BillF

Mannie Shinwell Ronald Shiner The Glitterati

Ian Bone Skeleton in the Cupboard Mulder and Scully

Ginger Baker William Rufus Rufus Thomas

e e cummings Andy Capp David Letterman

Yours was the first post I saw when I opened up the thread to post my latest reading, Iris Murdoch's "Nuns and Soldiers." A Murdochian coincidence. I read Conradi's bio last year and generally liked it, although I thought it could have used some editing to slim it down. Plus I think he spends too much time on her pre-novel writing days, and too little on the period when she became a novelist. Still, I found it very informative and highly useful to understanding the novels. I've been on an extended traversal of all of Murdoch's novels. I've come to know most of her "moves" but I enjoy reading them quite a bit. I had read a few Murdoch novels in the 60s, but recently read or re-read the first eight. I definitely thought there was a falling off in quality/character in the last two, The Unicorn (1962) and The Italian Girl (1964), so decided at that stage to go no further. However, on reading Conradi's bio I find him agreeing with me, but also praising the novels of what he calls her maturity in the 70s. So I expect to be reading The Sea, The Sea, The Black Prince and A Fairly Honorable Defeat sometime soon. Yes, those last three are quite good, although "The Black Prince" is rather grim (although not without humor); it's her Dostoyevskyan mood it seems. I agree on "The Italian Girl," rather stunted, almost like a novel that failed to develop. I would say my faves so far are "The Philosopher's Pupil," and "The Book and the Brotherhood" (these two late works), and then "A Severed Head," "The Nice and the Good," and "The Bell." I've still got a few left to go though, then maybe re-read some Well, Bill's walk through her books has intrigued me. I decided to get Under the Net (her first) and The Sea, The Sea. I guess this will allow me to judge her early and then mid-career peak to decide if she is an author I wish to follow or not. Under the Net is excellent - picaresque novel transferred to London of the 1950s. Expect to be reading your second choice in a week or two. BTW my favourite so far is The Bell, which Leeway also selects.

Frank Skinner Jeremy Pelt Percy Thrower

Nancy, France (oops, sorry!) Nancy Spain Cynthia Payne

Prisoner of Zenda Zandra Rhodes Brian Redhead

The Devil in the Detail The Last Detail Jack Nicholson

Dick Taverne Publius Virgilius Maro Henry Boozier

Ferdinand the Bull Poor Cow Paul Calf

Yours was the first post I saw when I opened up the thread to post my latest reading, Iris Murdoch's "Nuns and Soldiers." A Murdochian coincidence. I read Conradi's bio last year and generally liked it, although I thought it could have used some editing to slim it down. Plus I think he spends too much time on her pre-novel writing days, and too little on the period when she became a novelist. Still, I found it very informative and highly useful to understanding the novels. I've been on an extended traversal of all of Murdoch's novels. I've come to know most of her "moves" but I enjoy reading them quite a bit. I had read a few Murdoch novels in the 60s, but recently read or re-read the first eight. I definitely thought there was a falling off in quality/character in the last two, The Unicorn (1962) and The Italian Girl (1964), so decided at that stage to go no further. However, on reading Conradi's bio I find him agreeing with me, but also praising the novels of what he calls her maturity in the 70s. So I expect to be reading The Sea, The Sea, The Black Prince and A Fairly Honorable Defeat sometime soon.

Houston Person Ake Persson Somebody

Godchild George Wallington Duke of Wellington

Bastardz The Bastard Prince

The Man Who Never Was Captain Nemo Nervo and Knox

Justin Thyme Basil Fawlty Herb Ellis

Rabbi Hugo Gryn The Cheshire Cat Robert Smirke

Baldy Pevsner Alan Hare Joe Locke

Lily Pons Waldo Ponce The Scarlet Pimpernel

Enzo Ferrari Ari Up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Up Phil Upton

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/10/amiri-baraka

A truly crazy book - but then I should have expected that! Anyone else got a view on this one?

Tom Gunn Pistol Packin' Mama Trigger Alpert

John Cadbury Cardew the Cad Maggie the Cat