Dear Me [Paperback]

Peter Ustinov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 1979

Autobiography of Peter Ustinov.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); First Thus edition (February 22, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140049401
• ISBN-13: 978-0140049404
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,522,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rare View, June 17, 2002

By 

Sheila K Lawrence (Sebastopol, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dear Me (Paperback)

This book, I thought, gave a facinatingly human view of life in pre-WW2 Britian and Europe from a unique, sometimes priviledged, sometimes eccentric "under the stairs" vantage point. Mr. Ustinov presents the European view of history as something that is much closer, breathing the same air, than as we Americans experience it. The book is like a good conversation, albeit with himself, that creates the atmosphere of life as it was lived then in his arena through which trapesed a facinatiing assortment of people. His wit is fast, philosophical, thought provocating and amusing. Mr. Ustinov has a profound sense of the absurd and a wonderful talent for verbally stetching the human nature. Far from a snob, he delights in all the characters he comes across knowing that like a good play, they all contribute to the whole.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable ramblings of an astute wit!, August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dear Me: Peter Ustinov (Hardcover)

I owned a copy of this book years ago, it has been lost to me in a series of moves. I remember, however, so many quotes that have held up through the years. Most notably; "Your friends are not always the people you like best, more likely they are the people that got there first." Don't know what the previous reviewer is talking about, that alone made the book worth redaing, I know it has stood me in good stead!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent lesson on spinning a tale..., February 19, 2006

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dear Me (Hardcover)

Suggested to me by a fellow blogger, Dear Me by Peter Ustinov is an autobiography of the actor/screenwriter/playwright. I'm not a big film fan, and I can't say I've seen any of his acting roles or stories. But as an avid reader, I greatly enjoyed his way with words. The book takes you from his birth through 1977 when it was penned. The writing style is unique, in that he's carrying on a conversation with his internal self, or ego. The ego interjects at the end of most chapters (or at the start in some cases) and attempts to draw Ustinov out when it comes to some of his motives and thought processes. The writing is funny and sharp, as he has a great sense of irony and sarcasm. While not a encyclopedia of his life, it does dwell on many of the life episodes (like the Army) that turned him into what he became.

If you're a fan of Ustinov, then you'll likely enjoy the book a great deal. Even if you're Ustinov-ignorant like me, it's worth the time to watch how an accomplished writer can spin a tale...