Cassie McCullagh

Really amazing.

I've never quite had the courage to read these books.

I've wanted to and I've wanted to ever since I heard a really extraordinary interview with...

with the author, with Michael Cathcart a couple of years ago on an earlier arts program.

But now it's been turned into a TV series and Benedict Cumberbatch is playing the titular character in that series.

Now, here's a grab from it and we should give a language warning.

So, Benedict Cumberbatch as Patrick Melrose.

He's made for that role.

In fact, I think I read that he had two roles he wanted to play, Hamlet, which he's done, and Patrick Melrose.

And, of course, that was also a reference to the Philip Larkin poem.

But Helen Gross, Clare Monigal, you've both been watching that TV series?

Well, a diversion, but we couldn't resist asking you both about it.

Now, let's get on to the books that we have asked you to read for us.

You heard us talking to Martin Portis earlier about Anna Seeger's novel, The Seventh Cross.

Why don't we stick with German fiction, Kate?

What's the novel that you and Helen have read?

And I can't resist the title.

One Clear Ice Cold January Morning at the Beginning of the 21st Century.

Can you imagine every bookseller and librarian in the world rolling their eyes at that?

But that's the name of the book, and it's been written by Roland Schimmelfennig, who's a well-established and very successful playwright in Germany.