#258 Tales from the Secret Footballer (2013)

Author: Anon
Title: Tales from the Secret Footballer
Genre: Sport
Year: 2013
Pages: 250
Origin: read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

The Secret Footballer found (slight) fame in a series of articles published in The Guardian. The column promised to lift ‘the lid on the world of football’, with topics ranging from what happens in the changing rooms, to motivations of players and how they deal with the press and agents. Such was the popularity of the regular column that it led to a couple of books; Tales from the Secret Footballer is the second to be printed.

Clearly, this read is only suitable for those with an interest in football. But in terms of the usual tosh spewed out by publishers on various sports, Tales from the Secret Footballer is actually entertaining. Blessed with anonymity, the author is able to openly discuss (and deride) former bosses and team-mates in small chapters. He also floats various ideas of working in other football related industries, from coaching to taking up opportunities in China.

Of course, the biggest entertainment factor is in the guessing as to who the Secret Footballer actually is. Various names have been suggested, including Phil Neville, Danny Murphy and Leighton Baines (if none of these name ring a bell with you, then this review is really not your cup of tea… in which case, why are you still reading this?). The biggest culprit, however, appears to be Dave Kitson. Yes, that house-hold name of a player.

Tales from the Secret Footballer is a light-weight read, never threatening anything more than to engage the interest of its reader for a short-time. But for football fans it makes the perfect stocking-filler at Christmas time. To be fair, the book has no pretensions on anything greater.

Read more about the Secret Footballer here

#257 Henry VIII (1613)

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: Henry VIII
Genre: Play
Year: 1613
Origin: read on the iPad
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

 

Henry VIII is an odd little play. It is regarded as one of Shakespeare’s history-plays, however, it is uneven, fitting several possible genres, with an insecure plot that makes it hard to tell if it is a tragedy of not. Unlike the other history plays in the Shakespeare canon – as reviewed on this blog in recent years – it contains no battle scenes. Even its title is misleading, with the plot revolving around Henry VIII’s right hand man, Cardinal Wolsey, and principally his fall from power. In fact, the authorship of the play remains in dispute. It is widely acknowledged that it is collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher.

The plot centres on the power struggle within the Tudor court. Cardinal Wolsey held a high amount of power in England in the years 1515 to 1529, during which time he collected many enemies as the king grew stronger in his attention to domestic affairs. The ticking time-bomb to Wolsey’s fall rests on the love triangle between Henry, his wife Catherine of Aragon, and wife #2 Anne Boleyn (Ann Bullen in this play).

When weighted up against Shakespeare’s other important plays, Henry VIII is firmly placed in the shade. Perhaps it is more famous for its part in burning down the original Globe theatre (due to a special effect that went wrong), consigning it to the sin-bin of jinxed plays never to be touched. However, it recently found favour in 2010 with fresh performances. The director, Mark Rosenblatt, made the comparison of the play to political satirical show The Thick of It, commenting that despite the lack of sword fights, ‘all the battles take place on the corridors of power.’

Such similarities to the rise and fall of New Labour (Blair as Henry, and perhaps Mandelson as Wolsey?) was a welcome thought for the Worm. Without this, perhaps the play can be disregarded as a small affair, not fully taking up the challenge of a narrative that truly centres on such an influential king in Henry. It is not a bad read, with the play’s historical eccentric side-notes making it a read worth experiencing at least once.

Read the play here

#256 The Killing Joke (1988)

Author: Alan Moore & Brian Bollard
Title: The Killing Joke
Genre: Graphic Novel
Year: 1988
Pages: 60
Origin: read on the iPad
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

 

The Killing Joke is one of those influential comic books that everyone seems to know something about. It inspired a shift-change in how artists and comic-book writers handled the gigantic legend of Batman, later also informing the Christopher Nolan trilogy of films in recent years. However, despite all of that, the story’s writer – Sir Alan Moore – has become slightly dismissive of his work.

The first read of The Killing Joke – some seven or so years previously – was an engaging one. Having not been a comic-reading enthusiast in his youth, it was the Worm’s first real immersion into the genre. It was dark, action-packed, with an interesting narrative that took into account the (supposed) beginnings of Batman’s arch-nemesis, the Joker. As such, the Worm joined the ranks of others who supported its influence and special place within graphic novel history.

Second-time round always brings new surprises. This time the Worm had the experience of feasting on other Batman storylines (particularly that of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns), as well as more of Sir Moore’s back catalogue (including the excellent The Watchmen). This time the journey was not as engaging or surprising, with the Worm’s comic-book reading critical eye shrugging at some of the lacklustre dialogue, and becoming disinterested at the shock-factor of the shooting of Gordon’s daughter. Furthermore, some of the plot seemed rushed, including the Joker’s origin back-story. In what is an otherwise downbeat review, what of the positives? Reading the 2008 deluxe reprint it is clear of the highlights of the artwork of Bollard.

The Killing Joke remains a crucial read for anyone serious in their devotion to Batman, or indeed, to that of Sir Alan Moore (yes, the Worm has knighted him). 3 nods may appear slightly unkind, but the Worm is not one for sentiments. Furthermore, this reviewer believes that the reading experience may become good once again, third-time round. See you in another seven or so years, Killing Joke.

#255 The Sound and the Fury (1929) [Revisited]

Author: William Faulkner
Title: The Sound and the Fury
Genre: Novel
Year: 1929
Origin: a fantastic and astonishing birthday present
Nod Rating: 5 nods out of 5

 

The Sound and the Fury is the Worm’s most favoured novel. Yes, it was reviewed only three or so years ago on this very blog (scoring 5 nods out of 5). In almost five years of reading and reviewing on this blog Faulkner’s novel is the first book in which the Worm has returned (although there have been temptations in other directions). At the time – June 2011 – the Worm was positive in his applause: ‘a breath-taking must-read of a novel’. And he remains incredibly positive about this novel. It is set in the American south in the 1920s, centring on the Compson family; divided into four parts, each one is told from the viewpoint of one of the Compson brothers, each building on their obsession with southern values and their vivacious sister, Caddy.

So, why return to this novel, the Worm hears you ask. Principally the return is due to a new reading experience. In the summer of 2012 the Worm was presented with a particular edition of Faulkner’s novel; the key difference being that it was printed in coloured ink, just as Faulkner had initially intended (the idea was scotched due to the price of printing it in this manner). The colour itself was used in order to differentiate between the vast and jutting time shifts in the book’s first section, otherwise italicised in editions between the 1930s to the present day. Faulkner himself rued his overturned choice: ‘I wish publishing was advanced enough to use coloured ink… I’ll just have to save the idea until publishing grows up to it.’

It was interesting re-reading this novel with Faulkner’s idea fully realised. The shifts in time flowed more easily (as is needed in Benjy’s opening section; on first reading many years ago the Worm was almost dissuaded from ploughing on after becoming annoyed in the first ten pages). Furthermore, it was also a thrill knowing that the book was limited in number (only 1,480 copies printed); the book now takes pride of place in the Worm’s make-shift library.

Of good value was an accompany commentary volume: another 230 pages offering notes and description on the novel. The Worm re-read this novel slowly, centring on pages at a time, rather than whole chapters or tens of pages at a time. In this way, he completed re-reading the book in the space of eighteen months, using the commentary volume in order to add even greater depth to his understanding. During this reading process – completely new to the Worm – he was reminded of a documentary in which a book-reading group met up once a month to read two or three pages of James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. The Finnegan’s Wake Society is worldwide, with one group in Brisbane, Australia, predicting that it would take them until 2039 to complete the book!

The Sound and the Fury is a book that has been enjoyed at every reading; the Worm fancies creating up a society to rival that of Finnegan’s Wake. But, of course, he is much too greedy a reader to move at the dictates of others. However, the Worm is generous enough to suggest to everyone to pick up a copy of this book whenever the opportunity presents itself: only a few reads are so intense that the reader is unable to shift them from their mind.

 

Read the original review of The Sound and the Fury here

Further information on this edition of the book here

#254 Elizabeth's Spy Master (2006)

Author: Robert Hutchinson
Title: Elizabeth’s Spy Master
Genre: History/Biography
Year: 2006
Pages: 350
Origin: bought from the Works for £2.99
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

 

A few weeks previously the Worm read another Tudor based book written by Robert Hutchinson (Young Henry). The Worm was slightly unflattering with his review, concluding it with the words: ‘there is little need in anyone picking up a copy of Hutchinson’s book in a hurry’. In fact, the Worm was reluctant to return to any Hutchinson book anytime soon, however, both Young Henry and this book, Elizabeth’s Spy Master, were bought together. It tugged at the Worm’s heartstrings to leave the latter book on the shelves, consigned to the forgotten corners and untouched for many book reading years to come. So, guilt won out. But the Worm is thankful for this. Hutchinson’s Elizabeth’s Spy Master is a far superior book on many levels. Allow him to explain in greater detail.

The book is centred on the life and times of Sir Francis Walsingham. He is noted as one of the great statesmen of his age; alongside William Cecil and the Earl of Leicester he formed the bedrock on which the success of the Elizabethan state was built. He graduated up the slippery slope of politics until he became indispensable throughout the 1570s and 1580s, particularly in the administration of the country. However, it is within his role as “spy master” and thrawting Catholic plots in which he is popularly known. Hutchinson argues the case that Walsingham is ‘one of the great unknown heroes of English history. By right, he should rank with Horatio Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and even Sir Winston Churchill as one of the great patriotic defenders, against all-comers, of this island state.’

However, Walsingham appears not to have obtained his due by the public (although this is a different matter with historians and academics). Hutchinson believes this is due to him being ‘a man very much of the shadows’, and his book is an account of his shadowing doings and dealings.

The experience of reading the book is slightly jarring: it knows not if it is a biography or a history book analysing the period under question. Of course, Walsingham himself was tightly woven into the nation’s fortunes; as such, as with any political history, the reader must follow the great events. Hutchinson uses the Catholic plots against the country as a rough framework, building up a traditional biographical narrative as we reach the 1580s and the strife and drama of the Babington Plot. This in turn witnesses the trail and execution of Mary Queen of Scots, perhaps Walsingham’s greatest success. The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 serves as a climax, all before the death of the great man having tasted victory.

Due to much of the information on Walsingham’s personality and own thoughts are now seemingly lost to history, Hutchinson attempts to compensate by dragging the reader – kicking and screaming – into the dirty underworld of the age. This includes the torture exacted on Catholic missionary priests and the ghastly deaths and confessions extracted. Hutchinson is keen to highlight Walsingham’s role as the Tudor age’s answer to James Bond by concentrating on his spy network (devoting a section at the book’s conclusion to various people connected to this).

Elizabeth’s Spy Master is an engaging read. It shines the light on a man unknown to most, whose deeds were of high importance to an Elizabethan state that was delicately placed in a hostile world. You may not be in a hurry to buy a copy, but if anyone is browsing the titles available in a well-stocked Works they could do little better than pick up this book.

Buy it here