On Books: Particularly on the Plante in the Quick Reads Garden

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Well read a number of books since the last post, so let's begin.

All Hell Breaks Loose - Max Hastings: What I said about the book previously is unchanged now I've finished it. The best non-fiction book I've read so far this year.

1227 QI Facts - John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, James Harkin: A bought it because it was a) cheap and b) I'm a fan of the TV programme. This was though a mistake, though it could be personal to me. I'm not a fan of books that you can "dip into" finding them difficult to concentrate on if you're trying to read from cover to cover. It does have Quite Interesting facts (Cardiff has more sunshine than Milan caught my eye) but I thought my view of it would be different to those similar books given I liked the TV show it was based on. I was wrong.

The Essays Of Arthur Schopenhauer ; Studies In Pessimism: Philosophers eh? They get paid to write down what they're thinking in long words and everyone thinks they're a deity? Well it's the first time I read Arthur's stuff and I wasn't impressed.

You get for example stupid ideas like "We should forgive a man his folly" and you think "Really Arthur? If I went and killed someone close to you would you really forgive me? Really?

Aside from one really interesting essay on suicide (which when he wrote it was a crime) this was mainly long words wrapped around the bleeding obvious. The real odious essay was that on Women. If you're female I'd suggest you check your blood pressure before proceeding.

And speaking of females....

Lynda La Plante - The Little One

This was the latest library book I'd read.

What perhaps is first worth discussing is that it came out of the QuickReads stable. These are slim books written by established writers either to attract people who have gone off reading or readers eager for that quick fix. Essentially literary espresso. By getting people to read more following reading a Quick Read book then it has performed a service for us all.

I had never read a Lynda La Plante book before, purely a case of so many books so little time, but I feel having finished it that clearly I've been missing out. The story of the relationship between a struggling journalist and an ex Soap star leads you one way and then twists and turns. You assume that things are moving in one direction and then seamlessly your preconceptions are subverted. Only towards the end did I begin to understand what was happening.

Ms La Plante clearly has a skill in plot then. But also in character. Your views seem to shift with every page. Things are not as they seem.

I really enjoyed this book. Clearly it's my loss I've not read her before.

Until the next time.

How I Avoided The Royal Wedding With The Help Of Work,A Classical Music Radio Station, Heavy Rock And The Second World War

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Well then Saturday was Royal Wedding Day and I was working. And a good thing too. Even if I hadn't worked I'd have avoided it. Essentially the reasons boil down to two.

Firstly I'm a Republican. A nation should not be obsessed by a fairytale idea of a King, Queen and the rest of what is a privileged elite. Why in events such as these the television stations for example will be broadcasting through the medium of curtsy is beyond me.

Take for example the reporting of Meghan Markle's father. Yet those of us old enough to remember the issues surrounding the divorce Of Charles and Diana know that he didn't cover himself with glory. And yet apparently all is now forgotten.

For a lot of people the Royal family is a fairy story that hides the true state of Britain where the tale is Grimm

Secondly I have no interest in watching a wedding on television and I suspect that most men (other than those who will dress in union jack clothing for the day - when at any other moment they'd be considered weird) feel the same whatever their views on the monarchy otherwise. As I think I've mentioned before the process of getting married in a church, as opposed to getting married is a distinctly female event. Men, I would guess, would rather watch the sport on another channel.

Wife and daughter went to an event organised by a (female) friend where they and more female fans watched the event...yes I know. And you know what? She's also recorded it!

As it happens I also missed the FA Cup Final today as well. But to be honest I don't care about that either (though I'd admit I'd would've watched it if I wasn't working). Mainly because the final does not this year hold out any interest for the neutral.

So where did I start avoiding this wedding whilst I'm wasn't working? Well a classical music radio station, so the wedding would probably only be mentioned in the news headlines (and as it happens the wedding was the second item on their news at 12:30). Not Classical King FM as Ms Markle is American so the choice was (taken as a whole) my favourite classical radio station RTE Lyric FM of the Irish Republic.

I was listening to an aimiable programme called The Hamilton Scores. Where George Hamilton leads through a range of easy listening classical scores perfect for a Saturday morning. The title? Well I'm assuming that refers to his work as a football commentator. I mean? A football commentator on a classical music station? Where else but RTE Lyric FM would be comfortable with that? It is, as I've said before the most unpretentious classical music station I know.

Heavy rock? Well this was the latest library book I read.

Ian Vince - The Lie Of The Land

This book was trying I think to make geology accessible for the masses as he chatted about the subject whilst going round Britain.

Now Mr Vince can write, when he was chatting about his travels you were interested (indeed as an aside he mentioned another book he wrote about travelling around Britain in a milk float - I do want to read that). But....when the book chatted about the specifics geology then it got ...well...rocky (apologies but I couldn't resist).

It was dull.

In essence if your interest in rocks doesn't go beyond the views it produces or avoiding them in the case of an avalanche then it really isn't the book for you.

Continued then reading Max Hastings book All Hell Let Loose about the Second World War mainly through the eyes of ordinary people caught up in it. I haven't finished it yet, but I suspect it will be the best non-fiction book I've read so far this year. Mr Hastings handles the large remit with ease and aplomb. Also, a key test of any history book is that it tells something you didn't already know. It worked on that basis as well. I thought I knew enough on the Second World War. Mr Hastings proved me wrong.

So a Conservative historian helped me avoid a most conservative of events. I should thank him.

Thank you Mr Hastings.

Until the next time.

On Books: Including Not Really Liking Jane Austen

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Well what can I say? Regular readers will know that I've read Jane Austen books with an open mind. Until the last book Lady Susan my view was neutral.

And of course I'm a fifty four year old man, so not her natural audience. Also everything I'm going to say is on the understanding that I haven't read all of her novels including the biggie Pride and Prejudice.

But I've finished Northanger Abbey, and well, I was bored.

It actually started so well. I got the fish out of water theme it seemed interesting enough. But then my mind was rather dulled by it all and then it started to wander until at the very end I really couldn't care less if all of the characters jumped off a cliff in mass suicide (spoiler alert:they don't).

So why don't I like her now? Well not being her audience is clearly a factor but not the only one. I think possibly because her male and female characters seem like clichés to me. Perhaps this "comedy of manners" thing is not for me. We shall see when I read her next time.

The next book was Letters Of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society. I enjoyed reading this, having taken a bit of an interest since he was mentioned in Robert Macfarlane's Tracks. But if you don't know George Borrow from George and the Dragon this will have no interest for you whatsoever and best avoided.

The Death of Balder a short play was the next thing. I don't like reading plays as a rule. I didn't like this one.

The next book is All Hell Let Loose by Max Hastings about the second World War. I've read his book about the D-day landings and liked it and so am looking forward to reading this.

Jane Austen it is not.

Until the next time.