If anything as a reader I’ve reverted to type and to what feels safe

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Contributor: Helen Jeffries

At the start of lockdown I had imagined I would read more, and I may actually have done, but it also doesn’t feel like I’m reading as much as I would like to.  Sometimes I just can’t concentrate and I’ve also lost all the time I would otherwise have spent on tubes and buses reading.  Because I’m an introvert for whom reading quietly by myself is usually heaven, lockdown suited me very well in many ways.  But one can have too much of even the best things and I guess as time has gone on lockdown has ground me down.  

I’m definitely reading different things now.  As the pandemic has gone on, I’ve found I can’t face reading anything sad as my emotions seem to have become amplified.  So all of those serious and important novels on the “to read” pile are getting screened for “does anything I don’t feel emotionally up to happen in it” and generally set aside.  Significant novels about the experience of being Black and British?  Not until the world perks up; Bernadine Evaristo I’m looking at you.

At the start of the pandemic I bought and read The Great Mortality about the Black Death by John Kelly.  It’s very good, but it’s not particularly cheery.  As evidence I offer the quote: ‘The bodies were sparsely covered that the dogs dragged them forth and devoured them…And believing it to be the end of the world, no one wept for the dead, for all expected to die’, which the good people at Amazon have chosen to introduce the book description.

If anything as a reader I’ve reverted to type and to what feels safe.  In the early days of the pandemic I was finishing off things I’d started reading already – such as, for example, Ulysses(!) because it was my project to get it read in 2020, which I did.  But as time went on I went back to the “old friend” books, to things I knew wouldn’t contain any nasty surprises, and to history (because one knows what’s going to happen at the end).  I’m autistic which means that predictability is a major part of how I make myself feel secure.  So novels that are rollercoasters of emotions are inherently stressful and I don’t want the stress of not knowing what will happen to the characters.  I’ve been reading less for education or to improve my mind (which I would do usually) and more for comfort and escapism.  Literary comfort food (known novels) and nice reassuring carbs (history) have been the way to go.  

The dilemma “how do I select books that I want” does not seem ever to have caused me any problems even in the absence of open bookshops.  Since early 2020 though I’ve really got into supporting independent bookshops online.  For example about a year ago there was a huge reaction on Twitter when the Petersfield Bookshop said they hadn’t sold a book all day and might have to close.  Neil Gaiman retweeted the Tweet and suddenly they had more orders than they could ship and happily they continue to flourish today.  I strongly recommend following them on Twitter for odd little book nuggets.  I also love Top Hat & Tales in Faversham run by the wonderful Rachel.  She curates her collection so carefully that there is seldom a book in her shop (or on her website) that I wouldn’t want.  So obviously I end up buying them.

I keep meaning to embark on my backed up “to read” pile but in all honesty that requires an effort of will for which I don’t have the energy.  Somehow it’s easier to buy a book and read it straight away.  Once something’s been put off once, it’s easier to put it off again. Probably because of my autism I have an absolute horror of leaving a book unfinished.  Which is perhaps why starting a new and unknown book requires an effort of will – it’s a big commitment that the end will be reached in due course.  If I haven’t finished a book it plagues me in the back of my mind – there’s a doorstop sized book called Quicksilver that I started more than ten years ago and haven’t (yet) finished and it preys upon my mind…

Being my version of autistic (not all autistic people are alike by any means), I’m not really into audio books because my main way of thinking is visual.  You might have encountered Thinking in Pictures by the famous autistic writer Temple Grandin, and that’s certainly how I think so it’s much easier to process things that I’ve seen rather than things I’ve heard.  That’s probably why books appeal to me so much – it’s a whole world in your hand and the only sense you need to process it is sight.

My top picks for lockdown reading?  Well I’d go for:

  • Acts and Omissions by Catherine Fox – a very gratifying sort of modern Barchester Chronicles
  • Red Plenty by Francis Spufford – the most illuminating book about Soviet Russia I have ever read
  • Music to Eat Cake By by Lev Parikian – a glorious collection of essays which resulted when the author (unwisely) allowed his readers to pick the subjects
  • Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel – a polemic on how antisemitism has been allowed to persist that just landed on my doormat and which I already love, plus it’s short
  • The Vinyl Detective by Andrew Cartmel.  From the same stable as the Rivers of London sequence but with records, and cats, and JAZZ.

https://apolitical.co/en/solution_article/a-letter-from-the-autistic-colleague-you-didnt-know-you-had

 

Reading through the lens of lockdown
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Contributor: Claire Richards

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” — W. Somerset Maugham

“I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go into the library and read a good book.” — Groucho Marx

I’ve always found comfort and escape in reading. Like Lucy Mangan, whose Bookworm was cathartic, I spent much of my childhood with ‘my nose in a book’. My sporty family despaired. Why on earth would I want to idle hours away in a corner, ruining my eyes? I read anything and everything: stories set in boarding schools or fantasy lands, about tomboys, good girls, plucky boys or ponies. I, a cowardly child, became them all. I was Enid Blyton’s George shinning up a rope and Julian daringly confronting the villain.

Last April, soon after the start of lockdown, I injured my back. ‘Keep on the move,’ my doctor advised, so friends suggested I try audiobooks… What a revelation! What a snob I’d been about how I ‘read’. How much I’d missed! The first book I listened to – recommended by an admirably wise and intelligent woman – was Robert Harris’s Conclave. Narrated by Roy McMillan with exactly the right tone and pace, I was riveted. 

I always feel better after delving into Jane Austen’s world, so next I (re)turned to Mansfield Park. I hadn’t bargained on the power of Juliet Stevenson’s narration to create a whole new hierarchy of detail. In Fanny’s censorious judgement of Mary to Edmund, say, is Austen revealing more than Fanny’s ‘good worth’? After all, doesn’t Fanny want Edmund for herself? Confined by our own lockdown, surely we can understand Maria’s desire to escape Sotherton by climbing over that iron gate. Yet, although beguiling, her antics ultimately destroy Maria, whilst cautious Fanny’s need for safety brings happiness close to home.

Still, with Edmund settling for a woman he doesn’t love passionately, something was missing. So I turned to Persuasion. How had I never realised it’s Austen’s most romantic text? Anne’s rivals for Wentworth’s affection, albeit younger, are not in her league for looks or intelligence. For Anne, who doesn’t have her eye on a Pemberley, true love conquers all – time, separation, misunderstanding, even understandings; genuine kindness, patience and loyalty prevail. And for us, separated now from those we love, isn’t that what we, too, hope for, what we always hope for?

I’ve long been drawn to the sense of closure in thrillers and detective stories, something even more appealing in these uncertain times. I listened to Sisters (Michelle Frances), reassured that the sisters eventually come together in a satisfying epilogue after the real criminal meets her end. I loved The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Its retirement village setting adds poignancy, partly because the talent and valuable experience of ‘the elderly’ can be celebrated, but also because the pandemic has so cruelly targeted them. ‘There are people here who could take you apart and put you back together again,’ declares former trade union leader Ron somewhat melodramatically, but he makes the point. As Captain Sir Tom Moore proved, we need them. Let us not underestimate them.

And films and television? Have they provided the refuge I’ve found in a ‘good book’? As always, it depends on the text. Channel 4’s series It’s a Sin by Russell T Davies was shocking and heart-wrenchingly tragic in its portrayal of the homophobia and cruel loss of life to the plague of AIDS in the 1980s. Through the power of its drama, there is a message that desperately needs to be heard now more than ever. 

And then there was Life on Mars, recommended by a dear friend and creator of this blog. Isolated and alienated from those he loves, the hero, Sam, finds himself in a dystopian world of violence, sexism, homophobia and racism, a 1970s cop show world where ‘doing things by the book’ is scorned. Like many a dystopia, we see aspects of it today. Sam navigates his world with compassion and often a quiet and understated determination. Ultimately, the power of human connection and love has the last word. We can but hope…

Contributor: Claire

If only I had time to read…..

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Contributor: Heather Relf

If only I had time to read…..How many times have I said this? Well, as a result of lockdown, I now have plenty of time on my hands. At the beginning of the first lockdown, the enforced “free” time was a novelty – a frenzy of decorating, crafting, music – even baking, filled my days. My grand plan to work my way through the pile of accumulated unread books and untouched classics was top of my cultural to do list. However, as the weeks have worn on, the continued uncertainty and wide-ranging social changes have had a huge impact on my ability to concentrate – even dampening my motivation to pick up a book. Without a doubt, I have read far fewer books than I could ever have predicted or imagined. Several wonderful novels have been started but remain unfinished – and my pile is still relatively untouched!

So, what have I been reading and why? Reading has been an important means of escape and distraction. Factual reports or articles of shared interest have been digested in the form of brief online commentaries, or the ‘i’ newspaper – quality but undemanding in length! Comfort reading has played its part. In much the same way I’ve craved childhood comfort foods, such as jelly and Angel Delight, I have revisited some children’s classics, much-loved poetry and novels that could be described as “heartwarming” without being laced with saccharin-powered optimism! Nostalgic for happier, more secure times? Comfort reading for me has also embraced good “page turners”, such as British crime novels. (Rankin, Griffiths, Galbraith, May, Booth) The plot of a good thriller has been total escapism, carrying me along with the unfolding events and demanding little from me, generally secure in the knowledge that there will be a satisfying resolution! I’m unable to deal with classics, gritty realism, dystopian novels or contemporary social themes (my usual diet) and I’m glad I read The Testaments and Girl, Woman, Other just before lockdown! Having said that, I did come across a 2005 book by Peter May entitled ‘Lockdown’! Unnervingly resonant but with a preposterous ending! To be brutally honest, at the moment, I can only attempt fairly short novels (unless it’s a crime novel!) and could not pick up one of my older Penguin classics that has a dense type face!

One of the most positive things that has aided my struggling access to books has been my introduction to Audible, thanks to a dear friend! I am hooked! As a lover of storytelling, live performance and radio all my life, this has been an absolute godsend. Audio books have enabled me to access a wide and varied range of literature that my impaired concentration and feeble mental state would otherwise not have allowed! I have been completely drawn into the performance and the way in which this has enhanced my experience of the novel. I have discovered new elements in books that are well known to me and it has also inspired me to read some of the books I have listened to.

Further inspiration has been our WI book discussion group on Zoom – not a traditional book group, where the same book is read by all- but a forum for sharing and discussing books, poetry, articles etc. that have been enjoyed by members. In addition, it has been comforting to share our collective views on the way in which the current climate has impacted on our reading habits and experiences. Along with reviews online and in print, these recommendations have been most helpful.

 

Personal recommendations:

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Honeyman

Anything is Possible – Strout

Lethal White – Galbraith

Big Sky – Atkinson

A Song for the Dark Times – Rankin

 

Contributor: Heather

I read thirty books last year

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Contributor: Trish

I read thirty books last year, a mixture of fiction and non fiction, and some of those I had read before. I keep a list of what I read, but there are no dates attached; however, I think the first book I read last March was Corduroy by Adrian Bell, a fictionalised memoir of life on a Suffolk farm in the 1920s and the last book I finished was The Dillen, Memories of a Man of Stratford-upon-Avon. This is an old favourite, a comfort read if you like, but I didn’t need a pandemic to prompt me to pick it up.

I haven’t read any more or less since the pandemic started; I always have a book “on the go” and plenty of unread volumes around the house that I’m now getting round to. I have also bought books online and received them as gifts. Usually, I’m inspired to buy after reading a review in the Saturday edition of the Guardian or hearing an interesting interview on Radio 4. Friends, too, have passed on books and recommendations during this year. I don’t listen to audio books, although just this week I heard and enjoyed a podcast of Babette’s Feast by Karen Blixen. Does that count?

I really can’t say the pandemic has much affected my reading, except in one respect: I decided last March that I was going to read two poems every day for the duration (fourteen weeks as I recall) and have done so. I have two large anthologies and every day read one from each volume. The collections span several centuries, include classics and the less familiar, and many poems in translation. I have enjoyed that quiet time every day.

Five books I have read this year and would recommend:

Middlemarch by George Eliot. A book to live your life by.

The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester. Very funny and very clever.

Golden Hill by Francis Spufford. Wonderful, entertaining pastiche of a picaresque novel.

The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell. Inspired by the siege of Lucknow, comic and scathing by turns.

A Life of My Own – the autobiography of Claire Tomalin.

Contributor: Trish

During the initial months of lockdown my reply would have been ‘’What reading?‘’

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Contributor: Lesley

During the initial months of ‘Lockdown’ my reply would have been ‘’what reading?‘’ I had no appetite for it, or for the concentration it would require. A daily stumble through national headlines, keeping abreast and focusing on the best of the worst, was more than enough to sap my mental capacity for the remainder of the day.

With the dog days of summer came a bit of settling and I began to flick through chapters of unread books on the shelves, a word, a sentence, a paragraph drip feeding my soul, but a lot sitting there still found themselves falling short of the moment. Too dense, too, well, just plain wordy! Then I struck gold, I caught the first episode of ‘The Offing’ on Radio 4, their book of the week by Benjamin Myers, the narration was beautiful and I was hooked. It’s a coming of age story set on the Yorkshire coast very much in the style of Laurie Lee or to my mind even Dylan Thomas. I had to buy the book and soak up the scenery and characterisation for myself, here was a point of connection, a gentle affirmation of life.

Feeling more courageous I turned to my last purchases from Waterstones, both sharing similar themes. I was missing coastal walks with my beloved greyhound and ‘Salt on Your Tongue’ by Charlotte Runcie, and ‘The Salt Path’ by Raynor Winn just fitted the gap. I’m waiting for the sequel to come out in paperback, hardbacks take up too much valuable space.

A nod of recognition as I walk past the stationery section of a well known supermarket, ‘A Single Thread’ by Tracy Chevalier, yes but I wanted to read her previous book first ‘The Last Runaway’. Good reads both of them, unexpected turns, page turners that left me feeling uplifted by a sense of possibility.

A friend recommended ‘The Summer Book’ by Tove Jansson (of Moomin fame), spacious writing and childlike imagination, initially drawn by their brevity I was captivated by the simple magic and have now almost finished her book of winter stories, ‘A Winter Book’, it seemed apt during last week’s snow.

One thing leads to another and so ‘Winter Walks’ on The BBC found me following up Imtiaz Dhaker, (born in Pakistan and raised in Glasgow), after listening to her poem ‘Arc’ read by Simon Armitage. Likewise Amanda Gorman the American Poet Laureate, after hearing her read so passionately ‘The Hill We Climb’ at Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony – what a wonder!

Always a joy is Elly Griffiths with her series of archeological murder mysteries set on the North Norfolk coast with Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Nelson. Number thirteen is due out next month, each plot line stands alone but you would miss out on the character interactions of the investigation team if you skip and honestly you would miss out so much. – If I ever have another cat I’m going to call him Cathbad.

Any day now I am awaiting the arrival of a parcel from my local independent book shop. This is a new initiative and the package will contain two short books of previously unpublished short stories and at two weekly intervals there will be a lunch time Zoom session to chat about them. Hot off the press and I get to talk to real people albeit at one remove. Sandwiches and a mug of coffee, what is there possibly not to like?