It’s been a hectic year (so far, I’m well aware that there’s more yet to go), and after a spate of some heavy reading coinciding with a new day-job, and helping a friend publish her books which took a surprising amount of time (editors are saints!), I needed a bit of comfort. That turned out into both watching and reading some old goodies – and a nice discovery.
This is presented in chronological order of my consumption of said comforts, not in any logical way. But, in case you missed it, these are things worth pursuing.
The Roman Bingeing
I watched, as I do every few years in times like these, Chelmsford 123. It’s a sitcom set in the year 123 AD, in Britain, and is, in my opinion, on par with Blackadder for sheer comedic value.
I’ve reviewed it in the past here. It was Felix and Jack’s first time watching it though, and both were rolling on the floor with tear in their eyes, laughing so hard. The seasons are a bit different (changing of some support characters and tweaks in tone), but overall it’s a bloody brilliant spectacle that every lover an ancient Rome should watch (in the same way that they need to read Asterix).
Heartily recommended, even if the only way to watch it these days is via old DVD players.
Side note: since we mention Blackadder, I truly hope you didn’t miss the recovered pilot show! It was found lying forgotten in TV archives, and is just as good as you’d expect for the later seasons. Find the documentary with Tony Robinson about, that ends with the show itself.
Following Chelmsford, I rewatched Plebs (original review) – only to discover that there was a fifth season and a movie that came out since!
As before, historicity is worse than Chelmsford, but it’s a lot of fun to watch. The boys take a modern attitudes to life set against a Roman-esque scenery (which for some reason they marked as 27 BC, though 50-100 years later would have made a better frame).
The fifth season (which I watched for the first time now) continues in the same tone and similar shenanigans. The movie, Plebs: Soldiers of Rome, sees the lads joining the legions and being sent to the frontier. Kinda like another half-season on a theme, with all the usual jokes.
Again, fun to watch without the need to commit much brain-power to enjoy it. Perfect for Roman-themed comfort bingeing.
Bonus! Crime Night has released a second season! (See here for review of the first, as well as other good stuff). A couple of professional criminologists and a host of comedians cover topics from cults to crimetainment, from false confessions to dubious profiling. It’s a fun way for crime reader to get a (often hilarious) view into criminology and our fascination with it. Highly recommended – not exactly comfort watching, but entertaining nonetheless.
The Good Read(ing)
Besides a s#!7-ton of professional material, I made the error of getting excited about Akunin’s latest Fandorin novels (which I somehow missed the translations). The first few books in the series (see original review) were brilliant, but the later books were a bit of a mixed bag. I struggled through Black City, and still have Not Saying Goodbye to read. I’ll post a combined review at some point soon, but as you can guess it’ll be a bit mixed. It was better than some of the more bizarre and melodramatic ones, but not nearly as good as the first novels. Oh well.
Anyway, I wanted something of a palette cleanser, something simply good. So I reached for Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, and started tearing through the City Watch sub-series. Some I’ve read *cough*decades*cough* ago, and a few of the later ones I’ve missed entirely. So it’s just sheer joy to fall in love again with his writing, which is both funny and morally deep.
I won’t bother posting a review (I assume readers of this blog already know and love Pratchett’s works and their sheer brilliance), but if you haven’t – take it as a gentle reminder to read whatever catches your fancy, and there’s always time and need to re-read great novels. (If you haven’t before, I’d suggest not trying to read in chronological order, but picking some of the sub-series, like the City Watch or the Witches, and reading those in order; it’ll make more sense, and is a better starting point than then first two books).
Anyway. That’s me, needing my creature comforts, and reaching out to the good stuff. If, by sheer chance, you haven’t seen Chelmsford 123 – you owe it to yourself! Plebs is a light mind-cleanser, Pratchett is pure genius, and Akunin is for when you want something different.
And, if you idea of comfort leans towards paranormal romance (especially if you want some twists in setting and creatures), I’d recommend Isla’s The Stolen Sonata. After reading through the series a couple of times as I was editing it and generally supporting Isla in her publication journey I may be somewhat biased, but can safely say it’s a decent exemplar of the genre and a satisfying, quick read for a bit of fun in the shape of an otherworldly love-story. The second book is due out this weekend, and the rest of the series will drop every fortnight to a happy-ever-after conclusion by Xmas.
Also, y’know, there are my own free short stories and novels, should you desire a blending of Roman inspired scenery, chilling ghosts, and occasional laughs. Maybe not on par with Pratchett, but can certainly stand their ground with other, better publicised, works.
