Madly, Deeply

The Diaries of Alan Rickman

By: Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson - foreword, Rima Horton - afterword

Narrated by: Alfred Enoch, Bonnie Wright, Rima Horton, Steven Crossley

Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

2022 Minneapolis Star Tribune Holiday Book Recommendations, Long-listed
2022 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Best Books of the Year, Long-listed
2022 Kansas City Star Top Books of the Year, Long-listed
2022 Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, Long-listed

"Narrator Steven Crossley elevates the book with his excellent reading, providing personality and a sharp, biting sarcasm appropriate to the material. A foreword by Emma Thompson is voiced by Bonnie Wright, and editor Taylor’s prologue is read by Alfred Enoch. Rickman’s wife, Rima Horton, provides a touching afterword." - Library Journal

“Emma Thompson's foreword, delivered by Bonnie Wright, and an afterword, narrated by Rima Horton, Rickman's wife of many years, combine with Crossley's engaging delivery to offer fans a listening treat.” – AudioFile Magazine

"The interesting glimpse into Rickman’s life, both on and off the stage, is expertly read by Steven Crossley..."- Toronto.com

This audiobook includes narration from Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Steven Crossley, and Rima Horton.

Madly, Deeply is a rare invitation into the mind of Alan Rickman—one of the most magnetic, beloved performers of our time.

From his breakout role in Die Hard to his outstanding, multifaceted performances in the Harry Potter films, Galaxy Quest, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and more, Alan Rickman cemented his legacy as a world-class actor. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice, and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate audiences today.

But Rickman’s ability to breathe life into projects wasn't confined to just his performances. As you'll find, Rickman's diaries detail the extraordinary and the ordinary, flitting between worldly and witty and gossipy, while remaining utterly candid throughout. He takes us inside his home, on trips with friends across the globe, and on the sets of films and plays ranging from Sense and Sensibility, to Noël Coward's Private Lives, to the final film he directed, A Little Chaos.

Running from 1993 to his death in 2016, the diaries provide singular insight into Rickman's public and private life. Reading them is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close companion. Meet Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveler, the fan, the director, the enthusiast; in short, the man beyond the icon.

Madly, Deeply features a photo insert, a foreword by Emma Thompson, and an afterword by Rima Horton.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Alan Rickman (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Excellent Listen

As mentioned in the introduction, it was indeed a true "pleasure spending time in his company."

An amazing man's thoughts

I loved this book! it was so wonderful to hear his thoughts and experiences. I loved hearing about his interactions with his friends and Rima Afterward made me cry.

Ehh

I was so excited to listen to this book! I love Alan so much-who doesn’t! I think this book put me to sleep so there is that! I had to come back to it multiple times trying to get through it. So many times I feel like the people on the screen and the people they really are are so far more fascinating- I didn’t find that!

Just lovely to get this inside view into such an interesting and incredibly talented and beautiful man.

I so appreciate this man, his talent, his humor and appreciate the opportunity to take speak into his life and thoughts. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

A window on a life lived richly and well.

For those who loved and admired the man.
His talent and work, we get to see from the inside, but it was hardly all of him. His world was a web of friends and fellow creatives, people of influence, and politicians, travel, and a constant consideration and consumption of all the arts.
Love of food, wine, good conversation and fun was the vehicle for connection that made his and Rima's life so vibrant. His highest compliment was to consider a person open and curious. I was pleased to reflect with the man.

What a fascinating person!

I hope Alan will forgive me but all I knew about his career was DieHard and of course Harry Potter. I was captivated by his career and hearing it through his diary entries, well, it’s a very special book. Highly recommend.

So Rewarded

After reading a negative review of this book, I was curious but undaunted — was looking forward to his style of reflections and insight and was pleased to find a treasure trove that is a mirror of the mighty and mundane we all experience, with the simple differences of his career and his community. Must overuse the phrase “laughed out loud;” because he not only brought that out, but also managed to put into short sentences the largest issues of the heart and mind and society. Will listen to this multiple times and catch new things routinely, I am certain.

If only Alan Rickman could have narrated

It took me awhile to appreciate Mr Rickman’s sparse, name-dropping diary entries but when I finished, I listened again from beginning to end and got much more out of his life story. A complex person who lived a full life - arrogant and vulnerable, demanding and generous, as hardworking as he was talented, and obviously loved by many friends. You can hear Rickman’s own deep, hypnotic voice with its unpredictable phrasing for a few minutes at the end of the audiobook. You might want to listen to it first.

“Always” I had no idea! Much love & respect!

I loved this! Highly recommend! These are his journals entries listed as years & date so expect that. I had no idea how much Alan suffered in silence for his craft! From his many injuries on sets, pneumonia, depression, surgeries on knee, wrist, and then his years of battling cancer first prostate then pancreatic & still making movies until the end was absolutely heartbreaking.! I knew what was coming, but still when his widow came on to describe his final months, the tears just started to flow! There’s even some entries from the 70’s &80’s. A bigger fan of his “after all this time? Always!” :(

Made me sad

I really wish he could have lived to turn this into a narrative and narrated it himself.