Christmas reading

[altariel]

My Christmas reading seemed to consist chiefly of books about people going or being mad. I finally got to the end of The Golden Notebook, which seems to have taken YEARS to finish – not that I wasn’t enjoying it, just that the end never seemed to get any closer, in the manner of radioactive half-life or something. With eighty pages to go and departure from the house for Christmas imminent, I resorted to slicing the book down the spine to take the unread portion, rather than drag 500+ pages of read novel with me.

Lessing dispatched, I read Poppy Shakespeare, by Clare Allan, on loan from someone in my writing group. It explores the relationship between N., a long term patient at a mental institution and new arrival Poppy, who insists she is sane. A fast read, but very well done, particularly the form Poppy has to fill in to claim her MAD money. Extract and review.

Next up was one of my Christmas presents, Wish Her Safe at Home by Stephen Benatar, a curious and frankly disturbing first person account of a woman who inherits her aunt’s house in Bristol, moves into it from London, and promptly goes crackers. It was first published in 1982, and has just come back into print: apparently the author has been doing a great job promoting it in bookshops throughout the south-east (and in fact this is how it was sold to the friend who bought it me for Christmas). Fascinating introduction from John Carey about how he regrets not making the case for it as a Booker judge that year. Short review (which does Persephone Books a slight disservice, since they do reprint books written by men, if the subject matter matches their criteria).

When I got back home I reread Ballet Shoes, to see how much of the plot I had forgotten while watching the new TV adaptation, which turned out to be not much. I thoroughly enjoyed the adaptation – particularly Victoria Wood, Richard Griffiths, and Harriet Walter. (The Somerville romance between Doctor Jakes and Doctor Smith was discussed: "Is that true?" my viewing companion asked doubtfully. "It is now," I said.) Yasmin Paige was smashing as Petrova, and Emma Watson was not disastrous cast against type as talented young actress Pauline. (Miaow!) Poor Mrs Simpson, though, sacrificed to give Marc Warren Grief and therefore Character.

Now I am reading the pile of Phryne Fisher novels that I bought with my Amazon vouchers. This current one has anarchists in it. Anarchists! I hope they turn out to be good; they’re getting a bad press in the narrative at the moment from Bert and Cec.

I have David Thomson’s The People of the Sea part-read. A collection of Gaelic folk tales about seals (or, rather, his journeys collecting them), it is far too poetic not to take my time over it rather than crashing through. I have Germs, Guns, and Steel and Collapse by Jared Diamond out of the library, but frankly I’m wondering whether life is not too short.

Comments

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

I resorted to slicing the book down the spine

I think I need a lie-down now.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

*wafts Wild Iris with pages of an intact, pristine book*

If it helps, it was a second-hand copy that I'd got for a couple of dollars in the US. And my copy of Ballet Shoes is over 20 years old and in immaculate condition.

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

Sorry, it was just so... sudden :)

I've never heard of anyone amputating half of a book before. Was it like Bramwell - without anaesthetic and in full evening dress?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I should include warnings for horror!

I had read or heard something the week before about someone chopping Victorian novels into their three constituent parts for easier reading while commuting: I can't, however, remember where I read or heard that, nor, indeed, whether it was fact or fiction.

[sensiblecat.livejournal.com]

I've read People of the Sea. Canongate publish some relatively unknown little gems. Have you ever tried any Margaret Elphinstone?

I think Collapse is a very good read. Much of it is quite narrative in feel. GG&S I confess I've never tackled.

And Ballet Shoes? Delightful, and so very in period. I'm glad they didn't try to update it. It wouldn't have worked.

[muninnhuginn]

I'd always thought it was standard practice for folk on wilderness expeditions to do this so as to avoid carrying the weight of the read portions. [I used to imagine a sensible use for the discarded pages too. But, then, I'm a philistine.]

[altariel.livejournal.com]

One of the local bookshops has a big stock of remaindered Canongate books (where I found the Thomson): I'll look out for Margaret Elphinstone when I'm next in.

Thanks for the rec on Collapse: I'm going to try that one before GG&S, I think, and see how I get on.

Oh it would have been awful to update Ballet Shoes! I wonder if they could get away with doing the Gemma books in a period setting now?

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

I thought the Victorians just left the baby at the station so they could transport the novel in the pram :)

[white_hart]

Yes, I was rather distressed at the cold-blooded killing off of Mrs Simpson. I thought they'd done it to give Sylvia a shot at Romance, because how can there be a happy ending if there are still single women around (apart from Nana, obviously)?

[white_hart]

I would recommend Elphinstone's The Incomer, which is half folklore/landscape and half post-apocalyptic feminist sf; it was a book that made a huge impact on me in my teens.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

And which I now remember I borrowed from a friend ages ago and still have unread upstairs! Oh lord, I'm lost...

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I adore that icon.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I sort of forgave because the romance between Sylvia-Emilia and John-Marc was so touchingly acted, but it did irritate.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

:-D

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

I can lend you some Margaret Elphinstone - The Incomer* (and I second the recommendation), and The Sea Road.

She also has a short story "Spinning the Green" in Despatches from the Frontiers of the Female Mind. I can't remember if you've read that or own it.

*Drat and drabbit, my copy of The Incomer is not where it should be. Possibly I've lent it to someone already, but I cannot remember who.

[gair.livejournal.com]

Hoorah for the lesbian doctors! (I was chiefly chuffed when I got my PhD because now gerald and I ARE the lesbian doctors out of Ballet Shoes). They are as true in the book as they are in the film, tell Mr: I too have just finished my re-read and they are pretty couply (they go on holiday together as a matter of course, when one of them is sick they both go away for her convalescence); also, the splendid butch monocle of joy appears to be canonical (at least in my illustrations).

We both hated the adaptation with the kind of fiery indignation we would usually reserve for JKR, though.

Ooh, and guess what I am reading? BUJOLD. She is UNBELIEVABLY BRILLIANT, I am profoundly in love with Miles (who is exactly like Blake, I am surprised it is not commented on more often), and I blame both you and gerald heartily for not making me read them sooner.

[narie.livejournal.com]

It's rather fitting that you should slice a Lessing book up, as in her Nobel acceptance speech she talks about doing just that.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I was wondering when someone would mention "Ballet Shoes". I have never read the book, but I greatly enjoyed the TV adaption.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

I resorted to slicing the book down the spine to take the unread portion

*winces*. I see the necessity, but I get a truly physical reaction at the idea of the mutilation of books, which doesn't make sense really, because it's not like there aren't plenty more, but I will certainly never forgive my stepmother for cutting up Lord of the Rings on a hiking holiday and discarding bits as she went. I mean, what if you wanted to READ A BIT AGAIN!? *shudders*

I just started The Blue Hawk, and it is as great as I remember! And I'm totally going to look out some Phryne books, because they sound completely great. Anarchists!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

You've lent it to me! (I remembered upthread. This was bound to happen one day, wasn't it?)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ah! I wrote upthread that I'd read about someone doing that, so maybe that was where it was! (I read Lessing's speech but my memory is terrible.)

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

You've lent it to me! (I remembered upthread. This was bound to happen one day, wasn't it?)

:-)

It surely was! That's what I get for storing a bunch of books at your place. (BTW, I still have several of your Hilary Mantel books, as well as your first three Phryne Fisher books.)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

*goes to check* Yes, that's where I read it!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Hah! narie downthread reminded me that where I read this was in Lessing's Nobel acceptance speech!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

And of course I have some more Phryne to store at yours lend you now!