Saturday 23 November 2013

British Bulldog of Interest

My statistics tell me that there has been a large number of page visits, as usual it is British Bulldog that draws the crowds as does discussion of Edmund Marlowe's "Alexander's Choice".  I am glad I did not see that book before I wrote Scholarship as in some ways the story is not dissimilar, but that is hardly surprising when both are set in boarding schools.

Sunday 3 November 2013

Alexander's Choice by Edmund Marlowe

I have been reading Alexander's Choice by Edmund Marlowe.  This Eton set book has set tongues wagging as to who Alexander might be.  Some have even suggested that he is modelled on Boris Johnson, right era etc.  Seems implausible to me, I could not imagine anyone being attracted to Johnson!  There is a lot of great (and baffling detail) on the running of Eton as a school and how it is organised.  The Old Etonian Association said it was unlikely they would accept an advertisement for it in their annual review (correction provided by Edmund Marlowe himself).  Too close to home I imagine.
I have been watching the series on Harrow School as well.  What impressed me was the ridiculous amount of kit every boy needs.  Still the boys and the masters came over as pleasant people, not something I would have claimed was true in my day at a similar school.  I do recall we had a rowing fixture against Harrow and seeing a boy with bright green hair (or it may have been blonde and he was wearing lime green which made his hair seem green).  I was impressed and I have to say somewhat drawn to him!