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Post by ripper on Mar 31, 2015 18:12:15 GMT
Confessions from the Beat by Jonathan May (Sphere, 1975) This is the third in the Jonathan May 'Confessions' series, penned by Laurence James following Christopher Woods' departure to Futura and taking his Timothy Lea series with him. As you can tell from the title, in this volume Jonathan May joins the police, the Met actually. I am about a quarter of the way through the book right now. It started off fairly brightly with May searching for his landlady's daughter's hedgehog in a neighbour's garden and being mistaken for a knicker snatcher. After a romantic encounter with his buxom neighbour, who turns out to be a policewoman, he is blackmailed into joining up otherwise she will have him arrested, as she snapped him covered with her undies after he knocked down a washing-line. So, at the moment, May is beginning his training at the police college... Well, as with my first exposure to Jonathan May, this one started off reasonably well though even after only a quarter of the book read, I have noticed once again the large number of lame jokes that pepper the narrative, breaking up the flow. Also, May has given us a recipe--I think he did that in the first book as well. So far, only one encounter, not really described in much detail. I am not sure if this one is going to flagg as 'Confessions of a Shop Assistant' did, but by the beginning of Chapter 4 I felt the first stirrings that it might do so--hope I am wrong.
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Post by ripper on Apr 1, 2015 9:20:39 GMT
I read a further couple of chapters last night and, to be honest, I found it hard going. All those jokes really break up the flow of the story. We all know that Laurence James could tell a cracking good story, but I do get the impression that he wasn't entirely comfortable with writing novel-length humour. Whereas the Lea books derive their humour from characters and situations, it is the jokes that perform the same function to a large extent in the Mays, or that is how it appears to me after reading one and a third books.
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Post by ripper on Apr 16, 2016 10:21:21 GMT
Well, a year after my last post on this book, I am still no further on in completing it. As with the first entry in the series that I read, it sagged after a decent start and I found it hard going. I shall probably give it another go at some time, but based on reading about one and a third books in this series, I prefer greatly Timothy Lea's adventures.
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Post by ripper on Jan 29, 2021 11:28:21 GMT
Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment, but I have purchased another in the Jonathan May Confessions series, Confessions of a Travel Courier. This, I believe, is book 2 in the series, and was published by Sphere in 1975, post Christopher Wood's moving to Futura. There is also a similar title in Wood's Rosie Dixon series, Confessions from a Package Tour, also published in 1975, but of course by Futura. Wood also wrote Confessions from a Holiday Camp in 1972 in the Timothy Lea series, and Crumpet Voluntary in 1974 in the Oliver Grape series, both of which had parts set in a stereotypical Costa-style resort overseas.
As preparation for the new J May book, I am going to give Confessions from the Beat another go. As described above, I didn't get on too well with it last time, but after nearly 6 years, perhaps this time I will enjoy it more. I must say, after a number of blood-soaked PC westerns recently, I am in the mood for something lighter.
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Post by ripper on Jan 30, 2021 11:37:05 GMT
I started Confessions from the Beat yesterday and finished it off this morning. Well, I have to admit I got on with it better this time round. This was volume 3 out of 12, so Laurence James was probably still getting used to writing novel-length humour.
Summarising, JM is blackmailed into joining the Mett, goes through training, and there are then a series of situations that he finds himself in before being sacked. He is rather naive, inadvertently helping a gang of bank robbers and an attractive shoplifter. He also has to vet a blue film show, watching each film several times just to be thorough, only to find that his brother is behind the show. At a policeman's ball, he mistakes two officers for thieves and apprehends them, only to find that the real thieves have used the arrest to steal silver.
As has been said before, it seems obvious that Laurence James did not find writing this kind of thing easy, and based on two early books, I am a bit surprised the series lasted for 12 volumes. There are lots of jokes and stories about his family, but to me that just interrupted the flow of the story. There are 2 appeals in the book for readers to write in and maybe get a dedication in a later book. He also mentions the sending of photos and ahem certain items of clothing to him, which LJ said actually happened, plus propositions from ladies who appeared to believe JM was a real person. There are not that many romantic encounters, and those that occur are not really described in much detail.
I got a few chuckles from the book, but for me the May character is not as appealing as Timmy Lea, and for these books comparison is inevitable. Lea seems like a chirpy cockney, a lovable rogue who is always cheerful and basically harmless, being led by his scheming brother-in-law into scrapes. May seems to lack personality. He's a bit bland, though didn't have the slight occasional unpleasantness I thought he had in Shop Assistant. To be fair, LJ was perhaps still working out May's character, and I would like to read an example from much later in the series to see how it changes.
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Post by andydecker on Jan 30, 2021 21:15:07 GMT
I still didn't read any May or Lea. Was tempted to buy a May this week because I liked the cover. Still haven't decided.
Still don't know who Jonothan White was. John Harvey is it not. At least he hasn't listed it.
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Post by ripper on Jan 31, 2021 11:35:39 GMT
I am still yet to read any of the White books, so no idea how they compare to the Lea and May series, not to mention those featuring Rosie Dixon and Oliver Grape.
I've said above how I am puzzled how the May series lasted 12 volumes, but I assume that as they did means they must have been making a profit for Sphere, and since it was LJ who quit the series, must have still been worth publishing for Sphere even right at the end.
As to which Lea and May books to get to try, I really haven't read enough Mays, and most of the Leas are much of a muchness apart from last in series Haunted House, which is much more a general humour book with far fewer romantic encounters for Timmy. I did have quite a fun time with Confessions from the Pop Scene aka Confessions of a Pop Performer in the Lea series. I have just tended to buy whatever title was cheap at the time, and I certainly wouldn't pay too much for them. The Leas and Dixons are available on Kindle for £2 or less, with some only 99p if that might be of interest.
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Post by andydecker on Jan 31, 2021 12:52:57 GMT
I've said above how I am puzzled how the May series lasted 12 volumes, but I assume that as they did means they must have been making a profit for Sphere, and since it was LJ who quit the series, must have still been worth publishing for Sphere even right at the end. I share your puzzlement. I have seen the Confession movies, and it is quite hard to fathom why they made so much money. I also saw some of their German counterparts. Which in some cases have much more softcore content than the Asquith or Millington movies. Seen from today's perspective most of its humour is just groan-worthy and the slapstick tiresome. But - and this is IMHO an important but - their success is irrefutable proof how big the interest in sex and nudity on the screen or erotic content in books was and how liberating it must have been to not be told what one can see or read in regard of sexual topics. This was quite an achievement in terms of freedom, and it will come to haunt future generations that this freedom is given up without much of a fight.
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Post by ripper on Jan 31, 2021 17:27:10 GMT
I've said above how I am puzzled how the May series lasted 12 volumes, but I assume that as they did means they must have been making a profit for Sphere, and since it was LJ who quit the series, must have still been worth publishing for Sphere even right at the end. I share your puzzlement. I have seen the Confession movies, and it is quite hard to fathom why they made so much money. I also saw some of their German counterparts. Which in some cases have much more softcore content than the Asquith or Millington movies. Seen from today's perspective most of its humour is just groan-worthy and the slapstick tiresome. But - and this is IMHO an important but - their success is irrefutable proof how big the interest in sex and nudity on the screen or erotic content in books was and how liberating it must have been to not be told what one can see or read in regard of sexual topics. This was quite an achievement in terms of freedom, and it will come to haunt future generations that this freedom is given up without much of a fight. I have seen 3 out of 4 Confessions films, the exception being Pop Performer. Yes, they are not exactly laugh-a-minute feasts of humour. They have quite a few actors who were well known at the time on UK TV, so it is disappointing that the scripts didn't match the talent of the actors. It was the prospect of seeing some fine-looking ladies with few if any clothes on that was the main draw for many who wanted to see the films, and I am sure that a disproportionate number were teenage boys. I was too young to have had any chance of getting in to see any of the series at the cinema, but I do remember adverts for them, and I would probably have gone to see at least one if I had been a few years older. It was only in the late 60s that censorship began to relax and female nudity became more common and acceptable on TV and in films, so when the Confessions series was made it was still fairly novel. The books themselves seem quite tame nowadays in terms of their sexual content, though again it was the change in attitudes that allowed these smutty books to be sold openly in bookshops and newsagents. As for the films, same with the books, and I think a significant part of the readership were teenage boys. I don't recall any attempt to place the books out of the reach of children, at least not in the shops near to where I lived. Actually, nowadays, it is not the sexual content of the books and films that shocks, rather it is just how un-PC they are compared to what would be allowed today.
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Post by ripper on Oct 16, 2021 12:57:48 GMT
After putting it off for nearly 9 months I finally bit the bullet and made a start on Confessions of a Travel Courier (book 2 in the Jonathan May series). I have read a couple of chapters so far. It starts off directly from the first volume (Shop Assistant) with May getting a job at a travel shop, with the author describing the owner as like the Dick Emery 'Hello Honkytonks' character. There is also a sexy receptionist, but she seems to have left the shop's employment. Jonathan has already had his first romantic encounter with the daughter of his new landlady. Some awful jokes, which slow down the story. Only a few smiles from yours truly so far, certainly nothing that has come close to making me laugh. I fear this is going to be a slog, but I live in hope that I will be proved wrong.
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Post by dem bones on Oct 16, 2021 15:15:22 GMT
Jonathan May - Confessions Of A Travel Courier (Sphere, 1975) Blurb: Travel broadens the mind, so Jonny had heard. And even though it wasn't his mind he was thinking of broadening, a job as a travel courier seemed an ideal way to get to grips with people-preferably the female variety. Rupert Colt wasn't the best employer-his six-shooter wasn't exactly straight-but Colt's Travel Agency was as good a place as any. to start a new career. And so Jonny found that not all Russians believe in the Cold War. Some like it hot. And Swiss misses can turn into hits. In Amsterdam he made an exhibition of himself. And Paris in the Spring had plenty of bounce. Jonathan May's latest adventure proves wilder and funnier than ever!After putting it off for nearly 9 months I finally bit the bullet and made a start on Confessions of a Travel Courier (book 2 in the Jonathan May series). I have read a couple of chapters so far. It starts off directly from the first volume (Shop Assistant) with May getting a job at a travel shop, with the author describing the owner as like the Dick Emery 'Hello Honkytonks' character. There is also a sexy receptionist, but she seems to have left the shop's employment. Jonathan has already had his first romantic encounter with the daughter of his new landlady. Some awful jokes, which slow down the story. Only a few smiles from yours truly so far, certainly nothing that has come close to making me laugh. I fear this is going to be a slog, but I live in hope that I will be proved wrong. Rather you than me, Rip. Rather you than me.
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Post by 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr on Oct 16, 2021 16:13:38 GMT
Jonathan May - Confessions Of A Travel Courier (Sphere, 1975)
Blurb: Travel broadens the mind, so Jonny had heard. And even though it wasn't his mind he was thinking of broadening, a job as a travel courier seemed an ideal way to get to grips with people-preferably the female variety. Rupert Colt wasn't the best employer-his six-shooter wasn't exactly straight-but Colt's Travel Agency was as good a place as any. to start a new career. And so Jonny found that not all Russians believe in the Cold War. Some like it hot. And Swiss misses can turn into hits. In Amsterdam he made an exhibition of himself. And Paris in the Spring had plenty of bounce. Jonathan May's latest adventure proves wilder and funnier than ever!After putting it off for nearly 9 months I finally bit the bullet and made a start on Confessions of a Travel Courier (book 2 in the Jonathan May series). I have read a couple of chapters so far. It starts off directly from the first volume (Shop Assistant) with May getting a job at a travel shop, with the author describing the owner as like the Dick Emery 'Hello Honkytonks' character. There is also a sexy receptionist, but she seems to have left the shop's employment. Jonathan has already had his first romantic encounter with the daughter of his new landlady. Some awful jokes, which slow down the story. Only a few smiles from yours truly so far, certainly nothing that has come close to making me laugh. I fear this is going to be a slog, but I live in hope that I will be proved wrong. Rather you than me, Rip. Rather you than me. For reading, mentioning, and posting a cover image, I declare you both To Be Monsters! Edited as I accidently posted cover image too.
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Post by ripper on Oct 16, 2021 17:25:40 GMT
Jonathan May - Confessions Of A Travel Courier (Sphere, 1975) Blurb: Travel broadens the mind, so Jonny had heard. And even though it wasn't his mind he was thinking of broadening, a job as a travel courier seemed an ideal way to get to grips with people-preferably the female variety. Rupert Colt wasn't the best employer-his six-shooter wasn't exactly straight-but Colt's Travel Agency was as good a place as any. to start a new career. And so Jonny found that not all Russians believe in the Cold War. Some like it hot. And Swiss misses can turn into hits. In Amsterdam he made an exhibition of himself. And Paris in the Spring had plenty of bounce. Jonathan May's latest adventure proves wilder and funnier than ever!After putting it off for nearly 9 months I finally bit the bullet and made a start on Confessions of a Travel Courier (book 2 in the Jonathan May series). I have read a couple of chapters so far. It starts off directly from the first volume (Shop Assistant) with May getting a job at a travel shop, with the author describing the owner as like the Dick Emery 'Hello Honkytonks' character. There is also a sexy receptionist, but she seems to have left the shop's employment. Jonathan has already had his first romantic encounter with the daughter of his new landlady. Some awful jokes, which slow down the story. Only a few smiles from yours truly so far, certainly nothing that has come close to making me laugh. I fear this is going to be a slog, but I live in hope that I will be proved wrong. Rather you than me, Rip. Rather you than me. If I pluck up the courage for another Johnathan May, I shall get a volume from much later in the series, just to see how it developed.
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Post by ripper on Oct 16, 2021 17:42:31 GMT
Jonathan May - Confessions Of A Travel Courier (Sphere, 1975)
Blurb: Travel broadens the mind, so Jonny had heard. And even though it wasn't his mind he was thinking of broadening, a job as a travel courier seemed an ideal way to get to grips with people-preferably the female variety. Rupert Colt wasn't the best employer-his six-shooter wasn't exactly straight-but Colt's Travel Agency was as good a place as any. to start a new career. And so Jonny found that not all Russians believe in the Cold War. Some like it hot. And Swiss misses can turn into hits. In Amsterdam he made an exhibition of himself. And Paris in the Spring had plenty of bounce. Jonathan May's latest adventure proves wilder and funnier than ever!Rather you than me, Rip. Rather you than me. For reading, mentioning, and posting a cover image, I declare you both To Be Monsters! Edited as I accidently posted cover image too. Princess, I suspect a sizable proportion of the readership for these books (the Mays, Leas, Dixons etc) back in the 70s was teenage boys, drawn in by those covers and the associated films based on the Lea series--Window Cleaner, Driving Instructor, Pop Performer and Holiday Camp. I remember that several classmates brought various 'Confessions' books to school, and one claimed he had seen one of the films at the cinema--not sure I believed him, though.
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Post by andydecker on Oct 16, 2021 20:06:56 GMT
I like some of them. So many words for dancing around the hard facts. The later ones were tired, but a few of the early ones - regardless of the writer - were funny.
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