I am lazily prejudiced against actors so it always comes as a pleasant surprise to occasionally discover properly bookish ones. Admittedly, all my examples are historical – I’m not sure Ryan Reynolds’ reading list would fascinate me – but it’s still a pleasure. It was thanks to Michael Dirda that I discovered Alec Guinness’ wonderful diaries (My Name Escapes Me and A Positively Final Appearance) and have now moved on to A Commonplace Book, published in 2001 after his death but based on selections he had already started compiling.
The main weakness of actors is their fondness for Shakespeare but once this is overcome the book is full of enjoy tidbits. Guinness doesn’t reach for the obscure in the way of Rupert Hart-Davis or George Lyttelton, but nor is he entirely predictable. There are familiar authors – Trollope appears several times and the wits of Guinness’ youth are well-represented – but they are familiar because they continue to entertain. I feel like 90% of commonplace books include “The Roman Centurion’s Song”, but this is only right and proper. Mine likely would as well.
What is particularly enjoyable are sprinklings of Guinness’ own stray thoughts. I especially liked his musings on his own profession:
When I was a young, enthusiastic theatre-goer, but before becoming a professional actor, I often heard people – members of audiences or people who pretended to theatrical judgement or sophistication – say of some actress or other, ‘I so admire her technique.’ I never knew what they were talking about, which shamed me.
I still don’t know. When I watch, say, Maggie Smith, I have no awareness of any ‘technical’ accomplishment, no perception of any wheels which may be going round; what she does just seems to me mesmeric and true. If the ‘technique’ or mechanics show, then there must be something wrong. In any case I don’t want to know; I just want to believe, enjoy and be taken into another world.
And, feeling snippy with a friend who no longer shared his faith, an unvoiced piece of snarkiness:
On our return from church:
Lapsed Catholic: ‘Have a nice mass?’
Self wanted to reply: ‘Oh, you know; the same old thing. The Real Presence at the altar, body, blood, soul, divinity of Christ, as usual.’
These are exceptions. If you want Guinness’ own thoughts, better to turn to his memoirs and diaries. But you still find an interest portrait of the man through the excerpts he grabs from others, revealing himself in what he finds sensible or amusing.
In the sensible category:
Bernard Levin
We are in a world in which ‘elite’ has become an insult, ‘discrimination’ a swear word, ‘quality’ a joke and ‘excellence’ an incomprehensible concept. In music it elevates rhythm over melody and mood over feeling, in literature it encourages lust at the expense of spirit, in painting it puts colour before expression.
Anthony Trollope in a letter to Kate Field, 1862
One’s country has no right to demand everything. There is much that is higher and better and greater than one’s country. One is patriotic only because one is too small and weak to be cosmopolitan.
Ronald Knox in Barchester Pilgrimage, proving himself as good as observer of human-nature as Trollope
Like many men who always see two sides to a question, he loved to discharge his conscience by leaning on the counsel of those who saw only one.
While to entertain we have these:
Henry Cockburn in Memorials of His Time
I think it was to Mrs Hamilton that [Lord] Jeffrey said in allusion to the good taste of never losing the feminine in the literary character, that there was no objection to the blue stocking, provided the petticoat came low enough down
Ernest Dowson
I suppose there are few friendships which can stand the test of correspondence.
And, to end, the inevitable Max Beerbohm
Every morning I introduce myself to myself, and every night I tell myself that we have had a delightful day together, but the acquaintanceship remains experimental.
The quote from Trollope about being cosmopolitan is brilliant!
Trollope is always a joy!
This sounds extremely entertaining. I agree, one doesn’t expect actors to necessarily share one’s bookish tastes, but I found a recent NYT article about Reese Witherspoon’s reading empire quite interesting:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/18/books/reese-witherspoon-book-club.html
If you can’t access it, let me know and I will send a better link.
I can’t access that link but I have seen the Reese’s Book Club stamp on a number of books and been impressed by what varied selection they are.
It seems interesting. Can I ask, as you seem to have read your fair share of Commonplace books, which ones would you recommend?
The most entertaining one I’ve read is A Country Doctor’s Commonplace Book, which Slightly Foxed released a few years ago and is now out of print. Worth tracking down if you can find it! Aside from that, this one is very strong as well.
I’ve been meaning to read Alec Guinness’ memoirs for a while. Thanks for the nudge.