Ice Cold in Alex by Christopher Landon

Ice Cold in Alex by Christopher Landon (1957)
Read: November - December 2010

We picked this up in the summer I think (or was it at half term?) when doing the Charity Shop Run along Spring Gardens in Buxton. Our copy is a trashy paperback book-club-type version, but as we're buying all the books we can on t'Egypt we thought this is a classic we should include. Mum gave us a copy of the DVD about a year ago and I put it on for about 5 minutes, but couldn't get into it.
I knew the title was about getting a beer in Alexandria as when we visited Alexandria with the P's mum wanted to visit the bar featured in the film. We managed to find the bar and had a tea and cake there, as they don't seem to serve beer anymore :(
The story itself though is about the journey from El Alamain to Alexandria of a four-some that are retreating as the Germans are advancing on Tobrok. The story feels as claustrophobic at times as the small ambulance they were travelling in must have been - you feel that the characters rarely get time on their own, living in eachothers pockets, and dialogue often being in pairs as they other pair is resting in the back, or driving toegther up front. You feel these pairs and conversations rotating as the characters rotate their positions giving each a chance to rest or take the front.
The way the story developes you really see these pairs and relationships developing and the talking behind eachothers backs. Is the South African they've picked up what he seems; they can only discuss this when he's asleep in the back, so you feel the quiet whispering in these confined spaces well.

With hindsight I think what I should have done was read the book without taking a drink at all during the month. This would have been a great way for the book to end; with both me and the main character getting their final, long drempt of drink.

I'm up for wacthing the film now and think I'll stick passed the first 5 minutes!