Book review: Surprisingly Down to Earth and Very Funny – My Autobiography, by Limmy

Your response to the title of this autobiography will likely mirror your wider opinion on the work of Brian Limond, the Glaswegian comedian known as Limmy. Fans will recognise it as the mock-tribute he regularly posts on Twitter when news of a celebrity death breaks. Take one example: “Had the pleasure of meeting Peter Stringfellow at a charity do once. He was surprisingly down to earth, and very funny.” Limond, to the best of my knowledge, never met Peter Stringfellow. The gag is a comment on the modern phenomenon of fake-sincere tributes posted on social media to people we have little, if anything, in common with. It’s one example of his talent for meshing the frequently absurd world created by digital media with age-old insecurities like social anxiety.