A Pocketful of Happiness

By: Richard E. Grant

Narrated by: Richard E. Grant

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

An intimate and uplifting memoir by Richard E. Grant.

Born in Swaziland in 1957, Richard E. Grant moved to the UK to pursue his acting career and has been a fixture on our screens since his breakout role in Withnail and I in 1987. When his beloved wife, Joan, died in 2021 after almost 40 years together, she set him a challenge: to find a pocketful of happiness in every day.

The result is this book.

Set between the present day and flashbacks to delightfully indiscreet diary entries recalling landmarks from his remarkable life and glittering career, this is an immensely personal and profound memoir that celebrates and cherishes life’s unexpected joys.

Funny, moving and perceptive, A Pocketful of Happiness is an insight into the life of a much loved British actor.

©2022 Richard E. Grant. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, UK. All Rights Reserved.

Brilliant

So much truth and vulnerability of a precious and tragic time. Love how the stories of past and present were woven together so cleverly. The authors narration just tops it off. Like having a conversation with an old friend. Beautiful and full of love. Highly recommend.

Hilarious and Heartbreaking

I can’t begin to describe the experience of listening to this book read by the author, the magnificent Richard Grant.
The range of emotions and the stories shared by Mr Grant made me feel as if I was an intimate friend of the family. This is the audiobook of the year. Do not miss this.

Liked, didn’t love

Unlike all the other reviewers, I liked this book but didn’t love it. Mostly I didn’t like the narration by the author. Way too much breathing, it was very clear and drove me insane. It was a good story, but very sad.

Heart warming and heart breaking

Grant tells the story of his life with dialect coach Joan Washington while at the same time describing her last years battling cancer.
Grant is funny, and his love for his late wife radiates through his words. In the same way his grief and loss hits you like a punch to the gut.

Through the book he speaks of other famous people, but not a bad word is said about anyone you can identify. Actors Melissa McCarthy and Gabriel Byrne comes out of his story in a very positive way.

While Grant does not impersonate others he effortlessly swaps between different accents and dialects (maybe he learned from his wife:)).

Essential Read

Gorgeous read of fathomless love. Wonderfully read by the author, deeply felt. Top ten for me.

I had high expectations & this book exceeded them

Richard E Grant is one of my favorite actors. I had just seen his glorious portrayal of Sir Walter Elliot in the new Persuasion when I came across his book. This memoir flips back and forth in time from the "present", with his adored wife Joan's diagnosis, illness and ultimate death from lung cancer, and various earlier mostly happy times in their careers and 35 yr marriage. (Joan Washington was a highly regarded dialect coach to the stars.) Mr. Grant's grief both before and after Joan's death often overwhelmed him, but it didn't overwhelm the book. He is a shockingly good writer throughout the book -- not just high points here and there -- and he tells their story beautifully. I can't recommend this audiobook highly enough.

Ode to a love

Loved the honesty and true feelings with the knowledge that you are losing a loved one ❤️great book

I stand in your shoes

I was born and brought up in Richmond, left the UK in 1989 for a holiday in Los Angeles and decided to stay. A year later I met the love of my life and we were married for 32 years. Jeff passed away November 12th 2021 and our wedding anniversary is November 17th. I had to hear your voice rather than read your heartfelt book. What a beautiful love story you and Joan had. I couldn’t stop listening and stayed up late over two nights to hear your story. Bravo Richard. Thank you so much for sharing such a real life fairy tale. Incidentally, my husband introduced James to Barbra and I photographed their wedding, and Barbra is my daughters godmother and I strangely feel a parallel in our lives.

Richard E Grant’s devastatingly poignant portrait

of his wife’s final nine months will break your heart, move you to tears, and still leave you feeling warm at the marvel of his 35 year marriage to his beloved wife.

A Beautiful Love Story

This book is so complex and lovely. It tells the incredible love story between Richard E. Grant and his wife Joan Washington, it talks of his career, of Washington's terminal illness and how Grant copes with caring for her and eventually living without her. His optimism is amazing. Even though their love was so deep, it also shows how difficult it can be caring for your significant other, when they take their pain out on you and you have to think about going on without them. I think this is a really beautiful tribute to Joan, and her incredible career. The deep caring they had for one another and the respect; it's a wonderful listen. It was just beautiful.