In his Preface, Burgess claims that his two-volume autobiography (this being Volume I) will close his writing career. If so, the author of such potent inventions as a Clockwork Orange and Earthly Powers passes from the literary scene on a rollicking, energetic note. This is lively reminiscence suffused with irony, a gently farcical account of a confused but not unhappy youth. Writers, Burgess states, are "not remarkable people. . .the career of a taxi-driver is far fuller of incident." Often true, and true of the bare bones of Burgess' life. Yet it is his genius to present the minutiae of his life's first half (this volume covers up to age 42) not as flat detail, but as reverberatory springboard for social, psychological, and philosophical speculation. Asides such as "social mobility is built into women and may be an aspect of their biology" season nearly every page and provide universal reference for Burgess' particular experiences, in this case his lifelong attraction to restless, peripatetic women, especially his free-spirited wife, Lynne, who conducted quiet extramarital affairs, including one with Dylan Thomas, for the duration of her liason with Burgess. Sex, in fact, more than the religion implied in the title and more than the music which was Burgess' early passion (he began writing seriously only in middle age, harboring hopes until then of being a composer) proves the metronome clocking his life; salty, teasing descriptions of couplings abound, adding spice to Burgess' arched-eyebrows telling of his middle-class childhood in Manchester, WW II service on the home front, and intellectual and geographical wanderings (including a lengthy stay in Malaya, colorfully evoked). A wise and witty autobiography, resplendidly entertaining and chock-full of the memorabilia of a typical life lived with atypical fervor: top-drawer Burgess.
Pub Date: Feb. 25, 1986
ISBN: 0140108246
Page Count: 460
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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