tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post8574623212174368148..comments2023-10-29T12:19:48.413+00:00Comments on Fitzrovian Tuesdays: When central bankers rescued, then ruined, the worldJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14444432374288096799noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-36399771732703071082009-02-02T14:11:00.000+00:002009-02-02T14:11:00.000+00:00Yes, I think they both helped run the Oxford Liter...Yes, I think they both helped run the Oxford Literary Society or some such thing. I agree Col - Lanchester manages to be incredibly insightful without ever sticking his cleverness in your face.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06279869776330572117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-6380135008685739732009-02-01T22:50:00.000+00:002009-02-01T22:50:00.000+00:00My boss and Tom's former boss. He was a year or tw...My boss and Tom's former boss. He was a year or two below Lanchester at Oxford.Colhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854291971469844918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-34811556461685950902009-02-01T22:01:00.000+00:002009-02-01T22:01:00.000+00:00Just read the happiness one, very good. Who's Paul...Just read the happiness one, very good. Who's Paul?Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444432374288096799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-18797758455903350392009-02-01T20:52:00.000+00:002009-02-01T20:52:00.000+00:00He doesn't have Amis's self-regard though. Journal...He doesn't have Amis's self-regard though. Journalism by Martin Amis (much as I love the collected volume) is always really about Martin Amis showing you his intellect, whereas Lanchester is clever without showing off about it so much.Colhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854291971469844918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-91782255277785634352009-01-31T23:20:00.000+00:002009-01-31T23:20:00.000+00:00Yes, that's the Granta article - really very good....Yes, that's the Granta article - really very good. Surprised to hear that he was supercilious to paul, though maybe he's got that in him as well. Certainly "Debt to pleasure" (which I absolutely loved) had that element at the heart of it. I've read his other novels as well, but agree that literary journalism probably his best medium. He reminds me a lot of Martin Amis, and I think he's a big admirer.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06279869776330572117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-76803146192758756032009-01-31T22:35:00.000+00:002009-01-31T22:35:00.000+00:00The Granta piece ends with the line "Whatever else...The Granta piece ends with the line "Whatever else I did with my working life I wasn't going to spend it doing something I hated." Hm.Colhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854291971469844918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-5102039927156844492009-01-31T21:53:00.000+00:002009-01-31T21:53:00.000+00:00Good one, I didn't know about the Granta article. ...Good one, I didn't know about the <A HREF="http://www.granta.com/Magazine/Granta-95/Early-Retirement?view=articleAllPages" REL="nofollow">Granta</A> article. I do like his stuff - they should do a collection of his journalism. I read the Debt to Pleasure, but wasn't so keen on his fiction style.Colhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854291971469844918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-45022083793086640782009-01-31T21:36:00.000+00:002009-01-31T21:36:00.000+00:00Although Paul says that he was dismissive and supe...Although Paul says that he was dismissive and superior towards him when he tried to get a job at LRB upon leaving university.Colhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854291971469844918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-5895056013285762172009-01-31T21:20:00.000+00:002009-01-31T21:20:00.000+00:00Good stuff. I'm a massive Lanchester fan. He's inc...Good stuff. I'm a massive Lanchester fan. He's incredibly intelligent and funny on a whole range of issues (football, food, politics), but unlike many literary writers seems especially knowledgeable on technology and finance. Also, despite being so insightful, he always manages to come across as a decent bloke with good values. <BR/><BR/>I've read some of his stuff about his father before, in Granta. I think his dad was very much an 'old school' banker who was always very cautious, sober and rule-abiding, and never made large amounts of money. So you can see why Lanchester's pretty scathing about the current generation.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06279869776330572117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-66612200280175237312009-01-31T15:08:00.000+00:002009-01-31T15:08:00.000+00:00looks like the link didn't work, but put his name ...looks like the link didn't work, but put his name into the 'author' field of the NYer search page to get thereColhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854291971469844918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600193.post-29616356893780515062009-01-31T14:39:00.000+00:002009-01-31T14:39:00.000+00:00Actually, it seems he's been writing for them for ...Actually, it seems he's been writing for them for some time. There are <A HREF="http://www.newyorker.com/search/query?query=authorName:" REL="nofollow">17 of his articles here</A>. The one about happiness is pretty good.Colhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854291971469844918noreply@blogger.com