In the first volume of his bestselling autobiography, novelist, playwright and former barrister John Mortimer relates all the pleasures and paradoxes of his early life. With wit and style, he takes us from his unusual childhood (his father, a blind barrister, insisted that his wife read the sordid details of his divorce briefs in public) to the dilemmas of his life in the law (one of his clients indignantly declared, 'Your Mr Rumpole could've gotten me out of this, why the hell can't you!'). Filled with laughter and a sense of the absurd, "Clinging to the Wreckage" is an extraordinary insight into the rich life of one of the great figures of our time.
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42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mortimer remembered...,
This review is from: Clinging to the Wreckage (Paperback)
CLINGING TO THE WRECKAGE is the first of John Mortimer's three-part autobiography (to date--as of 2001 he is 83 years of age and going strong). Mortimer is known to BBC/PBS fans as the multi-talened writer who developed the screenplays for the TV series BRIDESHEAD REVISITED based on Evelyn Waugh's book of the same name; creator of Rumpole, Queen's Counsel (QC) for the underdog; and author of many novels including the Titmuss trilogy, and SUMMER'S LEASE. In WRECKAGE, John tells of his childhood and young adulthood. Mortimer grew up the son of a British barrister/counselor and his wife a former artist. Against his will he was sent off to boarding school at an early age. However, Mortimer's father lost his eyesight owing to a retinal detachment that could not be repaired. As a result the family source of income was placed in jeopardy and young John and his mother became his father's eyes helping him prepare his legal briefs. Mortimer says he fell in love with the theater at an early age. His family made pilgrimages to Stratford-on-Avon to see the great Royal Shakespeare company perform the bard's works. There he was able to see Lawrence Olivier, John Gielgud, and other fabulous actors of the period. These theater experiences coupled with his work on his father's briefs, led to his own career as a QC, and planted a love of the English language and the theater in the young John which led to his subsequent success in the theater, on television, and in his many books. The book also covers his first marriage to Penelope, with whom he formed a family of six childen which included her four daughters from a previous marriage. Whether or not you have been lucky enough to enjoy the witty dialogue of Rumpole--including his verbal exchanges with wife Hilda (SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED), the clever plot twists of the Titmuss series, or the wonderful and inspirational BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, you will love this book if you love Brit Wit. Mortimer is incredibly human and very funny.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Masterpiece in Biography,
This review is from: Clinging to the Wreckage (Paperback)
As always Mortimor has shown brilliance in the world of literature. I was surprized to have found this book without a customer review. I thoroughly enjoy it and highly recommend it for readers of biography. Comparable with Robert Graves "Goodbye to All That".
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rumpole?,
This review is from: Clinging to the Wreckage (Paperback)
This is the first of two autobiographies by John Mortimer. If you'd like to see where Rumpoles come from, this is how you find out. Amusing in many places, serious in others, possibly a bit more revealing than the author intended.
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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film unit Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Henry Winter, Crown Film Unit, Old Bailey, Swiss Cottage, Arthur Jeffries, Oliver Pensotti, Uncle Arnold, House of Lords, Marshall Hall, Angela Bedwell, Ken Tynan, Law Courts, Lord Byron, Sloane Square, Uncle Harold, Air Ministry, Last Exit, Sir Edward, Divorce Court, Laurie Lee, Lord Chamberlain, Nesta Pain, Pacifist Service Unit, South Africa, Wole Soyinka New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
film unit Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Henry Winter, Crown Film Unit, Old Bailey, Swiss Cottage, Arthur Jeffries, Oliver Pensotti, Uncle Arnold, House of Lords, Marshall Hall, Angela Bedwell, Ken Tynan, Law Courts, Lord Byron, Sloane Square, Uncle Harold, Air Ministry, Last Exit, Sir Edward, Divorce Court, Laurie Lee, Lord Chamberlain, Nesta Pain, Pacifist Service Unit, South Africa, Wole Soyinka New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 43
books:
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39
books
cite this book:
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- Look Back in Anger (Plays, Penguin) by John Osborne on page 138, and page 139
- Queen Christina by Greta Garbo on page 31, and page 51
- Dylan Thomas: A Collection of Critical Essays (20th Century Views) by Charles B. Cox on page 58, and page 88
- Romeo And Juliet (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Saddleback Classics) by William Shakespeare on page 23
- Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling on page 19
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- John Mortimer: The Secret Lives of Rumpole's Creator by Graham Lord on 10 pages
- The First Rumpole Omnibus by John Mortimer in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and Back Matter
- The Third Rumpole Omnibus by John Mortimer in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and Back Matter
- Psychologically Speaking: A Book of Quotations by Kevin J. Connolly on page 3, page 14, and page 156
- Murderers and Other Friends: Another Part of Life by John Mortimer in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
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