As of This Writing: The Essential Essays, 1968-2002

Clive James repeatedly asked: why did Primo Levi kill himself? I guess it never occurred to Clive that the simple pain of old age is enough to make anyone suicidal. Healthy youngish people always reveal their fatuous ignorance whenever they express shock about the suicidal tendencies of old people. Wondering why people kill themselves is a knee-jerk butt-backward approach. The real question you should be asking is: why *don't* people kill themselves? Clive finally turns realistic when he says: "For all we know, suicide is the mandatory escape route for anyone with clear sight, and the rest of us get to die in bed only because we have the gift of regrowing our cataracts from day to day."

Wow, this is a long one, but it holds one's interest. At least, it held mine most of the time. Also, being a collection of 35 years of essays, it's possible to pick and choose. I mean, it's not like you have to read from p. 1 to p. 600 without a break. Clive James is a critic, one who writes for the NY and London Reviews of Books, the New Yorker, etc., etc. he's made a name for himself by becoming one of the central voices of literary criticism, and this collection of his essays shows how and why he's become the icon of our times. It's a keeper.

I thought this book was a wonderful collection of brilliant essays. I am very impressed with his range of subjects and feel inlightened by them.This book features forty- nine essays on poetry, film, fiction, and criticism from his writings between 1968 and 2002. many with a up to date Postscript.From Marilyn Monroe to Gore Vidal, Clive James help to expand your world