Mars Bar & Mushy Peas

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Author: Paul Screeton

Publisher: Heart of Albion

Price: £14.95 (Paperback)

1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars (1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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Folklorist Paul Screeton has been gathering what we now call urban myths since long before the term was coined.

Mars Bar & Mushy Peas is named after two persistent yarns: the spurious chocolate bar unfairly thrust on (as it were) Marianne Faithfull and the pot of a Northern delicacy Peter Mandelson allegedly mistook for avocado dip.

In a series of knowledgeable and witty essays, Screeton focuses on the cult of celebrity and the way stories are built up around them. He also discusses fake folklore to benefit tourism; the clash between Forteans and folklorists; the ‘barmy belief’ (his words) of global warming; and the entertaining subject of ‘penis lore’.

Familiarity with contemporary folklore can be a helpful guide when handling reports of paranormal activity: you learn to spot suspicious trends and too often repeated details. But Screeton’s book isn’t just useful: the roster of celebrity tall tales will keep you chuckling.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 at 3:44 pm and is filed under Book Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Mars Bar & Mushy Peas”

Paul Screeton Says:
March 7th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Thanks for the review. One point: the title is actually MARS BAR & MUSHY PEAS. If ever, only one item of confectioery was required! — Paul Screeton