University of the Third Age 

Chelmsford

The Sucker's Kiss by Alan Parker

During the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, seven-year-old Thomas Moran becomes separated from his mother and sisters and eventually embarks on a career of pick-pocketing. He grows to manhood, travelling across America through Prohibition and the Depression, meeting Italian and Chinese gangsters, con-artists, corrupt clergy and speak-easy bootleggers, who all play a part in his destiny. In the course of his immoral life he meets and falls in love with Effie, whose father owns a vineyard, and it is this that gives him the chance to change his life. I found it a compelling story of low life America and well worth reading.

Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

This book, which was translated from the original Japanese by Philip Gabriel, is an undoubted future classic. It is written in the first person by K, an admirer of Sumire, a young, rather hippie type girl, who falls in love; with, to her own astonishment, an older very sophisticated business woman called Miu. Sumire yearns to be, and believes she is, a future great writer but somehow she cannot realize her talent. She is given a job by Miu and travels with her and eventually in the course of this their relationship deepens. On holiday with her on a small island retreat, Sumire disappears completely, leaving all her possessions, and Miu calls in K to help her search for her. This is not a story about lesbians but is a beautifully written tale of human emotions; love and loss, happiness and unhappiness. In his search for her, K reads some of her recent writings, containing accounts of strange dreams she has had and an extraordinary adventure Miu suffered on a deserted Ferris wheel, amongst other things. It was a book I did not want to put down.

Geoffrey Spratt  October 2004

A great book in more ways than one, but don't be put off by its size or its title ~ Bill still writes in the easy, friendly and witty way he uses in his travel books. He begins with the creation of the Universe and goes through to the tendency of we humans to destroy it and in between meets with many a strange anomaly, an interesting fact or statistic, and a quirky human being. He took three years to research and write it. Do take a few hours to read it, you won't regret it.

Paul Byford August 2004

This is the true story of three half-caste Aboriginal girls, Mollie and her sisters Daisy and Grace, who undertook a trek of about 1,000 miles, walking across remote Western Australia. They were then aged 8, 11 and 14 years respectively and had escaped from a government institutional confinement for Aboriginal children, supposedly held there for "their Greater good". The children had been taken from their families in order to "westernise" them into the new white pioneer's society. They walked barefoot, without maps or provisions, hunted by native Police trackers and search planes. Doggedly they followed the rabbit proof fence, knowing that it would lead them to their home. The journey tells of the hardships and prejudices they had to encounter, and gives an insight into this dark period of Australian history.

Myra Bruce  July 2004

How often, as we have gone about our daily life, have we squirmed at the misuse of punctuation in advertising notices ~ in particular the apostrophe which has a life of its own and pops up in the most unlikely places, though at other times seems to be on holiday when it should be in here doing its job. This book is a study of the intricate subject of punctuation in our language. It is a book that stimulates the old grey matter, as well as providing much amusement. The title refers to the feeding habits of the panda which eats shoots and leaves.

Brian Leith  June 2004

If you "enjoyed" Wild Swan then I am sure you will feel the same about this book. Growing up in the harsh ideology of communist China, Anhua suffered appallingly and witnessed innumerable horrors and shocking inhumanity with her life torn apart by the whims of the state. Moving, sometimes shocking, but always compelling this is the tale of someone who, against unbelievable odds, survived and finally found happiness, here in Britain ~ the land oon the edge of the sky.

Evina Montgomery  May 2004

Published in 2003, this book is a delightful read, ideal for the bedside or to pick up and peruse in and idle moment. Written almost as a series of short essays, it deals with a wide variety of subjects, from Shakespeare to Sex, staring with the legacy he received from his father (the house, and the advice "advice is perfectly useless"). He is scathing about much of the Government's new legislation, such as making outdoor sex a crime and foxhunting, and he has something acute and witty to say on many aspects of life today, also reflecting on such things as art, getting drunk, children and the companionship of women. Beryl Bainbridge described his work as "Warm, shrewd, and comforting musings," and Fay Weldon remarked that it was "Charming, intelligent, cheerful, mellifluous, gossipy and wise." I have no argument with any of that.

Geoffrey Spratt  April 2004

The author won the first Saga award for wit at the 2003 Folkestone Literary Festival (admittedly the author has to be over 50!), and two Booker judges special recommendations. Reading the book I felt a great sense of relief at the imperturbable good humour of the author ~ most modern humorous books use such unpleasant situations and nasty people that I can't feel any amusement. The stories are set in Botswana, a country and its people that the author knows thoroughly and loves. They are focused on Mme Ramotswe, who has decided to set up as a lady detective in her own locality. She is not really another Miss Marple ~ she does not intend to become involved in crime. Each book in the series contains several stories told with benign amusement and admiration. The "traditionally built" heroine (who has no difficulty finding dresses of adequate dimensions) is well-informed, intelligent, courageous, good at judging character and full of common good sense and good humour. The books Morality for Beautiful Girls and Tears of the Giraffe continue the account and there are others to come. Really nice to read and nails can remain unbitten.

Tony Holmes  March 2004

The back cover describes it as: A novel of stature that explores our cancerous condition more persistently than any other novel has done before and without the benefit of an anaesthetic." The words controversial, strikingly effective, banned and critical acclaim also appear but not the word "enjoyable". Yet it is so well written and gives so graphic a picture of South Africa in the times of apartheid that it must surely rank amongst the classics in the future. It tells the story of Jacob Malan, a black boy born on a farm in the middle of the last century, who is sent t school by his "Baas", after being discovered reading a "borrowed" book and becomes imbued by a burning desire to become an actor. the difficulties of pursuing such an ambition are brilliantly illustrated, as are Jacob's feelings as he tries to make his way against the oppositions and encouragements he encounters. The whole atmosphere of a clack man, living in the South Africa of those days is perfectly reflected in the boy's progress to manhood, growing up in what was originally a slave environment. It presents a very clear and surprisingly fair picture of the treatment of blacks by their white masters, though no punches are held and the struggle of the blacks for justice and the recognition of their humanity becomes increasingly bitter as the book progresses.

Geoffrey Spratt   January 2004

This book is precisely what it says it is ~ a collection of the most bizarre facts that include such detail as a history of the hat tax, the first class dinner menu for the Titanic the night she sank, famous last words, and many, many more. It is a book that contains something about which each of us could say "I didn't know that" ~ whether we would have wanted to or not is another matter! It was published in 2002, priced £9.99 and I have seen it in Ottakar's for this price.

Brian Leith  December 2003

This page last edited on 28 January 2010