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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I'm not even sure how to rate this, to be honest. I was nervous about reading it until I heard that he'd written his diaries with the intention of publishing them, but the introduction to the book stated they weren't sure he did want them published, which... made me feel a little weird about it again. And I'm not going to lie, I did end up skimming through some of the entries because there wasn't much substance to a lot of them. After reading it, I feel like he may have kept the diaries as a reminder for himself if he ever decided to write an autobiography using the notes, but I find it hard to believe he wanted them published in this format. There were a few interesting entries, especially the ones related to him filming certain scenes in movies, and it was interesting to read his opinions about movies he watched and to get an insight into his thoughts about life, but some of the entries were really of no consequence to anyone but himself. In short, I would only recommend this to fans who really want a little more insight into his daily, random thoughts.
Don't get me wrong, while some of the entries were rather boring, it was interesting to get a glimpse into his mind and the way he viewed the world.
I've been debating my rating since I finished reading a few hours ago, going back and forth between three and four stars, but I think I'm going to settle on four stars because I did enjoy the time I spent reading it.
Don't get me wrong, while some of the entries were rather boring, it was interesting to get a glimpse into his mind and the way he viewed the world.
I've been debating my rating since I finished reading a few hours ago, going back and forth between three and four stars, but I think I'm going to settle on four stars because I did enjoy the time I spent reading it.
emotional
informative
medium-paced
It’s been debated whether Alan intended for these diaries to be released after his passing, and through reading the entries it became evident (to me) that he did. Alan was a wonderful person and he deserves to be remembered that way. These diaries validate that. Still, it was a slow read for me.
Alan Rickman’s thoughts on Alan Rickman’s life. Perfect in every way. No notes.
Uncomfortably voyeuristic, mostly Warm and funny too in parts. Desperately sad as the entries deteriorate towards the end. Beautifully bookended by thoughts from Emma T and Rima H. A life cut far too short.
This book took me absolutely forever to read. While I adore Alan, and there are plenty of amazing personality traits revealed; there is just no firm narrative. There are some poignant moments, funny antidotes and a very obviously sad ending but not something that I would recommend
So first of all, this would probably be best on audio. I do not think his diary was ever intended to be published, but getting a look into his raw thoughts was entertaining. Still a fan, maybe even more now.
I did not, admittedly, read the entire book, every word, cover-to-cover. Reading someone's diary doesn't really have the gripping prose you want out of a book. Also, even though his estate gave permission, it feels very invasive to read something like this.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
I feel bad for not liking this book more. I mean, Alan Rickman didn’t write it for other people’s consumption so why should he care if it was an absorbing page turner or not while he wrote it?
The trouble with this, and honestly, any diary turned book, is they just aren’t very interesting most of the time. There were only so many passages about dinner with this or that random British actor I could take, really.
That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. I liked quite a bit about it. I never knew how intelligent Alan Rickman was. He even had me grabbing the dictionary for some of the words he used, which is always fantastic. He was also so very passionate about the art of acting and had many strong opinions on directors and what they’re job is on set. I particularly loved his quick movie reviews and coulda used a bunch more of those. They were always short but cut right to the good or bad so elegantly.
Unless you have a really good working knowledge of British stage and screen actors, directors, writers, and producers, however, a lot of these entries won’t interest you. I’d say that was the biggest problem with the collection. It made it extra skimmable at times.
And the biggest let down was how very little he had to say about his work on Harry Potter. A handful of stories on set at most. Usually it was complaints about the amount of press.
Alan Rickman was a great actor and it seemed like a good friend. He was well known for his privacy and while this book was a peek behind that curtain it still left a lot to wonder about. I’d only recommend it if you’re a huge fan of his work. It’s not a casual kind of read.
The trouble with this, and honestly, any diary turned book, is they just aren’t very interesting most of the time. There were only so many passages about dinner with this or that random British actor I could take, really.
That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. I liked quite a bit about it. I never knew how intelligent Alan Rickman was. He even had me grabbing the dictionary for some of the words he used, which is always fantastic. He was also so very passionate about the art of acting and had many strong opinions on directors and what they’re job is on set. I particularly loved his quick movie reviews and coulda used a bunch more of those. They were always short but cut right to the good or bad so elegantly.
Unless you have a really good working knowledge of British stage and screen actors, directors, writers, and producers, however, a lot of these entries won’t interest you. I’d say that was the biggest problem with the collection. It made it extra skimmable at times.
And the biggest let down was how very little he had to say about his work on Harry Potter. A handful of stories on set at most. Usually it was complaints about the amount of press.
Alan Rickman was a great actor and it seemed like a good friend. He was well known for his privacy and while this book was a peek behind that curtain it still left a lot to wonder about. I’d only recommend it if you’re a huge fan of his work. It’s not a casual kind of read.