Writer's Blog: Notes from a (small) Dwarf

I don't think I'm mentioned that I have a new web site: https://unstableorbit.wordpress.com/ I have been doing a lot on that site recently which is why there hasn't been much here. So I'm going to look at two books I've read since my last post...

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson and Maybe the Moon by Armistead Maupin

Notes from a Small Island is a departure from the books I normally read as it is non-fiction. I read a few excepts from this book at university and so wanted to read more. I can't recommend this book enough it is brilliant.

The small island of the title is Britain. Bryson chronicles his travels around this island and reflects on many different cities. (I will admit to being a bit miffed at him missing Cardiff.) He has a wonderful wit and a great sense of humour. He is interested in obscure facts about people and places and generally has a high opinion of Britain. Particularly, as he is American, he reflects on the differences between the two countries.

'Just the day before at Skipton I had asked for a single to Manchester with a receipt. When the man in the window passed them to me he said: 'The ticket's free...but it's £18.50 for the receipt.' If he had done that in America, the customer would have said: 'What? What're ya saying? The ticket's free, but the receipt costs £18.50? What kind of cockammamy set up is this?' (P228)

This reminds me of something that happened to my father many years ago. I must have been, I don't know, twelve at the oldest. We were going to a museum or adventure park, somewhere where you had to pay to get in, and the leaflet had prices for adults and children. Since my brother and I were of an age where this was uncertain, at some places an 'adult' is twelve years old, my father phoned them. He asked the question 'How old are children?' and received the response 'Depends when they're born.'

My father has a great sense of humour so he appreciated this joke. It got me thinking though that for some people that joke could have caused offence. I have recently been working in a customer service role. It is interesting interacting with people. Sometimes jokes occurred to me but I wasn't ever sure of when the right moment was. It must be a great skill to be able to evaluate if a joke will be taken well. Jokes can so easily backfire. Either the joke is seen as somehow offensive, the other person doesn't get it, or they simply feel that now is not the proper time for humour.

To go back to the book this was a very good read. I look forward to reading more of Bill Bryson's works.

Maybe the Moon is a very different story. It is the tale of a dwarf actor. This character, Cadence Roth, stared in a film called Mr Woods in which she played the title character. However since the role required her to wear a rubber suit and she was uncredited she is not known for this.

The story is told in the form of a journal. Cadence believes that her life is of great interest and would make an excellent film. This is a strange story but I enjoyed it. The voice of the character is engaging and the story is compelling.

As a writer I find this to be a particularly interesting tale. If one looks closely not a lot happens in the story. I do not mean this as a criticism rather it is interesting the way a novel can form from a few simple events.

I recommend both of these books and hope that you enjoy them too.