List Price : $17.00 Price : $3.75
Product Description
A worthy successor to the beloved actor's earlier diary "My Name Escapes Me, " this new volume contains Sir Alec's journal from June 1996 to December 1998. A "New York Times" Notable Book of the Year.
Amazon.com Review
Alec Guinness begins his most recent memoir, a sort of sequel to his bestselling My Name Escapes Me, with what he calls an apology for a "ramshackle book": "It states it is a Journal and yet it doesn't quite aspire to that and it isn't a diary. Not many dates are to be found in it." What is in it are as charming a collection of memories, readings, observations, and anecdotes as could be imagined from an actor whose genius for self-effacement is legendary. Now in his 85th year, the celebrated Sir Alec has made a major contribution to a minor but much-loved literary form, the notebooks of an English gentleman. (It's no surprise to learn in these pages that Samuel Butler, author of The Way of All Flesh and his own published Notebooks, is one of Guinness's favorite authors.) Considering his age and virtual retirement, Guinness's life is an astonishingly active and full one, and for all the reminiscing, much of A Positively Final Appearance is taken up in describing his present-day doings with his beloved wife Merula (married 61 years), their dogs, and the occasional forays they make to visit friends and family. There are trips farther afield as well, to a spa in Baden-Baden and to films and theater, including a hilarious attempt to see the controversial West End hit Shopping and F***ing (with Guinness suggesting several substitutes for the supplied asterisks). His omnivorous reading is simply staggering, and a lifelong love affair with Shakespeare is evidenced not only by his memories of favorite performances but also his readings of scenes from the Bard, which reveal an imaginative scholarship infused with a lifetime's theatrical experience.
One of the strangest paradoxes of this superb actor (and equally fluent prose stylist) is that he seems destined to be remembered primarily for his becloaked performance in the original Star Wars trilogy as Obi-Wan Kenobi. There's a priceless story included about Guinness's encounter with a child who claimed to have seen the first film over 100 times, and the request he made of the boy: "Do you think you could promise never to see Star Wars again?" The result of this request, along with much else in this entirely captivating memoir, will amuse and delight. --John Longenbaugh
- ISBN13: 9780140299649
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
A Positively Final Appearance Reviews
A Positively Final Appearance Reviews
| 25 of 26 people found the following review helpful  With Sadness, I Believe The Title Of This Book To Be True, This review is from: A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 (Hardcover) Books like this are doubly rare, as they must meet two prerequisites at a minimum. Firstly the Author/Authoress must be in their ninth decade of life, and then they must have the talents at hand to write, and in the case of "A Positively Final Appearance", write deftly of a rich life without pretense or arrogance. Sir Alec Guiness is a legendary actor of stage and screen. Much to his chagrin the world seems to identify him almost exclusively as the Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobe of The Star Wars Middle Trilogy. In his previous book "My Name Escapes Me" he beat upon this topic almost to bitterness. This time around he shares his reasons why, and my thoughts of his being a curmudgeon are gone. While stating this is not a diary or journal, it is akin to the latter and covers the years 1996-1998. What makes this particular work triply rare is the Author's ability to take an event of seemingly little or no importance and connect it to a memory or 2 or 5 until it becomes a short... Read more 15 of 15 people found the following review helpful A Positively Marvelous Book, This review is from: A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 (Hardcover) Alec Guinness is undeniably one of the most gifted actors of our times, and now, with his offering of "A Positively Final Appearance," we get to know something of the man behind the mask. This journal, kept between the summer of `96, and 1998, is chock full of insightful musings, reminiscences and anecdotes that are a delight. He shares his love of the theater, discussing many of the plays he attended during this period, and gives comments on recent movies, as well. An avid reader, he talks enthusiastically of favorite authors and books; his love of literature is unmistakable. The stage is his first love, however, and he speaks fondly, and frankly, of many of the plays he's done, and of his experiences with many of the actors and directors with whom he has had the privilege of working. He invites you into his private life, discussing the love of his life, Merula, and discoursing on their life at home, as well as their many travels. You learn what the greatest regret... Read more 10 of 11 people found the following review helpful  A great man, By Ian Burley "IB" (France) - See all my reviews This review is from: A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 (Hardcover) The journal of an extraordinary gentleman, one of the greatest actors ever to grace stage or screen. His reflections on his career are moving and perceptive, totally lacking in self-aggrandisement. His thoughts on the whole "Star Wars" phenomenon are particularly witty but smack of the desperation of being hounded by that film's fans. It's tragic that this great man may only be remembered by modern generations for his appearance in that opus instead of for his work in the Ealing comedies, "The Bridge on the River Kwai", his lengthy stage career and his magnificent turn on TV as George Smiley. |
› See all 11 customer reviews...
No comments:
Post a Comment