Category: Literature

Ending Up

Kingsley Amis peaked early with Lucky Jim, published in 1954 when he was 32. He never wrote anything remotely as good and it beats me how Ending Up got nominated for the Booker Prize. I suppose the judges warmed to it as it’s only 113 pages.

Llangwm Lit Fest

When I was born there was just one, founded in 1949 in Cheltenham. Another one started in Yorkshire in 1973 and in the 1980s they proliferated. Could be country house operas or building societies but no cigar.

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Categorised as Literature

The Honoured Society

I had to wait a few minutes on the ground floor of Waterstones flagship branch on Piccadilly while Robert went upstairs to buy the new John Niven (not to be confused with David N).

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Categorised as Literature

Floating Voters

Countries in the Former Soviet Union have a broader franchise than many western countries, including the UK.

Zuleika

You may remember a post about Max Beerbohm some eighteen months ago.

Oliver Goldsmith

It was a good Grand National for Ireland. The winner, Tiger Roll, is trained at Summerhill in Co Meath on my sister’s doorstep. Another Irish horse came second at 66/1, Magic of Light, trained by Jessica Harrington, my brother-in-law’s sister. Ireland has always punched above its weight and not just on the turf.

Knockfane

A Homan Potterton is as reliable as the eponymous boiler so I have no hesitation in recommending Knockfane, Homan’s first novel, although I’ve not read it yet. Hitherto he has published two acclaimed Memoirs.

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Categorised as Literature