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The Lost Diaries is a wide-ranging anthology of the world's greatest diarists, each of them channelled onto paper through the considerable psychic force that is Craig Brown.Arranged on a day-to-day basis, spread throughout an entire year, these diary extracts form a patchwork quilt of observation, reflection, contemplation and, above all, self-promotion. As the months unfold, different diarists offer their insights on the events that pass: John Prescott on going to Royal Ascot, Nigella Lawson on preparing Christmas lunch, W.G. Sebald on enjoying an ice lolly by the beach, Karl Lagerfeld on the need for an umbrella in Spring.Among over 200 diarists featured are Martin Amis, Jordan, Germaine Greer, The Duchess of Devonshire, President Barack Obama, Philip Roth, HM the Queen, Heather Mills McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Sir Cecil Beaton, John Prescott, Mohamed Fayed, Harold Pinter, Yoko Ono, Barbara Cartland, Jilly Cooper, Christopher Ricks, Jeremy Clarkson, Jeanette Winterson, Sylvia Plath, Keith Richards, Maya Angelou and Frank McCourt.CRAIG BROWN has been writing the Private Eye celebrity diary since 1989. He has also written parodies for many other publications, including The Daily Telegraph, Vanity Fair, The Times and The Guardian. The Lost Diaries is the first time all his greatest parodies have been gathered together in one book. Arranged day-by-day, full of invigorating and sometimes shocking juxtapositions, they constitute a treasure-trove, choc-a-bloc with all the fantasies and illusions of our times.
Craig Brown presents a satirical anthology that channels the voices of over 200 public figures, reimagining their private thoughts through a year of daily entries. The protagonist of each entry is a caricature of a real-world celebrity or historical figure, whose primary objective is to maintain their public image while navigating the mundane and absurd events of their daily lives. These figures are opposed by the inherent contradictions of their own egos and the triviality of the situations they encounter. The narrative framework is a non-linear, day-by-day diary format that juxtaposes disparate personalities to highlight the vanity and artifice of modern fame.
This collection is widely regarded as a sharp display of mimicry that captures the specific vocal tics and psychological blind spots of its subjects. Readers often note the effectiveness of the daily structure in creating jarring and humorous contrasts between the featured personalities. The work functions as a critique of contemporary fame, stripping away the curated public personas of the individuals involved. By maintaining a consistent tone of absurdity, the book successfully sustains its satirical intent throughout the entire year of entries.
Page Count:
400
Publication Date:
2010-09-30
Publisher:
HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN-10:
0007360614
ISBN-13:
9780007360611
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