A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998

The late Sir Alec Guinness was a lovely writer, and with this, his final memoir, he improved vastly over his previous gift to us, MY NAME ESCAPES ME. Whereas the latter was strictly a selection from his diary, with this Guinness moves beautifully from journalistic descriptions of day-to-day events (from eye surgery to walks with his wife, Merula, to the indignities of moving slowly in an ever fast-paced and impolite world) and wry reflections on current events to anecdotes spanning his entire career in theatre and film. Each chapter is arranged by a theme, mostly seasonal, but they meander charmingly.Those interested in his encounter with the church and his beginnings as an artist should find his autobiography, BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE. Those who might want reflections on STAR WARS will be disappointed. When one gentleman asked Guinness for an autograph from Ben Kenobi immediately after mass, Guinness admonished him, "Not in front of the parishioners!" and disappeared as nimbly as a young Jedi.

Alec Guinness is undeniably one of the most gifted actors of our times, and now, with his offering of "A Positively Final Appearance," we get to know something of the man behind the mask. This journal, kept between the summer of `96, and 1998, is chock full of insightful musings, reminiscences and anecdotes that are a delight. He shares his love of the theater, discussing many of the plays he attended during this period, and gives comments on recent movies, as well. An avid reader, he talks enthusiastically of favorite authors and books; his love of literature is unmistakable. The stage is his first love, however, and he speaks fondly, and frankly, of many of the plays he's done, and of his experiences with many of the actors and directors with whom he has had the privilege of working. He invites you into his private life, discussing the love of his life, Merula, and discoursing on their life at home, as well as their many travels. You learn what the greatest regret of his life is, who some of the people are he admires most, and a few of whom he could do without. He explains his negative attitude toward the "Star Wars" phenomenon, and addresses many of the events, large and small, that have in some way affected his life, and helped mold his perspectives. His concern over world events and the human condition is poignantly evident. Guinness writes so fluently, you can almost hear that distinct, familiar voice; you seem to be listening, rather than reading. There is a dignity and charm to his words that reveal, to some degree, the man behind them. That he values his privacy is apparent, and it becomes very clear that he is not the most accessible person, yet without any rancor; he holds his fans in high esteem, but there is a sincere humility to the man, who simply doesn't feel worthy of all the fuss. In a world seemingly rife with crass sensationalism and indifference, "A Positively Final Appearance" is like a tonic to the soul; it is so refreshing to discover that somewhere elegance and refinement still exist. My positively, final word on this book is that it is a joy, and should not be missed.

Receiving and reading this book was one of the highlights of this Christmas season for me. _A Positively Final Appearance_ is a most worthy successor to Sir Alec's _My Name Escapes Me_ and was a warm, wise, witty, wonderful companion indeed this holiday season. Sir Alec is justly admired as one of the world's great actors but has not received the acclaim I believe he merits for his erudition as a writer. At the risk of embarrassing him, I would say that Sir Alec embodies all that is best about the English national character -- qualities that have made me, an American, a lifelong Anglophile. As an American, I must also say that I much appreciated Sir Alec's concern about America's growing militarism and ever increasing tendency to inflict its trashy popular culture on other nations.

Books like this are doubly rare, as they must meet two prerequisites at a minimum. Firstly the Author/Authoress must be in their ninth decade of life, and then they must have the talents at hand to write, and in the case of "A Positively Final Appearance", write deftly of a rich life without pretense or arrogance. Sir Alec Guiness is a legendary actor of stage and screen. Much to his chagrin the world seems to identify him almost exclusively as the Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobe of The Star Wars Middle Trilogy. In his previous book "My Name Escapes Me" he beat upon this topic almost to bitterness. This time around he shares his reasons why, and my thoughts of his being a curmudgeon are gone. While stating this is not a diary or journal, it is akin to the latter and covers the years 1996-1998. What makes this particular work triply rare is the Author's ability to take an event of seemingly little or no importance and connect it to a memory or 2 or 5 until it becomes a short story of it's own. These stories know no boundaries as Mr. Guiness takes the reader with him from thought to thought and from observation to random event. True there are chapters to the book, however if removed the experience would not be lessened. The title refers to a falsehood meant to lure patrons to a show which oftener than not, is many things but not a final appearance. Mr. Guiness shares thoughts on his religion, his reaction to the Death of Lady Dianna, his memorable meeting with Margaret Thatcher, and at least 100 other people of note. An omission I found very surprising was that he made no mention at all of Mother Teresa who died on the same day as Lady Dianna. I note this as he regularly speaks of the importance of his being a Catholic, with the regret that he did not become so earlier in his life. To omit this event completely seems to suggest there are strong feelings, but they will remain his. He also speaks of his Diamond wedding anniversary, his experiences as a soldier, and the painful process of growing old, "the mind gathers more wrinkles than the skin". He shares the story of Mark Taylor who having tied an athletic record that had stood for 67 years, refused to continue, "so as not to outshine his predecessor". When angered the language only reaches the level of "rubbish on stilts". A true Gentleman of a time past, and who's like is quickly becoming a small, small group. The book is in the end a bit sad, for unlike the title that so often is a charade, I fear this is his final appearance. Just as he left the stage and screen and never returned, I believe as he directs the readers to the nearest exit at book's end, he truly means it. I hope I am wrong, Mr. Guiness is unique, he is a gift, and hopefully will return with another volume. In truth I fear he will not.

A very intelligent and well educated mind that expresses itself excellently in a very personal and likeable way. I have seen a lot, maybe most, of what Alec Guinness has done in film work. I particulary liked his George Smiley and the films he did in the fifties. I gather his way of getting to a character is to remove everything except what is essential to that character. I think this includes much of Alec Guinness! So, it is particularly interesting to find out what a good writer he is, what interesting and unexpected experiences he's had (e.g., "Don't touch it. It poison."), and what a wide range his knowledge encompasses. His conversion to Catholicism at mid-life I find particlary interesting, although he doesn't write much about that. I had read "Blessings in Disguise", which I thought was great. The writings from this journal add interesting details to the outline of the first book. I hope this second journal sells well and there is a third one!