Literature

I try to plan my weekends in such a way that I alternate between remaining in Chatham for the whole weekend, and going elsewhere by train to meet up with friends or family. The last three weekends have all involved a lot of gallivanting, so spending time at home this weekend is an opportunity to recharge my batteries; lolling about and reading.

I am still slowly working my way through Yanis Varoufakis' “Adults in the Room”, but I'm becoming slower, partly because of the fatigue from my three previous energetic weekends, but also because it is becoming more difficult to read. Perhaps not in the way you might imagine.

Have you ever read Ian McEwan's “Enduring Love”? The parallels between the two narratives are striking! In both cases, the gradual realisation that the protagonist has been caught in a web of Shelob proportions makes it increasingly difficult to pick up the book for a spot of bedtime reading. Also in both cases, the reason that the protagonist finds themselves in that situation is because their allies failed to adhere to “united we stand, divided we fail” principle spelled out clearly at the start of the story-telling.

So I decided to call in at my local public lending library to pick up a little light relief.
I had hoped for Judith Kerr's “When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit” which I began to read several months ago while visiting my brother. I had assumed it would be easy enough to find again on a return visit. I was mistaken.

The staff at the library assured me that it was in stock, it had been returned earlier this week, but could any of us find it? No.
I completely understand why the shelves in the children's section become jumbled extraordinarily quickly, and I assured the frustrated staff that no apology was necessary. I am pleased that children are visiting the library, picking up books, discarding them, making choices, reading what interests them. It is a far cry from the crusty old shhhh! library environments of 50 years ago.

I was also very pleased to see a young woman whom I could only deduce to be a recent arrival to Britain, sitting on a sofa in the children's section reading aloud to herself at a whisper, but obviously practising the connection between the alphabet, the sounds and the language. Exactly how I practised my Greek.

But I did find these three and have brought them home for various reasons.
I have already devoured Pillywiggins from cover to cover in 100 minutes since returning from the library. I imagine it as a “gateway” book, in just the same way that cannabis is often described as a “gateway” drug; it could lead onto harder things; Artemis Fowl initially but ultimately, Lord of the Rings. Dangerous material!

Later I shall tackle Judith Kerr's other bunny book;
And Gobbolino? That's going to be an exploration of the pathways of my childhood. Really hoping it doesn't disappoint. But the library will be open again on Monday for swaps, so nothing lost.