back to article Weekend reads: Tales of Madchester in Chapter and Verse plus Shark and Ring of Steel

El Reg bookworm Mark Diston reviews the latest literary treats. Lauded wordsmith Will Self's new novel takes some extraordinary twists and turns. Joy Division and New Order guitarist Bernard Sumner tells his life story and Alexander Watson delivers a unique take on WWI, history, not from the victors, but as told from the centre …

  1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Same way everyone gets into art college

    Failed all my exams and applied

    - Lister the Great

  2. Joe Gurman

    For a balanced, first-person account of WW I

    ....try Peter Englund's "The Beauty and the Sorrow," which consists of excerpts of letter and journals by individuals at the front, on the home front, in POW camps – on both sides.

  3. groMMitt

    Ring of Steel

    Lovely to see Jacques Brel doing Next - the only performance I knew was The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, excellent, but so different from Brel - ty!

  4. MyffyW Silver badge

    Will Self

    He's a brilliant wordsmith, an interesting radio broadcaster, a passable Alistair-Dabbs-impersonator, but I've really struggled with Will Self's novels. The most enjoyable one (for me) was Dorian, based on a stolen plot device (thanks Oscar) but fulsomely reimagined for our age.

    Definitely not keen to practice the acne cure from "My Idea of Fun".

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