Madly, Deeply: the Diaries of Alan Rickman

By: Alan Rickman

Foreward by: Emma Thompson

Libby audiobook 29:28 hours

Read by: Steven Crossley (foreward read by Bonnie Wright, editor's prologue by Alfred Enouch, afterword written and read by Rima Horton, Rickman's wife) 

Published: 2022

Genre: autobiography, memoir

From 1993 to 2016 (when he died), these diary entries are at times like a stream-of-consciousness to-do list and at other times, deeply moving. I wonder what he would think if he knew his private diaries would be published after his passing!

There were SO.many.names. Some of them I recognized; others were unfamiliar. He interacted with a lot of people and seemed to be most impressed with famous musicians. I wonder what it would be like to be written about in someone's diary and have it be published . . . I certainly hope Daniel Radcliffe has read this book!

What is "WAWA?" There were some names and details that flew right over my head. The narrator interjected at points to explain or clarify, but one of the hazards of listening to an audiobook vs. reading the print version is "missing" some of the text. I also want to get the print version to see photos! It must have photos.

Natasha who died in 2009 . . . who was she? Why was she important to Rickman? Ruby . . . just a friend? Seemed like a daughter or niece. 

It made me smile that after Harry Potter #2, he said, "No more Harry Potter!" and then went on to do all the rest that Snape was in.

Iraq War, Bush as "irrelevant," Rumsfeld and Cheney as the real power . . . his political observations for both the UK and the USA were interesting.

I want to watch so many things! Mesmer, Winter Guest, Die Hard 2 and 3 (how does he appear in movies after his character died in the first one?), . . . 

1994 Great Britain, John Smith, what was this about? I just went to Wikipedia to read up. Very interesting . . . and a tragic, untimely death.

He had so many issues with the places he lived - electrical, plumbing, etc. And he traveled SO MUCH! He was constantly flying to Toronto, LA, NYC, South Africa, Dublin, etc. and then back home again. 

<Above published 2.20.2025. Below added 3.02.2025.>

I got the print book from the Hennepin County Library (hardcover 441 pages plus appendix - diary entries from 1974-1982, afterword by his wife Rima Horton, and index).

I got this mainly to look at photographs. There were some and I enjoyed looking at them, but I wish there had been more!

I was stunned by the lovely illustrations in some of his journals! He was a very talented artist. 

I liked the look of his writing, but it's not the easiest to read. I'm glad someone took the time to type it up. Time to return this to the library and move on!