Customer Reviews

Blind in One Ear: The Avenger Returns

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I have long been a fan of the Avengers series (particularly the episodes with Diana Rigg) and very much a fan of the dapper Mr. Steed aka Patrick Macnee.

His autobiography is fascinating in recounting his childhood with a drunken, horse-trainer father and a beautiful, lesbian mother. His mother soon after his birth leaves his father and moves in with her lover, Evelyn and the young Patrick is ordered to refer to her as "Uncle Evelyn" and instructed to wear kilts, never trousers. Evelyn's estate held a surfeit of women of her persuasion and young Patrick's life there was a delicious farce in the reading, although I'm sure it was not in the actually living it.

His story unfolds as he attends Eton and is, shortly before graduation, expelled after finally being caught in his book making and pornography endeavors. Once a young adult and working to become a successful performer the book loose some of its force.

He seems to spend an inordinate amount of time in pursuit of and in enjoyment of "wine, women and song" and the telling, although lighthearted and witty, becomes more sluggish.

The descriptions of the Avenger years is short and could have benefited by a little more length.

All in all, a testament to the resiliency of the human animal, that Macnee finally matures into a responsible, caring individual (it does take him a while, though) in spite of a very weird and slipshod childhood.

Many years ago I read the works of J.P.Dunleavy and believed all of his characters to be fiction (excepting the Ginger Man of course). Patrick MacNee brings to life, a childhood filled with characters so outrageously bizarre that I must now reread Dunleavy. And that is the best compliment that I can give. As the remainder of his life is rather plodding, it pales in comparison to his early years. A little more detail on The Avengers would have been nice too. The language can at times be a little pretentious but then, so could MacNee.

Patrick Macnee has finally arrived at peace, in the autumn of his life. If he'd arrived sooner, perhaps we'd see a richer Patrick. Rich, in terms of fullness of having properly explored life as it was meant to be lived. As Patrick admits, much of his life was spent in a whirlwind of chasing loves that could not be, as he had no direction in life. A testament to us all to prepare and support our children well emotionally, to face the hurdles that inevitably will lie before them. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom, Patrick. Your insight into life is much appreciated.

A very large part of the book is about his youth and upbringing in what I would call a nutty aristocratical circumstance.
Amazing how he still developed into a more or less normal functioning person...
His heart breaking (and evenly heart opening!) honesty gives a special flavour to his life story.
You just HAVE to love the man, apart from his personification of John Steed!