2019: End of year review

2019: End of year review

At least until the General Election exit poll was released at 10 pm, spirits were high at our seasonal celebration and review of the year

Once again we were gathered at Planet India in Hove to enjoy curry, and stimulating discourse, including the result of our end of year poll

Nick was the big winner on the night - scooping best book, best music, and best unifying theme

Once more, our game was upped and the choices were generally praised to the hilt

Here’s to more of the same in 2020

1. Best HBG book

Never Mind (1992) by Edward St Aubyn (Nick) - 9

Jernigan (1991) by David Gates (Keith) - 8

A Kestrel For a Knave (1968) by Barry Hines (Nigel) - 6

My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018) by Ottessa Moshfegh (Keith) - 5

The End of the Affair (1951) by Graham Greene (Nick) - 4

The Humans (2013) by Matt Haig (Robin) - 4

Sourdough (2017) by Robin Sloan (Tristan) (+ 1 point as not read by Robin) - 1

The Golden Gate (1986) by Vikram Seth (Tristan)

Stranger Weather in Tokyo (2014) by Hiromi Kawakami (Nigel)

Mythago Wood (1984) by Robert Holdstock (Roland)

2. Best HBG music

Blood on the Tracks (1975) by Bob Dylan (Nick) - 9

Roxy Music - Avalon (1982) (Nick) - 7

Reproduction (1979) by The Human League (Robin) - 5

Pulp - Different Class (1995) (Nigel) - 5

OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead (Tristan) - 5

Luminous (2014) by The Horrors (Roland) - 3

This Year's Model by Elvis Costello / The Golden Year by Ou Est Le Swimming Pool (Keith) - 1

Turning Japanese….I think I'm Turning Japanese I really think so (Spotify playlist) (Nigel) - 1

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

Rid of Me (1993) by PJ Harvey (Keith)

3. Best HBG watch

Bullitt (1968) directed by Peter Yates (Tristan) - 8

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) directed by Mike Nicholls (Keith) - 8

One Cut Of The Dead (2017) directed by Shinichiro Ueda (Nigel) - 5 

Happy Valley series 1 (2014) - ep 1 & 2 (Netflix) (Nigel) - 5

High Rise (2015) directed by Ben Wheatley (Nick) - 4

Life is Beautiful (1997) directed by Roberto Benigni (Robin) - 3

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) directed by David O. Russell (Nick) - 2

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) directed by Edgar Wright (Tristan) (+ 1 point as not reviewed by Robin) - 1

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006) directed by Cao Hamburger (Keith) - 1

Errementari (2017) directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo (Roland)

4. Best HBG unifying theme

English Upper Class Debauchery (Nick) - 15

Summat or Nowt? - Searching for Yorkshire’s Dark (He)art (Nigel) - 4

Three Takes on 'Frisco (Tristan) - 4

The End of the Affair (Nick) - 3

Turning Japanese (Nigel) - 3

Emotional Scorch (Keith) - 3

We’re Only Humans (Robin) - 2

Natural Horrors (Roland) - 1

Lighthearted Nerdiness (Tristan) - 1

"Year" themed choices (Keith)

5. Best book we read this year (could be a Book Group choice or something else)

Nick - Kestrel for a Knave

Nigel - Fiction: Milkman by Anna Burn / Non-fiction: Hitler by Ian Kershaw

Robin - Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham Dixon / Audio Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys (BBC adaptation)

Roland - Never Mind

6. Memorable HBG moments from 2019

Nick - The guy who told terrible, adult jokes and wouldn’t stop

Nigel - the joke teller and the cycle ride

Robin - cycle to Devils Dyke on electric bike

Roland - The Japanese slasher movie (aka One Cut Of The Dead directed by Shinichiro Ueda)

Keith - Another damn fine year - with Robin failing to read the slim novel over the Summer

7. Best thing about Book Group in 2019

Nick - Some fine selections - and some terrible ones - which is what it’s all about

Nigel - the ease between us and the continuity

Robin - camaraderie and indulgence

Roland - Always diverse and stimulating perspectives

8. What defined 2019 (news item, something personal etc.)

Nick - Becoming the father of an adult - quite profound for me - and visiting lots of universities and being a tad jealous

Nigel - Nothing comes to mind but it has been, personally, a rather lovely year despite the ongoing political meltdown

Robin - Being part of buying a rainforest, kayaking across lake como, Corbyn's radical manifesto, spirit of young people in the face of the establishment (Greta Thunberg, Friday strikes, ER) and climbing Mt Etna!

Roland - Ongoing Brexshit and climate change emergency

Keith - Hopefully election night (Nothing can possibly go wrong)

9. How do we make Book Group even better?

Nick - I say it every year - no more music 

Nigel - why gild the lily?

Robin - Just keep going and enjoy the ride!

Roland - Almost impossible, maybe a new member to replace Hamish but no biggie

Keith - Reinstate question 5 in the end of year poll

10. What else do you want to say?

Robin - We just invented a word at work 'Creambling'  = creative rambling!

Nigel - Brouhaha

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR  

Nick - Michael Kiwanuka?

Nigel - Snapped Ankles - Stunning Luxury

SONGS OF THE YEAR 

GIGS OF THE YEAR 

Primal Scream at the Dome

Robin - Best Gig, Frank Turner at Bournemouth Centre and Wickham Festival (+ Holy Moly and the Crackers at Wickham Festival, Kathryn Joseph at End of the Road, Joan Baez at the Dome & predicting Slaves will also be great on 7th December at the Dome)

CULTURAL HAPPENINGS OF THE YEAR (best of the rest - books, TV, films, festivals etc) 

Nick - some great podcasts

Nigel - reconnecting with the Lake District

Robin - Wickham Festival, and Portsmouth beating Sunderland in the Check a Trade trophy final

After the meal we retreated to Old Albion to digest the aforementioned exit poll and drown our post-election sorrows.

A Kestrel for a Knave (1968) by Barry Hines

On Thursday 7th November 2019, Hove’s finest gathered to discuss Nigel’s themed choices...

Summat or Nowt? - Searching for Yorkshire’s Dark (He)art

Reading: A Kestrel For a Knave (1968) by Barry Hines
Listening: Pulp - Different Class (1995)
Watching: Happy Valley series 1 (2014) - ep 1 + ep 2 (Netflix)

READING: A Kestrel for a Knave (1968) by Barry Hines

After much chin stroking and a frank exchange of views we all agreed that although only 197 pages, A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines packs a huge emotional punch.

People tend to remember the heartbreaking ending however it's the clear eyed depiction of young Billy Caspar's deprived life that will touch even the hardest of hearts. The killer section happens in the middle of the book, when Billy has to write a piece called 'A Tall Tale' for his English teacher. Essentially a highly improbable fantasy story. Billy's effort is tragically mundane as he relates a world in which his father comes back into Billy's world, they go out for a meal, and their house is warm and carpeted. All a million miles from the reality of Billy's life.

That said, it's not all misery and deprivation: Billy's escapes into nature, his interactions with a sympathetic teacher and a farmer, his passion and self-taught skill for training his Kestrel, are all heart warming and convincing moments of hope which describe a rich inner life at odds with other aspects of his world.

In the Penguin Modern Classics edition, Barry Hines has contributed a fascinating afterword written in 1999 in which he discusses Ken Loach's film adaptation, how the book became a modern classic, its place on the GCSE English curriculum, the characters, his inspirations and more.

A Kestrel for a Knave is a powerful and gritty reading experience, and it's easy to see why this book continues to attract readers 50 years after its first publication. Highly recommended.

Nick 9.5 / Tristan 8 / Nigel 9 / Keith 8 / Roland 7 / Robin 8

LISTENING: Pulp - Different Class (1995)

After years of obscurity, Pulp shot to stardom in Britain with 1994's His 'n' Hers. By the time Different Class was released at the end of October 1995, the band, particularly lead singer Jarvis Cocker, were superstars, with two number two singles and a triumphant last minute performance at Glastonbury under their belts.

Different Class delivered on the feverish anticipation, blowing away all their previous albums, including the fine His 'n' Hers. Grandly theatrical, synth-spiked pop with new wave and disco flourishes with catchy and immediate melodies

Different Class is an appealing album  with Jarvis Cocker’s clever lyrics tackling sex and social class

The best moment on the album is - of course - the hit single 'Common People' about the rich girl who slums it with the lower classes.

WATCHING: Happy Valley series 1 (2014) - ep 1 + ep 2 (Netflix)

Acclaimed by HBG, one cineaste notwithstanding, we all embraced the wonderful Catherine Cawood - the determined, respected, hard-working police sergeant officer for the West Yorkshire Police. A divorced 47 year old woman with an ex drug-addict sister, a daughter who is dead and a son who doesn't speak to her. Despite this backstory Catherine is still able to show humour while on the job. Both series are compelling and refreshingly female-centric.

The writer’s ‘Last Tango In Halifax’ also comes highly recommended by members of the HBG.

ENDORSE IT

Spotlight on the Troubles (iPlayer)

Guilt (iPlayer)

This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay (book)

The Crown (Netflix)

Seaham Beach, Durham

Sofia, capital city of Bulgaria

His Dark Materials (iPlayer)

Jernigan (1991) by David Gates

On Thursday 3 October 2019 the HBG met for their literary salon. Here are the headlines from a discussion about Keith's Emotional Scorch themed selections

Jernigan (1991) by David Gates 

After universal acclaim Jernigan is already being heralded as the HBG book of the year 2019 despite not having discussed From a Kestrel to a Knave, but that’s another story for another day

In a glittering night for Keith, his choice Jernigan, made a clean sweep of 8s, 9s and 10s. "I couldn’t be happier”, quipped Keith afterwards whilst munching a crisp.

Mesmerising, powerhouse, tour de force, compelling, horrifying were among the words bandied about during the Jernigan love fest.

Nick 9 / Tristan 8 / Nigel 10 / Keith 8 / Roland 8 / Robin 9

Rid of Me (1993) by PJ Harvey

To audible gasps, Keith confessed he’d never listened to PJ Harvey before and….

…he loved what he heard and will be listening intently from here on in

Nick 6 / Tristan 6 / Nigel 6 / Keith 8 / Roland 2 / Robin 6

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) directed by Mike Nicholls

Everyone was impressed by WAOVW - especially by the Burton/Taylor axis and the two supporting actors. Was it cinematic though? Does that matter? Why was it so successful at the time? All questions we chewed over.

Nick 8 / Tristan 9 / Nigel 5 / Keith 10 / Roland 8 / Robin 7

ENDORSE IT

Rocketman (film)

Putin Prisoner of Power (podcast)

Sissinghurst (Garden)

Samuel Pepys Diaries (book)

Chart Music (podcast)

Next time out….

Summat or Nowt? - Searching for Yorkshire’s Dark (He)art

Reading: A Kestrel For a Knave (1968) by Barry Hines

Listening: Pulp - Different Class (1995)

Watching: Happy Valley series 1 (2014) - ep 1 + ep 2 (Netflix)

Sourdough (2017) by Robin Sloan

On Thursday 5th September 2019 Hove’s finest gathered to discuss Tristan’s selections


Theme: Lighthearted Nerdiness


BOOK: Sourdough (2017) by Robin Sloan

Most were somewhat dismissive of this book. Nigel was the only one who really enjoyed it.

Sadly Roland had to attend his Dad’s funeral

Robin had not managed to read the book and could not attend

Nick 2 / Tristan 3 / Nigel 7 / Keith 5 / Roland - / Robin -




MUSIC: OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead

Tristan’s brother in law encouraged him to listen to Radiohead despite it being whiney and shit

Too serious and po faced

Too lacking in hooks, melody and danceability

Of all their albums the one we like best is….

The Bends

Nick digs OK Computer

Nigel and Keith less so




FILM: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) directed by Edgar Wright

File under the same kind of quirky indie comedy as…

Napoleon Dynamite
Little Miss America
Moonrise Kingdom
Grand Budapest Hotel

etc etc

Edgar Wright is a flipping genius

Baby Driver is great too

Great cast
Very clever script
Bit of life message to enjoy too
Plenty of laughs along the way
And quotable dialogue too

Tick in every flipping box


ENDORSE IT

Bodega (music)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (film)
Yesterday (film)
Chart Music (podcast)
Everybody in the House by Jeremy Deller (iPlayer)
Manhunter (film)
Margaret Thatcher (iPlayer)
Gorges du Tarn (France)


Back again in October for Keith’s selctions

The End of the Affair (1951) by Graham Greene

On Thursday 11 July 2019 Nick introduced his theme which was…

The End of the Affair

…and so we started with his literary selection….

BOOK: The End of the Affair (1951) by Graham Greene

Nick was fascinated by the book’s biographical basis and the exploration of faith

Nigel read it in January 2018 and decided to read it again, dubbing it a gorgeously written eulogy for a love affair which has the lot, tragedy, humour, insight and much more. He felt much more sympathy for Bendrix second time round.

Keith was a little unsatisfied by the book but wondered if this was just a manifestation of his anti-Kindle feelings.

Roland declared it “a great book”, whilst Robin labelled it a beautifully written flawed masterpiece

Tristan thought it was a stinker and lamented the pedestrian plot, unlikeable narrator, and the metaphysical waffle which said nothing about love, affairs or the human condition.

Nick 7.5 / Tristan 3 / Nigel 9 / Keith 6 / Roland 8 / Robin 8


MUSIC: Blood on the Tracks (1975) by Bob Dylan

Blood on the Tracks is Nick’s desert island disc. Robin loves it. Roland thinks it’s a classic. Tristan loves a bit of Bob but prefers 'Bringing It All Back Home’. It’s not for Keith. Nigel likes it, but not his voice overly, and prefers Highway 1 Revisited and John Wesley Harding.







FILM: Silver Linings Playbook (2012) directed by David O. Russell

Most of us really liked this film. Jennifer L and Bradley C are fab in their roles, which really adds to the appeal, however all the cast are great.

Keith was less smitten, with Tristan, Robin and Roland annoyed by the cliche Hollywood ending

ENDORSE IT

Utrecht (City)
Middle England by Jonathan Coe (book)
Wild Wild Country (TV Netflix)
The Staircase (TV Netflix)
Making a Murderer (TV Netflix)
Office Politics by The Divine Comedy (Music)
Where The Action Is by The Waterboys (Music)
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (Theatre)
Easy - Season 3 (TV Netflix)
Stranger Things - Season 3 (TV Netflix)
The Cricket World Cup (Sport)
The Women's World Cup (Sport)


ADDENDUM

Just when we felt sure the evening couldn't get any better, we were joined by a mature balding man clutching a packet of Alpen muesli who asked if we wanted to hear a joke. Thus ensued four jokes from his repertoire including "the funniest joke of all time" and one that aircraft cabin crew the world over love so much they will lavish you with wonderful service throughout your journey if you share it with them when you board the plane. As Keith articulated, the most disturbing aspect was that he'd identified us as his target audience given the jokes were somewhat unreconstructed and involved references to nymphomaniacs and bit tits.


After our Summer recess we’ll be back with Tristan’s selections…

Theme: Lighthearted Nerdiness

BOOK: Sourdough (2017) by Robin Sloan
MUSIC: OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead
FILM: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) directed by Edgar Wright

Mythago Wood (1984) by Robert Holdstock

On Thursday 6th June 2019, Hove Book Group, as tradition dictates when tis close to the Summer Solstice, cycled up to Devils Dyke from Hove where we discussed Roland's Natural Horrors choices...

Book: Mythago Wood (1984) by Robert Holdstock

Roland explained that Mythago Wood is a fantasy novel by British writer Robert Holdstock, published in the United Kingdom in 1984. It won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1985. It served as the first in a series of novels known as the Mythago Wood or Ryhope Wood cycle. He also confessed that this choice was “a total gamble” and ultimately dubbed it “too implausible”.

Nick was equally dismissive and likened it to King Solomon’s Mines.

Nigel surprised everyone by revealing fantasy is not a genre he feels any affinity with, and Mythago Wood (1984) by Robert Holdstock was not a book he would ever have read were it not for HBG. It’s enjoyable enough. The writing is functional and the book feels quite dated. The sole female character is a beautiful young girl that the three male protagonists all desire. For those with an appetite for this stuff, there are six more books in the series. One was enough for Nigel.

Keith got a negative vibe having approached this fantasy novel as a possible instantiation of CG Jung's archetypes of the collective unconscious theory

Robin called it Shocking. It’s as if Jung and a Victorian spinster got together to weave a tale about a small English family, ancient myths and estrangement.

Tristan asked what the point of it was and lamented the plodding language

Nick 4 / Tristan 3 / Nigel 5 / Keith 3 / Roland 4 / Robin 2


Music: Luminous (2014) by The Horrors

Luminous is the fourth studio album by English rock band the Horrors. It was released on 5 May 2014 by record label XL. The album's style has been described as neo-psychedelia, shoegazing and dream pop.

Nick and Nigel dug it. Roland dubbed it groovesome. Keith exclaimed it was pulsating, danceable psychedelia. Robin stated the Horrors are the masters of reinvention. Tristan may not have listened to it.


Film: Errementari (2017) directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil is a re-telling of an ancient fable about a Blacksmith who finds himself battling the Devil.

The note taking seems to have gone awry at this point. Perhaps another stunning Dyke sunset distracted the nominated note taker? Hazy recollections suggest most of us were unimpressed, especially those who had watched the dubbed version.

Fortunately no such distractions were around for the endorsements…

ENDORSE IT

The Virtues - Shane Meadows on Channel 4 (TV)
'The A to Z of David Bowie’ Podcast - final episode now been and gone
Conn Iggulden - Emperor series (books)
Utrecht - city in the Netherlands (travel)
Coal Black Mornings by Brett Anderson (book)
Mum (BBC TV)
There is no Planet B (book)
Wooden Shjips (live music)

Stranger Weather in Tokyo (2014) by Hiromi Kawakami

On 2 May 2019 Hove’s finest gathered at their current meeting venue of choice, the Westy, to dive into Nigel’s Turning Japanese themed choices

Isn’t Japan amazing?

Turns out Nigel is not the only HBGer very attracted to Japan which feels so alien and yet also so familiar

Most of us had only visited through numerous Studio Ghibli films and the novels of Haruki Murakami, all of which are charming and beguiling.

Nigel was interested in reading more Japanese fiction and particularly to gain a female perspective. Hiromi Kawakami is, apparently, one of Japan's most popular contemporary novelists, so who better?

HBG has also enjoyed great success with many of the “foreign" books we’ve read - for example, really enjoyed reading Hans Fallada, Eimar McBride, Emmanuel Livintnoff, Michel Houellbeq, Kenneth Cook etc

Book: Stranger Weather in Tokyo (2014) by Hiromi Kawakami

Strange weather in Tokyo is reminiscent of Haruki Murakami. It has the same charming simplicity which masks a quiet profundity. The same slightly askew vibe. The two lead characters, Tsukiko and Sensei, are both typically self contained and independent. It feels very Japanese, partly through explicit references to baseball, food and sake, and also to the marking of the seasons, from spring cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms.

Despite an age difference of about 30 years, Tsukiko and Sensei very gradually embark on an intimate relationship. The boundaries and formality begin to dissolve as both slowly come to terms with their feelings. This love story is conveyed through some wonderful and somewhat magical excursions within and outside the city.

Strange weather in Tokyo is an engrossing and enchanting evocation of friendship, love and loneliness, which packs a lot into its 172 pages. Most of us liked or loved it, except one of us who felt it was flat….

Nick 3 / Tristan 7 / Nigel 8 / Keith 6 / Roland 7 / Robin 8

Music:🐝 Turning Japanese….I think I'm Turning Japanese I really think so (Spotify playlist)

Nigel had lovingly curated a Turning Japanese playlist which embraced some of the more extreme examples of Japanese pop. Not something we’d want on heavy rotation but most found something to enjoy or appreciate












Film: One Cut Of The Dead (2017) directed by Shinichiro Ueda

One Cut of the Dead (カメラを止めるな! Kamera o Tomeru na!, transl. "Don't Stop the Camera!") is a 2017 Japanese zombie comedy film directed by Shinichiro Ueda. Made with a low budget of ¥3 million ($25,000) with a cast of unknown actors, the film opened in Japan in a small theatre for a six day run. Following its international success at its screening at the Udine Film Festival, the film began getting wider release, including a re-release in Japan. It grossed ¥3.12 billion in Japan and $30.5 million worldwide, making box office history by earning over a thousand times its budget. The film also received universal critical acclaim, holding a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

This film within a film within a film met with mixed responses. Nick and Nigel were very enthusiastic. Others were less so. Roland was troubled by the lack of cleavage.


Endorse It

Mark Kermode interviews the legendary Malcolm McDowell (Kermode on Film podcast #24 - 9 April 2019)

Milkman (2018) by Anna Burns (Book) (Booker Prize Winner 2018)

Don’t Forget The Driver (iPlayer)

Loro (Film)

Suede (Concert in Brighton)

Bohemian Rhapsody (Film)

Middle England by Jonathan Coe (Book)

The Museum of Jurassic Technology (LA museum)

I, Tonya (Film)

William Boyd - The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth (Book)

The Party (Film - Netflix)

Allotments

Eighth Grade (Film)

Afterlife (Netflix series)


Next time out we’re embracing Roland’s Natural Horrors themed choices

Book: Mythago Wood (1984) by Robert Holdstock

Mythago Wood is a fantasy novel by British writer Robert Holdstock, published in the United Kingdom in 1984. It won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1985. It served as the first in a series of novels known as the Mythago Wood or Ryhope Wood cycle.

Music: Luminous (2014) by The Horrors

Luminous is the fourth studio album by English rock band the Horrors. It was released on 5 May 2014 by record label XL. The album's style has been described as neo-psychedelia, shoegazing and dream pop.

Film: Errementari (2017) directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil is a re-telling of an ancient fable about a Blacksmith who finds himself battling the Devil.

See you there