How it ALL began....

Just Finished Reading: The Dead of Summer by Camilla Way (FP: 2007) [230pp] 

Anita’s world collapsed along with her mother when she was 11. The heart attack that killed her changed everything. Her father became a shell of his former self now happiest drinking beer in front of the TV. Her elder brother was now an enigma, disappearing for hours or days at a time but never seemingly short of money. Her sisters, no longer supervised, became the party animals they’d always longed to be. Two years later the family had moved from their home in Leeds to the outskirts of London and Anita was at a new school, alone, without a friend in the world. But accidents happen, and accidental friends will do when all else fails. Denis was first, just because he had been sitting next to her on the first day. Then there was Kyle, strange, distant, emotionally damaged (so she’d been told). Kyle had a tragedy in his family too, a lost younger sister who vanished in the night. It was the hint of a link, a distant echo of a possible friendship. That summer was hot, the hottest she could remember. With a new neighbourhood to explore and new friends to explore it with, Anita hoped that things might start to turn around. But nothing is going to be that simple. Kyle is fighting his demons and Anita has a few of her own to deal with. The problem with demons is that all too often they demand blood – lots of blood. 

This was another of those impulse buys in the ‘Buy 1 get 1 half price’ deals. It’s a way of trying out new authors or new topics. Mostly they are, at least, OK. This one however really didn’t float my boat. To be honest this wasn’t badly written. Indeed, I’d say that it was quite well written. All the characters seemed real enough, as did the situation they found themselves in. The twist, when it came, was well handled and wasn’t too telegraphed in advance. But one thing I had trouble with is a lack of sympathy from the majority of the cast of characters. The only one, probably on purpose, that I did feel sorry for was Anita herself – which added to the emotional impact of the plot twist. Then there was an ‘ick’ factor which I didn’t like (I won’t spoil which kind of ‘ick’ it was). Finally, there was a LOT of swearing which I didn’t really appreciate. OK, it was generally in context, and I have known people who talk like that, but please.... I can’t honestly say I enjoyed this very much at all, so I can’t really recommend it.   

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Remember, remember, the 5th of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent

To blow up the King and the Parliament

Three score barrels of powder below

Poor old England to overthrow

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match

Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring

Holler boys, holler boys

God save the King!

Interesting, as always!

LOVED this song... [lol]

Just Finished Reading: Rebel Writers – The Accidental Feminists by Celia Brayfield (FP: 2019) [246pp] 

I’d heard of a group of male authors in the 50’s and 60’s called The Angry Young Men (writers such as Stan Barstow, John Braine, John Osborne and Alan Sillitoe amongst others) and I even have some, typically unread, books by them but I had never heard about the ‘Angry Young Women’ who were their contemporaries. Of course, much was made of the men’s efforts and many column inches appeared in the papers discussing their new, radical, ‘kitchen sink drama’ style of writing featured between the pages of a book or on the BBC’s Play of the Week. The women, and often very young women, were seen as more exotic and not a little transgressive – becoming published authors in their TEENS and writing about poverty, sex, abortion (illegal at that time) and contraception (difficult to obtain until the advent of the Pill and even then, only initially available to married women). In some cases, most notably with Edna O’Brien, their books were vilified and, in some cases, actively banned for years after initial publication. Even a successful print run had its own problems attached – from media pressure, fame (however brief) and the fact that the youngest authors had to have their financial affairs countersigned by their husbands or fathers.  

What these women authors chronicled – although they were singularly unaware of it at the time – was a radical change in British life as old the certainties of their parent’s generation gave way to the more radical, more free and more open 1950’s and 1960’s. They brought, intentionally or not, many of the daily problems experienced by women, and especially working-class women, into the public (and middle-class) domain which inevitably raised questions about solutions of poverty, single parenthood, divorce, childcare, prostitution, the legalisation of abortion, homosexuality, race issues and much more. These authors – both men and women – introduced a new perspective into modern literature: from the bottom looking up rather than from the top (or middle) looking down or, all too often, simply ignoring conditions that were long considered ‘beneath’ them. It was quite a revelation for everyone. 

I’d come across this book (or at least the cover!) some time ago when searching for works on rebels, so when I saw it going cheap in my favourite Indie bookshop picked it up as at least potentially interesting. I’m so glad I did. Not only did I learn a great deal about these authors – only one (Edna O’Brien) I’d tried before – but also about the times they wrote about. Although I hadn’t actually heard of many of the authors before, I had come across much of their output in movie adaptation or in play form on TV such as ‘The L-shaped Room’, ‘A Taste of Honey’, ‘Up the Junction’, ‘Poor Cow’ and ‘Georgy Girl’. What made an already interesting subject even more so was the excellent writing by the author who melded together the lives of the authors themselves, the times they were writing in (and about), the on-going social upheaval they witnessed and helped along, the reactions of critics and the reading public (plus both politicians and churchmen) to their output and much else perfectly. It was all quite fascinating! If you have any interest in this radical period of British literature and theatre or just in post-War Britain and the emergence of the ‘Swinging Sixties’ this is a definite recommendation. 

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...and, just like that [snaps fingers], October is over & done with. So now, as the nights are drawing in and (after the clocks went back on Sunday) it starts getting darker earlier & earlier... here @ SaLT its going to get a little darker too.... a bit more serious.... a bit more 'adult'... at least for a while, until Love & Relationships Month in February '24. But it won't ALL be doom & gloom I promise. Even I couldn't stay focused on the 'dark side' for 3 months. So, expect some darkness, but also the usual quirkiness and weird humour you have (no doubt) come to expect. One thing I can be sure of - I'll be having at least a "Serious Sunday"... What else? Let's find out together....  

Happy Halloween everyone - if you indulge in such things....