Book Review

Pocket Book of Boosh

By Noel Fielding Julian Barratt

Published by Canongate

The Pocket Book of Boosh is a compilation from the characters of The Mighty Boosh and is a great companion to the TV series and live shows. The book is compiled by Dave Brown, who plays Bollo the gorilla familiar of Naboo, and includes a plethora of Boosh memorabilia and new material.

The book is set out in a similar way to an annual and is written in the voice of the different Mighty Boosh characters. The great thing is you do get to ‘hear’ the individual voices of the characters in the writing, as they write in different formats (letters, emails, short stories), graphics, fonts and styles, which makes for an engaging and varied read. Ol Gregg writes letters to his ‘love interest’ Slash (from Guns‘n’Roses), Rudy and Spider head up a comic strip adventure, there are excerpts from Naboo’s Book of Black Magic and Bob Fossil provides his very own Guide to Dance. The book also provides an insight, albeit small, into life backstage with behind the scenes photos of the group on tour and in rehearsal. Though don’t expect much more in terms of a Boosh biography as this book instead gives its pages over to fantasy, so that we are taken on a 'journey through time and space.' The style of the book makes for a very lively and visually exciting read and as it isn’t written in a traditional narrative style, you can jump about picking and choosing your own way through the book. It’s also a good one to read aloud to others, as sharing the comedy just makes it more fun.

This ‘pocket’ book is a little too big to fit in an actual pocket, as Vince Noir says 'I put it in my pocket and frankly it ruined the silhouette of my drainpipes.' I tried it too, and he’s right. Luckily it comes with its very own handy pocket. Together they make an attractive gift for any Boosh fan, and others alike, to get lost in the world of the Boosh.

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