Teenage Revolution

My recent reading trend seems to be reading the thoughts of memories of men the same age as my Dad. Most of them were also bought for me by my Dad. Nevertheless the most recent, Alan Davies' Teenage Revolution was an interesting read.

You would only really be interested in the book if you are a fan of actor and comedian, Alan Davies. Although the book does cover a lot of the issues of the 1970s and '80s such as racism, music and The Sweeney, it is all through the eyes of Davies and what he was doing at the time. 

The book also came with a television series a few years ago, which lightly touched upon the issues of the era in the way that Davies saw it.

However, for an autobiography Davies is honest that a lot of what he remembers is in fact wrong once he has looked it up. Even simple things have escaped him. He saw his favourite band, The Jam, six times. He can in fact only remember three of those gigs.

It does make my childhood sound quite dull. I went to school and then I came home and did my homework, not really book worthy. Davies did similar things but he grew up in more interesting times. In his earlier years Davies does reminisce about the television shows he watched and what they meant to him. When he got older he had to deal with racism at his school and at the football matches he attended. Likewise with people his age learning about homosexuality and finding the kid at school to bully over that.

Mostly I am jealous at the music he grew up with. Having the chance to see The Jam is enviable. Whereas I had a myriad of shit girl bands and boy bands to feign interest in to appear normal.

The saddest thing about the book though is the fact that Davies lost his mother when he was very young. Missing his mum is something that you can tell in almost every page, which makes the book more than just a vague memory of his childhood. And you realise what a terribly shitty thing it is to happen to a child, and how it never really leaves them.

The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex

So I have finally gone and done it. I have found the time to read a book. It only took an evening as well.

The book in question is film critic Mark Kermode's latest offering The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex. Although it is a book it was easily devoured in an evening because it felt more like having a chat with Kermode down the pub about his love of cinema. Although there wasn't a really a chance for the reader to talk back or disagree, but I have a funny feeling that is what would happen anyway.

I mean if you did happen to be in the pub with Kermode you would talk about cinema, only a mad man would decide that this was the time to find out his opinion on German fiscal policy. And if you did disagree would you tell him? Or would you let him continue with an anecdote about when he was interviewing Spielberg or when he found out the truth behind those "This is the best movie you will ever see" movie poster quotes?

The book would only really appeal to you if you have a fondness for Kermode, whose rants are similar to those of Charlie Brooker's but with a focus on cinema, or if you have a passion for film.

I fall into the category of enjoying Kermode's rants, my favourite in the book being a short review of the film The Animal (never seen it myself) which said "an appalling affair which made me understand how a fox can chew its own leg off in order to escape a hideous ordeal of entrapment".

The book covers a range of topics for Kermode to get angry about and equally excited like popcorn (an angry topic) to a bicycle powered film festival (an excitable topic). Throughout the book you also get the sense that he has a bizarre job and consequently a weird life, but seems very normal and down to earth. Ignoring the fanatical knowledge of films. But everyone has a hobby and I am sure his family have learnt to tune him out when he gets into one of his usual rants.

But the thing I have always liked about Kermode is, yes he gets angry, but he equally gets passionate. And he isn't a boring film critic who likes the powerful, Oscar tipped films because everything we do in life should have a meaning. No, he enjoys the Twilight films, is a fan of Zac Efron and cries at The Sound of Music.

His writing makes me realise what I have missed out on from not being a regular cinema goer. I mean to change that each time I read or listen to him, but secretly know that I will not. This means my cinema experience is sitting down in the evening and catching up with Kermode has written of late and for that I am grateful.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Over the Christmas holidays I read as much as I could before I was thrust back into the hectic world of work.

I had wanted to read much more than I did in the end, but there is only so much you can absorb in 10 days. I also did want to talk to my friends and family over Christmas too.

One of the books I was most looking forward to reading was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. And although it was very good, it was lot more rapey than I thought it would be.

Although I have heard a lot about the book, most recently because of the Hollywood film with Daniel Craig hitting the cinemas, I didn't really know what to expect.

Being a journalist I found the beginning quite interesting as publisher Mikael Blomkvist was being tried in court for libel for saying bad things about a millionaire and not quite having the evidence to back it up.

After stepping down from his job he ends up playing detective in a small village trying to find out the mystery behind a missing girl.

The story and the mystery of the crime is really good, but all the sex for no meaning and then the descriptions of the rape of the girl with the dragon tattoo, or Lisbeth Salander, did help for the reader to get an understand of why she is like how she is. But when you are sitting there counting down to the New Year surrounded by family reading about her rape was weird.

That may be my own fault for choosing to read the book. But I also read the latest Dexter book surrounded by my family and every page is practically a description of dismemberment and hacking bodies apart but it just didn't sit right with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Overall very good - but might wait a while to read the next two books.

Photo: tantillus via Flickr