Review : Bookish
We love a good murder mystery in this house. From Poirot to Columbo, midsummer murders and beyond 1. It’s a comfortable, well-trodden path for a TV programme to tread; however, for a good writer, that just gives them a solid foundation to play with and break the expectations.
We were really impressed and excited with the twists that Bookish puts on the genre. There may be things I mention considered very light spoilers, but for those who want to go in 100% cold, I shall leave a gap before I detail those bits of the plot so you’ve got a chance to bail.
Set in London, 1946 shortly after the conclusion of WW2, Gabriel Book is the proprietor of the amusingly named “book’s books”. Although thanks to a “Special letter from Churchill” from services he provided during the war, he acts as a special consultant to the local police force when required. Assisted by his wife, Trottie, and newly released from prison youngster, Jack.
It’s obviously a labour of love from actor/writer Mark Gatiss, and his portrayal of the detail-oriented but amusing and kind-hearted Book is an absolute delight to watch. He’s not a “tortured” detective bathing in his own sadness and regrets, He is a well-rounded and charming person. But still not without his depth and secrets.
The rest of the supporting cast is equally as good and is given some good scripts and lines to work with. Nora, a young orphan who hangs around the bookshop whilst working in the Turkish restaurant across the road, brings a fabulous youthful energy. Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss plays a great, warm-hearted police detective who respects and is glad of Book’s help. Great guest stars, such as Joely Richardson, are great as well. She knocks it out of the park as an aging star of the silver screen.
It’s a quite British show, as you’d expect from the setting, but it’s not in a rah-rah way. Like any well-written drama, it has just as much to say about society today as it does the past.
In an interview, Gatiss states the below when questioned on why he was “ashamed to be English”
When I said I was ashamed of being English, I was ashamed of where we were as a country. And it’s beholden on people to judge, but in this series, I’m trying to say the best of us. It is not fetishizing or weaponising the Second World War in the way it’s being portrayed elsewhere. We have a big problem in Britain. There are people who think that the war was like watching The Great Escape on Christmas Day. They don’t want to understand that war is fucking terrible, and they talk about it casually. But the series shows the consequences of it.
I loved the way each mystery was two episodes, which gives characters time to breathe. The soundtrack (especially in the opening credits) is surprisingly modern and well put together. There’s a great “BING” noise that plays subtly in the background as Book puts the pieces of the crime together. Loved it.
You can tell it was shot on a budget. There are a good few shots with characters doing a “walk and talk” between major sites that are obviously the same street rendered in 1940s glory, just shot from different angles. Does it matter? Not one jot. It’s a lean show and packs a lot into its 50 minute episodes. Book’s Books is a wonderfully welcoming and charming place with several characters using the shop as a crime-solving Wikipedia, as they flitter from subject to subject.
So now for some bigger spoilers. They’re not that bad and you may know them already. The cast has stated it in interviews and it’s not being kept a secret at all, BUT! Bail out now if you want to go in cold. You do you! No judgement here.
⬇️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
‼️
Whilst it starts off subtly, it quickly alludes to the fact there’s more than meets the eye to Book’s life and marriage. Whilst initially you think it may be related to "his war” where he was obviously some form of spook or strategist, It’s unveiled quite early in the series that Book is actually gay, which is illegal in the UK at the time. This obviously puts the fact he’s so intertwined with police officers and the risk he puts himself under into a whole new light. His marriage is, as he calls it, a “special arrangement” apparently known as a “lavender marriage” 2.
Trotties Actor Polly Walker in interview states.
It’s unconventional, but as she says, it works. It’s mutually beneficial, supportive and based on genuine friendship and love between two people who’ve known each other since they were kids. It protects them both. There are a lot of sexless marriages, and I just see it like that: she’s open, non-judgemental, and wants him to be happy. He wants that for her, too, and doesn’t give her a hard time about what she gets up to.
Throughout the series, this is presented brilliantly. Showing the risks someone has to go through simply to hide who they really are from society. It shows the cruelty and the ignorance that people had to put up with. It’s a wonderful portrayal and really goes places by the end of the series.
When a character at one point questions why Book and Trottie are being so nice, another character is quick to say,
“There’s no hidden agenda. They’re just nice people and they want to help. Let them.”
Couldn’t put it better myself, and I can’t wait to spend more time with them. Thankfully, the show is already renewed for a Season 2.
I simply can’t wait.📖💡