The Dreaming Swimmer: Non-Fiction 1987-1992

by Clive James

This book shows the diversity of the author`s non-fiction writing. The first section, " Assessments and Celebrations" , includes Stevie Smith, Philip Larkin, a clutch of Australian poets - and Billy Connolly. In " The Politics of TV" , after-dinner speeches (which reduced his audiences to helpless laughter) and addresses to the BBC Board of Governors make some of his robust views on TV broadcasting public for the first time. In verse Auden is reconsidered - and Gabriela Sabatini adored. Finally, he does get to meet Frank Sinatra and sends " postcards" from Miami, Los Angeles and Sydney.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Humor

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 1992

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

An expatriate Australian broadcast personality and author of cultural criticism, memoir, fiction, travelogue and poetry. Translator of Dante.

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

Various odds and sods from what must have been around the same time that my family would devotedly watch Clive James on TV, and it was always clear that he was a smart guy, but it's still impressive the sheer range of his interests here, especially in the first section. At its darkest, this miscellany encompasses a review of Primo Levi's final book, taking scholarly exception to some of the translator's choices while also making about as good an effort as one can to address the enormity of the original's subject. At its lightest, there's a programme note for a Billy Connolly tour. And neither of them feels the least like a writer operating beyond his expertise, which is the dream, really, isn't it? There are recurrent themes, certainly, not least the complicated relationship between Australia and the motherland, which manifests in everything from a consideration of the Gallipoli Dolchstosslegende to a survey of the Australian poetry scene that only slightly recalls Their Brilliant Careers, honest. But the range of his awareness, the eloquence with which he always puts it across, is enviable.

The second half of the book, alas, is patchier, despite or maybe because of being much more consistent. Half-a-dozen speeches to various configurations of the television industry's great and good cover fairly similar territory, and it's not that James was wrong about much (though there is an anecdote about the Sex Pistols where his amused detachment lapses into patrician dismissiveness, which doesn't suit him), and we'd all doubtless be in a better place now had his enthusiasms and especially his warnings, not least about the ever-loathsome Rupert Murdoch, been better heeded. But it's after the fact now once, let alone six times, however much wit it's delivered with – though it's definitely still worth holding on to one key insight, never to trust anyone who talks about giving the public what they want whilst implicitly not counting themselves as part of that public.

After that, the poetry, never my favourite part of his output – and while the rest of the book often had me sighing for James as a relic of a more civilised age, the poem openly leching over female Wimbledon players was a sticky reminder of the counterbalance to that. And finally, a few brief plugs for his own shows from the Radio Times et al, all perfectly pleasant and gently amusing, but very much ephemera. That first half, though, is a great sampler of the James I hope endures even for generations who never sat boggling at Endurance.

[Andrew Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of James' book reviews, speeches about BBC, his selected verses and articles about BBC TV. As usual, his opinions are written with such a wit and precise language, that makes them always so enjoyable.

Of interest was his review of the last book from Primo Levy and his documentary on Frank Sinatra.

[Peter Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again it shows the great erudition and broad scope of Clive James’ knowledge expressed in smooth and witty prose.A great collection of essays for Australian and British readers but many are now dated.And you have to have some knowledge of the authors he discusses so a book for academics and clever enthusiasts.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essays and some poetry from the period when James' was on top of the world as a tv personality and producing his Postcards series. A scintillating collection of essays and speeches in his inimitable style and which bring back fond memories of both the period and his tv shows

[Malcolm Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something slightly 'Meta' about reading a book of book reviews from the recent past, where the subjects of the books, Stevie Smith, Primo Levi, Philip Larkin etc are part of the literary canon. The reader can easily imagine that they are reading the book that is being reviewed, via the review. It is as if a well written review were a direct bridge to the book being reviewed. But the reviews by Clive james, who's language consistently fizzes and provides insight, is a great reviewer which is why i say the above.

The Primo Levi review is by far the most serious piece here, but then again the subject of Levi's book is the most serious among the books and poetry reviewed. It came about a year after the death of Levi, in which there was serious doubt over how accidental it was, and how engineered by Levi himself it might have been. I remember the serious bookish television documentaries at the time showing the stairs down which he fell in 1987. But the style of Clive James' writing can make most subjects more serious and interesting than they at first appear. Thus it is that the several speeches where he defends the UK makers of quality television programmes in 1991 for their skills in making and selling programmes gets funnier and more pointed the more they are read and reread. I did not try reading them out loud, which is what the prose as made for, but trying out James' sense of cadence vocally would also be a rewarding experience.

The poetry was rather hit and miss with me, certain lines stood out as I read them, and I note the concentration in the poetic writing but some of us find poetry to be difficult. I could not help wonder what the Clive James who wrote the speeches defending four channel television would make of the infinite variety, and yet commonly impoverished character, of modern the media landscape.

Just as I doubt there will be a collection of James' articles for 'Cream' magazine, I doubt there will ever be a complete collection of Clive James Radio Times columns, and of course if he ever wrote for 'The Listener' which was axed as a BBC publication in 1991, which had been published since 1927.

What this collection should do, though, is prod the reader to enquire of Clive James' website abut what is happening there. Since he died on November 2019 the depth of his work as journalist for decades is starting to be revealed, I for one look forward to his collected 'Listener' articles when they are compiled.

[Edmund Chattoe-Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book doesn't really live up to the claim in the introduction that a "pick and mix" approach is greater than the sum of its parts. The high brow reviews don't really help the travel writing and the poems don't do much for the reflections on the state of broadcasting. The latter are, unusually, rather repetitive for James, suggesting that he only had a limited number of ideas to bring to these many gatherings of the great and the good. The book has some funny lines (though not so many as some others). Unless you are a real devotee, this may be the Clive James book you can do without.

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

With cover art by Sarah Raphael and an eclectic selection of essays and poems and after dinner speeches this is a gem of a book.