Book #54: Earthbound by Paul Morley
Number of pages: 137
This book by journalist Paul Morley has a very unconventional feel, largely because its principal subjects are the London Underground (specifically the Bakerloo line) and the music industry, both subjects that he seems to be fanatical about.
It sounds like a strange mixture, and it is. So, one moment, Morley will be talking about the London Underground and its history, and then suddenly the book will turn into an essay about the development of the Walkman and the author's favourite bands, focussing largely on obscure groups, with a lot of commentary on a "Bakerloo" track by the band Can. The two seem to be linked by talks of sitting on an underground train while listening to music.
One of the best things about this book is that Paul Morley seems to be very knowledgeable about his subject matter, and he seems to enjoy talking about it; he also has quite an interesting way with words, at times treating a London Underground line as though it is a human being with feelings, and at times going into flights of fancy that almost make you wonder what he's been smoking, commenting on how the line probably has tunnels leading Jupiter and how Elephant and Castle Tube Station is probably home to tramps and mutants. There was also an intriguing fascination with the colour brown, which is the colour that denotes the Bakerloo on tube maps, and Morley keeps returning to this subject almost obsessively, comparing it to Sherlock Holmes' pipe and "the colour of hashish".
I found it overall to be an enjoyable read, although the two subjects seemed to sit side-by-side somewhat awkwardly.
Next book: Carpe Jugulum (Terry Pratchett)