Has anybody read any of In Search of Lost Time - Marcel Proust Ulysses - James Joyce Finnegans Wake - James Joyce I have just spent an interesting few minutes reading up about these very famous, rather long and very difficult books which I have never attempted. I would like to be able to say I have read them, but am struggling to motivate myself, they don’t look like fun and at the speed I read at the moment just the Proust (3,200 pages for all seven volumes) would take me years, although that’s the one which I think I would enjoy most. Decades ago I read Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which I think I enjoyed, but it was nothing like as experimental as his big books. Comment and advice welcomed.
The James Bond producers are reportedly interested in Idris Elba as the new 007, following Daniel Craig's run, saying "it is time" for a non-white actor to take on the iconic role. i think he would make a good james bond
I don’t believe anyone has ever read Finnegan’s wake, the only people who would find it interesting are philologists, seeing that many of the composite words and phrases were put together by Joyce himself, not even sure that there is a story there. I have read Ulysses, some parts were hard to plough through but overall I think it is a superb book. Joyce himself seemed taken aback by how seriously the book was taken, complaining on more than one occasion that the humour in the book was generally overlooked by those who sought hidden and cryptic meaning beneath every phrase and episode. It does help if you are familiar with Dublin City’s layout as familiar place names help one to keep afloat. I read the first book of Proust’s trilogy in my late teens, I enjoyed it then but was too busy reading other things at the time to read further of him, now I don’t think I would have the interest.
Cheers Shaws. I somehow doubt I will summon the energy, but if I do an extended stay in Dublin with Ulysses might be the way to do it. Having read about Finnegan’s Wake I’m not even going to pretend to try that.
I posted this on the Today's Games thread earlier (it really should have been on this thread).......... Fantastic story on Adrian Chiles's R5 show earlier. It was about a QPR supporter who emigrated to the US in the late sixties and wound up serving in Vietnam. He wrote to QPR in 1969 asking for memorabilia and his letter was printed in the programme. An 11-year old kid saw it and put together a few programmes and badges and sent them off. The Chiles show had managed to track down both the soldier and the kid and they were on this morning telling their story. The ex-soldier related how he had opened the package in the middle of a firefight and the ex-kid told how he desperately tried to trace the soldier after the war to see if he had survived. He eventually found him, many years later, on Facebook! Heartwarming stuff. Anyway, I've found the piece on iPlayer (from 35.56) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bf4rnl Quite moving, give it a listen.
Steel - thanks for posting the James U Tube video. Lyrics seem very apt for todays lives where we all go where work takes us and we often leave those behind (although for a short while) we love. I have after 2 long years of trying to get back to Dorset (I have worked in Surrey for 6 1/2 years) managed to get a position where I will be nearer to where I need to be.
You're welcome Ninj - feel your pain, my work takes me all over the country and I'm regularly away from home a couple of nights a week. I don't enjoy being away, but I get to see a lot of new and different places every day.
Another guilty pleasure on a flight, Avengers Infinity War. The usual bunkum and CGI, but quite a lot of humour, mostly provided by Guardians of the Galaxy characters, who are great and come with their own superb soundtrack, and Thor, now being played as a comedy character. Ok its rubbish but as pure escapism it works very well. Started watching The Killing of a Sacred Deer, by the bloke who made the excellent but very disturbing Lobster, but fell asleep pretty rapidly. I assume its similar psychological horror with a heavy sauce of surrealism. From the first ten minutes it was certainly acted in a similar way (Colin Farrell, who was great in Lobster, and Nicole Kidman lead), quite flat and emotionless.
Airport terminals I have known in the past week...... Indianapolis - this little but new airport is great - flooded with natural light, polite staff at check in and the short security lines. Couple of decent places to eat. Shame that it only has one flight to Europe, which goes to Paris. Still, that’s one more than Birmingham has going across the Atlantic. Toronto Pearson, where I had stopovers on the way there and back. Again, polite and friendly immigration staff and with the huge advantage that you clear US immigration there with virtually no queues. Shiny newish terminal, designed by a blind person with a hatred for passengers. No decent eateries, cramped, impassable masses of people build up in small spaces as lots of flights to Europe depart in a short space of time in the evening. An unpleasant experience. Heathrow Terminal Two, newly renovated, also well lit with natural light. Decent range of shops and restaurants in the main area, but beware, if you are flying to North America the gates are a long way off, a handy way to get your steps in. And when you get there apart from a chain coffee shop there is nothing, and it’s too far to go back. Coming back through immigration today clearly a number of international flights had arrived at the same time and it was carnage, marshalled by gormless staff accepting no responsibility. I reckon up to a three hour queue for non UK/ EU citizens, and it was building up for them until they opened the electronic booths. I felt embarrassed that this was the first experience many were having of my country and voiced my opinion, was told by staff ‘go and make a complaint then’. I’ve been caught in long queues myself (Philadelphia, Newark a couple of times, Washington Dulles and Barcelona all unpleasant holding pens) but nothing like this. Favourite airport remains Munich.
Just started watching ‘Hip Hop Evolution’ that showed on Sky Arts a few months ago. A fascinating series that brings back some memories and charts the growth and successful jump to mainstream of Hip Hip music and culture. Some real classics from the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Kool Herc. Well worth a watch if you were around to remember the scene.
At the opposite end of the scale from Hip Hop Evolution, just got back from the Leamington Assembly Rooms seeing Wilko Johnson (71) and his superb band (the genius bassist Norman Watt Roy, ex Blockhead, a sprightly 67 and drummer Dylan Howe, son of Yes’ Steve Howe and a child at 49. Also a seriously good drummer). Of course it was excellent. The Assembly Rooms, not quite full, all standing and bopping around (quite scary as me and the wife were probably amongst the younger people there, I hope they had defibrillators handy) is a great venue for live music. The band were really tight, churned out Thames Delta r’n’b at pace and clearly just love playing music together. The old Dr Feelgood songs still stand out, and unfortunately highlight the only weakness, which is that Wilko really hasn’t got a great voice. Seeing Dr Feelgood in about 1975, when they really had an aura of menace and violence about them, was a positive life changing experience for me and I am forever in Wilko’s debt. He is a unique legend, runs Nick Lowe close for the Greatest Living Englishman title. It’s lovely being able to walk to the venue and have a nice pint or two on the way back. I hope it isn’t the last time I get to see the great man.
A good thing...? Wonga 'considering all options' as compensation claims surge http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45313958
I’m not sure which is more vile parasite- the payday lenders or the claims management companies orchestrating the compensation claims. Some years ago I met the then CEO of Wonga and was unimpressed by the bloke’s apparent arrogance. If Wonga fails, I recon few will lament it’s demise.
Great to hear Wilko's still going strong, after all he's been through in the last few years I'm sure he could walk on water...
Nothing unusual about Heathrow and queues, Terminal 3 is a dog, lots of US flights often have massive queues at immigration. I've had pickups there which the waiting time cost ends up more than the journey price. As you say, not a great welcome to the UK...
The thing which gets me is that it is incredibly easy to predict when the peak times are and staff up accordingly, but they never bother. But they have plenty of people hanging around to tell you which queue to get into.
Border force have been cut to the bone and quite often have to rob people from the channels just to try and get the Q’s down. The place is in a much turmoil as my old place. I might be wrong but I would think the people telling you which Q to go in are either the airline staff or BAA.....Border Force are the ones who have to check your passport and are completely different.
