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My Name Escapes Me: The Diary of a Retiring Actor
Covering the year 1995 up to the summer of 1996, the English actor offers a collection of reflections on the theater, books and art, the church, gatherings with famous friends, and the English countryside
273 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 1996
14 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Alec Guinness
41 books20 followersAmong extraordinary range of roles, known British actor Sir Alec Guinness won an academy award for
The Bridge on the River Kwai
(1957), his film.
After an early career of this Englishman on the stage, several of the Ealing comedies, including The Ladykillers, featured him, and he played eight different characters in Kind Hearts and Coronets. He also collaborated with David Lean as Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations (1946), as Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948), as Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), as Yevgraf in Doctor Zhivago (1965), and as Professor Godbole in A Passage to India (1984); he won for best actor as Colonel Nicholson in Kwai. He also portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in original Star Wars trilogy of George Lucas and received a nomination for best supporting actor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Gu...
After an early career of this Englishman on the stage, several of the Ealing comedies, including The Ladykillers, featured him, and he played eight different characters in Kind Hearts and Coronets. He also collaborated with David Lean as Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations (1946), as Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948), as Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), as Yevgraf in Doctor Zhivago (1965), and as Professor Godbole in A Passage to India (1984); he won for best actor as Colonel Nicholson in Kwai. He also portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in original Star Wars trilogy of George Lucas and received a nomination for best supporting actor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Gu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
September 5, 2016
UPDATE - Sept 2016
While giving the top shelf of books a Sunday dust-off, I came across this Alec Guinness diary again and spent a few moments sitting on the floor enjoying his thoughts.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Guinness was one of the greatest stage actors of England, yet it was his chameleon work in cinema that really made him a beloved figure. Whether it was Bridge On The River Kwai, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Scrooge, or even Star Wars, Mr. Guinness was a delight on the screen.
This book was a must-buy after I plowed through his delightful memoir, "Blessings In Disguise". He is eloquent and a fan of the simple life, although it would not be so simple for the rest of us. He writes with a twinkle in his eye, and he displays that particular temperament so becoming to the civil English gentleman.
I saw him perform in London in A Walk In The Woods, which turned out to be his last stage performance. He passed away in 2000, and his wife followed him, loyal as ever, just two months later.
"Made glorious summer by this sun of York"
Book Season = Autumn (ancient reassuring things)
While giving the top shelf of books a Sunday dust-off, I came across this Alec Guinness diary again and spent a few moments sitting on the floor enjoying his thoughts.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Guinness was one of the greatest stage actors of England, yet it was his chameleon work in cinema that really made him a beloved figure. Whether it was Bridge On The River Kwai, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Scrooge, or even Star Wars, Mr. Guinness was a delight on the screen.
This book was a must-buy after I plowed through his delightful memoir, "Blessings In Disguise". He is eloquent and a fan of the simple life, although it would not be so simple for the rest of us. He writes with a twinkle in his eye, and he displays that particular temperament so becoming to the civil English gentleman.
I saw him perform in London in A Walk In The Woods, which turned out to be his last stage performance. He passed away in 2000, and his wife followed him, loyal as ever, just two months later.
"Made glorious summer by this sun of York"
Book Season = Autumn (ancient reassuring things)
December 8, 2020
Again my second book in two days, my second book in a row that are audible, listening to the voice of Sir Alec Guinness, telling his story, from his own diary.
Really a semi-retired/ retired life as an old man, leading a quite life with his wife of many years, life in the quite county of Hampshire.
Told in a very different way, nothing more personnel than his own private diaries, on his own wishes to be destroyed at his own death.
Here is Alec Guinness tells the story himself in this audible book, and one thing is for sure, you learn all the good things and all the bad things, and dive deep into his personality.
From my point of view, he did have a few faults, but as an actor he was superb, as a person I am sure he was very prickly, stubborn, very religious, very loyal to his friends, loved his meals out, many guests to his house.
He loved the luxury of lovely hotels, meals out but was happy if he was not making. An actor who made many great films, as he admitted earning millions complained if he has to pay for a hat at £90.00!
Very intelligent man, who is very good with his words, great memories and great stories.
A man who really did enjoy NOT working later in his life, but rightly so enjoyed lovely holidays with friends, often to Italy or France.
A film star, but still a man who has the aches and pains of an 82 years pensioner, bad hearing, which explains so well.
Retired, few acting roles but he kept busy with an active social life, really led a great last few years, loved his animals.
Sadly hated his fan mail, and from 1996 just through them into the bin !! Yes, a pet hate of mine.
Other wise, interesting, funny.
Really a semi-retired/ retired life as an old man, leading a quite life with his wife of many years, life in the quite county of Hampshire.
Told in a very different way, nothing more personnel than his own private diaries, on his own wishes to be destroyed at his own death.
Here is Alec Guinness tells the story himself in this audible book, and one thing is for sure, you learn all the good things and all the bad things, and dive deep into his personality.
From my point of view, he did have a few faults, but as an actor he was superb, as a person I am sure he was very prickly, stubborn, very religious, very loyal to his friends, loved his meals out, many guests to his house.
He loved the luxury of lovely hotels, meals out but was happy if he was not making. An actor who made many great films, as he admitted earning millions complained if he has to pay for a hat at £90.00!
Very intelligent man, who is very good with his words, great memories and great stories.
A man who really did enjoy NOT working later in his life, but rightly so enjoyed lovely holidays with friends, often to Italy or France.
A film star, but still a man who has the aches and pains of an 82 years pensioner, bad hearing, which explains so well.
Retired, few acting roles but he kept busy with an active social life, really led a great last few years, loved his animals.
Sadly hated his fan mail, and from 1996 just through them into the bin !! Yes, a pet hate of mine.
Other wise, interesting, funny.
May 13, 2014
It was a fictional character of Lawrence Durrell who once described an Englishman as having a horny outer shell through which two sensitive antennae, humour and prejudice, explored the world. Though the beloved and largely domestic actor, Alec Guinness, had little in common with the estranged Durrell, he possibly might recognise himself, at least in part, in the novelist’s definition. The observation seems apposite after reading Alec Guinness’s commissioned diary, published under the title My Name Escapes Me.
It was written in 1995 and 1996, when the actor was in his eighties and had already witnessed the passing of, amongst others, the autobiography and several externally-generated portraits into print and perhaps oblivion. An update covering only recent times may have proved short of sufficient events to justify its length, especially if the actor chose not to change or criticise his former positions. And the reader has to be no further than a page or two into this volume to realise that this particular actor would be unlikely to change his standpoint, or suffer the mood swings needed to re-tell a story in changed form. So perhaps the only way of a publisher could approach the further marketing of this celebrity at his age was to commission a diary, deliberately create a record of the mundane for publication.
Rest assured, this diary of day-to-day experience, though it may well have been written, would surely never have been published without the backing of its author’s celebrity. But that said, it is also necessary to emphasise that this book presents a down-to-earth, especially mundane account of an eighteen month encounter with aging, personal loss, occasional illness, marital devotion, inclement weather and community involvement, despite its regular, and inevitable, name-dropping.
Humour and prejudice both feature in Alec Guinness’s approach to life, but both, as one might expect, seem understated. Though hardly a laugh a minute raconteur, nor a thigh-slapping joker, the author here presents a character used to the sideways glance at life, the mumbled aside to the audience. Through succinct comment, he is able to acknowledge entire histories, even analyse motive with sincerity and precision. The smiles are often associated with irony, or have nostalgia or even wisdom attached. And the prejudice, like the humour, is usually implied, though one feels it is ever present. Alec Guinness, like the English in general, covets certain romanticised aspects of foreign life, but distrusts everywhere except home, which he occasionally despises. He loves fine dining, but records a detestation of rabbit on the grounds that the small bones remind him of the babies’ fingers that, presumably, he must consume regularly enough to be familiar with the experience. And food, thus pre-judged, figures large in the book, as lunch or dinner is often shared with the author’s colleagues and acquaintances from a lifetime spent in theatre, film and television.
But ultimately the most successful aspect of My Name Escapes Me is its record of the mundane. Mr and Mrs Guinness have numerous ailments, notably ones involving the eyes, which have consequences for what they can and cannot do. In addition, within these pages we learn such earth-shattering news as it being too wet to go out and feed the fish. At one point, she, who shall be nameless, is recommended a little sponge cake soaked in weak tea. When the author tells us that while sitting in the gazebo his diuretic pill caught him unawares in a very imperative way, we feel his observation really takes us there. Days come and days go, often approached and taken one at a time as retirement would appear to demand.
And My Name Escapes Me has much more such revealing detail of octogenarian life, prosaic content that eventually becomes the book’s strength. It doesn’t matter what name you bear, for eventually it will escape you, along with all the other trappings that once comprised your life. This book would not have been published without there existing a significant name to escape, but the overall experience approaches the universal as a simple, enduring and delightfully insistent humanity emerges to dominate in a quiet, humble and understated way, yet still carrying its humour and prejudgment.
It was written in 1995 and 1996, when the actor was in his eighties and had already witnessed the passing of, amongst others, the autobiography and several externally-generated portraits into print and perhaps oblivion. An update covering only recent times may have proved short of sufficient events to justify its length, especially if the actor chose not to change or criticise his former positions. And the reader has to be no further than a page or two into this volume to realise that this particular actor would be unlikely to change his standpoint, or suffer the mood swings needed to re-tell a story in changed form. So perhaps the only way of a publisher could approach the further marketing of this celebrity at his age was to commission a diary, deliberately create a record of the mundane for publication.
Rest assured, this diary of day-to-day experience, though it may well have been written, would surely never have been published without the backing of its author’s celebrity. But that said, it is also necessary to emphasise that this book presents a down-to-earth, especially mundane account of an eighteen month encounter with aging, personal loss, occasional illness, marital devotion, inclement weather and community involvement, despite its regular, and inevitable, name-dropping.
Humour and prejudice both feature in Alec Guinness’s approach to life, but both, as one might expect, seem understated. Though hardly a laugh a minute raconteur, nor a thigh-slapping joker, the author here presents a character used to the sideways glance at life, the mumbled aside to the audience. Through succinct comment, he is able to acknowledge entire histories, even analyse motive with sincerity and precision. The smiles are often associated with irony, or have nostalgia or even wisdom attached. And the prejudice, like the humour, is usually implied, though one feels it is ever present. Alec Guinness, like the English in general, covets certain romanticised aspects of foreign life, but distrusts everywhere except home, which he occasionally despises. He loves fine dining, but records a detestation of rabbit on the grounds that the small bones remind him of the babies’ fingers that, presumably, he must consume regularly enough to be familiar with the experience. And food, thus pre-judged, figures large in the book, as lunch or dinner is often shared with the author’s colleagues and acquaintances from a lifetime spent in theatre, film and television.
But ultimately the most successful aspect of My Name Escapes Me is its record of the mundane. Mr and Mrs Guinness have numerous ailments, notably ones involving the eyes, which have consequences for what they can and cannot do. In addition, within these pages we learn such earth-shattering news as it being too wet to go out and feed the fish. At one point, she, who shall be nameless, is recommended a little sponge cake soaked in weak tea. When the author tells us that while sitting in the gazebo his diuretic pill caught him unawares in a very imperative way, we feel his observation really takes us there. Days come and days go, often approached and taken one at a time as retirement would appear to demand.
And My Name Escapes Me has much more such revealing detail of octogenarian life, prosaic content that eventually becomes the book’s strength. It doesn’t matter what name you bear, for eventually it will escape you, along with all the other trappings that once comprised your life. This book would not have been published without there existing a significant name to escape, but the overall experience approaches the universal as a simple, enduring and delightfully insistent humanity emerges to dominate in a quiet, humble and understated way, yet still carrying its humour and prejudgment.
March 3, 2014
I did not expect all that much from this book, since it was initially serialized in a newspaper. Having enjoyed Guinness's movies, I thought it would be interesting to have more of a sense of the man behind the actor. I can't say this journal of a bit more than a year of his life gave me much insight into that.
Guinness seems to have known everyone in British film and stage circles, and the name-dropping in the book is unending. However, there are very few interesting anecdotes, and almost none are negative. The only exceptions to the positive slant relate to people who are deceased and to film production companies. Even regarding the former group, the negative stories are generally out into a positive over-all context, as in "He was always a good guy but a real pain in his final years" (said about more than one person).
What do we learn about Guinness? He's certainly a snob, and likes to go first-class, while constantly complaining he can't afford it. He really likes birds and dogs, who are described with more panache than people are. He reads a great deal, equally divided between classics and contemporary works. A convert to Catholicism as an adult, Guinness is clearly observant to and moved by his faith. But this is for the most part a diary of incidents related a bit flatly, without emotion or detail, and it is more of a chronology than a diary.
There are interesting bits of history, though. He spends time with Jack Profumo, who later on became the source of one of Britain's major scandals of the 20th Century. He talks of an IRA bombing of a pub in which I can remember having had a beer or two. There are many events of that year (1996) mentioned, though more in almanac style than in terms of any complex reaction on Guinness's part.
But what I did like was to see how active one can be at 82. That was certainly a gift, and I hope to be as alert and fit when I reach that age as Guinness clearly was.
Guinness seems to have known everyone in British film and stage circles, and the name-dropping in the book is unending. However, there are very few interesting anecdotes, and almost none are negative. The only exceptions to the positive slant relate to people who are deceased and to film production companies. Even regarding the former group, the negative stories are generally out into a positive over-all context, as in "He was always a good guy but a real pain in his final years" (said about more than one person).
What do we learn about Guinness? He's certainly a snob, and likes to go first-class, while constantly complaining he can't afford it. He really likes birds and dogs, who are described with more panache than people are. He reads a great deal, equally divided between classics and contemporary works. A convert to Catholicism as an adult, Guinness is clearly observant to and moved by his faith. But this is for the most part a diary of incidents related a bit flatly, without emotion or detail, and it is more of a chronology than a diary.
There are interesting bits of history, though. He spends time with Jack Profumo, who later on became the source of one of Britain's major scandals of the 20th Century. He talks of an IRA bombing of a pub in which I can remember having had a beer or two. There are many events of that year (1996) mentioned, though more in almanac style than in terms of any complex reaction on Guinness's part.
But what I did like was to see how active one can be at 82. That was certainly a gift, and I hope to be as alert and fit when I reach that age as Guinness clearly was.
June 2, 2017
Never read such a relaxing book before and I don't mean boring. It's a great read as if you're walking at the old actors side for a couple of months and you're his best buddy. Lovely.
September 25, 2016
I Couldn't help thinking about Tom Cruise bouncing up and down on a couch on Oprah's TV show while I was reading this. Why on earth do they expect actors to be intelligent?
Some bright spark at Penguin thought of asking Guinness if they could publish 18 months worth of his diary and this is the result.
What he had for dinner, what the weather was like, who he holidayed with. Riveting stuff .
Now and again he ventures into profundity. Like this , written in the dead of winter, "Where is all this global warming we read about?".
A little later, " I can't think why anyone in this country wants to get rid of the Upper House....Of course it should be occupied only through inheritance and not topped up with temporary titles." He is being serious.
The book is a load of cods. I love him in "The Bridge Over The River Kwai", but going by this it would have been better to leave him there.
Some bright spark at Penguin thought of asking Guinness if they could publish 18 months worth of his diary and this is the result.
What he had for dinner, what the weather was like, who he holidayed with. Riveting stuff .
Now and again he ventures into profundity. Like this , written in the dead of winter, "Where is all this global warming we read about?".
A little later, " I can't think why anyone in this country wants to get rid of the Upper House....Of course it should be occupied only through inheritance and not topped up with temporary titles." He is being serious.
The book is a load of cods. I love him in "The Bridge Over The River Kwai", but going by this it would have been better to leave him there.
November 15, 2017
Somebody said, "Hey, Sir Alec Guiness, will you keep a daily diary for a couple years so we can publish it?" And he said "ok." If one expects to learn deep or penetrating information about the life of Alec Guiness, one will be disappointed. If, however, one enjoys an old British actor's daily commentary on his mundane and sacred activities, with lots of reminisces included, this is a delightful read! Despite the conceit of the book, I really liked his ruminations, often witty, mostly candid, on aging, what books he is reading, and his random stories of actors I may or may not have heard of. It made me want to read more books of the "journals of" or "letters of" variety.
July 5, 2011
"Must have my eyes tested. Today I found myself making enticing cooing sounds to what I took to be a rather pale pigeon on the lawn outside my study. It turned out to be a knuckle-bone left by one of the dogs."
May 19, 2018
Joy. Joy. Joy. The dry and cosy wit of Alec Guiness is pure pleasure.
We will never see his like again.
We will never see his like again.
November 29, 2022
Diaries over eighteen months of 1995-96 - well written and very open and interesting
September 16, 2014
The reading of diaries is not for everybody. A diary can say more about a person that an autobiography because it shows what the writer considers most important in life. And the skill of a good diary writer can be found in their consistency, not necessarily of entries, but what those entries are about. In the case of Alec Guinness its about his love for the theater, art, and friends - and the excursions he makes to enjoy all three of them. He's good at downplaying his irritations and poking himself so as not to have an inflated ego. After reading this you will come away knowing more of the man than you would from any tell-all book. But be prepared to have Wikipedia handy. His friends and education are from another era - a more cultured era - and you will not want to gloss over the details. I was happy to find that we'd seen and had the same reviews on movies. Now I need to go back and draft a list of the books and music he mentions to see if they're on any of my entertainment cues.
December 18, 2017
The diary by Sir Alec Guinness is fascinating. A much better way of getting to know him than any biography. Loved his insights to acting and his honesty about himself. There were quite a bit of British references that only a true Brit would understand - most went right over my head. But I absolutely loved reading it. Not only that but I was on hand at his book signing at the National Theatre in 1997 and he honored me with a few words when he signed.
March 20, 2010
quite amusing,told with a touch of alec guinness wit.
November 27, 2014
The voice comes through clearly but his personality doesn't because he chooses not to reveal himself - an actor to the end.
October 15, 2017
This book was a surprise-I received this book from my grandfather, who tended to hand me books that I often had no desire to read-Bill O'Reilly was occasionally presented to me if I can paint a picture. This book was handed to me and quickly forgotten, but as I recently saw this book sitting on my shelf, I decided to read it. Additionally, I felt compelled to read as my grandfather has recently passed.
Initially, I had no idea who Alec Guinness was-I recognized that we has an actor, given the title, but I read this book on a business trip and didn't have the dust jacket with me, so I didn't read the small bio available.
As I read, I found myself reminiscing of my grandfather, and being charmed by the musings of the author. This book is simply a series of diary entries covering about 18 months of the actor's life with his wife in semi-retirement. Mr Guinness is a gentleman, and I found the banality of his life comfortable and amusing.
This book is an exceedingly easy read-about 2 hours to finish for me. I would recommend to any who are looking for an amusing (& brief) account of a man aging away from relevance-although that sounds less charitable than I intend. I don't believe this will be a gratifying read for die-hard fans of either Alec Guinness or Star Wars, as little time is spent on his carreer, instead there are more anecdotes of his day, current events, and his social calendar.
Initially, I had no idea who Alec Guinness was-I recognized that we has an actor, given the title, but I read this book on a business trip and didn't have the dust jacket with me, so I didn't read the small bio available.
As I read, I found myself reminiscing of my grandfather, and being charmed by the musings of the author. This book is simply a series of diary entries covering about 18 months of the actor's life with his wife in semi-retirement. Mr Guinness is a gentleman, and I found the banality of his life comfortable and amusing.
This book is an exceedingly easy read-about 2 hours to finish for me. I would recommend to any who are looking for an amusing (& brief) account of a man aging away from relevance-although that sounds less charitable than I intend. I don't believe this will be a gratifying read for die-hard fans of either Alec Guinness or Star Wars, as little time is spent on his carreer, instead there are more anecdotes of his day, current events, and his social calendar.
October 17, 2022
Imagine trying to recommend this book to a Gen Y. Well it's written by an eighty year old man in diary form and the reader is privy to his daily thoughts and actions over a one year period. He's got various medical issues like partial deafness and blindness, he likes watching birds in his garden , reading classic literature and oh yeah, he goes to quite a few dinner parties and manages to travel every now and then when he's feeling O.K. Hey, where did you go?
In all probability, this book might bore the pants off the world at large. But it is Alec Guinness after all and the late actor has sure got some credibility.He knew almost every celebrity on the planet up to his death in 2000. He's worked with all the greats since the thirties when he treaded the boards with Olivier and Gielgud, he was illuminating in the Ealing comedies of the 50's, he was unforgettable in numerous David Lean blockbusters and he hung around long enough to serve charismatically in the Star Wars franchise. So what interest could there be in his 95/96 diary?
In the main it's really quite charming. It's also informative and often revealing. It's sometimes esoteric in an annoying way. But it's Alec Guinness and you're only going to explore the 200 pages if you've got a bit of a sentimental soft spot for the old bugger.
In all probability, this book might bore the pants off the world at large. But it is Alec Guinness after all and the late actor has sure got some credibility.He knew almost every celebrity on the planet up to his death in 2000. He's worked with all the greats since the thirties when he treaded the boards with Olivier and Gielgud, he was illuminating in the Ealing comedies of the 50's, he was unforgettable in numerous David Lean blockbusters and he hung around long enough to serve charismatically in the Star Wars franchise. So what interest could there be in his 95/96 diary?
In the main it's really quite charming. It's also informative and often revealing. It's sometimes esoteric in an annoying way. But it's Alec Guinness and you're only going to explore the 200 pages if you've got a bit of a sentimental soft spot for the old bugger.
August 18, 2023
There is not a dramatic draw to this memoir. These are not the years when Sir Alex Guinness was breaking in as a young actor. These are not the years when he made his name in England’s Ealing Studio comedies--nor the years of his greatest triumphs working with David Lean. This is the memoir of the quiet years of a gentleman in repose. Day to day diary entries reveal how one comes to terms with one’s waning years with a gentle and amusing grace. There is a game of tag with memories but the present always wins. This memoir covers the window where the actor has come to terms with acting being too demanding upon his age. There is a kind of freedom in that. Something comfortable about cats and weather and koi fish being the arbiters of your day—friends and memories of friends something you pull on like old sweaters. An unassuming diary of dignity and connection and breathing in what remains of the day.
April 22, 2023
This book was full of a melancholy charm and a (somewhat) self deprecating wit. My favourite part was the unexpected appreciation Sir Alec shows for the beauty of Julian of Norwich's "Revelations of Divine Love." There was a simultaneously mildly depressing yet deeply ordinarily human air about this book. These are the reflections of an actor whose career is largely over and who misses the stage/screen, yet recognizes that acting is more complex now and that much in entertainment is cynical and that potential projects may just be trying to leverage his reputation to accomplish a financial or political goal. But Guinness is charming in that a good meal and visit with an old friend, a healthy digestion, a break from arthritis, a sleeping dog on the rug or some song birds in the sunshine, and the faithful care of a spouse, are the true treasures of life.
November 15, 2020
This is really for Guinness fans. Like me. Otherwise this book is a list of diary entries that really doesn't tell much of Guinness' story. Lots of eye appointments, marriage life, Betty Boothroyd, his efforts to keep many at a distance, surprisingly few actor references, nods to a slew of events happing during the notes of the diaries. This goes on and on and on.
There's no need for writing skill when making notes. So, this was easy for Penguin publishing to get this out and Guinness' last entry in this series just before his death.
This does remind the reader of events through the mid-1990s, which is interesting. But a history book would be better for that.
Bottom line: i don't recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.
There's no need for writing skill when making notes. So, this was easy for Penguin publishing to get this out and Guinness' last entry in this series just before his death.
This does remind the reader of events through the mid-1990s, which is interesting. But a history book would be better for that.
Bottom line: i don't recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.
April 15, 2020
An editor convinced Alec Guinness to write a diary of his life in the years 1995 to 1996. Guinness should have refused, unless he had been desperate for money. A book during his time as a performer would have been worth a read, but basically he tells what he does in retirement, which is nothing notable.
Admitting his performing abilities had declined with age, Guinness talks in brief anecdotes about how he hates New Year's Day, about how the weather is, about how people he knew die off, about he takes on advertising roles he does not enjoy...basically what is the point? It feels like an account of a former racehorse about to be taken to rendition plant.
Admitting his performing abilities had declined with age, Guinness talks in brief anecdotes about how he hates New Year's Day, about how the weather is, about how people he knew die off, about he takes on advertising roles he does not enjoy...basically what is the point? It feels like an account of a former racehorse about to be taken to rendition plant.
July 18, 2022
A relaxing read following Alex’s activities and thoughts for 18 months from Jan 1995.
He obviously enjoys nature as flowers and birds are often mentioned.
It is surprising to find out his is very self-conscious, gets nervous in new situations.
An interesting and honest report even revealing his thoughts on approaching old age and grumpiness at times.
“It seems a pity that the good old phrase ‘living in sin’ is likely to be dropped by the C of E. So many friends, happily living in sin, will feel very ordinary and humdrum when they become merely partners; or, as the Americans say, ‘an item’.” Page 26.
He obviously enjoys nature as flowers and birds are often mentioned.
It is surprising to find out his is very self-conscious, gets nervous in new situations.
An interesting and honest report even revealing his thoughts on approaching old age and grumpiness at times.
“It seems a pity that the good old phrase ‘living in sin’ is likely to be dropped by the C of E. So many friends, happily living in sin, will feel very ordinary and humdrum when they become merely partners; or, as the Americans say, ‘an item’.” Page 26.
May 10, 2024
Not sure who would enjoy reading this dry diary that the actor kept in 1995. The names and places mentioned are unrecognizable to most. Nothing really happens beyond an old man's musings about his wife, politics, Shakespeare, plays he has attended, lunches, hatred of signing autographs, and even a little religion.
But if you're expecting insights into his career, forget it. Star Wars gets three sentences, all separate and insignificant. This certainly isn't a true memoir or autobiography in terms of having a narrative. It isn't just Alec Guinness's name that escapes him here, but also his ability to tell a story or understand what fans are interested in.
But if you're expecting insights into his career, forget it. Star Wars gets three sentences, all separate and insignificant. This certainly isn't a true memoir or autobiography in terms of having a narrative. It isn't just Alec Guinness's name that escapes him here, but also his ability to tell a story or understand what fans are interested in.
July 31, 2021
Amusing easy read but I don't understand why it has been published at all; not much happens. It is just a diary of an 18 month period in his life. Guinness and his wife are in their 80s and as a result is understandably unwilling to exert himself too much for any roles that come his way.
Alec spends a lot of time dining with friends, visiting galleries and going to the theatre throughout this diary.
There are some interesting asides and reminiscences. Guinness mentions that he has been keeping a diary for years; it's a pity the book isn't a selection from a wider timeframe.
Alec spends a lot of time dining with friends, visiting galleries and going to the theatre throughout this diary.
There are some interesting asides and reminiscences. Guinness mentions that he has been keeping a diary for years; it's a pity the book isn't a selection from a wider timeframe.
January 3, 2018
These journal entries, commissioned before they were written, are cozy in the same way that John Wyndham writes cozy catastrophe science fiction or that Agatha Christie sometimes wrote cozy murder mysteries.
The subjects include:
A sense of what it means to be old.
Catholicism, though Guinness is neither obnoxious nor proselytizing.
Acting.
Shakespeare.
The subjects include:
A sense of what it means to be old.
Catholicism, though Guinness is neither obnoxious nor proselytizing.
Acting.
Shakespeare.
October 12, 2024
"Ranging from January 1995 to June 1996, the diary of an esteemed actor, full of touching anecdotes of his acquaintances, presents a witty and revealing look at his major concerns and daily life, capturing the essence of a gifted man."
I realized, a few pages in, that I didn't know any of the people being mentioned in the journal, not did I know much about the author.
I realized, a few pages in, that I didn't know any of the people being mentioned in the journal, not did I know much about the author.
February 7, 2019
Delightful, droll, and still relevant, despite the persistent name drops (many of which come across as heartfelt friendships, the famous names associated are happenstance of profession). Guinness’ love of England is as apparent as his distaste for Star Wars fans.
August 25, 2019
Written with dry wit and an observant eye, this diary is a delightful read. Guinness, in his 80s, had the energy to meet friends regularly, travel, write and speak, all the while nursing poor eyesight and hearing. It is very evident that he was a dear friend to many.
November 28, 2020
Not a great deal of substance to this book. He seems to spend his days popping up to Jermyn Street for shopping or hanging out with the Profumos. Still, he was in his 80s when he wrote this, so one makes allowances.
November 4, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For me, it didn't matter if I didn't recognize names or places or Shakespearean references or names of plays. (Sounds like I missed a lot!) It was his engaging with life and aging -- descriptions of the day-to-day -- that kept me turning the pages.
February 5, 2019
Just a fun read as Guinness offers a series of diary entries. It describes the life of a very famous and talented person living a very ordinary life.
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