Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #773788 in Books
• Published on: 1997-07-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
This biography aims to cut through the public persona of Alan Rickman and uncover the private person, exploring his professional, political and emotional past, in an attempt to reveal his secrets.

Customer Reviews

A Disappointment!
I bought this book in a state of great anticipation, and I have to say I was extremely disappointed. The book is a series of disjointed quotes, with sweeping overgeneralisations and assumptions about Rickman's personality by the author. Paton bravely tries to link her minimal numbers of quotes with tired cliches and obscure sayings, which range from mildly amusing, to toe-curlingly bad, and sometimes just plain irritating. Aside from this there is the constant repetition of certain quotes (sometimes even 3 or 4 times!, see p.215 for a prime example- the same quote twice on one page...) In conclusion, I found the book dull (even with the subject matter!) and uninspiring. If you are still undecided as to whether to buy this book, take note of Rickman's feelings on it. A fan visiting the stage door or Private Lives passed him the older edition to sign and he exclaimed "I do not sign this horrible book!" So there you have it....
I did learn, however, 5 things that I had not already read about on the Internet:

1.Alan's unusual voice is in fact a speech impediment, caused by an unusually tight jaw.
2.He and partner Rima Horton do not live together.
3.He was once part of a consortium that put in a bid to run an arts centre.
4.He was second choice after Anthony Hopkins to play Hannibal Lecter.
5.He did not go to RADA until he was 26.

So now you don't have to waste your money, they were the best bits! I suggest all the true Rickmaniacs out there sit tight for an authorised biography, or perhaps an autobiography, let's hope.

Not For Die-Hard Fans
Alan Rickman is a deep, mysterious yet humourous soul. I don't feel that this book reveals anything about the man despite the author's claim.

If you are interested in reading thick-and-fast one-line quotes together with obsessive ramblings about his working-class background then this is the book for you. If you want discover the real man, waiting until he does an interview in a magazine!

Repetitive dross, with a few interesting parts
I prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. I'm sorry to say, I just flicked through a large part of it. Of course, being a private kind of a guy, it's pretty much the only bio available but it's a shame. A few direct comments would have made it more interesting. If I choose to believe everything, he sounds like a really sound bloke with great integrity and principles. She harps on relentlessly about him having loads of female friends and being very much heterosexual so much, I almost began to believe he's gay!! She repeats certain points (like those mentioned) throughout and it begins to look like a space filler. The "back catalogue" is one of the more useful parts included so that fans can at least try to trace films by such a fabulous actor and enjoy his immense talent. Please will someone write a proper one?!!