A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 [Hardcover]

Alec Guinness (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

A worthy successor to the beloved actor's earlier diary--"splendidly idiosyncratic . . . vivid . . . accomplished . . . pungently human" (John Simon)--that was a bestselling New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Alec Guinness's 1995-1996 diary, My Name Escapes Me, was published to a standing critical ovation. People magazine loved its "understated elegance." Michiko Kakutani, in The New York Times, raved: "Utterly delightful. . . . One hopes . . . we may soon be treated to another installment." Here it is, brimming with further extemporaneous opinions and careful reflections from the powerful intelligence and ironically observant eye that made Guinness such a fine and versatile actor.

In A Positively Final Appearance, written from the summer of 1996 through 1998, Guinness--reinvigorated by a successful cataract operation--observes Britain in the tumultuous times of Princess Diana's death and Tony Blair's election as prime minister. Living a quintessentially English country life with his painter wife, he re-reads Dickens and Patrick O'Brian, experiments with Chinese cooking, marvels at the Hale-Bopp comet, and enjoys Baz Luhrmann's film William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet--while reflecting ruefully that the worst Romeo ever was "none other than me." These dispatches (acerbic or affectionate) on matters local, national, and cultural come from one of whom Vanity Fair recently remarked: "At 83, the Force is still with him."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Alec Guinness begins his most recent memoir, a sort of sequel to his bestselling My Name Escapes Me, with what he calls an apology for a "ramshackle book": "It states it is a Journal and yet it doesn't quite aspire to that and it isn't a diary. Not many dates are to be found in it." What is in it are as charming a collection of memories, readings, observations, and anecdotes as could be imagined from an actor whose genius for self-effacement is legendary. Now in his 85th year, the celebrated Sir Alec has made a major contribution to a minor but much-loved literary form, the notebooks of an English gentleman. (It's no surprise to learn in these pages that Samuel Butler, author of The Way of All Flesh and his own published Notebooks, is one of Guinness's favorite authors.) Considering his age and virtual retirement, Guinness's life is an astonishingly active and full one, and for all the reminiscing, much of A Positively Final Appearance is taken up in describing his present-day doings with his beloved wife Merula (married 61 years), their dogs, and the occasional forays they make to visit friends and family. There are trips farther afield as well, to a spa in Baden-Baden and to films and theater, including a hilarious attempt to see the controversial West End hit Shopping and F***ing (with Guinness suggesting several substitutes for the supplied asterisks). His omnivorous reading is simply staggering, and a lifelong love affair with Shakespeare is evidenced not only by his memories of favorite performances but also his readings of scenes from the Bard, which reveal an imaginative scholarship infused with a lifetime's theatrical experience.

One of the strangest paradoxes of this superb actor (and equally fluent prose stylist) is that he seems destined to be remembered primarily for his becloaked performance in the original Star Wars trilogy as Obi-Wan Kenobi. There's a priceless story included about Guinness's encounter with a child who claimed to have seen the first film over 100 times, and the request he made of the boy: "Do you think you could promise never to see Star Wars again?" The result of this request, along with much else in this entirely captivating memoir, will amuse and delight. --John Longenbaugh

From Publishers Weekly

Erudite, droll and modest, this sequel to My Name Escapes Me, written in the form of a diary from the summer of 1996 through 1998, comprises the distinguished actor's celebrations of life's pleasures great (the solace of Catholicism; a loving marriage) and small (a good meal, a devoted pet). The opening description of a cataract operationAso successful that seeing the world "sharply and in full color" prompts the actor to "burst into happy tears"Ais typical of a book that acknowledges how powerful and how evanescent such pleasures can be. The book is shadowed with dark ruminations about the rise of germ warfare, the ethics of abortion and the arms race between Pakistan and India. At the same time, GuinnessAmarried for 60 years to a woman who drolly blames "the aggressiveness of Donald Duck" for all that is deplorable in Western civilizationArefuses to take himself too seriously, and the book can be ferociously quaint. Although his greatest fame came belatedly with his role in the Star Wars trilogy, Guinness is disdainful of the films' cultish appeal, calling them modest entertainments whose acolytes have lost themselves "in a fantasy world of secondhand, childish banalities." He asks one favor of a 12-year-old boy who claims to have seen the film more than 100 times: "Do you think you could promise never to see Star Wars again?" Guinness describes his 1939 Romeo as "the worst... ever to disgrace our boards." Such puckish self-effacement comes easily to a man who thinks, upon seeing the Hale-Bopp cometAa spectacle "not even seen by Socrates, Christ, or Shakespeare"Athat it makes the hurly-burly of a British election year "no more than a tiny puff of dust." National publicity. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1ST edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670888001
• ISBN-13: 978-0670888009
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,725,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With Sadness, I Believe The Title Of This Book To Be True, December 30, 1999

By 

taking a rest - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 (Hardcover)

Books like this are doubly rare, as they must meet two prerequisites at a minimum. Firstly the Author/Authoress must be in their ninth decade of life, and then they must have the talents at hand to write, and in the case of "A Positively Final Appearance", write deftly of a rich life without pretense or arrogance. Sir Alec Guiness is a legendary actor of stage and screen. Much to his chagrin the world seems to identify him almost exclusively as the Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobe of The Star Wars Middle Trilogy. In his previous book "My Name Escapes Me" he beat upon this topic almost to bitterness. This time around he shares his reasons why, and my thoughts of his being a curmudgeon are gone. While stating this is not a diary or journal, it is akin to the latter and covers the years 1996-1998. What makes this particular work triply rare is the Author's ability to take an event of seemingly little or no importance and connect it to a memory or 2 or 5 until it becomes a short story of it's own. These stories know no boundaries as Mr. Guiness takes the reader with him from thought to thought and from observation to random event. True there are chapters to the book, however if removed the experience would not be lessened. The title refers to a falsehood meant to lure patrons to a show which oftener than not, is many things but not a final appearance. Mr. Guiness shares thoughts on his religion, his reaction to the Death of Lady Dianna, his memorable meeting with Margaret Thatcher, and at least 100 other people of note. An omission I found very surprising was that he made no mention at all of Mother Teresa who died on the same day as Lady Dianna. I note this as he regularly speaks of the importance of his being a Catholic, with the regret that he did not become so earlier in his life. To omit this event completely seems to suggest there are strong feelings, but they will remain his. He also speaks of his Diamond wedding anniversary, his experiences as a soldier, and the painful process of growing old, "the mind gathers more wrinkles than the skin". He shares the story of Mark Taylor who having tied an athletic record that had stood for 67 years, refused to continue, "so as not to outshine his predecessor". When angered the language only reaches the level of "rubbish on stilts". A true Gentleman of a time past, and who's like is quickly becoming a small, small group. The book is in the end a bit sad, for unlike the title that so often is a charade, I fear this is his final appearance. Just as he left the stage and screen and never returned, I believe as he directs the readers to the nearest exit at book's end, he truly means it. I hope I am wrong, Mr. Guiness is unique, he is a gift, and hopefully will return with another volume. In truth I fear he will not.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Positively Marvelous Book, June 18, 2000

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Reviewer - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 (Hardcover)

Alec Guinness is undeniably one of the most gifted actors of our times, and now, with his offering of "A Positively Final Appearance," we get to know something of the man behind the mask. This journal, kept between the summer of `96, and 1998, is chock full of insightful musings, reminiscences and anecdotes that are a delight. He shares his love of the theater, discussing many of the plays he attended during this period, and gives comments on recent movies, as well. An avid reader, he talks enthusiastically of favorite authors and books; his love of literature is unmistakable. The stage is his first love, however, and he speaks fondly, and frankly, of many of the plays he's done, and of his experiences with many of the actors and directors with whom he has had the privilege of working. He invites you into his private life, discussing the love of his life, Merula, and discoursing on their life at home, as well as their many travels. You learn what the greatest regret of his life is, who some of the people are he admires most, and a few of whom he could do without. He explains his negative attitude toward the "Star Wars" phenomenon, and addresses many of the events, large and small, that have in some way affected his life, and helped mold his perspectives. His concern over world events and the human condition is poignantly evident. Guinness writes so fluently, you can almost hear that distinct, familiar voice; you seem to be listening, rather than reading. There is a dignity and charm to his words that reveal, to some degree, the man behind them. That he values his privacy is apparent, and it becomes very clear that he is not the most accessible person, yet without any rancor; he holds his fans in high esteem, but there is a sincere humility to the man, who simply doesn't feel worthy of all the fuss. In a world seemingly rife with crass sensationalism and indifference, "A Positively Final Appearance" is like a tonic to the soul; it is so refreshing to discover that somewhere elegance and refinement still exist. My positively, final word on this book is that it is a joy, and should not be missed.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great man, February 26, 2000

By 

Ian Burley "IB" (France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 (Hardcover)

The journal of an extraordinary gentleman, one of the greatest actors ever to grace stage or screen. His reflections on his career are moving and perceptive, totally lacking in self-aggrandisement. His thoughts on the whole "Star Wars" phenomenon are particularly witty but smack of the desperation of being hounded by that film's fans. It's tragic that this great man may only be remembered by modern generations for his appearance in that opus instead of for his work in the Ealing comedies, "The Bridge on the River Kwai", his lengthy stage career and his magnificent turn on TV as George Smiley.