Those of us lucky enough to have heard Robert Dessaix speak will know the mellifluousness of his speech. His voice is calming, welcoming. This same voice is on display here. Dessaix acknowledges that it may be off-putting to read his speeches, but ‘hearing’ his voice in print diminishes those concerns. He also apologises for the repetition within. If you’ve attended festivals, you’ll be aware of the tired anecdotes of writers. That’s not evident here: the repetition adds to Dessaix’s emphasis on writers, books, events and emotions.
The first part of this book contains some of his talks. The first has a surprising title: ‘How Enid Blyton Changed My Life’. On first impression, she’s an odd choice of pivot point as an adult, but Dessaix explains that her ability to capture imagination was nonpareil. Additionally, Dessaix has a command of several languages. He’s studied French, Russian, Latin and Greek.
Dessaix adores Russian writers, particularly Gogol and Turgenev, with their ability to conjure life’s absurdities in short story form.
The second part is called ‘Feuilletons’ or ‘serials’ in English. Dessaix penned a number of short reads for newspapers. These are riffs on a theme: often amusing, insightful and interesting.
‘Listening’ to Dessaix’s written word, it’s easy to forgive his repetition, and simply revel in his command of – and playfulness with – language(s).
Reviewed by Bob Moore
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