A Touch Of The Bios

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I've said it before, and I'll probably bore everyone again until we actually move, but this twilight zone period of packing everything but essentials until it has taken place has meant an increase in my reading.

In a period of twenty four hours since my previous post I've finished two books, (though as I'll explain later there is a particular reason re one of them) both biographies.

The Life of Mrs Robert Louis Stevenson by Nellie Van De Grift Sanchez was a pleasant enough read. The author was the sister of the subject (and let's as we should name her Frances Matilda Van De Grift) so we were unlikely from the start to get anything resembling "Whilst Robert was writing famous novels Frances would amuse herself by flower arranging and shooting arrows at stray dogs".

What you get is an author who seemed to genuinely care for her sister and a life that was not without its problems but had a genuine love affair in its core. It's not going to be the best biography that you'll ever read but I don't think you'll regret having done so.

The other book turned out to be the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Probably the oldest autobiography I've ever read. It was also not that big a read.

As I was swiping the pages I was thinking, his early life is all very well but where are the juicy bits? Where is the "MY BATTLE WITH THE BRITS" or "CARNAGE IN DRAWING THE CONSTITUTION - I told Jefferson gun control checks were important?" It wasn't until very late in the book was there any mention of his experiments with electricity.

The real shock though came at the end. As I was wondering what was going on the last page revealed....that it was unfinished. I'm assuming because he died.

This was a free book, that said I did feel a bit short changed. What I read was not that interesting and didn't really explain what lead him to fight a war of independence. In a parallel universe there is I suspect a more complete and fascinating book, just not this one.

The next book on the list is a collection of short stories by Henry James. I must admit that this will be the first book I've ever read by him. He's the sort of author I've always been meaning to read but life interfered....until now.

Until the next time.

In Which I Chat About Jane Austen,Rugby, RLS' Wife, Houses And The Disappearance Of Barry Town FC

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I woke up on Saturday, unwillingly you understand, at quarter to four in the morning. And after making a cup of tea did what I tend to do often now. Read. so Emma by Jane Austen was finished.

Speaking as I can now do,with the vast experience of having reading one of her novels, is that Jane Austen moves in with F Scott Fitzgerald and Anton Chekhov as a writer with whom I'm in literary Switzerland about. She is certainly readable. But I don't understand how she can be considered "great".

As I explained previously being neutral on a writer is a difficult position to be in. If only because not disliking one means that you can't shake off the feeling that you might be missing something. What I especially don't understand is why she's stood the test of time especially when compared to writers like the Brontes or George Eliot. But then again what do I know being a man?

The next book on the great ebook unread was Rugby Union Basics For Dummies in a day by Nick Cain and Greg Growden. It was free and to be honest after reading it was probably the best thing about it. I learnt very little about a sport whose rules I've only gleaned through osmosis. Anyway it was finished. Two books done in a day.

Did you know that Robert Louis Stevenson's wife was American? I didn't. But it's the first thing I've learnt in the latest book I'm reading The Life of Mrs Robert Louis Stevenson by his wife's sister Nellie Van De Grift Sanchez. So far so good.

On the house searching front went to see two today. Both seem genuine contenders. Wife and I are going to spend the weekend thinking this one through. We might offer on Monday. More then.

After that was done we went to see a friend who lives in Barry. She and the wife I knew would spend the afternoon chatting about the houses we've seen and the general moving situation. Knew I'd be bored.What to do?

But then a solution occurred to me. Our friend lived near Jenner Park, home of the Welsh league side Barry Town FC. As there were no more houses to watch I'd get daughter to go online, check and if they were playing at home and go off to the game.

This was done. The internet was clear. Barry Town FC would be playing Goytre United FC at two thirty. I'd be a little late, but I'd not been able to watch football for a while so it would give me a little break from everything that's swirling my beleaguered brain with regard to moving house and finding one to live in.

It wouldn't have been the first time I've been to Jenner Park. When I was courting my wife and I did crosscountry courting with my wife between South Wales and Essex (A real Gavin Stacey moment) her uncle (even more Gavin/Stacey like), a good man now sadly passed away took me to a match there between Barry Town and Flint Town FC.

I'd learnt two things from that game. One that Welsh football went far beyond Cardiff,Swansea Wrexham and Newport and the other was that Flint Town taught me that dependent on exactly where you are the North Walian accent could have a trace of Scouse on it.

As I was closer to the ground heard no sounds of a match or saw supporters moving in. Noticed ticket offices being boarded up, Eventually from a small gap I'd noticed....no football...indeed not even passing birds on the pitch. As I said on my return to our friends' house wherever Barry Town were playing it was not Jenner Park.

Further investigations by daughter revealed the phrase "venue to be decided" on the internet. I found out later that they'd played Goytre United at Goytre's ground. The opposite fixture will be next Saturday, useless to me as I'll be working.

Ah well...

Until the next time,