Ever, Dirk - The Bogarde Letters - Edited by John Coldstream

I started this book many months ago. At over 600 pages of letters written by Dirk Bogarde from 1969 to 1997, this is a book to dip into now and again. I had already read most of his autobiographies from "A Postillion Struck By Lightning" to "Cleared for Take-Off". I tried one of his novels ("Jericho") and gave up after only a few pages. One of the first films I can remember I saw at the cinema was "Campbell's Kingdom" where Dirk played the lead, having already starred in a number of the "Doctor" comedies which I may have seen but cannot recall.

So, having read his autobiographies, I was familiar with a lot of the stuff he includes in his letters to friends, family and colleagues at his publisher. The time he lived in France at Le Pigeonnier in Provence is vividly portrayed in his correspondence. I found the comparison of his writing about his time with the Rank Organisation before he left England, and the movies he made afterwards ("Victim", "Accident", "Death in Venice" etc) was quite enlightening.

It is in France that he begins to write those memoirs. About "Postillion" he writes "I'll really crumble when the critics bosh me this time". But of course it was a big success. He describes a trip back to the UK for a book signing at Hatchards as "probably the most important day of my life ...… to be still remembered ...... kindness shown ...... being thanked". As an actor he had no interaction with his public. But at his book readings and signings he came into personal contact with his fans and, mostly, revelled in the feedback he received from them all over the country.

There is one particular brilliant piece from 1981 about his return to making a movie for Hollywood. "The Patricia Neal Story" stars his great friend Glenda Jackson in the title role and Dirk plays her husband Roald Dahl.

We hear in May 1986 that the French Odyssey may be coming to an end due to the medical problems being suffered by his partner Anthony Forwood. By August Le Pigeonnier is sold and they are soon back in London. We are now in the territory of his memoir "A Short Walk from Harrods" which is one of my favourite books of all time. In letter form, the emotions of coming to terms with Forwood's eventual death are spelt out in raw script. Not only that, but at first Dirk feels like a stranger in a London with which he is not impressed.

Gradually he comes to terms with his lot, carries on writing and begins to submit to his fame and actually starts to enjoy it. Dirk comes across as not an easy man to get to know. Those with whom he makes friends are treated spectacularly well. Others not at all. Simon Callow in his review of this book describes him as an "egregious conundrum". I find him exceedingly opinionated, sometimes downright nasty, but underneath accepting that he has flaws like any other man or woman. He was never arrogant about his work, whether that be movies or books. He cared about his friends and (some) relations. His work in the cinema and literature made him a hugely important figure of his time.