Maggie Smith: A Bright Particular Star

Accomplished acting is as difficult to describe as good music, but Coveney, the drama critic for the London Observer , succeeds admirably in this chatty biography of British actress Maggie Smith. He traces her artistic journey from her early years in revues to her West End stardom, dissecting many of her performances and capturing the uniqueness of her technique and style (``widely imitated in other people's conversations, she remains entirely inimitable''). Coveney reveals the story behind her ``flamboyant withdrawal from the celebrity circuit'' and her five-year absence from Britain to lead the classical company at Stratford, Ontario, and to make movies in L.A. where she won Oscars for her portrayals in California Suite and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie . The author also discusses Smith's enduring admiration for American writer J. D. Salinger, her preference for Brian Bedford as her leading man on stage, her popularity as a ``camp pin-up,'' and takes a glance at Smith's two marriages. She was named Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1989. Photos. (Mar.)