Here is my take on Bill Bryson's "The Road to Little Dribbling" published in 2015. The book was gvien to me as a birthday present, and a very enjoyable one it has proved to be. He wrote the book as a follow-up to "Notes from a Small Island" and upon his return to living in the UK and becoming a UK citizen after taking the required test. Throughout his travels the length and breadth of the UK, he points out the good aspects such as the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act which basically put a "green belt around London and other UK cities to protect the countryside from developers and preserve a rich environment for the UK public to enjoy in whatever manner they choose. In equal measure he is very critical of those that merit it including the Beeching Act and those involved in its implementation from Marples to Harold Wilson, no less!! For me, Bryson is one of the finest wordsmiths in the field of travel writing as you can take the book anywhere and discuss the book's merits with family or friends over a meal or drink,
Wondered is anyone else has been reading "Otherlands" by Thomas Halliday? I gave got as far as the chapter on the Triassic period but find the descriptions of the natural history and landscape of prehisoric times really fascinating. It is a shame that the book was only sparsely illustrated as the worlds described merit pictures to demonstrate their wierdness. Fascinating to think that these worlds eisted for millions of year longer than the world we ae familiar with.
Huge recommend for John Niven's recent memoir, O Brother. Niven is a very, very amusing writer, but this is largely about the suicide 12 years ago of his brother Gary. So it's incredibly moving and visceral in parts, as well as being hugely funny in others. He grew up immersed in music as well (he's the author of the brilliant novel, Kill Your Friends), so lots of great cultural references that people of a certain age will enjoy. Note to Chilco - you've got me into the Jack Reacher books, you bugger, but I have one concern with them. Reacher must absolutely stink. He only ever carries a toothbrush, so there's never, ever any deodorant present.
I’ve only just become aware of this subject on here . Did anyone see the Neil Gaiman play “ Ocean at the end of the lane “ It was adapted from the book . We saw it at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton . We loved it , I’m a msssive fan of his anyway
I am reading the first "Flashman" novel by George MacDoanld Fraser and don't what to make of it. The book was written in 1969 and strikes me as being very much a perspective of Victorian life through the lens of the Swingng Sixties. I believe one American reviewer described the Flashman books as a biting satire on the British Empire and this is a view which is easy to agree with. However, reading an article on a website by historian the military Saul David who had met GMF , it is clear that the author's views were Right Wing and that the books were not quite as cynical as they may seem now. They "read" differently now in 2023 from how they were intended in the 1970s. The historical research in the book is staggering , especially as GMF gives Flashman a chatty and casual voice whih lends the book a degree of authencity. This may excause the mysogyny and the constant used of the "N word" throughout the book and David commented that GMF was broadly sympathetic with the notion of the Empire and hated political correctness. David went to mention that they had discussed "revisionist" historians like Fergus Fleming who was seen as an apologist for the Empire and how this mirrored the perception within the Flashman novels. Given the recent topic within the newspapers of censorship of writers as diverse as Ian Fleming and Roald Dahl, I am surprised that GMF's name has not come up in these discussions since, as enjoyable and well researched as they are, I am reading this book and thinking that these ideas are not ones that should be available in 2023. I don't think I have read a writer whose novel is so full of racism and have a shocking perception of women.
We're off to Zakynthos Saturday for a couple of weeks. I may read John Fowles The Magus again last read when visiting Spetse where much of the book is set.
Walking the Himalayas Levison Wood I seem to be on a voyage of exploration and travel at the moment with my choice of reading. The latest voyage took me to the Himalayas. The way Levison writes, you are with him on this journey as you are seeing the places where he journeyed on foot, from Afghaniston, through Pakistan to the disputed territory of Kashmir, where he had to take a detour of several hundreds of miles to get to Indian side through his eyes, On he travelled through India, Nepal and finally the mountain kingdom of Bhutan. One thing for sure! If you are going to follow in his footsteps you need to be superbly fit, learn how to get on with the locals. have a guide, pay people for their services, sleep wherever it is possible and eat what is available. If you are interested in the history, geography and culture of the área, then I recommend this book. Having found out a little bit more about him, some of his expeditions have been abridged by Channel 4 which no doubt, someone here may have seen.
I’m listening to JDKirks DCI Logan a good Scottish detective series. I’m on book 5 in the series (20 books in the series.
They’re good books and, imo, would make for a very good tv series. The humour/piss taking is second to none yet there is also a lot of pathos.
Don't go all huffy Ides . I don't usually comment on here but I was going to reply purely because you mentioned Bhutan which is somewhere I've always found interesting. In fact I would love to go to all the countries (maybe not Afghanistan) you've quoted but sadly I don't think I will get around to it. Another drawback is I'm not superbly fit, don't need a guide and have no intention of getting on with the locals although I have paid people for their services on occasions . (All of that sentence is my little joke except not being fit). There are names associated with that area of the world that just sound so exotic and appealing but somehow unreachable. For example Hindu Kush, Kashmir, Karakoram, Annapurna, Kathmandu just makes you want to go there. I have travelled quite a bit but just when you think you've been to most places, you realise in actual fact you've hardly scratched the surface.
J K Rowlings The Casual Vacancy The Casual Vacancy was J K Rowlings first novel post her Harry Potter era and is aimed at, primarily, an adult readership. Set in the fictional South-West small town of Pagford, which neighbours the much larger town of Yarvil, she writes about everyday issues through the various characters that appear in the novel. The central character is Barry Fairbrother, a councillor on the Parish Council. he dies early in the novel from a brain haemorrhage.. His death sparks a power struggle between the different factions to secure the vacancy for their favoured candidate. Interwined with the central plot, Rowlings deals with many issues that are relevant in a contemporary society. These involve marital and domestic tensions that involve verbal and physical abuse within families who do not live on the “sink” council estate but in relatively well-to-do households. She deals with the impact of drug addiction and the impact this has on the family and their well-being through the character of Terri. I feel she has an empathy with the issue as Terri has experienced many difficult relationships throughout her life. In contrast, she sees through the pettiness of political divisions and the negative effects this has on a community. The book was published in 2012. With austerity being the Government’s central economic plank, she refers to this through certains members of the council wanting to close the addiction clinic. I would recommend this book as it highlights issues that affect us all. Furthermore, it might shift previous deeply engrained values and attitudes. towards certain sectors of society.
I've had this book on my pile for ages now - almost since it came out - but never really felt the compulsion to go for it...you think I should though?
Give it a try!! The themes covered may not appeal to everyone but I enjoyed it, since the way she portrayed the central characters who turned out to be not what they appear to be at face value.
I will get round to it at some point - there's just always something that makes me feel more compelled to start instead though. I have my fill of politics around the place, and frankly I read to escape!
I'm reading Sly Stone's autobiography at the moment. A remarkable story - he gave up crack cocaine in 2019, when he was 77! A bona fide musical genius, but you can't escape from the fact he seems to be a bit of a prick...
