What are you reading now?

[Ian Thumwood]

It's time I re-read some Walter Scott, probably the Antiquary as I've read it only once, unlike the famous Waverleys which are perennial favourites. Scott may be unfashionable today as he doesn't fit into today's waiting-for-the-next-text, channel-hopping instant gratification culture, but if one is willing to take the time he can be immensely rewarding.

Historical fiction

I read "Ivanhoe" many years ago after going through a spell of reading anything of a medieval nature in the Penguin Classics series. As someone who reads shed loads of history books, I was put off by the inaccuracies in Scott's writing and the fact that it did not seem authentic in comprison with something like "Sir Gawain & the Green Knight." At the time I was reading loads of books about medieval England that "Ivanhoe" seemed almost laughable and was full of cliches.


As a rule, I have a very wide taste in writing whether it is about birdwatching, history / arcaheology, football , etc. The variety in fiction is even broader and I am far less critical than I used to be about contemporary fiction writers. It is interesting how more "robust" fiction writers are about histry these days. For my money, the best recent historical novels have been Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series which are noir crime novels either set in Nazi Germany or about the onsequences of the Nazis. The reserach is spot on but the dialogue is really sharp so that you ultimately emphasize with Bernie Gunther. Other historical novels by the likes of Robert Harris and Andrew Taylor can be well reseached but I am not convinced that either are as good as Kerr as a writer. For my money, Scott's novels are of their time and what you are reading is a romanticised version of Medieval Britain that is seen through a Victorian prism. If you approach Ivanhoe from a historical perspective, I feel that the books comes up very short. There are 19th century writers like Dickens, Balzac and Zola whose books I have enjoyed. I never felt compelled to return to Scott after Ivanhoe not so much for the fact it was a bit overblown but more because Ivanhoe is so inaccurate.

Another historical writer I was prompted to read recently was George MacDonald Fraser whose "Flashman" novel is another example of some brilliant historical research. It was struck as just how good a historian Fraser was but then learned that it might not have been quote the satire it was intended to be. I believe it was the historian SaulDavid who interviewed Fraser and found that he held the kind of right wing views that are not really acceptable in 2023. Reading this book back in the summer, the interview changed my perception of the book which is something of an uncomfortable read with the casual acceptance of racism and violence towards women. My enjoyment was also dented by the fact that anyone failiar with Victorian military history will probably guess the ending of each book. However, like the Scott, this is historical fiction which perhaps tells us more of the social attitudes of the time as opposed to the era in which they are sent. A strong whiff of thr 1960s pervades the Flashman books just as the dreaming nostalgia of the Victorians where the brutality and politcal realities of the time were sugar coated and romantacized.

[Ian Thumwood]

The Petain book has caught my interest. I am forcing myself to take a break from reading about World War II,but my wife and I really enjoyed the TV series A French Village, one reason being the way that the characters would alternate collaborationist or resistance postures

I really enjoyed an account of the Chemin Des Dames offensive called "Breaking point of the French Army" by David Murphy about ten years ago. Petain featured heavily in this although it was Nivelle who responsible for this fiasco. I was fasincated to read an account of a French military operation as well a about the little discussed French tanks of the time which were little better than hopeless. As a rule I tend to avoid military history books as they can come across as a bit dry but I always find myself fascinated when it concerns the French as , more often than not, they make good reading of how not to do things. A similar book about French aviation in the interwar years also threw up a similar comedy of errors where they constructed planes which were barely air-worthy.

[smittims]

Criticising Ivanhoe for being 'inaccurate ' is bit like criticising Concorde for being unable to fly backwards. Scott was creating works of art, satisfying adventures for his readers based on his own background and interests.

[LMcD]

Currently enjoying Margaret Drabble's 'The Dark Flood Rises'

[richardfinegold]

Historical fiction

I read "Ivanhoe" many years ago after going through a spell of reading anything of a medieval nature in the Penguin Classics series. As someone who reads shed loads of history books, I was put off by the inaccuracies in Scott's writing and the fact that it did not seem authentic in comprison with something like "Sir Gawain & the Green Knight." At the time I was reading loads of books about medieval England that "Ivanhoe" seemed almost laughable and was full of cliches.


As a rule, I have a very wide taste in writing whether it is about birdwatching, history / arcaheology, football , etc. The variety in fiction is even broader and I am far less critical than I used to be about contemporary fiction writers. It is interesting how more "robust" fiction writers are about histry these days. For my money, the best recent historical novels have been Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series which are noir crime novels either set in Nazi Germany or about the onsequences of the Nazis. The reserach is spot on but the dialogue is really sharp so that you ultimately emphasize with Bernie Gunther. Other historical novels by the likes of Robert Harris and Andrew Taylor can be well reseached but I am not convinced that either are as good as Kerr as a writer. For my money, Scott's novels are of their time and what you are reading is a romanticised version of Medieval Britain that is seen through a Victorian prism. If you approach Ivanhoe from a historical perspective, I feel that the books comes up very short. There are 19th century writers like Dickens, Balzac and Zola whose books I have enjoyed. I never felt compelled to return to Scott after Ivanhoe not so much for the fact it was a bit overblown but more because Ivanhoe is so inaccurate.

Another historical writer I was prompted to read recently was George MacDonald Fraser whose "Flashman" novel is another example of some brilliant historical research. It was struck as just how good a historian Fraser was but then learned that it might not have been quote the satire it was intended to be. I believe it was the historian SaulDavid who interviewed Fraser and found that he held the kind of right wing views that are not really acceptable in 2023. Reading this book back in the summer, the interview changed my perception of the book which is something of an uncomfortable read with the casual acceptance of racism and violence towards women. My enjoyment was also dented by the fact that anyone failiar with Victorian military history will probably guess the ending of each book. However, like the Scott, this is historical fiction which perhaps tells us more of the social attitudes of the time as opposed to the era in which they are sent. A strong whiff of thr 1960s pervades the Flashman books just as the dreaming nostalgia of the Victorians where the brutality and politcal realities of the time were sugar coated and romantacized.

Another Bernie Gunther fan. I love those books and was very saddened when Phillip Kerr died. I recommended March Violets for my Book Club recently and the reactions were interesting..
Sir Walter Scott is a taste that I never acquired. One of my grandsons friends is a girl named Waverly (he calls her Wave), and her mother in an English Literature Professor and a huge Scott advocate who prevailed on me to read Waverly. At least I know know what the subject of the Berlioz Opera is about. I had read Ivanhoe years ago and for me Scott is more a barometer of the tastes of his contemporary audience than a historian of the Middle Ages.
Regarding your earlier post about the performance of the French Military in WW II, my impression was that their tanks weren’t that bad in construction, as the Germans were happy to use the captured vehicles on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans. The problem was the way in which they were utilized. The French were adhering to the doctrine of using tanks to support the infantry, whereas the Germans had developed Blitzkreig, with armored columns racing miles ahead of the infantry and wreaking havoc in the rear while being supported by air cover. And on the subject of airplanes, the biggest tactical mistake the French made was not using their Air Force, which stayed mothballed during their defeat. In particular if the Air Force had attacked the bottleneck of the invader in the Ardennes, during the few days it took the tanks and infantry and supply columns to get through that area, the outcome may have been very different

[Ian Thumwood]

Richard

Thanks for the e-amail.

The Bernie Gunther books are terrific and I was saddened by Philip Kerr's passing too. Not sure if you were aware that he was playing a game with some of the books where he was using other author's as a model as a kind of pastiche into which he would insert Bernie. I think "Prague Fatale" was inspired by Agatha Christie and "Greeks bearing gifts" was obviously tipping it's hat towards Ian Fleming. The best book in the series was "One from the other" where the story outwardly appears to be about an escape run in Austria for Nazi war criminals but the plots eventually mutates into the protagonist being duped as a doppelganger for a Nazi that Mossad are pursuing. By and large, they are all terrific, the only miscaluclation being the "spy"novel set on the French Riviera which did not work so well for me. I read most of them over the pandemic and found myself ordering the next book on libe nefore I had finished the book I was reading. I do not feel that I haave had as much empathy with a literally charater as I have with Bernie. It did make me wonder just how much the author invested of his own personality in Bernie. The dialogue is wonderful in all the books. I loved the dry humour.

The tanks I was referring to were the French WW1 St Chamond and Schneider models which both proved to be hopeless. I tend not to read much military history as my passion is more Roman / Medieval but I have to admit to being part of the "Airfix generation" and have always loved vintage airplanes. I read a lot of books about airplanes too although my preference is for biplanes. A book you may find interesting is Greg Baughen's "The rise and fall of the French Air Force." It is not an easy read and sometimes the information about the planes is a bit technical. However, it is fascinating to read about so many unfamiliar aircraft from the interwar years and to learn how the muddled thinking about multi-role aircraft ended up with planes that were inadequate. Essentially, the French dominated aircraft technology in WW1 but went on to produce some amazingly poor designs in the 1920s and 30s. Interestingly, other countries such as America, Germany and Britain were also producing inferior aricraft especially in the 1930s. When the French heard about the performance of the Spitfire, they refused to believe that the information was true!

It is interesting what you say about Scott as a writer. I was underwhelmed by Ivanhoe although I did not have an issue with the language as opposed to the fact that it did not ring true as a piece of historical fiction. Writers from the Victorian era can tend to be a bit wordy. I quite like Dickens and later writers like Joseph Conrad can be good too. However, I feel that some of the writer from 19th century has dated. A prime example is Charlotte Yonge who lived in the same village as where I live now. She was a best seller in her time but reader's attitudes change and some writers remain marooned in their own time and are not able to transcend their generation. This is how I feel about Scott. You almost feel like his books should come free with a tartan biscuit tin full of shortbread!

[french frank]

Currently enjoying Margaret Drabble's 'The Dark Flood Rises'

On the subject of whom, the death has just been announced of her sister AS Byatt .

I was not a particular fan of either, though had the impression Byatt was more highly rated than Drabble. I've read works by both but can't remember much of either (says more about my powers of recall than the quality of their work).

[Padraig]

On the subject of whom, the death has just been announced of her sister AS Byatt .

I was not a particular fan of either, though had the impression Byatt was more highly rated than Drabble. I've read works by both but can't remember much of either (says more about my powers of recall than the quality of their work).

I think I have read one book by one of those authors, f f, but your remark about powers of recall is the one I can identify with. Which reminds me - I am reading Strumpet City by James Plunkett. Set in Dublin during the Lock Out in 1913, the first chapter has encouraged me to continue as it creates a good sense of anticipation, and maybe has something to say about Ireland now. I read the book when it first came out but, thankfully, lack of recall powers ensure that . . .

[eighthobstruction]

On the subject of whom, the death has just been announced of her sister AS Byatt .

I was not a particular fan of either, though had the impression Byatt was more highly rated than Drabble. I've read works by both but can't remember much of either (says more about my powers of recall than the quality of their work).

....those 2 used to be regulars on Late Night Line-up didn't they??

[french frank]

I think I have read one book by one of those authors, f f, but your remark about powers of recall is the one I can identify with.

I just went to my bookshelves to see which of the Drabble/Byatt novels I have. Answer: none. But 90% of the ones I have would be considered 'classics' of one era or another. I do occasionally read contemporary/modernish novels; a few are then placed on my bookshelves, but most are taken down to the Amnesty bookshop, often partially read and then set aside. I think the Drabble was called something like The Painted Moth** (can't be bothered to look that up), the other by Byatt was Possession.

** The Peppered Moth

[richardfinegold]

Richard

Thanks for the e-amail.

The Bernie Gunther books are terrific and I was saddened by Philip Kerr's passing too. Not sure if you were aware that he was playing a game with some of the books where he was using other author's as a model as a kind of pastiche into which he would insert Bernie. I think "Prague Fatale" was inspired by Agatha Christie and "Greeks bearing gifts" was obviously tipping it's hat towards Ian Fleming. The best book in the series was "One from the other" where the story outwardly appears to be about an escape run in Austria for Nazi war criminals but the plots eventually mutates into the protagonist being duped as a doppelganger for a Nazi that Mossad are pursuing. By and large, they are all terrific, the only miscaluclation being the "spy"novel set on the French Riviera which did not work so well for me. I read most of them over the pandemic and found myself ordering the next book on libe nefore I had finished the book I was reading. I do not feel that I haave had as much empathy with a literally charater as I have with Bernie. It did make me wonder just how much the author invested of his own personality in Bernie. The dialogue is wonderful in all the books. I loved the dry humour.

The tanks I was referring to were the French WW1 St Chamond and Schneider models which both proved to be hopeless. I tend not to read much military history as my passion is more Roman / Medieval but I have to admit to being part of the "Airfix generation" and have always loved vintage airplanes. I read a lot of books about airplanes too although my preference is for biplanes. A book you may find interesting is Greg Baughen's "The rise and fall of the French Air Force." It is not an easy read and sometimes the information about the planes is a bit technical. However, it is fascinating to read about so many unfamiliar aircraft from the interwar years and to learn how the muddled thinking about multi-role aircraft ended up with planes that were inadequate. Essentially, the French dominated aircraft technology in WW1 but went on to produce some amazingly poor designs in the 1920s and 30s. Interestingly, other countries such as America, Germany and Britain were also producing inferior aricraft especially in the 1930s. When the French heard about the performance of the Spitfire, they refused to believe that the information was true!

It is interesting what you say about Scott as a writer. I was underwhelmed by Ivanhoe although I did not have an issue with the language as opposed to the fact that it did not ring true as a piece of historical fiction. Writers from the Victorian era can tend to be a bit wordy. I quite like Dickens and later writers like Joseph Conrad can be good too. However, I feel that some of the writer from 19th century has dated. A prime example is Charlotte Yonge who lived in the same village as where I live now. She was a best seller in her time but reader's attitudes change and some writers remain marooned in their own time and are not able to transcend their generation. This is how I feel about Scott. You almost feel like his books should come free with a tartan biscuit tin full of shortbread!

Whatever the merits of the French aircraft in WWII, the fact that they didn’t deploy them defies belief.
Regarding Bernie Gunther and Phillip Kerr, I just recently noticed the Berlin Noir Trilogy was published in 1989-91, and the rest of the series not until 2010, when they came at a book a year until Kerr’s demise. I wonder at the 20 year hiatus. Kerr wrote other works in the interim, but did he abandon Bernie because a la Conan Doyle, who kept trying to rid himself of Sherlock Holmes, was he afraid that the Bernie books would overshadow the rest of his output? Or did the Bernie books not do well initially, but then over the next 2 decades gain a cult following, enough that the author decided to issue follow ups?
Bernie’s persona is what drives these works. Essentially his character is a composite of Phillip Marlowe/Sam Spade/Jake Gittis, but he happens to work in the Third Reich, and his dilemma is how does he maintain his personal code of ethics as an honest policeman when criminals are running the government? The amount of interesting byways into not just the Third Reich but countries like Peronist Argentina also entertain and educate. I was recently at a Guitar recital devoted to Latin American 20th century composers. The soloist noted that one of the Composers had a brother whom the Argentines executed by throwing from an airplane, This struck my companions as somewhat dubious but I assured them that such things had occurred, thanks to my Bernie reading

[Ian Thumwood]

Richard

Good evening

I believe that Philip Kerr did write other novels including contemporary thrillers and also a football-related crime series in addition to a few books for children. I have never read any of these but do not believe they are up to the same standard as the Gunther series. From what I understand, the first three novels were a critical success and I would imagine that there was a demand for him to bring the character back. It did not realise that the hiatus was so long. Curiously, Kerr was friends with another writer I admire, Ian Rankin.

Tom Hanks was alleged to have bought the rights to the books and there was talk of the books being adapted for the screen. I was shocked to learn of Philip Kerr's passing just as I embarked on reading his books. I had started with "Prussian Blue" as my curiousity was piqued by the cover although I had anticipated it to be pulp fiction. The book had me hooked from a few chapters in and the sheer banality of the Nazis he described seemed to strike me as authentic. I was wondering where you thought Kerr might have taken his character in future novels. In my opinion, Bernie would have ended up being compromised into working with Mossad and I feel that he would either have ended up trying to extradite Nazis from Brazil or maybe have materialised in the US but denied a relaxing and enjoyable retirement. As you state, these books do have a cult following and I have also learned a lot of history from them. Some of the nuggets are really wierd like the plans to invade Switzerland and how the Swiss were aware of this and would have thwarted the German operation. There was so much research involved in these books , not only with regard to the geo-politcal / military events but also with regard to just how many of the seemingly minor characters were actually genuine people. One thing that appeals to me with writing is dialogue and the tone set by the Gunther novels probably ranks as amongst my favourite. From recollection, there aren't too many writers who had attained that level of skill in defining a character by their dialogue in popular fiction. The Rebus novels also spring to mind as well as Kate Atkinson who also gets dialogue absolutely spot on.

If anyone here has not discovered these books, I would seriously recommend this series. I like reading authors who have a distinct voice and character in their writing. The Bernie Gunther series is a great example but I also enjoy writers such as William Boyd, Ian McEwan, Kate Atkinson and Ian Rankin.

I have not seem any comments on this thread about the Rebus series which reached the penultimate volume last year.. I am really perplexed as to how Rebus is going to get out of the situation he had been left in at the end of the last book. Rebus' contined involvement interferring in police cases has been an on-going "issue" in the more recent novels and the last book seemed to show the chickens coming home to roost.

[Ian Thumwood]

I just went to my bookshelves to see which of the Drabble/Byatt novels I have. Answer: none. But 90% of the ones I have would be considered 'classics' of one era or another. I do occasionally read contemporary/modernish novels; a few are then placed on my bookshelves, but most are taken down to the Amnesty bookshop, often partially read and then set aside. I think the Drabble was called something like The Painted Moth** (can't be bothered to look that up), the other by Byatt was Possession.

** The Peppered Moth

FF

Good evening

I am not familiar with either of these writers but your post made me think about Harriet Gilbert's comments this week in "A good read." This is a programme that I enjoy listening to as I love hearing people recommending books they have enjoyed. This week she made a comment about a novella written by a woman which featured a male principle character thatposed the queation as to whether a male reader would be more sympathetic to him than a female reader. I have to say that this is something I have often thought about and is why I have, from time to time, picked up novels to readby female writers. (Not "chick lit" , though!!) I enjoy this and find it interesting. As I said above, I feel Kate Atkinson is very good as putting words into the mouths of her male characters and that there is a sense of humour in her writing that is a bit "blokish." I have always thought that she would be really quick witted and fun in real life. The few interviews i have heard her give leave the same impression. She is an excellent observer of both human behavior and language..

FWIW , I would have to say that I have rarely been tempted by any of the books discussed albeit one guest chose a William Boyd book I have read before. ("Restless.") I am a massive fan of Boyd too but I would have chosen either "Love is blind" ( with a physco John Field character ) or "The Blue afternoon." I don't think I would ever want to read anything recommended by the host !

[JasonPalmer]

Reading the history of finance section in a book about computational finance, i cant follow all the maths exactly but i get the general gist,

[kernelbogey]

I've recently been recommended the novels of Sigrid Nunez. I greatly enjoyed The Friend, about being 'bequeathed' a friend's dog when he dies. Sharply observed about friendship. I also read The Last of Her Kind, about two women friends at US College and their passage from the sixties through rebellion, feminism etc. I am currently on What Are You Going Through.