Snakes and Ladders (Penguin Audiobooks)

The account of his war years is familiar English, soldierly territory, told by someone who was actually there. While the war is a part of Bogarde’s life, it doesn’t necessarily define or shape his life in the way that war is supposed to, according to popular fiction. It’s interesting too that he does most of his
growing up after the war rather than during it.

It's Bogarde's post-war life that dominates this autobiography. His road to success as an actor is anything but smooth and even when he does eventually achieve critical acclaim, there are many
who think he doesn’t deserve it.

There are descriptions of Bogarde's many and varied houses in England and on the continent. In all of these places he plays host to an assortment of characters from stage and screen, some famous, others not so. Many of these visitors become loyal friends and make regular appearances throughout the story. The weekends, the parties, the walks in the country and the Christmases are delightfully evoked.

It's a shame that Bogarde says nothing about his love interests or sexual inclinations. It leaves a big hole in his story. The reader is left to speculate wildly on the writer's reasons for his silence.

Nevertheless, this is an absorbing autobiography written attentively and lovingly. It's a book that is a pleasure to read.


Memorable and haunting   March 7, 2002
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Some things stay in your mind years after you've read them. The story of Dirk Bogarde's doomed friendship with the ailing Judy Garland in Snakes and Ladders was one of them for me, and I was very moved by his bewilderment and anguish at her death. The book is full of similar portraits of friends like Kay Kendall - Bogarde's ability to convey the radiance of her personality in a few perceptive paragraphs is a rare thing in an actor's autobiography. His discomfort about being a movie star is well known but his insight into the fading British studio system of the 50s and early 60s has a wry sensitivity which has not been equalled.

The recent television biography of Bogarde seems to be perpetuating the image of him as an unhappy genius and left me feeling quite depressed, which "Snakes and Ladders" didn't. It's a full and often richly humorous read that I prefer to remember him by.

If you like a bit of show bizz now and then but get bored with most actors' memoirs then you'll find this book a surprisingly satisfying read.


A rushed account of Bogardes film carrer   October 17, 2001
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This well written book reveals just how much Dirk Bogarde disliked the majority of the films he appeared in. It's quite fascinating, and and time beautifully written. The main problem for me was that it skipped through the years so very quickly. This is not an autobiography of anecdotes from a long series of films, but an exploration of the man's history. With that in mind it is highly rewarding.