I was doing a bit of reviewing of books for a fairly new newspaper called "Wales on Sunday". The features editor, an old-school newspaper man, would show me a cupboard full of brand new books sent to him by many publishers in the hope that they would be reviewed. "Take your choice," he'd say.
I tended to take crime novels and books that were not too large.
One day he said "This looks like a rather good book." It was a very thick book which, according to the blurb, was about the attempted shooting of the Pope.
"Bit on the long side," I said, thinking of the few quid I'd be getting, long book or short.
"You don't have to read it all," he said. "Just read the blurb and get the jist of it."
Which brings to mind Samuel Johnson who said he never finished books. One day a friend of his said he had just completed reading a book. Johnson said with some astonishment: "Not right through, surely!"
Apropos reviewing of books, there's an interesting letter in today's Times:
"Sir, Upon receiving an unsolicited novel, Benjamin Franklin replied: 'Many thanks for your book. I shall waste no time in reading it.' "
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