An Odyssey

"An Odyssey" by Daniel Mendelsohn (2018 William Collins softcover 305pp)

First of all, before I get bogged down trying to explain this book, let me just say I really loved it. Its rare to find a book that both satisfies the intellect and packs an emotional heft the way this one does.

Put simply this book follows the author, a Classics professor as he takes a weekly seminar class on the epic ancient Greek poem “The Odyssey”. For reasons of his own the author’s 80+ year-old father decides to sit in on the classes and becomes more or less one of the students. In alternating sections, we learn all about the poem and also Mendelsohn’s often fractured and cold past relationship with his father. Mimicking the time-bending nature of the Odyssey itself we go off on many tangents involving the author’s family history, childhood and how his father became the man he was. There’s a certain element of mystery and discovery as the writer learns more than he and we expect. As we follow the poem to its conclusion the inevitable also befalls the father, by then we see him as a whole person and things get quite heart-wrenching by the end. In the mean time we’ve learnt a lot about the structure and symbology of the ancient work, it really makes you want to find a copy and read it for yourself.

This book came out of the blue for me – I heard it recommended on a podcast towards the end of last year. Classics have only ever been a passing interest for me but the subtle mix of this book certainly pushed the right buttons and might lead me to read further.

The Pheasants' Revolt

"The Pheasants' Revolt" by Brian Viner (2007 Simon & Schuster hardcover 314pp)

In recent times I seem to have picked up a habit of reading the work of what might be called ‘comfort Brits’. Writers such as Michael Booth, Andrew Collins, Shaun Bythell, Andy Miller and even Jon Ronson. All UK-based, my age or older and all wonderfully self-effacing and funny as they describe their general life experiences and/or zero in on a particular topic to fill multiple books.

Brian Viner is another those authors and I’ve been reading his output mostly out of chronological order – in one book he’s been a new parent while in the next his kids are starting high school. Apart from his sport-focused volumes I think I’ve caught up with most of his written life now.

“The Pheasants’ Revolt” is a direct sequel to his earlier book “Tales of the Country” in which he described (with plenty of anecdotes and digressions) how he decided to move his family from a comfortable life in London to a more challenging situation in rural Herefordshire. Its pretty much more of the same this time out. It’s a fun comfort read as always and he goes out into more tangents, relating many friend-of-a -friend type tall tales that might illustrate a point he’s making about country life. Nothing too shocking or unexpected then but a worthy diversion.

Calypso

"Calypso" by David Sedaris (2018 Little, Brown hardcover 260pp)

I was a late comer to the wonders of David Sedaris. I had heard of him and noticed he was appearing more and more frequently on TV chat shows and radio programmes but knew little of his work. I had pigeon-holed him as yet another US comedian/humourist not really worth my time. By the time I actually picked up and read one of his books (some time in 2017) he had two decades of published writing under his belt. Suddenly I knew what all the fuss was about and became a devoted fan. Now I find myself searching online for news of more material and his media appearances. I recently finished “Theft by Finding” his edited diaries that date back to the late 1970s..what a ride he’s had getting to the top.

“Calypso” probably isn’t a good starting point for a reader new to Sedaris. The book is more gentle, contemplative and melancholy than earlier works. The gags are still there along with a few surprises but I only found myself laughing out loud in a couple of places. This volume zooms in very close to his family, their summer beach house and his frequent thoughts of mortality. Warm and full of humanity but don’t pick this up expecting ‘gag-a-minute’ material, it’s a different beast.

Coders

(Short Review)

"Coders: Who They Are, What They Think And How They Are Changing Our World" by Clive Thompson  (2019 Picador softcover 436pp)

In "Coders" journalist and fellow tech-head Clive Thompson explores the world of the computer programmer. Their origins, world view and lifestyle. Particular attention is paid to the myths of meritocracy which abound in the field and the institutional sexism and racism that seems to have arisen in the tech engineering sector over the last 40 years. The libertarian fantasies of programmers and their corporate masters also become a target for Thompson. However the book is somewhat broader than all that and particularly fascinating are the 'case history' type sections where he delves into the personal stories of coders and how they came into the industry. Overall a good and important read for our time.

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