Blog Tour ~ The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on 

The Book of Forgotten Authors Blog Tour

Like any bibliophile I am always thrilled to have  a book specifically about books and when offered the opportunity to take a look at The Book of Forgotten Authors, well, I couldn't resist...

Riverrun
An imprint of Quercus
October 2017

Why are good authors forgotten? So heads the introduction to this look at 99 authors, their forgotten work, the possible reasons why they have fallen out of favour and the jolly good reasons why some of them should or, quite possibly, shouldn't be back in favour again.

When I was a child I used to love lucky dip packages. That growing feeling of excitement as you tear open your lucky dip bag to see what's inside and for, grown up me, dipping into and out of The Book of Forgotten Authors was rather like a lucky dip into a forgotten world of writers and their art. 

I've been reading adult literature for a long time, and many of these authors I remembered reading  in my dim and distant past, so much so, that perusing the book became more like a long walk down memory lane. Some authors, may be justifiably forgotten, whilst others sparked such an air of nostalgia that, time allowing, I am sorely tempted to head back and re-read some of their work just to see if they will stand the test of time, or if they truly do deserve to languish in that dusty library of forgotten writers.

It's fascinating to see just how trends change and evolve. As a young teen, I devoured the historical fiction of Jean Plaidy and Victoria Holt, all, of course, written by the excellent author, Eleanor Hibbert, who makes an appearance in the book at number 46.  I'm not sure that these gentle stories would work for today's young readers, but for me the thrill of reading about the lives, and loves, of our Kings and Queens, gave me my first taster of historical romantic fiction. The decidedly creepy writer, Dennis Wheatley also makes an appearance at number 96. I remember, in the mid 1970s, his, rather controversial novel, To the Devil A Daughter, being passed surreptitiously around my all girls grammar school. A book which had many well thumbed pages and ear marked corners !

The Book of Forgotten Authors is set out in an easy to read way. The author writes well and captures interesting snippets of information which make the book all the more fascinating to read. I particularly enjoyed the short and concise biographies of each of the authors chosen and whilst the 99 authors are very much the author's own personal choice, I am sure there are many hundreds more forgotten authors who could quite easily have graced the pages. However, many of the forgotten resonated with me and sparked memories which I had long forgotten. 

If you're a bibliophile, or have one close to you, then I am sure that they would enjoy this book of forgotten authors as much as I did.

About the Author

A typical example of the late 20th century midlist author, Christopher Fowler was born in the less attractive part of Greenwich in 1953, the son of a scientist and a legal secretary. He went to a London Guild school, Colfe's, where, avoiding rugby by hiding in the school library, he was able to begin plagiarising in earnest. He published his first novel, Roofworld, described as 'unclassifiable', while working as an advertising copywriter. He left to form The Creative Partnership, a company that changed the face of film marketing, and spent many years working in film, creating movie posters, tag lines, trailers and documentaries, using his friendship with Jude Law to get into nightclubs.

During this time Fowler achieved several pathetic schoolboy fantasies, releasing an appalling Christmas pop single, becoming a male model, posing as the villain in a Batman comic, creating a stage show, writing rubbish in Hollywood, running a night club, appearing in the Pan Books of Horror and standing in for James Bond.

Now the author of over forty novels and short story collections, including his award-winning memoir Paperboy and its sequel Film Freak, he writes the Bryant & May mystery novels, recording the adventures of two Golden Age detectives in modern-day London.

In 2015 he won the CWA Dagger In The Library award for his detective series, once described by his former publisher as 'unsaleable'.

Fowler is still alive and one day plans to realise his ambition to become a Forgotten Author himself.

Website

Twitter @Peculiar

Facebook

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for her invitation to be part of this blog tour

 and also to the publishers, Riverrun for my review copy of The Book of Forgotten Authors

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Review ~ Bryant & May - London's Glory by Christopher Fowler

Doubleday
Penguin Random House
Transworld
5 November 2015

The first-ever collection of Bryant & May stories not only sheds light on eleven classic cases but also contains everything you need to know about the two octogenarian detectives and the Peculiar Crimes Unit.

In every detective’s life there are cases that can’t be discussed, and throughout the Bryant & May novels there have been mentions of some of these such as the Deptford Demon or the Little Italy Whelk Smuggling Scandal.

Now Arthur Bryant has decided to open the files on eleven of these previously unseen investigations that required the collective genius and unique modus operandi of Arthur Bryant and John May and the Peculiar Crimes Unit - investigations that range from different times (London during the Great Smog) and a variety of places: a circus freak show, on board a London Tour Bus and even a yacht off the coast of Turkey.

And in addition to these eleven classic cases, readers are also given a privileged look inside the Peculiar Crimes Unit (literally, with a cut away drawing of their offices), a guide to the characters of the Peculiar Crimes Unit, and access to the contents of Arthur Bryant’s highly individual library.

My thoughts:

I'm rather a latecomer to the world of Arthur Bryant & John May. So, to have a compendium of short stories in one volume and for that volume to have a perfect introduction, including an illustrated guide to the Old Peculiar Unit and a fascinating Dramatis Personae, is a really good way to begin reading this very popular crime series. There are eleven short stories to enjoy, all are roughly twenty or so pages long, some a little shorter, but always complete in themselves. And, as always, the stories are the perfect showcase for Bryant &May’s own brand of peculiar eccentricity.

I’m not a huge reader of short stories but when I do read them, I want them to be like these, short, succinct, wide-ranging, with a fine eye for detail, and above all entertaining. I enjoyed dipping into the book at whim, and being allowed moments of complete enjoyment as I traversed the streets of London in the company of two men, who, if I’m being perfectly honest, were I to meet them in real life, I would probably cross the street to avoid. However, be that as it may, there is no doubt that Bryant & May exude a certain fascinating charm. Old school gentlemen detectives in a world which has to them, seemingly, gone completely mad. I especially liked Bryant’s wry observation in Bryant & May and the Secret Santa on Strictly Come Dancing’s use of two verbs and an adverb in its, to Bryant , anyway, offending title. It must be said, though, that the book is not without some quite dark moments, there are stories like Bryant & May and The Seven Points which have a distinctly sinister edginess.

There’s no doubt that Bryant & May make me smile, they’re incredibly engaging and in the hands of this hack writer employed by Mr Bryant’s publishers – the author’s words – not mine, I am sure they will continue to enthral readers for some time to come.

Bryant & May London's Glory would make a perfect Christmas gift for any crime reader who likes quirky crime stories.

Best enjoyed with a nice glass of Merlot and maybe a few ginger biscuits.

About the Author

Christopher Fowler is a Londoner born (in Greenwich) and bred. For many years he jointly owned and ran one of the UK’s top film marketing companies.

He is the author of many novels and short story collections, from the urban unease of cult fictions such as Roofworld and Spanky, the horror-pastiche of Hell Train to the much-praised and award-winning Bryant and May series of detective novels - and his two critically acclaimed autobiographies, Paperboy and Film Freak.

He lives in King’s Cross.

Follow Christopher Fowler on Twitter- @Peculiar
Find him on Facebook
Or on his website

My thanks to Sophie Christopher at Transworld for my review copy of this book

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Blog Tour ~ The Burning Man by Christopher Fowler

I am delighted to welcome to Jaffareadstoo

Christopher Fowler

Christopher Fowler is a Londoner born (in Greenwich) and bred. For many years he jointly owned and ran one of the UL’s top film marketing companies.

He is the author of many novels and short story collections, from the urban unease of cult fiction such as Roofworld and Spanky, the horror pastiche of Hell Train to the much praised and award winning Bryant and May series of detective novels and his two critically acclaimed autobiographies, Paperboy and Film Freak

Christopher ~ welcome to the blog and thanks for taking the time to answer questions about books and writing.

Which was the first book (of any kind) to make a strong impression on you – and why?

The first book I remember reading was ‘Treasure Island’, but I had a fondness for exotic adventures like ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ and ‘Coral Island’, probably because I came from a South London backstreet where nobody had travelled further than Brighton. What stood out then – and still draws me – is the richly coloured ‘otherness’ of far-flung lands. It’s probably why I graduated to the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake. The dense descriptions of the castle that defeated so many readers entranced me, rather like the detailed textures in Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

At what point did you discover that you had some facility with the written word?

Very early on. My essays were always returned with a high score – in strict inverse to my maths scores – and my teacher encouraged me to write. I started a home magazine and filled it with stories from about the age of ten. I was given a great piece of advice by a terrific teacher: ‘Nobody needs a good all-rounder – excel at something.’

Major influences then – and now?

First, storytellers - I discovered a chain of seedy South London second-hand book stores called the Popular Book Centres. They stamped their smudged triangular logo inside all their books, and made enough money from top-shelf smut to keep racks of yellowing paperbacks going for real readers. In this way, they were every bit as useful as public libraries. The great thing about the shop was that I could always find something rare and wonderful lurking in the racks, and as everything was 1/6d I could afford to take a chance on the dodgiest-looking books.

Alfred Hitchcock had put his name to a series of dog-eared anthologies that were wonderful assorted literary ragbags, and from these I started making informed decisions about the writing I enjoyed most. I made a list of favourite short stories:

               ‘The Cone’ – HG Wells

               ‘Leningen Versus The Ants’ – Carl Stephenson

               ‘Camera Obscura’ – Basil Copper

               ‘Evening Primrose’ – John Collier

               ‘The Man Who Liked Dickens’ – Evelyn Waugh

               ‘The Fly’ – George Langelaan

The biggest single influence of any writer has been the ultimate ‘exotic’, JG Ballard, whose works I can virtually recite by heart. But Dickens had a huge impact because his writing contains everything you need to know, and I love the nasty home truths in Evelyn Waugh’s darkest books.

Was Roofworld (1988) your first completed novel? How was it received by publishers – then readers?

I had attempted two earlier novels, both of which I’ve locked in a drawer, never to be seen, so Roofworld was the first ‘proper’ novel. My publisher loved it, but could never decide where it fitted in the canon of fiction, or who I should be compared to. Then an American publication said ‘A Major new thriller writer takes his place halfway between JG Ballard and Stephen King’, so that decided things – for a while. The book didn’t sell well initially, but built by word of mouth. Readers said; ‘It’s made me look up and see London properly for the first time’, which is certainly a result. I still think it’s an original idea, but perhaps today I’d have developed the characters more.

Which normally comes first for you - an idea or theme, plot, place or characters. And why?

I have a habit of jumping over and between genres, and it confuses readers. I used to think like a traditional genre writer, coming up with what I felt was a killer plot and a good theme. I revised my thinking over time to aim for the creation of a good central character. The comedy writers Galton & Simpson taught me that you have nothing without character and tragedy. I’ve come across wonderful thriller plots that are horribly written and beautiful writing that goes nowhere – the trick is to marry elegance and surprise.

Visit Christopher on his website 

Follow Christopher on Twitter @Peculiar

Amazon UK

The Burning Man

Transworld
March 2015

London is under siege. A banking scandal has filled the city with violent protests, and as the anger in the streets detonates, a young homeless man burns to death after being caught in the crossfire between rioters and the police.

But all is not as it seems; an opportunistic killer is using the chaos to exact revenge, but his intended victims are so mysteriously chosen that the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to find a way of stopping him.

My Review 

The gentlemen detective duo , Arthur Bryant and John May, of the Peculiar Crime Unit, return in this, the twelfth book in the Bryant and May series.  Drawn into an investigation into a series of random killings which seem to be focussed in the financial district of London, Bryant and May soon find that there is more to these killings than first appears. London is in chaos. Unrest and dissidence is rife and even though there is no apparent reason other than a growing discontent with the banking fraternity, Bryant and May need to track down those responsible, before brutal anarchy is allowed to spread throughout the city.

This is the first Bryant and May novel I have read and when I was invited to review The Burning Man, I thought at first that I would be at a disadvantage by not knowing anything of the back history of the series. However, the story is remarkably easy to get into, with more than enough information given for the established characters to soon make sense. The author has an easy style of story delivery which makes for interesting reading and there are more than enough twists and turns in the plot, all of which are delivered with a lightness of touch, and a fine eye for detail. There is light and shade within the novel and appropriate humour which helps to lighten what could have been a very heavy story. There are some marvellous descriptions of London, which help to set the scene quite perfectly. Overall, I enjoyed spending time in the company of Bryant and May. Their unique way of crime investigation works really well and their very eccentricity is highly entertaining. 

I am sure that devotees of the Bryant and May series will devour this story with great gusto and for new fans it’s a good place to start, as there is the tantalising promise of so  much back story to catch up on.

I really enjoyed it.

Huge thanks to Christopher for being our guest today and to Sophie at Transworld for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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