What is the Satsuma Complex?

As long-term readers will know, I'm deeply suspicious of a massive bestseller. So, while I enjoy Bob Mortimer's work, I couldn't help rolling my eyes a bit when I saw that he'd followed up his autobiography, 'And Away...' with the smash hit novel 'The Satsuma Complex'. Would this be just another mediocre money spinner made massive by the celebrity name on the front? With some trepidation, I began to read...

Vote Moran!

I had a lovely surprise recently - I won a competition I'd forgotten I'd entered!  This is how, thanks to Ebury Publishing, I ended up with a signed copy of Caitlin Moran's latest book, 'Moranifesto'.  And because it was something I really wanted to read, I'm afraid I went off list again...

'Moranifesto' by Caitlin Moran
(Ebury Press, 2016)

In 'Moranifesto', Ms Moran eases to the fore the more political aspects of her writing.  This is a woman who manages to cover both 'parties' (Noun: Social gatherings or celebrations, often involving food, music and copious amounts of gin) and 'parties' (Noun: Collections of people with shared political ideologies and aims, usually to get elected and/or bring down the PM/tease Jeremy Corbyn).  As a result, this book covers everything from hipsters, the uncooperative nature of printers, fame, TV, the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee to feminism, tax, social mobility, FGM, the ruling elite, equality, wind turbines and more.  It is indeed as wide, varied and potentially powerful as a manifesto, full of energy and ideas.  If only manifestos were this grounded and readable.

There are three things I want to get out of the way first:

1. This book is too expensive.  I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Moran's previous collections and was thrilled when I found that another was out, but going into the bookshop and seeing a price tag of £20 made me baulk.  If I hadn't been given a copy, this review wouldn't have appeared until after the paperback was published or I'd got a copy from the library.
2. This book is too long.  While I enjoyed so much of this book and respect that there was a delicate balance going on, where the editors were trying to ease fans of the funny, everyday, social observation pieces into the tougher, witty, political and polemical parts, I do feel some sections didn't really work.  And. weirdly, although they only happened four years ago, the Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics already feel like ancient history, unlike the contemporary commentary offered by most of the articles.
3. The typos were distracting.  Publishers: If you can't afford proofreaders, there are plenty of people like me out there who would quite happily read your forthcoming books and point out any errors.  And I bet a lot would do it in exchange for free books.  It's the barter economy.  (Honest.  I'm not really just looking for a new way to get free books.)

So, now I've got that off my chest, I can go back to waving a banner in support of Moran.  I really liked 'Moranifesto'.  It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me cheer.  It drew a link between the ordinary and the powerful that needs to be reasserted so that ordinary people can re-engage with politics in a meaningful way.  At its best, this is a book of thoughts and ideas representative of a wider discourse that is happening in homes, pubs, staff rooms, cars, streets all over the UK.  It's echos are even being heard on radio and TV.

The news can often make it seem like we're small and insignificant, swept up on a tsunami of decision making designed to fuel a better future for other people, while drowning out all opportunity and hope for us and the people we love.  It's books like this one that make you realise that you're not alone or imagining it, that other people, with voices in the media, are also going "WTF?"

So, while I would've liked this book to be a bit braver and unembarrassed by being political, I do feel it's another step in a march towards a greater debate.  It's books like 'Moranifesto' which will inspire and motivate the politically alienated and apathetic in a way carefully rehearsed, PR-approved speeches and dense, complicated manifestos never will.  Whether you agree with it or not, it will get you thinking and, hopefully, talking.

Look!  It really is a signed copy!

What would I like Moran to do next?  I'm tempted to say "Deeds not words", but that's easier said than done, isn't it?  It's one thing to stick your head above the parapet and say things aren't right, but quite another to come up with practical ways to change things.  But getting people talking is a start.  And giving me a copy of the book definitely got me talking.  On top of that, I'll share and debate this book with other people too.  I've heard that's how revolutions happen.

Speaking of which, I wonder how Ross Poldark is getting on in revolutionary France?  Time to get back to 'The Black Moon'...

Related Posts

'Moranthology' by Caitlin Moran - Starts with one of the funniest things I've ever read.
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran - Common sense feminism for the everyday.

Gag About

I love the comedy on Radio Four and Radio Four Extra.  From the wicked wordplay of 'Just a Minute' to the affectionate farce of 'Cabin Pressure', these stations have kept me entertained for hours at home and on my travels.  Two of my favourite programmes are Mark Steel's 'Lectures', which look at historical figures with awe, fascination and an eye for the human behind the name, and 'In Town', which kind of does the same thing for British towns and cities.  So I was delighted when I discovered that there was a book to go with 'Mark Steel's In Town'.

Mark Steel has criss-crossed the country performing stand up inspired by the many different and unique places he's visited.  But this is a travelogue with a difference.  Instead of despairing at the sameness of modern high streets and telling jokes which make audiences laugh at broad, shared experiences, he's been on the hunt for each place's passion and individuality.  From Penzance to Kent, Orkney to Portland and Merthyr Tydfil to Norwich, the comic and writer finds local stories of heroes and villains, explosive celebrations and historic eccentricity.  Above all, he discovers that all is not lost and that people and communities are defiantly idiosyncratic, despite the best efforts of big retail businesses and growing standardisation.

This is a great book to dip in and out of, but, to be honest, it was a bit tough to read as a whole.  Mr Steel often writes as he speaks, so some of the sentences ran over so many lines that I had to go back and read them again to make sure I'd not missed anything.  Fortunately, I could get around this by imagining him actually saying them, but this might be a bit hard for anyone who doesn't know what he sounds like!

It was also very tempting to just skip to the places I know.  Because there's no overarching structure as such, i.e. Mr Steel is not trying to win a bet or reach a specific destination, I suppose there was nothing to stop me doing this, but I always want to do each book justice.

Overall, this book was OK and I really feel that Mr Steel's hopeful message - that despite bland modern standardisation, many communities remain as defiantly different as ever - is an important one, but, really, it's the shows that make this come across best.  So, the next time Mark Steel's in town, why don't you pop along and see him for yourself?

Now, what next..?

Related Links

Back Catalogue of 'The Mark Steel Lectures'
Current Series of 'Mark Steel's In Town'

Journo Wheeze!

I've just taken a little detour and read the short but sweet 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton.

'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is a collection of journalese - the words and phrases that only ever appear in the Great British press or have particular meanings in the print media.  The pages of this book are full of phrases so familiar to anyone who has read a UK newspaper that their idiosyncrasy has almost become invisible.  But this isn't a serious academic study.  Examples such as fat cat, funnyman, love rat,  fashionistas, U-turn, flagship, barrage of criticism, Champagne lifestyle and more are each accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek definition, many of which are very funny indeed.

This book is a fascinating peek behind the veil of ink and paper into the newsroom itself.  I've had a suspicion for a while that there was almost a code to using these words and phrases, but it was still a surprise to find out that there sort of is!  It is an intriguing must-read for anyone training to be a journalist or with an interest in language or the media. 

But before you rush out to buy a copy, I have to say that unfortunately, I do think 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is overpriced and risks limiting its audience as a result, which is a real shame.  Bearing in mind that 'Weird Things Customers say in Bookshops' cost me £7.99 and was a lot more varied, I don't think this book is worth its RRP of £9.99.  But then again, it may be much cheaper when it comes out in paperback.

Overall, I think there is a readership which would really enjoy this book, but I think the initial price will put them off.  Hopefully it will be much cheaper in paperback and will find its way into a lot of stockings for Christmas 2014.

Now back to 'The Pagan Lord'!

Time for a Rhyme!

For obvious reasons, many friends and family members no longer buy me books for Christmas, but every so often someone can't resist.  That's how I became the proud owner of 'You Made Me Late Again!', Pam Ayre's latest collection of poems, anecdotes and sketches.

'You Made Me Late Again!'
by Pam Ayres
(Ebury Press, 2013)

Pam Ayres is well known for her wonderful ability to take the trials and trivia of everyday life and see the funny side.  As her fans know, she's also skilled at reflecting on everyday heartaches and reminding her readers that they're not silly for feeling sad.  All these sides of Ms Ayres' work are reflected in this latest volume.  As well as covering feeling terrible after a party that was a bit too much fun, loosing sleep over loosing sleep and an evening ruined because of worries about curling tongs that may or may not be on, her latest collection also makes observations on such varied topics as animal welfare, favourite pets (yours and other people's!), salespeople who let their expertise get the better of you, fly tipping, bigotry and Ilfracombe's sea front Damien Hurst.


I enjoyed this book, even though it's not something I would've bought myself.  I both cheered up and welled up as I read it Boxing Day and by the end found myself marvelling at all the little, shared experiences of life that are so easy to miss along the way.

As you may have noticed, I'm not a big fan of poetry, but just as Ms Ayres' subjects are accessible, so are her rhymes, so don't let the label put you off.  It was also good fun to have prose and sketches mixed in with the poems.

Overall, this was lovely surprise and a charming read that I would recommend, although it's probably more for the girls than it is for the boys.  I certainly enjoyed it and am sure I'll read it again.  A well chosen Christmas present gratefully received!

Back to the Future

Although I like a variety of books and stories, there is one genre that I tend to shy away from; 'chick lit'.  I know I shouldn't be prejudiced to a whole type of literature because of its name, but I find it hard not to be when there's no 'bloke books' category.  As if anyone in the 21st century should choose what to read based on whether they're a boy or a girl!

Anyway, despite this, there are a few chick lit novels on the list and I've just finished reading one of them - 'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella.

'Remember Me?' tells the story of Lexi, an ordinary girl who who wakes up from a coma to find she's

'Remember Me?' by
Sophie Kinsella
(Bantam Press, 2008)

forgotten the last three years of her life.  The last thing she remembers is being a disappointed 25 year old with a low grade job, absentee boyfriend and few prospects, although she does have a fantastic group of friends.  Now in 2007, she discovers she's a company director with a rich and attractive husband and more designer clothes and accessories than she could've imagined three years earlier.  Somehow, things have changed for the better, but as Lexi begins living her new life, it starts looking less than perfect...

This was a cheery, well written book which trundled along quite happily. The characters were easy to visualise and it had the lovely feel of watching the film equivalent of chick lit, a rom com.  It did make me laugh a few times and Lexi is a likeable character who is easy to root for - after all, who hasn't sometimes felt out of touch and as though everyone else knows something they don't?

'Remember Me?' is a breezy, holiday read that would cheer up all but the most hard hearted of readers.

One word of warning: This book contains strong language and scenes of a sexual nature.  Not the best present for your prudish maiden aunt, that's all I'm saying!

Now, what next..?

Feminism goes Funny

I've just finished reading 'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran.  I bought it after hearing her on BBC Radio Four's 'Chain Reaction' and was so intrigued by what she said that I wanted to know more.

'How to be a Woman' is a funny, rude, mischievousness, cheeky, honest, realistic, thought provoking, passionate romp through what it means to be a modern woman.  Part-autobiography, part feminist rant, it begins with a chilling account of Moran being pursued by a gang of boys as a 13 year old, following her through puberty, then into her first relationships, motherhood and her reflections on what feminism means today.

This book is laugh out loud funny thanks to the author's gloriously irreverent style.  The prose rollicks along shamelessly peeping into every nook and cranny of what it's like to grow up as a white, western female of the species before delving into the specific life experiences of the writer.  Reading it made me remember things I'd long forgotten and made me marvel at how different we all are as teenagers.

Despite its humour, it is a quite serious book because it does something ordinary women don't do; it makes readers face up to the fact that girls do some pretty potty things that boys simply aren't expected to.  Moran talks about many things that have been irritating me for years, but I've always felt like I'm the odd one out for suspecting that there's anything amiss.  It's such a relief to find I'm not the only one who thinks the way we behave sometimes is utterly bonkers and distracts us from the more important achievements in life that might get more women in the boardroom or in Parliament.

This is not a book for everyone, however.  There is an awful lot of swearing used, which some people may dislike, along with references to heavy drinking and drug taking, which may also cause disapproval.

But I really identified with Moran's arguments and wish there were a few more people willing to pipe up and say that, actually, society's expectations of women are a bit out of order.  It's not enough to be clever, talented, generous and rich, women also feel they have to be beautiful, thin, fashionable and popular.  Despite hope spread by modern day icons such as Lady Gaga, the princess ideal still lives in showy weddings and WAGs.

I have two hopes as a result of reading this book.  1) That Moran will revisit it when her daughters are older and see how her experiences compare with theirs and how things have changed since she was their age.  2) That someone will write 'How to be a Man' so we can hear the other side of the story.  There's part of me that suspects that a lot of men think what we do is bonkers too.  Worse still, I think a few of them are also getting sucked into bad habits like worrying about body image too.

Right, back to the shelves!

Say What??!

You may not have heard, but the UK has been having some pretty nasty weather lately.  Normally around this time of year we'd be getting the two weeks of sunshine traditionally called 'the summer', but instead we've had nearly a month of strong winds, torrential rain and temperatures so low you need to lie on the floor to see them.  My dreams of sitting in the cautious spring time sun and getting some reading done have been replaced with afternoons on the sofa with a blanket, warm drink and hot water bottle!

'Weird Things Customers
Say in Bookshops'
by Jen Campbell
(Constable & Robinson, 2012)

It was on just such an afternoon last week that I read 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' by Jen Campbell (Follow her on Twitter: @aeroplanegirl).  Unusually for me, this is a current bestseller - I read the title in a book chart and decided to take a closer look the next time I was in a bookshop.  That shop turned out to be Tenby Bookshop and the look led to a purchase.

(Tenby Bookshop is a bit of a quasi-misnomer really - it is a shop in Tenby, but only about a quarter of the shop floor contains books.  It's mainly quality gifts, which struck me as a bit odd.  I'm used to seaside bookshops really being newsagents with a few holiday reads in, so Tenby clearly attracts a higher class of clientèle!  Oh, and me!)

'Weird Things...' breaks the rules and does exactly what it says on the cover.  It's a collection of funny and frightful things said in bookshops in the UK and around the world.  The first two sections represent things said in the Edinburgh Bookshop, Edinburgh, and Ripping Yarns, North London, while the last chapter covers everywhere else.

This book really brightened up my afternoon.  I literally laughed out loud while reading it, much to the annoyance of Prince Charming who was trying to watch telly at the time.  Most of the quotes are funny, but there are also many which make you gasp at the audacity of some people.  I'm sure that most booksellers are lovely people, but surely its preferable to leave your children with a trained childminder than an otherwise-occupied shopkeeper?  And the number of heartless bastards who asked shops to make recommendations before openly stating they would be going online to buy was unbelievable.  I was stunned that some people can be so self-centred that they think this sort of thing is OK.

I have a lot of friends who work/have worked in retail and this collection is a surprisingly accurate reflection of the sorts of stories they've told me, which was reassuring as some of the things said were almost too mad to be true.

This collection was very well selected.  It could easily have ended up taking the mickey out of stupid customers, but fortunately this doesn't go too far.  It's also of a very good length.  It's long enough to offer variety, but not so long that it starts to get severely repetitive or dull.

Due to its popularity (and probably an abundance of source material!), I'm suspect 'Weird Things...' will have a sequel.  I may not buy it myself, but it would be a great stocking filler (Hint for Prince Charming!).  I think the fact that this book wasn't published with the usual deluge of Christmas stocking fillers in November/December has actually made it stand out - it could easily have been lost amongst them and deserves better.

So, if you want something to cheer you up in these dark days of rubbish weather, double-dip recession and goodness knows what else, I'd buy yourself a copy of this.  But from an independent bookshop please!  I'm led to believe that there are a few left...