Halfway To Hollywood

Diaries 1980-1988 (Volume Two)

By: Michael Palin

Narrated by: Michael Palin

Michael Palin's bestselling diaries of the 1980s.

After a live performance at the Hollywood Bowl, The Pythons made their last performance together in 1983 in the hugely successful MONTY PYTHON'S MEANING OF LIFE. Writing and acting in films and television then took over much of Michael's life, culminating in the smash hit A FISH CALLED WANDA (for which he won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor), and the first of his seven celebrated television journeys for the BBC. He co-produced, wrote and played the lead in THE MISSIONARY opposite Maggie Smith, who also appeared with him in A PRIVATE FUNCTION, written by Alan Bennett.

Such was his fame in the US, he was enticed into once again hosting the enormously popular show Saturday Night Live, in one edition of which his mother makes a highly successful surprise guest appearance. He filmed several journeys for television and became chairman of the pressure group, Transport 2000. His family remains a constant as his and Helen's children enter their teens.©2009 Michael Palin

Critic reviews

Palin reminds me of Samuel Johnson: driven, intellectually formidable, and spurred on by self-reproach and the wholly irrational idea that he's not really getting on with it . . . Palin is a seriously good writer. These diaries are full of fine phrases and sharp little sketches of scenes

This is a brisk, pithy, amusing read, teeming with the writer's inner life, crammed with high-quality observations . . . and deft ink-pen sketches of his associates

Charming and vastly entertaining

His entries are riddled with the astute wit and generosity of spirit that characterise both his performances and his previously published writing

It's clear why Cleese later nominated Palin as his luxury item on Desert Island Discs . . . he makes such unfailingly good company . . . this is the agreeably written story of how a former Python laid the foundation stone by which he would reinvent himself as a public institution: the People's Palin

A fascinating and wry cultural take on the 1980s . . . it's also, when added to volume one, proving to be the most beguiling and revealing of ongoing autobiographies

This is the Michael Palin with whom the public has fallen in love. A man whose ordinary likeability makes us feel we know him, and that he is incapable of nastiness or an outburst of bad temper

There are some fabulous and very funny snippets about Alan Bennett and Maggie Smith . . . the behind-the-scenes antics of the Pythons and their wider circle make great reading

Well done

I see what Michele means by a diary being more the motion of life than a autobiography. It had a lot of inside thoughts on thing you might have seen many times that give them a new perspective.

Love it!

Enjoyed hearing the month by month, year-by-year progression of Michael’s creative journey. my favorite of the pythons.

Outstanding

I read this book some time ago then I decided to listen to the audio version, especially as it’s narrated by M Palin himself, honestly I could listen to him talking about anything, not only has he had an interesting life but his narrative style is so calm yet never boring

MP has always been very funny and I’ve listened to all his audiobooks but I find this one in particular not only fascinating but extremely therapeutic, Michael Palin’s life, affection for the English way of life and the simple things is so refreshing and a delight to listen to

I was so sorry to read that he recently lost his wife Helen, my heart felt condolences to him and all his family

Have been a fan since 1973. Boring and opinionated

Sometimes a little mystery is a good thing. If you were always a fan of Michael Palin and his work with Monty Python and his travel shows, you probably don’t need to know the author’s thoughts and opinions.