Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks: The Essential Alan Coren, ed Giles and Victoria Coren
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The cuckoo clock was invented solely to give tourists something solid to remember Switzerland by, wrote Alan Coren, since the country's national products of snow and chocolate both melt. Here, readers have something solid to remember Alan Coren by in this engaging collection thoughtfully edited by his children – in fact, it is possible to see those thought processes, as the introduction comprises a dialogue of decision-making between the siblings about the contents of the compilation. Sections are affectionately introduced by Melvyn Bragg, Victoria Wood, Clive James, AA Gill and Stephen Fry. But it is Coren's voice that shines through most forcefully.
It was an inspirational teacher who encouraged this son of a hairdresser and a plumber to join the local library, paving the way to Oxford, the authorship of more than 20 books, the editorship of Punch, and his prolific career in comic writing, captured here.
It isn't only snow and chocolate that melt away, but lives, too. The warmth and wit of these pieces stand the test of time.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments