Man vs Beast,When Biographies Should Be Recategorised,Cookery Books And When You're Out Of Step

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Hunting for pleasure can in my view never be justified. However yesterday I felt a visceral primeval gratification when I killed an animal.

That animal being a house fly.

Not just any house fly. A house fly that has been taunting me with its presence for days.A house fly that buzzed me in the face whilst I was asleep in front of the football. A house fly that mocked me a few days ago when I thought I'd killed it only to hover around a few hours afterwards.

It was it or me. It was war.

And so high noon. Or rather grey morning around ten came on Thursday. I walked into the kitchen and there it was.....on the window.

With a move my caveman ancestors would have been proud of I grabbed a tea towel and flicked it at the beast. Next time it was seen it was on the ledge. Legs up. Dead.

I gave it a watery send off down the sink.

I am man...hear me domestically roar.

Well I've finished Higher than Hope. The authorised biography of Nelson Mandela by Fatima Meer. As a biography it's flawed simply because of it's out of date almost from it's publication. The edition I read was first published in 1988 but this print was published in 1990. So since the book was published he was released from jail, divorces Winnie Mandela ,remarries and becomes President of his country.

So as a biography then it has it's problems. However don't forget that it was an authorised piece of work (authorised don't forget whilst Mandela was still in prison). Also as a chronicle of the political process in the fight against apartheid I haven't read a better book. It also details the pressures from the white security services that his family especially Winnie Mandela was put under. Something that needs to be borne in mind when people feel like judging her from the comfort of their living rooms.

It also prints extracts from Nelson Mandela's letters from prison. It hints at the generosity of spirit that we all learnt he had when he was released. Speaking personally if I was incarerated for decades whilst fighting for the freedom of an oppressed majority I doubt I would have this. Which is probably why he is such a great figure for us all.

Perhaps then this book should be recategorised. Perhaps then as it's not a cut and paste job it should be considered as a history book with a central character. Because it's a book that deserves to be read.

So then it's time to pick out a book from the great unread. This was the first that came up.

Elizabeth David - Italian Food

Now I must be honest and say that there are a number of cookery books in the house where the only thing that touches them once it's put on the bookshelf is dust. I will also admit that if this book did not have a white coloured spine it would not have been bought famous writer though  Elizabeth David is. Still it's here and I have it so I'll need to do something.

Well...you probably have guessed this by now...I'm going to go through every recipe. It's not going to be quick (won't be able to start this till at least two weeks for various reasons and it will be haphazard in its frequency). Also as this is Bridgend and not Bologna I'm quite happy to compromise where necessary. So if a recipe demands a mushroom that can only be obtained on a remote mountain in Tuscany well forget that. It's the supermarket mushrooms I'll go to instead. And you know what, as much as is possible that supermarket is going to be Aldi or Lidl. Just to see whether without going through specialist shops you could reproduce something close to the recipe (not saying exactly mind, but as long as it's tasty that's success enough for me).

Of course what this means is that I need another Penguin book to read. From the great unread comes this.

F Scott Fitzgerald - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories

You know there are some writers where as a reader you're out of step with most other people judged on the books you have read knowing that you haven't read everything. So if we take D H Lawrence for example based on the books I have read I'm firmly of the view that if it wasn't for the notoriety of Lady Chatterly's Lover he wouldn't be remembered today. The last book I read of his. Kangaroo, was just aimless tosh.

With F Scott Fitzgerald I've read two books and with both I feel I'm in a position which is more out of step than just dislike. It's neutrality. He just doesn't do it for me either way. Cannot explain why. Let's see if this makes any difference.

Until the next time.