Clara’s Verdict
Let me be direct about what Cunk on Everything is and is not. It is not a book in the conventional sense. It is not trying to inform you about anything, except perhaps the extraordinary persistence of human pomposity and the ease with which received wisdom can be deflated by someone asking precisely the wrong question in a state of complete and unironic sincerity. What it is — and this is high praise — is one of the funniest audiobooks I have encountered in the comedy genre, and one that is considerably sharper underneath its apparent stupidity than it first appears to a casual listener.
Philomena Cunk, for those unfamiliar, is Diane Morgan’s creation: a deadpan journalist-philosopher who appeared in Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe on the BBC and subsequently in several Cunk on Britain and Cunk on Earth specials for Netflix. The character works because the satire operates on multiple levels simultaneously — it mocks both the subject matter Cunk is supposedly investigating and the entire apparatus of authoritative documentary-style commentary, the experts, the language of expertise itself, and the unspoken assumption that confident delivery is the same as knowledge. Rated 4.4 from the reviews currently available, the character commands a passionate and considerably larger following than that number suggests.
About the Audiobook
The book’s conceit is that it is « The Encyclopedia Philomena » — an attempt by one of the great minds of the twenty-first century to compile all human knowledge into a single volume, thereby rendering all other books unnecessary. This enormous ambition is pursued with complete apparent seriousness across entries ranging from sausages to Henry of Eight (note: Eight, not Eighth) to contemporary culture to vegetarian sausages, all filtered through Cunk’s magnificently unreliable understanding of basically everything.
The alphabetical structure means the audiobook can be approached non-linearly — picked up, put down, returned to at any point — which suits the format very well. Individual entries range from a few sentences to more extended comedic riffs, and the humour operates through sustained commitment to the character’s voice: a voice that confidently confuses cause and effect, misidentifies historical figures with serene certainty, misapplies technical vocabulary with precision, and occasionally stumbles into something that sounds almost like genuine insight by purest accident.
The book was written by Charlie Brooker and his collaborators, with Diane Morgan performing rather than authoring — a distinction the cover makes explicitly. The audiobook is five hours and thirty-eight minutes, though it is unlikely you will listen straight through; this is dipping material, something to return to in short sessions, ideal for the commute or the kitchen.
The Narration
Diane Morgan reads as Philomena Cunk, and it is, predictably, wonderful. The character requires absolute commitment to the bit — no winking at the audience, no acknowledgement that any of this is absurd, no moment of breaking to signal that the performer is in on the joke — and Morgan delivers that with the same impeccable deadpan she brought to the television appearances. The audio format suits the material particularly well because Cunk’s voice is so distinctive that hearing it rather than reading it adds significantly to the comedy. Much of the humour on television comes from reaction shots — the horrified or baffled academics — which the audio format obviously cannot replicate, but Morgan compensates with timing and delivery. The production is crisp and the comic timing is immaculate.
What Readers Say
Rated 4.4 out of 5. UK reviewers have been warm across the board, with several noting that the character translates successfully from screen to audio, which is not a given for comedy that was designed for a visual medium. One UK listener, a devoted fan of the BBC shows, called it « brilliant » and noted that Cunk’s personality « shines through » with full force in audio. Another UK reviewer gave four stars and noted it was « not as funny as she is on TV » — a reasonable observation, since a significant amount of Cunk’s television humour depends on reaction shots and the physical comedy of interviewing increasingly distressed academics — but found it « lighthearted » and thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. The consensus is that audio is considerably better than silent reading for this material, where Morgan’s particular vocal performance is integral to the effect.
Who Should Listen?
If you have seen any of the Cunk television specials and enjoyed them, this is an absolute given. If you like British satire in the tradition of Brooker, Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, or the Thick of It school of comedy, this will suit you well. It is also a genuinely excellent gift choice for the right person — something unusual, funny, and brief enough to feel like a treat rather than a commitment. It functions best as an antidote to anything you have been listening to that takes itself too seriously, including, and perhaps especially, political memoirs.
Cunk on Everything is available on Audible UK via the link below. Also available on Kobo, Scribd, and Storytel.
