Dear Tom

by Tom Courtenay

'I suppose my luck is You, Ann and Dad and more so if I could really write.' Annie Eliza Courtenay

Tom Courtenay was born in Hull in 1937 and brought up near the fish dock where his father worked. When he left home for university, his mother, Annie, wrote to him every week and when her letters became more searching and more intimate in response to Tom's unhappiness he kept every one, not knowing that after her early death they were to become his most treasured possession.

Tom has selected the best of them to go in this book and interwoven with them a portrait of what was going on in his life at the time, in the heady days of the early Sixties when successful young working-class actors were coming to the fore for the first time. Annie's letters are astonishing - wise, funny, with a natural instinct for words, but also deeply painful. She knows she's worthy of a better, more creative life, but she hasn't been given the chance.

Partly a memoir of a working-class way of life that has gone for ever, partly a powerfully moving record of the love between mother and son, partly a portrait of the artist as a young actor, Dear Tom is sure to excite admiration and delight in equal measure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography

377 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2000

About the author

Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (pronounced "Courtney"; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor who came to prominence in the early 1960s with a succession of critically-acclaimed films including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Billy Liar (1963) and Dr. Zhivago (1965). Since the mid-1960s he has been known primarily for his work in the theatre. Courtenay received a knighthood in February 2001 for forty years service to cinema and theatre. Tom Courtenay is the President of Hull City A.F.C.'s Official Supporters Club. In 1999 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Hull University.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me laugh. It made me cry. Tom Courtenay was born 6 years after my Dad, and 3 years after my Mum, and the Hull and 'Essle Road he describes are familiar from their stories. And his sister, Ann, with her husband and two sons lived in the house next door to my family home during my early childhood - I have a teddy bear in the loft that the eldest of the boys gave me when I was born. I didn't read this for the actor autobiography aspect. I read it for the Hull, Hessle Road aspect. And it went a little way to fill the Hull-shaped gap I've been feeling recently. Including reminding me of some phrases that I haven't heard in a fair few years. Chuntering being one such example.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An honest and somewhat sad memoir about the childhood and career path of British actor Tom Courtenay and the unfulfilled dreams his mother took to her grave ... this book would naturally be of great interest to someone who either admires the acting work of Tom Courtenay or has a special interest in what it felt like to grow up in the Hull region or other fishing-industry town of Northern England ca. 1940. Coming to the book with neither of these, (it was a somewhat unusual choice of the zurich book club), I admit having had to plod through at many points. It was not exactly what you'd call a page-turner. This is however, not Mr. Courtenay's fault, as he probably wrote it first and foremost for himself and to honor the memory of his mother and second for the 2 categories of people mentioned above and only third for other random persons. Still, it was good to spend some time in that rough world of Hull - life was hard in many ways for the women and the men, but the Fish Dock area also possessed an enviable cohesion. Courtenay portrays this in all of its eccentric and charming facets for readers who have the patience to stick with him.

[Anastasia Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming book about familial love between Mother and Son. It's mundane nature makes it surprisingly precious to read, and easy to relate to one's own family dynamic. It's humorous daydreams and sometimes sorrowful reflections make it an emotional, but largely uplifting read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartwarming, sad story of his much loved mother who died far too young, evocatively told by Tom

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been lucky enough to see Tom Courtenay the actor quite a few times and have always been blown away. Fortunately he was able to rely on his histrionic rather than his literary skills. He isn’t a good writer and the autobiography reads like so many by successful people. ... I found my talent early, had a couple of folk who encouraged me, was the best at school and sixth form...so good they made me head boy..... etc etc. So far, so drearily OK. But the letters from his mum make this rather special and a real historic insight into true working class culture in the fifties and sixties as seen in the letters of a truly remarkable woman.

I really hope I get to see Tom Courtenay on stage again. He lights it up. But I’m not ambitious to meet Tom Courtenay the man.

Mind you, I’d walk to Hull and back just to have a chat with his mum and dad.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very clever autobiography. In using his mother's letters as the 'skeleton' on which to hang the story of his youth, Tom Courtenay reveals both her central role in their home and the strong emotional ties between mother and son. He share the warmth of the close-knit community of the fish dock in Hull - which, in fact, could be any working class area in the north - and this contrasts sharply to his rather lonely student life in London.

In 1963 I was studying for my 'O' levels in Bradford when they were filming Billy Liar. We were amazed that anyone would use our soot soaked city as a location. Northern actors like Tom Courtenay made us proud of our heritage and gave us the confidence to head south for our further education. (where, like him, we lost our accents)

[Paul Forster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brought me to tears. A lovely memoir about a kind, hard working, close knit working class family. Tom's mam's letters are so sweet and modest, but her persona emanates from them. It's deeply sad , to be honest, and it puts all the stuff about fame and fortune in its rightful place. Courtenay is one of those who never bought into all that nonsense and you can see why, there's more important things in life.

[Peter Coomber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gentle, heartfelt memoir of growing up in Hull and his life leading up to the early Sixties; his mother - and her letters - centre stage. Charming.

b.t.w. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Billy Liar and The Dresser - doesn't look too bad on your c.v., does it?

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very touching series of letters between Tom Courtenay and his mum. For me the most illuminating aspect of this book was the insight into the life of a typical working class woman in the mid twentieth century. On the whole a frustrating and unfulfilling life I think

[LJ Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of letters written by Tom Courtenay to his mother after leaving Hull for London and a new life as an actor. Letters allow you to learn so much about people and their relationships. If only we all still wrote letters. An excellent read.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

a charming and heartwarming book.

[Pauline Bicknell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for people who know Hull. I lost the momentum partway through the RADA years. After a break of a few weeks I picked it up again and motored through the last few chapters. Very enjoyable

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely. Made me weep.

[Tamsin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book. Thank you Tom for sharing your family life with us. It isa real education.

[Tracey Wilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like Tom Courtenay much at the end of this. I felt that he tried to disown his family to a certain extent and that this was an attempt to make amends. I felt the relationship between his Mother and him throughout his childhood bordered on obsessional and I felt sorry for his sister and his Father. It was a bit 'Sons and Lovers' ! After he left home though he didn't really want to know. He comes over as all me, me, me !
I enjoyed the read though and a snapshot of working class Hull.

[Tony Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An original work of art. A beautiful book that made me laugh out loud and cry many times. Though, fave actor, Tom Courtenay is ten years older than me -all the characters he describes on the Hessle Road and Hull Fish Docks were my 'Aunts' & 'Uncles' and his days in London after leaving home to study,when his Ma wrote her letters to him, are very familiar too. Please read it - I can promise you an unexpected, authentic and fabulous treat.

[minnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book when I read it a few years ago,its based around the letters his mother wrote him when he went to London to become an actor.Tom's mother Annie had dreams of being a writer and uses the letters to express her thoughts and ideas as well as telling about the daily drudge of a working class woman from Hull.The letters are charming and this is a beautiful book.

[Franziska Self Fisken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, heartwarming book about Tom Courtenay's parents and his home background. Lovely to realise that Tom himself always respected and loved his parents and sister despite moving up to the dizzy heights of stardom, and he explains why in this affectionate portrayal of a working class background in Hull in the mid-twentieth Century.

[Bettie · Rating 1 out of 5]

With Sian Thomas.

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[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It affected me emotionally, I think because I identified so much with Tom, being from a happy working-class background, the first one in my family to go to university, and was very close to my mother and miss her a lot.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

TOm grew up in NZ and wrote letters to his mother and she wrote to him for all the time he lived in London and became a famous actor. The book gave be insitght in to NZ living in the 20' and 30's . Kind of boring and I did not finish it.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED IT. An absolute must for anyone who admires British New Wave cinema. Also, there are some cracking photos of Tom in his yoof!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely

[Jan Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read