In Which The Weather Is Miserable....unlike The Finished Book

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I must admit that though I'm not a summer person, it's depressing when a day is spoilt because of the weather and there's really nothing to do. Tuesday has been exactly that. Raining from the moment I woke up and though dying out has still not stopped at the time I'm writing this.The greyness that so infected the past two months seems to have equally moved towards the beginning of this one. I shall regale future generations with the summer of 2016. All two days of it.

For my wife and daughter this didn't matter. Their day was made with the arrival to a new edition to the "family" and went to the hospital to see the baby girl. I didn't come along, if only because didn't think we should come in mob handed. And besides the baby is (extend lungs) my wife's brother's partner's daughter's daughter. Making me step uncle which I reckon puts me somewhere near the bottom of this family's tree.

I cannot really say that a lot was done. I've finished off watching the political drama Spin (Les Hommes De Les Ombres) and am now starting on the next French TV series Résistance about the French resistance during World War 2. So far on two episodes I'm impressed.

But at least a book was finished.

The American by the late Martin Booth was the thriller written in 1990 I bought, let's not forget, in of all places Poundland. So let me begin by saying that I loved it.

The book it reminds me of is The Eiger Sanction in the sense that it's about a man with refined tastes but a shady occupation. But although Trevanian's novel is entertaining in a seventies bestsellery kind of way this is by far the better book. It's slow burning, building with every chapter as you learn of the complex central character and what he has to face. I was gripped. 

If there is one criticism I would level it's about the title. Originally the thriller was called A Very Private Gentleman. However in 2010 there was a film of the book starring George Clooney and the title of both became The American. Now I have no problem with the title as it relates to the film. It's a movie after all starring Mr Clooney so it would be difficult to convince the cinema/DVD world that he could be from anywhere else but the USA.

However in the book the nationality of the character is as shady as his occupation. Although there are hints that he's English nothing is made clear. As a consequence I felt a bit cheated by the revision. Haven't checked but hope that any subsequent reprints went back to the original title.

Let this not hide the fact that it was one of the best books I've read this year.

And I bought it at Poundland!

Until the next time.