Tag Archives: Writing

Books, modern history

Find me a John Steinbeck!

I don’t talk about politics or current affairs because increasingly they dumbfound me. That doesn’t mean to say that I do not want to understand them! To this end we read a lot. Bill scans the internet and me, well I’ve been mining other resources for insights.

Having accidentally come across a review of East of Eden by John Steinbeck I ordered a copy instantly from Audible. Hooked immediately, I did what I do when I want to understand how something is written; I made haste to the bookshop and treated myself to a paper copy.

Didn’t get around to this when I was young but probably enjoyed it much more now I am old; it has such depth and perspective as it follows the fortunes of two US families over 3 generations through the late 19th and early 20th century. It explores sibling rivalry and social ills, friendship, hypocrisy, old fashioned good and evil and inter-generational consequences with drama and sensitivity.
Beautifully written, intelligent and absolutely riveting! This is one of his later works published in 1952

Steinbeck was born in 1902 — so contemporary with my grandparents. This gives me a point of reference as he looks back at his own family history. It underlines some of the differences in our countries, separated (as George Bernard Shaw said) by a common language; this is a literary work with a youthful bluntness, lack of euphemism and less hypocrisy — honest social and sexual observation which would have had him banned in the UK.

This may be why, despite his Nobel Prize for Literature, it was so poorly received by some of the US literary establishment. We can all be touchy about our own culture.

His most famous book was The Grapes of Wrath (1939).

The subject (the great depression, the dust bowl, migration and social unrest) didn’t seem very relevant when I was young but, By God, it is relevant now. It won the Pulitzer prize and if written today would win it today. It is a master class in writing. If you want to understand what on Earth is happening in our world you would do well to start here. John Steinbeck takes a long, hard look at an underclass; migrants within their own country (like the Welsh and the Irish or gypsies; in Britain), at aspects of capitalism and human nature, family and, thankfully, at the resilience of the human spirit.

He was criticised a good deal for his assumed politics and was probably lucky to survive the communist-phobia of McCarthyism in the 50’s. Today he seems more like an unbiased observer. He wrote emotionally and socially sensitive, beautiful prose. I cannot praise him enough — if you want a starter, read Of Mice and Men (1937) a short novel about a kind, simple (we’d call him mentally handicapped) man, a victim of his own physical presence — it is full of foreboding. I read it first when it was 3/6 (17p) recommended by my English teacher, she knew I was a reluctant reader and that what I needed was something really good. It was, but sadly it took 60 years to face his longer novels!

Still — what a joy now. But tell me, who is the modern equivalent to John Steinbeck — who will explain to me what is going on now? Any ideas?

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Corona Virus Lockdown

The Beginning of the End!

Although many of us have now had our Corona Jab it is pretty clear that until everyone is immunized, or has survived the real thing, this virus will remain ready to pick off the vulnerable. Things are not going back to normal immediately. But we can start to think about the reduction in restrictions. I can think about a walk with a friend and wonder how long it will take to get a hair appointment. We can look forward to seeing our grandchildren in the garden and we can look forward to some better weather!.

Covid-proofed Butcher — I didn’t have his confidence when I forgot my mask and went into the chemist with my face covered with a duster.
Always Covid-ready now.

In some ways it will be scary when it all ends — the everyday pressures will build up again — the outside calls on our time. The visits to friends, the entertaining, the volunteering, getting things done — the new barn — Sunday lunch for the family — outings with the children –gardening — sorting out the dentist — the eye test — the gammy knee! All the things that have been simmering on the back burner while we have been grumbling about our winter lock-down — while I have been quietly writing, reading, and painting!

So I have finished Bill’s portrait — his mouth isn’t quite right — he should have been wearing his mask.

Soon all that free time will evaporate so today I took the first step towards getting my next book published — writing a synopsis, looking for an agent, covering letters etc while I still have the time. We’ve all got to finish our lock-down projects before it’s too late!

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Corona Virus Lockdown, Thoughtful

Down and Out in Kettering

In the Spring Bill and I were locked down in Wales which was bliss. The winter finds us in urban Northamptonshire — locked down and out of Wales. I miss the hills, the cool rain, the conviviality of all the socially distanced nods and waves and yelled greetings from passing quad bikes.

Memory of home

But there are compensations here — my bad back and gammy knee have improved. We have sorted out lots of things (had a new bathroom fitted), I have been writing a lot about my medical student days, ‘A Testicle on a plate,’ and the Christmas wine delivery has just arrived.

Once the school traffic has gone the streets are empty and the robins are in full throttle and the shrubs are full of berries.

Today I donned my new FFFP3 mask (by order of offspring) and walked in to the centre of this old shoe town to get my boots mended — it was very quiet and, apart from a few food shops, the cobbler was the only other place awake — in Northampton cobbling is essential (even the football team is called the ‘Cobblers’).

The new book is to be the first of a trilogy — the prequel to Iolo’s Revenge (published a couple of years ago) — I am tempted to entitle it ‘The Badass Trilogy’ as in ‘what turns a nice girl into the woman I have become (according to my daughter)?’ Of course the answer is ‘Life!’

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