Rating: 
Summary: Don't Have to Be a P.D. James Fan
Review: After an uneven beginning, Time to Be In Earnest, settles down to an earnest and enjoyable memoir (it is in diary form, covering a year: 1997-1998). P.D. James has a distinct voice, comprised of dignity, reserve, confidence, practicality and intelligence. This voice or persona flows throughout the book. Not a reader of P.D. James' mystery novels, I have no way of knowing if this voice appears in her fiction. It is not a quiescent voice and therefore, not lightly ignored. It does give the reader an image of the author's personality, an image that may or may not be accurate. P.D. James has an eye for detail, a quality that can bog down many a memoir and almost does in this case. However, there is something lesiurely, even unaggressive, about the wealth of detail, and it is intermingled with reflections on religion, nature, life, entertainment, writing and much more. And if you enjoy well-written pictures of nature, the prose of P.D. James will certainly delight and satisfy. In fact, there's a bit of everything in this autobiography for everyone. I found the comments about writing and true life detective cases most interesting as well as P.D. James' experiences in WWII. There are references to Chatsworth, the House of Lords, the BBC and more prosaically, P.D. James' cat, the Civil Service and the work on her house. There is always the suspicion in reading autobiography that it will be like watching other people's home movies: just a tad deary and confusing. This is not the case of Time to Be In Earnest. The smoothness of the writing carries the reader past all unknown faces (and it's fun to "meet" the few known ones). One gets the experience of the author's life as it happens. Many--if not most--memoirs/autobiographies are the analysis of events after they have been lived. This is true of sections of Time to Be In Earnest as well (and the analysis is always interesting) but the process of living alongside someone is what sets this book apart. It is not a book to rush through. Read it a bit at a time and catch the very English flavor of a very English lady.
Rating: 
Summary: Time to Be in Earnest
Review: As an avid fan of PD James's pyschological thrillers, I was looking forward to a good read from her "fragment of autobiography". Ms James wrote a memoir for one year - the year of her 77th birthday. It is both a daily diary and a reflection of the past - both personal and historic and has commentary on her writing and books. I found it mostly interesting, but at times very dry. Perhaps we are conditioned to expect too much in the way of personal anguish to be satisfied with bare bones, but I felt that was what we were mostly given. I would recommend it for Ms James'fans, but perhaps not more widely.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating glimpse into a formidable mind
Review: As an avid P.D. James fan, I had no idea what to expect from her autobiography. I found myself intrigued by the style and substance of her writings; she is a brilliant writer and thinker. I turned the pages of this book compulsively--feeling a wide range of emotions from amusement(she has a wonderful sense of humor) to sadness.(her musings on old age and death are very profound and poignant) Thank you P.D. James for writing a classic in the autobiographical genre.
Rating:
Summary: An intriguing glimpse into the personal life of P.D. James.
Review: Fans of James' mysteries will relish this autobiography: a personal memoir which takes the form of a diary of a single year of her life. From reflections on her writing career and topics to the evolution of her style and opinions on modern times, this provides readers and prior fans with an intriguing glimpse into her personal life. Diane C. Donovan
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book!!
Review: I found this book in my library yesterday and have read it almost non-stop. It is truly delightful. I like the understated way she weaves her life story. What impressed me most is her down to earth way of saying that she realized that she would have to support her family since her husband was unable to. She just did it without whining or expecting anyone to help her. Her ideas and opinions on the health care system are right on target. Her references to other works, both hers and other authors, will keep me busy for a long time. I want to check out all of them. What I envy most is her mention of going here and there to conferences and book signings, etc on the great train system in England. I have spent some time there and know how convenient it is. Wish we had such a rail system in the U.S. Her thoughts on the writing experience are also informative. Am so glad she has written this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book!!
Review: I found this book in my library yesterday and have read it almost non-stop. It is truly delightful. I like the understated way she weaves her life story. What impressed me most is her down to earth way of saying that she realized that she would have to support her family since her husband was unable to. She just did it without whining or expecting anyone to help her. Her ideas and opinions on the health care system are right on target. Her references to other works, both hers and other authors, will keep me busy for a long time. I want to check out all of them. What I envy most is her mention of going here and there to conferences and book signings, etc on the great train system in England. I have spent some time there and know how convenient it is. Wish we had such a rail system in the U.S. Her thoughts on the writing experience are also informative. Am so glad she has written this book.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written, as always, but a bit disappointing
Review: I have loved P.D. James mysteries for years and looked forward to getting a glimpse of the author herself. While the book is extremely well-written, as her books invariably are, I found it somewhat disappointing. I found it to be, more than anything, a rather uninteresting description of daily events in 1997 -- luncheons or dinner parties she attended, speaking engagements, conversations with friends and so forth. In addition, I was slightly put off by what seemed to me to be a rather stuffy and self-satisfied tone to the book. I look forward to her next effort -- fiction only, please.
Rating:
Summary: Full of energy at 77!
Review: I was amazed by all the positions which P.D. James has held, at her bravery and persistance in handling family problems and becoming a writer. Even now, when she might just enjoy her peaceful home, she doesn't seem to ever decline exhausting promotion tours (I attended her lecture in Phoenix, and she looked so tired)and she is involved in so many boards, etc. If you love her books, you will appreciate her revealing how she got her ideas for each one. This is a book to dip into, and it can get a bit repetitious (she always stops to smell the flowers, AND describe them). I was especially interested in the true cases of murder and how she wove them into her novels.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I'm a big fan of P. D. James's mystery novels, so I looked forward to getting to know her better in this book. I guess fame has ruined her. She comes across as opinionated and self-righteous, and drops names to impress us. She's not a person I'd want to sit next to on a train.
Rating:
Summary: P.D. James in Her 77th Year
Review: In addition to being one of the best contemporary mystery writers, P.D. James has an extraordinary command of the English language. Her book, a combination diary of her 77th year and a reflective looking back, is a must read for her fans. Some parts relating to her personal life, such as having a baby while bombs were being dropped during World War II and her relationship with her cat Polly-Hodge, make for interesting reading. Other parts about the more technical aspects of book writing and publishing, with the exception of her comments about adapting her books into TV movies, tend to be dry and would hold more appeal to writers and those in the publishing business.
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