Reviews
[l l LRARY DRAMA BENJAMIN MARKOVITS Imposture (Faberl 00.
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BI N MM I N ‘MARKOVITS
“WPOSTURE
John Polidori (Byron's travelling companion and doctori and governess Eli/a Esmond embark upon a secretive love affair. under the guises of Byron himself and Eliza's more glamorous sister. ln language stretched and manipulated to convey the writing of the time. Benjamin MarkoVits layers textual references; and historical allusions to bridge the Romantic and the postmodern. It's a good idea. but hardly original. With similar ground being covered in John Crowley's Lord
B yron '5; Novel: The Evening Land as recently as 200:").
That isn't to say there is no more mileage in the intriguing subject of the Byronic hero. After the unnecessary
lvll-‘MOIR
RYAN KNIGHTON Cockeyed
iAtlantici 0..
Maybe it has ever been thus, but the cult of an individual neither you nor I have ever heard of telling us all about their unfortunate life seems to be spreading. We may wish to blame Frank McCourt for it all, but the misery market is flooded with tear and blood-stained pages as trauma, abuse and neglect are accompanied by large pound, dollar and euro signs. In north America however, a new sub-genre has emerged to stop all this agony in its tracks as dismal childhoods and psychologically
obfuscations of the prologue (With literary in- jokes for the initiated) and a primly academic first half. the Cyrano de Bergerac - style tale eventually delivers the down and dirty sensationalism Byron is renowned for. Looking past its 19th century setting. Imposture is salacious celebrity fiction with a scholarly gloss. lSuzanne Black)
MEMOIB CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Hellfire and Herring lProfilel 00
Christopher Bush's previous work has been widely acclaimed with his travelogue-memoir To Travel Hopeful/y being lauded on publication last year. and his novel. A Twelvemonth and a Day. making it into this publication's 100 Best Scottish Books of All Time. But. while Bush can obViously write a beautiful lyrical sentence. there is something about this
damaged adult lives are tinged with light relief.
The quirky memoir may still contain battles against the odds but the unremitting distress is at least Ieavened by humour; hence the success of Augusten Burroughs, JR Moehringer and Jeannette Walls. And now comes Canada’s Ryan Knighton, whose own troubles are more of a malfunction than dysfunction as his tale tells of the creeping blindness which was diagnosed on his 18th birthday. Denial became the hardest thing to battle. Realising that he probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a car required a few minor accidents for it to sink in while his comfort with wielding the white stick takes longer to develop. A sensitive and warmly told story, his lightness of touch actually serves to deny the reader the full emotional range which the scenario surely merits. Feeling a little bit more sorry for the guy could have elevated the reading experience, but getting a glimpse into another way of approaching the world makes it worth seeking
out this latest unusual history. (Brian Donaldson)
memoir of his childhood in the East Neuk of File in the 40s and 50s which fails to ring true. Much of Hellfire and Herring reads somehow too much like fiction. as if Rush is too much in love with the idea of his deprived but ultimately happy childhood. There is much in the way of cliche as well: the hellfire church sermons. the old women with second sight. the terrible power of the sea and the hardy lives of the fishermen. even the abusive father. OK. so it was Rush's childhood. but this oddly sentimental. rose-tinted depiction is a little hard to stomach. (DOug Johnstone)
SOCIAL HISTORY LYNSEY HANLEY Estates: An Intimate History
(Grantle 00.
Through a blend of antliropological musing and booksmart social history. Lynsey Hanley offers a comprehensive account of the hows. whys and wherefores of council housing in Britain with her examination of ‘the one great failure of the welfare state'. Written with a passion born of first-hand experience. the author takes a commendably balanced view of the phenomenon, endlessly offsetting the desperate need for affordable housing for the masses against the numerous.
'3 Wise“. for:
LYNSEYHANLEY
often inevitable pitfalls that such efforts would take.
Following the story from inner-city slums through out of town estates to the rise of lower blocks and the Right to Buy. a bleak picture of government and local authority mismaiiagement is delivered with surprising warmth and reason. A tale of hope and horror. Hanley's study of this blight of the lower classes and its impact and reflection on our society as a whole holds no punches while remaining humble. honest and. yes. intimate.
(Mark Edmundsonl
SPIRITUAI GUIDE SIMON PARKE The Beautiful Life iBloomsburyl 000
It's been a fair few years since Moses scribbled down the Ten Commandments and for many of us. they're a little outmoded.
Stepping into the breach. with a whole new set of ideas to live yOur life by. is former priest Simon Parke. Subtitled ‘Ten New Commandments Because Life Could Be Better'. Parke's book is neither a self-help guide nor religious manifesto. Instead. he gently talks us through a series of mental states which. if embraced. will reduce stress. guilt. fear and all the other emotions that cripple us on a daily
basis.
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THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE
Nothing worth having comes easy. of course. and Parke's words don't always make sense immediately. but most of this inspirational book burns itself onto yOur consciousness. Parke's first commandment that we should 'Be Present' — living for today. not yesterday or tomorrow ~ isn't exactly a new concept. but sometimes it's the simple things in life we need to be reminded of. lKelly Apterl
ALSO PUBLISHED 5 HEALTH BOOKS
Jo Wood Naturally Gorgeous By the wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie. this is subtitled “How to Look and Feel Healthy. Energetic and Radiant the Organic Way.‘ You'll need a sit- down after reading the title alone. Sidgwick & Jackson.
Darcey Bussell Darcey Busse/I’s Dance Body Workout If your body needs sculpting and poise. the ballet lady shall provide. Michael Joseph.
Dr Rosemary Leonard The Seven Ages of Woman A health bible which draws on both convenhonaland complementary therapies. Bantam. Seth Roberts The Shangri-La Diet Apparently. a tablespoonful of sugared water between meals will stave off those hunger pangs and bring y0ur weight plummeting around your knees. The author lost three stone doing it himself. it seems. Vintage.
Lorraine Kelly with Carina Norris Lorraine Kelly 's Junk- Free Children '3 Eating Plan Almost certainly the most cheery wellbeing book out in the New Year. Virgin.
lit .Jai: Kit) ' THE LIST 31