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Tall Tales and Wee Stories
Tall Tales and Wee Stories | Billy Connolly
8 posts | 8 read | 7 to read
'Coming from Glasgow, it's weird, I don't really tell jokes, like Irish jokes and all that. I tell wee stories. And some of them don't even have punchlines. But you'll get used to it as the night goes on, and on, and on, and on and on...' In December 2018, after fifty years of belly-laughs, energy and outrage, Billy Connolly announced his retirement from live stand-up comedy. It had been an extraordinary career. When he first started out in the late sixties, Billy played the banjo in the folk clubs of Scotland. Between songs, he would improvise a bit, telling anecdotes from the Clyde shipyard where he'd worked. In the process, he made all kinds of discoveries about what audiences found funny, from his own brilliant mimes to the power of speaking irreverently about politics or explicitly about sex. He began to understand the craft of great storytelling. Soon the songs became shorter and the monologues longer, and Billy quickly became recognised as one of the most exciting comedians of his generation. Billy's routines always felt spontaneous. He never wrote scripts, always creating his comedy freshly on stage in the presence of a live audience. A brilliant comic story might be subsequently discarded, adapted or embellished. A quick observation or short anecdote one night, could become a twenty-minute segment by the next night of a tour. Billy always brought a beautiful sense of the absurd to his shows as he riffed on his family, hecklers, swimming in the North Sea or naked bungee jumping. But his comedy can be laced with anger too. He hates pretentiousness and calls out hypocrisy wherever he sees it. His insights about the human condition have shocked many people, while his unique talent and startling appearance on stage gave him license to say anything he damn well pleased about sex, politics or religion. Billy got away with it because he has always had the popular touch. His comedy spans generations and different social tribes in a way that few others have ever managed. Tall Tales and Wee Stories brings together the very best of Billy's storytelling for the first time and includes his most famous routines including, The Last Supper, Jojoba Shampoo, Incontinence Pants and Shouting at Wildebeest. With an introduction and original illustrations by Billy throughout, it is an inspirational, energetic and riotously funny read, and a fitting celebration of our greatest ever comedian.
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TheNeverendingTBR
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Pickpick

These are brilliant wee stories that you can pick up and put down when it suits you.

Most of the stories I all ready knew about from his stand up but it was good to read it, it cheered me up.

Obviously reading these stories aren't better than watching him because it's not got the tone and mannerisms etc.

A fun, funny read though!

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rwmg
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Panpan

I've always felt a little Billy Connolly goes a long way. Most of the time I just don't find him particularly funny, even more so here as his material doesn't translate well from the stage to the printed page. I would never have looked at this book if it hadn't been a book club choice and I was reading the book out of a sense of duty which probably didn't help me appreciate his humour.

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angelamiller88
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Came across the other day and I hope its as funny as his shows! I was planning on starting tonight, but doubt the language would be appropriate as bed time story material, particularly as the word scrotum appears on page 5! 😂😂

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Lizpixie
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Pickpick

Bk12 of April is done. Probably the last of the month, it was definitely going out with a bang! Billy Connolly is one of my favourite Scotsmen of all time, I‘ve been watching his shows since the 70s. His shows are hilarious, all the more so when you realise it‘s all totally off the cuff, no rehearsals & no notes. Amazing. This book is the same, it‘s stream of consciousness story telling, the bigger the “embellishments” the better!

CarolynM ❤️ 5y
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

I loved the stories about his childhood and laughed way too hard at the ones involving bodily functions ?? This also includes his classic « Last Supper » story. You may be tempted to read these aloud ?

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sarahm3
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“But I‘m not a white person. I‘m f***king pale blue. It takes me a week of sunbathing to turn white! And the Irish tend to be pink, I find. They run to the pinkish. We‘re more your powder blue.” Never a more accurate description of my skin tone 🤣 #scottish #scottishproblems #billyconnolly #funny

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SabrinaS
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This arrived today! Can't wait to read this. Love Billy and his stories 😍 #BillyConnolly #talltalesandweestories

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WeeWeegieBookworm
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First Christmas present bought 🤶🏻 my mum is going to be very surprised 😊

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