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Synopsis
The popular author of the Rumpole of the Bailey series ponders the non-material legacy he hopes to leave to the next generation, sharing humorous thoughts about the pleasures he has experienced through drink, outdoor sex, and his vision of God as the "Grand Perhaps."
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About the Author
John Mortimer is a playwright, novelist, and former practicing barrister who has written many film scripts as well as stage, radio, and television plays, the Rumpole plays, for which he received the British Academy Writer of the Year Award, and the adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited. He is the author of twelve collections of Rumpole stories and three acclaimed volumes of autobiography.
From Booklist
What does a man of means and imagination leave behind? Mortimer, barrister, playwright, and creator of the Rumpole mystery series, says that, at 81, he's faced with a desire to decide "what, if anything, can be usefully dusted off and passed on." He decides to follow the example of his father, who left him the law, Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, and laughter. Reading this memoir is like sitting with someone very wise and very comical at an outdoor party crowded with guests. Your host interrupts his talk of his own life--the book is filled with bits from Mortimer's childhood, acting career, and adventures in the law--to fill you in on some of the guests. See Shakespeare over there? Mortimer's favorite characters from the Bard's plays were the sensible friends of the heroes. And the artist Velazquez? Mortimer's favorite work of the great artist is that of an old woman cooking eggs. Mortimer ranges widely, discoursing on the tyranny of political correctness, the pang of missed opportunities, and the rare gift of being able to listen, using both his own experiences and the wealth of what he's read to illuminate his subjects. There's some straightforward advice, too: live a varied, action-filled life; see happiness as a by-product, not a goal. But what emerges most forcefully from this leisurely meditation is a lively appreciation of how the legacy of past civilizations can make life vibrant. Mortimer is a companion you don't want to leave. Connie Fletcher
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- PublisherViking Adult
- Publication date2005
- ISBN 10 0670034096
- ISBN 13 9780670034093
- BindingHardcover
- LanguageEnglish
- Edition number1
- Number of pages256
- Rating
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