#194 The Last Man (1826)

Author: Mary Shelley
Title: The Last Man
Genre: Novel
Year: 1826
Pages: 400
Origin: read on a Kindle
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

Some books are read in a day. Some are read in a flash, in a frenzied, captivating experience. Mary Shelley’s The Last Man is not one of those books. Having come across it via a reference in Vaughan’s and Guerra’s graphic novel series Y The Last Man, the Worm thought he would take a gander and enter a new world. It was a decision he would come to regret.

Now, such regret is not pinned on the writing talent of Shelley herself. This is the same author of Frankenstein and whose stock has only risen in recent decades. The regret has more to do with the book’s themes and purpose: a trumpeting of the triumvirate that was Shelly, her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and their mutual friend Lord Byron. Rather than the expectant apocalyptic Sci-Fi offering that was originally imagined, the Worm was given a story that could have been better served as a memoir.

The novel follows the life and adventures of Lionel Verney (Shelley herself in disguise): a man who wishes to do right in this world of the future. He befriends the son of the last king of England (yes, how we wish the monarchy of Britain may be extinguished by the late twenty-first century!) named Adrian, and together the pair discuss many philosophical matters across many years; and many pages of text for the frustrated reader. This couple – and indeed, that is what they are, the two Shelleys together – are joined by the Lord Byron a-like character, Lord Raymond.

Years pass with this friendship cemented, alongside wives and growing families – but yet, nothing of actual consequence actually happens. Rather than action, the reader is unwittingly treated to discussions on the nature of man, of monarchy and of society: all of which gets rather tedious. Especially when awaiting the climatic apocalypse and the coming forth of ‘the last man’. Eventually, even Lord Raymond tires of the domestic life and goes off in search of fame and glory in the Greek wars. Perhaps Mary Shelley herself tires of the plot and these characters, with each one snuffed out during the second and third volumes of the text. Yes, one man does survive at the book’s end: Lionel Verney.

The book is Shelley’s attempt to make sense of her own life and the untimely deaths of her husband and Byron. These biographical elements overpower any hope the novel has of standing alone and forging its own identity, unlike earlier works such as Frankenstein. Shelley remains the last man – not of a fixed gender – but rather of her generation and romantic ties. The world, as ever, is in change: the 1820s would give way to the reforming 1830s and the new Reform Act and Poor Laws, which in turn would make room for the revolutionary 1840s with the rise of the Chartists and the rebellions across Europe. Liberalism clashed with autocracy, which in turn fought hard with the rising manifestos from communists and socialists. There was little hope for earlier notions of the ideals held in such high esteem by the French revolutionists of the late eighteenth century. The ending plague that wipes out mankind is Shelley’s attempt to convey this sense of loss of the former world; with Europe standing still, ‘a monument of antique barbarism.’

The Worm’s frustration with the plot and overall context subtracts from Shelley’s talent at writing in descriptive flourishes. For example, take the opening of Verney’s story:

‘I am the native of a sea-surrounded nook, a cloud-enshadowed land, which, when the surface of the globe, with its shoreless ocean and trackless continents, presents itself to my mind, appears only as an inconsiderable speck in the immense whole; and yet, when balanced in the scale of mental power, far outweighed countries of larger extent and more numerous population. So true it is, that man’s mind alone was the creator of all that was good or great to man, and that Nature herself was only his first minister.’

However, the problem with such prose is that no matter how well constructed it is, given too large a helping with soon burst the belly of the reader.

The Last Man is a haunting novel, on what Shelley deems ‘the end of Love’. The end of her former life and the ideas once valued. But, as she also comments: ‘Yet not the end.’ Lionel Verney remains as the last character and person, but somewhat teasingly, survives and lives to tell the tale. Unfortunately, the novel is not one of Shelley’s finest. The Worm was tempted and, like Verney, lived to tell the story; but at what cost of wasted hours of joyful reading of other texts!

Further Reading
Buy it here Read it here

#193 Henry: Virtuous Prince (2008)

Author: David Starkey
Title: Henry: Virtuous Prince
Genre: Biography
Year: 2008
Pages: 390
Origin: a tried and trusted library book
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

‘Henry and I go back a long way’
David Starkey

Starkey’s comment is very true; his career has been based around the Tudors and, in particular, the “big guy” of the batch: Henry VIII. This monarch served as the primary focus in Starkey’s doctorial dissertation and resulting books in both academia and popular culture; ranging from print to the TV screen. This book – Henry: Virtuous Prince – is a biography of Henry in his younger years: the duke of York who unexpectedly became Prince of Wales, before events unfolded to raise him to status of King of England before his eighteenth birthday.

So, fans of the older, fatter, evil Henry depicted in most fiction and histories are to be disappointed. The severing of wives heads is not to be found; however, Starkey is keen to point out the interesting contrast between young prince and old king:

‘This book is about the other Henry: the young, handsome prince, slim, athletic, musical and learned as no English ruler had been for centuries. This Henry loved his mother and – most unusually for a boy at the time – was brought up with his sisters, with all that implies about the civilizing and softening impact of female company. He was conventionally pious: he prostrated himself before images, went on pilgrimages and showed himself profoundly respectful of the pope as head of the church….he modelled himself on Henry V, the greatest and noblest of his predecessors. Or he would be a new Arthur with a court that put Camelot in the shade. At the least, he determined that his reign, which began when he was only seventeen and ten months old, should be a fresh start.’

Focus, then, is dedicated to his young life in – what could be described – as formulaic fashion for Starkey: the reader gets the back-story of the parents, the education and educators of Henry, the obligatory chapter on religion, as well as the influential people around him that range from his mother and sisters to the charismatic Archduke Phillip of Habsburg.

As with many of Starkey’s recent books, the research and writing has gone in tandem with a documentary television series. The writing – breezy and conversational – has all the hallmarks of a cinematic style; further shown in his willingness to shower the reader with anecdotes in the book’s introduction, and in the somewhat annoying and pointless use of extremely short sections in the book (some comprising a mere few lines). Interestingly, in the book’s end section interview, Starkey is keen to point out how he believes his writing has developed after freeing himself from academic life; as well as stating how he ‘abominate(s) the dialogue between text and footnote.’

However, Starkey’s foregoing of some of his analytical gifts appears to have done the ending of this book an injustice. The concluding chapter is one entitled ‘Wolsey’, with little coverage given – beside one paragraph - to Wolsey’s future role in defining the reign of Henry VIII. In fact, it is not an ending in the orthodox sense, considering that – like the accompanying television series – a further book is published dealing with the older Henry. Such a break may well work in the world of TV, but in the form of larger books - in which more time from the reader is usually invested – a resounding conclusion is in order.

Like the majority of Starkey’s work, the book was written under the influence of his own Tudor-brand of “beer goggles”: Starkey is keen for superlatives to flourish and to comment on his astounded wonder of this world that he has created. And, that is what it is: a Starkey creation, rather than a real grounded history. The Sunday Times remarked that this book ‘is Starkey’s masterpiece’. It certainly isn’t; and if one does exist, then perhaps Starkey’s earlier – scorned – work could be its natural home.

The reader might suspect the Worm’s hostility against Starkey; it would be foolish to deny its existence. However, the Worm has also been vocal in promoting the merits of Starkey’s work: as seen in the reading of four Starkey books in the past four years (putting him into the realm of the Big Nodders). Furthermore, Starkey’s focus on Henry’s early years is commendable; hopefully, more historians will trod this path in the future to attempt to give reasons as to the man that Henry VIII eventually became. However, as with Starkey’s other works, although the text is readable, the substance is seemingly minimal. The Worm continues his quest to find Starkey’s “masterpiece”. That is, of course, if it exists at all.

Buy Starkey's book right here

#192 Mean Time (1993)

Author: Carol Ann Duffy
Title: Mean Time
Genre: Poetry
Year: 1993
Pages: 50
Origin: a tried and trusted library book
Nod Rating: 4 nods out of 5

The Worm was first turned onto to the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy in a classroom in a time long ago in a classroom far away. The poem was ‘Valentine’. And it blew the Worm away. It begins:

‘Not a red rose or a satin heart.
I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises lightly
Like the careful undressing of love’

Before finishing:

‘I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
Possessive and faithful
As we are,
For as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
If you like.
Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
Cling to your knife.’

The poem’s refusal to play ball with the usual “roses are red” lie sold by poets from previous centuries earned immediate respect. Clearly, this was a writer who played their own game by their own set of rules.

Since that time, Duffy’s career has continued to soar (the Worm, in comparison, has gone into stagnation of writing book review after book review, in a self-imposed critical hell with no end in sight); winning the T.S. Eliot prize and being appointed poet laureate in 2009, becoming the first woman to hold the position (as well as the first openly LGBT person)). Such a role has been used to write about topical and hard-hitting subjects ranging from MPs expenses, climate change, and Afghanistan. Our paths converged once more recently in the form of Duffy’s collection of poems from the mid-1990s, Mean Time, in which ‘Valentine’ is homed.

Mean Time covers a range of issues, all related to one larger theme of the memory of things past. Love is large factor in this, as well as its many associations: the thrill of first kiss, of becoming closely knit with another, alongside lies and deceit, as well as the ultimate death of a union. There is a loose narrative, from youth and innocence right through to an older, wiser cynicism.

Alongside ‘Valentine’, particular favourites are ‘Litany’, ‘The Cliché Kid’, ‘Moments of Grace’, ‘Close’. Most spectacular of all is ‘Beachcomber’, with the narrator thinking back – as hard as possible – to earlier memories when a child on a beach:

‘this child,
And not in sepia,
Lives,
You can see her;
Comes up the beach,
Alone;
Bucket and spade,
In her bucket, a starfish, seaweed,
A dozen alarming crabs
Caught with string and a mussel.
Don’t move.
Trow.’

The memories, no matter how sparse, form; but as Duffy writes: ‘But this is a close as you get’, before concluding the poem:

‘Nearly there.
Open your eyes.
Those older, those shaking, hands cannot touch the child
Or the spade
Or the sand
Or the seashell on the shore;
And what
What would you have to say,
Of all people,
To her
Given the chance?
Exactly?’

The failure of memory is a theme that is repeatedly returned to throughout the collection, including that of the earlier stated ‘Moments of Grace’ (‘Memory’s caged bird won’t fly. These days / are we adjectives, nouns. In moments of grace / we were verbs, the secret of poems, talented.’). Furthermore, in ‘The Biographer’ Duffy writes of a person’s occupation looking at past memories of past lives that have long gone: ‘…an early daguerreotype shows you / excitedly staring out / from behind your face / the thing that made you yourself / still visibly there, / like a hood and a cloak of light.’

The first flush of love has died, to be replaced by a sceptical look of realism. This is detailed in the poem ‘Valentine’, as well as many others. Duffy comments on the lies lovers tell one another - a topic regularly used by the plethora of soap operas year after year – but depicted in a reflective, realistic light by the poet. For example, read the final verse of ‘Close’:

‘Put out the light. Years stand outside on the street
Looking up to an open window, black as our mouth
Which utters its tuneless song. The ghosts of ourselves,
Behind and before us, throng in a mirror, blind,
Laughing and weeping. They know who we are.’

Whilst the titular poem, ‘Mean Time’, ends in a similar verse:

‘But we will be dead, as we know,
Beyond all light.
These are the shortened days
And the endless nights’

Duffy’s voice is a needed one in today’s society. She is proving herself the right choice as our poet laureate, as she as shown time and again in previous collections of her poetry. Take the time to check out Mean Time and to flavour ‘Valentine’ and those lethal, scented onions.


Further Info:

Buy Mean Time right here

Find out more about Carol Ann Duffy

#191 How I Escaped My Certain Fate (2010)

Author: Stewart Lee
Title: How I Escaped My Certain Fate
Genre: Autobiography
Year: 2010
Pages: 370
Origin: Borrowed from the eclectic comedic brain of Mr Walton
Nod Rating: 4 nods out of 5

The back cover of this book has a couple of quotes highlighted in bold: ‘The most exciting comedian the country bar none’ (The Times); ‘The worst comedian in Britain, as funny as bubonic plague’ (The Sun). It takes a bold man to bring in the views of both his supporters and negative critics. Ladies and gentlemen, please introduce yourselves to Stewart Lee.

Of course, many of you are acquainted with Lee’s work already (and have had the pleasure of introducing the Worm himself). Having enjoyed some public acclaim in the 1990s – most notably as part of a duo alongside Richard Herring on the cult show This Morning With Richard Not Judy – Lee fell out of love with comedy and appeared to retire from the stage. This book charts his return to the circuit, and more than that, a rise to the peaks of British comedy as we know it today. Good comedy, that is. Therefore, dear reader, you may discount the pointless reams of “acts” on television from this small, yet quality-laden genre known as “good comedy”. Yes, you know the names; the Worm needs not point them out.

How I Escaped My Certain Fate is an odd book to categorise: autobiography, but also comedy, alongside memoir and general discussion on the limits and abilities of comedy. As its subtitle states, it is ‘The Life and Deaths of a Stand-Up Comedian’. The book contains transcripts of Lee’s fantastic shows Stand-Up Comedian (2005), 90s Comedian (2006) and 41st Best Stand-Up Ever (2008); as well as several appendices ranging from the role of music theatre to a discussion with Johnny Vegas. These shows plot out Lee’s return to comedy; a revival that has seen him win critical acclaim and a growing number of new fans.

However, the juice in this book does not come from the transcripts alone (after all, the far superior option of actually watching the shows exists in DVD form); accompanying the words of the shows are numerous and deep footnotes. These allow the casual fan to the Lee fanatic (and the Worm is assured that these must exist in a sane world) to immerse themselves in the comedy world. The genesis of the jokes are revealed, alongside much of the background politicking in BBC meetings and with venue promoters. The footnotes are of such quality they elevate the book from a well rounded 3 nodder recommendation to the dizzier heights of 4 nods.

Credit and attention is given to many of Lee’s comedy posse, including – but not isolated to - the amazing Armando Iannucci and the fantastic Simon Munnery. Lee identities himself with this duo in an attempt to maintain a sense of art and purity surrounding their work, desiring to preserve integrity and not sell-out as so many comedians have done before. Bill Hicks would be proud.

It was during the opening years of the twenty-first century when Lee fell out of love with comedy; stating in his own words ‘gradually, incrementally and without any fanfare – or even much thought – gave up being a stand-up comedian’. Attention was turned to other pursuits, before finding a spark with the show Jerry Springer: The Opera. This journey back to the comedy circuit underpins much of the shows within this book, with Lee questioning his place within this world and with discussion on the philosophy of his work. For example, the work on Jerry Springer: The Opera adds ammunition with Lee drawing on the many attacks from religious groups; to the extent of actually citing them when on the stage.

Lee’s act has been deemed an acquired taste, with many condemning or ridiculing his style and delivery (from arrogance and conceit to plain dull). One reviewer wrote: ‘His whole tone is one of complete, smug condescension’. But the comic himself regularly self-deprecates, ranging from calling himself ‘fat’ to ‘a squashed Morrissey’, as well as using many of the negative reviews (including the one stated above) to use on advertising for his shows.

To dismiss him as arrogant is to misunderstand what Lee – both the onstage version and the real person - is attempting to portray. The Worm underpins it as remaining true to oneself, of pointing out the ironies in our society and of sticking up for the little guy. One of Lee’s strongest features is the ability to defend what has ridiculed, from equality and diversity (notably his conversations with his Nan on the dominance of equality and diversity) to his routine on the hypocrisy of the Top Gear presenters (‘I wish he had been decapitated and that his head had rolled off in front of his wife… It’s only a joke!’). As one of the few voices on TV to do this, Lee should be warmly applauded.

Lee’s career continues onwards and upwards, taking in other acclaimed and – if the Worm says so himself – fantastically engaging shows: If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One, and Carpet Remnant World, as well as his two TV series Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. If any readers have yet to catch Stewart Lee on stage, please head straight to YouTube right now to become acquainted. You will not regret it.

Further Reading:
Buy it here
Stewart Lee's website

#190 Aspects of British Political History 1815-1914 (1994)

Author: Stephen J. Lee
Title: Aspects of British Political History 1815-1914
Genre: Political History
Year: 1994
Pages: 340
Origin: Library book
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

Stephen J. Lee’s Aspects of British Political History is a guide to the various differences and pitfalls of the nineteenth century political scene. It is a “nuts & bolts” approach that attempts to select the key areas and people of ninety-nine years of history, in an attempt to understand their actions and the histography that has since surrounded the effects of their decisions. In the first paragraph of the introduction, Lee sets out his stall in his hope to ‘capture the imagination of the general reader who likes to go beyond narrative into the realm of debate’.

Published in the dearth of the Tory political landscape of the early 1990s, the book certainly adds plenty of debate. Lee is keen to always bring in the historical interpretations of ‘Whig’, ‘Tory’ and ‘Marxist’ history. Such approaches have appeared to have lost favour in academic and the book market in recent years; with us contemporaries gloating in the short-sighted belief that we are perhaps at the end of history (fall of Communism, triumph of Capitalism, seeming victory of TV reality shows).

Major themes include the years of Tory rule (1812-1830), the reforms of the Whigs in the 1830s, the fall of Peel and the Corn Laws in the 1846, the golden years of Palmerstone, the changing fortunes of Gladstone and Disraeli, British imperialism and years of “splendid isolation”, the great reforms of the New Liberals, and the rise of Labour. Furthermore, Lee concludes the book with chapters based on a long view of the ninety nine years (including British foreign policy, the economy, and policy towards social problems), as well as a short chapter on valuable primary sources available for the student and keen lay reader.

Despite being published relatively recently (1994), the final finish of the book shows shoddy tables and graphs of a pre-digital era (though, in truth, the lack of 3-D pie-charts has only served to have endeared the Worm to the book). Yes, there are more beautiful books, and many more that concentrate on nineteenth century politics that carry a stronger, more distinctive narrative. But this was never Lee’s intention, as he clearly states in the introduction. This is a book for readers who wish to swim deeper in debate, to go beyond mere name recall and recognition of key events, to gain an understanding to the all important why these events happened. It is the Worm’s hope that this book will heighten the analytical senses of students for many years yet to come.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aspects-British-Political-History-1815-1914/dp/0415090075/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1356802834&sr=8-3

Big Nodders

The fourth reading season has seen the return of many famous names and friends on the Worm’s reading hit-list. We welcomed the Victorian novelists Arthur Conan Doyle in another Sherlock Holmes adventure, as well as the life of Charles Dickens’ “favourite” David Copperfield. T.S. Eliot was again on show, this time in the weighty and fantastic Selected Poems, as has Alan Moore, and – of course – the unshakeable William Shakespeare.


All of which has forced the Worm’s hand at bringing together a new list: ‘Top Author Nods’; otherwise, affectionately known by the Worm himself as “Big Nodders”. To obtain a mention on this – admittedly – pointless list, an author must add up all of their nods achieved by the Worm’s partisan judgement. If ten is totalled or beaten, their name is slapped on the list to the sound of champagne corks popping across the room. Metaphorical sounds and corks, of course.

So far, seven authors have made the grade. These range from the serious (Tom Paine) to the happy (Bill Bryson), from the sensationalist (Bret Easton Ellis) to the downright annoying (David Starkey). The seven names say a lot of the Worm himself and his reading habits these past three to four years. The question he asks of himself: “Was it worth it?”

The current front-runner. Yes, him – Shakespeare! – once again. 7 reads and a healthy dose of nods (including 5 nodders in the form of Macbeth and Richard III) confirm him as a cut above the rest. The gauntlet has been laid down for the others. Even David Starkey.

1. William Shakespeare (7 books - 29 nods)

2. Alan Moore (3 books - 12 nods)

3. Bret Easton Ellis (4 books - 12 nods)

4. Niall Ferguson (3 books - 11 nods)

5. Bill Bryson (4 books - 11 nods)

6. David Starkey (4 books - 11 nods)

7. Thomas Paine (2 books - 10 nods)

#189 Y The Last Man

Authors: Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra
Title: Y The Last Man
Genre: Graphic Novel
Year: 2002-2008
Pages: 1,500 (approx)
Origin: read from the collection of Mr. C
Nod Rating: 4 nods out of 5

‘When the mother of the race is free, we shall have a better world, by the easy right of birth, and by the calm, slow, friendly forces of evolution.’
Charlotte Perkins Gilman

During much of September and October of this year, the Worm was involved in the reading of the comic series Y The Last Man. Spanning six years of publication history and sixty issues, the story finds the reader following the adventures of Yorick Brown: the last man on the planet. All other mammals – bar his pet monkey (not a euphemism, you dirty minded readers) – have been wiped out in a quick, bloody and – ultimately – mysterious plague.

Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra (and including the additional talents across the long run of Goran Sudzuka, Paul Chadwick, and Jose Marzan Jr.), Y The Last Man ticks the boxes of the sci-fi, dystopian adventure genres. The annihilation of the human race is not an original concept, but this particular story deviates from the central idea in a number of interesting ways. Visually, instead of the usual bleak, dark city skylines so often employed in these stories, Y The Last Man is filled with bright skies and grassy fields. Of greater difference is the lack of male characters; what could be deemed a risky strategy in what is a male dominated comic market, both in terms of readership and the characters (for every Wonder Woman there are hundreds of Batmen, Supermen and X-Men); something the story’s creators should take full credit for.

The central characters include the never-do-well Yorick, his monkey sidekick Ampersand, his assigned tough-guy bodyguard Agent 355, and the brains of the operation Dr. Allison Mann. Across sixty issues, this team traverse the North American continent, across the Pacific, Australia, South East Asia before finally ending in Paris – all in the hope of finding answers and a way of saving the human race (along with locating Yorick’s girlfriend, Beth). Throughout this series various characters and plots unfold, including love affairs for all central characters, a Russian solider, Israeli commandoes, a ninja in the vicious form of Toyota, and – as obligatory fare for end-of-the-world dystopian fiction - a crazy doctor who is intend on killing all.

Earlier storylines (including ‘Unmanned’, ‘Cycles’, ‘One Small Step’ and ‘Ring of Truth’) see the series at its ramping finest in the establishing of the narrative. They are aided with the addition of smaller stories that build upon the theories of man’s destruction and the role of gender (including ‘Comedy & Tragedy’). It is a shame that the stories become all the more convoluted and sensationalist in later issues (including a contrived naked lesbian scene). The series suffers by an overload of back-story issues of central and minor characters; a clear indication that the creative team were running out of ideas of where to take the main storyline. Such a decline is alleviated – slightly – by the pitting of rivals in a fight to the death in the later storyline of ‘Motherland’; but even this fails to recapture the earlier spirit of the series. The original intentions of the comic’s length is left uncertain, but a journey that did not extend beyond the confines of the United States could have resulted in a happier, more succinct conclusion for all – readers and creators alike.

The Worm is not adverse to including a “spoiler” or two in his reviews; the ending issues of Y The Last Man reveals a late – almost forced – romance, followed by the shock death of a principal character in the rather rushed storyline ‘Whys and Wherefores’. The final issue (‘Alas’), set decades in the future, unsuccessful attempts to resolve the various question marks surrounding the central characters. It is regretful that this future society, in which countries continue the old fears and suspicions of the past, but with a certain stabilisation in the clones of Yorick’s genes, is not developed in greater detail. Although the fate of Yorick himself is, thankfully, left open-ended for the reader.

The feminist aspect to this series remains its strongest attraction. Previous works of fiction have pondered a world without men, including Mary Shelley’s The Last Man and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s fantastic Herland. Vaughan offers glimpses as to how society may unfold: some believing that all is lost without their husbands, brothers and sons to those who seek to avenge the servitude of the female race by grabbing power (as shown in the group the Amazons). Attention is paid to how dominant the male gender is within key professions, including the armed forces, transport and politics (the new President of the USA being the holder of the unknown post of Secretary of Agriculture). And although Yorick may be the chief protagonist, the success in their adventures is down to the females surrounding him: the fighting is done by his protector, Agent 355, whilst the lion’s share of the thinking by their companion Dr. Allison Mann.

The mystery that is the plague remains to the final page, with no definitive answer given. Vaughan himself noted the delight in teasing the audience: ‘I feel that there is a definitive explanation, but I like that people don’t necessarily know what it is. In interviews we always said that we would tell people exactly what caused the plague. The thing was, we never said when we were going to tell. We weren't going to tell you when we were telling you, I should say. We might have told you in issue #3. There might have been something in the background that only a couple people caught. It might have been Dr. Mann's father's very detailed, scientific explanation. It might have been Alter's off-the-wall conspiracy theory. The real answer is somewhere in those 60 issues, but I prefer to let the reader decide which one they like rather than pushing it on them.’ Theories include the time-bomb trigger that was the first human clone; mysticism in the form of a sacred ring; religion playing a part in the Rapture taking all men from the Earth as punishment for original sin; or perhaps even by ‘death-by-chick-flick.’ In the manner of all great question marks, the origins of the plague will hopefully continue to keep the flames of debate stoked for many years to come between the series’ faithful readers.

Talk of a big screen adaption have been mooted for years. However, the Worm is of the firm opinion that such a movie – in one-off form – would not serve such a long-winding narrative. As one-time slated director of the project D.J. Caruso stated, it wouldn’t do the story ‘justice’. Other options include a possible TV series; but, perhaps the beauty of the comic book format is the prospect of telling an extended story, with various subplots and character develop, in a way that no other medium can offer (as Alan Moore argued in a book reviewed on the pages of this blog just a month or two ago). For readers who want an adventure story with a brain, Y The Last Man is a series to be enjoyed. The Worm highly recommends the series to serious readers of dystopian fiction.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Man-Deluxe-HC-Vol/dp/1401219217/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353856226&sr=1-1

#188 The Darwin Wars (1999)

Author: Andrew Brown
Title: The Darwin Wars
Genre: Science
Year: 1999
Pages: 220
Origin: bought in a charity shop during September 2012
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

Hailed by the author himself ‘as a history if ideas with all the messy bits left in’, The Darwin Wars is a book about evolutionary theory and the different positions that have developed ever since Darwin’s initial mutterings on the subject. Within ten – rather brief – chapters, Brown attempts to include the main viewpoints and theoretical standpoints, whilst looking at the human motive behind such scientific work.

Writer and journalist, Andrew Brown has written a career’s work of books on many differing eclectic subjects, from the intriguing book title In the Beginning Was the Worm: Finding the Secrets of Life in a Tiny Hermaphrodite to the London police (Watching the Detectives). Throughout The Darwin Wars he shows his journalist’s touch, making the words on the page relevant, and removing any superfluous material; resulting in a modest and manageable 220 pages. Furthermore, his schooling in the topic is vast, having served as Religious Affairs Correspondent for The Independent for a decade.

The central dialogue and debate during the book is between two groups; labelled by Brown as the ‘Gouldians’ and the ‘Dawkinsians’. Led by their anointed leaders (Stephen J. Gould and Richard Dawkins), Brown pits them against one another in a fight, in the words of the book’s subtitle, for ‘the scientific battle for the soul of man’.

Numerous characters pop up during the book, with Brown always interested in not simply the theory but the human story that led to the theory. This is the strength of the book, in hooking the reader with that keen journalistic eye. Such people include not only Gould and Dawkins, but also William Hamilton, Richard Lewontin, John Maynard Smith and even obligatory space for the likes of Karl Marx and Adolf Hitler. The most interesting of all is the story surrounding the torn soul that was George Price, who serves as the main focus for the book’s opening chapter, ‘The Deathbed of an Altruist’.

A decade after The Darwin Wars first went into print, Brown won the 2009 Orwell Prize for the book Fishing in Utopia. The Darwin Wars never threatens to obtain such a lofty position, with Brown himself labelling such work as ‘pop science books’: pages for the general public and not simply the specialists. As a short and compact book that attempts to explain the different positions of the various thinkers on the theories of evolution, it is a welcome book to the collection. It is not Brown’s intention to supersede the meatier and involving works of Dawkins & co, but rather to serve as a window for these works to the uninitiated.


Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Darwin-Wars-Scientific-Battle/dp/0684851458

Check out the website promoting the book:
http://www.darwinwars.com/index.html

#187 The Adventure of English (2003)

Author: Melvyn Bragg
Title: The Adventure of English
Genre: English Language / History
Year: 2003
Pages: 320
Origin: Library book
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5

Mr Bragg is a man of industrious action: broadcaster, presenter, interviewer, commentator, novelist and – as shown here – a man who takes his English language very seriously. He is popularly known for his work over three decades with the BBC presenting the South Bank Show; and the book The Adventure of English is an adaptation of a documentary originally shot for the TV screen.

Subtitled ‘The Biography of a Language’, The Adventure of English briefly traverses across one thousand and five hundred years of history of the English language. It encompasses the first Germanic settlers, its seeming eclipse after the invasion of William of Normandy, the come back against the French incursion of words, right through to the glorious victory of the language in its triumphant export around the world. Bragg is in particular good tone when discussing the global reach of English, dedicating chapters on its journey across America, India, the West Indies, Australia and more.

Bragg continues to labour the point that the English language’s chief success has been its flexibility: in linking to existing languages wherever it has invaded. The years from 1066 to 1400 are seen as the dark ages of the language, yet it came through its trials and tribulations – particularly the dominance of French – to become supreme once again. Bragg points to the growing rich tapestry of various wordsmiths – such as Chaucer and Shakespeare – but also dedicates a commendable amount of space to the important contribution of the religious reformers, including Tyndale and others who wished to see the bible translated into the English tongue (seen in the chapter ‘God’s English’).

The author is most interesting when he discusses the remnant words and terms that have survived from previous ages. In writing about the continuing effects of the French language on class division, he comments:

‘You can take an (English) “bit” of cheese and most people do. If you want to use a more elegant word you take a (French) “morsel” of cheese. It is undoubtedly thought to be a better class of word and yet “bit”, I think, might prove to have more stamina. You can “start” a meeting or you can “commence” a meeting. Again, “commence” carries a touch more cultural clout though “start” has the better sound and meaning to it for my ear.’

The theme of class division is further explored in the chapter ‘The Proper Way to Talk’, with Bragg discussing the effect of standardised writing and the attempts of language-snobs – such as the infamous Noah Webster – in their attempts to purify the English language.

Throughout the entirety of the book, Bragg continues to get across the message that language is continually changing: attempts at standardisation will fail due to the fast paced nature of this change. Particularly more so in the digital age, in which new words and terminology are being born on a seemingly weekly basis on the pages of Facebook and Twitter, and within text messages on mobile phones. Bragg attempts to calm the public with his message: that change is inevitable and should be embraced. The Worm himself welcomes such a message, and in recent years has become an opponent against the growing grammar-Nazis on social media sites that are happy to string up people for incorrect use of apostrophes.

Bragg’s The Adventure of English offers nothing more than a welcoming read through the past thousand years of history of the English language. It is short on the spectacular, but it would be mean of the Worm to be too hard on Bragg’s effort and intentions. It is a perfect read to while away a few short hours, with some interesting conversation fodder, whilst trumpeting – however silently – the triumphs of England; in short, the perfect book for middle aged, middle Englanders.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Adventure-English-Melvyn-Bragg/dp/0340829931/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353855540&sr=8-1

#186 Richard III (1591)

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: Richard III
Genre: Historical Play
Year: 1591
Pages: 180
Origin: read on a Kindle during September 2012
Nod Rating: 5 nods out of 5

‘A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!’

These are the enduring words from Shakespeare’s Richard III; the desperate, villainous king searching in vain for his salvation. As all viewers and readers know fully well, Richard’s plan to take the throne by wicked and corrupt deeds is foiled by the triumph of the Earl of Richmond. The young earl ends the division and begins healing the scars between the houses of York and Lancaster and their Wars of the Roses. Richmond brought forth a new dynasty: the Tudors. The very same Tudor family who a hundred years later – in the guise of Elizabeth, Richmond’s granddaughter - would influence Shakespeare to write this tale in a particularly favourable light. Richard, the last of the Plantagenets is painted the villain, and the new king is seen as virtuous and defending poor old England from wrong.

Of course, fiction and fact can – at times – be wildly contrasting forces. Yet throughout history we have seen the art of fiction overcome fact: the tale of Richard III, is perhaps one such example. The naked seizure of power is truth, but the motive and the outcomes have become overshadowed. In this manner, it has been played out again and again, from the Jacobin globe theatre, through the Victorian era, to the cinematic interpretations of Laurence Oliver (pictured above) and – perhaps most intriguingly – a fascist England in which the masterful Ian McKellan plays the doomed character.

For those readers out there who tuned into this blog during 2011, the background to Richard’s rise is portrayed in Shakespeare’s Henry VI trilogy: his father, the Duke of York, makes a claim – perceived as a rightful claim – to the throne of England, intending to overthrow the weak king, Henry VI. The Duke is killed in battle, with the throne eventually becoming the property of Richard’s older brother, Edward IV. The wars between rival houses appear to be at an end, when Edward’s IV unexpected death provides the cause for a tumultuous period in history. Edward’s sons vanish (with the mystery of their fate continuing to this day), with Richard taking the throne; only to isolate all of those around him. His defeat to Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth ends his two year reign.

Shakespeare deals with Richard’s bloody rise to the top and the climax finish of the battle. Richard is portrayed as a scheming plotter, marrying those who might advance his position; killing his brother (the Duke of Clarence) who might stand in his way; offing rivals – once former friends - who might oppose him (such Lord Hastings and the Duke of Buckingham). The murder of the nephews – the ill-fated princes in the tower – are described by Richard’s henchman: ‘The most arch deed a piteous massacre that ever yet this land was guilty of.’ Queen Margaret describes the rising body count to those around her:

‘I had an Edward, till a Richard kill’d him; I had a Henry, till a Richard kill’d him: Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard kill’d him; Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard kill’d him.’

It is the females of the play who see Richard for who is really is, with Queen Margaret playing the role of Cassandra in predicting future discontent. Anne deems him a ‘villain, thou knowest nor law of God nor man: No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity’; with the former queen (wife of the killed Henry VI) calls him ‘a murderous villain’; and his very own mother calls out:

‘Thou elvish-mark’d, abortive, rooting hog! Thou that wast seal’d in thy nativity the slave of nature and the son of hell! Thou slander of thy heavy mother’s womb! Thou loathed issue of thy father’s loins! Thou rag of honour!’

Later in the play, his mother continues with her description of her son:

‘From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept a hell-hound that doth hunt us all to death: That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes, To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood’.

In such a manner, Richard truly plays the role of ‘hell’s black intelligencer’. But in contrast to everyone else, Richard sees it as his right to claim the throne and lead England back to prosperous days: ‘the world is grown so bad that wrens make pretty where eagles dare not perch’. More interestingly, is Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard as a man capable of comic flourishes, especially so in his – somewhat – endearing asides as he allows the viewer/reader into his schemes. Having met the young princes, he tells the audience: ‘So wise so young, they say, do never long live’; and having flattered and wooed Queen Elizabeth and kissed her before she leaves the stage, he curses out: ‘Relenting fool, and shallow, changing woman!’ It is the part set out in Richard’s opening, famous soliloquy: ‘And seem a saint when most I play the devil.’

However, not even his ambition and thirst for power can guide Richard to ultimate success. His actions of lies and deceit force his followers to flee, one by one; the victims of growing paranoia and insanity. Shakespearian convention is followed (alongside predictions and ominous dreams) in the shape of ghosts who return to haunt Richard on the night before the Battle of Bosworth. The young princes return to call upon Richard: ‘Dream on thy cousins smothered in the Tower. Let us be lead within they bosom, Richard. And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death! Thy nephews’ souls bid thee despair and die!’ Whilst they point to their potential saviour, the Earl of Richmond, to ‘beget a happy race of kings! Edward’s unhappy sons do bid thee flourish.’

Alone and without hope, Richard descends to schizophrenic ranting – again, another blessed stable of Shakespeare’s titular characters. It further showcases Richard’s complex role:

‘The lights burn blue. It is now dead midnight. Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh. What, do I fear myself? There’s none else by. Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I. Is there a murderer here? No; yes, I am. Then fly. What, from myself? Great reason why. Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself! Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? For any good that I myself have done unto myself? O, no! Alas, I rather hate myself for hateful deeds committed by myself! I am a villain: yet I lie, I am not.'

Continuing with his lonesome conclusion:

‘My conscience hath a thousand several tongues. And every tongue brings in a several tale. And every tale condemns me for a villain. Perjury, perjury, in the high’st degree. Murder, stern murder, in the dir’st degree. All several sins, all us’d in each degree. Throng to the bar, crying all “Guilty! Guilty!” I shall despair. There is no creature loves me; And if I die no soul will pity me.’

The victory of the Earl of Richmond at the play’s finale (the same man formerly dismissed by Richard as ‘a little peevish boy’) puts right the wrongs of Richard’s reign. The defeat of Richard, and indeed the entire play, has been labelled as through and through case of Tudor propaganda. Perhaps Shakespeare – bankrolled by Tudor blood – was aware of such an accusation. There are hints throughout the play, but none more so than in Queen Margaret’s words to Elizabeth about her position to Richard: ‘Think that thy babes were sweeter than they were, And he that slew them fouler than he is’.

‘Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York’ are the immortal words of the play’s opening. A play that confirms all of the powers of Shakespeare’s ability to write dialogue, to plot out action, and to thrill and entertain his audience. It is amongst the most popular of his canon; and the Worm makes the case that it is amongst the strongest of his catalogue. If you have not seen or read it during the past four hundred twenty-one years, then you have much to catch up on.


Read it here:
http://www.william-shakespeare.info/script-text-richard-iii.htm

Read the reviews for Henry VI: Parts One, Two & Three here:
http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/08/hnery-iv-part-one-william-shakespeare.html
http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/11/henry-vi-part-two-william-shakespeare.html
http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/12/henry-vi-part-three-william-shakespeare.html