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Happiness and Tears

The Ken Dodd Story
By Louis Barfe
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Happiness and Tears by Louis Barfe offers a captivating exploration of the life and career of a prominent comedian. The biography delves into the ups and downs, highlighting both the public triumphs and personal challenges faced. Through in-depth research and engaging storytelling, the book paints a vivid picture of a complex individual navigating fame and personal identity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this insightful biography, as it delves into the bittersweet and intriguing life of its charismatic subject, blending moments of triumph with personal challenges. It's ideal for readers who appreciate stories that explore the complexities of a remarkable person’s journey and offer an intimate look into the highs and lows they experienced.

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Happiness and Tears

A definitive life one of the best-loved and most enduring figures of British comedy, the eccentric genius and national treasure Ken Dodd, whose seven-decade career straddled the end of the era of variety and the golden age of television comedy.

A definitive life one of the best-loved and most enduring figures of British comedy, the eccentric genius and national treasure Ken Dodd, whose seven-decade career straddled the end of the era of variety and the golden age of television comedy.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'I suffer from acute kleptomania. But when it gets bad, I take something for it.'

Ken Dodd was a legend of British comedy. He launched his career in 1954, adopted his trademark 'tickling stick' two years later, and went on to enjoy a sixty-year career as the nation's jester. Dodd's act was frenzied and zany, exploiting his saucer-eyed, buck-toothed appearance and deploying a repertoire of one-liners, whimsical and verbal inventions, and liberal doses of saucy – but never dirty – jokes.

Louis Barfe charts Dodd's life and extraordinarily long career, revealing him to be the last of the great variety acts – and a comic phenomenon who delighted his audiences across seven decades.

Reviews for Happiness and Tears:

'The definitive account' The Times.

'An industriously thorough, entertaining biography' The Spectator.

'Sure to delight Dodd's many admirers' TLS.

'Fascinatingly odd' Daily Express.

'An absolute joy' Choice.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Louis Barfe's biography, Happiness and Tears, is celebrated for its in-depth exploration of Ken Dodd's life and career. It is praised for clarity, affectionate portrayal, and impressive sleuthing, with some reviews highlighting it as a tribute that appreciates Dodd's genius. Barfe is commended for providing a comprehensive, entertaining, and authoritative account of Dodd as possibly the last great variety act. The biography is described as both a thorough assessment and a joyous celebration of Dodd's life, suiting those who admire him and his legacy.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788549547

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 August 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Apollo

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 194.0mm

Weight: 440g

Pages: 408

Collections

Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Louis Barfe Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction

About the Author

Louis Barfe is expert on all aspects of the entertainment industry. He is the author of Where Have All The Good Times Gone? The Rise and Fall of the Record Industry (2004), Turned Out Nice Again: The Story of British Light Entertainment (2008) and The Trials and Triumphs of Les Dawson (2012).

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