"Gavin and Stacey": From Barry to Billericay - Books (James Corden, Hardcover)

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Customer Reviews of "Gavin and Stacey": From Barry to Billericay

Dr. George L. Sik
Epsom, Surrey
16th November 2008

The ideal gift for any fan of the series
Gavin and Stacey has been something of a little phenomenon, winning awards aplenty and appealing to a wide cross-section of ages. Its success lies in creating a skewed but completely believable world populated by eccentric but lovable characters. Its essential sweetness is ideal for disguising the odd completely filthy gag or piercing satirical observation (the surnames of Gavin and Stacey being Shipman and West is only the tip of the iceberg. Here, for example, a police incident report recalling Gavin leaping a ticket barrier evokes uncomfortable parallels with the De Menezes case).

James Corden and Ruth Jones are not only wonderful performers but write with real comic insight into the quirkiness of life and the human condition. The story of Gavin and Stacey is, at heart, a simple one of boy meets girl, but their families and friends throw up such a wealth of eccentricities and foibles that...well...there's a whole book's worth of stuff about them.

The whole thing is presented as a scrapbook of cuttings, documents, Facebook entries etc (I was reminded of The League of Gentlemen's book some years ago or The Goodies Files from way, way back) with much to amuse the fan. It should perhaps be pointed out that someone who doesn't know the series well already may not know quite what to make of it - get the DVDs first!

These titbits flesh out the characters wonderfully. See the order of service from the wedding with Smithy's scribbled notes. Find out more about Ness and John Prescott. Marvel at Gwen's recipes for omelettes.

The star of it all is, of course, Uncle Bryn. Do we find out any more about that mysterious fishing trip? Alas no, but there's plenty to keep us entertained and it's impossible not to hear Rob Brydon's voice in your head as you read these bits.

All in all, a worthy addition to an unexpected and much deserved success story - and one which proved that BBC3 is capable of giving us something rather better than Two Pints of bloody Lager and a Packet of effing Crisps.

V. Rendall
Northumberland UK
15th November 2008

I won't lie to you-this book is lush!
If you are a G+S fan, you will enjoy this book.It has lots of insights into all the characters, and in a most unusual format-text messages, recipes, letters, and a whole lot more.It was written by the hugely talented Corden and Jones.I, for one, hope they'll relent and give us a third series.
Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

Ms. L. Goss

6th November 2008

A cracking read - funny and informative!
This is a must read for any fan of the show. There's so much to look at, and so many different styles and page designs that this book can be happily swallowed in one go - or just as easily be dipped in and out of as you wish.

I was a big fan of both series, so was slightly worried I would find this a hastily knocked together spin-off, but because it was actually written by Corden and Jones (who devised and wrote Gavin and Stacey) it's been lovingly written with lots of fantastic pictures and original page lay-outs. In fact, it makes a really nice accompaniment to the show as there's so much detailed (and hilarious) information about the characters and settings.

There's a lot to choose from, but I think my favourite page would have to be Smithy's relationship do's and don'ts ("It's completely natural to own up to a dozen porno videos so don't let her tell you any different") although the heartfelt (if one-sided!) correspondence between Nessa and John Prescott is a close second! This book would make a great present, but make sure you have a good look and giggle at it first.