By Kate Bassett, Oberon Books
350 Words
.jpg)
If there was ever a man
to make even the best of us look at our professional output with a
distinct sense of dissatisfaction, it has to be Jonathan Miller.
Despite loathing the term, Miller is Britain's best-known polymath
and has shone across the board as a doctor, humorist, TV presenter,
theatre and opera director, author, and sculptor.
No stranger to
dissatisfaction himself, In Two Minds presents a portrait of a
man who has been torn by the conflicting pull of his many-faceted
ability almost as much as he has used it to dazzle spectators. His
foible, it appears, was to abandon his deep-seated desire to make a
solid contribution to neuropsychological research for the “footling
flibbertigibbet world of theatre”, which whisked him away through
the success of Beyond The Fringe, in a “cocaine-like snort
of celebrity and approval”.
The book is a
remarkably candid portrayal of Miller's accomplishments
and failings.
Starting from
unrecognisable beginnings as a nervous, pallid and otherwise
unremarkable child, colourful anecdotes narrate Miller's remarkable
transformation into a precocious schoolboy and high-flying Cambridge
medic.
The book charts his
ascent to the dizzying heights of theatre – The Old Vic, Kent Opera
and the ENO. Here, pioneering what has been dubbed the 'time-shift
opera', Miller dragged opera away from traditionalists (or
“disgusting opera queens”) to revive works in new cultural
settings; always with a refreshing naturalism and acute insight into
human behavior.
It also charts the
hangover: Miller's extreme sensitivity to bad reviews, his
restlessness, his frequent threats to forever leave the world of
theatre, and, of course, the doctor he left behind that has forever
plagued his conscience.
In Two Minds is
a very pleasant ride. It trots along lightly with a diligent
attention to detail, although Bassett's own conjectures and
ruminations are sometimes unconvincing. This aside, the book is
successful in reaching to the heart of why we cherish Miller as a man
who has spoken his mind, set his own traps; who wonderfully combines
highbrow and lowbrow tastes with the panache of a true maverick.
Overall, In Two Minds
is a rich and earthy portrait of a very human
man.
No comments:
Post a Comment