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Character Parts
From Christine Keeler and Lauren Bacall to Neil Kinnock, Andre Previn and Lord Scarman, John Mortimer's interviews make compulsive reading, giving us humorous and illuminating insights into some of the most outstanding figures of our times.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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About the author
John Mortimer
250 books230 followersJohn Clifford Mortimer was a novelist, playwright and former practising barrister. Among his many publications are several volumes of Rumpole stories and a trilogy of political novels, Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets, featuring Leslie Titmuss - a character as brilliant as Rumpole. John Mortimer received a knighthood for his services to the arts in 1998.
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 3, 2022
I came to this book after seeing a review from one of my GR Friends
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As highlighted, the book is a collection of short pen-pictures of well-known individuals, originally published in the Sunday Times in the 1980s. As such the collection is probably of interest mainly to Brits of my generation, who can remember those involved. If I have counted correctly, there are 29 interviews in total, including 6 Americans.
One of the most interesting was of a 40-something Christine Keeler. 20-odd years previously she had been at the centre of an enormous scandal in British politics when she had a brief sexual relationship with a married cabinet minister, John Profumo, after they had met at a party at the house of Lord Astor. The scandal became even bigger when it turned out that Keeler’s circle of male friends included Capt. Evgeny Ivanov, “Naval Attaché” at the Soviet Embassy. I enjoyed reading Keeler’s view of it all, as well as Mortimer’s writing. Keeler first caught Profumo’s eye when he saw her swimming naked in Lord Astor’s pool. I had to smile at Mortimer’s comment “Not since David spotted Bathsheba in a similar situation has so much trouble been caused by an act of observed bathing.” He later adds that “the British public had one of its periodical fits of morality, a spectacle which Lord Macaulay long ago and quite correctly described as ridiculous.” Mortimer’s writing frequently brought on a smile. Describing the then Bishop of London, a man of very conservative views, he comments “Expressing his belief, firmly but not always tactfully, has led Dr Leonard to an ecclesiastical career that might have provided a promising plot for Trollope.”
Mortimer is generally kind to his subjects, too much so, I thought, in the case of Doris Stokes, a self-proclaimed medium whom I always considered a heartless con-artist. Evidence that emerged after her death provided me with better cause for that opinion, but in fairness Mortimer didn’t know that. There’s also a piece on the former Glasgow gangster Jimmy Boyle, released from prison in 1982 after serving 15 years for murder. He went on to become a celebrated artist and writer. In the 60s Boyle had worked as a “tallyman” – an enforcer for loan sharks - and he was notorious for the sadistic tortures he inflicted on his victims. I was a student in Glasgow at the time he was released and the reactions from different people were striking. The mainly middle-class students I knew saw Boyle as a victim of the system, whereas many working-class Glaswegians were angered at his release, remembering his previous activities with horror. Boyle portrays himself as having been a product of his environment, and given his life after prison there may have been some truth in that. Still, a word of regret for the people he maimed would not have gone amiss.
There are interviews with a young and optimistic Neil Kinnock shortly after he became leader of the Labour Party, and in contrast, one with the former PM Ted Heath, left permanently embittered after the Conservatives dumped him for Margaret Thatcher. There are numerous figures from the arts world, of which my favourite interviews were probably Lauren Bacall, André Previn and Sir Geraint Evans.
It seems there was an earlier collection, with the title In Character. I might read it.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As highlighted, the book is a collection of short pen-pictures of well-known individuals, originally published in the Sunday Times in the 1980s. As such the collection is probably of interest mainly to Brits of my generation, who can remember those involved. If I have counted correctly, there are 29 interviews in total, including 6 Americans.
One of the most interesting was of a 40-something Christine Keeler. 20-odd years previously she had been at the centre of an enormous scandal in British politics when she had a brief sexual relationship with a married cabinet minister, John Profumo, after they had met at a party at the house of Lord Astor. The scandal became even bigger when it turned out that Keeler’s circle of male friends included Capt. Evgeny Ivanov, “Naval Attaché” at the Soviet Embassy. I enjoyed reading Keeler’s view of it all, as well as Mortimer’s writing. Keeler first caught Profumo’s eye when he saw her swimming naked in Lord Astor’s pool. I had to smile at Mortimer’s comment “Not since David spotted Bathsheba in a similar situation has so much trouble been caused by an act of observed bathing.” He later adds that “the British public had one of its periodical fits of morality, a spectacle which Lord Macaulay long ago and quite correctly described as ridiculous.” Mortimer’s writing frequently brought on a smile. Describing the then Bishop of London, a man of very conservative views, he comments “Expressing his belief, firmly but not always tactfully, has led Dr Leonard to an ecclesiastical career that might have provided a promising plot for Trollope.”
Mortimer is generally kind to his subjects, too much so, I thought, in the case of Doris Stokes, a self-proclaimed medium whom I always considered a heartless con-artist. Evidence that emerged after her death provided me with better cause for that opinion, but in fairness Mortimer didn’t know that. There’s also a piece on the former Glasgow gangster Jimmy Boyle, released from prison in 1982 after serving 15 years for murder. He went on to become a celebrated artist and writer. In the 60s Boyle had worked as a “tallyman” – an enforcer for loan sharks - and he was notorious for the sadistic tortures he inflicted on his victims. I was a student in Glasgow at the time he was released and the reactions from different people were striking. The mainly middle-class students I knew saw Boyle as a victim of the system, whereas many working-class Glaswegians were angered at his release, remembering his previous activities with horror. Boyle portrays himself as having been a product of his environment, and given his life after prison there may have been some truth in that. Still, a word of regret for the people he maimed would not have gone amiss.
There are interviews with a young and optimistic Neil Kinnock shortly after he became leader of the Labour Party, and in contrast, one with the former PM Ted Heath, left permanently embittered after the Conservatives dumped him for Margaret Thatcher. There are numerous figures from the arts world, of which my favourite interviews were probably Lauren Bacall, André Previn and Sir Geraint Evans.
It seems there was an earlier collection, with the title In Character. I might read it.
October 11, 2022
Is it worth reading? Yes, if you are a dedicated fan of anything by Mortimer or if you can get this from your library or really cheaply. He’s always entertaining. His choices of “characters” are collected from pieces he wrote for the Sunday Times in the 1980s. Those characters can be odd. The Bishop of London side by side with Boy George and a supposedly recovered murdering (character denies murder) gangster. All of the subjects were of their time, which makes more than a few of them irrelevant today. Conservative politicians and religious leaders are slyly skewered.
Among my favorites were Lord Hailsham (hadn’t a clue who he was but he seems like an interesting person), Christine Keeler (still a memorable scandal), Alec Guinness (great theater gossip), David Cecil (he would have been great at a dinner party), and Ruth Rendell (insight into her writing).
Less interesting people—Raquel Welch (Mortimer has an obvious interest in breasty American actresses). Ms. Welch had just written a now long forgotten lifestyle book with photos of her doing yoga, advice on “physical perfection” and proper eating. Then there is Gloria Vanderbilt (airheadedness. Mortimer—“And so you went into business. Jeans and perfume and bean curds…Vanderbilt “I market things. I design the packaging.” And a number of politicians and religious leaders that I defy anyone to remember today.
Enjoyable on the whole though. I got a few good laughs here.
Among my favorites were Lord Hailsham (hadn’t a clue who he was but he seems like an interesting person), Christine Keeler (still a memorable scandal), Alec Guinness (great theater gossip), David Cecil (he would have been great at a dinner party), and Ruth Rendell (insight into her writing).
Less interesting people—Raquel Welch (Mortimer has an obvious interest in breasty American actresses). Ms. Welch had just written a now long forgotten lifestyle book with photos of her doing yoga, advice on “physical perfection” and proper eating. Then there is Gloria Vanderbilt (airheadedness. Mortimer—“And so you went into business. Jeans and perfume and bean curds…Vanderbilt “I market things. I design the packaging.” And a number of politicians and religious leaders that I defy anyone to remember today.
Enjoyable on the whole though. I got a few good laughs here.
July 6, 2022
An enjoyable collection of short interviews by John Mortimer, taken from his Sunday Times columns, and written with his trademark economy and wit. Although these date from the 1980s, and most of the people interviewed are no longer current names (Lord Scarman, Raquel Welch), they are still interesting and enjoyable to read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews