Betty MacDonald. Join fans of the beloved writer Betty MacDonald (1907-58). Betty MacDonald Society. Welcome to Betty MacDonald Society and Betty MacDonald Fan Club. Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's wonderful Betty MacDonald biography and his very funny and witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are authors Monica Sone ( Kimi ) and Betty's nephew Darsie Beck.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Betty MacDonald, The Plague and I and other bad news
Betty MacDonald's sister Alison Bard Burnett
Betty MacDonald's mother Sydney with grandchild Alison Beck
Monica Sone was Betty MacDonald's and Wolfgang Hampel's very good friend.
You can read a wonderful letter by Monica Sone in The Egg and Betty by Wolfgang Hampel.
I'd like to share a review by Olivier Thill's review of The Plague and I.
Rating: **** (I liked it)
A co-worker of Betty MacDonald has an active and communicable
tuberculosis for nineteen years. He infects four or five co-workers,
including Betty. She sees doctors for two years who are not able to
diagnose her tuberculosis, and later she will learn that many other
people are misdiagnosed for years like her.
Thanks to her brother-in-law, she is eventually sent to the best
sanatorium of the Washington state, named The Pines. The discipline is
very strict. She is not allowed to do anything, not even to read, except
a booklet saying:
"... To date, no medicine has been discovered which will kill this
bacillus and not be too toxic for the patient... The only way a patient
can get rid of the bacillus is to wall it off in the lungs. This
walling-off process is done by fibrosis which is more delicate than a
spider's web and can be torn by the slightest activity... The poisons
sloughed off by the tubercular sores in the lungs make the tuberculosis
patient nervous, make his heart pound, make resting difficult... rest is
the answer."
Her life is hard, not only because of the disease, of the fear of dying,
of leaving her two daughters as orphans, but also because of some
roommates and nurses who are not very kind.
Comments:
This is an awful subject. It's a nightmare. And yet, I laughed out loud
half a dozen times, because Betty is not deprived of humor. Just one
example: in the first chapters of the book she had talked a little about
a member of the sanatorium's staff named Charlie, who only talks about
gruesome things, like patients he saw getting out in a wooden box; of
course she is always horrified and depressed by his words; nevertheless
one day: At dinnertime, like a fool, I asked Charlie if he knew anything about miliary tuberculosis. "Like a fool" is really the adequate expression. Poor Betty.
More? Okay, here is another example more subtle, it was her first day in the clinic: Each room had two white-covered single beds in it and in each bed a head was raised as I went by.
Instead of saying of "a head was raised", I would have said "a patient
raised her head" and that would not be funny at all. It is the kind of
details that distinguish a good writer from a pedestrian.
It is hard to coldly review such a book.
I think it's the best book
ever written by Betty MacDonald.
This book helps understanding the other books of Betty. This is a piece of the jigsaw puzzle I missed when I read Onions in the Stew, and conversely, I think Anybody Can Do Anything should be read before The Plague and I.
Like in The egg and I, Anybody can do anything, and Onions in the stews,
she starts by a chapter or two about her childhood.
Betty MacDonald always tries to
present things in a funny way, and the smart unconscious selection and
disposition of her memories allows sometimes to read her mind.
For instance, I know she blames neither her father, neither the nurses,
for enforcing stupid rules. She believes in fate, in predestined life.
But there are also many other things in the book. I laughed, I cried, I
could not find any stopping places, so I read it entirely almost all at
once, and shall think about it till I die. I'll live with this book in
my mind, and perhaps I'll be contagious (unlike cured tuberculosis
patients, who are no more contagious).
Do you have any caricatures of Betty MacDonald?
We are working on this subject ' Betty MacDonald in caricatures ' and are very grateful for your support.
Our Betty MacDonald fan club honor members are unique personalities.
Wolfgang
Hampel, Monica Sone's very good friend and author of Betty MacDonald
and Ma and Pa Kettle biography told us that Monica Sone was always
delighted to hear from her fans.
It's the same with our other Betty MacDonald fan club honor members.
If you have any
questions or greetings don't hesitate to send them, please.
The Betty
MacDonald fan club honor members are very happy to hear from you.
I
admire Monica Sone's book Nisei Daughter. Betty MacDonald was right
when she described Monica as Kimi the way she did in her book The Plague
and I.
Monica was very witty and intelligent although the subject of
Nisei Daughter isn't a funny one. Just the opposite!
Publisher: Betty MacDonald fan club
Electronic file. 2002 Updated version with many new info, documents and photos in 2016
Rating: **** This is the study of the bestseller, The Egg and I, by Betty MacDonald, first printed in 1945.
You can read many fascinating thoughts from readers of The Egg and I and the long and careful investigation undertaken by the founder of Betty MacDonald fan club.
Contents
A lesson in crosspurposes or Too much scrubbing takes the life right out of things
They were all quite drunk but still jovial or Birdie Hicks the second
My friend Betty or A letter from Kimi
A far cry from the Smith brothers and/or a real bastard?
Put out that match or Do you want me to start the greatest firework you've ever seen?
How long will the forests last? or Where is the spotted owl?
The type of female the pioneers were tickled pink to give the Indians as a hostage or I'm saving my old newspapers for you
The terrible nearness of the mountains or A hell of a place to live
Who is who? or Old McDonald' had a farm
The good guy in The Egg and I or A long search with the help of an ex-FBI man who had helped catch Dillinger
The Egg and I road or People on this road are pretty private
A smile from Chimacum or How beautiful is it to be human
Huge fans of Betty's or The "Kettles" were just trying to feather their own nests...
Photos
Wolfgang Hampel has made funny and enigmatic titles like Betty MacDonald
did.
This first chapter is an informal
discussion about two families, the Kettles and the Hicks, who where the
closest neighbors of Betty.
A "Betty Expert" ventured the hypothesis that the name Hicks
derives from the adjective "hick" meaning rural and uncouth. Wolfgang Hampel unveils the truth which was not easy to guess
and to find, and which is completely different. The second chapter starts with a few words about the Kettles. The rest of the
chapter is about the representation of the Indians in MacDonald's book.
Wolfgang Hampel has asked the opinion of readers, and publishes their very interesting reactions
The next chapter entitled "a letter from Kimi" is also about the
Indians. It ends with a very imporant letter from Kimi who in reality was author Monica Sone, first Betty MacDonald fanc club honor member and a very good friend of Betty MacDonald and Wolfgang Hampel.
The next chapter is about Betty's first husband, Robert Eugene Heskett
Wolfgang Hampel reveals a very interesting lie of Betty, which is that before
marrying Bob, she already lived in the country, not in town.
Knowing the real life of Bob makes you feel more pity for poor
Betty. One might also wonder why she has been so eager to quit her home
at an early age, accepting to fly away with an old alcoholic as a
result.
In the next chapter the truth
is told about the fate of the farm after Betty and Bob left it.
In the rest of the book, you'll discover many other interesting things.
I
won't go into details here (although I have carefully read every line
till the end), because the purpose of a review is only to give an idea
of the content of a book.
Wolfgang Hampel has done a wonderful work of research.
Now, every reader of Betty MacDonald's The Egg and I has the possibilty
of learning the true story, which, personally, I find more interesting
than the semi-fiction it inspired.
Publisher: Betty MacDonald fan club
Electronic file. 2002 Updated version with many new info, documents and photos in 2016
Rating: **** The Kettle's Million Dollar Egg is an historical account of a trial.
Betty MacDonald is the author of The Egg and I, which turned out
to be a best-seller. It was adapted to the screen. A movie was made, and
proved to be very successful too. Afterwards " Ma and Pa Kettle" appeared in a very successful series after
the name of a couple of farmers who are not very flatteringly described
by Betty MacDonald. Undoubtedly it is their dirtyness and dumbness that
make the spectators laugh. The series was a big success.
The problem is that a family sues Betty MacDonald for having been
exposed to ridicule in her book. The Bishop family believes she had been
depicted by Betty MacDonald as the Kettle family.
The plaintiffs are the first to talk. On some issues, witnesses are asked to confirm or infirm what has been said.
A few days later, Betty MacDonald can talk. She is asked to tell in what circunstances she wrote the book.
Comments
Being the defendant is not pleasant. Being in the witness stand is not always very easy:
She said a finer man never lived than Al Bishop and described his wife as a wonderful woman. Cautioned by Judge Wilkins just to answer questions and not to volunteer information, Mrs. Madeline Bishop,
a sprightly and alert woman, turned to the judge with a broad smile: "Am I talking too much, judge?" she asked. "We all do that sometime," the judge remarked smiling. "But I can't tell you unless I explain," she answered pertly. According to her Albert Bishop had tremendous working habits, not at all like Paw Kettle in the book. He had red hair "like that juror's", pointing to a young juror with red
hair. Albert Bishop worked "like a dog, night and day." Her sister
wasn' t profane as was Maw Kettle. "It was not a habit of hers. She was
not a profane woman. She might say 'Doggone you' to a kid or something
like that." Several pictures of the Albert Bishop family which defense attorney
Crandell sought to have introduced through Mrs. Bishops identification
were ruled out of evidence as having no bearing on the case since they
were taken a number of years before the time allegedly covered in THE
EGG AND I. As the last of the pictures was ruled out, Mrs. Bishop drew a photograph
in a small round frame from her purse. "Here's one of my sister when
she was a young woman," she remarked , " but I suppose that one has no
bearing either." Then she put the picture before Judge Wilkins,
commenting as she did so: "She's sweet, isn't she?"
The situation is absurd. When people are attacking others or defending
themselves, they feel the need to say and do stupid things, as if it
were the most stupid person who would be the winner in the end. The
judge knows that natural inclination, he encourages the others to talk
nonsense, and then, he rules out whatever he likes.
Even if the Bishops are mostly interested in getting financial subsidies
rather than in restoring their dignity and honour, they are
nevertheless victims in some ways, because Betty's book changed their
life. They had to deal with tourists, who wished to see the ranch where
Betty lived. They had to recreate it, to reinvent a myth, to charge one
dollar per visit, to declare they were the Kettles or to deny that
according to circunstances.
The story is about a rebellion against mighty forces which are thwarting
long-established plans and desires. The Olympian Gods want to make
surprises, but the poor mortals don't like them.
Work and life of Betty MacDonald will be honored by Wolfgang Hampel in Vita Magica.
We got very important info regarding the original 'The Egg and I' and the way Betty MacDonald described her first husband Robert Eugene Heskett and their neighbours.
Do you want to see photos of Betty MacDonald's beloved grandmother Gammy? You can see several ones in Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter November. Isn't this great? By the way I totally agree. The author of an oustanding Betty MacDonald biography needs a very good sense of humor.
We
will be able to offer you very witty and exciting stories because of
our outstanding Betty MacDonald research and many interviews with Betty
MacDonald's family and friends by Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel.
We are going to publish new Betty MacDonald fan club items including new Betty MacDonald interviews by Wolfgang Hampel.
Fat. Pig. Dog. Slob. Disgusting animal.
These are just some of the names that Donald Trump has
called women over the years. Yes, a man who's hoping to become President
of the United States and presumably persuade a few women to vote for
him, too.
The billionaire has
been widely called out for his objectification of women - he has a
tendency to criticise them for their looks - and sexist remarks.
I know very well that the two candidates aren't popular at all, but you can't vote for a guy like him.
Our next Betty MacDonald fan club project is a collection of these unique dedications.
If you
share your dedication from your Betty MacDonald - and Mary Bard Jensen
collection you might be the winner of our new Betty MacDonald fan club
items.
Thank you so much in advance for your support.
Thank you so much for sending us your favourite Betty MacDonald quote.
More info are coming soon.
Wolfgang
Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty
MacDonald interviews have fans in 40 countries. I'm one of their many devoted fans.
Many Betty MacDonald - and Wolfgang Hampel fans are very interested in a Wolfgang Hampel CD and DVD with his
very funny poems and stories.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club fans from all over the World are very interested in Wolfgang Hampel's interviews, stories and poems.
You'll
be able to read some of Wolfgang Hampel's new satirical stories and
poems in our Betty MacDonald Fan Club newsletter. It'll be available in
November.
As
we all know Wolfgang Hampel founded Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty
MacDonald Society in 1983.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club got members in 40
countries.
Wolfgang Hampel visited all the places where Betty MacDonald and her family lived.
Wolfgang
Hampel's new Betty MacDonald documentary of Betty MacDonald's life in
Boulder, Butte, Seattle, Laurelhurst, Chimacum, Vashon Island, Carmel
and Carmel Valley is really fascinating. My personal favourites are
scenes of Betty's and Don's life in Carmel and Carmel Valley.
THE PLAGUE AND I, by Betty MacDonald, originally published in in the UK in 1948, my edition 1959
(boy, do I love old Penguins)…One of my favourites, for years and years. I can’t remember when I first encountered The Plague and I,
but certain expressions and catchphrases from it have passed into our
family shorthand, so my guess is that my parents loved it
too.’Toecover’, for instance, a word that describes a hand-made object
of uncertain usage and all-too-certain unpleasantness. Ideally, a
toecover should have no discernible function, and – in my opinion –
involve limp crochet in some respect. Then there’s ‘Hush ma mouth, what
have ah said?’, delivered in a clichéd Southern accent. This should be
deployed after the ostensibly inadvertent revelation of some fact that
has got the speaker into trouble, and is ironically directed at the
person who has given the game away. Then – no, enough already. You get
the idea.This should not be a funny book. Absolutely not, no way, it’s about a
stay in a 1930s tuberculosis sanatorium, for heaven’s sake – and yet it
is. Hilarious, even laugh-out-loud funny in parts, and yet those parts
are interspersed with more serious stuff. I recently lent it to a friend
who had to spend some time in hospital, and she not only loved it,
finding it funny too, but also found it relevant. As she said, ‘times
change, but people don’t.’
In
the late 1930s Betty MacDonald – who had led a slightly unconventional
life but who had, as yet, not committed any of it to paper (her
best-known book is probably The Egg and I, about her first
marriage to a chicken farmer and which came out in 1945) – developed a
series of colds, then a cough, then extreme tiredness… But, ‘operating
under the impression that I was healthy and that everyone who worked
felt the same as I did’, failed to put two and two together. In all
fairness, so did a series of doctors (largely because she consulted each
specialist about his – and I mean his – own area), until she was
finally diagnosed with TB. Tuberculosis, of course, could be tantamount
to a death sentence. As it can now, sometimes – but then there were no
drugs which worked against it and it was horribly prevalent. It’s also
highly contaigious and MacDonald caught hers from a co-worker who
managed to infect several other people as well. As a single mother with
two small children and a negligible income, she was luckily admitted to a
charitable sanatorium in Seattle, which she calls ‘The Pines’ in the
book. She was to stay at Firland Sanatorium for nine months, in 1937-8,
and emerged cured.
The
picture she creates is so vivid that this is one of those books where
the mental images generated are so strong that they dominate even when
you see contradictory pictures of the place that inspired them. The
echoing, draughty corridors, the never-ending cold, the sound of
invisible footsteps approaching, passing and then fading into the
distance… but it’s not depressing, even in the serious phases. It’s
populated by a cast of characters, all of whom I find exceptionally well
drawn and entertaining. They range from Betty’s family and her
near-constant companion in The Pines, Kimi Sanbo, to the miscellaneous
array of nurses and other patients such as Gravy Face and Granite Eyes
(two nurses); Charlie who loved to pass on depressing news of deaths and
disasters; Minna of the Southern drawl and ability to dump people in
the cacky… there are so many of them, so well delineated, that picking
just a few to mention here was difficult. But space has to be made for
Miss Gillespie of the Ambulant Hospital’s occupational therapy shop,
generator of many a toecover:
‘Miss Gillespie was physically and
mentally exactly what you’d expect the producer of hand-painted paper
plates to be. She had a mouth so crowded with false teeth it looked as
if she had put in two sets … and her own set of rules. One of these
rules was that women patients could not use the basement lavatory
because “the men will see you go in there and know what you go
in there for”. Another forbade the pressing of men’s trousers by women,
on the grounds that such intimate contact with male garments was
unseemly.’
Betty MacDonald is extremely good at expressing the life of any closed
institution. The way the world narrows down; the way rumours (‘all based
on a little bit of truth’) start, expand and spread; the effect of
being thrown into involuntary contact with people you would normally
avoid, and the intensity of the resulting reactions. (‘…the major
irritation of all was my room-mate, who was so damned happy all the
time, so well adjusted. She loved the institution and the institution
loved her. She loved all the nurses and the nurses loved her. She loved
all the other patients and all the other patients, but one, loved her.
That one used to lie awake in the long dark cold winter nights and
listen hopefully for her breathing to stop.’) It was a tough
regime, but it had to be – no drugs, remember. TB was essentially
treated by rest and some basic chest operations; there had to be rules.
But there was also the pointless expression of power indulged in by
some: ‘ “We do not tell the patients the rules, Mrs Bard. We find
that trial and error method is the best way to learn them.” I said, “But
how can I be obedient, co-operative, and helpful if I don’t know what
I’m supposed to do?” She said, “We don’t allow arguing, Mrs Bard”…‘
She is also very good on how difficult it is to adapt to life
afterwards, describing what could almost be a type of Stockholm
Syndrome. But she did shake herself free, and the TB didn’t reappear.So yes, a sort of happy ending. ‘Sort of’ because Betty MacDonald
died in 1958, from cancer, at the age of only 50. I’m sure she would
have been surprised and possibly flattered to know that people were
still enjoying her books over fifty years later. I most certainly am.
Great book.
US election 2016 polls and odds tracker: Latest forecast Hillary Clinton's lead over Donald Trump narrows after FBI revelations
Polls are tightening as
the race to become the 45th President of the United States enters its
last week, with Donald Trump attempting to capitalise on Hillary Clinton's latest email scandal. Until election day on 8 November, follow our poll tracker to keep up-to-date with who's on top. Based on polling data from RealClearPolitics, we have state-by-state predictions and an estimate of the overall electoral college vote.
You can also keep up
with what to look out for in the US Senate and House of Representatives
elections, due to happen on the same day, with our handy guide.
The news that the FBI has reopened its investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server to send, receive and store government emails has handed Donald Trump an unexpected boost ahead of next Tuesday. The FBI has obtained a warrant to begin searching newly discovered emails belonging to Huma Abedin, a top aide of Hillary Clinton, with Clinton's use of emails also in the spotlight. There is no sign that this new investigation will be
completed by election day and it seems that Clinton will have to fight
the final week of her campaign with unspecified allegations hanging over her. This is ideal for Trump who was shown to be as many as 14 points behind Clinton in some polls before this latest scandal. Clinton has been ahead almost continuously in the
Telegraph's poll of polls, which takes an average of the last five polls
published on RealClearPolitics. She still retains a lead, but this could change in the coming days with some polls now showing a far closer race.
The presidential campaign has seen Donald Trump, once a Republican outsider, close the gap on Clinton before falling back after a series of controversies. Trump has briefly pulled ahead a couple of times - first on
19 May. His polling threatened to consistently overtake Clinton in
September, but has since fallen back after a series of allegations of
sexual assault were made against him. Trump is prone to making gaffes and alienating key demographic groups with his comments. His comments on sexually assaulting women, as well as poor performances in the presidential debates, had seen Clinton extend her lead. However, with the news that the FBI is once again investigating Clinton, a lot could change between now and election day. The New York Times has worked out
that, even one week before previous elections, a simple polling average
has differed from the final result by about four percentage points.
With the polls being still close, anything could happen.
How does the presidential election work?
Each of the 50 states, as well as the District of
Columbia, has a certain amount of electoral college votes to award a
candidate, based on the number of members of Congress it has. This is
roughly in line with each area's population. Except in Maine and
Nebraska, the votes are given on a winner-takes-all basis. This system matters, as the popular vote is less important
than the electoral college vote. Clinton's campaign should be buoyed by
big Democratic states such as New York, New Jersey, Illinois and
California, and these populous states could lead her to victory with
their large number of electoral college votes. For example, in 2008, Barack Obama
won 53 per cent of the vote – but this led to 68 per cent of the
electoral college vote. Such highly populated states played a large role
when they backed the current president.
Swing states – states that often switch between Democrat and Republican in different elections – are also important.
States
like Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia have the power
to swing the election. So far, neither Trump nor Clinton has a
significant lead in these crucial states.
Mr.
Tigerli in China
Copyright 2016 by Letizia Mancino translation by Mary Holmes All rights reserved
Yes Betty, either or it seems he wanted to fly only with
Singapore Airways.
Boeing or Airbus, it’s just the same
isn’t it? Aren’t they both just fat birds with 500 passengers?
Yes, but Singapore Airlines has the
most beautiful airhostesses: delicate, fine, graceful…Mr. Tigerli had looked forward to the flight
so much!
So the little man was disappointed?
You just can’t imagine how disappointed
he was.
But thank God one of the hostesses was a
pretty Chinese girl. Mr. Tigerli purred loudly but she didn’t hear him because
the purring of the Airbus 380 was even louder.
The poor cat!
You’ve said it Betty. Mr. Tigerli was
in a very bad mood and asked me for a loud speaker.
I’m sure you can get one in 1st
Class.
“”Russian Girl” had even heard you over
the roar of the Niagara Falls” I said to Mr. Tigerli. “You are a very
unfaithful cat. You wanted to get to know Asiatic girls. That’s how it is when
one leaves one’s first love”.
And what did he say to that?
“Men are hunters” was his answer.
Yes, my dear cat, a mouse hunter. And
what else did he say?
Not another word. He behaved as if he
hadn’t heard me.
The Airbus is very loud.
I told him shortly “Don’t trouble
yourself about “Chinese Girl”. There will be enough even prettier girls in
China. Wait till we land in Guilin”.
Did he understand you?
Naturally Mr. Tigerli understood me
immediately. Yes, sweetheart, don’t worry. They will find you something sweet
to eat.
And he?
He was so happy.
No problem going through the immigration
control?
Naturally!Lots of problems. How could I explain to
customs that the cat had come as a tourist to China to buy shoes?
Fur in exchange for shoes…
Don’t be so cynical Betty!
Cat meat in exchange for shoes?
I said to the officials. He isn’t a cat, he is Casanova.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
One of my favourites, for years and years. I can’t remember when I first encountered The Plague and I,
but certain expressions and catchphrases from it have passed into our
family shorthand, so my guess is that my parents loved it
too.’Toecover’, for instance, a word that describes a hand-made object
of uncertain usage and all-too-certain unpleasantness. Ideally, a
toecover should have no discernible function, and – in my opinion –
involve limp crochet in some respect. Then there’s ‘Hush ma mouth, what
have ah said?’, delivered in a clichéd Southern accent. This should be
deployed after the ostensibly inadvertent revelation of some fact that
has got the speaker into trouble, and is ironically directed at the
person who has given the game away. Then – no, enough already. You get
the idea.
This should not be a funny book. Absolutely not, no way, it’s about a
stay in a 1930s tuberculosis sanatorium, for heaven’s sake – and yet it
is. Hilarious, even laugh-out-loud funny in parts, and yet those parts
are interspersed with more serious stuff. I recently lent it to a friend
who had to spend some time in hospital, and she not only loved it,
finding it funny too, but also found it relevant. As she said, ‘times
change, but people don’t.’
One of my favourites, for years and years. I can’t remember when I first encountered The Plague and I,
but certain expressions and catchphrases from it have passed into our
family shorthand, so my guess is that my parents loved it
too.’Toecover’, for instance, a word that describes a hand-made object
of uncertain usage and all-too-certain unpleasantness. Ideally, a
toecover should have no discernible function, and – in my opinion –
involve limp crochet in some respect. Then there’s ‘Hush ma mouth, what
have ah said?’, delivered in a clichéd Southern accent. This should be
deployed after the ostensibly inadvertent revelation of some fact that
has got the speaker into trouble, and is ironically directed at the
person who has given the game away. Then – no, enough already. You get
the idea.
This should not be a funny book. Absolutely not, no way, it’s about a
stay in a 1930s tuberculosis sanatorium, for heaven’s sake – and yet it
is. Hilarious, even laugh-out-loud funny in parts, and yet those parts
are interspersed with more serious stuff. I recently lent it to a friend
who had to spend some time in hospital, and she not only loved it,
finding it funny too, but also found it relevant. As she said, ‘times
change, but people don’t.’
