
One of my favourite anecdotes from the book is from Freud's National Service days in the Royal Army, when Freud laboured under the misapprehension that a Private Young was actually Private Jung. It's a slight anecdote, but Freud makes the most of it and the soldier's baffled response to Freud's quip about the likelihood of having a Freud and a Jung in the same platoon is priceless.
To Freud's credit (and to the reader's frustration), he barely mentions his grandfather. Sigmund Freud is remembered fondly as a grandfather who never forgot Clement's birthday, but there are no earth-shattering anecdotes. Clement Freud lived a remarkable enough life without having to trade on his family connections.
Naturally, Freud Ego is out of print (although an optimistic dealer is selling a copy on Amazon for the eccentric price of £143.54). However, I wouldn't be too surprised if there is a reprint.
3 comments:
I rather liked his proposed headstone: 'Best Before ...' Sums up his glorious melancholy sense of humour - will be missed.
I have been a bookseller for many years and Clement Freud was hands down the rudest, most arrogant author that I ever had to deal with.
I doubt if there will be a reprint, they never even published a paperback.
Oh dear. Well, that's changed everything for me.
I remember authors (Jeffrey Archer and Terry Pratchett spring to mind) who could turn on the charm for the public, but weren't particularly popular with the staff.
What a pity that Clem wasn't such a gem after all.
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