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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
©N
ICOLA VIVIAN