Monday, 28 May 2007

A bank holiday. And the storms promised for yesterday finally arrived this morning – big booming winds and heavy rains. We popped out for some supplies but otherwise spent the day taking refuge and I spent a productive few hours sorting through my in-tray.

On Friday, I finished reading Wingless Victory – the story of a RAF pilot (Wing Commander Basil Embry – later Air Marshal Sir Basil Embry KCB, KBE, DSO, DFC, AFC) shot down days before the Dunkirk evacuation and whose escape back to England included witnessing the German Victory Parade in Paris.

Today, hiding from the rain, I finished Sap Rising by AA Gill. This was rather less edifying and contained possibly the most unnecessary and harrowing scenes I’ve ever read. But I persevered and there were also some interesting passages and many that made me laugh. Imagine Puck of Pook Hill re-written by Tom Sharp as bestial pornography: is this what modern literature is like?