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Written by Sian Rafferty
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Tuesday, 15 December 2009 14:35 |
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I have often wondered at the extent of Jaquie Brown’s onscreen persona...
Where exactly does the kooky, slightly selfish and totally self-propelling Brown that we see Friday nights on T.V. end - and the real Jaquie start?
In her case, I have a sneaking feeling that the actual Jaquie is exactly the same as her prime-time doppelganger. Regardless, Brown has one of those ‘like her or loath her’ personas. You either find her particular brand of humour endearingly desperate, or annoyingly so.
In her new book, ‘JAQUIE BROWN’S GUIDE TO EVERYTHING', we get a whole heap of Jaquie - and whether it’s the prime-time Jaquie, or the real-life Jaquie; the book thoroughly echoes Brown in every way possible. |
Set out like a sort of satirical self-help book, Brown offers her opinions on everything from love, to dealing with rampaging swans. Her section on weight-loss is particularly funny, with her coming off as some sort of New Zealand Bridget Jones, airing her paranoia and pet-peeves to the world. The book is topped off with quizzes and recipes, everything from roast chicken, and dripping chocolate cakes, to her kooky midnight snacks of chips and apple sandwiches.
It’s a light-hearted superficial read. Something you can pick up for a little while and come back to later. And it is kind of fun in a non-serious way. Hopefully no-one actually takes it seriously, as Brown has some pretty unique opinions on the world. Her commitment to ‘breatharianism’ or only consisting on air and sunlight, as well as the techniques she outlines for surviving a plane crash should not... I repeat should not... be tried at home. Definitely fun - in a non-serious way.
Fans of her series looking for more Jaquie, will love this book. Sitting there reading it, you can literally hear her voice speaking the words on the page to you. It’s kind of scary, like one of those sappy-romance movies where someone reads a letter, while the writer’s disembodied voice reads it out alongside. Saying that, Brown’s book is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, so definitely stick to the ‘love the series... love the book’ rule when considering this as a potential read.
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