grubstlodger's review
3.0
Daniel Skipton is deeply unpleasant, he’s convinced he is the finest of writers and has a beautiful soul but also that he has aristocratic background and blood, and as such, feels that he deserves all the finest things in life. This sense of entitlement is one of the truly ugly things about him but when combined with his jealousy and his hatred for everyone, it becomes quite repellent. Which makes him an interesting character.
He’s a really odd character, strict in his habits, with socks that have separate toes because he thinks it’s obscene for toes to touch. He is middle-aged but a virgin, seems asexual but plays the prude, whilst also thinking about sex rather often.
He lives in Bruges, where he is writing an awful book in which he mainly creates imaginary versions of people he particularly doesn’t like, slags them off and puts them in humiliating positions. Because these unsellable novels don’t earn him money, he must hustle - though he doesn’t have the charm or social skills for a smooth con, he tries his best, flogging dodgy paintings and setting tourists up at brothels.
One group of tourists that Daniel Skipton particularly clings onto is a group of Brits, lead by an arrogant playwright with an aristocrat, a bookseller and a cuddly playboy in tow. He hates them, as he hates everyone, resents what he sees as the easiness of their lives and yet still tries to charm them - which is the source of most of the humour.
One of the better set-pieces in the book is a visit to a peepshow, where the performers have sex dressed as Leda and a Swan. What’s really odd about this part, is that the mythology inspired rumpy-pumpy is the only part where Daniel Skipton feels something beyond himself, as everyone else is amused or put off by this strange farce, he is moved. Then Leda shows the two eggs she’s laid and the atmosphere collapses.
One of the tourists is possibly even worse than Skipton. Like him, she is utterly convinced of her own specialness as a writer and a person. She’s rude, arrogant but at this moment in time, successful, so she can get away with it. She also delivers a lecture with one on my favourite bad lecture title I have ever heard, ‘The Responsibility of the Poet-Playwright in the Welfare State.’ As one of the listeners says, he heard a lot about the poet-playwright but very little about the Welfare State. By reasons of arrogance, Skipton thinks this is going to be a whole lecture on praise of him, despite being neither poet nor playwright.
While I can’t say I loved the other Pamela Hansford Johnson book I read, ‘An Error of Judgement’, it did stick in my head far more than books I enjoyed reading more at the time. As for ‘The Unspeakable Skipton’, it was an enjoyable read but I think will stick as well.
He’s a really odd character, strict in his habits, with socks that have separate toes because he thinks it’s obscene for toes to touch. He is middle-aged but a virgin, seems asexual but plays the prude, whilst also thinking about sex rather often.
He lives in Bruges, where he is writing an awful book in which he mainly creates imaginary versions of people he particularly doesn’t like, slags them off and puts them in humiliating positions. Because these unsellable novels don’t earn him money, he must hustle - though he doesn’t have the charm or social skills for a smooth con, he tries his best, flogging dodgy paintings and setting tourists up at brothels.
One group of tourists that Daniel Skipton particularly clings onto is a group of Brits, lead by an arrogant playwright with an aristocrat, a bookseller and a cuddly playboy in tow. He hates them, as he hates everyone, resents what he sees as the easiness of their lives and yet still tries to charm them - which is the source of most of the humour.
One of the better set-pieces in the book is a visit to a peepshow, where the performers have sex dressed as Leda and a Swan. What’s really odd about this part, is that the mythology inspired rumpy-pumpy is the only part where Daniel Skipton feels something beyond himself, as everyone else is amused or put off by this strange farce, he is moved. Then Leda shows the two eggs she’s laid and the atmosphere collapses.
One of the tourists is possibly even worse than Skipton. Like him, she is utterly convinced of her own specialness as a writer and a person. She’s rude, arrogant but at this moment in time, successful, so she can get away with it. She also delivers a lecture with one on my favourite bad lecture title I have ever heard, ‘The Responsibility of the Poet-Playwright in the Welfare State.’ As one of the listeners says, he heard a lot about the poet-playwright but very little about the Welfare State. By reasons of arrogance, Skipton thinks this is going to be a whole lecture on praise of him, despite being neither poet nor playwright.
While I can’t say I loved the other Pamela Hansford Johnson book I read, ‘An Error of Judgement’, it did stick in my head far more than books I enjoyed reading more at the time. As for ‘The Unspeakable Skipton’, it was an enjoyable read but I think will stick as well.
muggsyspaniel's review
2.0
Meh...
Of all the characters in this Skipton was probably the least unspeakable. I don't think I'll be bothering anymore with Dorothy Merlin, she's easily the most unspeakable of a thoroughly unspeakable bunch.
As I've said before Pamela Hansford Johnson was a fine writer but not a comic one.
There's lots of good stuff in here but a lot of annoying tripe to wade through to get to it. My advice would be "don't bother".
Of all the characters in this Skipton was probably the least unspeakable. I don't think I'll be bothering anymore with Dorothy Merlin, she's easily the most unspeakable of a thoroughly unspeakable bunch.
As I've said before Pamela Hansford Johnson was a fine writer but not a comic one.
There's lots of good stuff in here but a lot of annoying tripe to wade through to get to it. My advice would be "don't bother".
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