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The Silken Net
Half-French with an agile, inquiring mind, Rosemary Lewis cannot help being out of the ordinary in Thurston, the Cumbrian market town where she grows up between the wars. An early, bruising failure in love drives her inwards to the solace of books until she meets Edgar - vigorous, down to earth and determined to win her. Charting their life together, this powerful novel probes with exceptional acuity the heights and tortured depths of a bond that becomes a shackle.
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First published September 28, 1974
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About the author
Melvyn Bragg
135 books141 followersMelvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, FRSL, FRTS (born 6 October 1939) is an English author, broadcaster and media personality who, aside from his many literary endeavours, is perhaps most recognised for his work on The South Bank Show.
Bragg is a prolific novelist and writer of non-fiction, and has written a number of television and film screenplays. Some of his early television work was in collaboration with Ken Russell, for whom he wrote the biographical dramas The Debussy Film (1965) and Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1967), as well as Russell's film about Tchaikovsky, The Music Lovers (1970). He is president of the National Academy of Writing. His 2008 novel, Remember Me is a largely autobiographical story.
He is also a Vice President of the Friends of the British Library, a charity set up to provide funding support to the British Library.
Bragg is a prolific novelist and writer of non-fiction, and has written a number of television and film screenplays. Some of his early television work was in collaboration with Ken Russell, for whom he wrote the biographical dramas The Debussy Film (1965) and Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1967), as well as Russell's film about Tchaikovsky, The Music Lovers (1970). He is president of the National Academy of Writing. His 2008 novel, Remember Me is a largely autobiographical story.
He is also a Vice President of the Friends of the British Library, a charity set up to provide funding support to the British Library.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 23, 2008
Lord Bragg to you, but when I was promoting Melvyn for Secker & Warburg in the 1970s - with the wonderful David Farrer as editor - it was just plain Melvyn.
I never actually read "Net' - I seem to recall it was themed around those 'sexual struggles' so fashionable then. TOugh brainy lady, Cumbrian like Melvyn, except that she has hard time being accepted (unlike Melv). I didnt need to read it because we just shoved foto of MB on the back panel and he sold himself.
I recall a fellow secker authorene, also cumbrian, phoning me up to tell me they were selling maps of cumbria with M's birthday place marked. there was some jealousy there.
when i was interviewing for the job with tom rosenthal and david farrer, i was given 3 books to come up with ideas for: the watergate book par excellence 'all the presidents men' by woodward and bernstein, porterhouse blue by the very funny tom sharpe, and melvyn.
woodstein and sharpe were easy. i confessed to being a bit stumped by Mr bragg. not easy to promote dead authors, i lamented. when they told me MB was v much in his prime, you could have knocked me over. the only novel i'd tried had been so stolid and worthy, i'd assumed he was one of those LP Hartley stalwarts. TGR and David laffed and i got the job all the same.
'speak for england' was the book i felt most happy promoting for Melvyn. thoroughly nice bloke and he saw thru me in a trice. we'd gone up to aviemore for some conference - jan morris had his room and we had to ease her out - and i'd been blabbing about some of the other scribblers i promoted. melvyn suddenly said "i know why you do this job - for the sheer fun and amusement and enjoyment of doing your best for us writers." bullseye mr - ahem Lord - Bragg. Oh melvyn - if only david could have seen you in ermine - how proud he would have been of his boy. he so believed in you.
I never actually read "Net' - I seem to recall it was themed around those 'sexual struggles' so fashionable then. TOugh brainy lady, Cumbrian like Melvyn, except that she has hard time being accepted (unlike Melv). I didnt need to read it because we just shoved foto of MB on the back panel and he sold himself.
I recall a fellow secker authorene, also cumbrian, phoning me up to tell me they were selling maps of cumbria with M's birthday place marked. there was some jealousy there.
when i was interviewing for the job with tom rosenthal and david farrer, i was given 3 books to come up with ideas for: the watergate book par excellence 'all the presidents men' by woodward and bernstein, porterhouse blue by the very funny tom sharpe, and melvyn.
woodstein and sharpe were easy. i confessed to being a bit stumped by Mr bragg. not easy to promote dead authors, i lamented. when they told me MB was v much in his prime, you could have knocked me over. the only novel i'd tried had been so stolid and worthy, i'd assumed he was one of those LP Hartley stalwarts. TGR and David laffed and i got the job all the same.
'speak for england' was the book i felt most happy promoting for Melvyn. thoroughly nice bloke and he saw thru me in a trice. we'd gone up to aviemore for some conference - jan morris had his room and we had to ease her out - and i'd been blabbing about some of the other scribblers i promoted. melvyn suddenly said "i know why you do this job - for the sheer fun and amusement and enjoyment of doing your best for us writers." bullseye mr - ahem Lord - Bragg. Oh melvyn - if only david could have seen you in ermine - how proud he would have been of his boy. he so believed in you.
Displaying 1 of 1 review