The Canons of Culture (NEW CONCEPTS)

[Pete Jones]

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

I was trying to explain the English comic novel the other day to an American who claimed he couldn't see the joke and the solution has now occurred to me.

Englishmen of the sort that write successful novels would not regard writing novels as a suitable career so they write comic novels, whether they are or not. English women of the sort that write successful novels, on the other hand, write proper novels. Unless they decide to write a comic one.

[Mick Harper]

Nick Hornby entered the canon--possibly started it--of the 'literary lad's novel' with Fever Pitch, an account of him growing up as, but latterly seeing the limitations of being, an obsessive Arsenal fan.

This is different from picaresque novels of young men making their way which, from the start of literary novels right up to Martin Amis et al, are more critiques of the darker sides of society than celebrations of popular culture.

I read the book and saw the film back in the eighties (both quite good, I thought at the time) but not since. Until last night, when I watched the film on the telly. I realised I had a unique vantage point: since it is very unusual for a fan to switch football teams in middle age, it would be unlikely anyone would have spent fifty years supporting one team and then twenty years following, specifically, Arsenal. As a result, the experience was a bit eerie.

I have to report I found the film charming but had to turn the telly off after half an hour. I didn't believe a word of it. Just another writer writing about what he knew plus barrel-loads of wish-fulfillment. With admittedly a new schtick.

[Grant]

Always considered Nick Hornby's books to be a little divorced from reality - my reality anyway.

For instance, in High Fidelity the protagonist is obsessed with making mix tapes for his girlfriends. Did you ever make a mix tape for a girl? Why would I have assumed she would share my taste?
What an odd thing to do. You're trying to get into her knickers, not infect her with your musical taste.

I think he's a bit "on the spectrum," as they say.

[Mick Harper]

No, you're on the spectrum. Not that I've heard the phrase before, so thanks for that. I'm going to go round saying, "Get off that spectrum, pal."

Of course you're right. It's like sending people books. "I want you to spend hours of your valuable time doing something which it is overwhelmingly likely you'll find ultimately you won't want to do on the offchance you'll think better of me." Especially if they are your own books.

Speaking of being divorced from reality, what is the chance of a teacher looking like D'Arcy out of Pride & Prejudice getting off with the belle of the comprehensive while being incredibly popular with both staff and children? It used to happen to me fairly regularly but I wouldn't have thought it made a suitable plotline for a work of fiction.

[Wile E. Coyote]

[Mick Harper]

No, sir. We were dealing only with the literary arts. Popular music is nothing but common people wailing about being misunderstood.

PS You are (also) incorrect in mentioning Oxbridge cf Amis's Luck Jim. Hornby was a pioneer in the launching of teaching college-folk into the genre. He put the 'Poly' into Mr Polly.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Hornby went to Cambridge, to study English literature, his sister Gill, Oxford, Modern History, is also a novelist, (formerly of Telegraph and Guardian) she is married to famous novelist Robert Harris. Nick is married to a film producer.

Hornbys dad was high on the corporate ladder, Rank Xerox.

There is nothing wrong with any of this, my question is did he invent the literary lads (sic) novel.

[Mick Harper]

Let's be clear. There's no connection between a novel and its author. You can write Black Beauty without being a horse. You don't have to be a lad to write a lad's novel. As I see it, the sequence goes

1. The picaresque novel: poor man gets rich, then poor, then rich etc
2. The campus novel: literary bloke doesn't want to live the literary life
3. The kitchen sink novel: poor bloke stays poor but colourfully.
4. The chancer novel: layabout wants to get rich while lying about.

[Wile E. Coyote]

How is Hornby's different to say A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Different canon?

[Mick Harper]

Chalk and cheese, John. You're right though about being a different canon. It is

[Mick Harper]

Netflix have suddenly been bombarding me with a new offering, On the Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando. I don't wish to (re-)watch this particular film -- a bit slow and a bit too method-acted for my taste -- but I am greatly heartened by Netflix plunging into the Cult Classics field.

There is no shortage of cable channels offering golden oldies--and the BBC are not remiss in their duty to show a selection of them either--but not only have I seen them all, I'm acutely conscious that they haven't even dipped more than toes into the bucket.

If Netflix is going to use its financial muscle (and increasing desperation) to really dig them out we shall all be in clover for a limited time.