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angelofthetardis's review
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
2.0
Year three on Diddly Squat and Clarkson is finally getting into the swing of this whole farming thing. Except for the fact that if he wants something to happen, it doesn't. Taken from his Sunday Times newspaper column, this book brings together his anecdotes about life in the English countryside and his efforts to go from petrol head to pig farmer.
I admit it. I am a sucker. Every year, I go out and buy Clarkson's latest publication because a) I don't read the Sunday Times, b) I own pretty much all of them and want to keep the set 'complete' and c) because generally I find him a funny, uncouth and enjoyable read - I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but either way it's the way he expresses himself that makes him entertaining.
But, since he's switched from publishing his motoring/general life columns to his farming exploits, I've been finding myself more and more disappointed. And this one feels like we might have hit bottom. A significant chunk of the book is blank pages, chapter breaks and or illustrations (which I do concede are very good). With only 20 articles at 5-6 pages apiece, you wouldn't have paid that much more for the relevant editions of the newspaper, and you'd have got far more for your money! I'm definitely glad I waited until I saw it on sale.
The substantive content also left me wanting when compared to the comedy of the TV series. Looking at it from a sympathetic point of view, I suspect it's because he's fallen a little bit in love with being a farmer, and so he's actually trying now, rather than playing up to his character if the orangutan who hits stuff with a hammer and shouts a lot. As a result, the humour feels almost completely absent from this book; it's not like his writing style has undergone a dramatic transformation, but his 'voice' felt like it was missing for me. I can certainly get behind him taking his role as an unofficial ambassador for farming seriously, but it doesn't stop me missing the big idiot a bit.
I think I said this in my reviews for his previous two books, but another big issue I have is that his older books flowed, with weekly columns following on from one another, referencing in-jokes that might go on for years and personal moments that would come up time and time again. However, while the columns for Diddly Squat are sequential, there are clearly gaps between each one (I assume where he is writing about going backwards around a corner at 100mph with his hair on fire while shouting). As a result, the familiarity and flow is lost; each article has to stand alone, which doesn't do it or the overall narrative justice. In this book it's particularly noticeable; it's structured in the same way as before so you do have an indicator of the season, but apart from a mention of Christmas in one, the articles themselves don't really offer any sense of time.
Something else that struck me was the lack of 'struggle' in this year's instalment. There is an abstract reference to the NIMBYs that don't want his farm shop and a couple of mentions of the potential monetary losses, but again what makes the TV series so effective - watching a novice try to get to grips with all the rules, regulations, red tape and red-trouser brigade that come with being who he is and doing what he is - has been almost entirely omitted. I will be interested to see how much there is included in the next series. Of course I hope that life is made easier for him and all farmers, but this doesn't feel quite true to life.
I guarantee you I'll be here this time next year, but I will be keeping my fingers crossed for an overdue return to form.
I admit it. I am a sucker. Every year, I go out and buy Clarkson's latest publication because a) I don't read the Sunday Times, b) I own pretty much all of them and want to keep the set 'complete' and c) because generally I find him a funny, uncouth and enjoyable read - I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but either way it's the way he expresses himself that makes him entertaining.
But, since he's switched from publishing his motoring/general life columns to his farming exploits, I've been finding myself more and more disappointed. And this one feels like we might have hit bottom. A significant chunk of the book is blank pages, chapter breaks and or illustrations (which I do concede are very good). With only 20 articles at 5-6 pages apiece, you wouldn't have paid that much more for the relevant editions of the newspaper, and you'd have got far more for your money! I'm definitely glad I waited until I saw it on sale.
The substantive content also left me wanting when compared to the comedy of the TV series. Looking at it from a sympathetic point of view, I suspect it's because he's fallen a little bit in love with being a farmer, and so he's actually trying now, rather than playing up to his character if the orangutan who hits stuff with a hammer and shouts a lot. As a result, the humour feels almost completely absent from this book; it's not like his writing style has undergone a dramatic transformation, but his 'voice' felt like it was missing for me. I can certainly get behind him taking his role as an unofficial ambassador for farming seriously, but it doesn't stop me missing the big idiot a bit.
I think I said this in my reviews for his previous two books, but another big issue I have is that his older books flowed, with weekly columns following on from one another, referencing in-jokes that might go on for years and personal moments that would come up time and time again. However, while the columns for Diddly Squat are sequential, there are clearly gaps between each one (I assume where he is writing about going backwards around a corner at 100mph with his hair on fire while shouting). As a result, the familiarity and flow is lost; each article has to stand alone, which doesn't do it or the overall narrative justice. In this book it's particularly noticeable; it's structured in the same way as before so you do have an indicator of the season, but apart from a mention of Christmas in one, the articles themselves don't really offer any sense of time.
Something else that struck me was the lack of 'struggle' in this year's instalment. There is an abstract reference to the NIMBYs that don't want his farm shop and a couple of mentions of the potential monetary losses, but again what makes the TV series so effective - watching a novice try to get to grips with all the rules, regulations, red tape and red-trouser brigade that come with being who he is and doing what he is - has been almost entirely omitted. I will be interested to see how much there is included in the next series. Of course I hope that life is made easier for him and all farmers, but this doesn't feel quite true to life.
I guarantee you I'll be here this time next year, but I will be keeping my fingers crossed for an overdue return to form.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Vomit
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