Behind the Lens

Behind the Lens: My Life by David Suchet 375 pp.

David Suchet is best known for playing Agatha Christie's most famous detective, Hercule Poirot which he did for 25 years. But Suchet has been a fixture of English drama for over fifty years, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company and on other stages. During his long and successful career he is never without his camera, having learned photography from his grandfather, to keep a record of not just his acting, but his life. In this somewhat unusual memoir he relates tales about his upbringing, drama training, career, his ancestry, his beliefs, and his family. The photos he includes are of a wide variety of subjects. Some of his life details are surprising - living with his wife on canal boats that could be moved from town to town as he performed in different theatres. Other details were a surprise to him, such as his Jewish ancestry. This is a memoir with non of the sleazy parts, only a straightforward story of Suchet's life and career. He seems to be beyond any scandal and is well respected among his peers and especially his fans.