Poppy's Paperbacks 2011

[poppyshake]

The last question I feel I should get a medal or something.

 

Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

.. and I really have no answer for it I don't have an all time favourite book, I have lots of favourite books but don't favour one over the other. I guess if you tie me down and force me to give an answer then I'll say .. 'Pride & Prejudice' by Jane Austen because I love it and feel quite sentimental about it. But equally it might be 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'Great Expectations', 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell', 'Gold', 'Neverwhere', 'I Capture the Castle', 'The Pursuit of Love' etc etc etc ... I reckon I could name a hundred favourite books easily. I'm quite sad really because I'd like to have a favourite book .. a special one that meant more to me than any other .. but I just don't.

 

Perhaps I haven't read it yet

[Kylie]

Oh well. If you can forgive me for liking Madame Bovary, I can forgive you for liking How I Live Now. I usually get rid of books that I haven't enjoyed reading but I decided to keep HILN; partly because it's dystopian and my collection won't feel complete without it and partly because, should I ever attempt to write my own dystopian novel, I will keep HILN by my side as an example of what not to write.

 

Thanks for all your enjoyable answers over the past 30 days (my, how times flies!) I'm only up to day 2. I posted one answer and then had virtually no internet access for several days, so I'm about a week behind already.

 

While it's exciting to think that your all-time favourite novel might still be ahead of you, I'd be sad to see Pride and Prejudice or To Kill a Mockingbird knocked off their perches (pun intended). I'm speaking as much for myself here because they are both among my favourite novels as well.

 

 

[chesilbeach]

I'll second Kylie's thanks, poppy - you've posted some really interesting answers to the questionnaire! I'm enjoying answering the questions myself, but worried I'm going to get withdrawal symptoms once I'm finished How are you coping today, knowing you don't have a question to answer?

[Janet]

Oooh and another British favorite of mine: Peep Show! I have this huge thing for David Mitchell...

Ooh, me too - he's lovely!

[poppyshake]

Oh well. If you can forgive me for liking Madame Bovary, I can forgive you for liking How I Live Now. I usually get rid of books that I haven't enjoyed reading but I decided to keep HILN; partly because it's dystopian and my collection won't feel complete without it and partly because, should I ever attempt to write my own dystopian novel, I will keep HILN by my side as an example of what not to write.

Of course I forgive you and I think it's all to the good, otherwise we might be thought of as *whispers* clones Ooh are you intending to become a novelist Kylie, don't say I'm going to have to start collecting you as well

 

Thanks for all your enjoyable answers over the past 30 days (my, how times flies!) I'm only up to day 2. I posted one answer and then had virtually no internet access for several days, so I'm about a week behind already.

You're welcome and thank you .. I found the questions a bit difficult at times (I had no answers in other words) but I didn't let that put me off .. if there's one thing I could ramble on and on about for ages, it's books (you've probably noticed )

While it's exciting to think that your all-time favourite novel might still be ahead of you, I'd be sad to see Pride and Prejudice or To Kill a Mockingbird knocked off their perches (pun intended). I'm speaking as much for myself here because they are both among my favourite novels as well.

It would have to be a most incredible book to be better that P&P or TKAM .. not just an incredible story but one that makes you feel a bit mushy inside whenever you think about it because you're so fond of it. I doubt they'll ever be replaced in my affections.

I'll second Kylie's thanks, poppy - you've posted some really interesting answers to the questionnaire! I'm enjoying answering the questions myself, but worried I'm going to get withdrawal symptoms once I'm finished How are you coping today, knowing you don't have a question to answer?

Thanks Chesil I'm coping quite well, perhaps withdrawal will set in later. I'm a bit relieved because they were getting harder and there were some stinkers but they didn't ask what my favourite covers were ... big oversight imo .. what on earth do they think I buy books for

 

Ooh, me too - he's lovely!

I can see we'll be able to start a 'David Mitchell - No, Not the Author - Appreciation Society soon, we have three members and counting

[poppyshake]

A miserable day here weather wise but I did brave it and bought 'Pastoralia' by George Saunders from a local charity shop for a £1 .. it's in great condition too. I have no idea what it's about but I know it's on the 1001 so got to be worth a try. Thankfully it is one off the list that I've ticked .. because I have got into the habit of buying some of the ones I've crossed (Veronika Decides to Die for a start) which is ridiculously perverse.

[poppyshake]

Dear Mr Bigelow - Frances Woodford

Waterstones Synopsis: Dear Mr Bigelow is an enchanting collection of weekly letters written between 1949 and 1961 from an unmarried woman working at the Public Baths in Bournemouth, to a wealthy American widower in New York. Frances Woodsford and Paul Bigelow never met, yet their epistolary friendship was her lifeline. We follow Frances' trials with her ghastly boss Mr Bond; the hilarious weekly Civil Defence Classes as the Cold War advances; her attempts to shake off an unwanted suitor, and life at home with her mother and her charming ne'er-do-well brother. Sparked with comic genius, the letters provide a unique insight into post-war England and the growth of an extraordinary friendship.

Review: I read this at the same time as reading Veronika Decides to Die and I'm glad I did because it was the perfect antidote. Whilst VDTD was dreary and flat, Dear Mr Bigelow was lively and full of spark.

This is a book containing the letters sent to Mr Bigelow (and she wrote him a weekly letter for twelve years,) a retired captain living in Long Island, New York by Frances Woodsford a 36 year old living in Bournemouth England, and working as as secretary in the Bournemouth Public Baths. We never ever read Mr Bigelow's replies because Frances didn't keep them. She was told, after Mr Bigelow's death, that her correspondence to him had not been kept and after a few years she discarded his too (she said they were a bit haphazard anyway and were just scrawls written on scraps) but a few years later she was contacted and told that the letters had been found. You get a strong impression of what Mr Bigelow was like though from Frances's replies, they shared a similar sense of humour and anything that was thought could entertain the other would be cut out and sent.

Frances had started writing to Mr Bigelow as a kindness to his daughter who was a good friend and who often sent over precious food/clothing packages etc from America (for though it was the 1950's, rationing was still in strict operation in Britain,) but she soon grew to enjoy their correspondence. Frances always typed her letters during her lunch hour at the public bath's, she called them her 'Saturday Specials' but they were just as likely to be written on any day of the week .. she always mailed them on a Friday though. She has that happy knack of writing letters as if she's chatting to the recipient, they're full of news and gossip and accounts of her daily life. She lives at home with her mother and brother Mac and is often exasperated by the pair of them especially Mac who get's away with murder (not literally .. just that, like a lot of men from that era, he is used to being waited on hand and foot by the women.)

'Dear Mr Bigelow,
... My brother is very fond of telling the story of Dr Johnson who was said to have spat out a mouthful of too hot soup with the remark "some dam' fool would have swallowed that." Not that my brother does more than copy the remark, I would have you know. My brother does seem sometimes to be ashamed to be seen in public with me. One fine day, when I am out with the scion of the Woodsford family, I will do everything I know, and a few things I imagine, to give him really something to be shamed for - I shall scratch, hitch my skirts, smooth my girdle, pick my ear, run my nails through my hair for dandruff; stare at people; laugh like a nosiy hyena, and belch, whenever we come within hearing distance of any and everybody. That'll larn him.
The peculiar thing is that I really know my one and only brother isn't ashamed of me. At least, I am always clean and tidy in public, and fairly quiet. I wore gloves (as I always do) and a hat, and my fur cape, a decent quiet dress and stockings. He wore a tennis shirt (he did have a tie, I will grant you) but no hat (he never does) and no gloves. So why he should act as though I were a leprous barmaid, heaven knows! In the street, we alternately crawled along to avoid catching up with somebody he knew, or raced along side streets to ensure meeting as few people as possible. It brings out the nasty, catty side of my nature, and I dream of becoming the Hampshire Lady Tennis Champion (much chance!) and then joining his club after they begged me to do so on bended knee, just for the pleasure of refusing to associate with Mac. See what a horrid nature I have at bottom, but you won't tell anybody, I know ...'

A great snapshot of what it was like to live in Britain during the 1950's. Frances could draw well too and the letters are full of great little illustrations as well as a sprinkling of photo's. Anyone who loved reading Nella Last's 'Mass Observation' diaries will love this. Frances could be bossy and terribly competitive but you can't help becoming fond of her.

9/10

Edited November 28, 2013 by poppyshake

[chesilbeach]

Thanks for a great review - Dear Mr Bigelow is definitely going on my wishlist, poppy, it sounds fantastic!

[poppyshake]

Thanks for a great review - Dear Mr Bigelow is definitely going on my wishlist, poppy, it sounds fantastic!

Yes I really enjoyed it Claire, it's the sort of book that you look forward to picking up and have to be careful not to gobble up too quickly. Hope you enjoy it too

[frankie]

I predict a riot

 

Oh, it's ON!! :ph34r:

That'll be David .. you couldn't call Matt handsome but he is cute (especially as Tweedle Dee/Tweedle Dum in 'Alice in Wonderland')

 

I trust your opinion, it must be David. Matt is verry cute though, as well What is it about the British comedians? Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall, these two, and David Mitchell... Especially with Peep Show, Robert Webb is so much more my usual type but I don't fancy him at all, but I've had various day dreams about meeting David Mitchell in an English pub... heheheee....

 

Don't get me started on David Mitchell .. I think he's not only a comedy genius but he's probably the most intelligent guy ever .. his intellect scares the life out of me .. whenever I see him on TV panel shows he is just so razor sharp and on it .. but yes 'Peep Show' is hilarious.

I used to think he was the author too .. and it wouldn't have surprised me one bit.

But have you seen Robert Webb doing 'Flashdance' for 'Let's Dance for Comic Relief'?.. really it was just the most stunning thing ever .. if you haven't seen it you must 'You Tube' it (and try and see the one where he does an introduction.) I have to watch it at least once a month, always with my mouth wide open.

 

I haven't had the opportunity to see David Mitchell in anything else but Peep Show, and another comedy show he did with Robert Webb (don't remember it's name but I didn't really like it), but I've read some stuff on him online and I did have this notion that he's very smart, and now you've proved me right. I'd like to see his serious side as well, maybe I'll see if I can find anything on him. But you're right, I think he would seem very intimidating intellect-wise. It wouldn't have surprised me either if he was an author, that's why I was so sure that it was him who wrote Cloud Atlas. I was so bummed when I found out it wasn't him.

 

I haven't seen Robert Webb doing Flashdance, I'm going to do that after replying to your posts, thanks!

 

Again, I love, love, love Jennifer Ehle's Elizabeth Bennett .. we don't see Jennifer enough, weirdly she was in 'The Kings Speech' with Colin but playing an Australian!! .. and only the tiniest of parts. I'd love to see her in more stuff.

 

Jennifer Ehle was born for the role. She can express so incredibly much with the most subtle facial expression and her eyes speak volumes. I've never seen her on anything else except for a detective series but I didn't like that show (for non-relating reasons) and I was just so shocked to see Ehle in normal everyday clothes with an everyday, modern haircut that I couldn't watch it. She seemed so.... normal! I think I might have to see The King's Speech now, eventhough I'd sworn against it. Just to see Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth together again

 

It would be quite unfair but cheap for the rest of us however, I can't do without books or book recommendations. I bought an Anne Tyler book today from a charity shop, it was on my wishlist anyway but I know you said Liisa really rated her so that made it more appealing (God, even your friends are spending my money )

 

Oh I hope the book is good, I don't want to start our book group by giving her a bollocking for her recommendations during our second meeting

 

The last question I feel I should get a medal or something.

 

Instead of a medal, I'll be giving you a teaser:

 

1.Book next to your bed right now:

2.Favorite series:

3.Favorite book:

4.The one book you would have with you if stranded on a desert island:

5.Book/series you would take with you on a long flight:

6.Worst book you were made to read in school:

7.Book that everyone should be made to read in school:

8.Book that everyone should read, period:

9.Favorite character:

10.Best villain:

11.Favorite concept series:

12.Favorite invented world:

13.Most beautifully written book:

14.Funniest book:

 

Ooh, me too - he's lovely!

 

I knew Jänet has good taste!

 

 

I can see we'll be able to start a 'David Mitchell - No, Not the Author - Appreciation Society soon, we have three members and counting

 

I wish David Mitchell googles his name and will find out about this place and our Appreciation Society! Maybe we could induce him into writing a novel or two

Edited June 2, 2011 by frankie

[Kylie]

Ooh are you intending to become a novelist Kylie, don't say I'm going to have to start collecting you as well

I highly doubt I'll ever become a published novelist. And if I did, I would like to be like the great Harper Lee, who wrote one brilliant book and then became a recluse. So don't worry, I won't send you broke!

 

but they didn't ask what my favourite covers were ... big oversight imo .. what on earth do they think I buy books for

 

You could always add an extra question to the list. After all, there were 31 days last month, not 30.

 

Instead of a medal, I'll be giving you a teaser:

 

Did you make those up yourself or find them somewhere else?

[Roland Butter]

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I highly doubt I'll ever become a published novelist. And if I did, I would like to be like the great Harper Lee, who wrote one brilliant book and then became a recluse. So don't worry, I won't send you broke!

 

What???!!! You mean you wouldn't give complimentary copies to your friends on BCF??!! You'd make them PAY??!!

 

Well, shame on you, Kylie ....

[Kylie]

What???!!! You mean you wouldn't give complimentary copies to your friends on BCF??!! You'd make them PAY??!!

 

Well, shame on you, Kylie ....

 

Hehe. After I posted that, I realised that of course I would send out free copies to my BCF friends. I should have gone back and edited my post, but I thought no-one would notice. Thanks for pointing it out, Roland. For that, I think I will make you pay for a copy.

[frankie]

Did you make those up yourself or find them somewhere else?

 

I found there somewhere else and there's lots more where that came from

[poppyshake]

What???!!! You mean you wouldn't give complimentary copies to your friends on BCF??!! You'd make them PAY??!!

 

Well, shame on you, Kylie ....

Haha . you're right Roland .. we wouldn't only want complimentary copies, we'd want dedications

 

Thanks for the extra questions Frankie .. they look hard!! but I'll try my best.

 

1.Book next to your bed right now:

On my side of the bed there are two books, one is 'Our Spoons Came from Woolworths' by Barbara Comyns which is a funny little story that I'm really enjoying, the other book is 'The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas' by Gertrude Stein which I've only just started dipping into, but so far so good

.. Alan has Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book' which he's liking although not as much as 'Mr Chartwell' which he loooooooved (even more than I did )

[poppyshake]

I trust your opinion, it must be David. Matt is verry cute though, as well What is it about the British comedians? Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall, these two, and David Mitchell... Especially with Peep Show, Robert Webb is so much more my usual type but I don't fancy him at all, but I've had various day dreams about meeting David Mitchell in an English pub... heheheee....

well, you never know .. and I did hear he was looking for a lady (but then your bf might have something to say about it )

Jennifer Ehle was born for the role. She can express so incredibly much with the most subtle facial expression and her eyes speak volumes. I've never seen her on anything else except for a detective series but I didn't like that show (for non-relating reasons) and I was just so shocked to see Ehle in normal everyday clothes with an everyday, modern haircut that I couldn't watch it. She seemed so.... normal! I think I might have to see The King's Speech now, eventhough I'd sworn against it. Just to see Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth together again

Was that 'Melissa'? I remember seeing that and thinking it was odd to see her in modern clothes and with blonde hair (though I think she is naturally blonde) but even weirder was seeing her more recently on a talk show and hearing her talk with a pronounced american accent. She played Oscar Wilde's wife (to Stephen Fry's Oscar) and I have wanted to see it for ages but still haven't.

I wish David Mitchell googles his name and will find out about this place and our Appreciation Society! Maybe we could induce him into writing a novel or two

I'm sure he could, and it would be fab. He's sometimes a guest on QI (have you seen QI?) it's a sort of panel quiz show with Stephen Fry as host and he's just so brilliant whenever he's on it, he's also on radio a lot. He used to be in a comedy programme that Jennifer Saunders wrote called 'Jam & Jerusalem' .. which also had Jennifer, Dawn French, Joanna Lumley and Sally Phillips in it but it was cancelled after three series. Not everybody got on with it but I liked it .. especially Sally who was brilliant as usual (David and Sally played sister and brother and they were chalk and cheese .. David was a serious rather pompous doctor and Sally was a sort of hippy, new age type.)

[Janet]

I knew Jänet has good taste!

 

I wish David Mitchell googles his name and will find out about this place and our Appreciation Society! Maybe we could induce him into writing a novel or two

 

Oh yes, that would be great! He's also in a show called 'Would I Lie To You?' with Lee Mack (who I also like!!) and Uncle Bryn Rob Brydon as host.

 

Dear Mr Bigelow sounds really good - I've added it to my Wish List.

[poppyshake]

2.Favorite series:

3.Favorite book:

 

Hmm I've definitely answered number two before ... that was the Thursday Next series, number three I funked last time, I couldn't really come up with an answer so ...

 

4.The one book you would have with you if stranded on a desert island:

 

Ok, well the smart answer is to have some sort of survival guide but let's face it, even if I had full instructions, the chances of me ever becoming self sufficient and being able to gut a fish, harvest the eggs from a turtle, or erect some sort of bivouac are nil so there is no point in me choosing it .. I'd just have to hide under a tree and hope for the best. Now I'm left with two schools of thought, one is that I'd want a nice comfy cosy read that would make me feel comforted and the other is that I'd want something challenging to keep the brain ticking over and to stop my mind from running around like a headless chicken until insanity arrived. I'm tempted to say 'Lord of the Rings' but there are too many evils lurking around in it, I'd be a nervous wreck.

For the comfy cosy option I'd choose the complete works of Jane Austen (in one book) and for the challenge I'd choose Marcel Prousts 'Remembrance of Things Past' (in it's entirety) .. that'd give me something to chew over. I would either become engrossed and not notice the time fly or be so flummoxed by it that, in contrast, building a raft would now seem to be a doddle

 

Dear Mr Bigelow sounds really good - I've added it to my Wish List.

I think you'll like it Janet

 

[poppyshake]

5.Book/series you would take with you on a long flight:

 

I'm terrified of flying so it would have to be a really absorbing book/series to stop me from freaking out and one that didn't involve plane crashes or disasters of any kind. So again a nice comfy cosy and preferably funny book. Actually I think it might be the perfect time to re-read all of the Enid Blyton Mystery books with the five find-outers (Fatty, Bets, Larry, Daisy, Pip & Buster the dog .. plus Mr Goon of course ) .. they would take me back to a world where my biggest dilemma was what to wear to the school disco .. lovely anxiety free days. I want to re-read them anyway but with so many books waiting on the shelves re-reads take a back seat, a long flight would be just the thing .. I'd probably get some funny looks though

[poppyshake]

The Bell - Iris Murdoch

Waterstones Synopsis: Dora Greenfield, erring wife, returns to live with her husband in a lay community encamped outside Imber Abbey, home to a mysterious enclosed order of nuns. Watched over by its devout director and the discreet authority of the wise old Abbess, Imber Court is a haven for lost souls seeking tranquility. But then the lost Abbey bell, legendary symbol of religion and magic, is rediscovered, and hidden truths and desires are forced into the light.

Review: Firstly I must say a big thank you to Frankie for sending me this book. I loved reading it with all your additions, I was sure there was a subtext amongst your underlinings (but, just as I can never fathom out a whodunnit, I couldn't work it out )

I am such a fan of Iris, she writes so intelligently and her characters always seem so real, she doesn't make them particularly likeable or striking, they're always fairly ordinary but with just a few words she manages to paint them into life and you feel as if you could pick them out anywhere, similarly she gives you such a great sense of location that you would know the place immediately should you come across it but she's never flowery or overly descriptive. She clearly loves delving into the psychology of her characters and finding out what makes them tick, that's always a major part of any Iris novel (or those I've read so far anyway,) she often makes her characters disagreeable, they do things or have done things that are distasteful but the author never seems to be judging them or condemning them .. she's merely observing them and, for the most part, the reader is inclined to do the same.

This story has multiple narrators, firstly we are introduced to Dora who, after a short separation (and I loved the first line .. 'Dora Greenfield left her husband because she was afraid of him. She decided six months later to return to him for the same reason.') is joining her husband at the mysterious Imber Abbey where he is working on the research of some ancient manuscripts. The Abbey is home to a lay community, with the addition of an adjoining enclosed order of nuns (why that should be creepy I don't know but there's something a little sinister about silent nuns.) What should be a place of calm is really a seething mass of repressed feelings and inner struggles .. nobody is saying anything out loud but they're all paddling like mad beneath the surface .. struggling to keep up a sense of normality with the nuns silently observing.

The other characters in the community are a mixed bunch .. most of them have secrets to hide and there is a lot of moral deliberation and soul searching. Apart from Dora, one of the main characters is Michael, the leader of the community who has all sorts of demons perched on his shoulder, the main one being a disgraced past involving a homosexual encounter with a teenage pupil at a public school where Michael taught. He felt he had put most of this behind him but that young teenager is now a dissolute young man and he has found his way to Imber seeking refuge. There is also young Toby, a newcomer to Imber, who has rekindled some of those old memories. Michael finds he is back in the struggle between the spiritual side of his nature and his sexual inclinations, it's a struggle that has never really gone away.

The community are awaiting the arrival of a new bell, the old bell having mysteriously vanished centuries before. After Dora arrives at Imber, Paul tells her about a legend surrounding the bell '...sometime in the fourteenth century, that was before the dissolution, the story runs that one of the nuns had a lover. Not that that was so very unusual I daresay at that time, but this order had evidently had a high standard. It was not known who the nun was. The young man was seen climbing the wall once or twice and ended up by falling and breaking his neck. The wall, which still exists incidentally, is very high. The Abbess called on the guilty nun to confess, but no-one came forward. Then the Bishop was called in. The Bishop, who was an especially holy and spiritual man, also demanded that the guilty one should confess. When there was still no response he put a curse on the Abbey, and as the chronicler puts it, the great bell "flew like a bird out of the tower and fell into the lake" .. the guilty nun was so overwhelmed by this demonstration that she forthwith ran out of the Abbey gates and drowned herself in the lake.' and this legend seems all the more thrilling when Toby tells Dora of an object, that he has discovered, buried deep in the lake which may well be the ancient bell.

I love the suspense Iris builds in this novel, it was palpable .. I was always waiting for the shock or jolt to come and it frequently gave me the shivers. I got a bit carried away at times (having seen too many episodes of 'Midsomer Murders' most likely) and expected the giant bell to come crashing down on an unsuspecting victim but Iris is subtler than that. Like all the novels that I've read of hers so far, the story is multi layered and it's almost impossible to give an accurate account of it .. it's the sort of book that has so much going on that a repeat reading is a must. I'm sure I missed lots of subtleties. I'm always marvelling at how clever she is, she doesn't make it complex but there's always lots to contemplate.

Like a really good episode of 'Cadfael'
 

9/10

Edited November 28, 2013 by poppyshake

[poppyshake]

6.Worst book you were made to read in school:

 

I think that was probably 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' I found everyone in it either obnoxious or terribly drippy. I guess I wasn't much of a romantic at the time so didn't really engage with the whole Tess/Angel love affair and just thought the pair of them were pig headed, obtuse and weak.

 

When Tess tells Angel, at the end of the book, that he should marry her sister Liza-Lu once she is dead

.. I just thought

[poppyshake]

 

Money : A Suicide Note - Martin Amis

 

Waterstones Synopsis: This is the story of John Self, consumer extraordinaire. Rolling around New York and London, he makes deals, spends wildly and does reckless movie-world business, all the while grabbing everything he can to sate his massive appetites: alcohol, tobacco, pills, pornography, a mountain of junk food and more. Ceaselessly inventive and thrillingly savage, this is a tale of life lived without restraint; of money, the terrible things it can do and the disasters it can precipitate.

 

Review: This book is truly filthy, my ears were blushing as I listened (I'm sure it made it worse to listen .. there was just no escape .. the words just came blaring out of my headphones.) Having said that I don't know if I would have ploughed on with it if I'd been reading it. It's a great big book of sleaze

 

This is a searing, cynical look at life in the 1980's for the rich and successful John Self. John is an ad director who is now working on his first feature film. He spends his time between London and New York basically indulging in all the worst habits of the rich and privileged ... booze, drugs, porn and fast food, it's all so seedy that you feel quite grubby reading it but the story is laced with deep, deep sarcasm and irony. Amis is having a pop at celebdom here and the Hollywood film industry in particular and he doesn't pull his punches. John is killing himself with his excesses, he knows it, but he just can't help himself, he binges and indulges to the point of saturation. He behaves abominably and so does everyone around him, there is nothing or no-one that can't be bought with money. John has a number of friends (or more accurately hangers on) who are palpably only interested in him because of his success, they are shallower than a puddle, but the lifestyle is just too addictive and John is in deep. He veers between self loathing and self justification, sometimes believing he can pull himself back from the brink sometimes revelling in his hedonistic lifestyle.

It's a very funny book in a dark sort of way, hilarious at times and also totally cringeworthy (awful toe curling scenes between John and his father's girlfriend who shows him her centrefold pictures) but it's also a bit depressing, probably because it's just so repellent, it made me feel physically sick as John wallowed around too boozed up to function properly doing irreversible damage to his health (he's obese, with rotting teeth, tinnitus and a dodgy heart) and being mysogynistic. There is a point in the story where you feel he might just turn it all around and, though he isn't really likeable in any way, you're hoping that he will (though the sub-title is a bit of a giveaway.)

 

Amis is a really clever writer and there are moments of sheer genius, John's ramblings are the best part, he gets all the good lines and I loved his sarcasm. I quite liked the way Amis wrote himself in as a character, the ordinary fairly sensible writer who John asks to write the screenplay .. he sort of sees John in the same way as we do, a bit appalled by his lifestyle, wishing he would change but not being at all surprised when he doesn't. I also liked the way in which various people tried to rehabilitate John by getting him to read proper books (something other than porn in other words.)

 

Not a book to be lent to anyone of a nervous disposition and not for those who are easily offended ... definitely don't lend it to your gran/mum/neighbour .. not unless they are fairly broad minded with their reading choices.

It's clever (sometimes just a bit too clever) and I can see that Amis is a really accomplished satirist .. it's just that I didn't particularly enjoy listening all that much .. after all, as someone or the other said 'young ladies are delicate plants'

 

Despite the fact that it made me blush from the knees upwards, Stephen Pacey's narration is sensational.

 

8/10

Edited June 9, 2011 by poppyshake

[poppyshake]

 

Mad World : Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead - Paula Byrne

 

Waterstones Synopsis: A terrifically engaging and original biography about one of England's greatest novelists, and the glamorous, eccentric, debauched and ultimately tragic family that provided him with the most significant friendships of his life and inspired his masterpiece, "Brideshead Revisited". Evelyn Waugh was already famous when "Brideshead Revisited" was published in 1945. Written at the height of the war, the novel was, he admitted, of no 'immediate propaganda value'. Instead, it was the story of a household, a family and a journey of religious faith -- an elegy for a vanishing world and a testimony to a family he had fallen in love with a decade earlier. The Lygons of Madresfield were every bit as glamorous, eccentric and compelling as their counterparts, the Marchmains, in "Brideshead Revisited". William Lygon, Earl Beauchamp, was a warm-hearted, generous and unconventional father whose seven children adored him. When he was forced to flee the country by his scheming brother-in-law, his traumatised children stood firmly by him, defying not only the mores of the day, but also their deeply religious mother. In this engrossing biography, bestselling author Paula Byrne takes an innovative approach to her subject, setting out to capture Waugh through the friendships and loves that mattered most to him. She uncovers a man who, far from the snobbish misanthropist of popular caricature, was as loving and complex as the family that inspired him. This brilliantly original biography unlocks for the first time the extent to which Waugh's great novel encoded and transformed his own experiences. In so doing, it illuminates the loves and obsessions that shaped his life, and brings us inevitably to a secret that dared not speak its name.

 

Review: Evelyn Waugh has got a difficult reputation to say the least, he is often portrayed as a nasty, spiteful piece of work but this biography shows another side. That's not to say that he's not capable of being waspish and snobby but that's not the whole picture. He could be incredibly supportive and kind to his friends and was very loyal and loving.

 

It's not a full biography, what this book sets out to do is show the links between Evelyns private life and his fiction concentrating particularly on his great friendship with the Lygon family who are undoubtably the models for the Marchmain family in 'Brideshead Revisited' (though Evelyn always denied it.) You get the feeling that the Lygons were far more important to Evelyn than he ever was to them, although they were obviously fond of him, they were rather haphazard at keeping in touch etc and for the most part, and especially early on, Evelyn did most of the running. It also details his marriages (his first wife was also called Evelyn and they were known as She-Evelyn and He-Evelyn, bizarrely she left him for a man who came within a hairs breadth of also being called Evelyn .. he was named after the writer John Evelyn and his parents deliberated for some time between the two names .. thankfully he was spared the jibe 'Evelyn left Evelyn for Evelyn') This marriage wasn't successful, which doesn't come as much of a surprise to the reader because they seemed mismatched. Evelyn though was devastated, he wrote that he 'did not know it was possible to be so miserable and live.'

 

The most interesting part of the book focuses on Evelyn's time at Oxford where he met the men who were to become his lifelong friends and also embarked on several homosexual relationships. It's here that he meets Hugh Lygon and is eventually invited to spend time at the family house Madresfield Court (or 'Mad' for short) which is a place every bit as steeped in ritual and scandal as Brideshead. Hugh Lygon was so obviously the model for Sebastian Flyte (with Evelyn taking the part of the infatuated Charles Ryder) but it's with his sisters that Evelyn forms the strongest bonds. When their father, Earl Beauchamp, is forced to flee the country in disgrace (he was afflicted with a galloping and insatiable passion for footmen) the girls stand by him and take it in turns to stay with him in his various homes abroad. Again this is mirrored in 'Brideshead' with subtle changes made although, in this case, the real story was far more scandalous and fascinating than the fictional one (as it was Earl Beauchamps Brother in-law, the 2nd Duke of Westminister, who set about trying to ruin him .. and did so in a very underhand and spiteful way.) Evelyn was a great observer of character and many friends and acquaintances found themselves written into his fiction, with not altogether flattering results. They always recognised themselves which is hardly surprising as he described them so accurately, and he was often in trouble with them and called upon to make changes or give explanations (though he secretly enjoyed it and would sometimes write 'your turn next' in his letters to friends.)

 

It's not only a captivating account of the life of one of Britains best known 20th century novelists, but it's also a fascinating snapshot of life in the 1920's/30's especially life at Oxford which is described in all it's glory, with all the fights, the plays, the beautiful clothes, the jokes, the drinking, the homosexual encounters, the friendships, the jealousies, the painful love affairs and the scandal .. the one thing that they didn't seem to worry about was getting a decent education.

 

8/10

[poppyshake]

7.Book that everyone should be made to read in school:

 

I'd choose two books that probably are read quite a lot in schools, though I sadly never read them there. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee and 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens both beautifully written books with strong messages.

[frankie]

Thanks for the extra questions Frankie .. they look hard!! but I'll try my best.

 

You're welcome I didn't mean to force them on you, but apparently you already started answering the questions already so I guess you were willing! There might be some questions that are similar to the ones you've already done, sowwy!

 

1.Book next to your bed right now:

On my side of the bed there are two books, one is 'Our Spoons Came from Woolworths' by Barbara Comyns which is a funny little story that I'm really enjoying, the other book is 'The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas' by Gertrude Stein which I've only just started dipping into, but so far so good

.. Alan has Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book' which he's liking although not as much as 'Mr Chartwell' which he loooooooved (even more than I did )

 

Oooh, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, I've borrowed it from the library like 5 times but never really had a chance to get into it, there were always other books to read first. I'm glad you're liking it so far, maybe this'll push me into reading it myself. I'm very much waiting for your final say on the book! I haven't read Mr Chartwell yet (I've been putting it aside because I've been meaning to ask Kylie if she'd like to read it at the same time with me) but it's one of those books I just know I'll love, so I feel secure enough to say that Alan has good taste

 

well, you never know .. and I did hear he was looking for a lady (but then your bf might have something to say about it )

 

You're right, BF might not be too thrilled! While we're on the subject, there's one thing I've been meaning to tell you. I don't want to throw Kylie under the bus, but … when she saw us raving about David Mitchell, she image googled him and thought he was rather average, nothing like she'd imagined after reading our comments. Eventhough I'm upset on David's behalf, I have to say that before I knew about him myself, or saw The Peep Show, I noticed his picture as someone's avatar on some random forum and thought 'he's one of the weirdest looking people I've seen'. (he had a very quirky expression, I have to say to my defense!) Then I heard about the show, started watching it and fell in love. So I can't be disappointed in Kylie, but I did recommend she watch the show if she's able. I did good, didn't I?

 

Was that 'Melissa'? I remember seeing that and thinking it was odd to see her in modern clothes and with blonde hair (though I think she is naturally blonde) but even weirder was seeing her more recently on a talk show and hearing her talk with a pronounced american accent. She played Oscar Wilde's wife (to Stephen Fry's Oscar) and I have wanted to see it for ages but still haven't.

 

I don't really remember anything about the show, it was such a long time ago and I only caught glimpses of it, and the only thing I can really remember is that it was a detective series, and Jennifer looked so weird, in her modern look. Just because I'd seen her on P&P and to me she represented Victorian England, I just couldn't picture her as a real person living a normal life in the modern society! That's how good an actor she is. Yep, the hair was particularly weird, it was so short and the 'wrong' color.

 

I'm sure he could, and it would be fab. He's sometimes a guest on QI (have you seen QI?) it's a sort of panel quiz show with Stephen Fry as host and he's just so brilliant whenever he's on it, he's also on radio a lot. He used to be in a comedy programme that Jennifer Saunders wrote called 'Jam & Jerusalem' .. which also had Jennifer, Dawn French, Joanna Lumley and Sally Phillips in it but it was cancelled after three series. Not everybody got on with it but I liked it .. especially Sally who was brilliant as usual (David and Sally played sister and brother and they were chalk and cheese .. David was a serious rather pompous doctor and Sally was a sort of hippy, new age type.)

 

I haven't seen QI, to my utter dismay. I know the concept, to a point, but I don't know if this show has been aired in Finland I haven't seen Jam & Jerusalem either. Finland sucks!! I'd definitely love to see David Mitchell being his clever witty self on TV sometime.

 

that would be great! He's also in a show called 'Would I Lie To You?' with Lee Mack (who I also like!!) and Uncle Bryn Rob Brydon as host.

 

Haven't seen that one either!!

Edited June 12, 2011 by frankie