Time to Be in Earnest: a fragment of autobiography is P. D. James's response to Dr. Johnson's advice that seventy-seven is "a time to be in earnest." The much celebrated and beloved writer of mystery novels has created a luminous memoir of one year of her life. During the course of that year she not only relates experiences of the current time, but travels in time to give the reader snapshots of her life. These snapshots are vivid--full of descriptive clarity and beautiful language, only to be expected from such an accomplished writer. It would be hard to do full justice to this memoir in a review. The entries are so varied that one could only give the full flavor by recounting each and every one. James covers everything in this memoir from the elusive quality of memory to why women seem to dominate the mystery field (and if, in fact, they really do). She talks about numerous fellow authors, from Ruth Rendell to Dick Francis, without gossip and with genuine affection.It was, in fact, difficult to do full justice to this memoir reading it straight through as I did. I think it would have been better to savour the entries over a longer period of time, perhaps in daily readings over the course of the year just as the memoir was written. There is so much here to absorb and consider. And I think it a mark of how much this book has affected me that I have numerous slips of paper peppered throughout--marking passages that I want to go back and reread and possibly add to my quote collection. Thus earning this memoir four and a half stars out of five.In the last days of this memoir, James gave a talk at the annual meeting of the Jane Austen Society. The entire address is given in an appendix to the memoir and is entitled "Emma Considered as a Detective Story. Someone who commented on my review of Emma suggested that reading these insights by James might better inform my reading of Emma (I wasn't a fan of this particular Austen novel) and that it changed her entire view of the book.I readily admit all of James's points that give parallels to the detective novel. 1. That we have facts that are "hidden" but which the reader should be able to discover by logical deduction from clues inserted in the novel. 2. That we have a reconciliation of those mysterious facts which brings order when the previously misinterpreted facts are seen in their true light. 3. That we have a self-contained set of characters forced into a sometimes unwilling proximity. However, none of this changes my opinion of the novel. In fact, it just might lower it. You see, if I am to compare Emma to a detective novel, then I would want that comparison to be positive. A good detective novel, in my opinion, presents the reader with all the clues and keeps him or her thoroughly mystified until the final unravelling. As far as I can see the only one mystified in Emma is Emma herself. I recognized the truth behind the "misinterpreted facts" early on. I was quite certain I knew who sent the piano to Jane (and was right). As a mystery novel, Emma fails for me, every bit as much as it did as a serious novel. Sorry, but Emma still remains one of my least favorite Austen novels.
I didn't know this book existed - I'm so happy to have found out about it through goodreads. I attended an author reading with PD James and Ruth Rendall in Vancouver BC as part of the Writers' Festival. I was already a fan and it was such a pleasure to hear her talk about her books. Ruth Rendall was quite funny and I wasn't too sure about her books having read a few. But after 'meeting' her at this event I decided to give her books another go and I can say I enjoy her writing more. It was interesting to hear how different both authors approached their writing. Rendall and James are contemporaries and I'm trying to remember whether they are friends or just acquaintances. She recently (March 2010) was interviewed on CBC 1 Radio (Canadian Broadcasting Company) and the interview is available to download on a podcast on their website or through itunes. I didn't hear it at the time but plan to check it out soon. I'm sure she is talking about her new book about writing mysteries. I've got to add that one to my bookshelf as well!
I can make a strong argument that P.D. James is the world's greatest mystery writer, but she falls short in the realm of memoirs. Time To Be In Earnest: A Fragment Of Autobiography has an innovative structure: James wrote a diary that spans from her 77th birthday to her 78th, and used her day-to-day experiences as jumping off points to, sometimes, reflect on writing, past eras of her life, the modern era, and crime. This seems like a good idea, but the daily accounts sometimes feel like dull travelogues and James is too reserved to share much about the more personal aspects of her past. Furthermore, she interacts with a lot of people during the course of a year, but fails to really bring anyone to life on the page. That said, the book really shines when James writes about writing, her books, her thoughts on literature, writers, historic crimes, or her cat. In these passages, her dry wit and thoughtful analysis are a pleasure to read. Recommended for serious fans of James or crime fiction.
—Felisa Rosa
I must preface this by saying P.D. James is my idol and role model, the author who most inspires me in my own writing. This autobiography, in which she journals her 77th year of life, allows her points of entry to talk about her childhood, her husband's mental illness and her work in the British government bureaucracy. Along the way, she talks about what makes a good mystery and the importance of literature in our culture. Reading this book was like sitting down with Ms. James for a good, long chat, something I'd absolutely love to do. She's a tough and opinionated lady, a formidable member of Britain's Greatest Generation. For those who read her uneven Austen homage mystery, Death at Pemberley, the book includes James's intriguing speech to the Austen society on Emma as a detective novel.
—Victoria
I expected not to like Time to Be In Earnest simply on the principle of it being an autobiography and therefore being navel-gazing. Consequently, I was happily surprised to really enjoy it. I liked the format of the book--part daily diary, part lifelong history. I thought James combined the two well, going from a discussion of a minute detail of her life to the broader topic of, for instance, the purpose of the BBC, fairly effortlessly. James referenced a number of events and people of whom I had no notion, so at times it was handy to have the internet close by to look things up, and that was a bit arduous.It is clear that James loves her country--the cities, the churches, the country landscape, the ocean, the language. This love comes through her writing clearly, and with me reading, she was preaching to the choir.
—Kirstin
