A tough act to follow.

I waited for months and months (thanks to a kindly reader who alerted me to its upcoming publication) to read Craig Taylor's oral history Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now--As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It, and Long for It. When it finally arrived in for me at the library, I was ridiculously excited, and took it along to read in the car on the way to visit my in-laws the next day.

It seemed like a bad sign when the book couldn't even hold my interest in those surroundings, as, when you are stuck as the passenger in a car driving through south-central Wisconsin in March, there's really not that much else to do or look at.

I was massively disappointed in this book as an oral history, and as a treatise on the city of London. Slave to convention that I am (indexing and proofreading books has made me, somewhat prematurely, and for lack of a better phrase, a "pedantic old fart"), I had to read the entire introduction to this book first--and that set off the first warning bell. At seventeen pages (that read like a long seventeen pages), the introduction is just too long. It shouldn't be that complicated to say, in effect, "London is an interesting city, populated by a wide variety of interesting types. Let's hear what they have to say."

The actual transcripts of the authors' interviews with Londoners (which are numerous--I'm not saying the author didn't talk to a whole lot of people) are also, for the most part, unsatisfying. Each speaker's name is given, as is their "role." (For example: "Kevin Pover, Commercial airline pilot.") Although some are meaty, many tend to end just as they get interesting; for example, one man arrived from another British city, Leeds, and explained how he went homeless for the first few nights while looking for a reasonable place of his own. Although he seems to be speaking in the past tense, describing an ordeal he has already survived, there is no closure to the interview--did he find a place to live? How did he deal with having all his possessions in the world--stored in his backpack--stolen while he was sleeping?

It did not help that I read this book shortly after re-reading John Bowe's and Marisa Bowe's superlative oral history abou working, titled Gig: Americans Talk about Their Jobs. The books are structured similarly--interviews woven together in larger thematic chapters--but whereas Gig was completely satisfying, which each interview telling its own complete little story (even if the endings were still unknown)--this one just left us wanting more.* There were some bright spots--the interview with the woman who provided the taped voice messages for the London Underground particularly stood out--but not enough to carry me past p. 91 of this book. That's where I'm stopping, and it's going back to the library.**

Other reviews: New York Times; The Guardian

*Mr. CR read a large chunk of the book and mentioned to me out of nowhere that he was also annoyed with the interviews' lack of narrative arcs.

**Although after writing this I did read a few more interviews in the book, and found several of them quite interesting. I might just have to get this one back in the future.

Comments

[Beth]

damn.

[Beth]

oh. i did email you with info on Diana Athill's new one. So perhaps that will make up for it.

[Citizen Reader]

No worries, Beth. I still enjoyed parts of it and will try it again some other time. I'm in the minority--most of the reviews I read of this one (and the two to which I linked) were very positive.

Thank you for the heads-up on the Athill too--I'm just waiting for my local library to get with it and buy a copy!

And thanks for letting me know about this one in the first place. Half the fun was in the anticipation.

[Bybee]

I can't believe how easy it seems to be to eff up oral history. Sorry about the London book, but Gig sounds great.

[Raymond Lunn]

Raymond Lunn went back home to Leeds after six months in London after failing to find himself, his identity, and freedoms in particular employment and self confidence. Back home in Leeds Raymond found himself homeless again, in an hostel being ignored and hidden. Eventually through struggle & bravery (ex-offender.co.uk) he got someone to listen, got a place to live and is now seeking self-employment, and recognition in relation to the potential we all offer, including growth, change & hope.

Thank you for your concern.

Raymond Lunn

[Citizen Reader]

Bybee,
Well, I shouldn't say he effed it up. Reviewers who are better reviewers than I am found a lot to like here. But I would definitely read Gig first if you've only got time for one oral history.

Mr. Lunn,
Hey, thank you for letting us know. Mr. CR and I both wondered how it went for you, and wish you the best of luck in all of your endeavors.