Time to be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography (Paperback)

Publisher and industry reviews

UK Kirkus review

Having consistently refused to authorize biographies, James feels it is time to offer testimony about what has been important in her life. In the form of a 12-month diary, her accounts of duties, travels and conversations encompass reflections on the past - growing up in the 1920s and 30s, marriage to a man who became mentally ill, motherhood, the beginnings of authorship and her subsequent success. What makes this book so interesting is James' forthright expressions of opinion. It is worth buying to read her scathing comments on the Millennium Dome alone, which she compares, hardly to its advantage, with the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A Museum and English country churches. Less liberal than Ruth Rendell, James offers insider information on the way arts institutions are run, along with trenchant criticisms of current political dogma. Even if you don't agree with her point of view, this makes excellent reading. (Kirkus UK)

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