I’m not sure Nonesuch quite makes it to such elite level but it’s very good indeed. And despite the fantasy, one of the very best scenes is just a conversation between two young lovers either side of a bedroom door in a Chelsea flat about the future of their relationship.
Cover of book designed in a kind of pastiche of Soviet posters. RED PLENTY by Francis Spufford INSIDE THE FIFTIES' SOVIET DREAM 'INCREDIBLY SMART: NICK HORNBY •A VIRTUOSO PIECE OF STORYTELLING: DAILY TELEGRAPH *FREEWHEELING AND FABULOUS: THE TIMES FRANCIS SPUFFORD
I’ve enjoyed every Spufford book I’ve read, in various degrees - although my favourite is his weird hybrid fact/fiction book about the Soviet economic system, Red Plenty. It’s in the small list of books that I bought a hard copy of after being blown away by it on Kindle.
The cover of Nonesuch by Francis Spufford. It’s maroon, pink and gold. The image shows the dome of St Paul’s (referencing the famous Blitz photo) surrounded by what I can only describe as mystical swirls, and the image of a woman walking along a bridge in the sky.
I’ve just finished Nonesuch by Francis Spufford, which is both enormously entertaining and beautifully written. I normally take agin fantasy, but I’m a sucker for books about plucky young women in the Blitz, so I stuck with it and I’m very glad I did.
A bit where Art forgets the next line in The Boxer.
Also the way they begin really chilly with each other and by the end you can see the love.
I think they do make mini snack tubs of hummus - like, kids’ lunchbox size - but it’s an expensive way of doing it.
Do you eat meat? I’ve been enjoying a slice of thin honey roast ham on buttered toast with a bit of mustard.
Those harmonies. The way they just look at each other and hit the right note.
And I shall save my rewatch of the S&G documentary for tomorrow.
I’ve watched it ten times or more but I’ll still watch it every time it turns up on telly - Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park is glorious. #notTOTP
The second sexiest music clip of course is him glorying in Barbra Streisand singing Evergreen. Basically I’d love a compilation of Kris appreciating women.
Oh my goodness. That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.
My ascites caused some fluid on my lungs, which panicked me. Ascites is so horrifically debilitating that chemo eventually came as a blessed relief. So glad I advocated for myself eventually.
Exactly.
“We come in the age’s most uncertain hours
And sing an American tune.”
Glorious crimp!
An American Tune is a truly great song. #notTOTP #simonandgarfunkel
Back in late 80s they installed a Sky dish on my block of flats, and Vision Quest seemed to be permanently on.
Oh gosh. I’m so sorry to hear that.
Mine’s Stage 3 and responded well to chemo. I’ve just had the big debulking surgery. But the recurrence rate is about 90% so, you know.
Borderline polite older gentleman/perve.
I’m sorry to hear this. It’s a horrible thing and almost always gets diagnosed late, because of just those things. I was treated for IBS for a few months until the bloating became impossible to ignore.
Vision Quest, starring Matthew Modine (as a high school wrestler) and Linda Fiorentino, in case you wondered. #totp #madonna
An early example of a band saying its own name at the start of the track like a proto Jason Derulo. #JesusJones #totp
God I love this song. #massiveattack #totp
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmr... No doubt I'll wang on about this Friday night, but #TOTP this week features Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack. Now there's no way the BBC will play the entire video, so why not have a watch now?
1/3
Both the track and the video are things of absolute beauty.
It was just that kind of thing. Except it was on the low neckline of my dress.
This bloke is appallingly off tune, isn’t he? #totp
And then Tony Blair came and said hello. Quite a surreal day.
Exactly! Ours wasn’t the kind of house where we’d have BaByliss crimpers so I sort of had to try these things by stealth. But yep, it always fell out.
While everyone’s talking about Bob Holness… he wiped satay sauce off my dress with his licky on his hanky while we were both at a reception at 10 Downing Street. He seemed to enjoy it. #totp
Because of both Kate Bush and Frida on this episode, I plaited my hair while damp and slept on it, hoping it’d be crimped in the morning. #totp
Rita Coolidge on #totp gives me an excuse to share the sexiest music clip ever.
youtu.be/HKh6ZqVKmN4?...
Pick a note, Ronan, any note. #totp
