Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Bogart and Hazzard
A few weeks ago the great and alarming Elberry suggested we start a kind of book club on this blog. I have so far resisted because I feared it might put Richard Madeley's nose out of joint. But two things have come my way - not both books, admittedly - which I feel I have to pass on. The first involves a friend of mine, Bernard Jacobson, who has a gallery in Cork Street. Bernie is currently showing works by Bram Bogart. I had never heard of this artist but he is a delight. At the opening people were made insanely happy and good-natured by the pictures. That doesn't often happen in Cork Street. He is, of course, utterly unfashionable - even, I gather, blacklisted by the contemporary art establishment. The second thing is Shirley Hazzard. This is a novelist I had missed completely until told of her by a friend, who knows a thing or two. The Transit of Venus, he says, is 'the most perfect novel of the last hundred years'. So far I have just read the short novel The Bay of Noon. It is brilliant and, yes, bears comparison with the sublime Marilynne. Look. Read. What else have you got to do?
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A blog about, among other things, imaginary ideas - What ifs? and Imagine thats. What if photographs looked nothing like what we see with our eyes? Imagine that the Berlin Wall had never come down. What if we were the punchline of an interminable joke? All contributions welcome.
I have just bought The Great Fire and Transit of Venus for 1p and 25p respectively on Amazon Marketplace, which I recommend to fellow bloggers for all their book needs.
ReplyDeleteyes, but you had to pay a fiver for postage!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting an image of white van woman...help.
Well, you'd still have the postage if you paid full whack. I just love the idea of buying a book I actually want for 1p...
ReplyDeletei'm nowhere near as alarming as Madeley. This is a man whose persona has undergone a full-on schizoid split and branched out to become Stephen Fry.
ReplyDeleteAbebooks is useful if Amazon Marketplace can't deliver. Prices often seem arbitrary so it is possible to get real bargains.
You're certainly right about Abebook's pricing, Elberry - some of the U.S. prices particularly are absurdly low, other times they're way above Amazon Marketplace. All very odd. And of course eBay is entirely unpredictable (unless you're up against a dealer).
ReplyDeleteBryan, my nose is permanently out of joint since I offended the ex-pat community of Brits in Tunisia. However, a book club is a fine idea. Let's argue percentages at a later date. I've been waiting for a good reason to read Jeffrey Archer's novels and this might be it. Can I suggest 'Kane and Abel'?
ReplyDeleteElberry, Fry wrote that piece, not I. (Now that you're officially 'great and alarming', you should have that put on a t-shirt and wear it with pride. I would.)
Nige, I could sell you Judy for 1p, though the postage would be much steeper.
It's a deal, Richard - let me know about the postage.
ReplyDeleteHell, Nige. I couldn't be mean with you. I've popped her in the post. She should be with you in the morning. She struggled a bit until I got the envelope sealed but I'm hoping the sellotape will hold.
ReplyDeleteAt the opening people were made insanely happy and good-natured by the pictures.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was that Bogart must be shunned by the establishment and, sure enough, you confirmed it. Wonder how much he really minds it, though, because he is probably earning a comfortable living without owing anything to the likes of them.