Description
Book SynopsisA book for anyone who's ever fallen in love, tried to give up smoking, or consoled themselves that they'll never be quite as old as Mick Jagger.
'funny, fearless and unflinchingly truthful' Times Literary Supplement - Books of the Years 2014
'thought-provoking and inspiring' Independent on Sunday - Books of the Year 2014
Trade Reviewfunny, fearless and unflinchingly truthful * Times Literary Supplement - Books of the Years 2014 *
thought-provoking and inspiring * Independent on Sunday - Books of the Year 2014 *
delightful... Behind her fluid style and droll wit emerges a woman who was in analysis five times a week for ten years, and who wondered what she was doing wrong when she read about single women enjoying their freedom with the company of supportive friends.
A marvellously honest and entertaining compilation of her wonderful writing. * Daily Mail (Must Reads) *
entertaining and moving, with appeal far beyond stalwart Cope fans...
Life, Love and The Archers begins poignantly with hints of humour ... with
the final section prompting several mortifying laugh-out-loud-on-public-transport incidents * Independent on Sunday *
This anthology of prose from Britain's best-loved poet is
wonderful,
wistful and has some wisecracking one-liners * Tatler *
This collection of her prose
reveals a more serious Wendy Cope... What holds the book together is
an unflinching honesty - about her depression, her finances, her love life. And, most of all, about poetry... Cope's truth-telling about her own life may disturb some admirers, but the occasional bleakness is warmed and illuminated by
shafts of comic sunlight...
Is it any wonder that so many of us love her? -- Francis Wheen * Mail on Sunday *
A
wonderful mix of poet Wendy Cope's prose, uncovered from the archives of The British Library. Find hidden gems such as extracts from an abandoned memoir and unpublished essays Billy Graham, smoking addiction and more. The book also comprises published prose, including a hilarious collection of TV reviews written for the Spectator in the 80s.
Perfect to dip into over the holidays. * Mumsnet *
In the end, as she says ruefully, "What will survive of us will be quoted out of context." But at least
Wendy Cope will be quoted with delight * The Times *
a sort of autobiography in fragments. She is as
uncompromising here in her insistence on telling the truth; the honesty about her love life that marks her poetry finds a corresponding honesty about the practical business of life...
It is remarkable how much Cope writes, often to comic effect, about time-killing pursuits which free us of anxiety - darts, sudoku, comfort eating, even, as the book's title suggests, listening to the
Archers. * Times Literary Supplement *
Her writing is
always witty and insightful * Good Housekeeping - Best non-fiction book of the month, December 2014 *
Poet Wendy Cope's first book of prose is
like an extended conversation with an old friend.
You find a huge amount in common, laugh every five minutes, enjoy a good moan and end up counting your blessings; not least among them the joyous fact that "we'll never be as old as Mick Jagger"...
Irreverent,
sensible, with a keen eye for the absurd and the pretentious,
Cope is a boon companion * The Oldie *
The
no-nonsense honesty,
sharp insight and
humour of her poetry are evident in her prose too, as is the deceptive simplicity of her language:
never overwrought, it has a thoughtful precision and unselfconscious elegance... The writer's life ... is portrayed with her
signature blend of self-deprecation and wit * The Lady *
It is, very often,
wonderful... the latter parts of this book are
joyous * The Tablet *
A pleasure to read. The writing is
crisp and to the point,
eloquent but not flowery. Cope never patronises her readers: she trusts them to understand, to think about what she is saying: the pieces are
thought-provoking and genuinely relevant in today's world. * Bookbag *
[A]
highly enjoyable collection . . . Cope fans and poetry lovers will find much to relish here, as will the general reader * The Good Book Guide *
