Book at Bedtime – The Mighty Walzer. Hilarious? I doubt it……
Published on 26 November 2012 - 8 comments
Categories: Book at Bedtime, Bore Rants
Tags: BBC Radio 4, Book At Bedtime, Howard Jacobson, Radio 4, The Mighty Walzer
Author: Penny Jones
Another Jewish book. This time it’s The Mighty Walzer by Howard Jacobson. I don’t have anything against Jewish content per se, but there does seem to be an overdose of it lately, and not just on the BBC. That and coming-of-age stories. Anyway, this one is billed by Radio 4 as a “hilarious tale of the coming-of-age of a wannabe ping-pong champion”. Given Radio 4′s track record with comedy, I am highly skeptical of their ability to define hilarious, but we shall see. Is it really as simple as someone realising that last week’s book was a bit heavy and sticking something ‘funny’ in to balance things out?
‘Set in 1950s Manchester’. No respite there then.
‘Each chapter of The Mighty Walzer opens with a quotation about ping-pong’. Really? Can’t wait to hear those….
‘He winds up marrying Sabine, the Jewish girl-next-door who guarantees him a miserable home life.’ Of course.
Reviewers’ main criticisms include: ‘The book is strewn with Yiddish words and Mancunian slang.’ Will they provide a glossary on the Radio 4 website?
And once again, Radio 4 do not see fit to tell us who is reading this Book at Bedtime. Let’s just hope it is not Jacobson himself.
Please vote in the Book at Bedtime poll on the right hand side of the page to let others know whether it’s worth staying awake for. Last week’s book (The Liar’s Gospel) received a thumbs down from the voters, though no-one commented to say why. At least it was unusual. This week’s just sounds awful.
It’s read by Henry Goodman, but what is the opening music??
Hello Chris,
I like Henry’s reading, don’t you? The music is M’Appari (my Italian is not great, but I think it’s roughly translated as “She Appeared to Me”) from the opera ‘Martha’ by Friedrich von Flotow. Not sure of the singer – possibly Mario Lanza. Can anyone help with this please?
Thanks,
Penny
Really want, no need, to know what the intro music is to this. I’m a complete ignoramus when it comes to classical or operatic music, but this piece has intrigued me somewhat. Please help!
Brilliant! It is indeed M’Appari and the iTunes version from Mario Lanza is good enough for me, although there are a number of versions available.
I grew up in Manchester in the fifties, and lots of the kids in my school were Jewish, so I should have a good appreciation of the book. I just wish I could stay awake long enough, which isn’t at all a reflection on the excellent reading.
I confess to needing a glossary of Jewish terms when listening to this.
I think that part of the function of B@B is to soothe one to sleep, so I always assume that if I can’t remember any of it then the reader must have been very good…
I tuned in to this religiously and the reading by Henry Goodman was excellent. I find poetry in place names such as Gorton and Openshaw. Perhaps you have to have grown up in Manchester to feel that way.
As an Essex girl, I hear no poetry in those place names. Quite the opposite. Now, Basildon and Brentwood, that’s a different matter…..
What about Billericay and Stansted Mountfitchet