How Not to Be a Boy Audiobook By Robert Webb cover art

How Not to Be a Boy

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How Not to Be a Boy

By: Robert Webb
Narrated by: Robert Webb
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Rules for Being a Man:

  • Don't cry
  • Love sport
  • Play rough
  • Drink beer
  • Don't talk about feelings

But Robert Webb has been wondering for some time now: are those rules actually any use? To anyone?

Looking back over his life, from schoolboy crushes (on girls and boys) to discovering the power of making people laugh (in the Cambridge Footlights with David Mitchell), and from losing his beloved mother to becoming a husband and father, Robert Webb considers the absurd expectations boys and men have thrust upon them at every stage of life. Hilarious and heartbreaking, How Not to Be a Boy explores the relationships that made Robert who he is as a man, the lessons we learn as sons and daughters, and the understanding that sometimes you aren't the Luke Skywalker of your life - you're actually Darth Vader.

©2017 Robert Webb (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Entertainment & Celebrities Funny Witty Celebrity Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

"Quite simply brilliant. I (genuinely) cried. I (genuinely) laughed out loud. It's profound, touching, personal yet universal. I loved it." (JK Rowling)
"Takes us deftly from hilarity to heart-stopping hurt.... A truly great read." (Dawn French)
"A witty and honest coming-of-age story." (Ian Rankin)
"If you have ever loved, liked or known a man, please read this book." (Katy Brand)
"A brilliant, brave book." (Matt Lucas)
Heartfelt Memoir • Brilliant Storytelling • Hilarious Narration • Insightful Reflections • Humorous Anecdotes
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Honest, profound, real, funny and serious. A great read, a must read especially for parents of boys.

Brilliant!

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Huge fan, it was so great, did not disappoint. Clever, honest, Funny and So relatable.

This is a gem

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Alternating between furiously funny and fascinatingly introspective, this book had me laughing out loud and blinking back tears.
Bought and finished in one day and left me wanting more.

Brilliant read. Well worth the credit.

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Funny, touching, relatable and delivered in that beautiful voice. Mr. Webb didn't spare himself at all. Kudos

great listen

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Thank you Robert for your courage to be vulnerable in providing many examples from your life of how cultural views of masculinity are often limiting, oppressive, and hurt not only women but men as well. I resonate with your writing and am grateful for your heartfelt work that contributes to this important conversation, including learning to forgive, accept, and love an imperfect father through whom much harm came. I had to eventually teach myself to laugh in repressed hysterical gasps because the sound of my own chortling voice (in response to your hilariousness) kept on drowning out the audiobook. I love that you read it yourself. Your story has made a positive impact in my life and for that I am grateful. And then your high school poetry was the icing on the cake haha.

Yes

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I have enjoyed Robert Webb's work, but this is his best work yet. His book is at once very personal and still very universal. His narration that extra warmth to his writing and I would recommend this book to anyone.

Robert Webb is wonderful.

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A read that had me in stitches. Also heartfelt, emotionally intelligent writing. I 100% recommend this to anyone.

A solid performance and memoir

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It's been a long time since I read a book that was entertaining, enlightening, poignant, and a million other complementary adjectives. I am laughing and welling up in equal measure. I have to say, it is very brave of him to include so much personal info from his teenage years. You have to get this book. You will NOT regret it!

Oh god. SOOOOO good!

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It took me a while to warm up to this story but, in the end, I found it worth the time. At first, I felt that it was so deeply a British experience that I was missing a lot of the references and wouldn't be able to relate. But as I settled into the character, I began to really enjoy it and it had a great mix of humor and warmth.

Worthwhile....

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What made the experience of listening to How Not to Be a Boy the most enjoyable?

Peep Show is my favorite show of all-time yet I'm completely blown away by how insightful Robert Webb is in this book. His reading is hilarious and touching, and he shares details and feelings in ways that similar audiobooks don't touch. I've listened to it twice, moved to tears at parts both times. I cannot recommend this highly enough, especially if you've listened to David Mitchell's.

Amazingly deep, nuanced, reflective.

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