A Young Man's Passage [Hardcover]

Julian Clary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005

A long way from the usual ghosted celebrity autobiography, this is Julian Clary's debut as a writer of huge talent - perhaps closer in style to Fay Weldon or Muriel Spark than Dale Winton. Julian has led a unique life. From boarding school, where unholy monks taught him the rudiments of glamour, alternative living and brutality, through to art school in London while the punk and alternative comedy revolution was in full swing, finding out by practical trial and error whether he was gay or straight, his huge success and fame as probably the most high profile gay man in the country and, during the same period, the pain of losing those close to him and the high price of his fame. This is the first time he has voiced his private life and he will bring to its telling all the elegance, economy and integrity that have always informed his comedy. And, possibly, the odd double entendre.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Julian Clary went to school at Ealing Abbey, then studied English and Drama at Goldsmith's College before joining the Covent Garden Community Theatre for three productions, most notably I Was a Teenage Sausage Dog. After some time as a singing telegram, he began working on the cabaret circuit as The Joan Collins Fan Club with a small mongrel called Fanny the Wonderdog, whose uncanny impersonations of the Pope and members of the Royal Family were a big success. Stardom on stage and screen soon beckoned. Julian has performed at fourteen Edinburgh Festivals, two Royal Variety Shows and the Vauxhall Tavern. He is a regular panellist on Radio 4's Just A Minute. He recently returned from his sell-out Natural Born Mincer tour of Australia and is currently playing Leigh Bowery in the touring West End musical Taboo. He lives in London with a cat called Gloria and a dog called Valerie - the recent star of BBC1's Celebrity Dog School.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ebury Press (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 009189784X
• ISBN-13: 978-0091897840
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,772,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Incarnate, February 15, 2008

By 

Mary Winkler "Acrylicana" (Detroit) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Young Man's Passage (Paperback)

For the previous reviewer to dub this "filth for filth's sake", s/he clearly doesn't "get" Mr. Clary.
It's him completely.
Fabulous, camp, and endearing. Going from childhood to the present all from his unique perspective. An interesting account of where such a brilliant comedian came from and perhaps what makes him tick.
He's rather frank about his life, but in such a cynical way.
As fabulous as any of the costumes he's ever donned for panto, this surely is a "must read".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, January 17, 2010

By 

tamiii "tamiii" (San Juan Capistrano, Ca. United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Young Man's Passage (Hardcover)

When I picked this book up I had no idea who Julian Clary was. I hadn't seen his television shows, his theatrical performances, not even seen a photo of him. In short, I never heard of him.

Nevertheless, this book may very well endure beyond him. I cannot say that I've recently read anything which speaks so eloquently. If you have known sorrow, and mirth, the kind of thing for which we remember Christopher Isherwood, then you may both understand and appreciate this surprising book. Clearly, Clary erroneously believes that only those familiar with his career would be interested in this spritely trip down Clary's passage from adolescent fantasies of future fame to his relatively early grasp of profound, and conflicted, human feeling. I am thankful to have shared a part of this frank journey with him. As memoirs go this is certainly among the more honest and deep.

Besides, you will laugh alot--as Twain noted, the most uniquely human of experiences.

1 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Filth for filth's sake, December 29, 2005

By 

Mrs. C. Chapman "Chapstaff www.dfordog.co.uk" (Northamptonshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Young Man's Passage (Hardcover)

Julian Clary's biog I found disgusting!! I am as broad minded as the next person, & more so than many, but this book was filth for filth's sake. His descriptions of what he gets up to were graphic to say the least & went far beyond just trying to shock. I can't believe that anyone could admit to being that irresponsible!

If/when he dies of AIDS he will have infected 100's of men ( & a few women) YUK!