Re: The album running-commentary and general listening discussion thread. Part 4!

[Guest]

I'll take that as yes then.

[Nightjar]

[The Call of the Wendigo]

I am braced for it.

[Nightjar]

[Fangirl Three]

Don't be convinced by the man on the Clapham omnibus that beyond 'Streets', 'Square' and 'Slaves' his novels aren't worth the bother
.

The introduction was written by JB Priestley, and he said just that.

He particularly slated the Gorse trilogy.

[Nightjar]

Something something he was just fly fishing.

[Fangirl Three]

L to R: NL, Nightjar

[Nightjar]

Of Patrick Hamilton, I have read:

20,000 Streets Under the Sky
Hangover Square
The Slaves of Solitude
Craven House
Twopence Coloured
The West Pier (part 1 of The Gorse Trilogy)
The West Pier (part 2 of The Gorse Trilogy) - halfway through...

[Nightjar]

Like Gorse, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky is essentially three novels in one.

But unlike Gorse, which follows the infamous Gorse throughout various stages of his life, 'Streets' is three intertwined novels featuring three intertwined characters who all, at one time or another, work at or frequent, a pub in, what would now be called Fitzrovia, called the Midnight Bell.

The Midnight Bell: Bob's story.

The Siege of Pleasure: Jenny's story.

The Plains of Cement: Ella's story.

It's, personally, stunning and evocative  (as is Hangover Square) because it's set in a milieu that I know street by street, paving stone by paving stone.

20,000 streets is, taken as whole, a devastating work.

The way Hamilton depicts the awfulness of England, Englishness, the horrific, heart-rending realities of the class system, all-round wage-slavery and what was to be a woman of any 'station' is unmatched.

[Nightjar]

Taken as work in itself I'd say it's the best book I've read.

[Guest]

We doing something at 7pm or are we all bored of this yet?

[The Call of the Wendigo]

I'm available. I nominate Kim Wilde unless others want to do another album.

[Guest]

I wanna do Or that Dancer with Bruce Lee one.

[The Call of the Wendigo]

OK.

I've no idea what they are but we can do one of those.

[The Call of the Wendigo]

7 o'clock?

[Guest]

We did one of mine yesterday, so I think we should do Kimister at 8:30 and Dancer with Bruised Knees at 7pm

[The Call of the Wendigo]

OK.

[Guest]

[Guest]

I redid the track listing thingy for Pour Down like Silver by Richard and Linda Thompson.

It sounded boring.

[Nightjar]

What now?

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