The Town - Who Reads Yesterday's Books? (end)

Dear Mr Cox, Dear Mr Forshaw.

As you will know if you have been reading my blog, I have been trying to read your book E=mc2.

I got to chapter 5, which is obviously a key chapter as it is entitled “why does E=mc2" and I’m afraid I’ve given up. You lost me with the space-time direction vectors bit and my brain was totally unable to cope, my eyes started skipping whole paragraphs and suddenly you were explaining how mass disintegrates and although I realised I needed to go back, my body just rebelled and took me to the cinema instead.

I saw “The Town” a crime film acted in, directed by and co-written by Ben Affleck – whom I last saw in “Good Will Hunting”. I am always impressed when an actor writes and directs successfully, as Mr Ben does here – I think it demonstrates a totality more than a relativity (if you get my drift).

Interestingly perhaps, the film made me feel physically sick. It may have been the Roquefort pizza that I ate immediately before in the adjoining restaurant but it may also have been intense feeling of simmering violence that lay waiting patiently to explode throughout most of the film and which of course finally did.

The uncomfortable feeling that I was enduring from the depths of a very deeply cushioned seat was extended to the unfolding love story at the heart of the film, fuelled by an excellent performance from Rebecca Hall. However, it was the love story that kept me in my seat - as I do love a love story, and it may be the absence of one such in your own book that has made it so difficult for me to hang on in.

Please don’t feel that I have not appreciated your attempt to enlighten me on matters that risk now to remain in cerebral obscurity, probably until my own (obscurity).

I particularly enjoyed page 43 where, with the help of trains and mirrors, you finally confirmed for me that time travel is possible theoretically and explained why Krissie, always flying somewhere or back, looks so young.

So I’m afraid I will not be finishing your book and I will be returning it to Richard, from whence it came; later next week as he has invited me for lunch and if it is as good as last time – I know it will be – i will be there long enough to discuss some of your chapters together.

On the way home after the cinema (actually it was before on the way to the cinema, but I understand from your book, perhaps erroneously, that these sort of things depend on both where and how you are looking as well as moving so I’ll leave it thus) I bought a new book that I am hoping has a love story at its core.

Like yours (with a cat) the cover (with rubberbands) attracted me first.

I have to rush, thanks again for trying.

Love from me.