Reviewed with a sense of humour
I hadn’t looked for any more reviews of Blue Mauritius after the appearance of Susan Skelly’s ‘Stamp & Deliver: The Journey of the Blue Mauritius from mail to million-dollar must-have is a saga of collectors, curios and cheats’ in The Bulletin (6 February 2007, p.68). The subsequent small reviews in Brisbane’s Courier Mail and the Adelaide Advertiser have been positive bonuses.
But most enjoyable, and unexpected, was the phone call from my friend Georgie in Canberra a few weekends ago to let me know how thrilled she was to see a long and good review in the Canberra Times. She read it out over the phone and it made me laugh. Reviewed with a sense of humour!
The reviewer’s byline read, ‘Richard Begbie is neither Mauritian nor a stamp collector’. He began the review by stating, ‘A book on stamps and stamp collecting would seem unpromising territory for the ordinary reader. As a stamp collector for about two days in 1953, and as one whose history interests had never extended to the fabled island of Mauritius, I was an unlikely reader’. But he was precisely the sort of reader I was targeting. I did not write this book for philatelists (most of whom, let’s face it, would rather spend their money on stamps). I always imagined the Richard Begbies of this world as my audience. So I am glad that, for Richard Begbie, ‘evocative detail, constructed around meticulous research, made this one a reading pleasure’.
He is right too that my ‘Mauritian husband undoubtedly played his part in arousing an interest far beyond the fabled stamp’. I had never encountered the Post Office stamp till that fateful day in Mauritius when we visited the Postal Museum in Port Louis in January 2000. Enamoured of Mike I became enamoured of Mauritius too. I am a researcher through and through. To take up a research project about Mauritius was a logical way for me to learn more about this culture and country – and become a little Mauritian myself.
Like Simon Caterson in The Age review, Begbie raises the issue of analysis regarding collecting per se: ‘given its surprisingly diverse dramatis personae, Morgan’s study could perhaps have spent more time exploring the fascinating psyche of the collector. But perhaps that was asking too much of a book which already achieves a great deal.’ Yes, it was! I had choices to make and in the end a finite time in which to research, write and deliver. I know from my art history days how much work (I feel) would be required to do justice to that enormous topic, and that was not my project. As I wrote previously, ‘I analysed the mass of my research and selected the sliver that best illustrated points I wanted to make in telling a story as I saw it’.
But that’s enough of quoting myself! I’d rather quote the end of the review under discussion: ‘These are minor quibbles, and detract little from a quirky study which consistently retains its capacity to charm and engage’. Thank you kind sir!
Richard Begbie, ‘Quest for Blue Mauritius stamped with intrigue’, review of Blue Mauritius, Canberra Times, 17 February 2007, p.17.
How wonderful to be able to say that your book was reviewed with a sense of humour. I love that the credits just keep rolling in for you. You must be pleased as punch and what a great incentive to write another book.