Friday, March 18, 2005

Dick Francis Retrospective

I’ve been revisiting Dick Francis this week. It started with Bonecrack and then I moved on to Rat Race, Longshot and Break In. Now I think I’ll do the Sid Halleys, which I’ve never read in the right order.

I first discovered Dick Francis in Chennai – I remember Navin suggesting I test the waters with Nerve. I loved it and it still is among my three most-favourites. I went to Beaver’s library on Monteith Road and brought home Odds Against. Which was so stomach-churningly sadistic, I didn’t read another Francis for months.
I went back however and read the lot, although I confess, I still skip the violent confrontations that abound his pages.

Why do I like this author? He writes in the first person. All but all his heroes are the same character with different names and professions. He’s got a silly thing about being macho and stoic and never, never letting pain show. He’s got a rather dim view of human nature and seems to know some pretty horrible people. There are some pretty rotten women cast as the romantic interest. Why do I like him?
There must be something, or I wouldn’t be fretting that I don’t own a copy of Decider.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have been reading the stuff you write.. both you and my sis are amazing at this blog thing..

Love reading..

Sheetal said...

Meera! is that really you? (Excuse me while I faint.. :)). Much thanks. Welcome back to India.

Anonymous said...

Yeah.. Very much me :) not yet back in India.. Am back on the 30th of this month

Shweta said...

hey really great! no one told me.