S. J. Simon (1904–1948)
Author of No Bed for Bacon
About the Author
Series
Works by S. J. Simon
Stroganoff in the Ballet: "Bullet in the Ballet", "Casino for Sale" and "Six Curtains for Stroganova" (1975) — Author — 9 copies
Design for Bidding 5 copies
No castanets — Author — 4 copies
Why You Lose at Bridge 1 copy
Design for bidding 1 copy
The geographical and topographical texts of the Old Testament; a concise commentary in XXXII chapters (1959) 1 copy
Meet the Super Hero Squad! 1 copy
De laatste flesch 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Seca Jascha Skidelsky
- Other names
- Simon, S. J.
- Birthdate
- 1904
- Date of death
- 1948-06-26
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Places of residence
- Harbin, Manchuria
- Education
- Tonbridge School, Kent, England
University of London - Short biography
- 'Skid' (to bridge players worldwide) was known as the inventor of 'Standard English' bidding at the Acol Club in London about 1949. At the time Terrence Reese (T.R.) was considered by most to be the UK's best bridge player, thinker and writer. Many would have said he was the world's best. Skid died shortly before his greatest book on Acol rolled off the press. TR said "Design for Bidding" was 'the best thing he has done on bridge. He writes with all his accustomed energy and wit, so that one almost overlooks that it is also a very thoughtful book.' See: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._J._Si...]].
Members
Reviews
Anton Palook is shot on stage while dancing the role of Petrushka in the ballet of the same name. Inspector Quill is assigned to investigate the murder.
Not as funny as I remember from reading it as a teenager but still very enjoyable.
Not as funny as I remember from reading it as a teenager but still very enjoyable.
The epigraph page of No Bed for Bacon bears a Warning to Scholars: ‘This book is fundamentally unsound’. It may be so, but it’s both fun and, surely, hugely influential. Written in the course of several frenzied months in 1940, this historical farce imagines the London of Queen Elizabeth I at just the time that so many parts of the city were being destroyed in the Blitz. The two authors, both of whom were serving as air raid wardens, often had only an hour or so together each day to exchange ideas, and were reduced to leaving cryptic notes for one another in their wardens’ log-book. Though they squabbled passionately, and at one point considered taking out a legal injunction to prevent them ever having to work together again, they managed to produce a work of high British silliness. At its heart is Francis Bacon, an ambitious courtier who wants nothing more than to be awarded one of Gloriana’s beds from her progresses, so that he can pass it down to his heirs as an investment. Across town, the rival impresarios Philip Henslowe and Richard Burbage strive for theatrical domination, while the author Will Shakespeare is struggling to find a suitable opening for his new play Love’s Labours Won. A young aristocrat, Viola Compton, dreams of becoming an actor. And, at court, Sir Walter Raleigh plans for the greatest day of his life: the ceremonial tasting of the first potato from the New World. If only he can find a new cloak elegant enough to wear…
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/06/15/no-bed-for-bacon-caryl-brahms-s-j-simon/… (more)
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/06/15/no-bed-for-bacon-caryl-brahms-s-j-simon/… (more)
Of its time, therefore dated, with racial passages that would not be written today and, indeed, came as something of a shock to this reader. However, these can, for the most part, be ignored as they add nothing to the narrative. As a satire I think that many/most of its references would mean nothing to many readers, particularly younger ones.
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Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 25
- Members
- 816
- Popularity
- #31,253
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 23
- ISBNs
- 43
- Languages
- 3
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