Last year, Judith Lucy was overwhelmed and dying (according to the name of her podcast) but in 2021 it turns out, she’s fine. Which I am supremely happy to hear, because she’s been one of my favourite comedians since the 90s, not long after she first hit Australia’s scene.
This is Lucy’s memoir of a pretty shitty series of life events that she wrangles, as always, into great material. With this book however she goes a bit further in trying sort out life’s shit and forge a more contented and considered path into the next stage. (See what I did there? Comedian; stage? And that’s why my career in stand up is over before it began.)
Part 1, ‘How the Fuck Did I Get Here?’ explores Lucy’s relationships with her parents and brother, discovering feminism, discovering men, and discovering her talent for comedy. ‘Having the Rug Pulled Out from Under Me’, the middle part of the book, was fairly hard to read as I had already heard a little about the understandably traumatic break-up that starts off this section and I still can’t understand how anyone could treat our Judith Lucy that way. And just to add insult to injury, her body starts doing all those fun things that happen when you’re reaching half a century not out.
Not one to wallow in misery (for too long), she takes steps to work out what’s gone wrong and why and what she can do about it in Part 3, ‘Trying’. My favourite chapter, and not only because of its title and its opening quote from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which is arguable one of the best movies EVER, has to be ‘How Not to be an Arsehole Person’ in which Lucy tries out different ways to be helpful to others.
The book wraps up nicely and left me with a warmhearted feeling that even though everything might not be fine forever, Judith Lucy’s got this. I’m going to lend this book to dear friend now, but I’m looking forward to reading it again when it makes its way back.