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Product Description
Review
"A man as intelligent and witty as Palin is worth the effort of getting to know."--The Washington Post
"Palin has a novelist's eye for character and detail, and his observations of the entertainment world, filmmaking, his family relationships, and such external details as politics, current events, travel, and the weather are written with style and a distinctly subtle wit that gives this rich volume the drive of an epistolary novel"--Library Journal
"Pythonphiles will find this essential, of course. But fans of good writing should dip into these pages, too, for Palin--Michael, not Sarah--knows his way around a book."--Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years
"For Palin it has been one hell of a ride, but he seems to have maintained equilibrium all along the way. . . . In sum, it’s tempting to call him a Renaissance Man. But that, as any Pythonite would be quick to tell you, would be silly.” —Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World
“Michael Palin is not just one of Britain’s foremost comedy character actors, he also talks a lot. Yap, yap, yap he goes, all day long and through the night . . . then, some nights, when everyone else has gone to bed, he goes home and writes up a diary.” —John Cleese
"Charming and at times revelatory . . . A voice of (relative sanity) in the eye of a comedic storm, Palin paints so vivid a picture that the reader becomes a Python by proxy.” —The New York Times Book
Review“It is terrifically good: funny, astute, and wonderfully written. . . . ”—The Boston Globe
“This combination of niceness, with his natural volubility, creates Palin’s expansiveness.” ---David Baddiel, The Times
“A real delight to read.” ---Saga Magazine (UK)
“His showbiz observations are so absorbing. . . . Palin is an elegant and engaging writer.” ---William Cook, The Guardian (UK)
“A wealth of fascinating stuff about Monty Python.” ---The Independent (UK)
“Our favourite TV explorer shows us the workings of an unstoppable machine.” ---Daily Express (UK)
“A riveting commentary to a remarkably creative decade.” ---Academy (UK)
Product Description
A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction of 2011 title
The second volume of Michael Palin’s diaries covers the bulk of the 1980s, a decade in which the ties binding the Pythons loosened—they made their last film Monty Pyton’s Meaning of Life in 1983. For Michael, writing and acting took over much of his life, culminating in his appearances in A Fish Called Wanda, in which he played the hapless, stuttering Ken, and won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. Halfway to Hollywood follows Palin’s torturous trail through seven movies and ends with his final preparations for the documentary that was to change his life—Around the World in 80 Days.
During these years he co-wrote and acted in Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits as well as spearing in Gilliam’s follow-up success Brazil. Palin co-produced, wrote and played the lead in The Missionary opposite Maggie Smith, who also appeared with him in A Private Function, written by Alan Bennett. In television the decade was memorable for East of Ipswich, inspired his links with Suffolk. Such was his fame in the US, he was enticed into once again hosting the enormously popular show Saturday Night Live. He filmed one of the BBC’s Great Railway Journeys as well as becoming chairman of the pressure group Transport 2000. His life with Helen and the family remains a constant, as the children enter their teens.
Palin’s joy of writing is evident once more in Halfway to Hollywood as he demonstrates his continuing sense of wonder at the world in which he finds himself. A world of screens large and small.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Entertaining Journey, May 11 2011
By Hallauthor "Tom A" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Halfway to Hollywood: Diaries 1980--1988 (Hardcover)
I picked up the first of Michael Palin's diaries abnout a year ago and found it to be a most entertaining read. Seeing the behind-the-scenes machinations of one of the world's funniest troupes was amazing, but to see the gentle reflective family man behind the "lumberjack" who will forever be OK was a revelation. The book truly gave the reader the feeling of being a part of the Palin family besides sharing the insights of the diarist who, it turns out, is quite the Zelig in terms of who he knows and the various well-known people who became a part of his life.I was enthusiastic but a bit leery when picking up the second book, Halfway to Hollywood. I did not see how it could be as enjoyable given that the bulk of the Python works could be seen in the proverbial rearview mirror. But if anything, this book is at least the equal of its predecessor...warm, revealing, and entertaining. I came away from the book with the realization that Palin may be one of the most grounded celebrities in the world.
Reading this work has made me go out and find some of his lesser-known works ( lesser known to US audiences )because I see this gentleman as someone I'd really like to spend more time with. These pages read like conversation with a friend...a very polite, very insightful friend who has left an indelible mark in the world.
I could not recommend this more.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
intelligent memoir, Mar 15 2011
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Halfway to Hollywood: Diaries 1980--1988 (Hardcover)
Michael Palin realized early in the 1980s that The Python decade (see Python Years: Diaries, 1969 1979) was for practical purposes over as each member was going in different directions with diverse projects. In 1983 they made their last film together (The Meaning of Life) and performed a few final performances as a zany team. However, those were final exclamation points as each Python moved on. Michael appeared in seven films during the decade without his crew including winning awards for his role in A Fish Called Wanda; though he worked with Python alumni Terry Gilliam's on Time Bandits and Brazil. He wrote scripts and plays with the era beginning with the end of Python and ending with work on the documentary Around the World in 80 Days. Michael's personal life with his family remains happy as he and his wife Helen raise their kids now becoming teens.The second diary decade is an intelligent memoir that provides a profound look at the entertainment industry during the Reagan-Thatcher era and an equally powerful look at true family values through interrelationships between Mr. Palin, his spouse, their children and others. The author's observations on the Reagan-Thatcher legacy then and now enhance a wonderful tome that at 680 pages is not for the casual tea sipping reader, but targets those who appreciate an insightful often jocular look at a decade through a Python lens. Fans of the group especially will want to peruse this fine memoir that takes no prisoners.
Harriet Klausner
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and Engaging Look at British Life and The Entertainment Business in the 1980's, July 12 2011
By C. Raso - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Halfway to Hollywood: Diaries 1980--1988 (Hardcover)
"Halfway To Hollywood" chronicles nine years in Michael Palin's life from "Monty Python Live At The Hollywood Bowl" to "A Fish Called Wanda." This is his personal diary in which he writes about his family and other commitments besides films. He comes across as a sensitive compassionate man who values his quiet family life and doesn't put on movie star airs. It also serves as a time capsule of British life in the 1980's with fears of IRA terrorism, Margaret Thatcher's conservative administration, and questions about nuclear power.This is the second compilation of his diaries to be published. Palin's writing is easy to read and engaging. At the end of the book he is about to start his new career as a world traveler. Hopefully, he will publish more diaries about his journeys around the world. If not, I can always read his many travelogs.
Listmania!
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