Plot Summary

Always Unreliable: Unreliable Memoirs, Falling Towards England, and May Week Was in June

Clive James
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Always Unreliable: Unreliable Memoirs, Falling Towards England, and May Week Was in June

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1979

Book Brief

Clive James

Always Unreliable: Unreliable Memoirs, Falling Towards England, and May Week Was in June

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1979
Book Details
Pages

560

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Sydney, Australia • 1940s-50s England • 1960s Cambridge, England • 1960s

Publication Year

1979

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Always Unreliable is a collection of Clive James's first three memoirs: Unreliable Memoirs, covering his 1940s childhood in Kogarah, Australia; Falling Towards England, detailing his first three years in England; and May Week Was in June, recounting his time as a graduate student at the University of Cambridge. Throughout, James emphasizes the unreliability and inaccuracy of his recollections while employing a humorously self-deprecating tone. The narrative includes references to trauma and experiences of war and loss.

Humorous

Nostalgic

Contemplative

Bittersweet

Emotional

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Always Unreliable is a collection of Clive James' autobiographical works. Readers praise James' wit and vivid storytelling in Unreliable Memoirs and Falling Towards England, appreciating his humor and insightful observations. However, some found May Week Was in June less engaging. Overall, James' prose is celebrated for its charm and humor despite occasional repetition.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Always Unreliable: Unreliable Memoirs, Falling Towards England, and May Week Was in June?

A reader who enjoys Always Unreliable: Unreliable Memoirs, Falling Towards England, and May Week Was in June by Clive James is likely someone who appreciates witty, reflective autobiographies filled with humor and keen cultural observations. Fans of David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day or Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods would relish James' sharp, self-deprecating style and engaging narratives.

Book Details
Pages

560

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Sydney, Australia • 1940s-50s England • 1960s Cambridge, England • 1960s

Publication Year

1979

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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