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Original poster

Live web-chat with Tony Parsons, 9pm-10pm, 6 October

721 replies

rachel(mumsnet) · 01/10/2008 15:59

Columnist and author Tony Parsons will be joining us here on Monday 6th October from 9-10pm for a live chat. Tony's sixth novel, 'My Favourite Wife' has just been published and is described by The Independent as 'a much bigger, more ambitious book' than million-selling 'Man and Boy'. If you can't make the chat you can post your questions in advance here.
Hope to see you here on Monday.

OP posts:
WilfSell · 06/10/2008 22:49

I am only the real me for a while. I may go back to my many other personages shortly.

combustiblelemon · 06/10/2008 22:50

Minky should have said that some writers are silly billys who have their heads up their bottoms.

moondog · 06/10/2008 22:50

Damn it.
I misse it. (Step class)
Was he a knob as we assumed??

BruceHornsbyisabitlikeHornby · 06/10/2008 22:50

Are you lugubrious, WilfSell?

BIGwads · 06/10/2008 22:51

do we have mnetters that are authors?

WilfSell · 06/10/2008 22:51

Moony, he WASN'T a knob (read thread) apparently.

He was charming, brave and I missed him! He should now become a MN legend for being up for it with the cackling harpies.

moondog · 06/10/2008 22:52

He's awful and I know that without reading thread.

WilfSell · 06/10/2008 22:54

Sorry, I meant to write read thread as in pr. 'red' as in 'I read the thread although I missed him', not as in pr. 'reed', exhorting you to do so...

moondog · 06/10/2008 22:55

Am with yer.

S1ur · 06/10/2008 23:11

Hurumph Wilf

Well at least have the decency to nod in my general direction under new guise, pah.

pointydog · 06/10/2008 23:16

I'll take all that chuntering as a no. I think we should invite Will Self. ('We' - what am I on about)

Monkeytrousers · 07/10/2008 08:28

Charming at brave? By whose description?

ahundredtimes · 07/10/2008 08:30

I missed it. I went to a party. Where, incidentally, I met the most sinister man I have ever met IN MY LIFE. I might need to do a thread about him. At one point he started talking about 'Greenspan and all the lampshades' I am still reeling. It was like meeting a real proper living Nazi.

Anyway, I agree with Justine and I think we should be more polite - though still rigorous and demanding - to people that come on here. It's too easy to be rude. [sucks up politely]

SHURLEY SHIRLEY the best MN guest of ALL TIME would be Jamie Oliver. Can't we bagsie him?

MrNickHornby · 07/10/2008 09:29

So who is Nick Hornby

southeastastra · 07/10/2008 09:39

aw sad i missed it, he seems funny, lmao at the dave gorman/gahan mix up though he has one tattoo iirc.

EachPeachPearMum · 07/10/2008 09:55

100x -sounds vile.

MrsMattie · 07/10/2008 09:57

I don't really understand why MN HQ thought Tony Parsons would be an interesting 'guest' on MN? What is the relevance?

Monkeytrousers · 07/10/2008 09:59

But I don't think I was being rude 100. I didn?t say for instance that I thought he was a terrible writer. Or that his 9/11 op-ed made me want to hurl with its sickly sentimentalism masquerading as profound prose. I find him the literary version of the worst reality tv. It might be great ?therapy? for him ? you can tell ? abut that doesn?t make him a writer by anyone historical standard, just the throwaway, post modern one. He might be a really great bloke, I?m not attacking him personally - though his throwaway, bitchy broadsides hint at something unsavoury ? but I don?t find him an inspirational, or even slightly impressive guest. And I?m entitled to say so. It?s no threat, to you or anyone who thought it wad the event of the MN decade, that I do.

But they are all just marketing ploys anyway. Perhaps I should give MN a break. I just think we deserve better actually.

Monkeytrousers · 07/10/2008 10:01

Without typos - but that doesn?t make him a writer by any historical standard

Monkeytrousers · 07/10/2008 10:03

Well, I agree with you MrsM

I wonder if MN contacted his PR or the other way around to publicise his book

ahundredtimes · 07/10/2008 10:04

No, I keep saying people were rude - I don't know if they were really. I think it is okay to challenge and criticize someones work actually, I have no problem with that. Much better that than the type of person they are iyswim.

I think what got to me is that tone of 'Oh you think you're so great because you blah blah blah, come here and we'll have a go' and it makes me uncomfortable.

It wasn't you really MT - it's a general thing.

MrsMattie · 07/10/2008 10:07

He's cultivated a sarky, bitchy persona himself - I thought he could handle a bit of banter. But obviously we were all supposed to fawn over the big author.

zippitippitoes · 07/10/2008 10:08

i think he typed impressively quickly but unfortunsately that just underlined the fact that not many people actually had any interesting questions to ask

it seems only a few mns had read his books or knew anything about him

of course maybe a few more mns will now read jhis books which is why he vcame on

ahundredtimes · 07/10/2008 10:11

Yes Zippi right. He was a lame guest, and everyone thought he was Nick Hornby.

I still think you can say you hated his 9/11 piece or challenge his views on women. I don't think being sensible and polite is the same as fawning. I just don't.

zippitippitoes · 07/10/2008 10:11

it was a bit tumbleweed

i had that feeling you have at a party when it all goes quiet and you feel obliged to break the silence with some kind of chat usually inappropriate

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