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No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy
No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy: Memoirs of a Working-Class Reader | Mark Hodkinson
11 posts | 4 read | 31 to read
Mark Hodkinson grew up among the terrace houses of Rochdale in a house with just one book. His dad kept it on top of a wardrobe with other items of great worth wedding photographs and Marks National Cycling Proficiency certificate. If Mark wanted to read it, he was warned not to crease the pages or slam shut the covers. Today, Mark is an author, journalist and publisher. He still lives in Rochdale, but is now snugly ensconced (or is that buried?) in a book cave surrounded by 3,500 titles at the last count. No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy is his story of growing up a working-class lad during the 1970s and 1980s. Its about schools (bad), music (good) and the people (some mad, a few sane), and pre-eminently and profoundly the books and authors (some bad, mostly good) that led the way, and shaped his life. Its also about a family who just didnt see the point of reading, and a troubled grandad who, in his own way, taught Mark the power of stories. In recounting his own life-long love affair with books, Mark also tells the story of how writing and reading has changed over the last five decades, starting with the wave of working-class writers in the 1950s and 60s, where he saw himself reflected in books for the first time.
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rwmg
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Pickpick

Mark Hodkinson's memoir of growing up bookish in a community where reading for the sake of it is not common.

The early parts, describing his childhood and teenage years were, for me, more relatable and so interesting, but it did sag rather in the middle when he talks about his time as a journalist covering punk rock and sport (mainly football). The book then picked up when the author talked about his time as a publisher and his bookish life now.

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rwmg
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A few weeks, never mind a few years

22 likes1 stack add
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rwmg
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When you put it like that ....

Ruthiella That is a great way to look at it! 😂 2y
charl08 Love this quote. 2y
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rwmg
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Reading was the holiday

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rwmg
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The walls are closing in. They used to be over there, a few metres away.

@ShyBookOwl
#FirstLineFridays

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rwmg
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keepingupwiththepenguins
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Pickpick

I was relieved to realise that my own personal library (now at 900+ titles) is perfectly reasonable… but equally terrified to learn new-to-me terms like BABLE (Book Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy). This was a thoroughly enjoyable and highly readable overview of another lifelong bibliophile‘s development. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/no-one-round-here-reads-tolstoy-mark-hodkin...

SRWCF This sounds so interesting! 2y
Leftcoastzen I‘m an extreme BABLE . 2y
marleed I kind of love this acronym/word. 2y
Nute Thank you for reminding me with this post that I wanted to read this book. A few years back, I remember making a choice of another book over this one, but stating to myself that I would come back it. Now it is several years later. 2y
56 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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TrishB
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Pickpick

I loved this and related a lot to the northern, working class upbringing and the music and the reading.
We had books in my house growing up though, mostly second hand and lots of library books.
An entertaining read. Thanks for the recommendation Helen 😘

rwmg Wishlisted 3y
LeahBergen Nice review and now I‘m even more intrigued! 3y
squirrelbrain Glad you enjoyed it! It‘s always a worry when you love a book and recommend it, whether someone else will…. 3y
TrishB @rwmg @LeahBergen I‘m never sure how these books translate outside time and place, but it‘s a good read! 3y
103 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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TrishB
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#motherdaughterread
Daughter home for reading week (it‘s not as exciting as it sounds though!). There‘s time for a bit of relaxing reading as well 😁

squirrelbrain Enjoy! 😘 3y
LeahBergen Back to your reading time together! 💗 3y
TrishB @squirrelbrain @LeahBergen I‘ve definitely missed it! 3y
batsy The tagged book sounds interesting! 3y
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TrishB
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#quicklunchtimeread and Mr Numan makes an appearance 😁

Cathythoughts Omg ! Gary , that‘s cool for you 👍❤️ 3y
LeahBergen 👏👏👏 3y
CarolynM I love finding those sorts of references❤ 3y
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I just adored this book; one of my favourites of the year so far! The author grew up in a home where there were no books and reading was a suspicious, frowned-upon activity. The book tells of how he grew to love books, and then to work with words and eventually write his own books.

Loved the appendices, which included ephemera and notes found in his second-hand books, plus details of his TBR piles all around the house. (One in the toilet!)

squirrelbrain @TrishB right up your street I think. There‘s quite a lot about (punk) music in it too. @arlenefinnigan I think you‘d like it as well. 3y
arlenefinnigan @squirrelbrain ooh I remember hearing the author talking about this. Think I'm gonna borrow it from Rochdale library! 3y
arlenefinnigan @squirrelbrain also my husband grew up in and around Rochdale in the 70s and 80s so I'll be asking him if he recognises all the places in it. 3y
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TrishB Oh thanks Helen! It sounds fab and I‘ve just ordered! 3y
squirrelbrain I hope you both enjoy it as much as I did @arlenefinnigan @TrishB 3y
Mitch Sounds good 👍🏼 3y
LeahBergen Well, you‘ve sold me on it! Stacked. 3y
EvieBee Sounds wonderful! Just asked my library to purchase a copy. 3y
Cathythoughts Nice review, and I‘m loving the little fellows jumper ❤️ 3y
Oryx Stacked! 3y
Caroline2 Stacked! 😉 3y
98 likes16 stack adds11 comments