Reviews for Titmuss Regained

The average rating for Titmuss Regained based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-03-09 00:00:00 Jeffrey Gill Titmuss Regained by John Mortimer 10 out of 10 Titmuss Regained is a wonderful novel that you can find on The Guardian list of 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read, in the comedy zone, which made this reader regret not having read John Mortimer before, when there was a chance, at the British Library, to rent one of the Rumpole audio tapes available there. Leslie Titmuss is the hero of this novel, an intriguing, complex, determined, brave, ruthless, arrogant, often resentful, resilient politician that has been named minister for H.E.A.P aka Housing Ecological Affairs and Planning and in this function, he will be faced with a quandary. As a rather arrogant, abrasive, sometimes obnoxious,rather dismissive of culture - he has never been to an opera, before meeting Jenny Sidonia and does not know the difference between a ballet and an opera - character, he appears to embody all that is wrong with politicians, albeit for this reader, some of his actions have not looked so preposterous and all things considered, he is also a sort of a sad figure, not exactly like Don Quixote, for he is the opposite of an idealist, seeing as he represents and promotes realism, market forces and capitalism. He is a Conservative, famous for a speech in which he glorifies the merits of the market forces, the invisible hand, the need for Britain to construct, dismissing the whining greens, the socialists who are in reality - well, in his take on reality - privileged individuals trying to make amends and cope with a sense of guilt for having so much to gain from the capitalist system. The hero has been married to a woman that has died and while alive, she has embarrassed her husband with her propensity, passion for causes that wee embraced by the political enemies of the ambitious politician, marching against the bomb, for peace and other such "reactionary" causes. The Right Honorable Titmuss meets Jenny Sidonia, a widower that had been married to a very popular, honest, appreciated - albeit this would be investigated by a private detective and the protagonist and the truth would seem different - professor, that had been involved in an intimate relationship with Sue Bramble, who is now Jenny's best friend, the two of them sharing a flat in London. Jenny is very beautiful, a remarkable, generous, special, tolerant, sensitive, kind woman that attracts the attention of the Honorable minister, who is sure that colleagues, the public would appreciate, be impressed if he somehow manages to seduce this extraordinary, imposing, but so very different character, that belongs to another world. The widow feels pity or compassion- Milan Kundera in The Unbearable Lightness of Being explains the difference between the two - for the unsophisticated man who feels somewhat ridiculed at a gathering where he proves his ignorance of art. Leslie Titmuss invites Jenny out, they have meals together, she takes him to the opera, he shows her Rapstone Manor, a large mansion that is empty now that his mother-in-law has died, asks his date what she feels about the countryside- there is a beautiful view of the Rapstone Valley - and she is enchanted by what she sees. The man is however wrong in assuming that the prospect of living in that splendid, large house would be the crucial element and it would make the woman abandon herself to be seduced by the cunning minister. Jenny is not only disinterested in the power that her pursuer has, she does not follow politics, when they would eventually become closer, they do not talk about his job, different decisions, speeches, indeed, anything connected with the ministry. In spite of the apparent huge difference between them, the fact that they are from different planets - she is romantic, lives in a world of gentleness, consideration, respect for the truth while he lies to further his ambitions, has no qualms about stepping on toes and worse - she accepts to marry Titmuss. They even seem to be rather happy, or at least content with each other, although the first serious shadow appears on their honeymoon, as they eat in a restaurant where Jenny had been with her late husband and the minister understands that his wife is still admiring the deceased and this is hurting. Then there is the major threat of a construction project that would build a new town, right near the backyard of the minister, who must not seem to take a different stand, now that the market forces are operating near his newly acquired mansion, and he must be consistent and praise, encourage the building of the Rapstone Valley Town. In truth, the politician does not want the beauty of the valley to be destroyed, he is sure he will maneuver with such skill that he will have his way, without compromising his stature, by requesting an inquiry and stating that he will accept whatever conclusion the official in charge will present. The Right Honorable minister plays on both fronts, sending money to the S.O.V. the group organized to battle the construction project, whose chairman is Doctor Fred Simcox, who falls in love with Jenny Titmuss- it becomes clearer explanation with every page that the doctor and the wife of the politician are much more compatible with each other, especially after Jenny declares her wish to join the SOV, only to be rebuked by the minister who has to lie about his real intentions and ultimately deceive the public, voters and everybody else, except for a few. This excellent novel has only 401 ratings and 22 reviews on goodreads, which will be changed only slightly when this note is posted there, and it seems so absurd when we think that Dan Brown has millions I am not clear about why the book is called Titmuss Regained...there could be a few guesses, without spoiler alerts it could mentioned that the main character does change, but as for Regained...I am not sure.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-02-02 00:00:00 Jeremy Bright Publicado en �El regreso de Titmuss� de John Mortimer. La pol�tica como herramienta de control. Los que le�mos y nos maravillamos con las andanzas de la familia Simcox en �Un para�so inalcanzable� ten�amos claro que �El regreso de Titmuss� era una compra imprescindible, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que consider� el primer libro como uno de los mejores de a�o pasado. La lectura de este segundo libro de la saga nos trae de nuevo la prosa m�s que recomendable de Mortimer aunque hay diferencias sustanciales con el primero, que ya coment� aqu� ; en dicho post me centraba en las caracter�sticas que, en mi opini�n, hac�an del primer libro un libro redondo alcanzando pr�cticamente la perfecci�n. En este segundo libro la trama se centra principalmente en Leslie Titmuss, el pol�tico conservador del partido pol�tico de Margaret Thatcher que fue beneficiario de la herencia del reverendo Simeon Simcox; la primera parte del libro supone la concisa caracterizaci�n de su carism�tica figura: �Leslie siempre se sent�a, le resultaba inevitable, como un rey de vuelta a su peque�o reino. �Acaso �l, el ni�o despreciado y ridiculizado que se ganaba unas monedas cortando ortigas y haciendo trabajillos en el jard�n de la rector�a, no se hab�a abierto camino entre los ni�os bien, los banqueros y la aristocracia rural de su partido para convertirse en diputado por Hartscombe y Worsfield Sur, un esca�o que hab�a conservado por incontestable mayor�a durante veinticinco a�os? �No era el candidato que hab�a predicado por primera vez el evangelio �aprendido, sol�a decir, de su padre, empleado de la cervecera- que preconizaba el respeto por la frugalidad, el aprecio constante del poder m�stico del dinero y una profunda desconfianza hacia aquellos que deseaban distribuirlo entre los pobres indignos de ayuda? Armado con este sencillo credo, reconvertido en la doctrina de su partido, Leslie Titmuss hab�a contribuido a cambiar la cara de Inglaterra.� No exenta de su capacidad de manipulaci�n y manejo de la vida pol�tica: �-Nunca ha sabido mantener la boca cerrada, Cantellow; me ha contado exactamente lo que quer�a saber. �Leslie se levant�, una vez concluida la conversaci�n-. No hace falta que me acompa�e a la puerta. Solo le dir� que me alegra mucho que no sea usted mi abogado; ser�a como llevar mis asuntos personales al telediario de la noche.� �-Bueno, al menos les has dado lo que quieren o�r. -Me gusta m�s cuando les doy lo que no quieren o�r. Y tienen que trag�rselo. Es entonces cuando la pol�tica empieza a ponerse interesante.� De fondo, un plan urban�stico que pretende edificar en Rapstone Fanner, un valle id�lico y pastoril donde sus habitantes viven en flamante camarader�a; en primer plano, los intereses contrapuestos de Leslie como pol�tico y como habitante de esa zona donde creci�, vive su madre y quiere formar una familia con Jenny Sidonia. La trama polic�aca de fondo, el enigma, el misterio que rodeaba todo, en esta ocasi�n se sustituye por el romance de Jenny y Leslie y las tramas pol�ticas asociadas; desde este punto de vista se mantiene, desde lo micro, el reflejo, no tanto de la sociedad (como ocurr�a anteriormente) sino de los vericuetos de los romances y, sobre todo, de la vida pol�tica con sus traiciones y triunfos. Ya en una segunda parte aparece de nuevo la familia Simcox, en la figura de Fred, el m�dico que se convertir� en la figura visible del movimiento de resistencia contra el plan urban�stico, que cambie las vidas de los habitantes del valle: �Fred se hab�a sentido m�s pr�ximo a la aceptaci�n de los hechos inmutables de la vida y la muerte que profesaba el anciano m�dico que a la optimista marcha de su padre hacia un para�so que cada vez se antojaba m�s distante e inalcanzable. A diferencia de su hermano mayor, Henry, que hab�a empezado como joven novelista airado para convertirse en un viejo gru��n reaccionario que escrib�a art�culos en que denunciaba como peligrosas ilusiones las m�s queridas creencias de su padre, Fred hab�a optado por evitar toda actividad pol�tica, content�ndose con la apacible vida de m�dico rural en el pueblo donde se hab�a criado.� Fred tiene personalidad, ya muy bien definida, pero resulta un personaje serio, grave, sobre todo sin el contrapunto c�mico que supon�a su hermano Henry, el joven airado, que pon�a unos toques de humor ciertamente deliciosos y que pueden echarse a faltar en esta segunda parte de la saga de Mortimer. Lo que no falta es el reflejo muy acertado de la vida pol�tica y, por extensi�n, de la sociedad durante el tiempo en que fue Primer Ministro Margaret Thatcher; lo m�s novedoso y que, afortunadamente a�ade un nivel aunque pierda otros, es la relaci�n entre Jenny, Leslie y el marido muerto de Jenny, Tony. �-Claro que no. Hablo de pol�tica. Es una palabra fea para ti �no? -No necesariamente. -Es otro mundo, indigno de ti. Un mundo donde hay que decir lo que no piensas para conseguir lo que quieres. Un mundo donde a veces hay que mentir. Eso no le habr�a gustado a tu precioso Tony Sidonia, �verdad?� La soberbia recalcitrante de Leslie le conducir� a una situaci�n de celos imposible de soportar, que le llevar� a tomar decisiones no del todo correctas y que, en �ltima instancia, desencadenar� su inseguridad; nuestro Leslie se volver� falible en lo personal y ello tendr� sus consecuencias ineludibles en su trabajo, en el manejo pol�tico. �l ser� capaz de justificar sus decisiones de la manera m�s vil: disfraz�ndola su ego�smo de altruismo para la pareja. �De pronto Jenny le atac�, pero sus pu�etazos eran como los de un ni�o. Ni consiguieron apartarlo ni le hicieron el menor da�o. Leslie sonri� satisfecho, convencido, como siempre, de que ten�a raz�n. Tarde o temprano, ella tambi�n lo admitir�a. -No solo lo intent�, sino que lo consegu�. -�Por qu�? �Para qu�? �Jenny lo mir� no solo enojada sino perpleja, como si �l fuera un ser de otra galaxia. -Para liberarte de �l. Aquello era un golpe inesperado, �l lo entend�a. Jenny lo asimilar�a. Tarde o temprano. -�Liberarme? -Vale �admiti�-, para liberarnos a los dos. Lo hice por nosotros.� No puedo decir que sea mejor libro que �Un para�so inalcanzable�; la confluencia de elementos del primero rozaba una perfecci�n literaria dif�cil de olvidar. Lo que s� s� es que �El regreso de Titmuss� es un muy buen libro y me permito pensar de nuevo que es otra de esas lecturas ineludibles que te hacen disfrutar y te ense�an, a pesar de lo amargo que puede llegar a ser lo que refleja. Los textos vienen de la traducci�n del ingl�s de Magdalena Palmer de �El regreso de Titmuss� de John Mortimer en Libros del Asteroide.