Rating: 
Summary: Refined Revelation
Review: It has taken me over a year to fully appreciate this "fragment of autobiography". There are no strict rules for autobiography writers to follow, except that they talk about the themselves. P.D. James, the acclaimed British mystery writer, does that in her own, 'Time To Be In Earnest', and the reading experience is one which leaves a definite impression. At first read-through, the book leaves one with a slight sense of having been cheated. Most celebrity autobiographies written in today's age wallow in over-exposure. We get to know what goes on in their minds, their businesses, their homes, even their bedrooms. Even when the subject is dead, and a *biography* is written, the author attempts to portray the person as emotionally as possible. With 'Time To Be In Earnest', Ms. James does not make us suffer through any of that. Her life story is told in a charming "daily (sometimes) journal", which reflects on the news of the day, and then nicely segues into memories of her past. We get to know much about P.D. James's childhood, her parents, siblings, home-life, etc. She is purposefully vague about her marriage, but she *does* provide sufficient information about it that we get the idea. That is what is so elegant about her book - it is informative, without being messy. What I found *most* fascinating were her views on the world of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Some things I agreed with her on, some things I did not. But all of her 77 year-old ideas gave this particular 25 year-old much to think upon. 'Time To Be In Earnest' truly tracks the 77 years of not only a highly-successful British woman's life, but of the country itself, and of the world that has come, gone, and is here today. .
Rating:
Summary: Refined Revelation
Review: It has taken me over a year to fully appreciate this "fragment of autobiography". There are no strict rules for autobiography writers to follow, except that they talk about the themselves. P.D. James, the acclaimed British mystery writer, does that in her own, 'Time To Be In Earnest', and the reading experience is one which leaves a definite impression. At first read-through, the book leaves one with a slight sense of having been cheated. Most celebrity autobiographies written in today's age wallow in over-exposure. We get to know what goes on in their minds, their businesses, their homes, even their bedrooms. Even when the subject is dead, and a *biography* is written, the author attempts to portray the person as emotionally as possible. With 'Time To Be In Earnest', Ms. James does not make us suffer through any of that. Her life story is told in a charming "daily (sometimes) journal", which reflects on the news of the day, and then nicely segues into memories of her past. We get to know much about P.D. James's childhood, her parents, siblings, home-life, etc. She is purposefully vague about her marriage, but she *does* provide sufficient information about it that we get the idea. That is what is so elegant about her book - it is informative, without being messy. What I found *most* fascinating were her views on the world of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Some things I agreed with her on, some things I did not. But all of her 77 year-old ideas gave this particular 25 year-old much to think upon. 'Time To Be In Earnest' truly tracks the 77 years of not only a highly-successful British woman's life, but of the country itself, and of the world that has come, gone, and is here today. .
Rating:
Summary: Baroness James has another great book on her hands
Review: It's wonderful to read this autobiography and learn what the Baroness P.D. James does from day to day over the relatively short period covered in this work. It's intelligent and witty and full of great photos of family and friends--there is one particularly nice shot of Miss James and Ruth Rendell. After reading all her great mysteries, it was a pleasure to read how she puts her books together and weaves the rest of her life around her work. Easily worth five stars! Thanks....
Rating: 
Summary: One Writer's Life
Review: One reviewer said of this book, ". . . parts about the more technical aspects of book writing and publishing . . . tend to be dry and would hold more appeal to writers and those in the publishing business." These were the parts I liked best, and I'm not a writer. But I am a reader, and I've read and enjoyed most of P. D. James's books and the other books she discusses. James kept a diary during the year she was seventy-seven. She records what's happening in the present and reflects on aspects of her past. In the present, James is constantly traveling, giving talks, and spending time with friends old and new. She appears to be a very busy person. All this traveling about, though not exactly boring, is not exactly fascinating either. To me, the more interesting parts were about the past and especially her thoughts and opinions on other writers, mainly mystery writers. Ms. James is another big fan of Jane Austen's, and an appendix gives the text of a talk she gave to the Jane Austen Society on mystery in EMMA. Ms. James's outlook on life is that most things were better in the past (with the big exception of sanitary protection). She appreciates her relatively good health and independence and is grateful for each day, storing up good memories to sustain her as she grows older. James is too refined to speak ill of anyone and is unwilling to reveal personal details about her life with a mentally ill spouse. She is quite willing to share her opinions on public issues, but she's reluctant to give us the inner P. D. James. Still, I was more interested in this book than the other one I was reading at the same time, V. S. Naipaul's A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS. If you're a mystery fan, you'll probably enjoy James's remarks about other mystery writers of the past.
Rating:
Summary: One Writer's Life
Review: One reviewer said of this book, ". . . parts about the more technical aspects of book writing and publishing . . . tend to be dry and would hold more appeal to writers and those in the publishing business." These were the parts I liked best, and I'm not a writer. But I am a reader, and I've read and enjoyed most of P. D. James's books and the other books she discusses. James kept a diary during the year she was seventy-seven. She records what's happening in the present and reflects on aspects of her past. In the present, James is constantly traveling, giving talks, and spending time with friends old and new. She appears to be a very busy person. All this traveling about, though not exactly boring, is not exactly fascinating either. To me, the more interesting parts were about the past and especially her thoughts and opinions on other writers, mainly mystery writers. Ms. James is another big fan of Jane Austen's, and an appendix gives the text of a talk she gave to the Jane Austen Society on mystery in EMMA. Ms. James's outlook on life is that most things were better in the past (with the big exception of sanitary protection). She appreciates her relatively good health and independence and is grateful for each day, storing up good memories to sustain her as she grows older. James is too refined to speak ill of anyone and is unwilling to reveal personal details about her life with a mentally ill spouse. She is quite willing to share her opinions on public issues, but she's reluctant to give us the inner P. D. James. Still, I was more interested in this book than the other one I was reading at the same time, V. S. Naipaul's A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS. If you're a mystery fan, you'll probably enjoy James's remarks about other mystery writers of the past.
Rating:
Summary: interesting enough
Review: P. D. James is the only mystery novelist of whom I've read the entire oeuvre, apart from Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, and I don't really know why. A sense of obligation to the reigning British Queen of Crime? Appealing length and density? Although I do remember one excellent book, Original Sin, it is perhaps not surprising I found this "fragment of a biography" more entertaining than her novels, since a lot of what she terms "character buildup" and "scene setting" always seems to me a terrible drag on the narration. As a personal diary, it is too organized - no wonder, since it was intended for publication from the start - and there are no spontaneous bursts of emotion or painful self-examination that is so exhilarating in Sylvia Plath's journals. With James it is all carefully laid out, a prosaic entry too often expanding into an essay on government, the art of the crime novel, civil justice, etc. But still, the writings betray a highly intellectual mind at work, and a winning perseverance that has triumphed over pain and hardship.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Treat
Review: P.D. James has given her readers a rare glimpse into her thinking. I saw the daily events as ways to connect with what she wanted to say about her beliefs and about her very interesting and productive life. I have read all of her books and was pleased to be able to understand the author behind the mysteries which she so skillfully writes. I also enjoyed her glimpse into a world which is fading fast - a world where character was important and manners counted for a lot.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Treat
Review: P.D. James has given her readers a rare glimpse into her thinking. I saw the daily events as ways to connect with what she wanted to say about her beliefs and about her very interesting and productive life. I have read all of her books and was pleased to be able to understand the author behind the mysteries which she so skillfully writes. I also enjoyed her glimpse into a world which is fading fast - a world where character was important and manners counted for a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Too short of a good thing
Review: P.D. James, the renowned crime novelist, has given us a fragment in the life, "a year that otherwise might be lost not only to children...but with the onset of the dreaded Alzheimer's, lost also to me" (the author). This engaging but all too brief memoir tells of the author's moving experiences (parent's unhappy marriage, a husband doctor returning insane after WWII, etc.) paired with the author's uplifting experiences (career in the Police and Criminal Law Department which explains her detailed knowledge of forensics as shown in her fiction, children and grandchildren, etc.). The current that runs beneath these experiences is her moral philosophy - her belief in the power of traditional institutions and a powerful explanation of her fascination with murder and violence. Indeed, a rewarding experience, especially for avid readers of James' novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Earnest
Review: P.D.James writes wonderful novels, but this autobiographical sketch of one year in her life is not her best. The year she has chosen to relive for us, 1997, seems to be one continuous round of speaking engagements interspersed with frequently stuffy opinions on English political and social issues. Her discussions of writing and writers were of the most interest to me and I wish she had spent more time talking about her own writing and research.Her opinions of the House of Lords were a bit self-serving. Back to Adam Dalgleish, I say!
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