Well, that was good. A day with the manuscript of Faber’s forthcoming Beckett: Collected Poems on my desk, and the Guardian’s OBO commentary on the final day of the first Test against India on my screen. It all fits. Result.
The next Test starts on Friday. If you need to bone up (is that really the right phrase?) – but really, no cricket knowledge is necessary – start with this: Jennie Walker’s 24 for 3: the five days of a home Test against India, starting on a Friday, as background to a woman between two men, each of whom knows more about the game than her. (‘Cricket and infidelity,’ said a complete stranger when I told him about the book: ‘two of my favourite pastimes.’)
This was one of the first CBe titles in November 2007; review to kill for from Nicholas Lezard in the Guardian; McKitterick Prize 2008 (best first novel by a writer over 40); now published by Bloomsbury.
Order from your friendly local independent bookshop. Or buy one of the present CBe titles from the website, write ‘24 for 3’ in the ‘instructions to merchant’ box that appears as you check through, and I’ll add in a copy of the US edition (of which I seem to have a bag-load) for free.
1 comment:
That is good news; I like Beckett's poetry - the small amount I've read of it. And there's a certain black & white picture of the author of "24 for 3" that reminds me of a little of Beckett. Coincidence? Most likely.
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