You have to be very self-disciplined. Normally, in my working life I’m told to turn up at rehearsal at a certain time and say someone else’s lines, which is easy. But with writing you really have to make yourself have a routine… I’ve tried to do the two [writing and acting] together but it isn’t a comfortable fit. I remember reading corrections and proofs of my book when I was in India filming The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which felt rather bizarre, the two worlds clashing. The discipline needed to be a writer is far greater than for an actor, so I have even more respect for writers now than I had before.

not quite | meaning of not quite in Longman Dictionary of not quite | meaning of not quite in Longman Dictionary of

Celia Imrie’s light and amusing style subsequently transports the reader to the glorious setting of the French Mediterranean Coast where Theresa relocates. The town of Bellevue-Sur-Mer seems to offer no end of culinary delights and new found friendships, all centred on a very eccentric and somewhat insular set of expats. The description of the town is excellent- the old buildings, narrow streets, steep steps, colours of flowers, contrast between sunlight and shadow. Familiar to anyone who has walked through a Mediterranean village, and to the author who dedicated the book “to my pals who brought me here to Nice, and to the city whose beauty saved and inspired me”. I’m slightly wary of the generation below me, who I find rather money-obsessed. In my day we would never even have discussed the word inheritance, but it often comes up in conversation nowadays. I find the whole subject rather vulgar. I suppose that’s why it reared itself in the book. We feel that Celia may have ‘borrowed’ the beginning of the book from ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ as her character in that goes to India to escape her demanding and ungrateful family.I’m so sad (mad?) that the only reason this was published was because it was written by a well known actress. Surely no publisher would have snapped up this mess on its own merits.

Not Quite Nice (Audio Download): Celia Imrie, Celia Imrie

A light easy to read mix of farce. A rough guide to France and some recipes for good measure. (the recipe format reminds me of Recipes for a Perfect Marriage by Karen Kerrigan). This book was enjoyable, but I would have preferred a more factual approach like Peter Mayle. Marjorie J. What an enjoyable way to spend a weekend afternoon by escaping to the Cote D'Azur, and to the charming town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, and its delightful array of residents. The initial descriptions of the town, conjured up pictures of a pretty town in Southern France, and I had the feeling the whole time that it felt like a similar sort of place to the one in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. And in fact that feeling didn't leave me during the book, and there was a similar storyline to the film, running through part of the book, which made me both smile and gasp.However, as Theresa begins to acclimatise to her new, independent life she soon discovers that you should be very careful what you wish for. Things may look greener on the other side of the Channel, but Nice and its inhabitants are not quite as nice as she first thought. Theresa is desperate for a change. Forced into early retirement, fed up with babysitting her bossy daughter's obnoxious children, she sells her Highgate house and moves to the picture-perfect town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, just outside Nice. BelleVu Sur Mer was just outside Nice and had a thriving ex pat community. The story centred mainly around Theresa who emigrated to France after being forced into early retirement. Sally a children's TV presenter who found herself typecast and never worked again. Glamorous Carol who made Theresa feel welcome and her husband David. Business woman Sian and her adulterous Australian husband Ted. Ugh. I’m so disappointed. I was so looking forward to reading this book, the first by Celia Imrie, one of my favourite actresses. I assumed it would be funny and feature older characters finding love. Older character romance is my favourite and so rarely done. There was also the promise of the French riviera and some feminist empowerment.

Not Quite Nice: : Celia Imrie: Bloomsbury Publishing

Their ‘friends’ include an obligatory gay couple, a stylish American couple, an older botoxed-to-the-hilt loudmouth drunk, the mousy nondescript newbie, a corporate highflyer (whose first scene involving her slapping Theresa like some sort of trashy Dr Phil guest is too ridiculous for words) and her philandering poet of a husband. Theresa has lost her job and on impulse decides to "retire" to Southern France. She finds a lovely flat with a view of the harbor in Bellevue-Sur-Mer, a small village near Nice, where she meets a group of ex-pats, mostly British, who befriend her. But not all is perfect in paradise. A series of burglaries and a couple of vicious muggings have people on edge. Not to mention the family difficulties each of them has - cheating spouses, ungrateful children, dwindling funds, alcoholism, etc. The weak plot and horrible characters are not even saved by any sort of flowery pretty descriptive passages. There’s water and sunshine and restaurants and… Oh, there’s random foodporn which is also strictly non-French. I was so utterly confused about this. Again, way to immerse yourself in the setting…I’m terribly slow, actually, but at the moment I’m reading a book by Colette, My Apprenticeships and Music Hall Sidelights, I suppose because it’s got a theatrical thing going on. I like short stories – Patricia Highsmith’s The Animal-Lover’s Book of Beastly Murder is a favourite. The book is set in the South of France, and its large than life characters sparkle with wit and life, the Mediterranean sea simmers with sunshine. One thing many of the characters have in common is their children are horrid. And I mean horrid. I can’t quite fathom that a/ children would treat their parents like they do in this book or b/ anyone would let their children treat them like they do in this book. I’m sorry, it’s unbelievable. Okay, so there might be people out there with awful children but I would assume they were horrible parents in the first place. These middle aged horrors seem to have all been hatched from hell with no help from their mother or father. One bad apple might be understandable but for these characters to *all* have such demon children is weird. It's Mothers Day in the UK tomorrow and the disrespect and contempt Imogen showed Theresa annoyed me.

BBC Radio 2 - The Radio 2 Book Club - Not Quite Nice by Celia

This is Celia Imrie’s first fictional book – and she has done very well by allowing humour to take over the story at times without it descending into silliness. The lightness balances nicely with the more drama ridden topics of infidelity, sex-changes, homosexuality, drug use and criminal activity. I was often laughing out loud at some of the events – gasping at some more meatier ones and then getting angry at the behaviour of a plethora of offspring that come to get what they can out of their various parents – or think they have the right to be rude to a parent who stands firm against them. The overall message is – it is your life, your needs and your choice. Do not let your children emotionally bully you. Learn to say no when it doesn’t suit you to do what they want.Shelve this book under "middle-aged woman rediscovers zest in her life" and "English people misbehaving abroad". This is light-hearted escapism, starting when Theresa, on a whim, buys a house in a lovely seaside town on the Riviera. The small community of English-speaking expatriates, embraces the new arrival, and soon Theresa is enjoying her new life. But it's not all baguettes and vin blanc , and drug dealers, con men and corporate spies soon appear on the scene. This is an absolutely delightful novel that would be a pleasure to indulge in at any time - whether on holiday or just in the bath with a glass of wine. Celia Imrie effectively combines both drama and humour to offer the realisation that no matter how hard you try; one can never truly escape the past. - Tracy H.