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New Statesman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
From Stephen King to Noah Eaton: new books reviewed in short
'I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer' edited by Mary Beth Norton The world's first personal advice column came about by accident. In early 1691, the Athenian Mercury was a new broadsheet that sought to provide talking points for coffeehouse patrons by answering assorted questions of the day. However, the three-man editorial team quickly started to receive queries of a more intimate nature from their subscribers and found that matters of marriage, lust and courtship interested their readers more than those on medicine, law and the military. This book, nimbly edited and introduced by the historian Mary Beth Norton, contains a broad selection of questions and answers, and plus ça change. 'It is my misfortune to be red-haired,' laments a correspondent with his eye on a woman with the 'greatest aversion' to the shade and asking for a method to turn his locks brown; 'I've a dreadful scold of a wife,' writes another, asking 'how to tame her'; if a man finds his fiancée in bed with another man, is he still duty-bound to marry her? We may now have Mumsnet and Reddit but, nevertheless, many of these three-centuries-old quandaries still come with a there-but-for-the-grace-of-God warning. By Michael Prodger Princeton University Press, 203pp, £20. Buy the book Never Flinch by Stephen King When it comes to reading books by the 'King of Horror' it's best to go in with an open mind and without assuming what will happen next – unless you want to be let down by your deducing skills. This rule clearly applies to King's latest book, Never Flinch. Though a standalone novel, it features a much-loved private investigator, Holly Gibney, and those associated with her investigation firm Finders Keepers. Although the reader is introduced to the murderer from the get-go, this by no means spoils the fun. You may think you know all there is to know, but King's mastery of withholding those final important pieces of information will have you working alongside Holly, perhaps not on unveiling the identity of the criminal, but on their motives. And let's not discard King's signature parallel plotlines which in the end collide to bring everything to light. With a killer on a revenge mission and a religious zealot targeting a celebrity feminist speaker, Never Flinch is not as graphic or as scary as King's previous novels. What makes the book unnerving and impossible to put down is how real and plausible everything described can be. By Zuzanna Lachendro Hodder & Stoughton, 429pp, £25. Buy the book A Perfect Harmony: Music, Mathematics and Science by David Darling 'Math and music are intimately related,' says composer and lyricist Stephen Sondeim. While to many music might seem remote from maths and science, their shared intricacies have been studied for centuries. We all recall Pythagoras' theorem (some more fondly than others), but what about Pythagorean tuning to create the interval of a perfect fifth? Though its mathematical precision fell out of favour by the end of the 15th century, Pythagorean tuning and its 'circle of fifths' remains at the heart of harmonic theory today. It comes as no surprise that many scientists were also musicians. A Perfect Harmony serves to solidify just how interlinked the fields are. From the Neanderthal bone instrument that mimics the musical scales we commonly use today, through musica universalis of the Middle Ages combining arithmetic, geography, music and astronomy, to the two Voyager spacecrafts' cosmic LPs, the disciplines co-exist in perfect harmony. Darling's observant musical odyssey across time reinforces that 'music and maths are endlessly entwined… nourishing one another' and have done so for millennia. After all, at its simplest music is melody and rhythm, and rhythm cannot exist without maths. By Zuzanna Lachendro Oneworld, 288pp, £10.99. Buy the book The Harrow by Noah Eaton The Harrow is a local newspaper – for Tottenham. Not, as its hardened editor John Salmon is sick of explaining, for Harrow: 'As in 'to harrow', to rake the land and drag out weeds, to distress the powerful. As in Christ harrowing Hell, saving the innocent and righteous. Not Harrow as in that miserable bloody town Harrow!' The paper, each issue announces, is 'the guardian of your democracy'. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe The reality is not quite so grand. The coverage focuses on villains, not victims, because no one cares about the latter. Salmon keeps a shabby office and three staff above a betting shop and spends much of his time harassing off-licence proprietors who have tried to lower their order. But when the prospect of a last-gasp 'big story' heaves into view, Salmon and his team feel their hopes renewed. At well over 400 pages, The Harrow is on the weightier side for a thriller – and for a debut. But author Noah Eaton keeps the story ticking along at a pleasingly alacritous clip. Sometimes the world Eaton has built is told a little indulgently, but all told the story is complex, amusing and readable. By George Monaghan Atlantic Books, 389pp, £18.99. Buy the book Related
Scotsman
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Dundee author celebrates A Perfect Harmony
A Dundee author is crediting his local choir for inspiring his latest book on the power of music. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... David Darling, whose brand-new book A Perfect Harmony: Music, Mathematics and Science launched this month, is also a member of The Noteables. The choir, which celebrated its 10th anniversary with a concert at V&A Dundee in December 2024, started out with just 10 members. Today, 100 singers aged 20 to 80 meet weekly in Dundee and Forfar, singing everything from pop and soul music to Mozart and gospel. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad David, who has been a member of The Noteables since it began, has now written a book about the role music plays in our lives, taking readers on a 'melodic odyssey through the worlds of music, physics and mathematics'. The Noteables at the launch of David Darling's book. One of the chapters, Music and the Brain, reflects on his own experiences in joining a choir, and the benefits it brings. Celebrating the launch of the book with The Noteables at Dundee Science Centre, David explained, 'In a world where so much of our interaction is online, community singing is a powerful way to build real social bonds, fostering diverse, face-to-face connections that play a vital role in maintaining and improving our health. 'Performing as part of a group also delivers a significant dopamine boost, explaining the sense of euphoria and joy we feel at the end of a session. Research shows that active singing leaves people feeling more positive than simply listening to music or even discussing happy life events. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There are also numerous physical benefits. As well as exercising our brains, I've noticed improvements in my breathing and posture, and studies suggest singing can decrease stress and anxiety by reducing cortisol, provide pain relief and support a healthy immune system. Experiencing these benefits first-hand, and hearing others share these effects, motivated me to explore the research behind them, which ultimately shaped this part of my book.' David Darling (centre) with Wendy Callander and Julie Cleave of The Noteables. Choir founder, Wendy Callander started The Noteables after experiencing the wellbeing aspects of singing in a previous choir. Also Executive Director of mental health charity Wellbeing Works, Wendy said, 'There are lots of choirs out there, from formal choirs and operatic groups to rock choirs but we're different because you don't need experience, be able to read music or even to audition. 'We've also got the most amazing and eclectic mix of singers in our choirs and pride ourselves on being welcoming and inclusive, even if you're not sure you can sing! The reality is that everyone can, and we need a mix of voices. Indeed, it's that mix and the diversity of our members that make us sound so great when we come together. If you want to join us, we'd love to have you!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Julie Cleave, Musical Director of The Noteables, added, 'Singing and mental health are deeply connected. Many of our members come to feel part of something - to find connection or simply switch off from daily stresses. Some are coping with grief, serious illness, anxiety, or isolation, and the choir provides them with a weekly sense of community and a chance to check in with others. That shared experience helps reduce loneliness, fostering a true sense of belonging rather than feeling alone in their struggles. 'I love incorporating fun and movement into our sessions, starting with breathing exercises and stretching. That's when the magic begins—and that's even before we start singing!" Allyson James from Dundee, joined The Noteables eight years ago, shortly after losing her mum. She said, 'I was looking for an activity to take up some of my time, to distract me and get immersed in. We've always been a musical family, and joining a choir seemed the obvious thing for me. From the very first rehearsal, I could see they were the nicest bunch of people and knew I'd made the right choice. "The grief was very raw, but music allowed me to be sad for the length of the song, to put my emotions into that. Similarly, the choir also allowed me to be happy, which is something that can be hard to own and to justify when you're grieving. It was a special time where, yes, tears were shed, but I had the chance to feel and process my emotions. It was genuinely a lifeline and an absolute release for me. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The longer I've been part of The Noteables, the more I see us all collectively enjoying that shared purpose of emotion and joy. On a physical level, singing has also helped with my asthma, especially with the exercises we do at the start. That opening up of the chest and being able to hold a note, alongside the controlled breathing, it's a form of mindfulness. I've also come back to the choir shortly after both of my hip replacements, and the moving and clapping all help too. It's an absolute joy and delight to be part of, and I'd urge anyone who's interested to come along. Everyone's welcome and looks out for you, regardless of age and gender, supporting you in the activity but also in life.' David's new book, A Perfect Harmony: Music, Mathematics and Science, traces the links between notes and number, musical perception, psychology and physics, examining the fascinating science behind music, from its Palaeolithic origins to the present day. Published by Oneworld (London), the book is available from bookstores and online platforms worldwide. For more information, visit
