Mum's Monday: Mother London by Michael Moorcock

The start of the book describes David Mummery taking a very interesting bus journey through London. This is written well and gives a fascinating insight into London life. One part where he mentions tourist routes through the city and where the tourists don’t often know where they are going, the author writes that we that we would also be at a loss if we were in New York or Baghdad.

Knowing what it is like to navigate around New York, as I have visited there, it is easy with yellow taxi cabs that are easily hailed in the street and a subway system that is well set out on maps, I don’t agree with this reference, however, not having been to Baghdad I cannot comment on their public transport system.

This book is a brave story to write and seems/could have been, somewhat complicated to write. It is about a group of patients going for, what can only be described as ‘Group Therapy’. Writing about each and every one of them and describing their individual ways that led them to need Doctor Samit’s help is cleverly written. The author is not just creating a character’s personality in the normal sense, he has to write an added depth to the patients in the story line, it is like he has to write two sides to each character. As the reader you could easily lose track of what is going on if you are not careful.

Part one we get to know all the patients that attends the group therapy one by one. we learn of their backgrounds and childhoods. This storyline is written in such a way to be strong enough to be realistic, for them all to end up needing help. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to send someone over the edge, with me the reader, I would rather read a good reason than a flimsy one, where it seems not much thought has gone into it. This book has been well thought out, so it makes it an interesting one with depth.

As I start part two the titles of the chapters are baffling, some of the paragraphs trail off into a different font. As I read the paragraph on the back of this book, I see the patients hear voices, although there is no clear indication this is the case, but the words in the different font could be the words said by the voices in their heads. This book certainly makes me want to read on further.

In part two also there is minor references to the titles of the chapters, but it is subtle and to me I like the cleverness of it. I am not sure how the dates fit in with the story though.

In part three the chapters to me is a light hearted insight into being in an institution and the characters telling more of their stories to Doctor Male.

In the chapter ‘Gypsy Gardens 1954’ in part three, there is a lot written about politics. This is well written but brave, as it is a well-known fact that you should never discuss the subject of politics amongst other things. This has been well researched, although this is not an easy subject to be writing about. There is an amusing part where David is making his own entertainment. Who would have thought that moving a curtain in a certain location could pique the tourists interest? Showing something so simple, but in the right place can be fun and fulfilling for the person carrying out a bit of harmless mischief.

As I read on in this book I find my opinion changes as to why the font is different in some cases. In the chapter ‘Lost Stations 1951’, the different font could also be the thoughts of the person, in this case Josef Kiss, running through his head. This book certainly makes you think again.

In this book, because some of it is in the heads, dreams or just voices they hear, the author can and has gone all out with his imagination, you never know what you will read next. It certainly keeps you guessing.

In the chapter ‘Late Blooms 1940’ not only are the characters Beth and Chloe holding their breath, I find that I am as I am reading it too. It is sad and upsetting to read how the bombs have affected the animals, this part is not nice to read.

In the chapter ‘Early Departures 1940’ the first one of part four, Josef Kiss goes to help Beth and Chloe with their unexploded bomb. They hear a thump on the thatched roof, and the only way the two women would possibly hear a thump is if Josef jumped on to it but why to both? This didn’t seem right at first until it is explained with the ladder it makes sense. This book is good at making you think one thing only to totally change your way of thinking, by going off in another way. What you assume to be one thing turns out to be something completely different.

In the chapter ‘Premature Burials1946’ although it is sad to read that Josef Kiss is suffering with being shell shocked from the war and is up a tree. The chapter is well written and gives a clear insight into someone who was troubled by the conflict.

In the chapter ‘Abstract Relations 1950’ we read about Mary Gasalee. This is cleverly written as we read between her story and the truth of where she actually is. It swaps so quickly and smoothly, that it makes this chapter easy to read, but at times hard to keep up with what is going on.

In the chapter ‘Successive Movements 1964’ it is clear the date in the title doesn’t refer to the entire chapter, as Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (Princess Diana) is mentioned, and in 1964 Lady Dianna Spencer would have been three years old.

The chapter called ‘Variable Currents 1970’ is written so well that it really does capture the essence of a funfair. Asking Josef Kiss to perform his mind reading act could be seen as risky. I wouldn’t want my mind read all the time.

In the chapter called ‘The Merry Monarch 1977’ the third chapter of part five, we get an insight into what it is like to live through a riot out on the street where you live. Normally most of us just hear and see what happens on news that the riots are happening. This made me spare a thought of the people living in the vicinity of the unrest. 

In the fifth chapter of part five ‘The Pilgrim’s Gate 1965’ it is nice to read of a miracle during the war, when mostly you hear of all the devastation it is nice to read of some good news for a change.

In part six we see the conclusions to the characters, Josef Kiss, Mrs Gasalee, David Mummery and The Celebrants, stories. At first with no warning the story turns dark and sad as we find out some shocking news during the first chapter. Whereas Josef’s life is happily moving to his next chapter. In the second chapter there is a fine line between ‘The land of dreams’ and reality for Mary Gasalee, but it is nice that there is some happy news concerning her life. The third chapter about David Mummery the journalist and writer, this chapter is proof of how good a writer David was, even in his note to the world he gives great detail to the end.

The last chapter ‘The Celebrants’ ends, for me, on a confusing note, but it is nice to see all the ghosts and legends live on. Overall this book is an insight to life in London, hence the title, over the years. It is not a bad book to read, and it gives you a lot of the geography of London, but to make it better, it would have been, to me, worthwhile to put the chapters in chronological order.

As sometimes going back and forwards in time can be somewhat confusing, unless I missed something whilst reading this book. That can be easily done because just when you think the story is going one way, it proves you wrong and you have to think again.