The Week UK - 28.03.2020

35

28 March 2020 THE WEEK

The List

Alain-Fournier:ABrief

LifebyDavidArkell, 1986

(Carcanet,outofprint).

Alain-Fournierwroteonly

onebook,LeGrandMeaulnes,

themostfamousnovelof

adolescence.HereArkell

revealsthetwoinspirations

forYvonnedeGalaisinastory

justasromantic.

BetweenMeandLife:

ABiographyofRomaine

BrooksbyMeryleSecrest,

1976 (MacdonaldandJane’s,

outofprint).The“Gothic

nightmare”lifeofan

Americanportraitartist

in 20 thcenturyParis,

whofinallyblackedout

herwindowsinNiceand

died aged 96. Enlivenedby

affairswithd’Annunzio,

NatalieBarneyandothers.

FortyYearswithBerenson

byNickyMariano, 1966

(HamishHamilton,outof

print).IfIhadtorescueoneof

my^25 booksonorbyBernard

Berenson,itwouldbeNicky

Mariano’s.Shewashislong-

timeamanuensisandgivesa

memorableportraitofhimand

hismercurialcircleoffriends.

Capote:ABiographyby

GeraldClarke, 1988 (Abacus

£12.99).Irememberwhen

GeraldClarkewaswritingthis:

he’dheaddowntoLongIsland

attheweekendforafreeday’s

writing, butTrumanwould

arriveathisdoor,delaying

but notpreventinghimfrom

writingthisdefinitivelife.

TheMan intheRedCoatby

JulianBarnes,2 019 (Jonathan

Cape£20).Thebelleépoque

seenthrough the prismofthe

inspirationalFrenchsurgeon

Dr SamuelPozzi,memorably

paintedbySargent, who came

to anunexpectedend.

SeriousPleas ures:TheLife

of Stephen Tennantby

PhilipHoare,1990(Penguin,

out ofprint).Tennantchanged

frombeingawillowyBright

YoungThingintoarecumbent

though eruditetoad-like figure,

slumpedin bed. Hoare

recreatedhisextraordinarylife

with insightand imagination.

Bestbooks... Hugo Vickers

Theauthorselectshisfavouritebiographies.His 1985 biographyofCecil

BeatonhasbeenrepublishedbyHodder&Stoughton,priced£14.99,to

coincidewiththeNPG’sexhibitionCecilBeaton’sBrightYoungThings

Titles in print are available from The Week Bookshop on 020-3176 3835. For out-of-print books visit biblio.co.uk

Programmes

Secretsof Egypt’sValley oftheKings

Aspecialist team unearthsalong-lost tombin

theshadowofthepyramids, asarchaeologists

explorehiddentombs intheValleyoftheKings.

Sun29Mar,C420:00(60mins).

TheReal MichaelJacksonInvestigative

reporterJacquesPerettigoesbackto Jackson’s

beginningsin this feature-lengthdocumentary,

chartinghisrise andfall.It includes aninterview

withfellow 1970s teenstarDonnyOsmond.

Mon 30Mar,BBC2 2 1:00 (90mins).

Our GirlThefourth series ofthe populararmy

drama continues(lastweek’s episodeavailable

on iPlayer).BackinAfghanistan,Georgie

throwsherselfintowork, helpingwitharisky

medicaloutreachprogram.Tue 31Mar,BBC 1

21:0 0(60mins).

Mark Kermode’s SecretsofCinema: Spies

Third part inthefilm critic’ssecond series

exploring different cinematic genres (previous

episodesavailableoniPlayer): this week, the

enduring appeal of spy films. Thur2Apr,BBC4

21:0 0(60mins).

Films

Star Wars: TheForceAwakens(2015) Fi rst

in the rebootedStar Warstrilogy,but Episode

VIIint he saga.Thirty yearsafte rthe defeatof

the GalacticEmpire, thegalaxyfaces anew

threat.Starring DaisyRidl ey andAdamDriver.

Sun29Mar,ITV1 15:50 (155mins).

Charade(1963)ClassicHitchcock-inspired

comedy-thriller withCary Grant andAudrey

Hepburn. An interpretermeetsadashing

stranger whileskiing in theAlps, only to return

toParisand discover her husband hasbeen

murdered.Thur2Apr,Film 4 12:40(125mins).

AtomicBlonde(2017)Chillynoirthriller

starringCharlizeTheron and JamesMcAvoy

asspies atthe timeofthefall oftheBerlin Wall

in 1989. Thur2Apr, Film4 21:00 (135mins).

New to subscription TV

TheEnglishGameJulian Fellowes’ssix-part

dramaon theorigins of football,focusing onthe

classdividebetween twoteams. “Perfectbinge-

watch material” (Radio Times).OnNetflix.

FreudSet in Vienna in1886,thismoody eight-

parthistorical thriller seesyoung SigmundFreud

teamupwith apsych ic mediumandapolice

officertosolve abrutal murdercase. In German

with subtitles. On Netflix.

The Post(2017) Meryl Streep andTom Hanks

star in Steve nSpielberg’s taut drama about

journalists atTheWashingtonPost caughtupin

an agonising dilemma aboutwhetherto publish

thePentagonPapers andexposeacover-up

about Vietnam. On Netflix.

The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching

TheArchers:what

happenedlastweek

BenshowsFreddiethecarJill

boughthimforhisbirthday

andtakesthemforaspin.As

RoberttalkstoLilian,adoctor

callshimintoLynda’sroom

• sheisawake.Oliverisn’t
  copingwell:hetellsEdhestill
  blameshimselfforfreezingin
  shockintheaftermathofthe
  explosion.Liliansitsandtalks
  withatiredLynda.Alistair
  meetsPhilip,whoisfeeling
  bruisedbythevillagegossip


• hecan’tforgivehimselffor
  beingawaywhentheaccident
  occurred.Alistairencourages
  himnottohideaway.Roy’s
  injuriesarehealing.Kirsty
  tellshimshe’sworriedabout
  thegossipoverPhilip,and
  wonderswhethertocancel
  theweddingparty.When
  RoberttellsLyndaheblames
  Oliverfortheexplosion,
  sherebukeshim–itwasn’t
  Oliver’sfaultandshewants
  toseehim.Royreportshis
  carstolen,butwhenHarrison
  latertellshimit’sturnedup
  ontheBeechwoodestate,
  Royrealisesheparkeditthere
  himself.Kentonandotherstry
  tocomeupwithfundraising
  ideasforthevictimsofthe
  explosion;Philiparrivesand
  makesapublicapology.At
  AmbridgeView,EdandEmma
  reminisceandaregetting
  close,butthemoodisbroken
  byatextfromSusanonthe
  waybackfromholiday.Atthe
  hospital,LyndatellsOlivernot
  totakeRobert’soutburstto
  heart.ThenLilianarriveswith
  news:TheBullwillrevertto
  itsoldnameandthesignis
  goingbackup.Whatwiththe
  lambingandXanderwaking,
  Adamissleep-deprivedand
  overworked;Jenniferand
  Brianareworriedbutdon’t
  thinkhe’lllistentoanyadvice.
  BriandropsinonRoyand
  persuadeshimtogethis
  head injury checked. After
  talking to the Grey Gables
  insurers, Philip berates Gavin
  for his careless talk about the
  accident and Lynda–hecould
  get them both sent down.

Coming up for sale

The upcoming Hampstead

outing of theAffordableArt

Fair,plannedfor 30

April-3May, has beenpost-

poned,but there’s stillplenty

of workforsaleontheir

website, including photo-

graphy,coll age andprints

by British and international

artists, andaspecialsection

of workforunder £250

(aff ordableartfair.com).

Charade: Thursday2April ,Film4 12:40

©NICOLA VIVIAN