‘This Must Be the Place’ by Maggie O'Farrell
29 July 2021
I really enjoyed reading Maggie O'Farrell’s 2016 novel ‘This Must Be the Place’ - a exquisitely plotted jigsaw puzzle narrative which flits backwards and forwards in time to piece together the story of a reclusive former film star hiding from the world in Donegal, her American second husband and their families. Each chapter pulls the rug from under the reader as we shift to a different perspective and question what we had previously assumed but the gradual filling-in of the narrative is very satisfying and Maggie O’Farrell builds an extended cast of sympathetic characters.
Labels: Books
‘Light Perpetual’ by Francis Spufford
29 July 2021
Francis Spufford’s first novel ‘Golden Hill’ (reviewed here in August 2017) was one of my cultural highlights of 2017: beautifully written, historically fascinating with wonderfully drawn characters and a mesmeric plot – one of the best novels I’ve read in years. If you haven’t read it please do! My expectations of its successor were therefore incredibly high but I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed ‘Light Perpetual’ by Francis Spufford, which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audiobook, narrated by Imogen Church. This is a much more recent historical novel, leaping forward from Golden Hill’s 1746 to start in 1944 with the bombing of a Woolworth’s store in South London which killed five young children from the same school class. This is the spur for a ‘what if’ narrative that reminded me of Kate Atkinson’s novel 'Life After Life' (reviewed here in June 2013) in which the (repeated) death of the main character is not the end of the story but merely the start of a new strand of the narrative, imaging what might have happened if she hadn’t died at that moment. In ‘Light Perpetual’ Spufford shows us the lives that might have been if the five children had lived, using a structure a bit like Michael Apted’s famous Seven Up! television documentaries, revisiting each of the main characters every 15 years. Their stories take us through the second half of the 20th century via a series of linked short stories that allow Spufford to focus on a wide range of real events and situations in painstaking detail. The novel also reminded me of Peter Flannery’s classic TV serial ‘Our Friends in the North’ (reviewed here in April 2006) as we watch the protagonists go their separate ways and bear witness to all manner of historic moments. ‘Light Perpetual’ is in turns brutal, funny, sad, poignant and moving - a very human tale of life and death. It’s a very different book to ‘Golden Hill’ but equally beautifully written (and brilliantly read by Imogen Church).
Labels: Books
Suffolk
29 July 2021
We had a lovely holiday last week, spending a few days in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire revisiting some old favourite places for the first time in years. We visited Cambridge, Newmarket, Oulton Broad, Southwold, Snape, Aldeburgh, Bury St Edmunds and Ely. It was great to see the Broads, the beach huts at Southwold, the Abbey ruins at Bury St Edmunds and the Cathedral at Ely - and to have fish & chips on the beach at Aldeburgh. We also enjoyed lovely sunny walks in the North Chilterns (at Pegsdon) and the Cotswolds (at Blockley). It was a glorious week.
Labels: Holidays
‘The Golden Age’ by Woodkid
15 July 2021
I am grateful, once again, to Jess Gillam’s wonderful podcast ‘This Classical Life’ through which I discovered the 2013 album ‘The Golden Age’ by Woodkid. Yoann Lemoin is a French video director who has worked with Lana Del Rey, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. As Woodkid he created this sumptuous collection of songs about a boy’s childhood - his golden age - and his departure from it through the pains of adolescence. The music features the Paris National Orchestra mixed with electronic instruments and effects. It feels operatic in scale and mood - part concept album, part film score - a little earnest but unusual, melodic and engaging. And naturally Lemoin has created accompanying video material for the album, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWMMdX6KYGM
Labels: Albums, Music
Wimbledon 2021
6 July 2021
As we travelled to Wimbledon on Saturday it felt like a very long time since we were last at the Championships - though we were actually there for the men’s singles quarter finals the last time they were played in 2019. It’s just a long time since we have been anywhere! This was my first train journey since March 2020 which felt incredibly strange. I am pleased to report that London is still there. But I am more pleased that, following a little rain on our way there, we enjoyed a rain-free day and saw almost eight hours of continuous tennis. We had tickets for No. 1 Court which meant we were lucky to see Emma Raducanu’s amazing win over Sorana Cîrstea - the most exciting atmosphere we have witnessed in many many years of going to Wimbledon. It was genuinely thrilling, but that was just the start of a stunning day. We also had an all-too-brief glimpse of a very promising match between Nick Kyrgios and Felix Auger Aliassime before Kyrgios had to retire through injury. We finished the day watching Daniil Medvedev come back from two sets down to beat Marin Čilić in five sets which was a brilliant match. I think this was our best ever day at Wimbledon.
Labels: Sport
Nottinghamshire
1 July 2021
We had a lovely holiday in Nottinghamshire last week, staying at a cottage overlooking the Chesterfield Canal, just outside the pretty village of Gringley-on-the-hill, close to the borders with South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. We had some great walks along the canal, and in Sherwood Forest, Clumber Park and Daneshill Lakes. We visited Nostell Priory near Wakefield, Gainsborough in Lincolnshire and Retford. Despite driving there and back in rain we enjoyed a mostly dry and sunny week. It was a wonderful break.
Labels: Holidays
