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Is Dick Francis there Please?
Man from Arena: "Is Dick Francis there please?"
Me: "Sorry. He left a while ago."
Man from Arena: "Are you Mrs. Francis? You phoned earlier. My partner asked me to call you."
Me: "No. I, obviously, called the wrong number."
Man from Arena: "Yes. We're publishers." ( They are listed under Second Hand Book Sellers )
Me: "I'm Superman's hamster. Goodbye."
I'd already given up trying to order a Dick Francis novel after the Waterstones assistant said that
'To the Hilt' was out of stock, and no one from the second hand book shop, that he recommended, answered the phone.
The story ended, positively, though. Back at Waterstones the assistant suggested a new title; Norfolk Mystery by Ian Fanfom.
"It's humorous," he added, instinctively, realising that I was on the edge having had a bit of trouble deciding, with my Writers' Group, which book to begin reading, and discussing at the next meeting.
Comments
it is available here at Awesome books.
He writes 'thrillers' about Horseracing, which is why I read some of them.
Not very thrilling and very 'put together' with the seams showing. Heavily edited by Mrs Francis.
His books are excellent, if fast-paced thriller-type things are what you like with exactly the same protagonist. The ones as he got very old were written with his son, (who was credited) with the idea of passing on the wotsit, but are less good.
The ones by Felix Francis alone are terrible.
His books are excellent, if fast-paced thriller-type things are what you like with exactly the same protagonist. The ones as he got very old were written with his son, (who was credited) with the idea of passing on the wotsit, but are less good.
The ones by Felix Francis alone are terrible....'
Oh, well. Horses for courses, I suppose. I thought they were awful, but I'm not usually a 'thriller' reader. As I say I am a racing fan and read a few for that reason. I think one or two of them were radio serials.
The info about Mrs Francis having a lot of involvement was said by...Dick Francis. Perhaps, then, he was being ultra modest.
All a matter of taste and opinion
He knew his world and had the sense to stick to it.
Found To the Hilt, via Bill's link, but after 'a god awful cock up' ( Francis, D.) involving spoons, ordered via internet, I saw myself, on the doorstep, in a horrific scenario accepting the complete works of Englebert Blagofsky, and did not have the nerve to order again.
Reference;
Pan, Francis, D.'The Danger', Chapter One, p. 9
Unless my memory is playing tricks, of course, but I see no reason why I should have remembered this. I never thought the subject would ever arise in my lifetime! I only watched the interview because I am interested in all things and people related to Horse Racing.
All writing is contrived. Thrillers are plot driven and it struck me at the time that the contrivances to facilitate the plot were too obviously contrived. The cutting and pasting seemed evident to me, but I suppose that is the nature of thrillers. I must read some more. I am quite willing to be proved wrong. Perhaps I read the wrong ones. One I remember was about a journey across Canada in a train.
I wish I had written them! He has achieved more than I have or will.
Energy apart, and notwithstanding the lack of a professional publisher’s reader, I couldn’t write them now because I see the ‘mechanics’ of writing too clearly for my own good. It puts me off writing!
There is not a lot of murders in the villages of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire [Midsomer Murders], or dastardly deeds in Horse Racing; so the plots are bound to be strained. Good to watch but I cant read them.
Patricia - bite the bullet and try again. If I can do it so can you!
:-$
i like his 'one' protagonist because he is so upright and like my dad was... and how i would wish to be were I a man. Plus I like the excitement of the last bit where the protagonist is in danger of losing his one remaining arm etc, but manages to get free using only his wit, a rubber band and an elastoplast.
I also love Donna Leon, and lots of men's action books.
I was trawling through my somewhat packed bookshelves, wondering what I could get rid of, and there was one Dick Francis.
Guess which one? "To the Hilt".
Patricia - if you still want it I'll stick it in the post this week.