A Book; A Film

First of all the book. As my recent reading binge continued I found on the shelf a pristine copy of John Williams' Stoner. None the wiser? No, neither was I. I susect I must have bought it when using some book vouchers and what will have attracted me is the statement on the front cover of the Vintage edition, 'The greatest novel you've never read.' A big claim indeed and, of course, very silly and immeasurable. However having now read the novel, I have to say that there is something in that attention-grabbing statement. The text takes wilfully low-key material (the life of an obscure academic) and treats it without sensation but in doing so gets at the human condition. There is one mildly clunky (and temporary) change of point of view in the middle of the book but even that can be excused as it shines a piercing light on a domestic tragedy. This is altogether a beautiful piece of writing. It may indeed be the greatest novel you have never read, in which case I heartily recommend that you fill the gap. Mind you, it is always fun to hear the other side of the story so here is a review which denounces Stoner as middle-brow and snobbish - Not Everybody Must Get Stoner . So that's me told!

The film. Writer Richard Curtis is nothing if not a sentimentalist and Yesterday teeters on the edge of saccharine without quite plunging over into unbearability. The premise is an intriguing one - a musician wakes in hosital in a world where no one except him has heard of the Beatles. I won't spoil the rest of it. Amusing, sweet and a great soundtrack. 78/100.

Ooh and here's a thing. I'm sixty today so expect an outbreak of mature behaviour from the Pig. Yeah right.