John Jolliffe
Innocence (Collins) by Penelope Fitzgerald is the new book I have most enjoyed this year. I know of nobody who expresses so deftly and entertainingly, and without overdoing it, the way in which life seldom turns out as expected, let alone as in- tended. The author's eye for detail is as sharp and original as ever, and it is only occasionally that the quirkiness misfires. A wonderful book.
Russian Studies (Collins/Harvill) by the late Leonard Schapiro is also exceptional. His grasp of history, politics and literature became legendary, and his writings were full of fresh observations that make more sense of the disasters that have overtaken the countries in the Soviet Union than anything else I know. Conspiracy of Silence (Grafton) the so- called 'Secret Life of Anthony Blunt', has the merit of showing how vital it was for him to suppress the truth and to close his mind to it. In the words of his fellow art historian Dennis Mahon, 'Once you get away with lying on one subject, it spills over into the rest of your life.' This book shows up very clearly the general pourri- ture of Blunt's circle, and also the number of ostriches in high places who refused point blank to believe in his guilt. It cannot be overlooked by future students of British history in the half-century between 1930 and 1980. As regards the worst, Private Eye's unique blend of hypocrisy and incompe- tence has been rather thoroughly shown up recently. But more tedious than the maga- zine itself are the accusations of blackness by the various pots and kettles concerned. I cannot remember what the two books about it are called but they are both really awful.
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