Reading the 20th Century discussion

Welcome to our October 2024 buddy read of....




Changing Places: A Tale of Two Campuses (The Campus Trilogy #1) (1975)

by

David Lodge



Euphoric State University with its whitestone, sun-drenched campus and England's damp red-brick University of Rummidge have an annual professorial exchange scheme, and as the first day of the last year of the tumultuous sixties dawns, Philip Swallow and Morris Zapp are the designated exchangees. They know they'll be swapping class rosters, but what they don't know is that in a wildly spiraling transatlantic involvement they'll soon be swapping students, colleagues, and even wives. Changing Places is a hilarious send-up of academic life, intellectual fashion, sex, and marriage by a writer Anthony Burgess has called "one of the best novelists of his generation."

When would you like to read and discuss it?


I am totally flexible

So far its SueLucie, Vesna, Susan and me - but everyone is welcome. If you're also interested come and announce yourself

I read and enjoyed these back in the day and would be up for a reread.

October or November? I need to catch up - I still haven't read Ice Age or some Detectives title for this month, let alone next month. Is that too long?

If we are thinking of Tom Sharpe, I've had a rummage and I have:
Wilt
Porterhouse Blue
Riotous Assembly

My vacation will be over soon and I'll hardly have time for my beloved readings afterwards, so I now read some of our group/buddy reads ahead of time (already finished The Shooting Party, and currently Mother Night, it's gripping!). I'll do the same with Changing Places and join the discussion whenever it's scheduled.

Any time is good for me. My gardening/touring season is about to come to an abrupt end, summer is brief up here.

You are in Scotland, aren't you, SueLucie? I heard that school starts in August, rather than September, there. Is that correct? Just curious.

I read this 40+ years ago and might join in for a reread if I find the time.

Susan wrote: "You are in Scotland, aren't you, SueLucie? I heard that school starts in August, rather than September, there. Is that correct? Just curious."

Yes, schools broke up for summer first week in July and go back this week here (Aberdeenshire). There is a fortnight holiday at half term.

I'd like to join . How could I not after the joy of Bradbury . And a close friend just finished a reread of Porterhouse Blue - we read it together many years ago - so yes please . ideally I'd like to have a David Lodge year in 2025 , as an antedote to Proust but am relaxed....

Thanks all


Wonderful that so many of us are up for reading this one - and possibly the following two campus novels as well

I've gone for October 2024

I hope that works for everyone

If not, remember you can read it before or after that month

I'm also definitely up for a buddy read of Wilt by Tom Sharpe - and it appears that there are some takers for that one too?

Yes please to Lodge in October and any Sharpe you choose

I'm fine for any Tom Sharpe you want, Nigeyb. You pick.

Great news


Thanks Susan and SueLucie

I've set it up for a thread for us to read and discuss Wilt in November 2024 but can change the month if anyone wants to. Here's our discussion....

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Perfect, thanks Nigeyb.

I've only read the first few pages of this but it had me a-smiling and a-chuckling which augers well. I don't this is going to be anything like as dark as The History Man which inspired this buddy read. Really looking forward to reading more.

I have reached a natural break so am making this my next read. Opening to page 1 …….

Hurrah

Only a few pages in and I’m enjoying his humour.

Hence the American visitors to Rummidge tended to be young and/or undistinguished, determined Anglophiles who could find no other way of getting to England or, very rarely, specialists in one of the esoteric disciplines in which Rummidge, through the support of local industry, had established an unchallenged supremacy: domestic appliance technology, tyre sciences and the biochemistry of the cocoa bean.

And I love the image of the upright towers of Pisa.

Agree on all points SueLucie


I haven't read much more but am enjoying it all so far

Are those references to Birmingham which - I think - is where Lodge taught? Hoover, Bournville and don't know the 'tyre sciences'... Dunlop?

Not a clue RC, but very plausible if he taught at Birmingham

Yes, it is Birmingham and, as you say, he taught there. As did Malcolm Bradbury whom he describes as a friend and colleague in his very detailed introduction to my Vintage trilogy. This introduction is fascinating in itself - he writes about the ‘campus’ novel at a time when universities existed on campuses in the US but not really in the UK. He says an unnamed producer saw this novel’s potential as a film, switching back and forth as it does between here and there, and tried for years to make it into one. Not to be, sadly.
I think ‘tyre sciences’ is a reference to car manufacturing generally, probably British Leyland, and Landrover in particular. Not sure about the domestic appliances. Bournville for sure.
We could all do with a familiarisation trip to Birmingham - oh for a speedy rail link!

That sounds right, British Leyland or Land Rover - didn't one of them have a famous strike? Maybe during Maggie Thatcher's break the unions campaign?

When I was at Warwick, albeit a few decades later, we went to Birmingham art gallery to see the Pre-Raphaelites and were warned the whole city smelt of chocolate when the wind was blowing in the right direction from the Bourneville factory! Disappointingly not on that day.

70 pages in and thoroughly enjoying this one. The culture clash is very accomplished and the evocation of the late 60s is superb. Lots of amusing scenes too.

I found this in a review which adds some context….


The book takes place in 1969 and involves an academic exchange between the University of Birmingham and Berkeley, California. It’s drawn from personal experience; David Lodge was professor of English literature at the University of Birmingham and spent a year at Berkeley as a young lecturer. The names of these places are, however, changed: Birmingham becomes Rummidge, Berkeley the State University of Euphoria, or Euphoric State. Rummidge is described as a “graceless industrial city” — the “asshole of England”. In contrast, Euphoria seems like paradise, but, as we discover, it’s a rollercoaster of “sit-ins, teach-ins, love-ins, happenings”, a violent, hysterical place at the end of the 1960s.

I finished The Rachel Papers so I hope to start this one tomorrow. I loved The History Man - hope this is equally good.

It's very different Susan - no darkness or cynicism but, so far, equally as fascinating. I'm coming to the conclusion I'm a big fan of the campus novel

I started this last night, but left our two professors flying to each others university. I was a little shocked to read about the female passengers on Morris Zapp's flight. Not much has changed there.

I have students to see this morning, but will get back to it later. I also love the campus novel and The History Man is one of my favourite reads of the year. I think you suggested that one, so thank you.

Aw thanks Susan


Yes, I love The History Man and was very keen to reread it and discuss it with the group

Agree . History Man is still inhabiting my chuckle neurons . Thank you Nigel .

Thanks Hester


I hope to get about an hour or so with this one later

Picking this up now. Hoping it is as fun as I remember.

🤞🏼

I love the way the two academics are responding to, and being charged by, their new environments

The chapter that purely consists of letters home from the two role swapping academics is genius. It gets gradually more and more amusing

I have just now reached the letter writing chapter. Hilarious. The coincidences and pointers to future plot developments have me reading as fast as I can. Must crack on …..

Hurrah


Glad you feel the same way

I’m loving this book

Alas out tonight so no further headway for a while

I finished a book for Detectives today, but managed to start Chapter 2 on the way back on the train.

They are both currently feeling out each others offices and unsure about what they are doing. I am enjoying this too.

That’s great, Susan. I found that chapter long and slow going, but the action fairly speeds up after that.

I like the doctor our hapless American lodges with and his constant arrival to watch the colour television! I am pretty sure we had a black and white television at that time.

The contrast between the US and England is one of the great joys of this book, especially as it was far more stark in 1969 compared with today

Yes, absolutely. I remember reading about the Beatles first tour of the US in 1964 when they discovered the joys of room service, a thing unheard of up till then!

I really enjoyed Morris’ reaction to British radio shows, thinking they were spoofs until realising they were for real - reading out listeners’ names and personal details, the presenter constantly promoting himself etc - I remember these shows, relatively recently too.

The sound of my youth

Just read the section when Hilary rings up The Charles Boon Show to speak to Philip. One of many very amusing sections

I'm still not over losing Steve Wright personally...

Just finished


A really fun read, and quite illuminating too

I’ll be reading the next one for sure. And possibly the third one too