Alcohol & Painkillers 2022: The Short, Fat Redemption

By Rich Nairn
Publisher: Amazon
ISBN: 97898372324657

Considering that the Alcohol & Painkiller books began as a lockdown diary, it’s quite an achievement that Rich is still recording his daily ups and downs – this is now the fourth volume.

For all of you creative types reading this, there is so much to relate to in here. Motivation, soul-searching, angst, insomnia, worry, money, difficult clients and car trouble. 

But it’s not a book about doom and gloom. Its self-depricating tone, oddly optimistic charm, and overall wit remind you of why we do what we do. Because to not be creative is simply unthinkable.

This book follows Rich through the last days of 2021 and throughout 2022. His caricaturing gigs are back with a vengeance, including bookings at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

The death of the Queen (presumably not related to the above), the onset of the war in Ukraine, and Partygate all feature, as do a whole host of family and friends. He comments that he spends much of his working life in the company of boozed-up strangers, but he certainly seems surrounded by the people that matter too.

How he lays his hands on some of the wood from the tree featured at the end of The Shawshank Redemption is a typical insight into a life less ordinary. 

This genuinely made me smile and chuckle. I look forward to 2023’s.

And if you liked that: The other three volumes are still available via Amazon.