It is a highly acclaimed biography of Britain s greatest living playwright that was written with his full co-operation.
But the subject of the book – Sir Tom Stoppard – yesterday said he has not read it properly because he considers it radioactive .
The 83-year-old has only dipped into Dame Hermione Lee s work – Tom Stoppard: A Life, published last year – as a memory aid for himself.
During a conversation with Dame Hermione in front of an audience at the Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival, he said: On a few occasions since the book was published, I had to turn to Hermione s book to find out something about myself.