William Trevor
Still With Us
Once upon a time there were no interviews and no interviewers. Now, they constitute an industry. In artificial tête-à-tête on television and radio, in newspapers and magazines, privacy is invaded by a curiosity that is often impertinent, yet the experience of being questioned in this manner is willingly undergone. Theatrical and film people submit themselves because in show business any shaft of limelight, however ephemeral, is better than none. Sporting figures seize the opportunity in the hope of being able to show that they possess normal intelligence. Self-regarding businessmen believe it should be widely known that their journey to the top was tough since that makes them more remarkable than anyone had ever thought. Politicians smile away their slipperiness, not answering the questions but demonstrating instead that their mistakes weren’t mistakes after all. Novelists hype their books.
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'Thirkell was a product of her time and her class. For her there are no sacred cows, barring those that win ribbons at the Barchester Agricultural.'
The novelist Angela Thirkell is due a revival, says Patricia T O'Conner (£).
https://literaryreview.co.uk/good-gad
'Only in Britain, perhaps, could spy chiefs – conventionally viewed as masters of subterfuge – be so highly regarded as ethical guides.'
https://literaryreview.co.uk/the-spy-who-taught-me
In this month's Bookends, @AdamCSDouglas looks at the curious life of Henry Labouchere: a friend of Bram Stoker, 'loose cannon', and architect of the law that outlawed homosexual activity in Britain.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/a-gross-indecency