "All my friends were writing, and I wanted to be different." Louis found a job on a local paper in the sprawling city of San Jose, "a town where nothing ever happens." A year later he went to work for the New York-based satirical magazine, Spy, where "When I asked some rappers to freestyle on gun safety, one of them threatened to beat me up."
As a correspondent for Michael Moore’s 1995 series, TV Nation, Louis anchored sixteen segments. Theroux describes his first assignment: "The Klu Klux Klan were trying desperately hard to repackage themselves and make themselves seem cuddly and nice, but inevitably they left out racist stickers or hate filled T-shirts. It was quite an eye opener." Reports on Avon Ladies in the Amazon and on President Clinton’s hometown of Hope, Arkansas followed.
In 1995, Louis developed his own Weird Weekends and produced a critically acclaimed documentary series premiere. As Theroux describes, "Weird Weekends sets out to discover the genuinely odd in the most ordinary setting. To me, it’s almost a privilege to be welcomed into these communities and to shine a light on them and, maybe, through my enthusiasm, to get people to reveal more of themselves than they may have intended. The show is laughing at me, adrift in their world, as much as at them. I don’t have to play up that stuff. I’m not a matinee idol disguised as a nerd."
Louis currently lives in West London with his wife Nancy and their three boys.
On graduating, Louis decided to spend some time in the States. His summer break got longer and longer. "I didn’t have a job lined up in England and I felt that at least by being in America I was broadening my mind." Marcel had just completed a post-graduate degree at Yale, so Louis stayed with him. "I did menial work to make money and spent two months with a glass blower who made unbelievably tasteless gilded cherub goblets.
Although initially resisting the idea of going into journalism. "All my friends were writing, and I wanted to be different." Louis found a job on a local paper in the sprawling city of San Jose, "a town where nothing ever happens." A year later he went to work for the New York-based satirical magazine, Spy, where "When I asked some rappers to freestyle on gun safety, one of them threatened to beat me up."
As a correspondent for Michael Moore’s 1995 series, TV Nation, Louis anchored sixteen segments. Theroux describes his first assignment: "The Klu Klux Klan were trying desperately hard to repackage themselves and make themselves seem cuddly and nice, but inevitably they left out racist stickers or hate filled T-shirts. It was quite an eye opener." Reports on Avon Ladies in the Amazon and on President Clinton’s hometown of Hope, Arkansas followed.
In 1995, Louis developed his own Weird Weekends and produced a critically acclaimed documentary series premiere. As Theroux describes, "Weird Weekends sets out to discover the genuinely odd in the most ordinary setting. To me, it’s almost a privilege to be welcomed into these communities and to shine a light on them and, maybe, through my enthusiasm, to get people to reveal more of themselves than they may have intended. The show is laughing at me, adrift in their world, as much as at them. I don’t have to play up that stuff. I’m not a matinee idol disguised as a nerd."
Louis currently lives in West London with his wife Nancy and their three boys.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,162 reviews
September 24, 2019
Inject Louis Theroux in my veins
May 11, 2022
Louis Theroux’s memoir is as odd as his documentary subjects. Part memoir, part Jimmy Savile book, part behind-the-scenes of his documentaries. It had a meandering quality to it that inevitably made me not want it to end. Louis is to be admired for looking inward and using his investigative skills on himself here.
The writing is understandably of a high standard; given his Oxford-education and famous writer father. It’s incredibly articulate (as expected from any award-winning journalist), while also accessible to all readers. In many ways, Gotta Get Theroux This would make a great text for journalism students - it certainly awakened my inner journalist. It was inspiring to read about the development of Louis as a journalist and budding TV presenter.
Theroux’s trademark humour and awkwardness didn't always translate to text - but once it did, the book was a lot more enjoyable. Funny anecdotes about parenting were great. The book also has gems like:
“Save some for the baby!” - after Louis gets squirted by random breast milk in a seedy adult-shop booth.
I had no idea Louis got his start in TV working for Michael Moore. It was a nice touch that things came a bit full circle by the end. I was also relieved to discover how ‘authentic’ and ‘real’ his documentary-making process is. I’ve certainly gained newfound appreciation for Louis Theroux documentaries after reading this.
So, why did I remove a star from my rating? Jimmy Bloody Savile. Once he turns up, he never leaves. Just when I thought I'd heard the last of him, he pops up in another chapter. After a while, Louis reminds you of that annoying Uncle at the family gathering who talks you into a corner - excitedly telling you all about his favourite obscure hobby, and not quite realising you don’t share the enthusiasm. An assumed level of knowledge regarding UK celebrity has-beens is placed on the reader too – I often didn’t know who he was talking about.
There’s also the fact that Louis occasionally comes across as an entitled brat. It began to veer into “never meet your idols” territory, before ultimately saving itself with a self-awareness and maturity that inevitably comes with age and parenthood. The parallels drawn from his lack of prowess in the latter (because of the skills his work requires) was fascinating.
The closing chapter was particularly insightful and a great way to finish. Besides that, some of my favourites were the chapters dealing with certain documentary subjects: Alcoholism, Dementia, San Quentin (even though they basically read like transcripts from the episodes).
Despite its downfalls, I still enjoyed Gotta Get Theroux This and recommend it to fans of his work, or those interested in journalism and TV.
“Sometimes good work arises from the absence of other options and fate rewards those who hold their nerve when things aren’t going well.”
The writing is understandably of a high standard; given his Oxford-education and famous writer father. It’s incredibly articulate (as expected from any award-winning journalist), while also accessible to all readers. In many ways, Gotta Get Theroux This would make a great text for journalism students - it certainly awakened my inner journalist. It was inspiring to read about the development of Louis as a journalist and budding TV presenter.
Theroux’s trademark humour and awkwardness didn't always translate to text - but once it did, the book was a lot more enjoyable. Funny anecdotes about parenting were great. The book also has gems like:
“Save some for the baby!” - after Louis gets squirted by random breast milk in a seedy adult-shop booth.
I had no idea Louis got his start in TV working for Michael Moore. It was a nice touch that things came a bit full circle by the end. I was also relieved to discover how ‘authentic’ and ‘real’ his documentary-making process is. I’ve certainly gained newfound appreciation for Louis Theroux documentaries after reading this.
So, why did I remove a star from my rating? Jimmy Bloody Savile. Once he turns up, he never leaves. Just when I thought I'd heard the last of him, he pops up in another chapter. After a while, Louis reminds you of that annoying Uncle at the family gathering who talks you into a corner - excitedly telling you all about his favourite obscure hobby, and not quite realising you don’t share the enthusiasm. An assumed level of knowledge regarding UK celebrity has-beens is placed on the reader too – I often didn’t know who he was talking about.
There’s also the fact that Louis occasionally comes across as an entitled brat. It began to veer into “never meet your idols” territory, before ultimately saving itself with a self-awareness and maturity that inevitably comes with age and parenthood. The parallels drawn from his lack of prowess in the latter (because of the skills his work requires) was fascinating.
The closing chapter was particularly insightful and a great way to finish. Besides that, some of my favourites were the chapters dealing with certain documentary subjects: Alcoholism, Dementia, San Quentin (even though they basically read like transcripts from the episodes).
Despite its downfalls, I still enjoyed Gotta Get Theroux This and recommend it to fans of his work, or those interested in journalism and TV.
“Sometimes good work arises from the absence of other options and fate rewards those who hold their nerve when things aren’t going well.”
December 16, 2020
I kind of wish I hadn’t read this book... I have enjoyed watching Louis Theroux’ documentaries for years (watching Weird Weekends helped me through a particularly dull time in law school), but the whole book was a disappointment and - worse - it made me dislike Louis for the first time. He comes across as very privileged and entitled and somehow his attitude towards women felt a bit weird at some points in the book. He’s also surrounded by men all of the time, so in a way he just gives of the impression of being yet another entitled white dude who (not so) secretly thinks that he’s the shit. This is something I never got from his documentaries (maybe excluding the last one about sex work), but it will be hard for me to get over that impression of him now.
As for the book itself, I thought it was unfortunately pretty boring, especially the part where he keeps going on about his celebrity documentaries. If you are not from the UK and have never heard of most of these people, it’s very hard to read pages of his re-narrating of the documentaries he shot with them. I felt as if the book lacked any real insights, however, it was funny occasionally. That’s where the second star comes from.
(One thing that really ticked me off was him mentioning a „Syrian“ pilot who was burned alive by ISIS terrorists. However, the poor man was Jordanian. There’s just something so distasteful about retelling this man‘s death so casually as part of his „research“ into ISIS and then not even getting the facts right. It’s a small thing, but it really bothered me.)
As for the book itself, I thought it was unfortunately pretty boring, especially the part where he keeps going on about his celebrity documentaries. If you are not from the UK and have never heard of most of these people, it’s very hard to read pages of his re-narrating of the documentaries he shot with them. I felt as if the book lacked any real insights, however, it was funny occasionally. That’s where the second star comes from.
(One thing that really ticked me off was him mentioning a „Syrian“ pilot who was burned alive by ISIS terrorists. However, the poor man was Jordanian. There’s just something so distasteful about retelling this man‘s death so casually as part of his „research“ into ISIS and then not even getting the facts right. It’s a small thing, but it really bothered me.)
November 21, 2021
If you like Louie Theroux then you will like this.
I listened to the audiobook which Louie narrated which made it really engaging and entertaining.
At first I felt that despite it being an autobiography, it didn’t tell me that much about Louie Theroux that I didn’t already know or could easily find out. However who’s to say how much should be revealed? That being said I did finish the book feeling like I knew Louie a lot better.
A lot of the book focuses on Jimmy Savile which I wasn’t expecting it to focus on so much however I don’t think it was detrimental to the book.
I listened to the audiobook which Louie narrated which made it really engaging and entertaining.
At first I felt that despite it being an autobiography, it didn’t tell me that much about Louie Theroux that I didn’t already know or could easily find out. However who’s to say how much should be revealed? That being said I did finish the book feeling like I knew Louie a lot better.
A lot of the book focuses on Jimmy Savile which I wasn’t expecting it to focus on so much however I don’t think it was detrimental to the book.
November 19, 2019
Before reading this book I was a massive Louis Theroux fan. I love his documentaries and I enjoyed his previous book too. This book is well written, and interesting, but it’s made me dislike Louis which isn’t great. He comes across as really, really privileged - and worse, unaware of that privilege. The chapters about his wife Nancy made me feel really sorry for her, and I felt uncomfortable with how much he talked about his first wife, Sarah, as she was clearly someone who appreciated privacy.
December 26, 2019
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Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times in Television by Louis Theroux. (2019).
Louis takes the reader on a journey from his anxiety-prone childhood to his unexpectedly successful career. He has created his own documentary style that has seen him immersed in the worlds of paranoid US militias and secretive pro-wrestlers, get under the skin of celebrities like Max Clifford and Chris Eubank and tackle gang culture in a San Quentin prison. He wonders if the qualities that make him good at documentaries might also make him bad at life. As Louis meets his wife and learns to be a father, he is also taking on the Church of Scientology. On top of this he learns that one of his old subjects, Jimmy Savile, was a secret sexual predator. Filled with wry observation and self-deprecating humour, this is Louis at his most insightful and honest best.
Just going to put it out there that perhaps (definitely) I'm a biased reviewer with this one because I'm a Louis Theroux fangirl haha. I have tickets to see Louis speak in January 2020 and wanted to get this read by then; goal achieved. I really enjoyed this in depth look at not just the documentaries, but also Louis's personal life (although the work around the documentaries is certainly covered a lot more in depth). While it's not exactly chronological at times, it isn't confusing to follow along. I found it a really interesting and also quite easy read. There is quite a lot of content around Jimmy Savile; it's clear that he got under Louis's skin and also the subsequent revelations after his death has affected Louis deeply. I'm sure if you are a fan of Louis then you will enjoy this book, and even if you've never watched his documentaries you will probably still enjoy this book!
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Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times in Television by Louis Theroux. (2019).
Louis takes the reader on a journey from his anxiety-prone childhood to his unexpectedly successful career. He has created his own documentary style that has seen him immersed in the worlds of paranoid US militias and secretive pro-wrestlers, get under the skin of celebrities like Max Clifford and Chris Eubank and tackle gang culture in a San Quentin prison. He wonders if the qualities that make him good at documentaries might also make him bad at life. As Louis meets his wife and learns to be a father, he is also taking on the Church of Scientology. On top of this he learns that one of his old subjects, Jimmy Savile, was a secret sexual predator. Filled with wry observation and self-deprecating humour, this is Louis at his most insightful and honest best.
Just going to put it out there that perhaps (definitely) I'm a biased reviewer with this one because I'm a Louis Theroux fangirl haha. I have tickets to see Louis speak in January 2020 and wanted to get this read by then; goal achieved. I really enjoyed this in depth look at not just the documentaries, but also Louis's personal life (although the work around the documentaries is certainly covered a lot more in depth). While it's not exactly chronological at times, it isn't confusing to follow along. I found it a really interesting and also quite easy read. There is quite a lot of content around Jimmy Savile; it's clear that he got under Louis's skin and also the subsequent revelations after his death has affected Louis deeply. I'm sure if you are a fan of Louis then you will enjoy this book, and even if you've never watched his documentaries you will probably still enjoy this book!
January 24, 2020
3 STARS!
This book would not have come on to my radar if it wasn’t for a friend in my book club. She’s from the UK and she really enjoyed watching his BBC documentaries back in the day.
I didn’t know much about Louis Theroux before this book but I now know much more. This was part memoir and mesh mash on all things that happened on his shows and in life. He does seem like an interesting guy.
To me, Gotta Get Theroux This was just okay for me. I think it could be rated higher and have a more positive experience by someone who’s actually seen some of his documentaries like Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends or When Louis Met….
Since I haven’t seen any of his shows, it was a nice experience to read about his life, growing up years and all the people that were interviewed.
I do think this book could have been shorter. A lot of chapters felt repetitive especially when he would talk about a famous person that he interviewed. I didn’t need multiple chapters on it and could have been fine with one chapter explaining who it was and all the issues that the film makers ran into.
In conclusion, if you are a HUGE Louis Theroux fan, I think you’ll really enjoy this book!
And if you are like me and don’t know much about him or his shows, I think you’ll still find it a pleasant read.
This book would not have come on to my radar if it wasn’t for a friend in my book club. She’s from the UK and she really enjoyed watching his BBC documentaries back in the day.
I didn’t know much about Louis Theroux before this book but I now know much more. This was part memoir and mesh mash on all things that happened on his shows and in life. He does seem like an interesting guy.
To me, Gotta Get Theroux This was just okay for me. I think it could be rated higher and have a more positive experience by someone who’s actually seen some of his documentaries like Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends or When Louis Met….
Since I haven’t seen any of his shows, it was a nice experience to read about his life, growing up years and all the people that were interviewed.
I do think this book could have been shorter. A lot of chapters felt repetitive especially when he would talk about a famous person that he interviewed. I didn’t need multiple chapters on it and could have been fine with one chapter explaining who it was and all the issues that the film makers ran into.
In conclusion, if you are a HUGE Louis Theroux fan, I think you’ll really enjoy this book!
And if you are like me and don’t know much about him or his shows, I think you’ll still find it a pleasant read.
November 12, 2019
The bad type of celebrity memoir that just recounts the different pieces of work the person has done. Since Theroux works on documentaries, with himself as a presenter and subject, this is more annoying than usual. The book recounts most of his documentaries and how he reacted to certain subjects. Since I've already seen the documentaries, and knew how he reacted through watching them, this made the book somewhat redundant.
Theroux does get deeper on two subjects, his relationship with Jimmy Savile and his marriage to his second wife. I didn't find either subject very satisfying, mainly because there seemed to be little growth on Theroux's part in either area. He's clinical in discussing the details but I didn't get a sense he delved as deep as he could have.
There seemed to be little growth with Theroux throughout the book, aside from getting better at making documentaries, which meant it didn't describe a very compelling journey.
Theroux does get deeper on two subjects, his relationship with Jimmy Savile and his marriage to his second wife. I didn't find either subject very satisfying, mainly because there seemed to be little growth on Theroux's part in either area. He's clinical in discussing the details but I didn't get a sense he delved as deep as he could have.
There seemed to be little growth with Theroux throughout the book, aside from getting better at making documentaries, which meant it didn't describe a very compelling journey.
October 13, 2019
I had high expectations going into this but I was defintely let down.
While this was interesting, I found that it lacked much humour or wit. I think Louis is really funny so I was expecting some humour in this book. Unfortunately I felt that it wasn't very funny, which is a shame.
I don't read a lot of memoirs, but I choose to pick this one up because I really like Louis and the documentaries he has done but I ended up not really enjoying this much.
It felt very formal, fact after fact after fact and that wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting more personal insight into his life and career
I also really do not recommend the audiobook. Louis does impressions of the famous people he was interviewing or making a documentary about , which was cringey and hard to listen to. In my opinion doing an impression of Jimmy savile is just bad taste and inappropriate.
Overall, this was just alright but largely very disappointing
While this was interesting, I found that it lacked much humour or wit. I think Louis is really funny so I was expecting some humour in this book. Unfortunately I felt that it wasn't very funny, which is a shame.
I don't read a lot of memoirs, but I choose to pick this one up because I really like Louis and the documentaries he has done but I ended up not really enjoying this much.
It felt very formal, fact after fact after fact and that wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting more personal insight into his life and career
I also really do not recommend the audiobook. Louis does impressions of the famous people he was interviewing or making a documentary about , which was cringey and hard to listen to. In my opinion doing an impression of Jimmy savile is just bad taste and inappropriate.
Overall, this was just alright but largely very disappointing
February 1, 2020
Very interesting!
September 22, 2019
If you enjoy watching Louis on the tv you will absolutely love this book. He goes into some detail on some of the main tv programmes, the fantastic Scientology film as well as elements of his private life, but by far is the indepth goings on and his personal feelings on the Jimmy Savile affair and how for some ridiculous reason he still appears to carry some guilt. I adore watching Louis's programmes and am happy to say I have watched them all and this book just adds to the understanding of the man himself . All I can say is buy and read This amazing book.
January 7, 2022
Let’s say straight away. Louis does not have his father’s writing ability. Then again not many people do but what Louis does have is a good way of presenting documentaries. His ‘Weird Weekends; and ‘When Louis Met…’ series were both very good.
There were some odd things like calling his first wife Sarah which he says is not her real name, but you can find her on the internet and Twitter in seconds. You do not really get a look into his parents or even his brother. Then there is the Jimmy Savile documentary and he and Louis become friends and stay in contact. This is obviously something that wears on Theroux as this takes up a chunk of the book. He seems to want to get it out on the page like some kind of therapy. Does he feel guilty that he befriended him?
He made a Scientology movie but I remember when it came out that it felt very late in the game. There had been so much about Scientology before then I am not sure another movie was needed. The film did well, nonetheless.
I listened to the Marc Maron podcast with Louis and I am not sure why Marc had him on. Marc does not appear to like him due to him being interviewed by Theroux for a doc and it not being used and Louis certainly did not endear himself. If you do not know the Louis Theroux docs and are not English then you are not going to get much out of this. I am both of those and to be honest I did not get much out of it either. It seems that after all that he didn’t really want to give that much away about his private life. The thought process and how they went about making documentaries was interesting though. Really the subtitle should have been ‘My strange times in television with a little fluff about my life’
There were some odd things like calling his first wife Sarah which he says is not her real name, but you can find her on the internet and Twitter in seconds. You do not really get a look into his parents or even his brother. Then there is the Jimmy Savile documentary and he and Louis become friends and stay in contact. This is obviously something that wears on Theroux as this takes up a chunk of the book. He seems to want to get it out on the page like some kind of therapy. Does he feel guilty that he befriended him?
He made a Scientology movie but I remember when it came out that it felt very late in the game. There had been so much about Scientology before then I am not sure another movie was needed. The film did well, nonetheless.
I listened to the Marc Maron podcast with Louis and I am not sure why Marc had him on. Marc does not appear to like him due to him being interviewed by Theroux for a doc and it not being used and Louis certainly did not endear himself. If you do not know the Louis Theroux docs and are not English then you are not going to get much out of this. I am both of those and to be honest I did not get much out of it either. It seems that after all that he didn’t really want to give that much away about his private life. The thought process and how they went about making documentaries was interesting though. Really the subtitle should have been ‘My strange times in television with a little fluff about my life’
October 22, 2019
Admissions: 1) I’m a Louis Theroux fan (so perceptions may be biased). 2) I’ve watched/listened/read most of his work (hmm...May skew the bias). 3) Listened to the audio version narrated by Louis (I always seem to enjoy the author/narrator presentations a little more).
Review: interesting, in-depth and interspersed with lashings of misgivings and personal fear of failure. Not entirely chronological but delving into the issues which occur during filming, the sheer length of time it takes and the various hurdles were enlightening. What makes the cut and what never sees the day we’re also very interesting.
The downside (and as a fan this is difficult to admit), some topics are over-baked and others barely in the mixing bowl. It is a long read at times, when I felt I just ‘had to get through this bit’ (but flies by in other sections). Devoted fans will thoroughly enjoy; fence-sitters will probably still enjoy it and if Louis’s style drives you nuts, this non-fiction is a replication of his persona in words.
I’d highly recommend to fans of Louis Theroux.
Review: interesting, in-depth and interspersed with lashings of misgivings and personal fear of failure. Not entirely chronological but delving into the issues which occur during filming, the sheer length of time it takes and the various hurdles were enlightening. What makes the cut and what never sees the day we’re also very interesting.
The downside (and as a fan this is difficult to admit), some topics are over-baked and others barely in the mixing bowl. It is a long read at times, when I felt I just ‘had to get through this bit’ (but flies by in other sections). Devoted fans will thoroughly enjoy; fence-sitters will probably still enjoy it and if Louis’s style drives you nuts, this non-fiction is a replication of his persona in words.
I’d highly recommend to fans of Louis Theroux.
September 30, 2020
I have enjoyed many of Louis's documentaries and this memoir is mainly a look at all the different programmes he has made plus a bit of personal background.
It was interesting but not ground breaking!
I love Louis's use of language and it worked so well narrated by Louis himself.
It was great to relive/recall some of my favourite programmes.
It was interesting but not ground breaking!
I love Louis's use of language and it worked so well narrated by Louis himself.
It was great to relive/recall some of my favourite programmes.
October 25, 2019
I enjoyed this but I preferred his first book, " The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures "
A lot of this book recounts scenes from his documentaries, some of which I've seen many times already.. I was interested in behind-the-scenes moments or details about abandoned projects.
He describes a lot of his doubts about his work and the extent of his imposter syndrome, he's also very critical of himself, particularly for not uncovering Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse somehow.
The most personal the book gets is when he describes how his work affected his relationship. He was busy working on his documentaries when his children were young - leaving for two weeks at a time - and he describes how frustrated and unhappy his wife was. She thought he should spend more time at home with the children and less traveling for work, he thought they should hire help so she would be less burdened. It sounds like the relationship problems are ongoing, given he said this in an interview recently:
"Nancy thinks that (I will retire soon), and I don't know that I have the heart to tell her that I don't see it on the horizon" (kind of odd to say this in an interview)
These sections are unpleasant to read because the relationship sounds so unhappy.
A lot of this book recounts scenes from his documentaries, some of which I've seen many times already.. I was interested in behind-the-scenes moments or details about abandoned projects.
He describes a lot of his doubts about his work and the extent of his imposter syndrome, he's also very critical of himself, particularly for not uncovering Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse somehow.
The most personal the book gets is when he describes how his work affected his relationship. He was busy working on his documentaries when his children were young - leaving for two weeks at a time - and he describes how frustrated and unhappy his wife was. She thought he should spend more time at home with the children and less traveling for work, he thought they should hire help so she would be less burdened. It sounds like the relationship problems are ongoing, given he said this in an interview recently:
"Nancy thinks that (I will retire soon), and I don't know that I have the heart to tell her that I don't see it on the horizon" (kind of odd to say this in an interview)
These sections are unpleasant to read because the relationship sounds so unhappy.
November 28, 2019
I downloaded this book to audible based on the positive reviews but found it very disappointing as a biography. Apart from some small, carefully sanitised, sections on his actual life, most of the book was taken up with a mix of endless analysis of his friendship with Jimmy Saville and a lengthy description and retelling of every documentary he has ever made tape by tape. I got the feeling that after signing the book deal he must have had writers block and resorted to watching all his back catalogue of work and re-enacting it along with comments he found from any other notebooks from the time which he perhaps found in a box in the garage. I am surprised this book is so highly rated as it just seemed really badly constructed to me and lazy. In the audio version we get a bonus chapter where he begins by explaining that his editor made him cut two chapters on Jimmy Saville out of the printed book as she felt he was in danger of the Jimmy machinations overpowering the purpose of the text (which they do). He then explains in the audio book that he still thinks that one of the chapters is pretty good and thus inflicts it on the listener... I always quite liked Louis but I found this book excruciating and increasingly pushed the ‘skip forward’ button as it progressed. Come on Louis, as a journalist you can surely do better than this?!
June 18, 2020
I’ve often thought about my fantasy top 10 dream dinner party guests and Louis Theroux would be in the top 5 for sure!
He is just such a tonic.
Witty, down-to-earth, approachable, intelligent, funny and a fantastic writer with amazing recall, this book is a revelation.
A brilliant read.
He is just such a tonic.
Witty, down-to-earth, approachable, intelligent, funny and a fantastic writer with amazing recall, this book is a revelation.
A brilliant read.
January 17, 2020
Overall, I enjoyed listening to this book, and I would recommend it. I found it entertaining and well-paced. However, Louis' reflections on Saville are disappointing, cold, detached and far too focused on himself and Saville rather than the victims.
I've read other reviewers writing that Louis was 'deeply affected' by the revelations about Saville. While I agree that he was undoubtedly perturbed and inconvenienced by them, I don't completely agree with the implication that he was saddened or sickened as one might expect. His musings instead sound vaguely self-righteous and defensive and like those of someone who just doesn't quite get the big deal. For example, he troublingly refers to the act of Jimmy raping a fourteen year old having groomed her for several weeks and luring her to a caravan, which subsequently leaves her pregnant and having to give her baby up for adoption, as "having sex with". It shouldn't have to be explained to Louis that it's not possible for a man in a position of staggering power to have consenting sex with a fourteen year old child; this was rape and it should have been called that word instead of being sanitised. Perhaps he was respecting her choice of words, but if this was the case he should have commented to make that clear. Louis also alludes a couple of times to the well-worn argument about "different times and different moral values" in a vague but lucid way that gives the impression that he is at his core very sympathetic to this view. Strikingly, at no point in the extremely long treatment of the subject does he report any humane or compassionate emotional responses to the victims' harrowing testimonies. Nor does he report any emotional responses to re-watching his time with Saville that one would expect of someone who has connected with the plight of these victims, such as revulsion, horror or disturbed feelings. Instead, after reviewing one tape he admits to "boredom" and the old feelings of friendship and familiarity stirring up. Whilst I admire his honesty in other parts of the book, his admission of this was perhaps ill-judged and too revealing. He let some of the victims' testimonies stand for themselves, but the omission of human feeling was ultimately troubling. It makes me reflect on those who idealise Louis Theroux' questioning and see his sparse style as magical and nonjudgmental and it makes me think that we often project onto mysterious, stoic and intelligent white men a great deal more compassion than they may actually posses.
Linked to this, at the beginning of the book Louis was utterly lacking in awareness of his own white privilege when meeting with white supremecist after Nazi after white supremecist. Nor did he at any point concede that he couldn't have had that job as a black or brown person. He reported his feelings of mild excitement or whatever else in being in close proximity to these men with a stunning lack of reflection that his cool, calm and collectedness was not owing to character superiority but rather to the fact that his physical size, maleness, straightness and whiteness and lack of racialised traumatic history conferred on him a sense of security and safety in their presence that others would not have been afforded. Again, no mention of the lived experience of victims of Nazism or racism. Moreover, although I commend his honesty in talking about the arguments with his wife about her carrying the disproportionate burden of childcare and domestic tasks, he never gets to a point of connecting with or understanding the inherent gendered injustices here, nor does he reflect in a meaningful way about plight of women.
Finally, throughout the book Louis regularly lumps mentally ill people in with categories of weirdos, paedophiles and murderers apparently without realising how stigmatising this is. The first time he did it, I could overlook it. The third time, when he said things like, "talking about prisoners or the mentally ill, I can't remember which", I was bothered. Again, people's lack of mental illness is not due to character superiority but due to the privilege of a good enough childhood and young adulthood that are absent of permanently damaging traumas. In his book, however, they are very much "othered" and constructed as objects of weird fascination.
Louis makes some commendable efforts at superficial humility and self-deprecation in the book, but I couldn't help but feel that this was slightly performed and that he is perhaps more narcissistic than he lets on, particularly in the context of the glaring omissions of sentiment at appropriate points. It is clear that he utterly lacks deep or nuanced understanding of complex issues of societal injustice (ironically, given the subjects of his documentaries) and how they affect the lived experience of people of colour or women. I suspect that since he's moved in the world as a male it's unlikely he's experienced the build up of objectification, injustice, harassment and very often assault that women have had scar, rattle and challenge them repeatedly, and that it is likely owing to this that he cannot- despite repetitive and lengthy meditation on the subject- muster anything approximating depth of feeling or authentic empathy that would connect him to the horrific experiences endured by Saville's victims. There is far too much justification of why he "missed" the signs, which is unfortunately missing the point. I guess we are all an amalgamation of our experiences and people cannot give what they don't have. But Louis is someone who has had ample opportunity for education on these subjects, more than most, and I expected more.
All of these are critiques of Louis' moral perspective in the book and not critiques of the book itself. The book is full of admirable candor at times, it has momentum and is compelling and interesting. It remains eloquent and intelligent throughout. However, after spending so much time with Louis and this book I felt the need to get this off my chest. Hopefully, Louis will read and take in some of the points from these reviews and carry them into future documentaries.
I've read other reviewers writing that Louis was 'deeply affected' by the revelations about Saville. While I agree that he was undoubtedly perturbed and inconvenienced by them, I don't completely agree with the implication that he was saddened or sickened as one might expect. His musings instead sound vaguely self-righteous and defensive and like those of someone who just doesn't quite get the big deal. For example, he troublingly refers to the act of Jimmy raping a fourteen year old having groomed her for several weeks and luring her to a caravan, which subsequently leaves her pregnant and having to give her baby up for adoption, as "having sex with". It shouldn't have to be explained to Louis that it's not possible for a man in a position of staggering power to have consenting sex with a fourteen year old child; this was rape and it should have been called that word instead of being sanitised. Perhaps he was respecting her choice of words, but if this was the case he should have commented to make that clear. Louis also alludes a couple of times to the well-worn argument about "different times and different moral values" in a vague but lucid way that gives the impression that he is at his core very sympathetic to this view. Strikingly, at no point in the extremely long treatment of the subject does he report any humane or compassionate emotional responses to the victims' harrowing testimonies. Nor does he report any emotional responses to re-watching his time with Saville that one would expect of someone who has connected with the plight of these victims, such as revulsion, horror or disturbed feelings. Instead, after reviewing one tape he admits to "boredom" and the old feelings of friendship and familiarity stirring up. Whilst I admire his honesty in other parts of the book, his admission of this was perhaps ill-judged and too revealing. He let some of the victims' testimonies stand for themselves, but the omission of human feeling was ultimately troubling. It makes me reflect on those who idealise Louis Theroux' questioning and see his sparse style as magical and nonjudgmental and it makes me think that we often project onto mysterious, stoic and intelligent white men a great deal more compassion than they may actually posses.
Linked to this, at the beginning of the book Louis was utterly lacking in awareness of his own white privilege when meeting with white supremecist after Nazi after white supremecist. Nor did he at any point concede that he couldn't have had that job as a black or brown person. He reported his feelings of mild excitement or whatever else in being in close proximity to these men with a stunning lack of reflection that his cool, calm and collectedness was not owing to character superiority but rather to the fact that his physical size, maleness, straightness and whiteness and lack of racialised traumatic history conferred on him a sense of security and safety in their presence that others would not have been afforded. Again, no mention of the lived experience of victims of Nazism or racism. Moreover, although I commend his honesty in talking about the arguments with his wife about her carrying the disproportionate burden of childcare and domestic tasks, he never gets to a point of connecting with or understanding the inherent gendered injustices here, nor does he reflect in a meaningful way about plight of women.
Finally, throughout the book Louis regularly lumps mentally ill people in with categories of weirdos, paedophiles and murderers apparently without realising how stigmatising this is. The first time he did it, I could overlook it. The third time, when he said things like, "talking about prisoners or the mentally ill, I can't remember which", I was bothered. Again, people's lack of mental illness is not due to character superiority but due to the privilege of a good enough childhood and young adulthood that are absent of permanently damaging traumas. In his book, however, they are very much "othered" and constructed as objects of weird fascination.
Louis makes some commendable efforts at superficial humility and self-deprecation in the book, but I couldn't help but feel that this was slightly performed and that he is perhaps more narcissistic than he lets on, particularly in the context of the glaring omissions of sentiment at appropriate points. It is clear that he utterly lacks deep or nuanced understanding of complex issues of societal injustice (ironically, given the subjects of his documentaries) and how they affect the lived experience of people of colour or women. I suspect that since he's moved in the world as a male it's unlikely he's experienced the build up of objectification, injustice, harassment and very often assault that women have had scar, rattle and challenge them repeatedly, and that it is likely owing to this that he cannot- despite repetitive and lengthy meditation on the subject- muster anything approximating depth of feeling or authentic empathy that would connect him to the horrific experiences endured by Saville's victims. There is far too much justification of why he "missed" the signs, which is unfortunately missing the point. I guess we are all an amalgamation of our experiences and people cannot give what they don't have. But Louis is someone who has had ample opportunity for education on these subjects, more than most, and I expected more.
All of these are critiques of Louis' moral perspective in the book and not critiques of the book itself. The book is full of admirable candor at times, it has momentum and is compelling and interesting. It remains eloquent and intelligent throughout. However, after spending so much time with Louis and this book I felt the need to get this off my chest. Hopefully, Louis will read and take in some of the points from these reviews and carry them into future documentaries.
February 27, 2021
4.50 Stars (rounded up) — Exactly what — as a fan — you would hope for in a memoir from the great Louis Theroux. Louis is rich in his retelling of a stellar, wild, wacky and wonderful career as a documentarian and gives great insight into both his upbringing, early career as a journalist in small-time news rags and perhaps is best when Theroux is offering his internalist prose that is utterly fascinating and offers such insight, it’s clear he is an avid journal-logger.
I’ve always felt drawn to Louis Theroux, right from ‘Wacky Weekends’ days. His one-of-kind personality that is at once Instantly warm and affable yet whilst also awkward, straight-shooting & self-deprecating. Theroux is at his absolute best in this memoir — that I highly recommend reading simultaneously with the audiobook — He is not only engaging and enlightening but his reflection is painted with such warmth and care that I realise now is all the more raw because he has always appeared to me as though slightly naturally reticent, which I suppose is yet another layer of his allure and appealing personality.
I really found this hard to put down, especially the passages when discussing his time at boarding school and those early working pre-fame years. They are told so intricately and through such an intrinsic focus, I found it truly heartwarming and eye-opening in a unique way that only Louis could invoke.
Anyone with an interest in the man himself or even anyone whom enjoys a good memoir, should absolutely book in a few 3-4 hour sessions with this one. It will not disappoint!
I’ve always felt drawn to Louis Theroux, right from ‘Wacky Weekends’ days. His one-of-kind personality that is at once Instantly warm and affable yet whilst also awkward, straight-shooting & self-deprecating. Theroux is at his absolute best in this memoir — that I highly recommend reading simultaneously with the audiobook — He is not only engaging and enlightening but his reflection is painted with such warmth and care that I realise now is all the more raw because he has always appeared to me as though slightly naturally reticent, which I suppose is yet another layer of his allure and appealing personality.
I really found this hard to put down, especially the passages when discussing his time at boarding school and those early working pre-fame years. They are told so intricately and through such an intrinsic focus, I found it truly heartwarming and eye-opening in a unique way that only Louis could invoke.
Anyone with an interest in the man himself or even anyone whom enjoys a good memoir, should absolutely book in a few 3-4 hour sessions with this one. It will not disappoint!
April 21, 2021
Audiobook via Audible
Louis Theroux documentaries have been an interest of mine the past year. I watched a bunch of them and each interesting in their own way. Strange situations and topics, but always interesting and eyeopening in a way.
Listening to this book was a behind the scenes of the approach of Louis Theroux towards his career, but also his documentaries. Some of the documentaries he talked about I ended up watching before continuing the book, because it gives an understanding what he's talking about.
He says it himself at the end of the book. People who read it thought it was focusing on Jimmy Saville a lot. I'd say I can't disagree, but then it feels like it has had a big impact on his career and life, therefore it's logical that it takes up a lot of space in the book. I didn't mind it, because we hear around the backround of the documentaries and how Louis experienced it, in a position that many people at the time fulfilled. Unknowing.
On the other hand, I would've liked it as well if every chapter discussed a different documentary or something. The situations he gets in are already strange, the way getting there must be worth hearing about as well.
Louis Theroux documentaries have been an interest of mine the past year. I watched a bunch of them and each interesting in their own way. Strange situations and topics, but always interesting and eyeopening in a way.
Listening to this book was a behind the scenes of the approach of Louis Theroux towards his career, but also his documentaries. Some of the documentaries he talked about I ended up watching before continuing the book, because it gives an understanding what he's talking about.
He says it himself at the end of the book. People who read it thought it was focusing on Jimmy Saville a lot. I'd say I can't disagree, but then it feels like it has had a big impact on his career and life, therefore it's logical that it takes up a lot of space in the book. I didn't mind it, because we hear around the backround of the documentaries and how Louis experienced it, in a position that many people at the time fulfilled. Unknowing.
On the other hand, I would've liked it as well if every chapter discussed a different documentary or something. The situations he gets in are already strange, the way getting there must be worth hearing about as well.
October 12, 2019
Awesome!
If people are extremely British, it's like nowhere they go or nothing they see in the world can convince them out of their Britishness! They're all, "Ooh, sorry", "How did I get here?" and "Did I do anything worthy of an award?"
It's like "No, Mr de Botton, not all things end inevitably in disappointment—you're just very British" :P
If people are extremely British, it's like nowhere they go or nothing they see in the world can convince them out of their Britishness! They're all, "Ooh, sorry", "How did I get here?" and "Did I do anything worthy of an award?"
It's like "No, Mr de Botton, not all things end inevitably in disappointment—you're just very British" :P
March 16, 2022
wheres the 3.5 star option? I think while it's pretty interesting, my enjoyment faded when louis stopped talking about his personal life so much, and chapters started cropping up where he explains what happened in shows he made. a lot of people have criticised the extensive coverage he gives to his relationship with Jimmy Savile, but I found that actually pretty interesting.
October 24, 2019
I did enjoy this book, but it has made me like Louis a little bit less...
Quite a few times he came across as very privileged and entitled - particularly when (SPOILERS AHEAD) he was only in his 20s and the BBC took a huge chance on him to put his name to the Weird Weekends show and his reaction was... unsure, did he really want to do this? Was this really him? Oh no, why don't I put it on pause for 2 years to pursue becoming a sitcom writer instead... I mean, WHAT?! He also doesn't seem to have grown out of it, since when he was receiving emails about whether the Scientology film was going to get a theater release he only 'skim read' the emails. I really just can't believe the arrogance of that. BUT all that being said - i still enjoy his documentary style and find him very clever and entertaining. I think he might just want to check his privilege once in a while...
Quite a few times he came across as very privileged and entitled - particularly when (SPOILERS AHEAD) he was only in his 20s and the BBC took a huge chance on him to put his name to the Weird Weekends show and his reaction was... unsure, did he really want to do this? Was this really him? Oh no, why don't I put it on pause for 2 years to pursue becoming a sitcom writer instead... I mean, WHAT?! He also doesn't seem to have grown out of it, since when he was receiving emails about whether the Scientology film was going to get a theater release he only 'skim read' the emails. I really just can't believe the arrogance of that. BUT all that being said - i still enjoy his documentary style and find him very clever and entertaining. I think he might just want to check his privilege once in a while...
October 6, 2019
Louis Theroux is as weirdly wonderful on the page as he is on screen. This thoughtful and funny revisitation of his more memorable celebrity and cultist encounters feels intimate and revealing - offering a unique insight into Louis’ creative process.
It’s also a surprisingly candid reflection on his own foibles; after much soul-searching, he identifies as being as complicated, flawed and ultimately human as his documentary subjects.
A commendable attempt at self-examination, this is a great read for fans of the documentary-maker, or anyone who enjoys a bloody good autobiography!
It’s also a surprisingly candid reflection on his own foibles; after much soul-searching, he identifies as being as complicated, flawed and ultimately human as his documentary subjects.
A commendable attempt at self-examination, this is a great read for fans of the documentary-maker, or anyone who enjoys a bloody good autobiography!
October 14, 2019
I’m not even a little surprised that I loved this- I have been watching and enjoying Louis Theroux’s documentaries for years and years, so it was great to get some insights into the making of them. I felt this was very open and honest look back at this life- often brutally so. He definitely doesn’t shy away from talking about things he thinks he did wrong, or exploring painful moments in his past. If you’re a fan of his, or of his documentaries, then I can’t imagine you won’t also enjoy this book.
August 27, 2022
I love Louis Theroux so when the opportunity came to listen to this audio book, I jumped at it. His voice is wonderful and listening to his recollections about his life and career in tv was utterly fascinating. I particularly enjoyed hearing his memories about his time with the creepy Jimmy Saville - I remember watching that documentary years ago, before the news broke about him, thinking he was a very odd man.
Just like his tv shows the book shows Louis as an endearing and genuine person, who has had/is having a really interesting career and has met some VERY strange people along the way!
Just like his tv shows the book shows Louis as an endearing and genuine person, who has had/is having a really interesting career and has met some VERY strange people along the way!
February 29, 2020
To be honest, I got theroux (!) this mostly as an audio book - read by Louis Theroux himself.
His voice, diction and overall narration reminded me of the voice-over from one of his documentaries - awkward, educated and inquiring.
The biggest surprise for me was the separation of the screen-self to the lived-self. Obviously, the screen-self is crafted and edited. But, how much was genuine and spontaneous has always intrigued me as a viewer.
Theroux shares his inner thoughts and self with the reader, showing self-doubt, self-awareness and informed self-reflection. As a viewer I had never taken the time to research Theroux’s background or education.
Quotes from Nietzsche, French phrases and referencing historians made me realise my expectations of Theroux were way off.
And, I ended up googling a few of his relatives after they were mentioned in the text. How did I not realise his father was a writer?! And Justin Theroux..! I just assumed it was a common name.
Overall, those three stars I’ve tapped above don’t reflect the anticipation and enjoyment I felt each day returning to this book and audiobook, or to Louis Theroux’s work. It’s been like catching up with an old school friend and reminiscing. I watched all those documentaries over the years, and returning to them in this text has been oddly rewarding.
Thank you, Louis Theroux.
His voice, diction and overall narration reminded me of the voice-over from one of his documentaries - awkward, educated and inquiring.
The biggest surprise for me was the separation of the screen-self to the lived-self. Obviously, the screen-self is crafted and edited. But, how much was genuine and spontaneous has always intrigued me as a viewer.
Theroux shares his inner thoughts and self with the reader, showing self-doubt, self-awareness and informed self-reflection. As a viewer I had never taken the time to research Theroux’s background or education.
Quotes from Nietzsche, French phrases and referencing historians made me realise my expectations of Theroux were way off.
And, I ended up googling a few of his relatives after they were mentioned in the text. How did I not realise his father was a writer?! And Justin Theroux..! I just assumed it was a common name.
Overall, those three stars I’ve tapped above don’t reflect the anticipation and enjoyment I felt each day returning to this book and audiobook, or to Louis Theroux’s work. It’s been like catching up with an old school friend and reminiscing. I watched all those documentaries over the years, and returning to them in this text has been oddly rewarding.
Thank you, Louis Theroux.
May 2, 2020
Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times on Television is, like the author, self deprecating, honest and amusing. If you like Louis Theroux you'll like this.
He spends a disproportionate time discussing Jimmy Savile, someone he regarded as a kind of friend, so perhaps not surprising he wants to unpack his feelings about him.
Elsewhere he briefly chronicles his childhood, university, early working life, his loves, and his family.
Louis Theroux has carved out an interesting niche in television, and it is when discussing his work, specifically his more memorable documentaries, that this book works best. So much so, that I could have done without most of the other stuff.
3/5
He spends a disproportionate time discussing Jimmy Savile, someone he regarded as a kind of friend, so perhaps not surprising he wants to unpack his feelings about him.
Elsewhere he briefly chronicles his childhood, university, early working life, his loves, and his family.
Louis Theroux has carved out an interesting niche in television, and it is when discussing his work, specifically his more memorable documentaries, that this book works best. So much so, that I could have done without most of the other stuff.
3/5
May 25, 2020
Like Call of the Weird before it, this book is an exercise in recycling. The most interesting parts are about Louis himself, unusual in a man normally so self-effacing. It will make some readers feel old to see Paul Theroux relegated to the role of dad and tidied away in the early chapters. It does, however, provide the book’s funniest paragraph.
‘My father published short stories in Playboy so there was also, conveniently, a stash of pornography in the house. I borrowed these and I find it hard to believe he never noticed them becoming more battered throughout the eighties. It’s possible he thought I was reading his fiction.’
Louis’s blank, ease-setting persona isn’t entirely a pose; but its application, off-camera, makes him sound like a savant. He reacts to the birth of his children the way a check-out girl reacts to scanning through her umpteenth tin of soup.
‘My father published short stories in Playboy so there was also, conveniently, a stash of pornography in the house. I borrowed these and I find it hard to believe he never noticed them becoming more battered throughout the eighties. It’s possible he thought I was reading his fiction.’
Louis’s blank, ease-setting persona isn’t entirely a pose; but its application, off-camera, makes him sound like a savant. He reacts to the birth of his children the way a check-out girl reacts to scanning through her umpteenth tin of soup.
January 10, 2020
Zzzzzzz. Louis Theroux sat down with his diary and chronicled all the documentaries and tv shows he made, leaving out anything interesting and just putting in all the boring bits. He even rehashes a boring, on going argument with his wife about the division of work in their household.
As a punishment for listening to the audiobook, Theroux has added yet another chapter about Jimmy Saville even though his editor got it dropped from the print version on the basis of there was already too much of it.
As a punishment for listening to the audiobook, Theroux has added yet another chapter about Jimmy Saville even though his editor got it dropped from the print version on the basis of there was already too much of it.
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