A Spoilt Boy: A Memoir of a Childhood

A Spoilt Boy: A Memoir of a Childhood

by Frederic Raphael (Author)

Synopsis

Frederic Raphael shared his days at Cambridge with us in his bestselling novel Glittering Prizes, now, in this evocative, painfully honest memoir he tells us about the first eighteen years of his life. His early years were spent in America and it was not until he was six that he and his parents sailed for England. Evacuated to Devon in the war, Freddie's prep school days were happy. His thirst for learning and easy intellect made him selective in his choice of friends, his embarrassment at his Jewish origins made him secretive. A scholarship to Charterhouse followed. It was here that he experienced the anti-semitism that coloured the rest of his life. A major scholarship to read Classics at St John's Cambridge where he meets the girl who will become his wife is the beginning of a happier period. This is a painfully honest and revealing memoir of a sensitive, intelligent boy. The first eighteen years of a remarkable man.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 312
Edition: illustrated edition
Publisher: Orion
Published: 20 Mar 2003

ISBN 10: 0752855840
ISBN 13: 9780752855844
Book Overview: A prequel to Glittering Prizes. Glittering Prizes was a bestselling, highly acclaimed novel about Cambridge; A Spoilt Boy is a childhood memoir about prep and public school. Once again Frederic Raphael has used personal experiences to create a memorable, moving work. A raw and beautifully written memoir produced at a particularly painful time in his life following the death of his only daughter. Guaranteed wide coverage and wonderful reviews

Media Reviews
A Spoilt Boy has a press date of 27 March and is under embargo until Monday 17 March. Despite the embargo, we already have some great coverage lined up for Frederic. SERIAL: THE SUNDAY TIMES 3 part serial starting 9 March.THE DAILY MAIL second serial ran on 22 March. PRESS INTERVIEW: An interview with Frederic will appear in THE INDEPENDENT on the Books page on 22 March.THE JEWISH CHRONICLE are also interviewing Frederic and this will run on 4 April. MAGAZINES: THE LADY magazine will run an interview with Frederic in their issue outon 14 April. RADIO Frederic was interviewed on BBC RADIO 4's FRONT ROW on 20th March REVIEWS 'It makes a pleasant change to read a memoir of childhood happiness, rather than abuse...by the times he went to Cambridge, Raphael has more experience than most of his contemporaries - which makes for suprisingly racy reading.' OBSERVER 30/3/03 'This is a densely written book, the kind onecould write a book about - it would be about Raphael, the complex nature of autobiography, and the way Raphael handled autobiography's complex nature. For my money he's handled it both fiercely and elegantly.' THE GUARDIAN 5/4/03 '...his psycho-sociological analysis of British society. It is not only that his insights are brilliant: the expression of them is even more so.' TLS 4/4/03 'The beautifully detailed, evocative pages about life in the Devonshire countryside, when he was at Copthorne, at a delight.' JEWISH CHRONICLE 'Richly rewarding' YORKSHIRE EVENING POST 22/3/03 The following reviews have also been confirmed:THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 23/3/03THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 22/3/03THE TIMESTHE GUARDIAN 29/3/03MAIL ON SUNDAY 13/403SUNDAY EXPRESS 13/4/03EVENING STANDARDTHE SCOTSMAN 22/3/03THE LITERARY REVIEWTHE SPECTATOR 5/4/03PRIVATE EYEand we
Author Bio
Frederic Raphael was born in Chicago in 1931. He was educated at Charterhouse and St. John's College in Cambridge where he was a major scholar in Classics. He has written nineteen novels. His other works include translations, essays and radio plays. He is a regular contributor to The Sunday Times literary and travel pages. He is married with three children. He divides his time between France and England.