In these memoirs, Scott, now 82, tells the story of his disturbed, dysfunctional upbringing and his traumatic adult life. While many of the book’s details strain credibility, the story has a “mesmeric impetus as Scott’s life staggers from one mishap to the next”. For much of his life, Scott was a “punchbag”, said Richard Davenport-Hines in Literary Review, and his memoir is “a brisk reminder of the callousness” of late-20th century English life. Later that year, Scott was sacked and, after a spell in a psychiatric hospital, turned up at the House of Commons. The relationship soon soured and Scott’s life “became increasingly rackety”.

Source: The Times April 22, 2022 22:48 UTC