Product Description

During the 1970s and the early 1980s Peter Ackroyd wrote countless book reviews and articles for the "Spectator", on literature, film and a number of social and cultural issues. "The Collection" offers a selection of these incisive and entertaining pieces, which established Ackroyd's reputation as a writer. Since 1986, Ackroyd has been chief book reviewer for "The Times", and in this capacity he has reviewed some of the most important biographies and novels published over the last fifteen years. A selection of his "Time" reviews are included here. These reviews, and his articles for the "Sunday Times" display his characteristic attitudes to literature and art. They also throw interesting lights on his won work as a prize winning novelist and biographer. "The Collection" also contains a number of Ackroyd's interesting and provocative lectures on The Englishness of English literature, London Luminaries and Cockney Visionaries and William Black, a Spiritual Radical. In addition, several essays on subjects such as Ackroyd's own writing and contemporary painters such as Frank Auerbach have been included. Finally, three of Ackroyd's short stories have been reproduced, one of which was his first published work of fiction. "The Collection" is a revealing and fascinating anthology of Ackroyd's ideas and preoccupations. As such, it is the ideal companion volume to his novels and biographies. With the exception of five pieces, none of the writing contained in this volume has ever been collected: The Collection also contains much previously unpublished material.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #248490 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
"Ackroyd is a consummate critic...every fan should buy it."

The Spectator
‘...his journalism has always been a delight, and one’s main complaint about this volume is that it is far too short.’

Evening Standard
‘Ackroyd is a consummate critic…every fan should buy it.’

Customer Reviews

A collectors item.
Rather than a novel, but as the title suggests a collection of the cornucopia of works by Peter Ackroyd from the start of his writing career to date. The book encompasses mainly reviews of films and books, but also includes a few short stories and also Ackroyd dissecting his own work. If you like the work of Peter Ackroyd then this will provide an interesting insight as to what lies beneath his own writing style and novels. Its a bit like reading a Charles Dickens novel and then reading his biography (as completed by Ackroyd) it attempts to lay bare the inner pysche and soul of the author, although Ackroyds writing provide few clear clues being often abiguous and ambivalent. Well worth a look.