An Orderly Man - Dirk Bogarde

Advantages: I didn't buy the book.
Disadvantages: None, I can sell it (hopefully).

...When you think of Dirk Bogarde (in real life Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde, 1921 - 1999), do you think of the actor, the writer or the painter? Maybe of all three and maybe just in that order. He starred in more than sixty films, published seven volumes of his autobiography and six novels and a collection of his journalism. About his paintings I can´t say much, I only know that he made the cover illustrations of his novels himself. In the novel ´Jericho´, William Caldicott, an English writer, ´I write the kind of books that people leave behind on airplanes´, gets a parcel from his brother James with a key and a letter, telling him that he can have his house in France in which he lived for some years as a painter, as he no longer needs it. He announces that he is going to disappear, ´drift into the blue´, ´Not a sudden impulse... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: On cassette tape, read by the author himself
Disadvantages: 6 cassettes may become muddled by a blind user

...Tape 1 exceeded my expectations of the book. It is colloquial and frank. Dirk Bogarde's lifestyle, his likes and dislikes are revealed. Even more interestingly, it starts off in England, in a sunny garden, and promises to biograph Bogarde's every journey through the 'Movie' world (although I had previously guessed that I 'knew' it already). Mrs X, the lady to whom the letters are addressed, is not immediately revealed and the book promises that she and Bogarde never met. You will find out pieces about Mrs X through the one-sided letters; the lack of absolute knowledge of the content of the letters, received by Bogarde, become mysteries to be fathomed out by each listener individually; with each new reply. My first thoughts on the book had been that it would be quite sufficient to listen to odd letters, but tape 1 proved to me... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Douglas Adams wrote it, very clever plot, satisfying coming together of diverse oddness
Disadvantages: it is a finite experiance, as are all books, shame really,

...This book will ring a bell with any Doctor Who fans, its based in part on the City of Death script(also by Adams), but don't let this put you off, its much more than this, it is a groovy, off the wall, quirky and marvellous book that will change your life, no, really it will. It is THE most obtuse star to a book you may ever read, the first several chapters are all apparently unconnected threads that all spin togerther with the sort of clever wit that astonishes you so much you find yourself turning back the pages to see if it ties in with what happened earlier - and it does, maybe the book was written backwards? The main character Dirk is a role model for all oddball misfits with attitude out there, he uses holisitic (apparently unconnected acts all have some significance, chaos theory that sort of thing) methods and dextrous... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful