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“Quietly enthralling…Ackroyd’s coolly perceptive literary style and
equally devastatingly effective observations suggest that he doesn’t care a fig
about pleasing geeks or fans or anyone else.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“Chaplin’s rise makes an
enthralling story, and it’s one perfectly suited to Peter Ackroyd’s prodigious
and idiosyncratic talents…Ackroyd acknowledges Chaplin’s many human failings,
while at the same time giving us a vivid sense of what made the man a genius.”
— Telegraph (London)
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“[A] fine biography…The luxury of
a short book about a vast life cannot be overestimated.”
— Financial Times (UK)
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“Compact, engrossing, intelligent.”
— Sunday Times (London)
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“Ackroyd brings a novelist’s as
well as a biographer’s eye to the story of a man who ‘seemed to epitomize the
human condition itself, flawed and frail and funny.’”
— Independent (London)
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“Ackroyd rewards his readers with a tale fit for a Chaplin film,
featuring humor, tragedy and a poignant fade-out.”
— Associated Press
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“Ackroyd’s writing is masterful—elegant, pitch-perfect, a pleasure to
read—and his timing is as impeccable as Bob Hope’s …Chaplin [is a] small gem.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer
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"[Ackroyd] deftly navigates the myriad facets of his subject.”
— Columbus Dispatch
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“In his typically elegant and measured prose, prize-winning biographer Ackroyd brilliantly brings Chaplin to life…Ackroyd’s book introduces the Little Tramp in such a charming
and candid fashion that it will drive movie buffs to watch Chaplin on
screen once again.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Detailed yet breezy, full of sharp
insights into Chaplin’s public and private personas…Expect plenty of
interest in this fine biography.”
— Booklist (starred review)
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“Award-winning author Ackroyd exposes the hidden truths in Chaplin’s life
that help us to understand the artist both personally and
professionally. An exceptional read for those who love Chaplin, film,
history, and gossip.”
— Library Journal
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“Narrator Ralph Lister is well
matched to this biography of film star Charlie Chaplin. His English accent
reflects Chaplin’s place of birth and gives dialogue added realism while
setting it off with oral quotation marks. Though his facility with American
accents is less polished, his overall narration matches the author’s writing
style effectively: He delivers the numerous simple declarative sentences with emphasis
and pauses after each…This is an interesting book, well read.”
— AudioFile