The Aardvark Blog

Any Questions, Valentines Day, Jacques Rivette, James Lee Burke
13/02/2016

Last night the Aardvarks were part of a large audience at the Hereford Royal National College for the Blind, for BBC Radio 4's Any Questions. A very slick operation and what a pleasure to see David Blunkett - an alumnus of the college - whose humour and humanity transcend the political divide.

The programme itself, however, felt a little stolid, and I was left wondering if it wasn't in need of a shake-up. Dare one say it even, a change of presenter (27 years is a long-time to remain fresh in any role). I found myself thinking about possible new presenters. What about John Stewart, late of the Daily Show, or the semi-feral James O'Brien of LBC and now Newsnight. Or what about Kirsty Wark, Jenni Murray or Laura Kuenssberg. In any event it needs 5 panellists not 4, a longer running time, and somebody who will zip through the topics a little more speedily.

My first call this morning when I got into the shop was from Sarah Rogers of chocolate fame, confirming details for the Valentine's Event tomorrow. This will be the first time Sarah will have made her eponymous chocolates for a couple of years. The only problem for me is that with Lent starting so ridiculously early I will be unable to sample them. Ethel Aardvark has promised to get me a selection for Easter however.

When blogging, I keep forgetting to mention the recent death of Jacques Rivette, co-founder of the Nouvelle Vague and one-time editor of Les Cahiers du Cinema. I cannot say that I am a fan of all of his films (or even that I have seen all of them), and I found that Celine and Julie Go Boating redefined the meaning of time, it went on so long, but others - in particular - La Belle Noiseuse - are extraordinary films. In LBN Jane Birkin and Emmanuelle Béart give wonderful performances, and the themes (the nature of creativity, how relationships wax and wane, just how damn hard it is to create something of worth) emerge in a way which is non-didactic and feels unforced. Go see it in the long version if you have 3 or 4 hours to spare.

Having had a customer object - in the nicest way - to my review of James Lee Burke in the A-Z of crime Fiction, I decided to read 'The Neon Bible' , the first book in his Robicheaux series. I very much enjoyed the book, but I am not sure that my impressions have changed greatly. He is a master of description, and his plotting and characterisation are also outstanding. Ultimately however he just doesn't engage me as much as Michael Connelly or Robert Parker. If I had to analyse why, I think it has something to do with the rhythm of his plots. The plot in the Neon Bible doesn't really build to a conclusion, and when the resolution does arrive it almost seems to be an afterthought, as if the author is less interested in the arrival than the journeying. As ever it is horses for courses, and I will be looking for more of his novels to confirm whether or not my prejudices are accurate. More happy hours of reading await!