This Much Is True

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 20,477 ratings

Price: 15.88

Last update: 01-05-2025


About this item

From Blackadder to Call the Midwife, from the Cadbury's Caramel Rabbit to Harry Potter, Miriam Margolyes is the outspoken great aunt (after two sherries) we all wish we had - this is (at last) her extraordinary life story, and it's well worth the wait.

Award-winning actor, creator of a myriad of memorable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure.

Now, at last, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story. And it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played.

Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John aged 17, being sent to Coventry by Monty Python and the Goodies and swearing on University Challenge (she was the first woman to say f--k on TV). This book is packed with unforgettable stories from why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had to being told off by the queen. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, Leonardo di Caprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much Is True is as warm and honest, as full of life and surprises, as she is.

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


Top reviews from the United States

  • Epona
    5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't get better than MM reading her own life story
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2021
    Miriam Margolyes is probably a lot quirkier than even her biggest fans realize. Quirky to a delightful extent but also surprisingly serious minded at times. Loved the entire book but one thing that bugged me a little is her obsession with being Jewish. Not in the religious sense, but in the cultural/historical sense. Of course the Holocaust was an enormous tragedy and worthy of lengthy comment; but she seems to think the general public is much more prejudiced against Jews than they are. She talks about introducing herself to strangers as being Jewish -- out of nowhere, just to see how people respond. And she interprets uncomfortable responses as people having a problem with Jews. That strikes me as ludicrous, because who wouldn't be surprised and uncomfortable being hit with that little tidbit upon shaking hands or something. Most people would just think "ok, so...?" and wonder where she was going with that or if they missed something. It's fine if being Jewish is a huge deal to her, but Jewish-ness isn't a big deal to most people. That said, this book is a must read. She's an amazing performer and an amazing friend.
  • Timothy Haugh
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Funny Woman I Liked Getting to Know
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2022
    I am huge fan of the Graham Norton Show, which I consider to be the best and funniest talk show on television. (Thank you BBCAmerica.) Apart from the enjoyment I get from it, I learn about actors I never would have known well otherwise. Ms. Margolyes is a perfect example. When I first saw her of Norton’s show, I vaguely recognized her as Professor Sprout from the Harry Potter movies. After seeing her a few times, I discovered she is one of the funniest (and most profane) people on the planet. I wanted to know more about her. So, when she was plugging this, her memoir, and her last appearance, I had to read it.

    Though not what I would call a magnificent piece of writing, it accomplishes its task well enough. I learned much about Ms. Margolyes I never knew. Her life as a (somewhat spoiled, it seems to me) only child. Her start in the business, which initially often ran to lucrative voice-over work, likely because of her unconventional appearance. Still, her career grew in time. I began to realize that I’d seen her in things and not realized it: the nurse in Romeo + Juliet, an appearance in Merlin, etc. Of course, books like this always make me wish I had more access to British theater.

    Not surprisingly, there are some harsher stories. Ms. Margolyes is honest about her dislikes as well as her like. She has no love for the Monty Python boys, for example, who looked down their noses at female performers in her experience. No closeted homosexual despite her penchant for blowjobs, we also learn about her long-time relationship with Heather.

    In the end, though not uniformly interesting or particularly brilliantly written, I enjoyed this because it sounds like Ms. Margolyes, which is not always true of celebrity “autobiographies”. There is a good mix of stories from her personal life and stories from the business. And, unlike the impression given by many celebrities, she seems like someone who would be interesting to get to know, to have over to a dinner party. I was glad to get to know a little of her through this book.
  • CandyLady
    5.0 out of 5 stars Miriam Margolyes is Wonderful
    Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
    I enjoyed seeing Miriam Margolyes on the Graham Norton show, so I decided to read this book. It was everything I’d hoped for and more. Ms. Margolyes is not only a good actress, she is also a great teller of hilarious anecdotes from her past and present. I loved the fart story!
  • Leo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly unapologetic
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
    I first came to know of Miriam in THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW until I realized I have seen her in many movies (memorable as Mrs Mingot). The book is not for the faint of heart with the language and candor but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about such a well lived life. And unlike many memoirs, this really rang true. We didn't need a fly on the wall to get the juicy story. The amazing Miriam already provided it.
  • Alžběta
    3.0 out of 5 stars Hmmm
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2022
    I am in two minds about this book. On the one hand, I appreciate Miriam Margolyes's frankness and openness. On the other hand, however, so many anecdotes and comments left such a bad taste in my mouth.
    First, Miriam says in the book that her mum always said that unless you have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. But then she proceeds to trash talk lots of people and make many wild and potentially damaging claims which are impossible to verify.
    Second, the constant stream of information about all the men Miriam sucked off or offered to suck off or failed to suck off gets old really fast. Maybe a couple of mentions would raise a slightly amused smile on some readers' faces, but pages and pages about sucking off are just unnecessary.
    Finally, Miriam's need for attention and shocking her audience/readers seem...clinically concerning? She constantly mentions how loved and happy she felt as a child by her parents, but you quickly see how toxic the relationship with her mother was and still is, despite her mum passing away in (I think) 1976. Miriam also believes that her coming out is what caused her mother's health issues and subsequent death. That must be a heavy burden to carry.
    Overall, despite several funny bits, this was a deeply depressing read. Miriam Margolyes seems like a little child, unloved, helpless and incessantly screaming for attention. But in the body of an 81-year-old woman constantly either offending others or offering to suck someone off.

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