The Richard Burton Diaries

Burton can salvage a film like my favorite, WHERE EAGLES DARE, an adventure fantasy, wherehis commanding screen presence and voice demands our belief, making for fun at the movies.Few will likely read this book, with perhaps just one or two reading this review, but so it goes.Curiosity, not idolatry, brings Burton to life as he alone lived a life knowing the mindlessness of celebrity,that accidents and sheer dumb luck, combined with his marriage to the only other movie icon of histime, resulted in mind boggling wealth, access or demand for connection by all rich or famous, and whichcontributed to If not coined concepts of the “jet setter” and the few who might be crowned “the beautiful people..” Behind that facade, which Burton recognized as phony to the point of nonstop mortification,we are treated to pages of wit, insight and a battle never winnable to rise above it all as the son of aWelsh coal miner..His love and obsession over Elizabeth channeled his energy into a welcome distractionaway from the nonsense of it all..He retreated to books as his second line of defense, thus maintaining his blindness from the maelstrom of adulation surrounding the two for over a decade, then for more.Of course, Burton was a man like all filled with contradictions, embracing the lavish life of movie star,scorning movie making as boring and tedious, with financial success of a picture beyond creative skill;indulgence in food and drink beyond imagination, while disgusted by drunks and drunkenness, who wereplentiful within family and closest friends; impatience with snobbery while embracing mostly those most wealthy; demanding that he maintain his health, surely essential to the appearance of a screen idol,while periodically going on the wagon and dieting to avoid the bloating he and Elizabeth fought daily.Gossip is part of it all but not in abundance and surely not near any level to induce purchasing the book.So, readership is limited to the curious, and only those willing to slog through 600 pages plus to assesshow Burton both handled and mishandled it all..Since Burton died before 60, he failed to master it all.

I am still reading this tome, at over 700 pages it is not light reading, nor a book you can knock off in a day or two. The early years of Richard Burton's diaries are pretty mundane, even boring--just reporting days of note, or ordinary things in his life...but the later years, his years that included Elizabeth Taylor as his lover, & later wife, make the book worthwhile for fans. Richard's voice comes thru in his diary pages, his humor as well as snippets of Shakespeare & other movie dialogue make for fun reading. I have been a long-time fan of his voice, as well as his acting chops, & found this book a real treat. I am so glad he stuck with the diary, it's a real fly-on-the-wall peek into his life.

Richard Burton's private diaries, apparently presented in their entirety, are more interesting than one might expect. He could certainly turn a sentence, and he's a smart, amusing observer of himself and others. Because he was so rich and so famous, he met and tells stories about not just others in the entertainment industry, but political leaders and royalty. He's painfully aware of his alcoholism. Some of the early entries (he was about 13) of school, chapel, sport practice and air raid drills get repetitive but you can see what a 13 year old boy in Wales thought about during World War II. There are holes of years when he kept no diaries so you won't hear his versions of his divorces. But overall lots of good and well-told stories. Unfortunately the footnotes (which comprise about a third of the book) are remarkably unilluminating. For example in the text Burton will mention a book he's reading and the author's name and the footnote will say the title of the book, the name of the author and the publication date. Or the footnote for an entry mentioning Peter O'Toole will say something like "Peter O'Toole, British actor b. 1932" Wouldn't you expect someone reading Richard Burton's diary to know who Peter O'Toole is? If the footnotes had been more informative, I'd have given four stars.

Can't believe how much I loved these diaries, and how they made me love (and sympathize with) Burton-- even as he lays his foibles out for all to see. What moved me most was what a domestic creature he was-- seems to love nothing more than puttering around the house with Taylor and their mixed brood, making soup, reading books. He's such a mix of kindness, petulance, confidence, self-deprecation, delusion, insight. His love for Taylor is deeply moving, whether he's trading in loverboy cliché (recall something about her being his eternal one night stand) or sharing the most naked of marital scenes (there is an astonishingly tender moment where he describes ministering to Elizabeth during a bout of GI bleeding). Plenty of fun and often mean spirited commentary about actors, directors, socialites, royalty etc etc-- such cutting cutting remarks-- and then he has a moment of deep, deep kindness to someone who has just annoyed him no end. He's an extraordinary reader and the entries are full of ad hoc quotes. An amusing bonus is that Taylor had access to the diaries and often left her own remarks, which the editor has included. Grateful to his family for sharing such personal work-- sure they must wonder what he would have produced if he ever had made time to put his big heart, love of language, extraordinary intellect and insight into fiction. One bit of advice: the paperback version feels crammed and more difficult to read-- try to get your hands on the hardback copy.

cannot top was has been already said. a total joy of a book. hearing his thoughts, moans and brooding welsh intelligence is so brilliant. honest and fabulous. when he says 'e and the kids' ruefully, sometimes, you forget he's talking about Elizabeth taylor and their tribe. a truly great book. if you doubt the welsh don't have humour, think again x

bought this book for a present for my mother in law, she was thrilled with it. she thought she knew all she had to know about Richard burton, but she learnt a lot more., the diaries start from when he was a young lad right through to his adult life. through his turbulent lfe with Elizabeth taylor, my mother adored this book. the book arrived very well packaged so on my mother in laws behalf would definitely recommend this book

It's a revelation when you read the 'private' diary of an astonishing talent such as the late Richard Burton. I've always loved watching Burton perform. His performance in the 1964 film 'Becket' in which he played the title role was masterly.

You get hooked on the young Richard Burton but unfortunately the gaps in the formative years in the dairies are missingHis strength was also his weaknesses Elisabeth TaylorTo understand a man who could read books from cover to cover in hours and then work on projectsI felt he was an unrated geniusHis own daily battles with the drink and his own in ability to control his menacing temper where his Achilles heelGreat readDied too young

Excellent. Will take me ages to get through on my kindle as it's huge. Hours of reading. His life was complicated - you dislike him - you love him. He was a sad person in so many way - he had so much and yet, he had so little. His diaries are very enlightening.