Sometimes Life is the Best Teacher

An Education - Lynn Barber

       Partially the inspiration for the Academy Award nominee (1999) film by the same name, Lynn Barber's An Education is a slim, yet enjoyable memoir of her life, starting with her childhood growing up in 1960s England and hoping to go on to Oxford and going through her studies, time with Penthouse and rise as a journalist, and the present day.

       Who is Lynn Barber?....yeah, I didn't know either until I read the book.  She's an interviewer and early employee of the famed Penthouse magazine.  The story is now possibly best known for her experience with an older man named Simon who, when she was only 16, picked her up in a fancy car and dated her (which, is mostly encapsulated in the book's chapter, also called An Education)  Although in my subsequent reading apparently the idea for the film came not from the book but from an article about the same subject. 

       It may just be that I don't follow fame as closely as everyone else, but Barber wasn't an everyday household name to me, nor are quite a few of the people whose names she mentioned in her memoir.  And, that honestly probably made me enjoy her story more so.  Having no idea what would happen made this almost like a novel and Barber's tone is mostly mater-of-fact and unsentimental, feeling totally non candy-coated.

       I made it though the book in less than a day and really liked it.  Not having seen the film, I can't speak for it, but after reading the memoir I'll be sure to check the film out sooner or later.  If you're looking for a quick, interesting read, pick the book up.

Rating: 4-4.5 of 5.