Hulk: The End - Peter David & Dale Keown

Peter David & Dale Keown – Hulk: The End (2002)
Graphic Novel – my copy downloaded (50 pages) during June 2012
#45 of 2011-12 – #166 of All Time
- 3 nods out of 5 -

The recent success of The Avengers - titled, somewhat annoyingly, Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom – has brought the green titan that is the Hulk to a brand new audience. Yes, sure, there have been other recent big screen portrayals, including 2003’s Hulk of (‘Don’t make me Ang Lee’, geddit?), as well as the mis-titled The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton. The latest incarnation in this year’s superhero blockbuster has taken the Hulk in a more promising direction, and the Worm warmly applauds this.

The Hulk is one of comics’ best characters: the haunted intelligence of Bruce Banner, juxtaposed with the smashing menace of the green skinned beast. Rarely are these characters portrayed in complex terms; but yet Stan Lee’s creation continues the literary continuity of dual personalities stretching back deep into our past. The closest similarity is, perhaps, that with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: a lethal cocktail of brains and brawn. It is the reason why the Hulk has remained so popular with comic reading and film going audiences.

This one-off showing of the Hulk is set in a future in which everyone on the planet has been killed in a - wait for it - nuclear holocaust. The Hulk, now in interestingly aged form with grey hair, has survived due to his near-on indestructable nature, left to bounder across the world. The action is split with the wandering, old figure of Banner: alive, only because of the Hulk’s insistence on them remaining in existence.

The writer Peter David, and the art team of Dale Keown (illustration), Joe Weems (inker) and Dan Kemp (colourist) create a world of horror, in which Banner is defeated yet forced to continue walking the earth, and in which the Hulk himself is attacked and pecked to smithereens by a swarm of large, killer bugs. The story is cleverly interwoven by both the Hulk and Banner able to watch the other due to the involvement of a floating video-bot that captures humanity’s last throw of the dice.

The duo remain in conflict: the Hulk wanting to rid himself of Banner who he deems weak and pitiful; and Banner wishing to be allowed to die to rid himself of this nightmare. The story comes to a climax as Banner suffers a heart attack and is finally allowed to pass away. The Hulk is left to announce his triumphant in defeating all of his enemies, including Banner. But loneliness now surrounds him: ‘Hulk…only one there is…Hulk feels…cold.’ It hints at his need to have Banner within him, as the two have co-existed in a long, ongoing struggle. Again, this akin to Jekyll and Hyde, to Batman and the Joker, to Bert and Ernie, and to give a modern political comparison, to Cameron and Miliband.

Hulk fans will undoubtedly enjoy this comic; and its brevity is fit for an afternoon’s reading. It captures more of the Hulk than in previous films, and this includes the recent Avengers film. A future solo Hulk film will hopefully make more of the conflict between the two central protagonists: it has been the key ever since Stan Lee created this special character many, many moons ago.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Hulk-Marvel-Premiere-Classic/dp/0785130268

Ceremonial Time - John Hanson Mitchell

John Hanson Mitchell – Ceremonial Time (1984)
History – 220 pages – my copy (paperback; 1991) purchased from Amazon and read during May 2012
#44 of 2011-12 – #165 of All Time
- 4 nods out of 5 -

The tagline of this book alone should wet the appetite of serious book worms out there amongst us: ‘Fifteen thousand years on one square mile’. The Worm came across the name of this book when recently reading Earth In Mind by David W. Orr; Orr recommends the changing of education with students getting involved in their local communities and to see what people and nature around them has to offer. It is a well recommended read: in the course of little more than 200 pages Mitchell takes the reader from the time of the last age ice, through mythology of the Native American, to end up at the end of the consumerist driven age of the late twentieth century.

The one square mile in question is located in a town in rural Massachusetts, USA. The author names it Scratch Flat, and it is the area surrounding his own home. But rather than a place in built up modern America, it becomes a pre-historic area of ice, of a Never-land in which the reader can immerse themselves and think: this place could be anywhere, in a land that time has forgotten. The author takes on Peter Pan-esque qualities, walking through the forests at night, trampling across fields whilst the town is asleep. It is all part of Mitchell’s attempt to bring nature back to the average Joe; as he comments on the reactions of those who heard about the proposal of his book: ‘Wilderness and wildlife, history, life itself, for that matter, is something that takes place somewhere else, it seems.’

Mitchell acts as unbiased reporter of the various anecdotes, theories and speculating of his cast of characters, from the Native American folk-lore of Nompenekit and Tonupasua (particularly the stories about the mysterious and powerful entity known as Glooscap), the forward thinking approach of Peter Sarkesian, the speculative theories of Toby Beckwith, and the visits of the wonderfully named Red Cowboy. Mitchell even puts into practice an experiment of living off the land: eating berries in the forest, and attempting to kill wildlife… Mitchell truthfully accepts the near possibility of this week, reflecting on renewed respect for the Native Americans who lived such a life for centuries. Throughout it all, the author maintains a respect for those who came before him; when discussing the local history of the post-1700 settlers in the community, he eloquently writes:

‘I confess to a pronounced interest in these near-nameless individuals. They are not heroes, nor are they, as you might imagine, the muscle and blood of Scratch Flat, the work force without who assistance the place could never yield a single bushel of produce. They are not necessarily the salt of the earth; they are not anything but individuals who lived their time and who, in their time, died. But that, it seems to me, is the real story of Scratch Flat, the real history of the world.’

But just what is Ceremonial Time, the Worm hears you cry out! The author explains:

‘Indian time stretches itself out on occasion, on occasion contracts or reveres its apparent flow. It is not exacting, not measured by dials or digits on a lighted screen, and at the base of this system is the concept of ceremonial time. It is then…that you can actually see events that took place in the past. You can see people and animals who have been dead for a thousand years; you can walk in their place, see and touch the plants of their world. And more importantly, when ceremonial time collapses, the spirit world can be seen, the gods, ghosts, and monsters of the Indian manifest themselves’.

Ceremonial Time is one of the most original books the Worm has read in a long time; to deem it ‘History’ does not give it full justice. It is more than that: science, folklore, topography and much more. It is a book for those who enjoy living and for those who wish to dig a little deeper in attempting to find the answer as to who we are, as humans.



Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ceremonial-Time-Fifteen-Thousand-Square/dp/0201149370
 
Find out more about the author here:
http://www.johnhansonmitchell.com/pages/books.html

Sir Winston Churchill: Selections from his Writings and Speeches - Guy Boas (ed.)

Guy Boas (ed.) - Sir Winston Churchill: Selections from his Writings and Speeches (1966)
Biography – 270 pages – my copy (hardback; 1966) purchased from the best second-hand bookshop in Plymouth during 2008, read during May 2012
#43 of 2011-12 – #164 of All Time
- 2 nods out of 5 -

‘Well, Mr Churchill says
“We gotta fight the bloody battle to the very end”’
The Kinks, 'Mr Churchill Says'

Sir Winston Churchill has been proclaimed time and again as the greatest Briton to ever sit foot on the earth. Such a legend is based, mainly, on his exploits and position during the Second World War. But it goes much deeper than that: his lifetime saw the expansion, glory and bust of the British Empire, from the late Victorian age of hidden piano legs to the swinging sixties of the Rolling Stones. His position is secured by his love of a good drink (and the many related anecdotes surrounding this), to his mammoth figure – both figuratively and literally – gracing the halls of Westminster.

However, this collection is one based on another familiar Churchillian favourite of the British public: his writing and speeches. It is a fast cobbled together project published in the immediate aftermath of Churchill’s death in 1965. Guy Boas is the editor of this particular edition, pooling together snippets from Churchill’s surprisingly vast back catalogue; surprising due to the great weight of the ministerial offices he assumed during half a century of life in Parliament.

The reader takes a journey through Churchill’s early, and often humorous, memories from My Early Life; his experiences in India and as a correspondent in the Boer War; illuminating segments from his books detailing the First World War; and even greater selections from the books that comprise his series on the Second World War. Alongside this, towards the end, are somewhat perplexing pages on painting as a hobby. The Worm’s very own musty copy has been well thumbed, the pages folded throughout; most notably the war-time speeches:

‘No one can predict, no one can even imagine, how this terrible war against German and Nazi aggression will run its course or how far it will spread or how long it will last. Long, dark months of trials and tribulations lie before us. Not only great dangers, but many more misfortunes, many shortcomings, many mistakes, many disappointments will surely be our lot. Death and sorrow will be the companions of our journey; hardship our garment; constancy and valour our only shield. We must be united, we must be undaunted, we must be inflexible. Our qualities and deeds must burn and glow through the gloom of Europe until they become the veritable beacon of its salvation.’

Despite Boas’ over-abundance of back-patting (as to be expected in the aftermath of the death of such a colossus), this volume retains a semblance of importance in the twenty-first century. Undoubtedly, it would be a rarity to come across a person who has read the entirety of Churchill’s previous works; but a selection of some of his finest, courage building, morale boasting words he committed to paper. The Worm recommends buying a similarly updated edition today, to really find out what one of the greatest Britons was about.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Churchill-Churchill-Selections-writings-speeches/dp/B000WTKPJ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340291092&sr=11

Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Love in the Time of Cholera (1985)

Novel – 350 pages – my copy (paperback; 1988) purchased from the best second-hand bookshop in Plymouth a decade ago, and recently read during May 2012
#42 of 2011-12 – #163 of All Time
- 5 nods out of 5 –

The Worm has recently considered how reading books has its own life and timeline, separate from reality. A decade ago the Worm was working in what turned out to be one of many faceless, pointless work environments and came across a person who turned out to be reading the very same author, very same book, and very same publication date pages… down to the same faded cover. It was the reading equivalent of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, and the connection was down to a book rather than anything else.

A decade of “real” time has since passed, but a return to Gabriel Garcia’s Marquez’s novel of love and hope appears to overcome such boundaries; the reader is taken back to earlier connections with the novel, to experiences seemingly long forgotten. Perhaps it is the strength of the writer, and the Worm feels obliged to Mr Marquez’s ability to fascinate in his prose.

Love in the Time of Cholera was originally written in Spanish, and given the somewhat exotic – to English eyes anyhow – title of El amor en los tiempos del colera. The novel is set in a coastal town of Colombia, and takes place during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It features a love triangle surrounding the characters Florentina Ariza, Fermina Daza and Jurvenal Urbino. Florentina and Fermina are feverish correspondents during their youth, hoping one day to marry; however, Fermina instead renounces her young love and marries Juvenal. Both male characters are seen as opposites: Juvenal a modern and dynamic doctor, searching for material gains; whilst Florentina is an old romantic, attached to dying ideals. At different points the novel focuses on each of these characters: on the death of Juvenal near the book’s beginning; the disputes in Fermina’s life; and the long wait endured by Florentina as he never gives up hope of one day winning Fermina back. At risk of spoiling the ending – as this book is more about the idea of love rather than mere plot – the old romantic’s dream does come true as they reunite in old age.

Alongside the main theme of love, is that of death: the youth of these characters is seen in the focus of old age. The majority of the characters – due to the passing of time within the novel – die: indeed, the first section is devoted to two such deaths; including one of the main characters, Juvenal Urbino. Such a combination – of love and death – is shown within the book’s very title, with there being the joy of love at a time of intense suffering. Such suffering can be seen nowhere more clearly than in Florentino’s voyeuristic vigil, awaiting the day when he has a chance to claim his former love as his again:

‘The years of immobilized waiting, of hoping for good luck, were behind him, but on the horizon he could see nothing more than the unfathomable sea of imaginary illness, the drop-by-drop urinations of sleepless nights, the daily death at twilight. He thought that all the moments in the day, which had once been his allies and sworn accomplices, were beginning to conspire against him….So it was reasonable to think that the woman he loved most on earth, the one he had waited for from one century to the next without a sigh of disenchantment, might not have the opportunity to lead him by the arm across a street full of lunar grave mounds and beds of wind-blown poppies in order to help him reach the other side of death in safety’.

For readers familiar with Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s work, you will already applaud the writer’s skill at telling a story. Yes, the focus is on the characters and how they are neatly interwoven across decades of personal and national history; but also unravelled is the character of the nameless town: its pull – wanted or not – into the modern age. It is similar commentary alluded to in the epic One Hundred Years of Solitude; however, within this novel, the heart of these thoughts remain wed to central characters who remain and expand during the unfolding of the pages.

Call it the magic of this book, the magic of reading, or of chance and mere fluke: but Love in the Time of Cholera has quartered a special home in the reading memory of the Worm. On its second reading – ten years later – it retains the power to entrance and amaze. The Worm looks forward to a third reading, perhaps ten years from now.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Cholera-Gabriel-Garcia-Marquez/dp/014012389X

The Nazis: A Warning From History - Laurence Rees

Laurence Rees – The Nazis: A Warning From History (2005) History – 390 pages – my copy (paperback; 2005) bought for £8.99 from Plymouth Waterstone’s
#41 of 2011-12 - #162 of All Time
- 3 nods out of 5 -

Before the Worm hears the chorus of groans – “No, not another book on the Nazis” – how about a recall on the importance of Hitler, the Nazis and their period of History? It is a topic in which Laurence Rees has made a highly distinguished career creating documentaries, most notably Auschwitz: The Road to the Final Solution. Yes, this is another book on the Nazis, but coming from the pen of Rees and based on his documentary research, it is one worth a closer look.

The Nazis: A Warning From History was initially a successful TV documentary for the BBC. It charts the rise of the Nazis, from minnows in Bavaria, to gain control of Germany, and – for a time – mastery of Europe. The book charts a similar path, from the years of rule of chaos and consent (the euthanasia policy, the formation and working of the Gestapo, the growing anti-Semitic legislation), the world war and the road to the Holocaust. Interwoven into the narrative are the comments of the vast hours of interviews Rees conducted with survivors of the war. This particular feature is a valuable asset, separating Rees’ work from the countless other books on the book shelves.

However, this particular version of A Warning From History suffers from a case of the Writer’s Return: revisiting material from the past in order to update with fresh interpretations. It is an event rather common to historians, and although updated research can sometimes help further conclusions, it can also warp the original narrative with bulked material. This book is a case of the latter, with Rees injecting much material from a different book, War of the Century, which recounts the gruesome war between the Germans and the Russians. In the introduction, Rees argues that this war is needed for a full assessment on the Nazis: to reach into Nietzsche’s abyss to find what they are really made of. But its appearance sways the narrative from the Nazis, their rise and dominance, to the rooms of the Soviet government and the disputes between Stalin and Zhukov. This is not to doubt that the material is exciting and griping, but rather that it should remain part of its original book.

The wealth of Rees’ material confirms his eminent place in recent historical research; however, this position is much due to his documentaries, rather than the resulting books. The documentaries, harrowing and well edited, benefit from being the first and foremost of the products. The books can never escape their truncated purpose, and as such, the Worm strongly recommends readers watch the DVDs before turning to the page of Rees’ large and informative back catalogue.



Buy it here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Nazis-Warning-From-History/dp/056349333X

Elizabeth the Queen - Alison Weir

Alison Weir – Elizabeth the Queen (1998)
Biography – 490 pages – my copy (paperback)
#40 of 2011-12 - #161 of All Time
- 3 nods out of 5 -

Alison Weir has made a reputable name for herself for writing about characters principally within the Tudor period; these take the form of both history books as well as novels. The protagonists, principally, are females throughout the history of our country, including Queen Elizabeth I, Lady Jane Grey, the Boleyn sisters as well as the wives of Henry VIII. Such a focus has been a welcome change to many readers, such is the dominance of males throughout history.

In reclaiming History for the female sex, Weir could have chosen no better figure than Elizabeth I. She was the Queen who repelled the Spanish Armada, the Queen of the literature of Shakespeare, the Queen who oversaw England’s stature grow from small, half-forgotten island to become a dynamic player on the European stage. Furthermore, Elizabeth ruled for forty-four years as a woman in a man’s world. England had two female monarchs in its past, and both of these were failures; for Elizabeth to rule, and to rule for so long in this environment could be seen as nothing short of miraculous.

The author takes the reader through all of Elizabeth’s reign: the coming to power, the fight against smallpox, the love and intrigue with Leicester, the factional rivalry at court, the dalliances and romantic liaisons with princes of Europe (including one affectionately known as her ‘Frog’), as well as the heightened tension between religion that led to the war with the Spanish.

Weir certainly shows her touch for drama, being always keen to show the personal life of Elizabeth, rather than the political events of the country at large. Economy and social strife are waylaid, and replaced with Elizabeth’s fears and ecstasies: her relationship with Leicester, her attitude towards Parliament, her ability to stall and to cajole those around her.

Apart from its trumpeting of a female historical figure, this book adds nothing new to the world of information that we already hold on the Tudors. However, when compared to previous Worm reads – such as Starkey’s portrayal of the younger Elizabeth – it hooks in the reader with its personal touch. As such, Weir’s biography of Elizabeth is a welcome addition to the ever expanding canon of Tudor related literature.



Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elizabeth-Queen-Alison-Weir/dp/0712673121

God Is Not Great - Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens – God Is Not Great (2007)
Read on a Kindle during February 2012
#39 of 2011-12 – #160 of All Time
- 4 nods out of 5 -

Last year, the literary world lost a true heavyweight. Christopher Hitchens’ death from cancer leaves a shaky balance in the order of the universe; only this weekend his brother – arch conservative Peter Hitchens – was arguing the case for a death penalty, no matter the possibly of innocent death. The Worm watched the TV screen wishing Hitchens (the Progressive) would parachute in to set things straight. But failing his actual body form joining in with debate about society’s direction, the world – thankfully – has been left with the works and books to read and enjoy.

As the title of this book clearly sets out, Hitchens is on a rampage to declare that God is not the great being that human beings have worshipped for the past few thousand years. Bringing a trust in science and reason, Hitchens believes that the passing of time has seen religion retreating further and further back; the more we know, the less we need “God”. As Hitchens notes: ‘Today the least educated of my children knows much more about the natural order than any of the founders of religion.’ Much of the writing takes a polemical tone, much of which encapsulates the reader:

‘If you read Hawking on the “event horizon,” that theoretical lip of the “black hole” over which one could in theory plunge and see the past and the future… I shall be surprised if you can still go on gaping at Moses and his unimpressive “burning bush.” If you examine the beauty and symmetry of the double helix, and then go on to have your own genome sequence fully analysed, you will be at once impressed that such a near-perfect phenomenon is at the core of your being, and reassured that you have so much in common with other tribes of the human species – “race” having gone along with “creation” into the ashcan – and further fascinated to learn how much you are a part of the animal kingdom as well. Now at last you can be properly humble in the face of your maker, which turns out not to be a “who,” but a process of mutation with rather more random elements than our vanity might wish.’

The author is keen to emphasise his respect for the reasoning of past generations – they were doing they best they could under the circumstances – but now reason would demand an end to religion’s hold over the population of the world. Yet this is Hitchens in the role of the persecutor, giving the Bible both barrels: ‘The Bible may, indeed does, contain a warrant for trafficking in humans, for ethnic cleansing, for slavery, for bride-price, and for indiscriminate massacre, but we are not bound by any of it because it was put together by crude uncultured human mammals’.

Hitchens remains humorous throughout, and especially warming when digressing and detailing his own personal journey away from religion and into the idea of progress of science and humanity. His mind was one of wonderful enquiry, testing and questioning all around him. As he notes: ‘And here is the point, about myself and my co-thinkers. Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith. We do not rely solely upon science and reason, because these are necessary rather than sufficient factors, but we distrust anything that contradicts science or outrages reason. We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free enquiry, open-mindedness,, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake.’ On many of the pages he sails close to the wind of controversy (one chapter is titled: ‘Is Religion Child Abuse?’); but perhaps the whole book’s purpose was to take no prisoners and to stake Hitchens’ colours directly to the mast, for all to see.

Who is the intended reader? Not those of religious faith, that is for sure; but perhaps those who are yet undecided and in need of direction. Hitchens would most certainly have dismissed the claim that atheism itself is a “faith”; his belief was in the progress of humanity. Yes, a contested and perhaps a vacuous term. But for Hitchens, perhaps there was no other belief for a human to reasonably to hold. We shall leave the last comment for Hitchens himself: ‘You will feel better too, I guarantee, once you leave hold of the doctrinaire and allow your chainless mind to do its own thinking’. God Is Not Great? You decide.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Not-Great-Against-Religion/dp/1843545861

Earth In Mind - David W. Orr

David W. Orr – Earth in Mind (On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect) (1994)
220 pages – my copy (paperback; 2004) borrowed from a well stocked library during February 2012
#38 of 2011-12 - #159 of All Time
- 4 nods out of 5 -



The turn of the new century has brought forth a host of texts who are critical of humankind’s work on this planet, as well as predicting a nasty – in many cases, a terrifying – future in we do not change our ways of thinking. David Orr – noted environmentalist – wrote this influential book in the last decade of the twentieth century; and much is in the same vein as the many other texts; but for one thing: Orr’s commitment to and belief in humanity.

Sustainability has become – to many – a buzzword of the modern age; something to pay mere “lip-service” to and nod in agreement, without actually undertaking the demands of what is agreed. Sustainability means a new way of thinking and doing; as Orr notes, a paradigm shift to turn the boat away from this ‘ecological emergency’ and avoid the icebergs that lay ahead.

One might think that such a message would make for dour and pessimistic reading; however, cease such a thought. Orr is a skilful writer who enlightens the mind, rather than overloads it. Earth In Mind is a vast collection of essays, ranging from – as the subtitle promotes – education, environment, and the future of the human race. The book is split into four sections (‘The Problem of Education’, ‘First Principles’, ‘Rethinking Education’, and ‘Destinations’); throughout it all, Mr Orr poses the problems we all face in a changing world, whilst suggesting possible routes forward to gain hope for our survival, as well as recapturing the good things we have lost in our past.

Education must be rethought: not more of the same, but a different, progressive, embracing education is needed. We no longer need managers in offices with their charts, Orr argues, but rather people who connect with the planet, with people, and their communities. The search for the almighty dollar is not the purpose of life: but rather doing our best for ourselves, our generation, and the future generations that have yet to come. This re-design of education will help shape the minds of what would become different, more prepared people to face the challenges of the future.

Out with the old and in with the new. There is a greater emphasis on the locality, of real relationships between us and nature. Yes, much it may sound like the vibe of “free love”, and unfortunately carry much of the negative connotations that surround it (such as the blatant hypocrisy); but need such a message be sniffed at and discarded. Why not open our arms, rethink our situation – if even for a minute – and allow ourselves the option of new and different directions on the road ahead.

So, in conclusion, what is the Worm to do: grab the sandbags, load up the shot-gun, and wait for impending Armageddon? Or perhaps get involved with the change that is needed and help construct the future in which Orr and other advocates stress is possible. The choice is an interesting one. The choice is yours.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Mind-Education-Environment-Prospect/dp/155963295X

Read more about David W. Orr here:
http://www.davidworr.com/

Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell

George Orwell – Down and Out in Paris and London (1933)
Autobiography – 210 pages – my copy (paperback; 1989) bought for £2 from a delightful bookshop in Exeter near Xmas 2010
#37 of 2011-12 - #158 of All Time
- 4 nods out of 5 -



George Orwell’s reputation continues to grow, year after year: the man of the influential and much read and quoted books Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. But it is his non-fiction work in which his fans trumpet and hold dearest to their hearts: Homage to Catalonia and The Road to Wigan Pier. This book, Down and Out in Paris in London, came before all, bar one.

In short, this is the younger Orwell as a true down and out in these two capital cities during the late 1920s. He recounts his time scrubbing pots and pans in the dirty restaurants of Paris, existing on minimal amounts of sleep and food; before returning to Blighty to walk the streets as a hobo. Throughout it all, Orwell acts social correspondent, detailing the peculiarities and hardships which for many others were ignored or simply unheard. As the introduction to this volume – written by Dervla Murphy – notes: ‘It is this white-hot reaction of a sensitive, observant, compassionate young man to poverty, injustice and the callousness of the rich. It offers insights, rather than solutions; but always insights have to precede solutions’

Such insights are clearly noted in the London segment of the book: Orwell writes of the non-stop swearing and filth of homeless life, existing on a poor diet of bread and margarine. Orwell remains negative about the plight of the hundreds of homeless, until an encounter with the street philosopher, Bozo:

Orwell: ‘It seems to me that when you take a man’s money away he’s fit for nothing from that moment.’
Bozo: ‘No, not necessarily. If you set yourself to it, you can live the same life, rich or poor. You can still keep on with your books and your ideas. You just got to say to yourself, “I’m a free man in here”’ – he tapped his forehead – ‘and you’re all right.’

However, it is his time as an energetic plongeur in Paris that really excites the reader, as opposed to the grinding depression of his hungry sojourns on the London roads. It is in Paris where he writes about his friend Boris, an enigmatic Russian émigré, as well as his life at Hotel X:

‘It was amusing to look round the filthy little scullery and think that only a double door was between us and the dining-room. There sat the customers in all their splendour – spotless table-cloths, bowls of flowers, mirrors and gilt cornices, and painted cherubim; and here, just a few feet away, we in our disgusting filth. For it really was disgusting filth. There was no time to sweep the floor till evening, and we slithered about in a compound of soapy water, lettuce leaves, torn paper and trampled food. A dozen waiters with their coats off, showing their sweaty armpits, sat the table mixing salads and sticking their thumbs into the cream pots.’

And what of his acquaintances in the kitchen:

‘English, eh? He said. ‘Well, I’m in charge here. If you work well’ – he made the motion of up-ending a bottle and sucked noisily. ‘If you don’t’ – he gave the doorpost several vigorous kicks. ‘To me, twisting your neck would be no more than spitting on the floor. And if there’s any trouble, they’ll believe me, not you. So be careful.’

Yes, this was the life or Orwell as a plonguer; what he deems doing work that is ‘more or less useless’. Orwell writes on the matter: ‘I believe that this instinct to perpetuate useless work is, at bottom, simply fear of the mob. The mob (the thought runs) are such low animals that they would be dangerous if they had leisure; it is safer to keep them too busy to think.’

It is this humour (no matter how dark) coupled with the social commentary that makes this book such an intriguing and enjoying read. Orwell fans don’t need to heed the call to plunge into his back catalogue; but for the un-initiated, Down and Out in Paris and London is a perfect entrance into a point of view of the world that we may have missed.


Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paris-London-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141184388/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332511683&sr=1-1

Britain Under Thatcherism - Seldon & Collings

Anthony Seldon & Daniel Collings - Britain Under Thatcherism (2000)
Politics – 130 pages – my copy (paperback; 2000) borrowed from Plymouth University library during February 2012
#36 of 2011-12 - #157 of All Time
- 2 nods out of 5 -



Despite not assuming political power for more than two decades, Thatcher remains a heated and contradictory word. Modern day politics has, in effect, been defined by her term in office; whilst her journey from grocer’s daughter to become the first – and so far, only – female Prime Minister of Great Britain has been documented on television, and now in Hollywood film. Her name brings about wildly different responses: was she the Iron Lady, or rather the Milk Snatcher; was she determined and ready to lead the country to a better future, or rather what many deem, a woman from hell?

Within the small space of 130 pages, the duo authorship of Seldon and Collings do a good job in giving a history of Thatcher’s rise to power (‘The Road to 1979’) and analysis of her time in 10 Downing Street. The major events are scrutinised: monetarism, the Falklands War, EC budget settlement, the Poll Tax, and the eventual demise of Thatcher and her “wet” cronies. The end of the era, 1989-1990, sees Thatcher’s right-hand men (Howe and Lawson) bail out on her vision of Britain. Challenges from beneath her (famously in the guise of Heseltine) led to seven years of the colourless Major governments.

Seldon and Collings attempt to assess Thatcher’s impact: an overbearing influence on the Conservative party post 1990; as well as constituting a major factor in the rise of Blair and New Labour. It is in within this assessment (from pages 65 to 95) in which the authors earn their pay as they set out to tackle some big questions: did the power of the cabinet erode away in this time?; were divides exasperated?; was Britain’s role effectively stunted by Thatcher in the 1980s?

Such assessment continues with the various summaries of the wide array of histories written on Thatcher: the right-wing perspective, the “wet” critique, the left of centre critique, the historical determinist thesis; and more and more. Even if Thatcher herself has been out of politics for a long time, there is no doubt the ink will soon run dry on analysis of her time in power. Furthermore, the reader is given access to the 1980s directly in the form of a wealth of contemporary documents, including the famous speech: ‘You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.’

More than two decades have passed since Thatcher’s demise; yet her name and the term ‘Thatcherism’ remain loaded words. A reaction to her name will reveal just where a person stands: politically and socially. More and more histories will be published, and many of which will be of more heavyweight proportions than this small, rather modest book. For an introduction with clear analysis, it earns its place on the bookshelf of Thatcher fan and hater alike.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Britain-Thatcher-Seminar-Studies-History/dp/0582317142