Towards the End of the Morning (1967) by Michael Frayn (April 2024)

[Nigeyb]

Ben wrote: "Finished. I just love when you have no expectations and the book keeps delighting you with its characters, setting and turns of phrase"


100% this

Really enjoying this and looking forward to more indepth discussions

[Blaine]

Susan wrote: "There were a couple of women in the pub, who seemed to work at the paper in a capacity I have forgotten?"

Yes, they were quite forgettable. One was a secretary, and the visitors to Bob's office weren't completely surprised to see Tessa apparently working there, but they were typically condescending.

[Blaine]

Nigeyb wrote: "I thought I had read that in the introduction but now realise I must be wrong

It's at least mid 60s and possibly a bit later"

It felt contemporaneous with the writing (1967) but my sense of timing for non-US settings is often off, at least for the times before I arrived here.

[Nigeyb]

Ben wrote:


"It felt contemporaneous with the writing (1967)"

Agreed

When John Dyson looks in Who's Who for Lord Boddy and reads out the publications, the most recent title Race: The Challenge Within was published in 1963, so we know it's definitely later than 1963.

Amusingly when John Dyson meets Lord Boddy at the television studios he deferentially tells him how much he enjoyed "that collection you did of your father's papers"

John Dyson is such a great character - so perfectly flawed

[Nigeyb]

Another section that had me chuckling was when Reg Mounce receives the memo from the Editor and is understandably convinced that it is a wind up and accuses various colleagues of having sent it. None of them suspect the truth for one moment.

[Susan]

The editor was so funny, creeping silently around the building.

I did think that Erskine Morris's girlfriend was quite 'Sixties,' with the hair and the pop singing.

Dyson and Morris were my favourite characters.

[Blaine]

One of the firms where I worked had a “Committee” that instantly followed up any management committee memos with its own parody. One always knew which one to believe.

In one case an attorney who started work one morning never returned after lunch, which is when management’s proud announcement of his commencement at work finally arrived. The Committee followed it up far more efficiently with a memo in virtually the same language entitled Here Today Gone Today.

I wish I had saved them all.

[Blaine]

Morris is a wonderful character. He seems from a completely different place and time. It's amazing to me that he was written in the 60's. Frayn foreshadowing the Thatcher era.

[Susan]

Here Today Gone Today - love it!

[Roman Clodia]

Susan wrote: "Here Today Gone Today - love it!"

Haha, me too! I love the creative subversion so many workplaces engender.

[Nigeyb]

And just as I was starting to really enjoy Eddy Moulton’s rambling reminiscences and repetitive tales… 😕

[Susan]

Don't worry, you will enjoy his replacement.

[Nigeyb]

I've not got to that bit yet Susan but I am reassured


Tessa has just turned up to Bob's surprise

Whilst I'm here I have to mention Mrs Mounce. What a superb character. I just love the way she keeps popping up and how she is apparently taking over Dotty's house

[Susan]

Yes, you can picture her vamping around, cigarette wafting gently. Poor Bob, he's clearly terrified of her!

[Nigeyb]

Erskine Morris has arrived 🙌🏻🔥


My first impressions are that he represents a new embryonic era of professionalism and efficiency

[Nigeyb]

Erskine gets better and better 🤠

[Nigeyb]

Just finished


Very enjoyable

[Susan]

Hurrah! Glad you liked it, Nigeyb :)

[Nigeyb]

Loved it Susan


If Towards the End of the Morning is representative of Michael Frayn's literary work then this is the start of a beautiful relationship

Towards the End of the Morning is very perceptive, consistently amusing and unpredictable.

Review here...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

4/5

[Susan]

I definitely want to read more by him. I have The Tin Men lined up next, once I have cleared some of my bookish backlog.

[Nigeyb]

Oooh. Look forward to your reaction to that one Susan

[Susan_MG]

I’m hoping to fit this in as soon as I can be stationary to read. Chores, dogs, visits from friends and a few audiobooks have been keeping me busy.

[Nigeyb]

Great news Susan, looking forward to learning what you make of it too

[Nigeyb]

I’ve just bought a copy of Tin Men so if you want to buddy that one sometime Susan you know what to do

[Blaine]

Tin Men looks terrific. I've just put in a library request.

[Susan]

Absolutely!

Whenever suits you and Ben, Nigeyb.

[Blaine]

I'm first in the queue but the London Library system is unpredictable in its deliveries.

[Nigeyb]

Would May 2024 work for you Ben?

[Blaine]

Almost certainly. And I can let you know if it arrives sooner.

[Susan]

May works well.

I was looking at literature map.com for similar authors like Michael Frayn and I came across a couple that looked interesting. Has anyone read Dan Rhodes or Tobias Hill?

[Nigeyb]

Not me Susan, although the names are familiar

[Blaine]

I haven't either

[Susan]

Thanks, both. I thought both looked good, so have added them to my endless tbr list.

[Brian E]

This one piqued my curiosity so I decided to investigate the posts that first suggested the buddy read and any discussion, but I couldn't find anything. If any previous discussion does exist, I'd appreciate some help in where to look for it?

In other words, I am that rare male that is actually stopping and asking for directions.

[Susan]

Ha ha! Not my husband then, Brian, bless him and his 'short cuts'! I can't remember, let me look.

I know I mentioned The Tin Man a while ago, or possibly nominated it?

[Susan]

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

It was Nigeyb who suggested the buddy, inspired by Richard Osman.

[Blaine]

It's "in transit" to my library, so April would work for me as well, if you want to bump Tin Man up a month.

[Nigeyb]

Thanks Susan - yes it was. Here's the post that started it all.....



So not a favourite but a potential favourite


Richard Osman described Towards the End of the Morning (1967) as the funniest book in the English language on the interview with Marian Keyes at the end of The Thursday Murder Club

This aside from Mr O broke my resolve to stop buying books - actually I've bought quite a lot in the last few weeks (what am I like?)

Anyway, that's a long winded way of asking if anyone has read any Michael Frayn and any opinions on him and his work.

I know nothing so am interested in learning more



This is the Goodreads profile...

Michael Frayn is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce Noises Off and the dramas Copenhagen and Democracy. His novels, such as Towards the End of the Morning, Headlong and Spies, have also been critical and commercial successes, making him one of the handful of writers in the English language to succeed in both drama and prose fiction. His works often raise philosophical questions in a humorous context. Frayn's wife is Claire Tomalin, the biographer and literary journalist.

[Nigeyb]

Ben wrote:


"The Tin Men is "in transit" to my library, so April would work for me as well, if you want to bump Tin Man up a month."

Fine by me but it might not be late April til I read it as I have a lot of books to read that month

I'll attend to it

[Brian E]

Susan wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

It was Nigeyb who suggested the buddy, inspired by Richard Osman."

Thanks, Susan! I didn't even think of just looking at an authors thread for Frayn. Doh!
I have heard of his quite popular Noises Off: A Play in Three Acts I had never heard of its author. As a Wodehouse fan, I like to investigate authors like that to see if they may spark a similar response. Sometimes I find myself failing to find it that funny, as with Three Men in a Boat and Lucky Jim and sometimes I make a wonderful discovery, as with The Campus Trilogy: Changing Places / Small World / Nice Work.

The fact that he was married to Claire Tomalin whose biography of Thomas Hardy is staring at me from my TBR shelf made me more curious.

[SueLucie]

I am just beginning this now, with a view to reading Tin Men next. All your comments make me feel I'm going to love it.

[Susan]

Hope you enjoy it :)

[Nigeyb]

🤞🏻

[SueLucie]

Just this minute finished, really enjoyed it.

[Nigeyb]

Hurrah

[Susan]

Oh, I can feel a third Michael Frayn coming on in the not so distant future.

[Susan]

Maybe with a good gap though, as there were some similarities between the novels.

[Nigeyb]

Yes, we don't want to gorge and make ourselves sick