Book learning #53

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.

I don't think I've ever picked up a book with such loaded preconceptions before. I don't think my preconceptions have ever been dashed away in quite such an agreeable fashion.

Up until July 2009 I associated the phrase 'Brideshead Revisited' with useless upper class fops wincing about Oxford and hugging teddy bears. I thought that was the whole story. Despite the fact that I have read and for the most part, enjoyed, a lot of Evelyn Waugh's books I had never tried this one, the image of the 1981 TV dramatisation (abovementioned fops etc) completely put me off, despite the fact that I had never even seen the TV version.

It was a wet Sunday afternoon when I found this on a shelf at a friend's house. I took it home and became engrossed. It was perfect for light summer evenings, romantic and nostalgic yet real enough in terms of characters and plot to keep the lower middle class twentyfirst century reader engaged.

There is only one teddy bear hugging upper class fop, though prominent throughout as a theme, he features little in person. Even then, in the book he's a sympathetic character.

2016

So how does this seven years bad luck thing work?

Is it all disaster from now on?

Are there some light moments thrown in? Just to make me feel safe again?

Has anyone out there been through this and come out the other side?

Doesn't seven years seem a bit of a weighty punishment for simply moving a wash bag too hastily?

Postscript: In the two days since i broke that mirror my carburettor died and I've had to handle real poo three times.

Summer Mondale!!!!!!!!!!*

Yes.
Thank god.
The summer holidays are here.
It's been an incredibly long and supremely frustrating school year**.
I've spent the last few weeks batting googlies and praying for this day to come, pass without incident and come to a mildly tipsy close.
Just one Baker day on Monday and then it's seven weeks of daddy day care, huntin, shootin, fishin and some sailing.



*I love the multiple !!!.
**I still love my job, just not the politics which has resembled the worst aspects of the Bush***/Nixon****/Stalin***** eras.
*** The trouble with being the decider is deciding which Bush to model yourself upon. I tend to aim for the Bush 41 model, not ideal but suitably devoid of emotion to get through the day, that and a natty dresser (in his own way).
**** I told the school council "If the Senior teacher does it, it's not illegal". Would they listen?
***** The purges in the autumn term were a bad idea. I see that now.

That July 4th thing.

For those of you following this scarce blog (it's a thin period, some great, heavyweight blogging just around the corner but nothing I can report at the moment, in almost every sphere of Mondale reality there is 'big stuff around the hill' but not yet) you may be wondering... "What did Henry wear to the July 4th BBQ?"



Yeah, we dropped the ball on that one, sorry kid.