Time to Be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
"At seventy-seven it is time to be in earnest" wrote Samuel Johnson, and bestselling crime writer P.D. James took this maxim as a challenge, setting out to record "one year that otherwise might be lost". The result is a fascinating and reflective account, part diary and part memoir, of one very full year of Baroness James' life, interspersed with her memories and intelligent analysis of "what it was like to be born two years after the end of the First World War and to live for seventy-eight years in this tumultuous century". P.D. James grew up in Cambridge between the wars and worked in the Home Office in the forensic and criminal justice departments, which sparked her interest in this area, though she did not become a published novelist until 1962 with Cover Her Face. She began to write full time after her "retirement" in 1979 and along the way became a Governor of the BBC, before taking a seat in the House of Lords in 1991. Time to be in Earnest is a lucid and penetrative work by one of the most influential figures currently involved with the Arts in Britain. P.D. James reveals her vast scope for enjoyment, interest and simply getting on with life--her husband Connor White died aged 44 in 1964 after years of mental illness--whether it be spending time with her children and grandchildren, musing on the hideous British architectural mistakes of the 1960s or giving her view of the controversies continually surrounding the running of the BBC. At an age when many people would be considering slowing down, P.D. James seems constantly on the move, recording her day-to-day existence and her past with an alert and judicious eye. "I am sustained by the magnificent irrationality of faith" she states, "I inhabit a different body, but I can reach back over nearly 70 years and recognise her as myself. Then I walked in hope--and I do so still". --Catherine Taylor
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
In this intriguing and very personal book, part diary, part memoir, P.D. James considers the twelve months of her life between her 77th and 78th birthdays, 'a time to be in earnest', as Dr Johnson said at the comparable moment of his very different life two centuries ago. In recording the events, thoughts and reflections of her present, Baroness James has found herself simultaneously remembering the past of her remarkable career. She recalls what it was like to be a schoolgirl in the 1920s and 1930s in Cambridge, then giving birth to her second daughter during the worst of the Doodlebug bombardment in London during the war, working as an administrator in the National Health Service, entering the Home Office in the forensic and criminal justice departments, serving as a Governor of the BBC, an influential member of the British Council, the Arts Council and the Society of Authors, and eventually entering the House of Lords.
Along the way she deals with her burgeoning reputation as a novelist, starting with Cover Her Face in 1962, and with the craft of the classical detective story. During this busy year she also published one of her most intriguing and carefully researched books, A Certain Justice. This record of twelve months in a life of creativity and public service, told with honesty and perception, will enthral aficionados of detective fiction. It will also appeal to those who themselves have lived through the turbulent years of the twentieth century.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Reading this thoughtful, immensely readable book, appropriately subtitled "a fragment of autobiography", is like a personal invitation to a friendly, but never cozy, English cream tea prepared specially by the author. One comes away captivated by her honesty, humility, intelligence and wit, touched by her courage and fortitude in the face of troubles and sorrows, cheered by her masterful writing, grateful for her keen discretion in choosing to exclude the more sensitive areas of her personal life (an uncommon but wise option in this "confessional" age), and finally, satisfied but never satiated by the delicious repast. Thanks for the memories, P.D. James!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a marvellous book, chronicling one year of PD James' life while looking back to her younger days and recounting many interesting stories. Early on, she explains her wariness of autobiographical writing, and it's clear that this has a strong effect on the contents of the book - she is reserved about certain highly personal events, and fairly so, honest in her self-assessment, and generous and discreet about friends and colleagues. This is a considered collection of thoughts expertly drawn together. Her year is a remarkable one, seeing the publication of a new novel, and the insight into the publicity process surrounding that is fascinating. Her views on religion, literature, television, politics and health care are thought provoking, well reasoned and firmly held. A delight to read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An interesting form of autobiography and interesting mainly by virtue of its autobiographical content. The first half is more interesting and impressive because it has more autobiographical data in it. The second half is tiresome because of the all too frequent accounts of meetings or lectures at august occasions at which the author is the centre of attention and honour. A remarkable woman, who surely deserves her peerage, but it would have been better to present her memoir in straightforward autobiographical mode.
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