Gold from Gemini (1978)Typically, when a series of books gets turned into a television program you get grumbling about the latter from fans of the former. Lovejoy seems to be the rare case where there's near universal acclaim for the tv show--due mainly to the charming but roguish Ian McShane-- while opinion is quite divided about the original novels. Personally, I rather liked this second entry in the written series, though Lovejoy is a bit harder edged than on the tube. Jonathan Gash--the pseudonym of Dr. John Grant--utilizes first person narration to great effect. His Lovejoy uses a distinctive vernacular--a product of both the east Anglia locale and the slang of the antiques world--and surrounds the core mystery with numerous asides about the difficulties of women, the ins-and-outs of the legitimate antiques world, and fascinating details about how to make your own illegitimate "antiques." Objections that he's a tad misogynistic would appear to come from folks who don't get that the joke is pretty obviously on him most of the time. And while he certainly is a scallywag, he is also a genuine lover of fine art and craftsmanship. His paeans to truly fine objects he stumbles upon are genuinely moving. And when he does pull off one of his scams it's always done rather passively, preying upon the avarice, greed and inattention to detail of his peers. They may not deserve it, but they are almost asking to be had and it's darn sure fun sharing in the con. (Reviewed:) Grade: (A) Websites:-WIKIPEDIA: John Grant (novelist) -WIKIPEDIA: Lovejoy -FILMOGRAPHY: Jonathan Gash (IMDB) -INFO: Lovejoy (IMDB) -Lovejoy (ITV) -EPISODE GUIDE: Lovejoy (Dave Smith, EP Guides) -Jonathan Gash (Lovejoy) (Stop You're Killing Me) -Jonathan Gash (Who-dunnit) -Jonathan Gash (Tangled Web) -GOOGLE BOOK: Gold by Gemini -GOOGLE BOOKS: Jonathan Gash -SHORT STORY: Most Sincerely Mine by Jonathan Gash (Strand Magazine) -ARCHIVES: "jonathan gash" (Find Articles) -REVIEW: of Spend Game by Jonathan Gash (Newgate Callendar, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of The Vatican Rip by Jonathan Gash (Newgate Callendar, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of the Firefly Gadroon by Jonathan Gash (Newgate Callendar, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of Pearlhanger by Jonathan Gash (Newgate Callendar, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of The Tartan Sell by Jonathan Gash (Newgate Callendar, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of Moonspender by Jonathan Gash (Newgate Callendar, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of Jade Woman by Jonathan Gash (Newgate Callendar, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of The Great California Game by Jonathan Gash (Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of The Lies of Fair Ladies by Jonathan Gash (Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of Different Women Dancing by Jonathan Gash (Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of -REVIEW: of -REVIEW: of Bone Dancing by Jonathan Gash (Ayo Onatade, Shots Mag) -REVIEW: of Paid and Loving Eyes by Jonathan Gash (Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of -REVIEW: of Every Last Cent by Jonathan Gash (Charles Mitchell, Spectator) -REVIEW: of The Rich and the Profane by Jonathan Gash (Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of A Rag, A Bone and a Hank of Hair by Jonathan Gash (Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of The Ten Word Game by Jonathan Gash (Marilyn Stasio, NY Times Book Review) -REVIEW: of The Ten Word Game (Alan Paul Curtis, Who-dunnit) -REVIEW: of The Year of the Woman by Jonathan Gash (Bernard Knight, Tangled Web) -REVIEW: of The Year of the Woman (Maxim Jakubowski, The Guardian) -REVIEW: of Finding Davey by Jonathan Gash (Judith Cutler, Shots Magazine) -REVIEW: of Bad Girl Magdalene by Jonathan Gash (Iain Wear, Bookbag) -TV REVIEW: Lovejoy (Television Heaven) MORE: -ESSAY: Anti-Sensitive Inspector tomes (and why those Sensitive Inspectors are so popular anyway) (Michelle Kerns, June 5, The Examiner) Book-related and General Links: |
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