Thursday, March 30, 2006

Incoherent ramblings from the sick bed.

I would not wish to give the impression that my colleagues are anything less than witty, Wildean and wonderful, but in my enforced withdrawal from the channels of commercial intercourse this week, I had the opportunity to read. I particularly enjoyed another volume by Mr Harlan Coben, who never fails to entertain. However, I was disappointed to find his use of the word ‘leverage’ as a verb. Had the mood been right I could have written several paragraphs about that particular sin. Next time someone uses within your earshot, ask them exactly what the bollocks they think that it means, and use that terminology. I bet none of them can define it, and if they can, ask them what is wrong with ‘lever’. Bastards. Fortunately, I am too mellow to be distracted by such trifles. Mr Coben’s books are jolly entertaining, but I must warn you that they have the not-put-downable quality that is claimed by many, but captured by so few. I like to intersperse my fondness for ‘thrillers’ with other literature, but have failed to find anything much lately that I have really liked. Fortunately, I have a Jasper Fforde waiting for me not too far down my pile of books, so that should provide a safe remedy. I hope that Mr Le Carre has the good manners to live a good while longer and continue to write. There aren’t many of his calibre around. Also near the top of my pile is the much awaited “72 Virgins” by Bozza. (I have a signed copy, don’t you know?), I will be sure to report back on that one. I almost succeeded in diverting his latest thread away from a serious political point about the House of Lords into a discussion about sixties music, but there are too many of the buggers over there. Perhaps someone else would like a go. Hey, Kiwis, have you met Bozza? He is jolly entertaining, probably a throwback, and very unsound politically, but a very nice man, and a true idiot to whom we can all relate. Get over to his site and introduce yourselves.

And as a special treat for everyone, we have found America’s next president:

http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2006/031506.asp

He even looks like Adam. Adam, that isn’t you is it?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jasper Fforde????? Dear god man, you MUST be sick. Not as sick as you'll feel after wading through a hundred pages of that revoltingly twee twaddle, but still...feverish at least.

Anonymous said...

No! I don't like his nose. Boris's that is, I've never seen Jasper Fforde's.

Vicus Scurra said...

The nose don't enter into it. It's the future leader of the conservative party.

Now, raincoaster, I am wondering whether to enter into an argument about the merits of Mr Fforde's writing. On balance, I don't think I'll bother.

Anonymous said...

Wise. Save us both some time. Same as Brian Lumley, really: great outlines, rotten novels. Premise of gold, prose of dross.

Tell him the pinafore and the fedora don't go together.

Vicus Scurra said...

Thanks for the tip, I will check out Mr Lumley very soon.

Anonymous said...

I've had a headache for four days which is as good a reason as any to swear viciously. However, restraint is the order of the day. I know nothing of the author you mentioned although my nice friend Caroline in France has just published a book which I believe may have certain suspense elements to it. View my most recent entry for a link.

Vicus Scurra said...

The largest suspense element is to wait until it moves to paperback and becomes more affordable to buy.

Anonymous said...

Yes, well that is the downside. The other one is that Amazon had already discounted it before it was published; a whole 4 months before it was published. If you look carefully it's actually on at 2 different prices and astoundingly, one's lower than the other. What a tempter.

tom909 said...

I truly can't believe that someone used leverage as a verb. Whatever next!

Kyahgirl said...

I've never read Mr. Coben but I have one of his books in my 'books in waiting' closet. Somehow, I just keep adding books to the pile at an ever increasing rate. Even though I'm reading constantly, the closet is overflowing!

Anonymous said...

You keep your unread books in a wardrobe? How colonial!

Sharon J said...

Harlan Coben...hmmm... rings a bell. I may have read something by him at some point, or perhaps I've seen a book of his and considered reading it. Does it matter which?

If it hadn't been for being friends with Caroline I would never have bought the hard cover. Apart from the financial side of things, they just don't fit nicely into my handbag. Tomorrow I'm visiting charity shops. My daughter wants old duvet covers to cut up. I shall be perusing the book section.

I've yet to hear the word 'leverage' used as a verb but shall be on the look out (or should that be hear out?).

Martha Craig said...

Whoar! If all the boys looked like Boris and wrote with such eloquence, well, whoar!

Oh yeah, get better soon and all that.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure if that's positive or negative.

Geoff said...

Just got No Second Chance out of the library.

Don't let anyone tell you I'm gullible.

mrdxlgx - the best selling Ex-lax Murders

Anonymous said...

He had me at "Cor! Pericles, eh?"

Anonymous said...

Yes. I am secretly the President's nephew. How else could I possibly continue to support him at this point?

That being said, you may recall that his niece does go to this school. Since you brought it up, I looked up her Facebook profile (Facebook is a "Social network" located on the "Internet." It's popular among "college students").

Anyway, I noticed that this year she has been living in Romania, which is just off campus and right next to me here in Ukraine ("the Danieley Center"), which is not quite where the rest of the school's campus is.

This is great, because Romania is known for it's parties. In fact, I think I may have hit on Ms. Bush last weekend while very drunk. But she has a boyfriend, apparently.

swvgecnk- The noise your brain makes while trying to escape you after you abuse it by trying to understand that post.

Anonymous said...

Is that Noelle, the crackhead? Honestly, that gene pool is shallow in the extreme; her fellow inmates in detox called the cops to report her for drug use in the detox. A popular lass. She wouldn't share, I guess.

Miramar Mike said...

He (Boris) sounds a right card and up for a jolly wheeze to boot ... all in the best tradition of British politix, ie, useless to man and beast.

Anonymous said...

Are you feeling better yet?