A Comedians Prayer Book, Frank Skinner
A Comedians Prayer Book, Frank Skinner
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A Comedian's Prayer Book

Author: Frank Skinner

Narrator: Frank Skinner

Unabridged: 1 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/20/2021


Synopsis

Comedian and TV and radio host Frank Skinner talking to his biggest audience yet - God.

A Comedian's Prayer Book. The title is a worry, isn't it?...

God is a tough audience as far as audible response is concerned, but at least you don't have to explain the references. In this collection of prayers, much-loved comedian, broadcaster and radio host Frank Skinner has tried to retain the bare candour of the rehearsal-room improvisation - to show what faith feels like, from the inside - but infused it with all the production values required to make it a passable public entertainment. In it are his convictions, his questions, his fears, his doubts, his elations - all presented in an eavesdropper-friendly form.

Hell, Judgement, atheism, money, faith and the X-Men all feature: it's a bit like reading the Bible, except you only get one side of the conversation, and all the jokes are left in.

(P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

About Frank Skinner

Frank Skinner's live career began in 1987 when he spent £400 of his last £435 booking a room at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Four years later in 1991 he returned to the city and took home comedy's most prestigious prize, The Perrier Award.Frank created The Frank Skinner Show (ITV), which is widely credited as setting the tone for the modern comedic chat show. With David Baddiel, he created and presented both Fantasy Football and Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned, and, alongside The Lightning Seeds, the pair also wrote the seminal football anthem Three Lions. More recently, Frank created and hosted three series of Frank Skinner's Opinionated for BBC2, hosted seven series of BBC1's Room 101 and seven series of Portrait/Landscape Artist of the Year for Sky Arts. He has presented documentaries covering passions including Muhammad Ali (BBC1), Elvis (BBC4) and investigating the life of George Formby (BBC4).His Absolute Radio show has won three gold awards for Best Speech Programme (2011 and 2014) and Best Entertainment/Comedy Production (2017) at the ARIAs and saw him inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame in December 2015. For BBC Radio 4, Frank hosted comedy panel show The Rest is History, and wrote and starred in comedy drama series Don't Start alongside Katherine Parkinson.As an author, Frank has published Dispatches from the Sofa; a collection of columns he wrote for The Times and has written two autobiographies, the first of which, Frank Skinner, was the top selling autobiography of 2002, spending 46 weeks in The Sunday Times Bestseller List.His latest stand-up show, Showbiz, has enjoyed a sold out national tour and subsequent sold out residency at the West End's Garrick Theatre.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tony Waite on April 21, 2021

Very enjoyable. His sharp wit attacks some of the deeply personal issues about religion and prayer. More to come, I feel. Catholics, like so many other religious communities are regularly treated to biblical stories to enrich, enhance and encompass our every day lives. Here's a devout, prayerful pers......more

Goodreads review by Gareth on April 19, 2022

This was a good read in a lot of ways. He writes like he speaks, with many witty, little phrases, and plenty of warmth. Considering, as he points out a number of times, these prayers are often said in silence from the heart, he does a great job at articulating his prayers on paper, in ways that felt......more

Goodreads review by Karen on January 31, 2022

A lot to laugh at when you can see your own thoughts, maybe never verbalized, written beautifully in each prayer. We can all learn from the insecurities written here that actually we are never going to be worthy on our own merit, and that's the beauty of faith.......more

Goodreads review by Wendy Storey on November 07, 2021

It's refreshing to read a Christian book by a "normal" person who believes in God but has a lot of the same questions that I do. Thank you Frank.......more

Goodreads review by Louise on December 12, 2021

Even though he's known to be a devout Roman Catholic, the concept of Frank Skinner - comedian, actor, writer, presenter, pundit, No.1 recording artist, Doctor Who companion that should've been and former lecturer at Halesowen College - writing a *prayer* book of all things seemed hugely incongruous......more


Quotes

This is a fine, brave book, beautifully expressed. Richard Dawkins had better look to his laurels. Daily Mail

It's far from being a comfortable read, though it never ceases to be amusing and thoughtful. Christian Today

The book is a simple, unpretentious invitation to kneel alongside someone who has experienced the lows and highs of life, who has grown up through that experience, and has found that a conversational relationship with God is essential to living kindly, thoughtfully and well. Anyone new to faith or for whom prayer has become jaded and routine may well find in it an unconventional yet rich source of encouragement to keep on keeping on Reform

Skinner's thoughts on religion are far more than just amusing: there is a bold freshness to his voice. Times Literary Supplement

'Skinner's tome also asks some big questions, but is ultimately a prayerbook with a small p. You mightn't hear God laugh at the jokes, but surely He approves.' Irish Examiner - Weekend Supplement

Skinner uses the book to open up about his ongoing relationship with God and the Catholic Church - and his words make very compelling reading. Sorted