Having just received a letter from Chichester District Council telling me that they owe me a council tax rebate of nearly £200, I thought I’d treat my gorgeous wife to a light lunch in order to cheer her up, then would explore the bookshop for some new reading matter. Purchased in a 3 for 2 deal:
Francis Wheen – How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered The World. "Hilarious" says Jeremy Paxman!
Tobias Jones – The Dark Heart Of Italy. "Excellent" says Andrew Marr!
Noam Chomsky – Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance. "Devastating" says Tim Adams!
I’ll try to report back on the levels of hilarity, excellence and devastation in each case. And I really must update that current reading, current listening and current mood thing in the sidebar, as it’s not-at-all current.
UPDATE: sidebar updated.
I’ve always wondered where one can find these one-word reviews that get quoted on the backs of books. Personally, I’ve reviewed many books thus – “Bollocks” says Vaughan Simons – and never been quoted.
Also, have you ever noticed that the one-word reviews are quoted in the present tense – i.e. ‘says’ – rather than the past tense. It’s as if they’re saying it now – as if, at the very moment you picked up that Francis Wheen book – Jeremy Paxman was standing just behind you saying “Hilarious!” very loudly.
That’s an unnerving thought.
Am I thinking about this too deeply?