WILLIAM BOYD Q&A

[TillyBookClub]

The delightful William Boyd, author of ANY HUMAN HEART which is set to replace Downton Abbey as Sunday night's must-watch telly, has agreed to do an emailed Q&A exclusively for Mumsnet.

Please post all your questions here, and we'll gather them together by next Tuesday 23 November. We'll aim to post the answers the following Tuesday 30 November (timing to be confirmed).

So to avoid missing out, please post all your queries before 10am next Tuesday 23 November

We also have 10 copies of ANY HUMAN HEART to giveaway, names to be picked out of a hat next Tuesday. So if you fancy a free Christmas present (as recommended here), get your question up here quick and you might get to read it before the TV tells you the ending..

[Blu]

Thank you!

And a BIG thank you to William Boyd - I like your reference to No Country for Old men and the psychology of being hunted by an unknown malevolent force.

The novels of yours that I have not yet read are on my Christmas list

[suzikettles]

It's here

[ArentFanny]

I have seen it aswell.

[Blu]

Boidoricca has seen it.....

[PaisleyLeaf]

Nope. Me neither.

[Blu]

I can't find it anywhere!

[ArentFanny]

If you go to the hompage, well it was there earlier but seems to have disappeared, it was under Mumsnet latest.

[Blu]

I'm confused - where are the answers?

[Boudoiricca]

God, I have to say I was sooooooo excited by this opportunity to ask a question that has always fascinatated me to the man who is my literary hero. Imagine how I felt to read the round up and discover he COMPLETELY IGNORED ME. It's like I came downstairs on Xmas morning and I'm the 7 year-old who Santa forgot :( I shall have to try very hard to be grown-up enough to not bear a grudge and continue to sing Mr Boyd's praises...

[TillyBookClub]

That's it folks, the deadline is up. Thanks to everyone for their questions. I'll send all the above to Mr Boyd today and we're hoping to post the answers here next Tuesday 30 November.

See you then...

[pickledsiblings]

William, which of your books would you recommend for my 78 year old FIL who has recently enjoyed The Corrections, Suite Francaise and Memoirs of Hadrian?

I am half way through Ordinary Thunderstorms and loving it but I'm not sure it's 'deep' enough for FIL.

Thank you.

[ArentFanny]

Who approached who to adpat AHH for televsion? Are you happy with it?

Liske Staranises, it isn't a patch on the book however most films aren't.

[staranise]

Hello

Thank you for coming on Mumsnet - it makes a welcome change from the run-up-to-an-election politicians.

I was lucky enough to hear you speak at the Wimbledon Literary Festival last year. Do you enjoy meeting your readers? Do they ever offer insights into your work that hadn't occurred to you?

BTW, I watched the adaption - lovely casting but not a patch on the book. I thought it reduced Logan's life to a series of flings and encounters with famous people and, unforgiveably, the humour of the book was lost.

I nearly named my son Logan after reading AHH .

[Blu]

Ah - LilyMaid got in first with my question.
WHY doesn't Adam do what any normal, or even slightly 'make bad decisions' person would do and go straight to the police / call the emergency services asap ? I lost a lot of sympathy for him at the beginning of the novel, and found it hard to get into it because I couldn't believe that an intelligent man would be so idiotic - even if he had touched the knife. In fact anyone who is a university lecturer and has watched an episode of casualty knows you don't pull the knife out!

I loved the novel after that - the shift in moral outlook as circumstances changed, the almost unbearable terror...

[taczilla]

Funny Swanriver but I didn't like him at all. I thought he was was weak, shallow and deceitful i couldn't see how any woman could find him attractive. I now wish had read this before seeing the adaptation.

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

I have a question, having watched the first episode of AHH last night.

Do you think that there is a risk of self-indulgence when writers come to write about writers? And how, if at all, do you endeavour to steer away from any smugness that may result?

[swanriver]

One more question!

It is all from Logan's point of view. The women are ciphers, we have no idea why they think or do things. That may work well in a book but does it work so well in a drama? Lane (spelling) seemed inpenetrable, and after a bit I couldn't really tell what their relationship was as I didn't understand her! He is very likeable though, it was easy to understand his reasons for everything. M McF round blue pained eyes are so sympathetic.

[swanriver]

Oh, just noticed you are doing Q & A
Not read the book or anything about it, just enjoyed the first episode. With a few reservations.

First question: Do you think that when a book is "framed" for want of a better word, with an older narrator it decreases the dramatic tension, as the narrator lends his world weary/tragic view to everything you see unfolding. And you are constantly wondering what significance of events are in his life story rather than just experiencing them as they happen.
Surely story should stand alone or is it a story about a story?

Second question: Did you have any writers of 30's/40's in mind when thinking up Any Human Heart - feel very ill read so just wondering if there ws some connection with any one I should know about like GGreene or suchlike

Also read Restless and Icecream War but a long time ago.

[TillyBookClub]

I'm settling in, telly on, ready for 9pm... just want to remind everyone that the deadline for questions is this coming Tuesday (23 November) at 10am. So if you haven't already posted then don't forget to get yours up here quick...

[orienteerer]

I love all your books.......just need to think of a question.........I'll be back!

[PaisleyLeaf]

I've been so looking forward to 'Any Human Heart' starting since seeing the trailers - it looks like it's going to be great. I always like Jim Broadbent.
Are you happy with it?
I've not read any of the novels, but this TV adaptation is inspiring me to. I think I'll start with 'Brazzaville Beach'.

I loved reading about the Nat Tate hoax!

[Lilymaid]

I'm reading Ordinary Thunderstorms and although I am now enjoying the book, I found the beginning realy unconvincing. Others probably disagree. Obviously, to get Adam into this half world of people without real names and identity trails, there had to be a sequence of unusual events, but why didn't he fess up immediately or when he went to the police station? (I haven't finished the book, so it may be that something will be revealed about Adam's psychology which would explain this).

[chocoholic]

I haven't heard of this before so should I watch or record and read it first? (I'd be happy to win a copy!! )

Before it was filmed, did you have any say in which actors played each character?

Were there any surprises for you as to how the characters were brought to life?

Do you enjoy watching it on the screen?

Looking forward to reading some more of your books

[alicatte]

I first read Armadillo - a long long time ago (I live near Monken Hadley) and found the whole idea of the 'armadillo - shielding' we put up to define ourselves fascinating - although of course I could have read it all wrong, I often do. I have read a few of your novels and get an impression of 'blind chance' being totally in control of your characters lives - is this one of your themes or am I, yet again, completely mistaken.

My overwhelming favourite from your novels though is Restless which somehow seems to still live with me - even now. I thought Eva was a fabulous character - I don't know how you managed to take a 'spy novel' and write characters that were so believable. Thank you.

[Lio]

I was also going to ask about whether your ace female characters in Brazzaville Beach and Restless came as naturally as your male characters, but Boudoiricca put it much better.