Oh no. I like Bragg, but not that much. I've been trying to read his Book of Books about the King James Bible. But I just can't get on with it, and I'm really surprised by that because I expected to be carried away by it. I think education and success does, to some extent, sit heavily with him, but as I said, he's not forgotten the community where he grew up, and that's fairly surprising these days. I have been tempted to get his latest offering from Audible, but I'll wait for a few reviews. Is anyone here going to tackle it? June -----Original Message----- From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ian Macrae Sent: 11 June 2013 22:08 To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: BRAGG BOOKS I heard somewhere that he regards himself as the modern D H Laurence. And it kind of shows. On 11 Jun 2013, at 21:55, David Russell wrote: > I read the first two of Bragg's autobiographical fiction volumes and > thought I could not manage any more. > > There is something very self-pitying and depressing about most of his books. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] > On Behalf Of Ian Macrae > Sent: 11 June 2013 21:23 > To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > 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: 2012.0.2242 / Virus Database: 3199/5902 - Release Date: 06/11/13