Eccentric Lives, Peculiar Notions. (1999) A collection of journalistic pieces about eccentrics, most of them British or American. Either other nations don’t produce and nurture their eccentrics as well as the Brits and Americans do, or else Michell has some difficulty reading other languages. Whichever, this is an entertaining look at a number of well-known daftnesses via mini-bios of their originators or publicisers. The book begins with an obsessed lover, who nowadays would be put behind bars as a stalker. The book ends with the beginnings of Ufology. In between we discover an arch-Druid, Atlantis, Flat-Earthers, British Israelites, a Hollow Earth inhabited by left-over Atlanteans, or maybe star-people, etc.John Michell.
Michell has a soft spot for Baconians, Marlovians and other people who can’t believe that a mere country bumpkin could have so much learning in his plays. I guess they didn’t realise that Shakespeare was a great adaptor of other people’s work. He would have thrived in Hollywood.
Adequate illustrations, which in the British manner are not keyed to the text. Workmanlike style, with occasional sparks of wit. A pleasant way to while away a couple of hours. Pretty well all the material in the book has been the stuff of many, many YouTube videos. **½
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