Tuesday, September 05, 2017

On and on I knit, and have at last got to 12” on the body of Miss Rachel. Measuring circularity is not all that easy. And I injudiciously laid it on the floor today at a critical moment in the early evening television-viewing – and it turns out to be big enough for a cat to curl up on, if she makes a fairly tight circle.



So, no knitting during the news, but I mean to go back and watch the latest episode of Victoria any moment now.

I am tempted to skip the final episode of “Cuckoo’s Calling”. The reviews make it sound too complicated. The trailers for the new series, starting Sunday, sound very attractive. Can’t I just start again there? I will read the books, when I am clear of all this Italian revision/Sicilian history.

But I agree with every word you say about the television Strike, Shandy. Convincing, understated, humorous, attractive. How could you imagine him differently, Hat? I may understand once I’ve read the books.

I remember once going to one of those author’s-book-readings at a Waterstones here in Edinburgh, to hear P.D. James herself. She said that Roy Marsden’s portrayal of Adam Dalgleish on television was indeed wonderful [anyone who can remember will agree], but that he was not the Adam Dalgleish in her head as she was writing him. In that case, the Marsden Dalgleish fitted perfectly with the reader’s impression. At least this reader’s. Who could have been the alternative man whom P.D. James thought she was inventing?


And, Shandy, thank you for Duolingo. I have spent a lot of time wandering around cyberspace lately looking for Italian lessons, but I hadn’t spotted that one, and they’re good. I think I need to download an app, somehow or other. I keep getting the message “You didn’t test out of any skills”, even when I’ve done pretty well. I’ll keep at it. And, meanwhile, I have learned – and written down – my own mobile telephone number, and pursued, so far without result, a flesh-and-blood tutor.

7 comments:

  1. Totally agree that Marsden portrayed an excellent Dalgliesh:)! I think better than all the others who attempted him.
    Now, if only we could get a really good portrayal of Inspector Gamache of Louise Penny fame:)!The only portrayal was done by the fellow who plays Inspector Lynley (Nathaniel Parker),but as wonderful as he is, I think he is way too young for the part.

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    1. Agreed! But who?

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    2. Lots of talented quebecois actors rarely seen in our Anglo world - I would hope someone would look among them.

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  2. I do think the final episode of the Strike series is worth catching, especially if you have not read the book. The plot is as unlikely as any, but the pace picks up again.

    Have you seen the new jumper design by Lucy Hague? I can feel it calling to me. It appears that I already have the pattern as I bought the collection for an earlier shawl. Even the abbreviations have that Uncia look about them.

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  3. Anonymous12:26 PM

    Perhaps Perdita is dropping hints... She would like her own shawl / knitted cozy to curl up on!

    Helen (anon)

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  4. These conversations always remind me of taking my young goddaughter to a play of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She was over the moon with excitement, but then she was "really sad" that it didn't look like it did in her head. I loved Marsden, will have to watch for the show here.

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  5. In my mind Strike was much more thick set and coarser (?) I also had a different image of Robin. More like some young northern women I know I suppose and not so sylphlike and refined perhaps. I think the action is more contained somehow when reading the book. I'm not sure I've expressed that very well! I may well have enjoyed the series coming to it cold but as I don't have a television I probably won't persist with it on iPlayer.

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