I bought Grandmère Mimi a book the other month. I was listening to it myself (I can't be arsed with reading nowadays but I'm an avid audiobookphile) and I wanted to share my enjoyment of the book with somebody else and Mimi was the only person I could think of whom I thought would "get it." There's a heck of a lot of obscure references in the book and to properly enjoy it you need to be somebody with a good knowledge of classical and 19th. Century philosophy, 20th. Century trends in psychology and US political gossip whilst possessing a truly low brow addiction to the whole Hollywood thing, pre-1962. Mimi fitted the bill, as they say.
And, hurray! She did enjoy it and she has published an excellent review of the book at her blog
WOUND-UP BIRD.
The book is titled, "The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe" and it's by Andrew O'Hagan.
Go read all about it at Mimi's place. You know, just like Marilyn, Grandmère Mimi isn't as dumb as she looks.
MadPriest, I hate to complain after your lovely efforts on my behalf, but you make the review sound all intellectual, and it's not.
ReplyDeleteWell, by my standards it's intellectual. Anyway, I was implying that just being able to understand the book makes you an intellectual.
ReplyDeleteYou understood the book, so that makes you an intellectual, too. You hide your erudition, and you may fool many of your readers, but you don't fool me.
ReplyDeleteErm? I'm English. I'm male. And I'm an Anglican. The fact that I am intellectually superior to pretty much everybody else on the planet should go without saying - so I didn't say it.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I mean, and it's not the drivel you just mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI've picked up the odd fact or two over the years. Mostly off the BBC.
ReplyDeleteOh, you two (and I don't mean Marilyn&Maf): GET A ROOM!
ReplyDeleteJCF, it's a daily toss-up as to whether you or MP will embarrass me the most.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're pretty good on the erudition side yourself. So now it's a threesome.
Did I just say that?!!!
Me, you and JCF?
ReplyDeleteThat's a foursome, isn't it? :-)
Oh. Dear.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I have never been under the delusion that this is a respectable blog.