This Much Is True (Audio Book) by Miriam Margolyes

 

This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes.

Narrated by Miriam Margolyes.

Released 16th September 2021 by John Murray.

From the cover:

From Blackadder to Call the Midwife, from the Cadbury's Caramel Rabbit to Harry Potter, Miriam Margolyes is the outspoken great aunt (after two sherries) we all wish we had - this is (at last) her extraordinary life story, and it's well worth the wait.

Award-winning actor, creator of a myriad of memorable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure.

Now, at last, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story. And it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played.

Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John aged 17, being sent to Coventry by Monty Python and the Goodies and swearing on University Challenge (she was the first woman to say f--k on TV). This book is packed with unforgettable stories from why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had to being told off by the queen. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, Leonardo di Caprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much Is True is as warm and honest, as full of life and surprises, as she is.

***********

There's no doubt that Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure, known for her many and varied roles on TV, stage and screen throughout the decades, but how much do you know about the woman behind the larger than life persona?

Well, if your knowledge of Miriam goes even a little beyond the roles she has played then you actually already know a fair bit about her, because she is very much front and centre about her sexuality, her take on her Jewishness, and her political views - and if you have seen any of her hilarious appearances on Graham Norton's chat show you will also know that she is not shy about sprinkling her vocabulary with swear words and filthy tales too!

Here at last, Miriam tells her life story, starting with her conception during an air raid, which was somewhat of a surprise to her mother, right up to the present day - and as a woman in her 80s who has lived a full and unapologetic life, there is a lot to tell.

Miriam goes into great depth about her childhood; her school and university years; and her relationship with her parents; before embarking on a full and frank account of her adult experiences, both in her personal and professional lives. She is open and honest about every aspect of her life, including her lesbianism: the great influence of her mother in shaping the person she has become; what being a Jew means to her; and her political views, which adds real emotional grit to this autobiography, so if you are expecting a just a steam of profanity and racy stories then you may be very surprised about the breadth of Miriam's musings - although you should be aware, if you are of a sensitive nature, that there is a lot of this content here.

My favourite thing about this book is the way Miriam goes into the highs and lows of her acting career, and the wealth of hilarious anecdotes she regales you with throughout. I found myself frequently laughing out loud at her outrageous stories, and her sense of fun is highly infectious.

If you are a fan of Miriam then you are bound to find this a very enjoyable listen. I did think the amount of time she spends on her childhood perhaps a little over detailed, but once she moves on to her adult life this really is a very compelling book. Miriam is not afraid to be controversial, and this forthright and candid account of her life is really refreshing, with a lot of unexpected thought provoking content behind the laughs too.

This Much is True is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

About the author:

Born in Oxford, England in 1941 & educated at Newnham College, Cambridge, MIRIAM MARGOLYES is an award-winning veteran of the stage and screen, and an internationally acclaimed voice-artist. Winner of the BAFTA Best Supporting Actress award for The Age of Innocence, she received an OBE in 2002 for Services to Drama. This Much is True is her long-awaited autobiography.