The Diaries of Kenneth Tynan John Lahr

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Pb; 1st edition (1 December 2002)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9780747558415
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.1 x 3.1 x 20 cm

The Diaries of Kenneth Tynan reveal just about everything one could want to know--a few things one might not--about the man who was the greatest, most flamboyant theatre critic of his generation' Evening Standard

'A Nabokovian self-portrait, which potently combines sex, style, philosophy, political though, gossip, remorse, defiance, brilliance, anxiety and dread of death...these pages contain material enough for a dozen novels, twenty plays, and even a slim volume of poems' Simon Callow, The Sunday Times

'No one, they say, ever erected a statue to a critic, but Kenneth Tynan has bequeathed something even larger to posterity- a legendary life.' Michael Billington , The Guardian

'The Tynan Diaries are never less than compelling' Mail On Sunday

A brilliant and feared critic, Kenneth Tynan was a nabob of the National Theatre alongside Laurence Olivier, and also the daring impresario who created 'Oh Calcutta'. He was a notorious eccentric, a louche sophisticate- connoisseur of cuisine, wine, literature and women. Where else could you find such a judicious blend of aesthetics, theatre lore, love, marriage, sex and politics? These sizzling diaries will remind older readers of a man whose reputation as the greatest critic of the twentieth century is still unchallenged and introduce younger readers to an electrifying writer who could often be outrageous ; and never, never be boring.