...this essay makes me want to snap up his entire back-catalogue.
This paragraph especially, oh how I love it:
This paragraph especially, oh how I love it:
Mr. Billingham, sir - I salute you!
Although I have never read a Mark Billingham novel...
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English political figures have proven his theory many times over!
Billingham novels are worth a read.
Cheers,
JJ
Billingham novels are worth a read.
Cheers,
JJ
I love how some readers confuse characters and authors. It was the character using the naughties; it's not like authors are in loco parentis
The clown mask thing is so deliciously twisted.
Mind you, what else would you expect from a Brummie?
Mind you, what else would you expect from a Brummie?
I love how some readers confuse characters and authors. It was the character using the naughties; it's not like authors are in loco parentis
I'm used to 'in loco parentis' as an aspect of the school system, so color me very confused here.
Also, this
annoys me. Every time. This isn't to say that people whose words consist entirely of f-word permutations (or who consider 'gay' the only adjective ever created) don't often come across as idiotic or at least annoying as f---, but sometimes f--- really is the best word, right?
Also, xkcd contains beautiful strips like this celebrating the use of foul language, and if you think xkcd is not imaginitive and brilliant you can [extremely imaginitive expletive left up to your imagination] wearing a clown mask.
A lady recently commented to me at a book signing:
Reader: 'I loved your first book, JJ, and can't wait to read this one!'
Me: 'Thank you, I hope you enjoy!
She then paused and screwed her face up a little.
Reader: 'Is there as much use of the 'F' word in this one as in the first . . . it's just that there seemed to be a lot in The Interrogator?'
My default thoughtful response would liked to have been 'Fuck yeah!'
Me: 'Not as much. The main character doesn't use that word as much now since he left the military. Maybe you could just skip over that word when you see it coming up.'
She gives a thoughtful nod as if that would work out just fine.
Reader: 'Oh that's good, it's just that blah, blah, blah etc. . .
Cheers,
JJ
Reader: 'I loved your first book, JJ, and can't wait to read this one!'
Me: 'Thank you, I hope you enjoy!
She then paused and screwed her face up a little.
Reader: 'Is there as much use of the 'F' word in this one as in the first . . . it's just that there seemed to be a lot in The Interrogator?'
My default thoughtful response would liked to have been 'Fuck yeah!'
Me: 'Not as much. The main character doesn't use that word as much now since he left the military. Maybe you could just skip over that word when you see it coming up.'
She gives a thoughtful nod as if that would work out just fine.
Reader: 'Oh that's good, it's just that blah, blah, blah etc. . .
Cheers,
JJ
Indeed! Perhaps I should have asked her for an appropriate responsive word the MC would have used when having his hand nailed to a table!
Cheers,
JJ
Cheers,
JJ
"Fiddlesticks! I knew I should have had a tetanus jab. Being nailed to a table is terribly bothersome."
You're welcome.
Kill Bill would have been so much better if a certain minor character had announced himself by saying, "My name is Buck and I'm here to do a naughty, naughty thing."
I just finished a short story for an anthology where it was requested I use no swearing - that was hard!
Cheers,
JJ
... not my cup of tea, but if you're into the author, so be it. Enjoy the books, grr, grrr.
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I just finished a short story for an anthology where it was requested I use no swearing - that was hard!
Cheers,
JJ
I have had this happen, too. And I had an editor refuse to include a story even after I had taken out the "fucks" because he then didn't like the subject matter. So I put them back in, ashamed of myself for taking them out on the first place.
Never even heard of the guy, but I like the paragraph you quoted. I dig it muchly. I'm so tired of prigs.
If one of my characters need to say the f word, my character says fuck. I hate stilted writing that tries desperately to get around bad words or bad actions. Makes for stilted prose and stilted reading.
I'm used to 'in loco parentis' as an aspect of the school system, so color me very confused here.
As in, we are not there to chaperone our characters into good behaviour. Good behaviour is not the point of most novels.
I've read several of the books, and came away thinking 'meh.' Now I'm not
squeamish, I love the Dexter books, but one scene in Buried was revolting. I recently discovered he had copied the idea from a US author.
One of the biggest crime writers in the UK. Or to those of us in the UK who grew up in the eighties more commonly known as Gary in Maid Marian and her Merry Men.
squeamish, I love the Dexter books, but one scene in Buried was revolting. I recently discovered he had copied the idea from a US author.
One of the biggest crime writers in the UK. Or to those of us in the UK who grew up in the eighties more commonly known as Gary in Maid Marian and her Merry Men.
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Or to those of us in the UK who grew up in the eighties more commonly known as Gary in Maid Marian and her Merry Men.
I'd loved that. Even more so when I found out Barrington was Cat from Red Dwarf.
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I love how people complain about the F-word but are okay with the violence.
It's the same with people who obsess about the amount of sex in a film but then have no problem with taking their ten year old kids to see Saw Part 954 because they can't be bothered to get a babysitter.
Oh yeah! Forgot about that one.
I remember watching blade 2 in the cinema and actually squealing when I saw Danny John Jules on screen. Me and my friend went nuts, but no one else in the cinema seemed to get it.
I'm not in the UK so I haven't heard of this author either. But I like his 'tude. If fuck is required, fuck it shall be.
Sounds like my mother. She'll read a book with a black pen at the ready to censor out the curse words, just in case she wants to read it again.
I would totally check out this author.
I don't have a problem with the word Fuck though, or bad language in general - and why is it considered bad. It is just a word. Many people swear. I have never gotten what was so *gasp* awful about using certain words.
Rape, murder, torture, meh....just don't use a naughty word.
I don't have a problem with the word Fuck though, or bad language in general - and why is it considered bad. It is just a word. Many people swear. I have never gotten what was so *gasp* awful about using certain words.
Rape, murder, torture, meh....just don't use a naughty word.
There are still curse words? Huh. Far as I can see, they've all been used so much they've lost their real punch. However, we do still have a tacit social agreement that they're naughty, because it would be so sad to go without any naughty words.
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