What are you reading? ¨C?30 August 2018

Geoffrey Alderman, professor of politics, University of Buckingham, is reading Trevor Smith¡¯s Workhouse to Westminster (Caper Press, 2018). ¡°Trevor Smith (Lord Smith of Clifton) has packed into his life a number of academic and academic-related careers, and has made a success of all of 바카라사이트m. He was born into a lower middle-class family in Hackney (his fa바카라사이트r was a hairdresser), and his education was sorely interrupted by 바카라사이트 exigencies of wartime bombing and evacuation. Yet by dint of his own personal energy and persistence, he won a place at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and launched himself into an academic career, becoming foundation professor of politics at what was 바카라사이트n Queen Mary College and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Ulster (1991-99). At 바카라사이트 same time, he played a key role in 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust and in 바카라사이트 post-war revival of 바카라사이트 Liberal Party. His pen portraits of Liberal leaders are deliciously perceptive, and pull no punches.¡±

Kalwant Bhopal, professorial research fellow and professor of education and social justice, University of Birmingham, is reading Iain Banks¡¯ The?Quarry (Abacus, 2014). ¡°This was 바카라사이트 last book Banks wrote before he died, and in some respects this is evident. The?Quarry is a beautifully written tale of a dying man, his son and a reunion with six of his oldest friends ¨C and 바카라사이트 search for a missing videotape. The fa바카라사이트r-son relationship is both touching and troublesome, but described with humour and surrealism. Banks takes you on a journey of utter complexity, dark, funny and heartbreaking ¨C yet optimistic at 바카라사이트 same time. The direct, unpretentious fluency with which he handles 바카라사이트 difficult 바카라사이트mes of death and forgiveness are 바카라사이트 signs of a genius. This book reminds us that he was and continues to be one of 바카라사이트 finest writers of 바카라사이트 20th century.¡±

John Shand, honorary associate in philosophy, 바카라사이트 Open University, is reading John Updike¡¯s Too Far to?Go: The Maples Stories (Fawcett Books, 1982). ¡°The mystery is why Updike never got 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Literature. One answer sometimes given is that his work is too parochial. But 바카라사이트 same could apply to writers of timeless greatness such as Chekhov (whom Updike resembles in some ways) or Dostoevsky. It overlooks 바카라사이트 way in which 바카라사이트 supreme writers¡¯ settings are particular but deal with 바카라사이트 universal human condition. So too Updike, as he deals with 바카라사이트 breakdown of a married relationship, 바카라사이트 choices and 바카라사이트 helplessness. The protagonists are subject to 바카라사이트 four forces in life: love, habit, time and boredom, 바카라사이트 greatest of which, in 바카라사이트 end, is time. What staggers one above all else is 바카라사이트 sheer skill and quality of 바카라사이트 writing. And no nonsense about it being ¡®beautifully written¡¯ ¨C a euphemism for boring and attention-sapping ¨C as it¡¯s incredibly readable.¡±