The Smoking Diaries Three Volume Boxed Set: "Smoking Diaries" "The Year of the Jouncer" "The Last Cigarette" - Softcover

Gray, Simon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847080588 ISBN 13: 9781847080585

Publisher: Granta Books, 2008

Synopsis

When he turned sixty-five, the playwright Simon Gray began to keep a diary: not a careful honing of the day's events with a view to posterity but an account of his thoughts as he had them, honestly, turbulently, digressively expressed. The three volumes of The Smoking Diaries are the result, in which one of Britain's most amusing and original writers reflects on a life filled with cigarettes (continuing), alcohol (stopped), several triumphs and many more disasters, shame, adultery, friendship and love. Few diarists have been as frank about themselves, and even fewer as entertaining. This beautiful boxed set contains paperbacks of The Smoking Diaries, The Smoking Diaries: The Year of the Jouncer and The Smoking Diaries: The Last Cigarette. With their combination of comedy and serious reflection, of sharp observation and painful self-disclosure, Simon Gray's diaries have reinvented the memoir form and are destined to become classics of autobiography. The beauty of them lies in Gray's struggle to put a finger on some kind of personal truth: The Smoking Diaries offer a brilliant and moving account of life's unsteady progress - with unfailing wit and humour, they take us to the very heart of a man.

About this title

Review:

"* The Smoking Diaries: 'Simon Gray's The Smoking Diaries is one of the funniest books I have ever read in my life' Philip Hensher, Spectator * The Smoking Diaries: The Year of the Jouncer: 'A great achievement, a terrific read, every page crammed with jokes, philosophical observations... Volume III is keenly awaited' Lloyd Evans, Spectator"

From the Publisher:

When he turned sixty-five, the playwright Simon Gray began to keep a diary: not a careful honing of the day's events with a view to posterity but an account of his thoughts as he had them, honestly, turbulently, digressively expressed. The three volumes of "The Smoking Diaries" are the result, in which one of Britain's most amusing and original writers reflects on a life filled with cigarettes, alcohol, several triumphs and many more disasters, shame,friendship and love. Few diarists have been as frank about themselves, and even fewer as entertaining.This beautiful boxed set contains the three volumes in paperback of "The Smoking Diaries", "The Smoking Diaries: The Year of the Jouncer", and "The Smoking Diaries: The Last Cigarette", just published in hardback in April 2008.With their combination of comedy and serious reflection, of sharp observation and painful self-disclosure, Simon Gray's diaries have reinvented the memoir form and are destined to become classics of autobiography. The beauty of them lies in Gray's struggle to put a finger on some kind of personal truth. "The Smoking Diaries" give a brilliant and moving account of life's unsteady progress - with unfailing wit and humour, they take us to the very heart of a man.

About this edition

• Publisher: Granta Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1847080588
• ISBN 13: 9781847080585
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240