tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post4655311646131391363..comments2023-10-03T11:41:21.191+01:00Comments on The Truth About Lies: The LevelsJim Murdochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-38809973512914956252012-05-24T11:36:46.174+01:002012-05-24T11:36:46.174+01:00I have a few decent love poems under my belt, Dave...I have a few decent love poems under my belt, <b>Dave</b>, but it bothers me that I can’t churn them out as and when needed. I loved my last wife as much as I’ve loved anyone and yet as hard as I tried—and I did try—none of the love poems I wrote for her were up to much. The best found its way into <i>Milligan and Murphy</i>, the story of the two one-legged men; that was originally a love poem called ‘For F.’ which is why I kept the characters’ names as F. and M., M. being me of course. The sentiment is fine, the image of two broken people who limp along together, but it’s not really romantic; Carrie has fared a little better. She writes the odd poem on a card but it’s been a few years since I managed one. In the early days of a relationship I desperately want to write but gap between the desire to write and the ability to do so is an immense one.<br /><br />And, <b>Brad</b>, I have no idea why the gap. I was tempted to ask but I’m not sure it’s important. I don’t think any less of an author because there’s a big gap in his writing. William Golding had one but he still won the Nobel Prize; <i>Rites of Passage</i> came out in 1980; <i>Close Quarters</i> followed in 1987. Peter’s not written so many books that you couldn't read his entire output over maybe the course of a month. I deliberately chose <i>The Levels</i> from what was available: <i>A Private Moon</i> is about a private eye and that might have been interesting (I was a big fan of the old TV show <i>Public Eye</i>); <i>A Lesser Dependency</i> is all about colonialism which I’ve read a bit about but it’s not a subject that excites me; <i>Riptide</i> is about surfing and that was enough to put me off; <i>Odo’s Hanging</i> is an historical novel set during the reign of William I and, again, that was enough to put me off. The two that I might have gone for are <i>The Other Occupant</i> and <i>The Shape of Clouds</i> as they both deal with loners and I like reading about people on their own. All my characters are loners and I even count Milligan and Murphy as loners since they come as a package. Peter’s next novel is out in August and I imagine I’ll be offered a copy. I’ll certainly be happy to give it a shuftie.<br /><br />A part of me hopes that Peter <i>has</i> read this review especially if he read my previous one and thought me uncharitable; I really don’t like being negative in reviews but I think it’s also important to call it as I see it so that when I <i>do</i> praise a book—which I pretty much expect I’m going to do with the book I’m currently reading—people will believe me. That’s why when I’m being negative I’ll look to see what other reviewers have said and pull in an alternative viewpoint to provide balance. I’m glad you appreciate what I have to say and keep coming back for me. That’s all the pat on the back I need.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-80281564285832978552012-05-24T06:25:39.606+01:002012-05-24T06:25:39.606+01:00Speaking of trying to get a handle on the nature o...Speaking of trying to get a handle on the nature of the internet, which I accept we were not; I just hit publish comment and within a fraction of a second received this text message from my mobile phone provider:<br /><br />"Love your long recharge, love a long chat? Half-price calls (excl flagfall)..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-64956843779259623782012-05-24T06:20:37.290+01:002012-05-24T06:20:37.290+01:00The similarities that you have mentioned between B...The similarities that you have mentioned between Benson's first and last novels seem all the more poignant in light of the cyclical structure of 'The Levels' that you have pointed to, Jim. If he had written them the other way around, it might look to the casual observer like he'd planned it that way; especially given the 14 year gap in his writing that preceded his last effort. I can imagine that he was struggling a lot during that period to come up with something 'worthy' for his publisher. Perhaps he was even looking for some kind of closure.<br /><br />On the other hand, Peter Benson might find that idea to be offensive. <br /><br />(Are you reading this Peter? I'd love to see or hear what you think.)<br /><br />I guess it depends on how much of himself and his experience he really did invest in 'The Levels', and in it's success. I'm curious now about whether I'm on the right track there; so much so that I wish to read the entirety of his work. I'm not sure that studying the mind of an author through their work is a good reason to read their work. In fact, I find the idea of that repugnant myself; and not just a little. Nevertheless... I don't want to discount the idea until I've seen it for myself. I'm also keeping in mind that, in a cyclical world, the last book is not necessarily the final book.<br /><br />I also want to say Jim that I am a great admirer of your reviewing style. It is the embodiment of "Critical Thinking" in the broad sense; a kind of critical thinking that is applicable to everyday life in every arena of life. It is not a special domain of 'The Philosopher'. I know it's not proper for 'blokes' to display too much admiration though, which is why I'm relieved that you raised the subject of men reading/not love stories.<br /><br />You say men do read about "spies and soldiers and adventurers and aliens; ... shiny things that go fast and explode; dangerous things; exciting things." That sounds like the stuff of love stories to me. At the very least, it must be the stuff of the backdrop to love. That might explain why "[they] always look lost between something they forgot to do when they were younger and something terrible that is going to happen one day."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-30639508869987264102012-05-23T11:27:43.327+01:002012-05-23T11:27:43.327+01:00They always look lost between something they forgo...<i>They always look lost between something they forgot to do when they were younger and something terrible that is going to happen one day.</i><br /><br />I remember this dread. Been there. Done that!<br /><br />Actually, I find this a difficult response to write: your review left me with a lot of different and disconnected feelings.<br /><br />I don't write love poetry - not for public view, anyway - not because it doesn't interest me, but because I can't. I read it, when I can find some that is written from as rigorous a standpoint as the author would have used for something else - and maybe that's the point, maybe it's the same with novels: when poets start to write about love, the critical faculty is given a tea break.<br /><br />Another remark that interested me was the jolt at the beginning. I remember as a teenager going to a talk at the local library given by an author. He said his first ever (unpublished) book began <i>Crash! The captain's head struck the deck.</i> He still thought it his best ever. Seems publishers didn't agree.Dave Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08430484174826768488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-66709302924611906192012-05-21T14:52:58.119+01:002012-05-21T14:52:58.119+01:00I don’t mind deadlines, Art, as long as they’re we...I don’t mind deadlines, <b>Art</b>, as long as they’re well off. I’ve agreed to take part in a blog tour to promote a friend’s new book and I picked the latest date possible which would fit in with my blogging schedule giving me about six weeks’ breathing space to read the book and write the article. That, I think, is a reasonable amount of time. Has she said I had a fortnight I would have declined. I might well have managed it—I regularly read and review a book within a week (I think <i>The Levels</i> took me five days in total)—but I don’t like <i>having</i> to manage it. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-65824563953225680042012-05-21T13:54:00.254+01:002012-05-21T13:54:00.254+01:00I find deadline pressure is helpful. Rather than t...I find deadline pressure is helpful. Rather than the purposeless free floating with no goal, I mean. This weekend I received an email asking for a short piece of music, a round or canon or chant, that would have to be sent off by next week. I wrote not one but two, and am sending them off today. Sometimes writing short forms is harder, because you really have to polish them to a lapidary edge.<br /><br />I've always liked Larkin's advice on writing that you quote above. It's a good summation of the process and the enthusiasm it creates in us.<br /><br />I have a soft spot for coming of age novels, too, so I might like this one. I'll look into it.Art Durkeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07463180236975988432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-76574608384414867362012-05-20T11:36:45.923+01:002012-05-20T11:36:45.923+01:00I agree, Ken. I have always been keen to demystify...I agree, <b>Ken</b>. I have always been keen to demystify this writing malarkey. I sometimes with there was <i>a</i> way to write though because, as there’s not, every single writer out there is faced with working out what’s right for them. As Kate Grenville writes: “Some writers can work for eight or twelve hours at a stretch, others find that an hour or two is all they can usefully do. Some writers have unlimited time, some have the restrictions of other jobs, households to run, children to look after. Some writers use word processors, some use typewriters, some use pens or pencils. Every writer works out a personal routine for working. Writing is one of the most individual things you'll ever do, so you'll gradually develop your own individual way of doing it. It doesn't matter how or when you write, as long as you keep doing it.” And she’s right: Writing <i>is</i> one of the most individual things you'll ever do.<br /><br />She also says that writers have to unlearn a lot—“the whispering voices of advice” she calls them—and in that respect I’ve been quite lucky because I never learned anything; I read books and, as Larkin put it, thought, “That’s marvellous, how is it done, could I do it? and that’s how you learn.”<br /><br />One of the writers whose blogs I follow is Clare Dudman and in a <a href="http://keeperofthesnails.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/novel-progress.html" rel="nofollow">recent post</a> she says, “Today I remapped the plan of my book shading in the parts I've finished. It's a rough method, but it looks like I've done about two-thirds (around 105 000 words so far) ... in around three years.” Being a slowpoke myself I was quite comforted to see this. I makes such a change from all those who are insisting that even <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/business/in-e-reader-age-of-writers-cramp-a-book-a-year-is-slacking.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1&smid=fb-share" rel="nofollow">a book a year isn’t enough</a> these days.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-42351830045362996782012-05-20T10:39:46.585+01:002012-05-20T10:39:46.585+01:00I like how candid Peter is about his writing metho...I like how candid Peter is about his writing methodology. (And your own constant candour, of course).<br /><br />People are made to believe that the act of writing is black and white, either do it the 'right' way or don't do it at all. It's such crap.Ken Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07775956557261111127noreply@blogger.com