Fueled by the enthusiasm generated by the Tour de France, I have been reading some very good cycling books recently. Samuel Abt's IN HIGH GEAR is probably the best of the current batch which also includes Bernard Hinault's patchy and rather self-congratulatory autobiography MEMORIES OF THE PELOTON, and another biography, KELLY, which is written by David Walsh and which reveals Kelly as a more successful racer than I had imagined. Abt is the cycling correspondent of the International Herald Tribune (by the way, still an excellent paper for US sports fans) and as such has covered the Tour and the other classics for some years. As one would expect given his journalistic background the book is similar in style to those by Thomas Boswell, which is no bad thing, and there are insights on every page into this fascinating sport. Particularly good are the chapters on American riders coming to terms with the European circuit and also an excellent account of Lemond's shooting accident and subsequent recovery. Highly recommended and the follow up, BREAKAWAY, should be even more up to date and fascinating.
For years I imagined that I was one of very few adults who enjoyed the works of Herge, particularly the superb Tintin books. Quite why this should be I really don't know. It may be due to the fact that Tintin books are only sold in children's book departments or it may be because whenever I felt brave enough to mention the books, I got plenty of ridicule from all apart from a few friends. These understanding people, like me, had enjoyed the books when younger and when re- reading them found them excellent but for different reasons. Then earlier this year, all of a sudden, it seemed that things were happening. John Harrington started the sequence of events when he told me about the PILOT shop in Covent Garden that sells only Tintin memorabilia. I still find it hard to believe that the shop exists at all and that it can survive on these products alone, but it does and it is well worth a visit.
The second event was the publication of the fascinating book HERGE & TINTIN: REPORTERS (Sundancer, £25) which was the first indication that there were forces preparing to make the most of Tintin's 60th anniversary. This is the best of all the books available in English and although very expensive, is more than worth it if you have an interest in the subject. The culmination of all this activity was the exhibition of Herge's work at Chelsea Town Hall in August. I can't say I was too impressed by the actual exhibits (it was mainly original artwork and models) but what were notable were the massive queues to get in, the media coverage and the release of two new books. Most interesting of the newspaper coverage I saw was a fairly derogatory piece in The Independent which accused the Tintin character of being bland and lacking in character development. On balance, I have to agree but for me the attraction of the books is not so much Tintin's character but more the artwork, the subtle humour and the adventurous situations in which he finds himself. I guess it is all linked to the globetrotting jaunts sprinkled with copious biplanes, trains, seedy dock scenes, strange characters, oppressive governments and ridiculously inept criminals.
The first of the new books is TINTIN AND THE WORLD OF HERGE (Methuen, £12.95), a translation of, logically enough, LE MONDE D'HERGE, a Casterman book that is now out of print in its French edition. Read as a complement to the Sundancer book, this is a fascinating insight into the life and achievements of Herge and his creations. Most interesting are the changes that were made to the text and drawings as political and historical events made Herge think again about certain subjects, not least his early drawings of African characters which would make Camden councillors a tad annoyed. The second release is another translation, this time of one of the very first Tintin adventures, TINTIN IN THE LAND OF THE SOVIETS (Methuen, £9.95). This is rendered in black and white and the drawings have something of a naive charm when compared to Herge's later work. Both essential reading for the Tintin fan. By the way, at Essen, I managed to find a Ravensburger game called TIM UND STRUPPI which is the first Tintin game I have come across. Anyone know of any others? Report next time.
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I rather prone to fads. These sometimes die as quickly as they come while others carry on for years. The 1989 model is undoubtedly a strange and apparently unfounded interest in architecture. This seems to have come along at exactly the right time with the long running controversy between Prince Charles and much of RIBA very prominent in the media. Never one to pass up two rival books, I bought VISION OF BRITAIN (Doubleday £16.95) and Max Hutchinson's THE PRINCE OF WALES: RIGHT OR WRONG? (faber & faber, £4.99). It is difficult to say much that isn't obvious about the former; it has lots of lovely pictures of attractive and not so attractive buildings and lays down HRH's now infamous ten commandments of architecture in an anorexic coffeetable volume. The writing is good but not brilliant, while the pictures and captions do the job of persuasion admirably. HRH is out to convey a personal opinion - that there are lots of horrible buildings, old and new, out there and the architects are at fault for designing them that way. This is undoubtedly a simplistic view but is controversial enough to get them out of their prams at RIBA, which is the desired intention. He then goes on to offer his personal solutions to the problem in the effort to bring the subject out into the open for discussion. I do wonder about the wisdom of laying down the commandments which are very much of the 'Concrete/flat roof bad, brickwork/pitched roof good' type, but I believe that the overall campaign has worked extremely well. Whether anything will come of it remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, over in the red corner, Hutchinson's book is a strange work. While it is convincing, intelligent, witty and possessed of a remarkable range of language and metaphor, it resembles more an elongated protest pamphlet, which almost fails to get the message across, than a book. Hutchinson delves so deeply into the history of architectural trends, the role of planners and developers and promoting a crusade for modernism, that we almost lose sight of the book's stated aim; which is to provide an opposing, valid standpoint to A VISION OF BRITAIN while not resorting to personal insults against old big ears (in which aim Hutchinson fails within the first few pages). The chapters on the background to HRH's intervention are superbly done. For the reader, shown the other side's arguments for the first time, something approaching the true picture begins to form. What is amazing is that Hutchinson seems to have been caught unawares by the public reaction, as if he never expected the silent majority to speak, and of course instantly blames someone else; in this case the planners and developers who seem equally fair game to me. The real strength of this work is that it puts the other case, one that has been neglected in the media, and at least enables the likes of me to reach, or come close to reaching, a considered position.
On balance, having reviewed the two viewpoints (which, deep down, are not so different as you may think - both are campaigning for better buildings, only the approaches differ), I have to plump firmly in the fogey, traditionalist camp of Prince Charles. It comes down to aesthetics in the end and, as Brian Walker well knows, I am not too embarrassed to say I dislike modernism in almost all its forms. I doubt that Hutchinson or anyone else will ever convince me that Richard Rogers and his ilk design attractive buildings, whatever criteria is chosen. What is an interesting outcome is the fact that RIBA have become aware, almost as one man, that there are people out there experiencing their designs daily and if this ivory tower attitude is changed at all we should be thankful to Prince Charles who, to me, is at least an honest and caring spokesman.
It seems rather pointless reviewing Terry Pratchett's excellent PYRAMIDS (Gollancz £11.95) as a rather cheeky pre-publication review appeared in Electric Monk some weeks ago. However, for those of you that don't take that excellent zine or work for WH Smiths, I will simply say that in this, the seventh Discworld novel, Pratchett is back to his very best. The plot this time, set in the Discworld equivalant of Ancient Egypt (Djelibeybi by name), is different enough to give Pratchett a whole fresh crop of joke situations and he wastes no time in trotting them all out. I quickly lost count of the brilliant one-liners. The opening sequence, which is quite clearly a D&D assassin class spoof, is a joy to read. A hand maiden called Ptraci and an immortal grand vizier (who do always seem to be evil) are just two of the superb characters introduced the book and Pratchett even manages to work in Ankh-Morpork for the hardened fans requiring a fix. A couple of columns ago I stated that Pratchett had lost his way and was not producing work to the standard of MORT and THE COLOUR OF MAGIC. I am pleased to say I was wrong and PYRAMIDS is proof enough of that.
Continuing in the fantasy humour vein, I must also recommend Dave Langford's, get this, THE DRAGONHIKER'S GUIDE TO BATTLEFIELD COVENANT AT DUNE'S EDGE: ODYSSEY TWO (Drunken Dragon Press, £9.95). No great talent for deduction is required to guess that this is a send up of anything going in the SF/F field and also represents the only title that doesn't fit into my book database. It comprises a dozen excellent parodies of prominent writers' styles and if anyone can do this well, it is Langford. The best in my view is 'Xanthopsia' which captures Piers Anthony's flowery style perfectly and then proceeds to rip it to bits. Moorcock is sent up in 'The Mad God's Omelette' and EE Doc Smith, van Vogt and Asimov among others all get it firmly in the neck. An excellent book and so much better than those produced by the juveniles at Harvard Lampoon.
David Lodge has long been one of my favourite authors and I have recently enjoyed NICE WORK, his latest novel soon to be dramatized, and probably spoilt, for television. The book relates the tale of a woman academic at the University of Rummidge who is cajoled into the task of 'shadowing' a local foundry executive. The basic plot is rather predictable as both parties overcome preconceptions and prejudices to eventually work well as a team and, almost inevitably, a romantic interest develops. Although the plot is strangely obvious, Lodge handles it in such a way as to introduce his favourite campus characters and semiotics themes in an entertaining (and educational) way and at no time is the book boring. As ever, Lodge delivers with some style.
Nevertheless, I had this nagging suspicion that the author was occasionally walking a fine line between accurate characterisation and stereotyping. I also thought it very slow to start (nothing much happens for 100 pages) and this pacing spoils the start of book. Small gripes aside, I like Lodge's style and he remains one of the few authors I will devour in one or two sittings. Some sections of the novel are superb, particularly when describing the executive's unrequited love, and ultimately the characters do come across convincingly. The end, howver, leaves a little to be desired from as far as originality goes. The Grauniad blurb on the cover reckons it is his best yet, but I would disagree. I still rate SMALL WORLD very highly, though it is, in fairness, a different class of novel. I think NICE WORK falls firmly in with HOW FAR CAN YOU GO, BRITISH MUSEUM and OUT OF THE SHELTER and compared to those it is rather better, but not by much. Nevertheless, highly recommended and perfect for the beach or a train journey.
Everything indicates that I should like Paul Theroux's travel books. I enjoy travel, I love railways and he goes to places that I have either been to or would hope to get to at some stage. Why is it then that I only ever get 100 or so pages into each book and then discard it, frustrated? A major factor must be his writing style. By no means a bad writer (who am I to complain?), Theroux excels in recording detail. These details often detract from the real business by swamping the reader with self- indulgent observations that are not only often boring but also largely irrelevant. I am sure he must also tell fibs or be extremely lucky in the characters he meets and the events he encounters. Why is it that travel writers always meet interesting people yet we mortals just meet Joe Average and his boring daughter? I have done a couple of the trips he recounts in his books and I have never met anything even approaching his cross section of people. Am I looking in the wrong places? I have never once run into people who turn out to be a prostitute, a rich heiress or even a plain old weirdo.
Further, some of the situations he recounts, like the Russian housewives wanting a quickie for hard currency in IRON ROOSTER or the ludicrous Mexican border guard incident in the OLD PATAGONIAN EXPRESS, simply do not work. If they are true, they shouldn't be. Surely readers expect a degree of credibility or does he live in another world - the novelist's luck again? They may also not be interested in what amount to Theroux's admissions of apparently unfulfilled sexual fantasies. There are flashes of brilliance but these, like the railway stations he describes, are few and far between. These books will sadly remain on my shelf until I feel like re-reading them, but I somehow doubt I will ever really enjoy them.
After a break of about fifteen years, I have recently started to take newspapers again. Just weekends for now, weekdays are still free of home deliveries but I do read the FT first thing every morning at work, which is more out of necessity than choice. Essentially, I was weaned back to newsprint by friends speaking highly of Saturday's Independent and a feeling that perhaps I was missing out on something good. I stopped reading the things because I have never been a great fan of news and current affairs - they invariably seem to be depressing. Reviews, travel, features and thought provoking articles were not so prevalent then as they seem to be today. Having returned to the fold and sampled most of the broadsheets, I currently take the Independent, The Sunday Times and The Correspondent. I still don't read much of the news sections but the rest are well worth the asking price. Sunday mornings have taken on a new shape as I attempt to find time to wrestle with a wodge of paper and supplements between the Aussie Football and The Waltons.
By far my favourite is The Independent, a success story if ever there was one. If this paper has one failing, and it is not being boring, it is the trait of taking an opposing stance to a trendy subject almost for the sake of it (eg Foucault's Pendulum, mountain bikes, Tintin) but, like most good writing, this technique is a useful spur to the reader's thought processes. The Sunday Times, however, occasionally verges on the pretentious but who can resist all those sections? The book reviews alone are worth it. As for the newcomer, The Correspondent, I can't say I am too impressed at the moment but I am giving it a few weeks grace and it seems to be getting better. It seems a little bland and has yet to develop a recognisable character, but it has potential and several fine writers, including Stan Hey and rookie Clive Anderson. Like many others, I await with interest the Sunday Independent in the new year that will hopefully enable me to go back to taking just one paper, which my paperboy will no doubt thank me for. At present delivery weights, he deserves a large tip this Christmas.
I had hoped to follow up last time's review of the extraordinary SLEEPING IN FLAME with a glowing review of Jonathan Carroll's latest, A CHILD ACROSS THE SKY (Legend £5.95). Unfortunately, despite the fact that Carroll has seemingly 'made it' to the best shelves in the London bookshops, the new book is a major let down. The writing is roughly on a par, the characters are just as good, indeed in some cases are the same as those in FLAME and BONES OF THE MOON, but there is no spark in the plot and the lovely dialogue and the gentle, if disturbing, ideas of FLAME have disappeared. They are replaced by a surfeit of profundity and some pretty spooky scenes that don't 'fit' with the tone of the book (but which are still streets ahead of Clive Barker's bilge).
The story centres around Weber Gregston whose best friend, Phil, blows his brains out despite seemingly having everything he could ever want. Weber turns up to console Phil's girlfriend and to get to the root of the mystery. Initially, he receives some video tapes that Phil has sent from beyond the grave and this leads him to look closely at the horror film that Phil had worked on before he died. It seems, curiously, that the act of shooting one particular scene in the film has released some unspeakable evil upon then world. From there on, in small but important steps, things get very weird indeed. Weber meets characters from Phil's recent past, one of whom might be the Angel of Death dressed up as an eight year old girl. This is linked to the running plot device of imaginary friends and childhood fears. In the end, everything is explained (fairly) logically but it remains ultimately unsatisfying as a novel. This is mainly because not enough happens after the initial build up and shocks. Essentially, the basic idea is not as good as FLAME and no amount of good writing, stories within stories or weird fantasy was good enough to save it. This is a disappointing follow up and I await the next Carroll novel to see if he can return to previous form. Meanwhile, I will read his earlier works but it looks as if we may have another Tim 'only one good book in me' Powers on our hands.
VISIONS OF CYCLING by Graham Watson (Springfield Books, £18.95) represents the work and thoughts of one of the best known and most accomplished of the many cycling photographers. His pictures accordingly grace most of the top publications, especially WINNING. I am an unashamed sucker for quality cycling photos and the chance to buy a new collection was not to be missed. But where a book such as this stands or falls is on the quality of the pictures. What we are served is a good selection, including some of Watson's most famous, but the truly excellent pictures are rare and the collection as a whole is pretty uninspiring. Frankly, I regularly see better from Watson in a typical WINNING magazine. This is a rather overpriced and disappointing book but if you are desperate for a few more of Watson's usually excellent photos, it should still appeal.
At last, I have found a decent film reference book. THE TIME OUT FILM GUIDE (Penguin £9.99) contains reviews of around 9,000 films and, most importantly, most of the comments are similar to my tastes. However highly Halliwell is rated, he and I just didn't see eye to eye on films which made his books rather a waste of money for me. This new guide isn't a perfect fit for my tastes (as an example, it praises tosh such as CARAVAGGIO) but most of its views are in the right ballpark. This must be because the reviews are not always those that appear in Time Out, which often get more than a little pretentious. It also fails to succumb to the current trend of knocking Woody Allen which has to be a plus point. Good value and one of those 'dip-in' books from which one can never read just one entry.
As longer term readers will know, I am a corresponding member of the North Shore Game Club based in Massachusetts. As a remote member, the principle attraction of the club used to be Alan Moon's excellent monthly newsletter but since he moved to a substantial John Irvingesque house in New Hampshire with only the squirrels for company, he has given up the editorial duties. That, sadly, could have been it but thankfully Eddie Campisano has taken up the reins in some style. The resulting newsletter is called the BOARDGAME CHALLENGER which incorporates the NSGC Newsletter. The November issue marks the first real issue after the transition and it is a good one. Feature articles cover Firezone, Origins, a World in Flames replay report and a ranting piece by Eddie on how to solve the USA's drug crisis. Next issue, a cure for the common cold and how to play Civilisation in under ten hours. The layout is very well done and Eddie is running some postal games as well. These include Down with the King, Machiavelli (Yawn), Lift Off and The Metric Mile. These latter two are pretty original in the postal format (I think someone in the UK runs Metric Mile) and look to be worth playing. Overall, CHALLENGER is very readable but really misses the spot-on news and industry gossip that Mr Moon excels at. Subs are $12 for twelve issues from Eddie Campisano, PO Box 724, Norwood, MA 02062 USA.
Just arrived in the in-tray is Bleddyn Hopkins' SUMO U.K. FAN CLUB NEWSLETTER, recently advertised in the TV Times. This is a well timed move as there is undoubtedly a strong following out there and with C4 looking to show another complete basho in the autumn (linked to their revised SUMO book), I think a fanzine is likely to find a market. Having been sent the back issues, I have now received issue 5 which is a marked improvement on the previous four which showed plenty of enthusiasm but precious little in the way of text. Issue 5 is still rather light on content which is my main complaint, but I suspect that the real problem is that there isn't really much to be said on the sport from the UK angle. Sumo is not that conducive to keeping stats aside from won/lost records and everything else is history, opinions or news. Issue 5 comprises one page of up to date news, a couple of interesting articles, some stats and a crossword. A report on the Aki basho is to follow. Issue 6 should see the influx of the TV Times recruits, a full membership list, perhaps some new articles and a request from me to hear from anyone who knows of any boardgames on the subject in Japan! Ten sides for 50p is not brilliant value, but Bleddyn is looking for a cheaper printer and for the real aficionado it should be worth getting for the news alone. Bleddyn's address is: Bleddyn Hopkins, Bleddfa, Maes Meyrick, Heolgerrig, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan CF48 1RH.
Covering the same subject, but professionally produced, is SUMO WORLD magazine. I have recently been given a sample of this excellent magazine by a friend who was posted to Tokyo for three weeks (lucky sod) and I am strongly considering a subscription at $28 airmail/$22.50 seamail. Unfortunately, I have no idea how many issues this sum buys but I guess it is no more than six. I have the September 1989 issue which covers the contenders for the Aki Basho which is to be shown on Channel 4 later this year. The data in this section alone is invaluable, giving vital statistics (48-72-48?) and, importantly, the most used techniques for each wrestler. This sort of information is invaluable for a replay game, which coincidentally I am still working on. More news on this later in the year. The rest of the magazine covers profiles of some current and retired wrestlers, several obituaries (an ominous sign?), a discussion concerning the Nagoya Basho, a column on technique, some book reviews and a feature on a Sumo school. The magazine is written entirely in American as opposed to English but is still very well presented, presumably because the guest writers are all professionals. Essential reading for the fan, SUMO WORLD is available from: Andy Adams, Sumo World, c/o Foreign Press Club, 1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 100, Japan.
Rounding out this section is Gary Larson's latest, THE PRE-HISTORY OF THE FAR SIDE ($12.95). This is a large book (288 pages) celebrating ten years of the Far Side cartoon strips and it is a required purchase for those who appreciate Larson's offbeat and often surreal humour. Although much of the book is repeated cartoons (which still raise a laugh), much is fresh and previously unseen. We are also treated to something of a potted autobiography as Larson describes the cartoons, his reasons for drawing them and what he was really trying to say. The chapters cover Larson's early work, an explanation of how some of the ideas changed, some mistakes, some pretty sick rejections, a section of Larson's personal favourites and, best of all, a selection of letters received from readers in America protesting about various 'offensive' drawings. The letters are quite amazing as they show just how straight some people's sense of humour (or lack of) can be and others are priceless in the 'angry of Guildford' tradition - for instance, on 'Tethercat'; "No doubt some stupid mixed up weirdo will see the cartoon and get some poor cat and try to emulate the cartoon. I am really offended by this cartoon". Hoho. As ever with Larson, there are two or three cartoons I just don't understand, unlike Schulz who I rarely get at all. I'll take The Far Side or Calvin & Hobbes every time.
And there you go. Not bad for someone who was cutting down on book coverage. And not a sniff of science fiction Charles. Next time (before Christmas?) I will hopefully review Pratchett's TRUCKERS, Clancy's somewhat prophetic CLEAR & PRESENT DANGER and Larry Bond's RED PHOENIX ('The best techno-thriller so far' says the blurb) and, if I can face it, Umberto Eco's FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM. It's strange, but where 'games fever' comes and goes, the enjoyment I get from books just keeps rolling along.
Mike Siggins. 3/10/89.