- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Vintage Canada; Vintage Canada ed edition (Jun 19 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0676973442
- ISBN-13: 978-0676973440
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.2 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #79,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
James's fans will eagerly devour every word of this insightful and witty account of a year in the life of the master mystery author In the diary she began on her 77th birthday, in August 1997, James comfortably segues from daily activities into reminiscences about her childhood, early forays into writing and her career as a civil servant in Britain. She also weighs in on a variety of subjects, including the movie Titanic (the "usual Hollywood anti-British bias" irritated her), the publishing industry (promising novels are "promoted, packaged, and sold like a new perfume") and London's Millennial Dome, which inspired her "Dome Pome" (which begins, "O Dome Gigantic, Dome immense/ Built in defiance of common sense"). James reveals herself to be proper, dignified and reserved, but she doesn't reveal much more: readers expecting a traditional diary or spilled secrets are bound to be dissatisfied, though they can't say they weren't warned; in her prologue, James announces that she'll neither rehash painful memories nor record "the events of every day." The painful memories no doubt relate to her late husband's long battle with mental illness, which she mentions often but never fully explores. It's just as well she sticks to the latter promise, for while many of her activities will interest a wide range of readers, there are times when her musings do little to contradict her claim that she is simply "an elderly grandmother who writes traditional English detective fiction." 16 pages of photos not seen by PW. 50,000 first printing. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-Keeping in mind the words of Samuel Johnson, "At seventy-seven it is time to be in earnest," James decided to record feelings and observations about her world from her 77th to her 78th birthday. She wanted to capture the events, thoughts, and emotions of one year not only for her family but also as a record for herself. Much more than an account of day-to-day events though, she gives brief insights into what it was like to grow up in wartime England, her ideas about authors and the craft of writing, and the changes in the treatment of women. Mundane events such as catching the Oxford Tube mingle with more exciting activities such as book signing in Dallas. Readers looking for intimate revelations might be disappointed by the tone of her writing. In the prologue, she says, "There is much that I remember that is painful to dwell upon. I see no need to write about these things." And yet, as she speaks about her husband and his mental illness or the unhappiness of her parents' marriage, she doesn't gloss over some very sad moments. An enjoyable choice for fans of this British mystery writer.-Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
interesting enough,
By
This review is from: Time to Be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography (Paperback)
P. D. James is the only mystery novelist of whom I've read the entire oeuvre, apart from Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, and I don't really know why. A sense of obligation to the reigning British Queen of Crime? Appealing length and density? Although I do remember one excellent book, Original Sin, it is perhaps not surprising I found this "fragment of a biography" more entertaining than her novels, since a lot of what she terms "character buildup" and "scene setting" always seems to me a terrible drag on the narration. As a personal diary, it is too organized - no wonder, since it was intended for publication from the start - and there are no spontaneous bursts of emotion or painful self-examination that is so exhilarating in Sylvia Plath's journals. With James it is all carefully laid out, a prosaic entry too often expanding into an essay on government, the art of the crime novel, civil justice, etc. But still, the writings betray a highly intellectual mind at work, and a winning perseverance that has triumphed over pain and hardship.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Rare Treat,
By Elizabeth "Psychotherapist and Author of more... (Burbank, California, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Time to Be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography (Paperback)
P.D. James has given her readers a rare glimpse into her thinking. I saw the daily events as ways to connect with what she wanted to say about her beliefs and about her very interesting and productive life. I have read all of her books and was pleased to be able to understand the author behind the mysteries which she so skillfully writes. I also enjoyed her glimpse into a world which is fading fast - a world where character was important and manners counted for a lot.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
A disappointment,
By A Customer
This review is from: Time to Be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography (Paperback)
I'm a big fan of P. D. James's mystery novels, so I looked forward to getting to know her better in this book. I guess fame has ruined her. She comes across as opinionated and self-righteous, and drops names to impress us. She's not a person I'd want to sit next to on a train.
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