‘It certainly tweaked my insecurity nipples…’
Adam Buxton has been a constant in my life now for over two decades. I was a young watcher of The Adam and Joe Show back in the ’90s, an early adopter of Buckles’ wonderful podcast, and I have attended many of his live shows over the years too. His first book, Ramble Book, which ruminated on his early life and the death of his father, was exemplary, and I Love You, Byeee, his latest work, is similarly excellent…
ILYB (as I shall subsequently be calling it), juxtaposes Buxton’s first forays into the world of television (via a stint on local radio), the success of his work with Joe ‘Cornballs’ Cornish, (and their subsequent troubles), with the death of his mother during lockdown. As with Ramble Book, this second autobiography features the writer’s trademark self-deprecation, the return of the argument log (“Winner? Buckles”) and plenty of emotional warmth. Buxton concludes the book with a heartfelt letter to his late mum, written in the aftermath of her death, which is beautifully written, and becomes even more affecting when read out by Buxton himself via the audiobook. Indeed, while print media is a wonderful thing that should be preserved, I would urge anyone interested in ILYB to seek out the audiobook. Not only does it come with additional chapters and asides missing from the print version, it also features a rambly conversation with Cornish in which they pick apart Buxton’s version of events whilst also being very silly. It’s hilarious.
With this second autobiography, Buxton has demonstrated that he is compelling enough as a writer to justify prose as a second career alongside his podcast work. He has an inclusive, thoughtful style that invites the reader to sit with the author by the fire and occasionally sip from a glass of port or puff from a pipe. Or perhaps that’s just one of my strange dreams becoming manifest again. Who knows. Either way, it’s a great book.