jamesvw's review
4.0
A surprisingly deft writer, Guinness fuses memory with preparation for death with British aplomb. At times, he drifts into curmudgeonly nostalgia and some of his political asides are cringe-inducing, but as a quick read, it was enjoyable - if somewhat inaccessible when he wanders to discuss obscure mid-century British stage actors.
lieslindi's review
Ah, this is the one of the two that has the anecdote I was after. The man despised "Star Wars." A boy told him he'd seen the movie more than 100 times, and Guinness asked if the boy would do something for him, yes anything, even though he wouldn't like it, yes yes anything, then "Never watch that movie again."
He always has something worthy to say of the books he reads, either how it affected him or one perfect adjective or how he came to read one book or another, one author or another. His wife enjoyed Corelli's Mandolin but he did not, and he puts that in a way neither critical nor praiseworthy, just forgives himself (or the book) and moves on. Unlike the movie "The English Patient," which I'm glad to know he found interminable and useless. If he ever picks up the novel, which he hears is good, he doesn't confess it.
I guess I have never seen the "Oliver Twist" with him. He plays Fagin, which doesn't seem right, and only two years after he played Herbert Pocket in "Great Expectations," in which he was splendid. He's not mean or sly enough for Fagin.
He always has something worthy to say of the books he reads, either how it affected him or one perfect adjective or how he came to read one book or another, one author or another. His wife enjoyed Corelli's Mandolin but he did not, and he puts that in a way neither critical nor praiseworthy, just forgives himself (or the book) and moves on. Unlike the movie "The English Patient," which I'm glad to know he found interminable and useless. If he ever picks up the novel, which he hears is good, he doesn't confess it.
I guess I have never seen the "Oliver Twist" with him. He plays Fagin, which doesn't seem right, and only two years after he played Herbert Pocket in "Great Expectations," in which he was splendid. He's not mean or sly enough for Fagin.
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