The Moon's a Balloon
by David Niven
Those of you who only watch David Niven every Christmas in The Bishop’s Wife and never give him another thought the rest of the year are missing out on one of the most interesting, entertaining, and talented classic actors. His two memoirs sold millions of copies, endearing him to the movie-going public in the last years of his life. The Moon’s a Balloon is hands-down the best memoir I’ve ever read, and as it belongs to one of my favorite genres, that’s quite a compliment.
Most actor memoirs read as if the author spoke into a tape recorder for a few hours recounting cute anecdotes they tell at parties. They’re still fun to read, since they contain tidbits of the star and his famous friends, but they don’t display any literary talents. David Niven is an unbelievably talented writer. Once you read even one of his four books, you’ll be surprised he didn’t pursue a career as an author rather than an actor, and you’ll certainly wish he wrote dozens of more books!
From the very first sentences—“Nessie, when I first saw her, was seventeen, honey-blond, pretty rather than beautiful, a figure like a two-armed Venus de Milo who had been on a sensible diet, had a pair of legs that went on forever, and a glorious sense of the ridiculous. She was a Piccadilly whore. I was a fourteen-year-old heterosexual schoolboy and I met her thanks to my stepfather. (If you would like to skip on and meet Nessie more fully, she reappears on page 37.)”—he captivates the reader and creates anticipation, care, and excitement for his story. His attention to detail and beautiful flow of the written word brings his stories to life even more vivid than a movie. Unless said movie contained feature-length narration—which wouldn’t make for a very good movie—the delight and charm of The Niv’s commentary wouldn’t be included. The tone of his words is so charming, funny, and earnest that it’s impossible not to fall in love with him while reading the story of his life.
The Niv had a very eventful life, but with as much detail as he describes his journey, there isn’t room to record the more modern years. He was a soldier, a lover, a husband, a father, a friend, an actor, a bootlegger, and finally an author. He saw great sorrow in his life, and there will be passages of his book that will stay with you forever. Through it all, the luck and the tragedy, great loves and sensational flings, ups and downs of the entertainment business, and the life-threatening danger in the war, he maintained balance. He’s never conceited in his writing and never brags; he’s simply telling a story as though he’s telling you about a book he read.
I laughed out loud countless times throughout the book, but there were very few passages in which The Niv actually tried to be funny. Instead, he was charming, clever, and quick. It’s clear from his writing—because his passages were carefully planned, not spoken into a tape recorder—that he was a highly intelligent man with a greatly sensitive soul. He didn’t write at length about them, but his feelings ran very deep. This is a man you’ll wish you had the good fortune with whom to become friends, have a romance, or even meet for an afternoon or passing hour.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's reviews of David Niven's films here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's reviews of David Niven's memoir Bring on the Empty Horses and his novel Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly!
Most actor memoirs read as if the author spoke into a tape recorder for a few hours recounting cute anecdotes they tell at parties. They’re still fun to read, since they contain tidbits of the star and his famous friends, but they don’t display any literary talents. David Niven is an unbelievably talented writer. Once you read even one of his four books, you’ll be surprised he didn’t pursue a career as an author rather than an actor, and you’ll certainly wish he wrote dozens of more books!
From the very first sentences—“Nessie, when I first saw her, was seventeen, honey-blond, pretty rather than beautiful, a figure like a two-armed Venus de Milo who had been on a sensible diet, had a pair of legs that went on forever, and a glorious sense of the ridiculous. She was a Piccadilly whore. I was a fourteen-year-old heterosexual schoolboy and I met her thanks to my stepfather. (If you would like to skip on and meet Nessie more fully, she reappears on page 37.)”—he captivates the reader and creates anticipation, care, and excitement for his story. His attention to detail and beautiful flow of the written word brings his stories to life even more vivid than a movie. Unless said movie contained feature-length narration—which wouldn’t make for a very good movie—the delight and charm of The Niv’s commentary wouldn’t be included. The tone of his words is so charming, funny, and earnest that it’s impossible not to fall in love with him while reading the story of his life.
The Niv had a very eventful life, but with as much detail as he describes his journey, there isn’t room to record the more modern years. He was a soldier, a lover, a husband, a father, a friend, an actor, a bootlegger, and finally an author. He saw great sorrow in his life, and there will be passages of his book that will stay with you forever. Through it all, the luck and the tragedy, great loves and sensational flings, ups and downs of the entertainment business, and the life-threatening danger in the war, he maintained balance. He’s never conceited in his writing and never brags; he’s simply telling a story as though he’s telling you about a book he read.
I laughed out loud countless times throughout the book, but there were very few passages in which The Niv actually tried to be funny. Instead, he was charming, clever, and quick. It’s clear from his writing—because his passages were carefully planned, not spoken into a tape recorder—that he was a highly intelligent man with a greatly sensitive soul. He didn’t write at length about them, but his feelings ran very deep. This is a man you’ll wish you had the good fortune with whom to become friends, have a romance, or even meet for an afternoon or passing hour.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's reviews of David Niven's films here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's reviews of David Niven's memoir Bring on the Empty Horses and his novel Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly!