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Managing Expectations

AS RECOMMENDED ON BBC RADIO 4. ‘Vital, heartfelt and surprising' Graham Norton

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Managing Expectations

By: Minnie Driver
Narrated by: Minnie Driver
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'A beautiful book: funny, honest, revealing, heartfelt and moving' - Adam Kay, bestselling author of This is Going to Hurt'

'Vital, heartfelt and surprising, these tales from a life are told with humour, style and intelligence.' - Graham Norton

'A wonderful memoir by a glorious writer: funny, poignant, profound. I gobbled it up in one joyous sitting.' - Elizabeth Day

'An absolute jewel of a book. Gloriously readable, hilarious, painful, acute, sharply recalled and vividly brought to life' - Stephen Fry


A dazzling 'tell-most' memoir: poignant and laugh-out-loud funny scenes from the life of actor Minnie Driver.

I love stories. I have mostly told other people's but now, in telling my own, I realize how all our stories are connected by that great leveller of acclaim, loss, fortitude, and fortune: being human.

When I look at my life from the alleged halfway point, some patterns are revealed: one, that the story does not necessarily begin or end where it should; two, happy endings are overrated. And three, happy endings are almost never the end.


This book is memoir-ish. A tell-most. Largely because there's a lot I don't remember, and a lot that's not worth talking about.

So, this is a collection of stories about how things not working out - worked out in the end. How reaching for the dream is easily more interesting, expansive, sad and funny than the dream itself coming true.


I really hope you enjoy it.
Love, Minnie x Acting & Auditioning Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Women Celebrity Funny Feel-Good Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty
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Critic reviews

Vital, heartfelt and surprising, these tales from a life are told with humour, style and intelligence.
A beautiful book: funny, honest, revealing, heartfelt and moving
A wonderful memoir by a glorious writer: funny, poignant, profound. I gobbled it up in one joyous sitting.
'A writer of true precision, wit and style... I was comforted, galvanized, touched'
An absolute jewel of a book. Gloriously readable, hilarious, painful, acute, sharply recalled and vividly brought to life
All stars
Most relevant
Really hope Minnie writes more books, this book is so beautifully written. Didn’t want it to end. Daffodils was a difficult chapter for me as I experienced a similar situation with my mother, but Minnie’s warmth and love through her words was so comforting to me.

Beautifully written

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Moving book because it comes from a lovely person who has nothing to hide and has high emotional intelligence

Honest and funny

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This memoir is extraordinary. Vignettes of an unusual life, the highs and lows. Minnie Driver is perceptive, and searingly honest, but she doesn’t take herself too seriously, and is also absolutely hilarious.

Listening to her reading this so beautifully reminded me what a good actress she is. I listened to it again as soon as I’d finished it, and after a couple of days, I listened to it once more.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this poignant, honest, and funny romp through an extremely interesting life.

You’ll Listen to This More Than Once

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Great listen. Dipped in and out but easy to follow. Could have done without the singing.

Surprisingly exciting autobiography.

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Thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book, certainly lends itself to an audiobook well, I find Minnie’s voice comforting…made my commutes a joy

Entertaining, beautifully written and really well read

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