- Hardcover: 282 pages
- Publisher: Granta Books (2 Jan 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1862078963
- ISBN-13: 978-1862078963
- Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 14 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 407,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
London Review of Books
‘Certain to be one of the funniest books of the year’
Review
"'The funniest book I read this year was Simon Gray's The Smoking Diaries' Julian Barnes, Guardian Books of the Year"
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Here I am, sitting at my table, pigeons hopping about in the sun, little birds with yellow chests settling on the rim of my fruit punch, in front of me the sea in Caribbean blue and green, and from it the occasional purr and cough of small boats, the roar of a speedboat, brief and violent, and behind me the clatter of waiters laying tables while they talk to each other in incomprehensible Bajan -everything very much as you hope it will be when you're in London during Christmas, longing to be here. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Here I am, sitting at my table, pigeons hopping about in the sun, little birds with yellow chests settling on the rim of my fruit punch, in front of me the sea in Caribbean blue and green, and from it the occasional purr and cough of small boats, the roar of a speedboat, brief and violent, and behind me the clatter of waiters laying tables while they talk to each other in incomprehensible Bajan -everything very much as you hope it will be when you're in London during Christmas, longing to be here. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is volume two of Gray's diaries. The first is The Smoking Diaries, and the third is The Last Cigarette.
I really enjoyed getting to know SG in the first volume, and the familiarity I have with him now made this even more enjoyable. He writes more about theatre in this volume, and he examines his own behaviour a lot more, too.
There's a real sense of being there with him as he writes - at one point he's describing what's actually happening as he's writing (a couple looking at him) as he writes it, not watching the pen on paper, which was so vividly 'in the moment' that it almost seemed like some kind of hallucination. Almost ;)
He's impeccably honest, and the writing style is something to savour - he's spent so many years writing that he writes effortless sentences that read like trains of thought - fascinating and funny - that just flow. There's a natural ease of expression that gets you happily going along with it all. I smiled all the way through.
Recommended for those who don't like autobiographies - I don't, but I loved this; it's an easy, entertaining read that was over far too quickly. Great for the beach - if you're off to Barbados it might be worth taking, as SG spent his holidays there, and quite a few of his entries are written there. Time for me to buy the third volume, I think...
I really enjoyed getting to know SG in the first volume, and the familiarity I have with him now made this even more enjoyable. He writes more about theatre in this volume, and he examines his own behaviour a lot more, too.
There's a real sense of being there with him as he writes - at one point he's describing what's actually happening as he's writing (a couple looking at him) as he writes it, not watching the pen on paper, which was so vividly 'in the moment' that it almost seemed like some kind of hallucination. Almost ;)
He's impeccably honest, and the writing style is something to savour - he's spent so many years writing that he writes effortless sentences that read like trains of thought - fascinating and funny - that just flow. There's a natural ease of expression that gets you happily going along with it all. I smiled all the way through.
Recommended for those who don't like autobiographies - I don't, but I loved this; it's an easy, entertaining read that was over far too quickly. Great for the beach - if you're off to Barbados it might be worth taking, as SG spent his holidays there, and quite a few of his entries are written there. Time for me to buy the third volume, I think...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This style may be copied but it'll never be surpassed. Simon Gray was a one-off and as much as The Smoking Diaries is the best of these autobiographical studies, The Year of the Jouncer is great fun. The worst thing about his books is they end too soon.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Lots of interesting and quirky thoughts and plenty of insight into the playwright's life and business, along with amusing anecdotes concerning Simon Gray's friends (most of whom are famous and interesting in themselves). A lovely chatty style, an easy read, a most interesting and attractive person - what more could you want? However, for chronological reasons, I'd read first The Smoking Diaries, which is also excellent.
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