Reader Score
65%
65% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Mixed
Based on 9 reviews on
An international bestseller
One of Barnes & Noble's Best Biographies & Memoirs of 2022
Selected by the Guardian as one of the best books of 2022
Amazon's choice for one of the best book gifts of 2023
Madly, Deeply is a rare invitation into the mind of Alan Rickman--one of the most magnetic, beloved performers of our time.
From his breakout role in Die Hard to his outstanding, multifaceted performances in the Harry Potter films, Galaxy Quest, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and more, Alan Rickman cemented his legacy as a world-class actor. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice, and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate audiences today.
But Rickman's ability to breathe life into projects wasn't confined to just his performances. As you'll find, Rickman's diaries detail the extraordinary and the ordinary, flitting between worldly and witty and gossipy, while remaining utterly candid throughout. He takes us inside his home, on trips with friends across the globe, and on the sets of films and plays ranging from Sense and Sensibility, to Noël Coward's Private Lives, to the final film he directed, A Little Chaos.
Running from 1993 to his death in 2016, the diaries provide singular insight into Rickman's public and private life. Reading them is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close companion. Meet Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveler, the fan, the director, the enthusiast; in short, the man beyond the icon.
Madly, Deeply features a photo insert, a foreword by Emma Thompson, and an afterword by Rima Horton.
Neil Drysdale is a sports and culture journalist.
I just received Alan Rickman’s diaries today and I’m already struck by how he needed so few words to sum up people and behaviour which he liked/disliked. Tony Blair doesn’t come out of it well. Alan was a kind person, but one with a strong conscience! Published by Canongate.
Fiona Sturges is a journalist.
In today's @GuardianBooks, I reviewed Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries, written at the height of his fame and which reveal a funny, anxious, loyal and fitfully irritable man who almost single-handedly keeps The Ivy in business. https://t.co/qRPJv67eou
Kathy Lette is an author.
Thank God I wore waterproof mascara to the book launch of our dear departed pal Alan Rickman. Emma Thompson, Ruby Wax, Ian McKellen, Timothy Spall, Harriet Walters, Lindsay Duncan & Daniel Radcliffe sang his praises to operatic levels. We all loved that man, truly, madly, deeply.
"His design background didn't go to waste either. The book's endpapers reproduce his sweet illustrations and affable handwriting. . . . From his obituaries I got the feeling he was wonderful company. These diaries confirm it."
--The Guardian
"It's a joy to spend time in Rickman's company."
--Kirkus Reviews