This and That

Well, tentatively, I’m back.  Whatever else these last three weeks have been they have certainly been interesting.  The city has four major hospitals and I am now familiar with all of them.  Every body seems to think that we now have the answer to the medication issue – even The Bears, although it has to be said that they are the only ones who think Marmalade Sandwiches should be on free on prescription.  Thank you all for your messages.  The blogging community really is a supportive one.

I haven’t exactly been doing much in the way of reading or thinking so you’ll have to look on this as a slow news day.  However, I do have a recommendation and a question.

I’ve been reading a lot of crime fiction, including a first novel, The Dark Winter, by an author called David Mark.  I picked this up with a certain amount of trepidation because emblazoned on the front cover was the promise that if I didn’t think it was as good as a novel by Peter Robinson I could have my money back.  Normally that is as sure a recipe for disaster as I can think of, however, as it was the library’s money that was on the line rather than mine I took the risk and I am glad I did.  Mark may not be quite up to current Robinson but he’s a darn sight better than his earlier work and definitely someone worth getting to know now.  Although, get it from the library if you’re at all concerned because I’m not in a position to fund the money back option myself.

My question dates from before I woke up to find myself flat on my back in the local shopping centre.  Does anyone know in what context Barthes wrote Death of an Author?  This is one of those essays that you think you’ve read because it’s so much out there in the ether but when I was actually confronted with it I found that I hadn’t.  And, it seems to me that rather than being a spontaneous production on Barthes part it was written as a response to something else.  Does anyone know if I’m right about this and if so, what it was that prompted it?

With luck I’ll get round to using my little grey cells over the next few days and have something more substantial to write about.  At the moment I’m just glad to be back on my feet.