Comments on David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed

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04/29/07--16:35: Curzon Tussaud commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

I wonder whether the cover has too much of a "girlybook" feel to it: Botticelli is long out of copyright, of course, but the Venus always looks to me as if her neck's broken.




04/29/07--16:35: daphne sayed commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

I agree with you I'd love to receive even one free book or be as good at reviewing as you Sharon and Lisa.




04/29/07--16:37: Em commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

Nowadays Venus solely reminds me of the opening credits of Adobe Illustrator. What have I become?




08/28/08--03:18: Christine Coleman commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

Mary's book, with its beautiful cover, is on the top of my TBR pile - Unfortunately it'll have to wait till next weekend, which is when I'll get a few spare hours, as I want read it in large chunks. David B's rather peculiar article delighted me, but only because I knew it would be excellent publicity for this book. It's not easy for a small publisher like Transita to get noticed, so thank you, David for mentioning its title at the beginning,in the middle, and at the end of an article which is likely to be read by thousands who might not have noticed a few lines on the review pages!




08/29/08--02:03: Mark Thornton commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

Now (sadly) as well as thinking of Adobe Illustrator, I also think of the Monty Python sketch which has Venus rising from the ocean to some suitably classical music, and then a naughty hand sneaks up and tweaks her nipple, whereby the music changes to a jaunty jazz number, and she dances around on her clam shell, until it unbalances her and she slips over and falls back into the sea. Terry Gilliam - genius.

But what does that say about me?

Mark

P.S. Mary Cavanagh is appearing at Mostly Books next Wednesday (28th February) at 7.30pm - tickets still available, and we'll be getting in the bubbly, so should be a good author event! I'll be posting something on the blog this evening...




08/29/08--07:11: Maxine commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

Yes, I read Baddiel's column in the paper edition and as so often with this writer, find he misses the plot so much that it isn't even funny. So his column was (eventually, very windbaggy) about how outraged he was to be sent a book becuase he's a Jew (he assumes this is why he was sent it, we aren't told). Then, with uninetntinonal hilarity, he says in the next sentence that he's not interested because it is a woman's book, in effect.

So, David Baddiel, you get upset at being tokenised (if you have been), but are quite happy to tokenise other categories that you don't happen to fall into.

I have long since got fed up at being lumped into categories eg "woman" at it being assumed that I have something in common with 50 per cent of the planet because of the XX pair (as opposed to XY). So of course I would never dream of reading a book by or aimed at a man, a Jew, a person of different ethnic origin, social class, age, etc, would I?

Load of piffle. Almost as bad as those reviewers blathering on about how Stef Penney could write convincingly about Canada without having actually been there, rather than reviewing the book itself.

It is called "imagination", dears. And there is no predicting or accounting for it.

Thanks for highlighting this silly man in your post, and like you I hope the book does well, for at least being mentioned in a publication that is read by a lot of people, even if not actually discussed for the right reasons (what is written in it).




08/29/08--15:37: Ex Libris commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

Mary's book is on my pile and I look forward to reading it! I, too, am glad that she and Transita are getting publicity. David can throw some books my way if he really doesn't want them...




08/30/08--01:23: dovegreyreader commented on 'David Baddiel declines Mary's Crowded Bed' (chan 1362060)

I think David Baddiel realises that having made some currency out of his Jewishness he's now a bit fed up with how we perceive him but I'm not sure there's much he can do about that.He's effectively manipulated the public into that perception. Watch that space really and see where he goes next,he'll probably become an expert on newborn babies, sock knitting and quilting and he'll get all those lovely books to review.