Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story by James Blunt

My review

3/5 stars

I understand that James Blunt is a mildly controversial person with an interesting reputation, but I personally have never had a problem with him and enjoy several of his songs, so when a friend recommended his book I was happy to jump on board.

The concept for this book is an interesting one, especially in the memoir category that it seems to sit within, as the author starts the book stating that he made it all up, but that he's only saying that for legal reasons and it's down to the reader to decide what is true and what isn't. I'll admit, it was a challenge I struggled with - the logical part of me says that none of it is made up and he's just having fun with us, but some of the stories are so outlandish that it's hard to believe that one single person has had all of those experiences. It kept me engaged and it still leaves me pondering on occasion weeks after having finished the book.

The audiobook experience was fantastic, the author self-narrated and is clearly a man who doesn't take himself too seriously. His dead-pan delivery and willingness to laugh at himself made listening to him very enjoyable. If anyone wants to try this book, definitely go for the audiobook!

Where the wheels slightly came off for me and prevented me from rating the book higher is that the sense of humour and wit of the author didn't seem consistent throughout the book. A lot of what was written seemed to be done with a very tongue-in-cheek approach, but as the book progressed I found myself laughing less.

Interesting, good listen, but a little confounding.

Book blurb

This book is inspired by true events but is not a biography.

The truth is My Truth is not The Truth, and that's as honest as I can be. It's partially true, rather than painfully true, and I have possibly been economical with the truth, Your Honour.

Basically, I made this sh*t up . . .

While James Blunt's crimes against music are well-documented, he also has some stories that are not. In Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story, James reveals his most riotous anecdotes to date for your amusement - and his parents' horror - in this highly anticipated non-memoir.

From his questionable Norfolk roots, eccentric family, boarding school antics, misjudged military service, rise to music stardom and tour escapades, James delves into his (surprisingly) fascinating life to date. What do you do when your mother writes irate emails to the future prime minister defending your honour? What does it take to run a male escort agency? And why exactly should you refrain from crowd-surfing? Find out here, folks . . .

Were the stories in this book grossly exaggerated in an attempt to impress? Maybe. But one thing is for certain: you won't want to miss it.

More...

You can buy the book here now. It was published by Constable.

For more on the author, you can head to his website, follow him on Instagram (though his X feed has gained a lot of attention too), or check out his Goodreads page.