Take A Stroll Down Memory Lane. (Reading The Decades)

Member Name: monalipschitz

Product:	Reading The Decades
Date:	19/04/02 (270 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Books, Interesting Clips, Lively Commentary

Disadvantages: None

I'm sure you recognise those " I Love..." series that BBC2 have been so fond of for the last year or so. It all began with one simple programme about the 1970's and has escalated since into one of the most popular formats encompassing whole themed nights dedicated to various programmes or years. The last outing was over Easter when The Muppets were subjected to this nostalgic treatment, but currently literature is taking it's first faltering steps into the "I Love" limelight in the shape of "Reading The Decades"

More specifically the literature of the last 50 years. For those of you who don't know the format, or want to know how they're going to fit books into it, the premise is that each of the four programmes covers a decade of popular literature , only the best-selling books are featured and various celebrities discuss the relative merits of say Hank Janson or Joseph Heller, these are illustrated by archive clips of film and television and the whole thing is intersperced with readings from the featured text. Over all of this are the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry as and unobtrusive and amusing Narrator.

The series began two weeks ago with 'Reading The 1950's' and the emergence of the paperback as a popular form on entertainment. The arrival on the literary scene of cheap softback, such as publishers Penguin, ensured that literature was widely available and thus banished the concept that books were only for the wealthy. The austerity of Post War Britain also provided the perfect backdrop for such a revival. At the beginning of the decade rationing was still in plac and, along with various other leftovers from World War II, this meant that literature as escapism (now perceived to be a 'dirty' word) was craved.

The programme, and indeed the decade, kicked off with the late Thor Heyerdahl's 'The Kontiki Expedition', a story of adventure on the high seas an
d continued with John Wyndham's Sci-Fi novel 'The Day of The Triffids'. This was summed up, quite succinctly, by John Walsh as being "a kind of Englishman's nightmare, this awful foreign vegetable". In fact the 1950's seemed to be a decade of the film of the book for not only was 'Day of the Triffids' committed to celluloid, but also Richard Gordon's 'Doctor in the House', which first appeared in print in the decade, went on to become a very successful series of comic films; Paul Brickhill's 'The Dambusters' and Nicholas Monserrat's 'The Cruel Sea' were perhaps two of the most famous examples of this.

There were also two major influences in the school playground or dormitory that made it into the most popular list. For the boys during those important formative years there was the British Pulp Fiction writer Hank Janson, with gangster novels sporting title such as "Slay-ride for Cutie" and daring covers featuring a surplus of scantily-clad women they were every school boy's idea of heaven, as Adam Faith pointed out. He rememered them fondly ~ in particular their glamourous gangster language and read extracts of his favourites. Girls, on the other hand, had the romance novels of Georgette Heyer. Copies were, apparently smuggled round dormitories after lights-out and the likes of Jilly Cooper eulogised over their magical and exhilarating content. Perhaps these were truly the books that shaped a generation.

Perhaps the most widely known of those featured in the opening programme was the very first outing for that luch loved, and most famous, of British spies - James Bond. Ian Fleming's 'Casino Royale' marked the beginning of what was to become a love affair between the British public and 007. The introduction of such a glamourous and sophisticated spy (in itself a glamourous, sophisticated and intriguing profession) was the ultimate in escapist lit
erature. With the Cold War raging (or should I say simmering?), having lost our military might this was one area in which we could still believe Britain excelled and to do so with such aplomb was perhaps, one of the reasons for the success of the book. To be James Bond is still many people's secret ambition and the subsequent success of the books, and movies, appears to bear this out.

The end of the 1950's, and the beginning of the 1960's, marked an important watershed in the history literature: two of the biggest censorship controversies of the century. 1959 saw the eventual publication, after much too-ing and fro-ing, of Vladimir Nabokov's 'Lolita', telling of paeodophilia the books caused an outcry but if people thought that was bad then just one year later they were in for a shock as D.H. Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterly's Lover' went on trial. The book had been available in private libraries for years but what caused such a sensation was the notion of 'ordinary' people being able to obtain a copy, and that very British fear of anarchy that that arose. Of course, nothing of the sort happened but what it's rise to the top of the bestseller list did illustrate was the difference between great literature and important literature. 'Lady Chatterly's Lover' may not be Lawrences greatest work but it was his most significant simply because it broke boundaries, defied conventions and opened the floodgates for the swinging sixties.

One of it's anthems would have to been Joy Adamson's 'Born Free' trilogy. For those who don't know who Adamson was, she raised possibly the most famous lion in history; Elsa, and the ensuing tale of living life in Africa with a lioness, effectively, as a pet warmed the nations' hearts. Possibly it was, as stated by Clive James in the programme, so successful merely because it pandered to the British obsession for unusual pets or maybe ther
e was something more culturally significant in the symbolism behind Elsa's story: the quest for freedom that was such a lynch pin of the 1960's; the romantic notion of an African idyll; the desire to create a peaceful and safe environment. Whatever the reason for it's popularity 'Born Free' jump-started a more factually based bestseller.

The following 10 years saw a massive shift in lifestyle and the most popular books, naturally, reflected that change. The shackles of austerity of Post-War food finally began to be flung off when Robert Carrier's 'Classic Great Dishes of the World' was published. So, it might not be exhaustive in it's cuisine but it characterised a more adventurous consumer, more alive to other cultrues and influences. This desire to sample something different, coupled with the publication of the 'Shell and BP Guide to Britain' and the emergence of cars as a viable method of transport for all ensured that the factual book took pole position in the Country's bestseller lists.

Some themes from the 1950's did, however, transfer rather nicely to the following decade. In particular the spy novel. John Le Carre's 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' was the world of James Bond from an earthier perspective. Depicting what was widely believed to be a more realistic world (Le Carre himself rigourously denied this) in which we were on the brink of was. Another element making the transition form the previous decade was the popularity of fantasy. Drawing deeply on Nordic Mythology as well as history JRR Tolkein's 'Lord of the Rings' offered, what are still possibly the ultimate escapist novels. Although, with characteristic directness Germaine Greer said she thought she'd "never read such tosh"!

However the 1960's being an eclectic decade there were, side by side, bestsellers about the past as well as emerging feminism. Joseph Heller'
s astonishing World War II novel, 'Catch 22', comes out of a long tradition of make was novels. What Heller did to make his remarkable was to turn that tradition on it's head, instead of glorifying war and it's heroes it is as Melvyn Bragg commented "about organised cowardice". The novels of the early feminist movement were also concerned with turning convention up-side-down. Perhaps the flagship book was Mary McCarthy's 'The Group' in which she brought 'progressive ideas' into mainstream literature. It was the first popular novel to openly discuss contraception but as the decade wore on women expected raunchier reads and it was Jacqueline Susann who satisfied them with 'Valley of the Dolls'. Set in Hollywood and dealing with drug abuse, Susann became an influential figure on TV and with over 30 million copies sold worldwide it is arguable that her influence hasn't diminished that much; her ideas can still be seen today in novels such as Elizabeth Wurtzel's 'Prozac Nation'

What will the popular literature of the 1970's and 1980's say about their respective readers? I can't wait to find out, but with 'The Female Eunuch' and authors such as Salman Rushdie that era that moved from kitsch glam-rock to Thatcherism and AIDS is sure to be full of social comment and political ideologies. No doubt Stephen Fry will continue his eloquent, witty and informative narration and the archive material will carry on enthralling it's audience. What this programme has highlighted is the cultural importance of literature. By examining what the popularity of certain books or authors say about Post War Britain, in an involving and entertaining manner, it has confirmed the readiness of Britain for a good read. Maybe we are a nation of book-worms after all.

If all this has intrigued you, and you'd like to see complete listings for the four programmes, to read expert views o
n the various texts featured, to join the online book club affiliated to the series or perhaps you'd just like to vote for your favourite (the leader for the 1950' is currently Georgette Heyer with well over 150 votes) then you can visit the website at: http://www.open2.net/readingthedecades Alternatively Ceefax page 619 also contains information about the programmes. There's even a book with the same title by John Sutherland.

Programme Schedule:
1970's; 20th April 7.10 pm
1980's; 27th April 7.10pm
Of course, with this being a cultural programme the remaining times may be, to use the official phrase, 'subject to change'. It's such a shame that the powers-that-be believe anything artistic can be shunted around the schedule at will, but that's an entirely different op.

Thanks for reading :)

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