Cultural Amnesia
Notes in the Margin of My Time
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Cultural Amnesia
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Narrated by:
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Clive James
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By:
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Clive James
About this listen
Abridged for audio. Read by the author, Clive James.
With fascinating essays on towering figures from Anna Akhmatova to Stefan Zweig, via Charles de Gaulle, Hitler, Thomas Mann and Wittgenstein, Cultural Amnesia is one of the crowning achievements in Clive James's illustrious career as a critic.
A comprehensive survey of modern culture, Cultural Amnesia is Clive James' unique take on the places and the faces that shaped the twentieth-century. From Anna Akhmatova to Stefan Zweig, via Charles de Gaulle, Hitler, Thomas Mann and Wittgenstein, this varied and unfailingly absorbing book is both story and history, both public memoir and personal record – and provides an essential field-guide to the vast movements of taste, intellect, politics and delusion that helped to prepare the times we live in now.
©2008 Clive James (P)2008 Macmillan Digital AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"On virtually every page, there is an arresting sentence, witty or profound." ( Mail on Sunday)
What listeners say about Cultural Amnesia
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- hans sandberg
- 08-07-23
Learning with relaxed pleasure
Bill Deresiewicz pointed me to Clive James' charming and intelligent survey of a life of reading, writing and reflection. I learned a lot of things I didn't know, whether Tony Curtis real name or more earth shattering events. It feels random, but behind every piece of his work is a serious mind wrestling with the world of humans.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Larbi
- 05-18-08
Very enjoyable and well narrated
I'm usually not a big fan of authors' narration of their own work-I usually prefer more professional readings- but Clive James' reading of his own work was excellent and very enjoyable. I found the book fascinating from the preface right through the last essay. I only wish the version were unabridged.
The essays were both thought-provoking and insightful. They have already sent me back to many of the texts discussed with enhanced understanding and appetite.
This was a fascinating addition to my audio library and so engaging I never missed a beat though driving for hours at a time on a long commute.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Michele P.
- 02-06-09
I wish it were unabridged
I don't usually listen to unabridged texts, so this was a happy accident. Clive James is an excellent reader of his own work. His thought provoking commentary has broadened my literary and cultural horizons. I wish I could have heard all of it.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ryan B.
- 02-11-15
A great treasure
This book is a wonderful, entertaining collection of descriptions of a collection. I didn't know all the people described. Along the way I enjoyed learning a hell of a lot even about the ones I thought I did know. Clive James is the master narrator. He connects stories, intertwines histories and has an amazing insight into the abundance of literary styles and influences.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S F Broomhead
- 02-02-19
Thank you Clive
I was given this book as a paperback and failed to find time to read it. However Audible gave me a second chance. First impression is this is a collection of tales about famous cultural artists. It is not. It is a corridor, and each chapter is a door, which will encourage you to remember to go home and watch the film or read the book. I will buy Alan Moreheads "African Trilogy" and I will watch Gillo Pontecorvo's "The battle for Algiers" and will be slightly better for it.
Thank you Clive
The only downside is the Audible book is not every chapter of the paperback - so I guess I will have to read them!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-31-17
Don't buy this audio book
Would you try another book from Clive James and/or Clive James?
The book , writer and story is amazing but this audio book doesn't have all the chapters. Its so frustrating and time taking to find one person's story
This id not categorized by name but buy chapters 1, 2 ,12 ans so on who knows what in chapter 1
What do you think your next listen will be?
nope I would rather buy a book
Any additional comments?
It confuses me and I have wasted hell lot of time finding just about Octavio Paz and couldn't find it. It just doesn't cover the book... It sucks
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5 people found this helpful