One of my many prejudices is a dislike of the writer and broadcaster Clive James. As biases go, this one is harsh and wholly unreasonable. My antipathy is solely down to one snide remark made in a review many years ago about Ravel being the world's "most boring composer". I could never forgive him.
This was brought to mind by a moving radio programme (available here for a limited time) about the dementia that allowed Ravel's creative mind to stay active but left him unable to communicate, trapping his music in his head. It is a tragic story and though the programme focused on the possible effect of the illness on his music, it was a celebration of his brilliance as well. And brilliance is the right word. The music is full of colour and fire and, at its most lyrical, ravishes. Boring? Never.
10 comments:
I hate that fucher James as well.
Great that you agree with me.
http://drinksoakedtrotsforwar.com/2007/04/03/hitchens-be-damned-i-aint-spewing/#comment-23440
One French choon deserves another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8nJhg9DgYc
Me three!!
I take it all back. My prejudice is entirely reasonable. Can't stand the sneering tone and incredibly insufferable self-importance.
The review John links to is excellently savage.
And Will, another example of us coming to the same conclusions from different starting points.
well, do you want to like your writers, or do you want to be entertained?
Clive James's memoirs are fantastic pieces of work. He gives us pictures of a world few of us have experience of, and in his latest produced some of the funniest pieces I've ever read.
Dorset dippercunt hasn't read John's review. That is obvious.
Worra cunt Dorsetdipper is.
Didn't Antonia Fraser have a rather dim view of Mr James?
The Dorset Dipper has read books by Clive James though and enjoyed them. No accounting for taste.
DD and I often come to opposite conclusions from different starting points :-)
[sarcasm]Reluctant as I am to criticise a national treasure [/sarcasm] ... James -- and other figures associated with 'The Push' -- has always been a smug middle class cunt with a disagreeable whiff of expat hauteur, whom Australians are suppposed to worship because he lives in that London.
I have long regarded Mr Jame's with suspicion following the revelation (to me) that he came to London holding a letter of 'recommendation' from one Angus Maude. Maude as older posters will doubtless recall, was one of Thatcher's great supporters and got her into the Tory Leadership and thence to No. 10.
He was a a guest at the noble Lord Archer's Shepherds Pie and Champagne lunches.
The company you keep?
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