People say of a good book "Ooh I just can't put it down". Well you will this one: a) to laugh out loud, b) to cry (possibly) or c) to look up words in the dictionary. This is one of those books I know I will go back to every two or three years or so, like, in my case, Three Men in a Boat and Rogue Male. Unlike these two stalwarts this is an account of a 1950s childhood spent amongst the bonkers demobbed majors and pike haunted chalk steams in and around post war Salisbury. But don't be fooled into thinking that this is just another nostalgic autobiography staring misty eyed at Golden Syrup tins and Hornby signal boxes. This is Meades Country, and I'm saying no more except it's essential reading. And I'm only half way through it. Delayed gratification you see, don't want it to end.
4 comments:
I've been reading this too. It's an extraordinary book, packed with portraits of characters (does he have an elephantine memory, or is he remarkably inventive? Both, I suppose.) and descriptions of England 50 or 60 years ago. An essential book.
I bought it as a gift for a chum but had no time to read prior to the gifting. I now know that I shall have to repair to Much Ado books in Alfriston for another. The Observer review was tantalising hence the original purchase...that and being a huge fan.
Thankyou both very much for commenting. I was beginning to think I'd been ostracised!
By the way, re looking words up in the dictionary, I was pleased to find quite a few words that I was unsure of (haptic, retardataire), one I have always been keen on (diaeresis - everyone should know the difference between one of these and an umlaut), and one that defeats both me and my dictionary (tergal). I am looking forward to using all of these, and to writing the phrase 'allinonecat suit', which makes me think of Diana Rigg in the early days...
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