IdleRich

IdleRich
I've recently ordered a book called The Deadly Percheron anyone know it? Some people I know recommended it very strongly indeed. Seems like it should be a noir kinda thing but weirder.
Quoting my own post from Sept 3rd... I was already worried that that book was taking an incredibly long time to arrive then and now I'd basically given up on it ever coming, but it did finally turn up today. Almost exactly one month later than when it was already really late... it was easy to find the post when it was discussed though cos I think that was the only time the word "Percheron" has been used in the entire existence of Dissensus*. For those of you who don't know what it means it's a large French horse (kinda like a shire horse in the UK I think) - I only know this cos in the Accursed Kings series they were the only horses big enough to support the gigantic anti-hero Robert D'Artois. Anyway, I will embark on the book now before I drift off to sleep, it had better be good!

*I mean it's the only time it's been used on the forum, I'm not saying that no-one in the entire world has used that word in any context whatsoever since 2002 or whenever.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I think his descriptions of shagging are the best I've ever read!
I've found myself alternating between "Wow, this writing is so erotic! So romantic! So mystical!", and "Eurgh, you pair of dirty Norfolk cousin-fuckers".

Good book though, enjoying it so far.
 

luka

Well-known member
what page are you on? whats happening?
I've found myself alternating between "Wow, this writing is so erotic! So romantic! So mystical!", and "Eurgh, you pair of dirty Norfolk cousin-fuckers".

Good book though, enjoying it so far.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
what page are you on? whats happening?
That's just in the first two chapters, with John and Mary Crow, of course. Moved on a bit since then. Just had the description of Nell Zoyland's cosmically wonderful tits.
 

luka

Well-known member
thats right. his special book hes got. oooh the book i want to look i want to look help me jesus
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Just started Muriel Spark - The Ballad of Peckham Rye. Interesting so far - in itself as a book, and also because I find books about Britain, England, London and so on from that period incredibly jarring. Peckham in the 50s instantly seems more alien to me than Cuba or Japan or wherever I've travelled in countless other books - I suppose it's that uncanny valley thing again.
 

jenks

thread death
Just started Muriel Spark - The Ballad of Peckham Rye. Interesting so far - in itself as a book, and also because I find books about Britain, England, London and so on from that period incredibly jarring. Peckham in the 50s instantly seems more alien to me than Cuba or Japan or wherever I've travelled in countless other books - I suppose it's that uncanny valley thing again.
Spark is one of my favourite writers - there’s always lots going on in there in such a tight space. There’s always a moral/religious core to her work, a seriousness amidst the comic moments. I think Peckham Rye is intentionally backward looking and therefore feels even more alien.
Books like The Driver’s Seat, The Public Image, Hothouse all deserve a read, along with Brodie, obviously- on whom I have based most of my career, minus the fascism.
 

luka

Well-known member
Just started Muriel Spark - The Ballad of Peckham Rye. Interesting so far - in itself as a book, and also because I find books about Britain, England, London and so on from that period incredibly jarring. Peckham in the 50s instantly seems more alien to me than Cuba or Japan or wherever I've travelled in countless other books - I suppose it's that uncanny valley thing again.

do you think it's becasue it's a) a largely pre-American Britain and b)a pre-immigration Britain? albeit this is changing in London already (eg 'city of spades' by Colin Mcinnes)
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Interesting you should say that - I was thinking that it must be taking place at roughly the same time as Absolute Beginners but it seems like a different world. I suppose the point is you can slice the city up into countless pieces that don't overlap at all and have a different life within your chosen piece.
I'd agree with Jenks that this one is deliberately chosen to be set within a more backwards looking piece - at least as far as I can tell from the pages I've read so far. The only other of her books I've read is The Girls of Slender Means but I would definitely like to read more. I'm running a little low on books at the moment, I like to go to London every year and hoover up loads of cheap classics and so on from charity shops but this year that hasn't happened.
 

luka

Well-known member
me too. there was a bookshop on my road that sold everything for a pound. piles of tat, barely sorted, but you could pick up some gems if you were prepared to trawl, sneezing from dust and mildew
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
I always thought how weird it was to buy a book for 50p, possibly an all time classic, a work of genius and so on... and then you buy a can of fanta or whatever and it costs more.
 
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