The King's Jester: The Life of Dan Leno, Victorian Comic Genius
by Barry Anthony
Dan Leno (1860 - 1904) was a Victorian English comedian and pantomime who was arguably the first mass media star who crumbled in later life due to exposure, expectations, and the demands of the public masses.
In an age before mass media, Leno was comparable to Charlie Chaplin in terms of his hard painful path to stardom, and he suffered a physical and mental breakdown leading to his death at age 43. Leno was also a committed unionist who attempted to take on the fat cats of the entertainment industry by setting up rival music halls of his own after emerging from grinding poverty and abuse to become a star. They crushed the endeavour as ruthlessly as they exploited their performers in the years just before Leno's breakdown.
His routines were both funny and sad, caricatures drawn from the commoners who populated his beloved England, spiced with Cockney lyrics, songs, and his amazing dancing abilities. Leno proved to be so popular among the working class he represented, that he became the first music hall performer to give a royal command performance for King Edward VII which resulted in his nickname, the King's Jester. Leno's caricatures appeared on posters, billboards, matchboxes, packages of tea, and his life appeared as a weekly comic in the fledging media of the day.
He became become World Champion Clog Dancer and won a gold and silver belt weighing 44.5 oz (1.26 kg) in 1880. Clog dancing was a common pastime in 19th century England and developed during the Industrial Revolution when workers sitting at the weaving machines wore hard-soled shoes, which they tapped to the rhythms of the machines to keep their feet warm.
Barry Anthony has done a fine job on this book documenting Leno's life, providing detailed sources for the academic, and light-hearted fare for the reader. We see Dan Leno in our daily lives through downtrodden husbands, waiters, shop workers, gossiping housewives, even scheming politicians, and if his humour seems commonplace now, it was certainly not then in Victorian England. He was a beloved figure, and his funeral was a public occasion, the biggest funeral for an actor or comedian since the death of John Garrick.
There was always something troubled and painful about Leno's acts, infusing even the brightest of his comic routines, which led to his persona on stage, best characterized as "laughter through tears."
More famous than Charlie Chaplin in his day, he died too soon, and only a few gramophone recordings of his routines remain. Find The King's Jester in the adult non-fiction area of the library.
- reviewed by Allan Wilson,
chief librarian
at the Prince George Public Library
Harperland
by Lawrence Martin
In his book Harperland, Lawrence Martin explores the track record of Stephen Harper's Conservative party since he assumed the reins of government over five years ago. Like any leader, Harper is difficult to place into neat categories. What is certain is that he is partially responsible for moving the Canadian political spectrum to the right over his time in office.
When the Conservatives were elected as a minority government, their prime minister, cabinet ministers and staff were inexperienced. Given the tenuous nature of power for minority governments, scandals, mistakes or poorly worded comments by prominent Tories could quite literally bring down the government.
As a result, the style of government adopted by Stephen Harper was one of tight control over decision making and communications. The level of control over press releases, speeches and other forms of federal communications has few parallels in Canadian history. The government is politicized to a high degree and in perpetual election mode.
If there was such a thing as perfect timing, Stephen Harper rise to power was nearly perfect. The Liberal consensus of the past 40 years was slowly fading. The events of September 11, 2001 shifted voter sentiments towards the right of the political spectrum, a change that benefitted the conservative party. Traditional conservative issues such as a strong military, law and order, and nationalism became more saleable to the general public than traditional Liberal issues. The conservatives also benefitted from a population shift from central to western Canada and the declining influence of Quebec.
The book tells the story of the government's first five years in office, the crises and opportunities facing Stephen Harper's party, and how government at the federal level has evolved over this period. The book is well researched and was written by a Globe and Mail journalist with a track record of writing penetrating analyses. Harperland is available in the adult non-fiction section at the Bob Harkins Branch and can also be freely downloaded as an ebook from the library website.
- reviewed by John Shepherd,
former trustee for the
Prince George Public library board
