The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus : All the Words, Volume 2 (Paperback)

by Monty Python (Author), Graham Chapman (Author), Eric Idle (Author), Terry Gillian (Author), Terry Jones (Author) "An office, Boss is reading a book, 'Chinese for Business Men'..." (more)
Key Phrases: nude organist, pantomime goose, roller caption, Dennis Moore, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Queen Victoria (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Forty-five classic episodes of the most entertaining writing to have gone into television anywhere. The minister of silly walks, the dead parrot, banter in a cheese shop - here is every silly, satirical skit, every snide insult, every saucy aside.

From the Inside Flap
Forty-five classic episodes of the most entertaining writing to have gone into television anywhere. The minister of silly walks, the dead parrot, banter in a cheese shop - here is every silly, satirical skit, every snide insult, every saucy aside.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon (November 12, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679726489
• ISBN-13: 978-0679726487
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #226,689 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The companion volume to Volume I is this, Volume II, March 19, 2002

By	Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"It's satire."
"No, it isn't. This is zany madcap humour."

With that immortal exchange, nearly everything Pythonian is summed up. For those who haven't memorized every single Python skit (or for those who have and who are looking to free up some short-term memory), this book and its companion volume ("All The Words, Volume I") are must-haves. Every single word from every single bit ever done on "Monty Python's Flying Circus" is in here. It's a joy and a treasure and a non-stap laff riot.

Every Python nut is familiar with the "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" tale, the dead parrot sketch, the Ministry of Silly Walks and so on. But even beyond these justly famed classics, there is wonderfully silly stuff herein. I never realized until buying this and the companion Volume I how utterly the Python crew had mastered the gorgeously silly non-sequiter. To wit:

"Would Albert Einstein ever have hit upon the theory of relativity if he hadn't been clever?"

"Don't call me señor! I'm not a Spanish person. You must call me Mr. Biggles, or Group Captain Biggles, or Mary Biggles if I'm dressed as my wife, but never señor."

"I'm afraid we are unable to show you any more of that letter. We continue with a man with a stoat through his head."

"Were you worried when his head started to come loose?"

It just doesn't get any better than this, and being able to sit and peruse the scripts without watching the frenetic activity on the screen only goes to strengthen the generally accepted view that these guys were genius writers. As the book back states, these volumes are the winners of "the 1989 PYTHON PRIZE for their own books." ARE there higher honors than this?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The goat's done a bundle, January 14, 2004

By	Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

FYI-This is the same as the review of Volume 1. There was no real sense in distinguishing the two.

As a fan of MPFC since it first aired on PBS in 1973, these two volumes sort of put a cap on a 30 year fascination with the team. Maybe like me, you've watched every Python-Marathon or taped every show, but having these scripts really is the icing on the cake.

What's striking to me is the simplicity of the scripts. When you watch the episodes, the gags seem so complicated. Then to see The Dead Parrot sketch reduced to just a few pages, you realize how brilliant those guys were in terms of compression, and in terms of acting. An added plus, for me at least, was to finally see the words and phrases that I never quite "got" because they were unique to British English. From there, I logged on to a few websites on British slang and, boy, I realized what MPFC got away with...some of it was pretty raunchy. Anyway, this is two-volume set is priceless for any fan.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Ah...it was the middle one.", July 27, 2002

By	B-MAN "B" (Earth, occasionally. Until I get bored.) - See all my reviews

The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words, Volume 2 is the second half of a set containing the scripts of the entire series (45 episodes). This book, volume 2, contains scripts for episode 24: "How not to be seen" through episode 45: "Party Political Broadcast". This book is more fun than an endless supply of "lupins". Both volumes make great companions to the MPFC video/dvd collection ("There you go, can't be bad.") and also unlike the DVDs, there are no edits, these are the original words. So that horrible "m" word that Graham said in episode 31: "The All England Summarize Proust Competition" is in this book. Enjoy!

Yours etc., Brigadier Mainwaring Smith Smith Smith etc., Deceased etc.