[ebooktalk] Re: BRAGG BOOKS

  • From: "Trish Talbot" <trish@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:39:24 +0100

Ian, Unfortunately, I read the second book, "Crossing The Lines", without reading the first. Big mistake! The second book did absolutely nothing for me, although I got through it. I must admit, I hadn't realised it was semi autobiographical, but even so, it was fairly heavygoing, and I didn't feel the need to read any more of the series. 

Perhaps I should try the first book, I might understand a bit more then.
Trish.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Macrae" <ian.macrae1@xxxxxxx> 
To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 9:22 PM
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: BRAGG BOOKS
June, I too enjoyed the first one which I read on TB with Stephen Thorne as the reader (I refuse to use the term Narrator who is the person in the book who tells the story). I also enjoyed number 2 though it's name escapes me. 3 struck a bit of a chord as it concerned a young man being removed from his culture and having to embrace another very different one which chimes in with many of our lives I think. But 4 was a load of self-pitying drivel. He is also one of those people who believes he has a god-given right to airtime on radio and TV which no one does. 
On 11 Jun 2013, at 21:06, Tar Barrels wrote:
I've only read the first part of the series, and must confess I enjoyed it, 
though it felt a bit heart on the sleeve-ish. However, he's considered a
saint up here, where he gives a lot of money but also time and support for
Wigton, and his street cred is high given the care he gave his parents,
particularly his mother who died just recently. So, as an author I think
he's okayish, as a broadcaster I wish he'd blow his darned nose, but as an
ordinary guy, he seems ok to me.
June

-----Original Message-----
From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
On Behalf Of Ian Macrae
Sent: 11 June 2013 20:53
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ebooktalk] BRAGG BOOKS
There's a whole ongoing series of books based on his life Trish. the first 
is called The soldiers Return which deals with his childhood in Wigton and
his father coming back from the war. Then there's one about his adolescence 
and another about his time at Oxford:  come to think of it, that one's
pretty irritating too.  and then remember me which is to do with his first
marriage which ended with the suicide of his wife. THat one is partly also 
about his early years at the BBc and there is what felt like hours of him
moaning about the fact that they lived in Kew where he was almost driven mad 
by the noise of the aircraft going into Heath row.  Living on the same
flight path I found myself saying bloody get over yourself.
On 11 Jun 2013, at 20:22, Trish Talbot wrote:


I don't know that book, Ian.
Trish.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Macrae" <ian.macrae1@xxxxxxx>
To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 6:34 PM
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: What to read next?


there is something irritating Trish about the educated middle classes

obsessing about themselves.  Is Remember Me the fourth book in Melvin
Bragg's autobiographical sequence?  Another case in point.

On 11 Jun 2013, at 17:28, Trish Talbot wrote:


I would agree that it is very much of its time, Ian.  I struggled with
it, didn't find it enjoyable, and didn't finish it. I found it too full of 
hysterica.

Trish.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Macrae" <ian.macrae1@xxxxxxx>
To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 4:07 PM
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: What to read next?


I read it a while back on TB Dave.  It's an odd thing.   Its structured
in a slightly odd way and parts of the story come from the contents of three 
notebooks, the black, the blue and the golden one.  The black relates to
time the narrator spent in Africa, the blue to her contemporary life in
somewhat bohemian London and the golden one has more arty, esoteric and
philosophical jottings.  It is also quite of its time and feels like
something which was written in the mid 60s.  However, I finished it so I
can't have found it as tough as memory makes it seem.  I'd be very
interested in your reaction to it and views on it.

On 11 Jun 2013, at 15:12, David Russell wrote:


Hi all

I feel like a change from my usual literary diet of murder and
mayhem.  I have a list of books for  such occasions, books I have
wanted to read for ages and just not done so.  I just picked a book
at random and it turns out to be Doris Lesssing's "Golden notebook".
I do not know why it is on my list, although I have heard it is worth

reading.


Has anyone read it and if so do you have any comments, either
positive or otherwise.  Not sure I have read Lessing before, so it
should be interesting.


David







-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1432 / Virus Database: 3199/5899 - Release Date:
06/10/13








-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1432 / Virus Database: 3199/5902 - Release Date:
06/11/13






-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.2242 / Virus Database: 3199/5902 - Release Date: 06/11/13







-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1432 / Virus Database: 3199/5902 - Release Date: 06/11/13

Other related posts:

  1. Home
  2. ebooktalk
  3. Archive
  4. 06-2013