Friday, November 09, 2007

Boris Johnson Book of Verse

It appears that buffoon politician, Boris Johnson, has produced a collection of poems – that’s if you stretch your definition of what might be considered a ‘poem’ by several miles.

The Guardian reviewer, Stuart Jeffries, is scathing:

“As you will notice, Johnson has a gift for assonance not heard since Alexander Pope wrote the Rape of the Lock (this will be the quote they use on the paperback edition - just see if it isn't). By which I mean, there are lots of duff rhymes…e.g…

'Every child's a human being,/ not a piece of Plasticine.’


But is Jeffries scathing enough (he tried his very best, I admit)? Why does anyone put up with plonkers like Johnson, give them book deals, buy their books, vote for them?

And I thought I was half-kidding with my Johnson-Mapanje piece a few months ago. Shudder… Perhaps it gave Johnson the idea to write a bloody poetry book!

3 comments:

Matt Merritt said...

It beggars belief, doesn't it?
I think he hits the nail on the head towards the end. It's not so much that Johnson is a complete buffoon I object to - it's the fact that we're all supposed to laugh along with him as if he's a loveable eccentric.

Anonymous said...

Christ almighty! Are there no boundaries to this man's multi-faceted idiocy? And the real pisser is that the book will sell...

Rob said...

Spot on, Matt.

Dick - will it sell? I wonder. Are people really so dim as to fill Christmas stockings with tripe like that? I hope not.