Alfred Hitchcock

A Brief Life

By: Peter Ackroyd

Narrated by: Gildart Jackson

A gripping short biography of the extraordinary Alfred Hitchock, the master of suspense.

Alfred Hitchcock was a strange child. Fat, lonely, burning with fear and ambition, his childhood was an isolated one, scented with fish from his father's shop. Afraid to leave his bedroom, he would plan great voyages, using railway timetables to plot an exact imaginary route across Europe. So how did this fearful figure become the one of the most respected film directors of the twentieth century?
As an adult, Hitch rigorously controlled the press's portrait of him, drawing certain carefully selected childhood anecdotes into full focus and blurring all others out. In this quick-witted portrait, Ackroyd reveals something more: a lugubriously jolly man fond of practical jokes, who smashes a once-used tea cup every morning to remind himself of the frailty of life. Iconic film stars make cameo appearances, just as Hitch did in his own films: Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, and James Stewart despair of his detached directing style and, perhaps most famously of all, Tippi Hedren endures cuts and bruises from a real-life fearsome flock of birds.
Alfred Hitchcock wrests the director's chair back from the master of control and discovers what lurks just out of sight, in the corner of the shot.

Critic reviews

"A smart, fluent overview of the director’s life and art, and the mysterious dynamic between the two.”
—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“Ackroyd’s volume is slim but insightful . . . guided by a novelist’s skills of characterization and texture . . . Ackroyd is thrillingly alive to what he calls ‘the true music’ of Hitchcock, with his Mozartian arias of pure flight and pursuit.”
—Tom Shone, The New York Times Book Review

"A masterful book on the Master of Suspense."
—Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times

“Immaculate and phenomenally readable . . . close to a minor classic of its kind.”
–Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News

"A superb, insightful short life . . . Ackroyd’s deft and moving biography proves that there is a fresh story to be told, and that he is the person to do it. "
—Bee Wilson, The Guardian

"If there is any writer capable of imaginative sympathy with Hitchcock, it is Ackroyd."
—Duncan White, The Telegraph

"An elegant and hugely enjoyable read."
—Alexander Larman, Sunday Express

"A nutritious, compact and superb critical biography."
—Roger Lewis, Daily Mail

"Shelves of serious biographies have been written on Alfred Hitchcock, but perhaps none as pleasurable as Peter Ackroyd’s."
—Kate Muir, The Times (London)

“Hitch”

Detailed and warm portrait of a genius. I have seen nearly every one of his films. I’m entranced every time I watch one of his films.

Informative

short and sweet. well spoken and a very entertaining listen. would highly recommend this book

Interesting but not satisfying

Feels like you want to find more. It was a long but brief read. Mostly jumping from film to film giving not much about man’s personality

Hitchcock's persistence with murder, degradation of women.

Disliked his abnormal sexuality, attempts to control female actresses, inappropriate behavior with female actresses, fat torso.

Excellent short treatment of a huge figure

This draws you close to a person who was hard to really know, but had such an impact in our lives through film. The tidbits of Hollywood history and his actors are little pearls sprinkled through the narrative. This was the perfect length, expertly packed and entertaining.