| Author | Message | ||
     Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Alas, one less luminary of literary Liverpool. | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Indeed, I'm so saddened I can't even spell her name... | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.23.20.11 |
Was saddened to hear this. I haven't read her in years, but enjoyed several of her books as a youth. | ||
| Thomasb (Thomasb) Username: Thomasb Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 69.236.170.165 |
I've never read her at all, though I'm acquainted with her name. The NYT obit made her sound like someone I'd like. Any recommendations as to where to start? Thanks! | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.143.128.168 |
Anything, Thomas. Although I wasn't nuts about her Titanic book. As with most authors, the earlier you go the better. Another Part of the Wood (bit of a Ramsey title, that) was the one I liked most. She's good because she observes atmosphere and setting, doesn't neglect them. A weird thing; on Saturday morning I found two early eighties copies of her books in pristine nick, Bottle Factory and Sweet William. I only had enough money for Bottle so did, hiding William till later. In the gap between the two purchases I found out she was dead. Her books are oddly eerie. To read them is to go somewhere real and mysterious. Her work has a subtle horror vibration, a kind I really like and look for. This was very sad news. Ramsey - did you ever meet her? It's odd, but even though she was very wrinkly and hardly a picture I sort of fancied her a bit.  | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.143.128.168 |
And never mind about the misspelling - remember Jonathan's announcement of the death of John Peen? Something in the Liverpool air, no doubt. | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
I met her just once, quite a few years ago - I think we were both reading in Southport. I gave her a lift back to the Adelphi, where she was staying. She was witty company but by gum, I can confirm that she liked her cigarettes. | ||
| Mark_samuels (Mark_samuels) Username: Mark_samuels Registered: 04-2010 Posted From: 86.133.23.20 |
Oddly enough, I met her once too; at a wedding reception (I think it was close to Whitechapel) a couple of years back. I'd just finished reading her book featuring Dr Johnson (Queenie's something), and had a rather tipsy chat with her about it. Mark S. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.132.169.138 |
Looks like she had boyfriends into her sixties. Woah! Also, she liked to write with the same old equipment, an early pc on a schooldesk. She'd spend four months on a book and in the end trim every twelve pages into about one. She also said she deliberately tried to seem/be naive, as it was better than being cynical all round. I'm inclined to agree. |