Of late I have mostly been reading...

**piglit'n'rolf** · 02-02-2010, 08:44 PM

The reviews of the Dave Eggers novel of Wild Things have been poor. But his first novel/memoir is truly great and should be read.

The film of Wild Things I actually liked. But if you think of it as a film of the book then you won't be pleased. They are two very separate things; Sendak was closely involved with the film.

Recently seen the Gruffalo (TV and on stage) and the Snowman (stage production, heavy on the ballet). All expanded versions of what are originally very small, short stories. Wild Things I reckon was the most imaginative use of the source material.

There is an animated version of Wild Things; Czech I think and dates from the 70s. Good, but a very literal transition.

**Little Jimmy Oddman** · 02-02-2010, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by piglit'n'rolf

But his first novel/memoir is truly great and should be read.

Absolutely. The po-mo stylings are much less irritating than might be expected.

**piglit'n'rolf** · 02-02-2010, 11:00 PM

with "Heartbreaking work..." make sure you read from the very first word. Some hilarious stuff buried in the small print pages.

**ashra** · 02-02-2010, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by piglit'n'rolf

with "Heartbreaking work..." make sure you read from the very first word. Some hilarious stuff buried in the small print pages.

His pirate supplies shop in San Francisco is pretty hilarious too

**babycart** · 10-02-2010, 11:39 AM

I like Colin McInnes' Absolute Beginners and, especially, City of Spades, so when I saw Sweet Saturday Night, a book by him about music hall, I bought it.

It's pretty good and covers 80 years of British popular music in a necessarily concise manner, although McInnes stresses that he's no expert. What is surprising is the amount of songs that you still recognise today.

Something else that occurred to me is that music hall was, by and large, a London phenomena, and a strong whiff of it seems to linger on in London-based acts

The Kinks, Ian Dury, Madness, Blur, even Lily Allen all came from London and all do bittersweet or humourous slice-of-life lyrics set to jaunty tunes, a bit saucy, a bit sentimental. Dury, especially, seems to be pure Dan Leno-style music hall. I can't really think of too many bands from the provinces with the same attitude.

**emperor tomato ketchup** · 10-02-2010, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by MPFlapp

This is a classic - I gave up counting how many second hand guitars they bought...

I found it really annoying. It conveyed the tedium of being on tour by being really tedious. But badly written and dull. Bruce Thomas' "The Big Wheel" is much better.

**jakartajive** · 10-02-2010, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by babycart

The Kinks, Ian Dury, Madness, Blur, even Lily Allen all came from London.

Can I be the first to point out the factual incorrectness of this statement.

With geography skills like that, you'll be telling me Birmingham isn't in the north next.

**Kaituna95** · 10-02-2010, 12:43 PM

It's been a busy week this last week

Polished off Peter Hook's "The Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club" which was bought with Birthday Tokens but wasn't worth the price paid - the Record Collector review tells you all you need to know.

Quickly finished Robert Harris's "Fatherland" after being drawn in with the sub title of "What if Hitler had won?" and also being particular to a bit of German war fiction.

And on the train this morning I have just started Peter Lehman's "Roy Orbison: The Invention of an Alternative Rock Masculinity" which was been on my wants list for a while.

I need to chase Waterstones as well for my Rick Rubin book's.

**babycart** · 10-02-2010, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by jakartajive

Can I be the first to point out the factual incorrectness of this statement.

.

Which ones aren't eel noshers then?

**Mr Naga** · 10-02-2010, 01:05 PM

Just had to give up on Vonnegut's 'Galapagos' which was failing to hold my interest. Shame as I love Slaughterhouse 5, Bluebeard and Breakfast
of Champions - think my brain has broken down in the cold.

**bodger** · 10-02-2010, 02:13 PM

1984

**Filthy Rich** · 10-02-2010, 02:20 PM

"Just had to give up on Vonnegut's 'Galapagos' which was failing to hold my interest. Shame as I love Slaughterhouse 5, Bluebeard and Breakfast
of Champions - think my brain has broken down in the cold."

Really? I thought that that was one of his best - although I guess it does take a little while to get going and to reveal what's going on - and has some of his most interesting ideas in it.

"At the moment MWQ is on my list of books I realise I will never get round to (see also Clarissa) but if I really enjoy Young Torless I might revise that."

I quite enjoyed Young Torless but not enough to embark on the doorstop. Next for me is The Late Mattia Pascal by Pirandello or possibly a biography of Monte Hellman which promises to be really good.

**Mr Naga** · 10-02-2010, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Filthy Rich

Really? I thought that that was one of his best - although I guess it does take a little while to get going and to reveal what's going on - and has some of his most interesting ideas in it.

Sometimes I find his stuff is a bit hard-going to start off with and I'm probably not giving it a fair chance - I'm going to read a couple of ladybird books and work up to it again at some point.

**Hooded Claw** · 10-02-2010, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Mr Naga

Sometimes I find his stuff is a bit hard-going to start off with and I'm probably not giving it a fair chance - I'm going to read a couple of ladybird books and work up to it again at some point.

I agree with Rich, Galapagos is brilliant. Does take a while to get going though.

**ginghamkitchen** · 10-02-2010, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by babycart

Which ones aren't eel noshers then?

Blur are from Colchester in Essex, as am I. We don't have a big music hall tradition there.

**babycart** · 10-02-2010, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by ginghamkitchen

Blur are from Colchester in Essex, as am I. We don't have a big music hall tradition there.

Pop goes my theory then.

McInnes tells this story, which I liked:

Lloyd's songs, although perfectly harmless by modern standards, began to gain a reputation for being "racy" and filled with double entendre, ("She'd never had her ticket punched before" for example) largely thanks to the manner in which she sang them, adding winks and gestures, and creating a conspiratorial relationship with her audience. She became the target of Vigilance or "Watch" committees and others opposing music-hall licenses. She liked to claim that any immorality was in the minds of the complainants, and in front of these groups would sing her songs "straight" to show their supposed innocence. In one famous incident, she was summoned before one of these committees and asked to sing her songs. She sang "Oh! Mr Porter"; and "A Little of What you Fancy" in such a sweet innocent way that the committee had no reason to find anything amiss. She then rendered the drawing-room ballad "Come into the Garden Maud" in such an obscene way that the committee was shocked into silence. She did herself no favours.

**Filthy Rich** · 10-02-2010, 04:13 PM

Just round the corner from me

**Filthy Rich** · 10-02-2010, 04:15 PM

And, totally unrelated, but still kind of cool, my friend lives in this house

**Mr Naga** · 26-05-2010, 07:44 PM

I'm struggling through a Sonic Youth biography. It's not bad but they're not exactly the most rock n' roll for Danny Sugarman style excess stories. Most interesting bit so far (300 pages in) is they got paid a (low) seven figure amount for doing Loolapalooza in 1995. A million dollars!? Sonic Youth? Madness.

I think I need a new book...

**mp3000** · 26-05-2010, 10:05 PM

Derek Raymond - How The Dead Live. Picked up a copy after a reccomendation here on the board. Excellent stuff, that nameless narrator is a great character and he always has something offensive to say.

**ginghamkitchen** · 26-05-2010, 10:09 PM

I've been reading David Kynaston's books about Britain: Austerity Britain (2007) and Family Britain, just out - I believe his ultimate plan is to cover our post-war history up to the present day. They're excellent, full of surprising detail.

Why is it that you start getting more and more interested in history as you get older? Is it a counterbalance to death awareness syndrome?

**Crawdaddy Simon** · 27-05-2010, 02:45 AM

Currently re-reading:

Apparently ghost-written by an NME journalist and factually questionable, but still fun.

**d7bohs** · 27-05-2010, 07:22 AM

Re-reading Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford. Perhaps not the best novel in English of the last century, but I'd argue for it as the best novel by an Englishman.

**blacksheepboy** · 27-05-2010, 11:03 AM

Been enjoying a few record related reads of late-

Vinyl Junkies by Brett Milano

The Long Player Goodbye by Travis Elborough

The Fallen- Searching for Missing Members of the Fall by Dave Simpson

Have thoroughly enjoyed each of these- I have to go and do some work now, maybe say a bit more about them later. All highly recommendable though

**BestDressedChicken** · 27-05-2010, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by ginghamkitchen

I've been reading David Kynaston's books about Britain: Austerity Britain (2007) and Family Britain, just out - I believe his ultimate plan is to cover our post-war history up to the present day. They're excellent, full of surprising detail.

Why is it that you start getting more and more interested in history as you get older? Is it a counterbalance to death awareness syndrome?

Maybe it's because you stop focusing on what is immediately around you, the contemporary, as it becomes less targeted at you, and you start wondering more about where you've come from. Related to having kids maybe?

Last book finished - A Fighter's Heart by Sam Sheldon. Very literate and thoughtful account of the author's training in various different (hard i.e. mostly full contact) martial arts around the world. Fascinating stuff - includes an eye-opening final chapter on dog-fighting!).

Otherwise, been wading into the ocean of Indology reading again, starting with the wonderful David Kinsley.

**son of stan** · 27-05-2010, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by ginghamkitchen

I've been reading David Kynaston's books about Britain: Austerity Britain (2007) and Family Britain, just out - I believe his ultimate plan is to cover our post-war history up to the present day. They're excellent, full of surprising detail.

I really enjoyed "Austerity Britain" which I read a while ago. Picked up "Family Britain" the other week and that's next in the pile.

Just finishing off this, which is in similar vein and a very absorbing read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Heat-H.../dp/0316724521

Also enjoyed this recently:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Operation-Mi.../dp/0747598681

(Why is it that I find myself getting more interested in the Second World War as I get older...?

)

**d7bohs** · 27-05-2010, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by ginghamkitchen

Blur are from Colchester in Essex, as am I. We don't have a big music hall tradition there.

Two ample Edwardian (ex-) variety theatres within a few hundred yards of each other? In a town, then, as now, full of squaddies? I bet there was a bit of it about.....

**theeman** · 27-05-2010, 02:24 PM

Rip it up and start again (Simon Reynolds)
Excellent post-punk primer
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rip-Up-Start.../dp/0571215696

American Gods - Author's preferred text (Neil Gaiman)
Neatly plotted, interesting, deep and engaging modern day fantasy novel
http://www.amazon.com/American-Gods-.../dp/0380789035

Adventures on the wheels of steel (Dave Haslam)
Enjoyable, entertaining and knowledgeable history of the UK clubbing and DJ circuit
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adventures-W.../dp/1841154326

a certain Mr Votel makes a legendary guest appearance in the last title

**babycart** · 27-05-2010, 04:51 PM

Mendacious sweeps, footpads, filthy London rookeries full of low-life, con artists, shoe thieves, pickpockets, cracksmen, bent coppers, mountains of horseshit two-stories high...

It's brilliant.

I also read some of Kate Atkinson's recent crime books, which are great fun, and a couple by Frances Fyfield, who's a bloody excellent writer.

**ginghamkitchen** · 27-05-2010, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by d7bohs

Two ample Edwardian (ex-) variety theatres within a few hundred yards of each other? In a town, then, as now, full of squaddies? I bet there was a bit of it about.....

Well, it passed me by. But I did notice a local tendency to Mockney which, I think, is more like it. You know your Essex towns, my friend.