Famous diaries

[skyep]

I have ' Pepys' & 'John Evelyn's' diaries. Which other diaries are available?

[sherlockian]

The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith is a wonderful fictional diary of an ordinary Victorian middle-class family, full of great comedy and hilarious scenes of everyday life. A real antidote to all these "celebrities" who think themselves so important - let's all cheer for the nobodies in life!

[Buenchico]

This is one of the most famous diaries in English literature:
http://www.foyles.co.uk/foyles/display.asp?K=9 780748621460&sf_01=KEYWORD&st_01=Boswell%27s+L ondon+Journal&x=10&y=8&m=1&dc=8

(If you're interested in it, you don't have to pay full price. There are plenty of secondhand copies going for a few pounds on Abebooks.co.uk and Amazon.co.uk).

Chris

[skyep]

sherlockian/Buenchico, thanks for those two titles, I will look for them on ebay!

[spudqueen]

The Diary of Anne Frank

[luckyeight]

sherlockian you beat me to my suggestion! There are lots of literary diaries, and it probably depends what you are interested in as to whose diaries you would be interested in reading. i think of Kenneth William's diaries, and Joe Orton's, which are well worth reading. Also Edith Sitwell. There is of course, Bridget Jones's Diary, but I really couldn't recommend it!

[skyep]

spudqueen/luckyeight. thanks for your suggestions. Sorry. I was a little vague on the question. I have ordered 'Boswell's London journal' Thanks everyone.

[Octavius]

Here is a list of diarists, some of which have already been mentioned:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diarists

[skyep]

Octavius - Thankyou for the very comprehensive list! Lots of potential reading ahead! :0)

[Peter Pedant]

Pepys and Evelyn were from the C17. Their diaries were relgiiously motivated. They believed that a Judgement day they would have to give an account of themselves and
yup their diaries were necessary to effect this.

Therefore we get muchof what they were feeling and not so much of what they were doing.

and since we dont feel much different from them, their diaries speak to us across the centuries, Evelyn 4 and Pepys 3 and 1/2

Other good ones are : Parson Woodruffe (1784) and also The natural history of Selborne

There is also one in the C18 where the parson - perhaps one fo the above - who wrote down what he ate at every meal - quite a lot of meat actually

Try Evelyns diaries early 1620s
and Jon aubry's brief lives

Simon Formans diaries are also available -he saw two of Shakespears plays as they were originally produced.

[robbo82]

More recently Alan Clark's diaries give a very candid and interesting account of life behind-the-scenes of the Thatcher government, and were recently adapted into a BBC drama.

[Quizmonkey]

The ones by Kenneth Williams and Sir Peter Hall are probably the best in the showbiz/theatrical genre.

[skyep]

Peter - that selection sounds very interesting! Iove reading personal accounts from the past!
robbo - I have ' Tony Benn's' diary, i think Alan Clarke's diary would also be very good!
Quizmonkey - Yes, I know of Kenneth Williams diary, it's one I will probably get in the near future, I watched the television drama of his life ( Fantabulosa ) played brilliantly by Michael Sheen. Sir Peter Hall I haven't heard of, will look him up!