Eric Idle OnlineMy Life

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Latest Reading. Fall 2021

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By , December 22, 2021 12:53 pm

Silverview            John Le Carré

A posthumous novel completed by his son.

Camino Winds               John Grisham

Ok.

The Deer Park               Norman Mailer

Re-reading this book always gives me the utmost delight.   It is one of my favourite novels.  It has the ring of reality. It is written with effortless energy.  The characters are instantly recognisable, even when they are movie stars.  It’s about Palm Springs and the Movie People but it is really about Love.   And Sex.   I had not realised until now that his Publisher rejected it, and Mailer refused to make cuts.  In 1955 Viking stepped in. I have a British first edition from Arthur Wingate 1957. I don’t know anything finer by this author.  I am hard put to explain why I find it so appealing.  I think it is because he brilliantly pictures two different male/female relationships, but each couple with the same tensions.  The whole ambivalence of love and lust, and fear of, and gratitude for, such bonding.  He understands this beyond his years (the war) and is able to illustrate perfectly, the unique human ability of the sexes to misunderstand each other and yet still be reconciled through sex.  Both share the magic.  It is a wonderful commonality.

The swats at the film industry are funny, as they always are at that industry.   I had never spotted any Fitzgerald in Mailer hitherto and yet here it is in Sam Spades, but with a strength, clarity and modernity of language which I think is new, both from and caused by the wartime experiences of these writers.  Remember Holden Caulfield travelled across the battlefields of Europe in the knapsack of J. D. Salinger. From D-Day to Dachau.  They were young men, but with such awful, traumatising experiences of war.  No wonder their novels seemed fresh and arresting.  They had lived with death.

The Left Handed Twin            Thomas Perry

In cracking form this is one of the most thrilling of his recent novels. It’s a Jane Whitefield novel, and the pursuit of her along the Appalachian trail is one of the most intense things he has ever written.

The Silence of the Girls           Pat Barker

One of the most brilliant and best written books I have ever read.  I really loved this account of Troy through the eyes of the women.  A terrific idea and wonderfully executed. She writes like an angel.  I thought she brought to life the daily incessant dull, terrifying grind of warfare brilliantly, and how virtually invisible the women are.  Between Queens and slaves.

The Women of Troy.      Pat Barker

And I loved the sequel too.

The Thursday Murder Club     Richard Osman

Reluctantly retired oldies solve crimes.  Funny and sweet.

Revolution.           Peter Ackroyd

The next book in a very fine history of England from the Battle of the Boyne to the Battle of Waterloo.

He writes very well and his stories are fine and well chosen.

Mike Nichols A Life       Mark Harris

A very fine portrait of a wonderful man.  I must have met Mark at Mike’s apartment. He is married to Tony Kushner the brilliant writer.  The book is both sympathetic and insightful, and highly readable.

Dolphin Junction           Mick Herron.

The latest thriller from the very best contemporary British thriller writer.  He is a must read.

On Provence                 Henry James

He is a mustn’t read.

 

 

 

Ode to Jerry Falwell.

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By , March 22, 2019 7:12 am

O Lord please reward Jerry Falwell
And take him up gently with you
If there’s room by your side
For a large double-wide
Or a chair by the window will do.
He’s got all of the charm of Darth Vader
He blamed all the gays for Al Qaeda
He won’t be seen dead at a Seder
So please dear God take him away.

I’m sure you’ll adore Jerry Falwell
So lift him up where he belongs
Greeting and meeting and perhaps over-eating
And singing his wonderful songs.
He’s someone we really can spare Lord
You’ve enough milk and honey to share Lord,
We’ll wait here for the Rapture
If you will just capture
His body and haul it away.
We won’t carp we won’t fuss
Just take Jerry from us
You may even like him – oy vey!

Lines on missing a God daughter’s birthday

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By , January 21, 2018 12:48 pm

We went and missed your birthday once again

We’ve consistently forgotten it since the age of ten

Each year we say we won’t forget to Happy Birthday you

And then the day comes round and then of course we do.

It’s mad it’s bad it’s bloody sad and definitely wrong

And we’re hoping you’ll forgive us

If we send you this daft song.

 

The Apple Mac reminded us it was your birthday slot

Coming up the day before

But sadly we forgot.

We both of us remembered watching TV late last night

And said thank God it’s not too late for both of us to write

But as we headed for our beds

The thought completely left our heads

It’s really not polite.

 

So we’re once again apologizing that we’re overdue

In saying Happy Birthday Vic, Happy Birthday dear to you

It’s not much of a present but I suppose it could be worse

All we’re sending you this year

Is this stupid fucking verse.

I feel that I’m particularly a really silly sod

What kind of a Godfather does not believe in God?

But there you are you’re stuck with us

You’re stuck with what you’ve got,

Blame it on your parents or anyone, why not?

We wish you happiness and joy in sunshine and in rain

Until next year when to be sure we will forget again!

Eric Idle

January 21, 2018

FCC Again

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By , December 15, 2017 9:40 am

Fuck you very much the FCC

For kindly ending net neutrality

The Country’s in the toilet

Now that Putin took a dump

All over your democracy

And left you all with Trump

So a bunch of greedy bastards

Can steal everything they see

Fuck you very much the FCC.