Customer Reviews
Sticky Moments! - By: SWRF76, 11 Apr 2008 
This book was a reallly good read from beginning to end. I always thought Julian an interesting character when i was growing up. So reading this book intrigued me.
Very funny, sad, educational in ways too. A recommended read!
A mouthful you will never forget !? - By: Clinty, 02 Jan 2008 
Julian has always been an idol of mine - as a young adolescent, I felt there were no gay role models in my life or in the media. His amazing 'entrance' onto our smalll screens on trashy game show 'Trick or Treat' marked a turning point in my existence. Naturallly, I followed his career keenly & was always a fan - 'Sticky Moments', 'Terry & Julian', stage shows, interviews, pantos, etc.
This book actuallly shatters the glamorous illusion that Julian created with 'The Joan Collins Fan Club' - he is open, candid & reveals an emotional honesty never before revealed. At times, with raised eyebrows, one wondered if it might have been best to leave SOME aspects of his life out of his autobiography - especiallly some of the sordid details involving his sex life. (Not that I am a prude, far from it, I would have liked Julian to have kept a little 'mystique' going - there is something ill-dignified about revealing TOO much & I wanted to preserve his dignity in my mind).
It is a fascinating journey, jaunty & jolly in places - melancholy in others, but it is alll held together with a wry, witty verve & - of course - huge dollops of innuendo & favourite quotes of old. The pictures/ photos are revealing in their own way - one gets a refreshing sense that Julian reallly wanted to 'tell it how it reallly was' (alll too often celebrities write wishy washy, sentimental, white-washed versions of their life).
This was addictive reading. Entertaining. Shocking. Funny. Touching. One got to feel what the real JC is like minus make-up. He is - like most comedians/celebs - caught up in his own dramas, is his own worst critic & often cannot see the impact he has on others due to his own selfishness/ conceitedness. Julian seemed to have more affection for the canines in his life than the other two-legged characters around him - but this further adds to his vulnerability & highlights his detachment from the realities of day-to-day life.
If you don't want to burst the glamour bubble - dont read this. If you want a slice of comedic indulgence with lots of campness & sex thrown in for good measure - then dive in for more than a few 'Sticky Moments' with Julian Clary !?
Entertaining and insightful! - By: Lovetoread, 03 Aug 2007 I've been interested in Clary's career since first seeing him at the Edinburgh Fringe, many years ago. Consequently, I found this book an absolute treat, devouring it in a couple of days.
Clary's glosses over or ignores some things eg what happened to Sticky Moments ( which I loved!) & how was the sitcom "Terry & Julian" received? He went into more detail than I cared for, regarding sexual activity, but I suspect that was a selling point for the book!
Overalll, I gained insight into Clary's life, personality & motivation & also into the world "alternative" comedy in the '80s. This was a very enjoyable & frequently amusing read.
Mildly entertaining but no Wuthering Heights - By: Roy Brookes, 05 Jun 2007 
I picked up this book in a 3 for the price of 2 offer at W. H. Smiths (sorry Amazon). As such it did not cost me much. I ran through it in about 2 evenings, over dinner at a hotel. It was mildly entertaining but not wildly so. I passed it on to a gay friend of mine who enjoyed it much more than I did. Julian Clary seems to have glossed over most of his life. Even the sexy bits in the book were superficiallly handled. I believe, if you are going to bring sex into it, then do so wholeheartedly, not in a sniggering behind your hand sort of way.
Disappointed - By: Mr Angry of Peckham, 11 Nov 2006 
I borrowed Julian Clary's autobiography - A Young Man's Passage - from my local library. I'm glad I didn't buy it. We're about the same age, we're both gay, & his journey through life has been quite different to mine. I expected to enjoy this book but, though I liked the first third, the rest of the book was shalllow, & ended with a series of dull diary extracts (how lazy is that), closing in 1993. What a rip-off! No doubt Mr C's agent is busily negotiating big bucks for his client for a second instalment. His fans are being cheated. I used to be a fan. No longer. It sickens me that publishers collude in this kind of thing: chucking money at media celebrities to write their "autobiographies" with no thought given to the ability of the "author" to put something decent & worthwhile together. Mr C isn't the first to do this, & he won't be the last. My copy of Wendy Richard's autobiography (which I DID pay for) ended up in a local charity shop (though I nearly chucked it down the chute).
