Edwina Currie

I have always tried to avoid falling into the trap of blind prejudice about books, but sometimes one should merely go with one’s initial gut reaction. I had anticipated that this book would be dreadful, but in a moment of weakness I decided that I should not surrender to literary snobbery, but should instead give it a chance, on the basis that I have had some wonderfully serendipitous discoveries in the past.

Well that was a waste of time and effort. This book was pure drivel, with no cliché knowingly overlooked. As a consequence of my job I spend a lot of time in Parliament, and found that Ms Currie’s descriptions of it were rather slipshod, too, even though, as a Parliamentarian of long standing herself, she must have known better.

I now know better – in future give any books by her a wide berth!… (mehr)

"Saturday 1 december, 1990
....Looking through the newspapers on the plane, I see that John has created a terrific Cabinet, minus David Waddingon (removed to the house of lords) and Cecil Parkinson (resigned of his own accord). so he had three vacancies to fill: Chancellor, Normal Lamont (good choice, continuity); Home Secretary, Ken Baker (he's been a disaster at conservative central office and is replaced by Chris Patten, much better); and transport Secretary, Malcolm Rifkind (rescued from Scotland and endless rows with Michael Forsyth). More; the old chief whip has been replaced by Richard Ryder. Heseltine is back at Enviroment, charged with delivering on poll tax and local government."

This is her actual diaries of the time, after the egg incident to the fall of the concervative government. I remember the launch of the book and there was some scandle of her having a lover and who he may have been. I can only say this interested me less than the way her mind worked. I can only vaugly remember the politics of the time and most of the characters she mentions I don't remember, but she stands out at the time as a person to watch.

Every time that there is a reshuffle she is disapointed by the fact that she never does get a post. You can see her bitterness in that she feel that she worked very hard and was never rewarded for it. The bile that she feels towards some that she feels does not pull thier weight can be felt, but even in her diary she is polite about it and couches it in an almost professional manner.

It did not inspire me to ever want to enter politics, but I am thinking more abouit what I write in my diaries.… (mehr)

This is one of the few books in my library that I have not finished: I bought it at a CNA sale many years ago, when Edwina was notorious for having had an affaire with John Major, expecting an inexpensive bonkbuster with a smidgeon of insider political scandal.
I never got more than a quarter of the way in: the characters were unsympathetic, but I can live with that. What I could not forgive was that the book was boring.
It's still stuck away up there in my chickfic section and maybe, one day, when I am desperate and the rest of my books have been ruined by damp or fire, I shall actually read the whole book.… (mehr)