The Diary of a Has-been

Do Go Ironically Into That Good Night

At the very outset of this book I "got" and quickly tired of our blustering and oblivious diarist/narrator, with his poses, gripes, self-deception and almost complete lack of self-awareness. But you know what? Arnold Appleforth begins to grow on you in short order and the more you read the more you begin to root for this delusional basket of bombast, good intentions, self-justification, delusion, and vinegar.

Half the fun is in Arnold's endless capacity to misinterpret the world around him and his place in it. The other half is in Arnold's occasionally apt and penetrating comments about that same world. The entire book becomes an entertaining exercise in figuring out what's ironic, what's accidental and what's intentional.

You never feel sorry for this character, but you begin to see him in a larger context, and you begin to see him as the final gasp of a generation of a certain age and a certain political bent. This realization, when it comes, casts the book in a different and brighter light, and invites the reader to think about the cultural, political and social issues that the author has slyly slipped in under the cover of mocking Arnold Appleforth.

So, an ironically ironic look at irony, with maybe a touch of slapstick and a helping of cultural commentary, all wrapped around a bristly and lively character. A pretty interesting find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

The first thought which came to mind when I got hands on "The Diary of a Has-been" was 'how does this compare to "The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen"?' Both are diaries of elderly people and yes, there are some parallels between both books.
"The Diary of a Has-been" is funny in episodes, but does not have the funny level and emotional debt which "The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen" has in general.

There's a 20 year different and a geological difference and that provides a space for 2 different background stories between both characters. "The Diary of a Has-been" is about 60 year old man which has been a life-long left wing with a mind set still in the 70's. His behavior is self centered.
It wasn't my kind of book, certainly because I had "The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen" to compare to, which to me is one of the best books I've read this year. "The Diary of a Has-been" is OK but certainly not great. You'll have a chuckle ever now and then and yes it will entertain you, it is well written but obviously just for the UK market.

Arnold Appleforth gives "grumpy old man" a whole new meaning in his diary. Arnold means well, but often falls a bit short without even realizing it, in a world where he feels unappreciated and is desperately trying to stay relevant to not only his children, however many he has, but the world around him. He has uncompromising opinions, his denial of his age, drinking, and life are hilarious and his ability to justify the way he is and why the world around him is no longer the way he thinks it should be is perfectly framed in his diary. His complete cluelessness about his own attitude and behavior really made for a funny read.