Terry, this is one of the very best novels I've read here, perhaps the best.What's admirable is your method. You have constructed a believably boring North country town, and then structured a compelling story, animated by unforgettable bad characters, delineated by word and deed. Eddie, of course, undaunted, truly makes the book "unputdownable" because that's exactly what he is. In fact, while I read 8 chapters (until Authonomy stopped co-operating), I couid never once stop to make a note of the many delightful moments and literary gems in the dialogues and the personal narrative. You also maintain the momentum, the rise and fall of Eddie's fortunes, bringing in at last the tantalising Kate, who is sure to prove a match for Jimmie Cartwright.and his hoodlums. and the "Plods and plodders".An engrossing story of an innocent abroad. Dickens never did it betterOn my Watch list, poised for the next backing opp.David Grant."Pompey Chimes"Please return the read. view book
John, I',m sure I commented on ON7 a long time ago (HC time), and backed it too, I think. I certainly remember the high quality of the writing, and here I am again to star it and back it at this appropriate moment.David Grant,"Pompey Chimes"Please give it a decent read. view book
A very intriguing affair, described with great subtlety and significance, largely through dialogue and the atmosphere of "nod-nod, wink-wink" in a local community, which I know quite well. So I particularly enjoy the local colour. I hope to read more. Meanwhile I think "Just Making Sure" merits high stars and a place on my Shelf.Please read "Pompey Chimes" which ring not too far from your neck of the woods.David Grant view book
Well, Daniel, Virgil was right -" a long time after, we'll smile when we recall those painful times". I say this to authenticate from memory your historical narrative, especially as it comes through with such a forceful and derisory personal account .No wonder. The game was up. Everybody, apart from Halifax and the French, knew that. Er -um. It's Savile Row, not "Saville. Sam Browne belt, not "Brown"Grandeur is better than "grandness"Hobnobbing, not "hobknobbing"New-fangled needs a hyphen.The Anson, rather than "Avro", taxied.Fuehrer is (for lack of diaresis) preferable to "Fuhrer"I saw somewhere "Armstrong Sidley",instead Siddeley enginesHighest stars and Backed,David Grant,"Pompey Chimes" view book
Anna, publish with a flourish!I'm so deeply impressed by your extensive research and by your rich imagination in recreating the characters and the Court in the unique Elizabethan world of "Merrie England". As a schoolboy I sang in the chorus in a production of Edward German's opera of that name. Sir Walter, Bess. and Q.E, were all there, playing their much-romanticised parts. Your story opens up Pandora's box. It brings everything out in the open, so convincingly - and so intimately, in Bess's personal musings.Incidentally, you can have no qualms about flawless prose. Her natural expression is simply her own, while the contemporary diction is straight out of any Elizabethan comedy.(Not to mention Shakespeare's!)Highest stars and already on my Shelf.David Grant,"Pompey Chimes" view book
Lyle, What a superbly written story for an oldie! Breezy,"chucklesome", fast-moving, going like a train through briskly moving scenes. I like Jack as MC, too. He's a real character, with ideal parents for such a story.You get my vote: next available place on my Shelf and top stars,David Grant,"Pompey Chimes" view book
David,I left a comment on Pompey Chimes some time ago and I don't think you found it very agreeable - I'm sure it wasn't - as I never heard back from you. I see you've a new book up and I thought I'd have a read being a Classical philologist.I have never thought about this before despite being exposed to so many languages. I never have looked at language as such an important part of being human, of it being a time machine despite studying the ancients and how little we in fact know about it. I mean with these ideas why aren't you doing a PhD in it?? This is, I think, groundbreaking and extremely thought provoking.I have no criticisms on this - I think you're better than Matt Ridley for making academic subjects available to the lay man. And I've read that books like this - factual and less than 30,000 words - are all the rage on eBooks. Do publish it on kindle.It was very interesting to see your comrasion with Chomsky and Muller, both whom I've read - and I think you're right. I was convinced by the entirety of your argument.The only suggestion I feel I should make is an omission in your first chapter of Lucretius (65 BC). It may be worthwhile mentioning and reading his ideas of the origins of language in De Rerum Natura if you haven't already. It goes against the idea of Antiquity of language being a gift from the gods.I will return and comment again.Joe
Thanks for your valued comment, Joe. My Pitch makes it clear that I'm not writing about words, sentences, or even human language, but Language as a whole in Nature Lucretius deals only with how humans came to naming objects, how words are themselves objects, which affect our hearing, and exclusively in either Latin or Greek. He does touch upon perspective, but not as far as optical delusions (convex or concave}.Sorry about not replying to your comments on Pompey Chimes. Time is always short on Autho. but I'll get to it soon.David view book
Hallo, Donna,"No Kiss Goodbye" is a prime example of how to write a book. The literary qualities are impeccable (and especially to be admired for being written in your second language}. I also single out the story-line as one of constant tension and conflict between Christian hope and feelings of despair, as the switch-back careers along its careless course. Profound emotion is always present for the reader to share, and best typified in Dana's endless yearning for Tati, her beloved Daddy. That holiday by the Black Sea in the early chapters is a pure idyll, already introducing us to her mother, father and sister and their boldly different personalities. Then, much later, there is the thrilling episode at the German Embassy, and later still, the chance meeting with the Romanian gentleman, followed by a brief but vivid taste of the luxuries of freedom in the colourful streets of Vienna. Underlying all these events persist the rock-like courage and determination of Dana herself, together with her faith in the hand of God. Summing it all up: your title, "No Kiss Goodbye". Heartbreaking. What more can I say? Except," Six stars, and immediate backing".David Grant,"Pompey Chimes" view book
Panos.the good news is that I'm watch-listing your book and will come back to it as soon as you tell me that you have made it more presentable to an Editor. I have read four chapters, but it wasn't until Chapter 3 that I felt any confidence in the story or the way that it is told. As one reader has said, it seems more like preparatory notes than a finished product. What other readers might find uncomfortable in the first over-long chapters is slipshod grammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as much that is mystifying about where we are - in a room or a car, etc,- and what the three boys look like, and what distinguishes each. In their dialogues about the unfortunate Amme, it all seems rather hi-falutin, even allowing for their higher education. The charges made against their stepfather are so often intellectualised, or abstract, with little in the way of boyish mimicry or actual quotes from him at his worst moments.How different then in Chapter 3 when the magnificent South African airliner is about to be airborne! As soon as Anton and Victor take over the controls, we are caught up in a highly comic interlude, masterfully handled, until the gripping climax, and their final tragic drowning. This episode is as powerfully, luminously written as anything I've read in years on Authonomy.Hence.with high hopes, my decision to Watch this space!David;"Pompey Chimes". view book
Emma, I read 6 chapters without a break. This illustrates what a tumultuous story you have written.At first I admit that I found your incidental descriptions of houses, furniture, historical background, characters,etc. over-burdened with adjectives and adverbs. Yet the pace and accuracy of these passages only serve to heighten the drama and provide authenticity, especially the sense of being there.You leave no doubt about the important issues still not resolved in our modern Big Society, or the challenge met by our brave "Sally-in-our-Alley".Highest stars and a prominent place on my Watch-list.David Grant"Pompey Chimes" view book
Dear DavidI have now finished Pompey Chimes and have read many of the comments others have submitted. I subscribe wholeheartedly to the almost unanimous praise of your writing style which I admired greatly. What I found most difficult to understand was how/why so many of your readers left off, albeit while expressing their intention to return. I remember an essay topic at school – A book worth reading is worth reading twice – which one might have fun with, but there can be no doubt that a book worth reading is worth reading to the end. Until then, one may form an appreciation of the author’s voice, but can one be sure of what it is he wishes to say?Your language is exquisite, and your description of time and place – bound up in your creation of character – thoroughly convincing. And your chapter 13 conversations at Fred & Edie’s are quite masterly.Plot, of course, is another matter and your overreliance on miraculous coincidence and other devices of convenience persuaded me that you didn’t give a jot – I was wondering about the Marx brothers before you introduced them in the last (or last but one) chapter. But this still worried me a little – particularly when you introduced Wally Hammond who must surely have been on the high seas returning from an MCC tour when you have him meeting up again with Auntie Betty. And then there is the Arsenal v. Portsmouth game in chapter 33 – Arsenal actually won this match in April 1937 by 4-0 with several regulars missing on international duty, and The Times report makes no mention of a heavy pitch. Similarly, in chapter 8, while you make play with ‘Shaw’ and ‘Lawrence’, you appear to have the author of Seven Pillars of Wisdom with Churchill in 1936 though he was killed in May 1935.I loved your table cricket in Chapter 4 … did you play to those rules? I’m afraid I just used dice with batsmen in the top five taking part in a lottery for double or triple lives. And for source you used The Children’s Encyclopaedia – what a great use to put it to … if it was Arthur Mee’s in 10 volumes, we had it at home and put it to almost no use at all.But I loved the book and shall keep it on my shelf with 6 stars. Of course it deserved to be published, and joining Authonomy has been justified in affording me the opportunity to read it.Best wishes and thank you - Jim
Jim, thanks for uniquely reading all of PC. And what a good thing all readers are not expert librarians/archivists!Historical fiction would be impossible.But even Homer nodded sometimes. Shakespeare wasn't always true to Plutarch or Holinshed, etc.In the case of Churchill's diary, I see you had forgotten his earlier, March '36 entry,when he promises himself to review the conversation about Superman, and specifically mentions Lawrence's death as the reason.As for Arsenal v.Pompey, so be it. And maybe Hugo's Marx Bros memory is a flight of omniscient fancy?Many thanks again, Jim,David Grant view book
Roger wrote his assessment of your beautiful book 2 years ago, and the conclusion he draws is, alas, stil all too true. It was then ranked in the two-thousands after eight months on the site, and today - it's still there.Of course, it may have been in the shadow of your other graphic story,"The Doctor of Summitville", which also endured long neglect. If only Roger's recommendations could be followed.I'm here to back and "Call Home" ths book, as I did for " The Doctor".David Grant"Pompey Chimes" view book
Jim, I am hugely impressed by "Roses". I've never, in a long term on Authonomy, come across such a book. This is not to say that all readers will feel the same, but to me your prose is truly prose: polished as well as "polite", authoritative, wryly humorous, often profound about human nature. All of which compels the reader to learn more about each character as they grow to maturity. What I particularly enjoyed were the Sunday School picnic, the Olive - so reminiscent of those days - and Jim's musings about Ros, and about himself.I expect other readers will wish that your sentences were more varied in construction, with an occasional short and simple statement. Your dialogues are so expressive and characteristic that they certainly provide relief.Congratulations on a highly original work.Six stars for impeccable English, and on my watchlist for now.David Grant"Pompey Chimes" view book
Lindsay. your story was uncharted waters for me, yet after being plunged into it by the drama of the unpropitious bell-tower, it wasn't long before I was sailing along, drawn by the vigour, humour, and strength of character of A'amri, by the pace of the writing, pointed up by telling phrases, and by the pervasive atmosphere of mystery in an unknown Celtic worldI hope to come back for more, but have the confidence in your literary powers to back "A Priest's Tale" and award it 6 of the best!David Grant"Pompey Chimes" view book
Daniel,I remember with great pleasure and respect the first part of "Apocalypse Then", having lived through those times myself, so I watch-listed "Boulevard" straight away, adding 6 stars, for I'm intrigued to see how you continue this epic.I also wonder if you remember how my "Pompey Chimes" deals with the "aforemath" of WW2, and would care to take another glance.Best wishes for "Boulevard"David Grant view book