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The Pleasure of Writing and Other Essays
This collection, written between 1907 and 1920 by beloved children's author A. A. Milne, contains the following essays: "Bruce: A Short Study of a Great Life?" "The Charm of Golf", "The Cupboard", "On Going into a House", "Goldfish", "My Library", "The Old Order", "Changes", "The Pleasure of Writing", "Smoking as a Fine Art", "Thoughts on Thermometers” "The University", "Boat Race", "A Word for Autumn".
The author of more than twenty-five plays, ten nonfiction books, seven novels, five children's books, and four books of poetry, A. A. Milne was notable for more than just his creation of the Hundred Acre Wood. This collection illustrates just how Milne's mind worked and offers witty, creative, and entertaining insight into his everyday life.
The author of more than twenty-five plays, ten nonfiction books, seven novels, five children's books, and four books of poetry, A. A. Milne was notable for more than just his creation of the Hundred Acre Wood. This collection illustrates just how Milne's mind worked and offers witty, creative, and entertaining insight into his everyday life.
- GenresNonfiction
Audiobook
Published January 4, 2022
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About the author
A.A. Milne
1,836 books3,678 followersAlan Alexander Milne (pronounced /ˈmɪln/) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 4, 2022
Spent ninety minutes with AA Milne, and now we are best friends.
June 4, 2024
very witty and dry sarcastic humour. quite funny
February 3, 2022
Before this book, I only thought of Milne (of "Winnie the Pooh" fame) as a children's author but now I'm just impressed with his turn of phrase and dry wit.
Particular impressed with how he showed simple insights concerning the line between apartment dwellers and those who live in w house. Also, how he began and progressed the cupboard story with humor...but then flipped it on its ear with the last line, turning it viscerally poignant.
Some of my favorite quotes (read the book for context):
-------
"Bruce, I raise the water bottle to you! More power to your knees!”
-------
"When he reads of the notable doings of famous golfers, the 18-handicap man has no envy in his heart. For, by this time, he has discovered the great secret of "golf". Before he began to play he wondered wherein lay the fascination of it. Now he knows: golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad."
"And putting is not "golf"! Putting is croquet."
---------
On books & library organization
”It is not laziness; it is simply that I don't know how to begin."
"You see the difficulty? if you arrange your books according to that contents you are sure to get an untidy shelf. If you arrange your books according to their size and color you get an effective wall but the poetically inclined visitor may lose sight of Beatty altogether.
Before, then, we decide what to do about it we must ask ourselves that very awkward question: why do we have books on our shelves at all? It is a most embarrassing question to answer.
Of course, you think that the proper answer (in your own case) is an indignant protest that you bought them in order to read them and that you put them on your shelves in order that you could refer to them when necessary!
A little reflection will show you what a stupid answer that is.
If you only want to read them why are some of them bound in Morocco and half calf and other expensive coverings? Why did you buy a first edition when a 100th edition was so much cheaper? Why have you got half a dozen copies of The Rubaiyat”? What is the particular value of this other book that you treasure it so carefully? Why, the fact that its page are uncut! If you cut the pages and read it, the value would go.
So, then, your library is not just for reference."
------
Particular impressed with how he showed simple insights concerning the line between apartment dwellers and those who live in w house. Also, how he began and progressed the cupboard story with humor...but then flipped it on its ear with the last line, turning it viscerally poignant.
Some of my favorite quotes (read the book for context):
-------
"Bruce, I raise the water bottle to you! More power to your knees!”
-------
"When he reads of the notable doings of famous golfers, the 18-handicap man has no envy in his heart. For, by this time, he has discovered the great secret of "golf". Before he began to play he wondered wherein lay the fascination of it. Now he knows: golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad."
"And putting is not "golf"! Putting is croquet."
---------
On books & library organization
”It is not laziness; it is simply that I don't know how to begin."
"You see the difficulty? if you arrange your books according to that contents you are sure to get an untidy shelf. If you arrange your books according to their size and color you get an effective wall but the poetically inclined visitor may lose sight of Beatty altogether.
Before, then, we decide what to do about it we must ask ourselves that very awkward question: why do we have books on our shelves at all? It is a most embarrassing question to answer.
Of course, you think that the proper answer (in your own case) is an indignant protest that you bought them in order to read them and that you put them on your shelves in order that you could refer to them when necessary!
A little reflection will show you what a stupid answer that is.
If you only want to read them why are some of them bound in Morocco and half calf and other expensive coverings? Why did you buy a first edition when a 100th edition was so much cheaper? Why have you got half a dozen copies of The Rubaiyat”? What is the particular value of this other book that you treasure it so carefully? Why, the fact that its page are uncut! If you cut the pages and read it, the value would go.
So, then, your library is not just for reference."
------
Read
February 5, 2024It might have been an essay in Neil Gaiman's "View from the Cheap Seats" that commented on how much other wonderful work A.A. Milne has in addition to his famous "Oh Bother" lovable bear. I decided to take this short set of essays for a spin to dip a toe into that universe. It was delightful!
I could have listened for 30 more hours! The pieces were just delightful, causing many "laugh out loud" moments. The narrator did a fantastic job and I would happily listen to it again.
I could have listened for 30 more hours! The pieces were just delightful, causing many "laugh out loud" moments. The narrator did a fantastic job and I would happily listen to it again.
August 1, 2024
I mistakenly assumed this was a book on writing; instead it’s a collection of the most random and delightfully witty little essays I’ve ever read. Now I’m inspired to look for Milne’s short stories for adults.
March 24, 2022
A fun short read, more like a fun 1 hour audiobook. I do love listening to the audiobook for this and I particularly enjoy parts where the author and editor were interacting!
Read
December 3, 2022I read this for the Literary Life Reading Challenge; I needed 11 essays from a past century. These were short and available in audio form.
December 8, 2022
Some of the essays are hilarious. My favorites were Bruce and the one about golf.
December 11, 2022
Audiobook is delightful! A whole essay on a cricket- superb!
December 15, 2022
Milne is always fun and these essays were no exception.
January 16, 2024
After reading the Winnie The Pooh books to my kids, I wanted more Milne and decided to check this book out. A very quick read and a great collection of essays—some of which are very funny!
June 11, 2024
One of my favorite writers! This book is deee-lightful!
August 19, 2024
A.A. Milne’s writings for adults are one of my guilty pleasures. This collection is not the best of them—the title essay is probably the best of the bunch—but they are still a delight to listen to.
September 4, 2024
Listened on Audiobook.
Too short! I loved all the stories, it was so relaxed and you could just wander in the mind of Milne.
The narrator had the perfect voice for this one
Too short! I loved all the stories, it was so relaxed and you could just wander in the mind of Milne.
The narrator had the perfect voice for this one
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews