Welcome to Litsy!

Really difficult to rate this as it is not a memoir nor is it diaries that were written with the obvious intention of publication instead this is an almost daily update about the mundane details of that day. Entries are mainly along the lines of filming x, dinner with x, bought a toaster etc.

These diaries do build up an overview of Rickman‘s daily life but there is nothing personal or in-depth.

Not sure this would work as a book but audio ok.

A good book overall. It‘s very strange listening to (reading) someone‘s diaries, their innermost thoughts. He writes about everyday life, movies, plays, travel, etc., writing about people he‘s worked with, most interestingly Sense and Sensibility and the Harry Potter movies. We get to hear his voice at the end during an interview regarding the Royal Court. Of course I cried at the end. 😢

“Rickman‘s ability to breathe life into projects wasn't confined to just his performances. As you'll find, Rickman's diaries detail the extraordinary and the ordinary, flitting between worldly and witty and gossipy, while remaining utterly candid throughout. He takes us inside his home, on trips with friends across the globe, and on the sets of films and plays ranging from Sense and Sensibility, to Noël Coward's Private Lives.”

I‘m confused. Little random snippets from his diary. He complains about making a movie but I have no idea which movie he‘s talking about. And while I imagine he wouldn‘t have published his own diaries, I do wish he had narrated this book. I‘ll go for another hour but so far it‘s disappointing.

I listened to this one over audio. It was interesting to listen to little snippets of Rickman‘s life for over 20 years. Some of it was mundane: what he ate & such but it was interesting to hear what his thoughts were on different projects. He talked some about Harry Potter but not much. Although you could tell by the end of the series he was getting frustrated by what others wanted versus his views of telling a story as an actor. His wife does a

I dove into this first from my bday/Christmas haul. It is different than I thought it would be but not so much so that I am not enjoying it. I do think I would get more out of it if I was, say, a middle aged actor living in London in the 1990‘s but it is interesting to hear his thoughts about well, everything. And when I do get a reference, it is especially enjoyable. I imagine that will happen more often the closer I get to current times. ➡️

Thank you so much @wen4blu I have been dying to read this book 🤍
#JolabokaflodSwap @MaleficentBookDragon thanks for hosting 🩵

#SummerEndReadathon

I don‘t really know how to review this book. I enjoyed listening to it and maybe came away with a bit of an idea of who he was as a human being but most of the entries are short without much commentary. Still a favorite actor.

I always wonder, whenever I read diaries like this, did the person writing them intend them to be published? As he was writing these words did he somewhere in the back of his mind know they‘d be read by strangers? Interesting thought. I found this entertaining and I was interested in his opinions on various films and plays. He seemed to hate every film I like which made me smile. His criticisms are valid though.

I just finished this book. I did like the book. I loved seeing what he actually thought about what was going on around him. He was an amazing actor!!! I rated this book a 3 out of 5 stars. This is the second book I have completed for #JubilantJuly readathon hosted by @Andrew65

So I struggled with this one a bit- I kept wondering how Rickman would feel about his diaries being published posthumously. Once I got past that, I did enjoy the insight into the characters he‘s played and the plays he‘s directed. It was fascinating. And reading about how the rise to fame impacted him- his voice really comes out in this and his death truly is a great loss. 💔⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

Mostly made me wish that we'd gotten a memoir from him prior to his passing. How much of these Rickman would have wanted published is unclear, but they're not excerpted/reproduced here as a tell all. It's clear he loved art in all mediums, was passionate about his craft, loved his friends, his family, his partner, cared enough to be involved in politics/activism, and could be a dry wit, critic of and stubborn with himself & others. Sorely missed.

How to rate a book like this??? It‘s like rating Rickman‘s experiences and thoughts about life. The diary format was clunky for me - pro tip, don‘t try to power through, take breaks - but his insights got me to see the man behind Colonel Brandon. At times super positive, and other times a bit catty, Rickman describes working on films and plays, as well as his constant health battles. I was exhausted just reading about his jet setting ways!

I listened to the audiobook, which I thought was well narrated.
It was strange to adapt to the short diary entires, but I ended up enjoying the listen.
It felt voyeuristic, but also neat to have insight into the day to day social/ travel/ work life of a stage and screen actor.
I came for the HP info, which actually is sparing, but kind of fell more in love with who Alan was as a person. ⬇️

Instead of audio Lego building, today I did audio dismantling 🤦🏻‍♀️ my swim spa has a leak 😭 in the worst place possible, OF COURSE, where the stairs and power source is. So the stairs and deck had to be moved out of the way. I‘m going to hire a professional to put it back together 😆😖 It was wonderful to get a front row seat to AR‘s life

Next up in audio legoing self care

Still palate cleansing from Colleen Hoover 🤣🤣 so more AR diary on audio and some pretty Lego building for Valentine‘s Day

A day of chores and errands made better with audio books. My breakfast looks like it has suffered serious trauma but tastes as good as normal looking omelettes. AR talking about running into Natasha Richardson and my heart hurt a bit 💔she was in canada 🇨🇦 (Quebec) skiing WITHOUT A HELMET and fell waiting for the lift up the hill, banged her head. She was dead by morning

Audio building and baking today

Started this and I‘m not going to lie, I‘m almost in tears because I thought I was going to hear his voice 😢 it was published posthumously🤦🏻‍♀️ I‘m so dumb but I loved him so and like Emma Thompson said in the opening “we won‘t see the likes of AR again”

#readingbracket2023 #nonfiction #january @chasjjlee

100% not surprised that this one won!

#bookreport @Cinfhen

Finished:
Madly, Deeply
The Sentence

Continued:
Count of Monte Cristo
Melmoth
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Started:
Invisible Women

As suspected, I finished last night!

Overall this is a very funny and light-hearted book, although at some points Alan doesn't come across as very nice (this is mainly directed at film editors/critics/journalists, however - not his fellow actors).

It only really gets sad towards the end, where the entries tail off/are shorter, and Rima (his wife) takes over.

#pop23 #celebritymemoir
#52books23 #publishedposthumously
#booked23 #inmemorium

3 ✨
This starts out a bit boring, with disjointed dates, names and places. But as it progressed and Alan started keeping more in-depth accounts of his days, I really enjoyed getting to know the man behind the actor.
🎧

@Clwojick #Pantone2023 #Persimmon

🎧 👩‍🏫 📚

BEST experienced as an immersion read.

There are footnotes that explain some people places & things that the narrator sometimes stops & reads but sometimes doesn‘t. Then sometimes abbreviations in the book are spelled out by the narrator, helpful!

You get the feeling that personal moments may have been removed. That‘s fine. He hits the highlights! It defines a life well lived.

He‘s missed. Hug. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 👇🏻👇🏻

#bookreport @Cinfhen

Finished:
American Sherlock
Jamaica Inn
The Gospel of the Eels

Continued:
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Postcript Murders

Started:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Madly, Deeply

Upgraded myself 😊
I'm telling everyone it's for the gym/running, but truly it's for my Auidbooks! 🎧

Also my desk pad is very inspiring this month.

“after all this time?” Always♥️

I have loved Alan Rickman since the first time I saw Die Hard all those years ago and still can‘t quite believe he‘s gone, so it was bittersweet getting to know him a bit from his diaries. I‘m glad I knew going in that these are jottings rather than a smooth narrative, and I think this is best enjoyed a bit at a time. The audio has part of an interview with Alan at the end and it was a bit melancholy hearing his voice.

I feel liked I skimmed this, nothing really stuck in my head. I wanted to bail on this book so many times but I didn't, and I should of

I didn‘t know if I was going to like this book when I first started because it was so disjointed and random thoughts. It was a bit tedious in parts, but obviously when he started talking about Harry Potter and Love Actually I was excited!

At the end I was super sad and tearing up a bit when he knew he was sick and his last days.

I think you have to be a huge Alan Rickman fan to enjoy this book.

Strings of names and places and dates, interspersed with sharp personal observations and pearls of witty brilliance, this is invaluable to a biographer, interesting to a fan, and—although I wouldn‘t recommend it to a casual reader—strangely fascinating. Still, this was published 'as is', and the very raw, context-less format makes it tedious in places (though I don‘t know if it could‘ve been done better without losing its spirit).

3.25/5

@Cinfhen another prompt match! This time with #byanauthorwhoisnolongerliving and #publishedposthumously #booked2023 #52bookclub2023

@alisiakae @BarbaraTheBibliophage @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle

Slowly, but surely I‘m getting through this. Not sure if I‘m biting more than I can chew here.

And we have now reached the Harry Potter years 😍🤓⚡

My Libby loan came in!!!

Anyone else excited to read this one?

I let myself slowly absorb Rickman's life over several days, losing myself in the simplicity of his entries and how most of his days were just normal mundane activities. My favorite parts involved his honest thoughts on actors, movies, plays, etc...

These diaries show just how diverse he was, how caring he was, and yet also just how human he was. We sometimes forget that individuals in the limelight are just ordinary people like me and you.

I wouldn‘t have imagined reading someone else‘s notes about their days would be fascinating, but Rickman led an interesting life filled w/compelling work, travel, & dinners. He is critical, witty & acidic in his observations. But through all of that is an underlying passion and curiosity about the world. He is generous with praise, when it is earned, & willing to take criticism. He holds himself to the same high standard he holds everyone else to.

Oh Alan :(
Even though the entries are short it still gives you a glimpse of the real Alan
Knew how it ends but still really sad

It is a fascinating look into the career of an actor and how often they are juggling multiple roles. He also didn‘t hold back on his thoughts about other actors, films, and the entertainment industry in general, both the good and the bad. I thoroughly enjoyed this and felt like I got an inside look at one of the most iconic character actors of our times. Alan Rickman is greatly missed by so many who have loved his performances for decades.

Release Day!

Heads up, nerds! 💕
Available for preorder: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250847959/madly-deeply