39 Books: 1985

The first novel I read was Twice Shy by Dick Francis, reportedly the Queen Mother's favourite novelist (which tells you all you need to know about the intellectual energies of British Royal Family). It was the hardback edition below and tells the story of an Olympic champion marksman who comes into the possession of a betting system that guarantees profit.

Dick Francis was a prolific author of thrillers related to horse racing and, as this list shows, he wasn't shy in using a cliché as a title; in fact, their use is almost pathological. I've always been fascinated by the titles of novels and remain troubled when they lack a unique quality. When I wrote about the subject in An aside on titles, I mention Martin Amis but not how he decided on the title for the otherwise execrable London Fields: that it underlay the content rather than being a content-specific reference or a cringeworthy poetic title.

As I read Twice Shy, music played on the turntable in the background. It was Land of Cockagne, an LP by Soft Machine. My disappointment and confusion that it wasn't anything like as good as Third helped me to realise that I bought records by Soft Machine because of Robert Wyatt, who had long left the band. This series will also be a record of sorting and sifting as I come to such realisations with books.