Reviews
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HELEN MIRREN
In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures r“.'.’t 'Il ll anti 'lrl Nir (lsr ‘llr I...
‘l have a blissfully forgetful brain,‘ Helen Mirren informs us in the opening paragraph of her autobiography, which hardly bodes well for a book which demands total recall. But Mirren has dredged the past up from somewhere, or someone, because In the Frame is rich in detail, often of the minutest quality. As a reader of autobiographies herself, Mirren always heads straight for the photos, and has assumed the same proclivity in us. In actual fact, Mirren’s extensive career on the stage and screens both small and big could easily have filled many more pages of prose, given how engaging the small amount here is.
For the generations with little knowledge of Mirren's life pre-Prime Suspect, her theatrical anecdotes will hold particular fascination. So synonymous has she become with DCI Jane Tennison - and latterly Queen Elizabeths l and II - that it’s easy to forget Mirren’s endless CV filled with juicy stage roles and film characters. Mirren has packed much into her 62 years, and this incredibly diverse collection of photographs captures both her personal and professional life. From her schoolgirl days in Essex, to playing Ophelia at the RSC and collecting her Oscar for The Queen, there is no shortage of pivotal moments. Lengthy sections devoted to Mirren’s Russian heritage, parents and schooling are interesting to a point, but it is not until she spreads her wings as an actress that this book really takes flight. From there, like any good entertainer, Mirren always leaves us wanting more. (Kelly Apter)
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unreniittinglx, ordinah, Anti rna.‘lie thats the tiltlliilt'lll. Setiold is a skilled ‘.‘.’lll(‘f who rireates a chest tightening sense of <,laustropliol)ia in the early passages. when her narrator. Helen Killtlllll\_ finds herself clutching her senile mother's murdered hody on the kitrthen floor. a lifetime of memories pulsing out of the too familiar ornaments.
it's an excellent premise for a short story or even a gothir: novella. But Helen is humourless. Spineless. steeped in \"lllllll‘i culture and determined to find anyone else to blame for her actions; too damp a sguih to spark the flicker of hope Sehold sorely needs to sustain this novel. rKirstin lnnesi
«LLHlME DRAMA MICHAEL HARVEY
The Chicago Way 'Quereusr COO
Purported hi, hrs own press material to do ‘wnat Elmore Leonard did for Detroit and Ransonrl Chandler did for Los Angeles'. Michael Haney is unlikely to iom that
esteemed norr
\ef. .'.:th this tirisk and engaging ilet‘ut thriller, he's put
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it‘rurnalist and tele‘.rsiori dwr‘urrieritar\ producer. plus his lithieus knowledge of the r‘it\. 's streets. to good use laking its title from .1 Sean Connery guete in The llritouritiah/es, the novel opens With detective .John Gitihons approattliing his ex partner and now Private Investigator Michael
Kelly to help Willi a long-
dead rape ease he was ordered to hury many years ago. The clipped. sparse dialogue and air of ambiguity are in the hest tradition of non storytelling, yet the expanding supporting cast of (:rime specialists suggests this might well have been originally envisioned as the pilot for a teleVision l)()ll(l(? procedural. Either way. however. it's an engaging story capath told. (DaVId Pollock)
COMIC APl lORlSMS DON PATERSON The Blind Eye
iFaheri O...
The Blind Eye is another delightful rendering of Dundee Don Paterson's graceful ability to shift between the high brow and the pop cult wrth Game Boys and The Simpsons rubbing shoulders up against Orpheus and Auden. Never dull. often flighty. Paterson crams more Wit and Wisdom into three lines or less of apparent throwaway silliness than most comic authors (,‘rowbar
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Books
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ALSO PUBLISHED
5 SPORT BOOKS
Ray 8mbe (0d) The Sports Book: The Sports, the Rules. the Tactics, the Techniques The “ultimate armchair companion' to more than 250 leisure pursuits (just didn't want to use the word ‘sport' again there) including bobsleigh and synchronised swimming. Don'ng Kindersley.
Jackie Stewart Winning is Not Enough The Scottish motor racing legend looks back on his life on and off the track. Headline.
'l’lm Lovoloy Love/0y on Football The Soccer AM guy brings us a book of anecdotes. trivia and opinion about such crucial topics as why foreign players swear in English and why the “Christmas tree formation' can simply never work. Century. Laman Dallagllo It’s in the Blood: My Life The England rugby icon talks about the game. his struggles with the tabloids and a family tragedy. Headline. David Shank The Immortal Game This history of chess examines how it has driven some people to insanity, prompted mathematical discoveries and even influenced military strategy. Souvenir.
4—15 Oct 2007 1’HE LIST 29