The Golden Gate (1986) by Vikram Seth

On Wednesday 30th January 2019 we discussed Tristan’s "Three Takes on ‘Frisco" themed choices 

Three Takes on 'Frisco

BOOK: The Golden Gate (1986) by Vikram Seth

The Golden Gate (1986) is the first novel by poet and novelist Vikram Seth. 

The work is a novel in verse composed of 590 Onegin stanzas (sonnets written in iambic tetrameter, with the rhyme scheme following the ABABCCDDEFFEGG pattern of Eugene Onegin). 

It was inspired by Charles Johnston's translation of Pushkin's Eugene Onegin.

You may not be surprised to learn that Tristan was motivated by pretentious oneupmanship. Tristan embraced the rhythm of the 590 Onegin stanzas and found it was good.

What did the rest of Hove’s finest make of it?

Nick was surprised that he didn’t hate it. Keith didn’t want to read it but was won over. Robin didn’t know what he thought - he could have given it 10 and could have given it 0 (he gave it 0). Roland was dreading it and found it hard work. Nigel admired the achievement but struggled with the reality. 

Nick 7.5 / Tristan 6.5 / Nigel 4 / Keith 7 / Roland 4 / Robin 0 

MUSIC: Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (1968)

Cheap Thrills is a studio album by American rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. It was their last album with Janis Joplin as lead singer. For Cheap Thrills, the band and producer John Simon incorporated recordings of crowd noise to give the impression of a live album, for which it was subsequently mistaken by listeners. Only the final song, a cover of "Ball and Chain", had been recorded live (at The Fillmore in San Francisco). Cheap Thrills reached number one on the charts for eight nonconsecutive weeks in 1968

HBG damned it with feint praise. Most hadn’t even listened to it, including Tristan who chose it. Big Brother and the Holding Company do lay it on a bit thick: all the po-faced histrionics, Janis Joplin’s caterwauling, and the full on guitar shredding blues solos are just too much.


FILM: Bullitt (1968) directed by Peter Yates

Bullitt is a 1968 American thriller film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Philip D'Antoni. The picture stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset. The screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner was based on the 1963 novel, Mute Witness, by Robert L. Fish, writing under the pseudonym Robert L. Pike. Lalo Schifrin wrote the original jazz-inspired score, arranged for brass and percussion. Robert Duvall has a small role as a cab driver who provides information to McQueen.

Tristan dismissed it as a bit rubbish but with good period detail. Keith blimmin loved it. Robin thought it was dated but OK. Roland was amused but in a bad way. Nick stated you'd have to have a heart of stone not to love this film. The second best car chase after French Connection. Nigel declared it an absolute classic that still stands up really well. The Lalo Schifrin score and the moody SF location shots are brilliant. The wide aperture shots from a distance work brilliantly, as do some of the sections filmed in reflections, it all creates quite an arty aesthetic which makes, what might otherwise be a somewhat routine police procedural, both compelling and captivating to look at. FUN TRIV…. the second month running Nigel has acquired the soundtrack music

Nick 9 / Tristan 6 / Nigel 9 / Keith 10 / Roland 4 / Robin 6

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And with that we went back to stockpiling in readiness for no deal brexit