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The English Disease

Weekly book reviews and literary criticism from the Times Literary SupplementThe last time I mentioned Theodore Dalrymple in this blog, I received an angry comment from a reader in which Dalrymple was labelled a fascist. I replied, mildly, that although I could see that Dalrymple was certainly conservative (and maybe Conservative) that didn’t mean he… Continue reading The English Disease

Famous portrait ‘not Shakespeare’

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Arts | Famous portrait ‘not Shakespeare’This is hardly a shock. Actually, if you google for the Grafton portrait, the first hit is the Norton site claiming it’s Marlowe. This is another example of the way that Shakespeare gets romanticised. We seem to want to possess him, and an authentic portrait… Continue reading Famous portrait ‘not Shakespeare’

Malayan pantoums

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Stephen Fry’s Malayan pantoumsI agree with McMillan about Fry – he does seem, damn him, the complete renaissance man. McMillan is a lively and interesting poet, who has written much whimsical and humorous stuff, but who has a serious side too. I like “The Er Barnsley Seascapes” for their… Continue reading Malayan pantoums

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