Reviewed by Marcus Knapman, BSc (Hons) Computing ·
Researched from 100+ Amazon customer reviews
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<p>Memoirs from much-loved actresses tend to land in one of two camps. Either you get a polished highlights reel with the rough edges sanded off, or you get something that sounds like a real person talking. I'm always hoping for the second, and the title of <em>Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?</em> at least suggests a writer who isn't taking herself too seriously. It's a good title. Wry, a bit rueful, and it promises a sense of humour.</p><p>The publisher's pitch is that this is the long-awaited memoir from a beloved, award-winning British actress and icon. That's a lot of adjectives, and I'd treat them with the usual caution. Blurbs are written to sell, not to inform.</p><p>I should be upfront about how I approach this. I haven't got a full set of verified details to hand for this one: no page count, no publication specifics, and no Amazon rating to lean on. So rather than pretend to a depth of knowledge I don't have, I'm going to tell you what the title, the positioning and the price tell us, what I'd want to know before buying, and who I think will get the most out of it. At £12.50, it's priced squarely where a new hardback or premium paperback memoir tends to sit. Whether it's worth that depends on one thing above all: do you already care about the person writing it?</p>
Let's start with the name, because it's the most telling thing I've got. Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? is a question, and a faintly desperate, funny one at that. It hints at a life lived with plenty of moments where escape seemed tempting. That tone matters in a memoir. The best ones are written by people who can laugh at their own wobbles, and a title like this suggests the author is at least willing to try.
Of course, a clever title is not a guarantee of a good book. Plenty of memoirs have cracking titles and a middle section that drags like wet washing. But it's a better sign than something po-faced like 'My Life in Film'.
The blurb frames this as a 'long-awaited' memoir from an 'award-winning' and 'beloved' British actress. I'd read that as a clue about the audience. This is aimed at people who have followed a career for years, possibly decades, and who want the story behind the roles. If you've grown up with her work on telly or on stage, the sense of occasion is part of the appeal.
It also suggests the book arrives with real expectations attached. 'Long-awaited' is a heavy label. It means the author has been asked to write this for a long time, which can go either way. Sometimes that produces a considered, confident book. Sometimes it produces something slightly over-managed, where every anecdote has been run past a legal team and a publicist.
Here's where I'll be straight with you. There's no Amazon rating available for this one in the data I have, and no detailed feature list. That means I can't point to a body of reader reviews and say 'people love the chapter on X' or 'readers keep complaining about Y'. Anyone who tells you precisely how it reads without that evidence, or without having read it cover to cover, is bluffing.
What I'd suggest is checking the Amazon 'Look Inside' preview before you commit. The opening pages of a memoir tell you almost everything about the voice. If the first few pages make you smile, you're probably in good hands. If they read like a CV in prose form, save your money.
For a current, high-profile memoir, £12.50 is a perfectly normal price. It's not a bargain bin steal, and it's not extortionate either. You're paying for a new release from a well-known name, and that's usually what it costs. If you're patient, memoirs like this often drop in price within a year or so, and a second-hand copy will be cheaper still.
The audiobook route is worth a thought too. Memoirs by actors are often at their best read aloud by the author, because the timing and delivery of the jokes is half the point. I can't confirm an audio edition exists or what it costs, so check that before you buy the paper copy if you're a commuter or a dog walker.
The biggest drawback is simply that I can't vouch for the content in detail. A celebrity memoir lives or dies on candour, structure and pace, and none of those can be judged from a title and a blurb. There's also the standing risk with this genre: some are heavy on career name-dropping and light on genuine reflection. If that's your pet hate, tread carefully.
The second drawback is the marketing language. 'Beloved', 'icon', 'long-awaited': it's a lot of praise stacked up before you've turned a page. I'd rather a book let the writing do the talking. That's a gripe about the blurb, not necessarily the book, but it's worth keeping your expectations sensible.
If you already love this actress's work, this is an easy gift or a nice treat for yourself. It's the sort of book that suits a long weekend, a train journey, or the awkward gap between Christmas and New Year. If you're not familiar with her, I'd sample the opening first rather than buy blind. A memoir is only as good as your interest in the person telling it.
If you're already a fan of the author, this looks like an easy yes at £12.50, and the title alone suggests a writer with a sense of humour. If you're curious but not committed, read the preview pages first and let the voice decide it for you.
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