Fascinating and very wittyJanuary 20, 2008 Renate Bahnemann 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
What a fascinating character!
One of those books that I was reluctant to finish as the last page drew nearer.
Prior to reading this book I only knew Peter Ustinov as the delightful character Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie films. But I learned that he had a very long career in the theatre and that his talents seemed to include almost all areas in it.
His background alone makes for interesting reading. He is the child of Russian immigrants who settled in England but his (very talented) ancestors came from far and wide and included countries such as Ethiopia and Israel.
Parts of the book is written in the style of a soul searching dialogue between Peter Ustinov and himself, hence the title. He makes some insightful comments about life and the world. In general throughout the book I was struck by what appears to be the extreme intelligence of someone who oddly enough did not do well in school.
Many parts of the book are pure entertainment. I laughed aloud in many places. His descriptions of his eccentric relatives, his experiences in the army, how he dealt with rebellious students at Durham university are all very funny.
I can recommend this book. It is highly entertaining and amusing. But it also contains some insightful observations by a highly intelligent, observant and unique personality.
good car talkApril 17, 2003 Stephen Gibson 15 out of 35 found this review helpful
Why i bought this i dont know.I put it in the car and the trip flew in.He has the sort of voice that relaxes you and makes time fly.