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23/05/2006

Jokerman, by Aidan Day

Jokerman, by Aidan Day, was one of the earliest serious studies of Dylan the poet. First published in 1988, it’s an academic work, a “post-structuralist reading of the theme of identity in Dylan’s work”.

Day, then a Lecturer in English and a Tennyson scholar, investigates the theme in 21 Dylan songs in seven closely argued chapters. Jokerman demands careful reading, but it delivers on its promise.

And it has some original insights: I hadn’t realized, for example, that Bringing It All Back Home can be seen as Dylan’s attempt to wrest back control of rock music to the US, after its theft by the English Invasion bands.

I was reading a borrowed copy of Jokerman - it's long out of print. Any reader looking to give an unwanted copy a good home should get in touch.



Gerry Smith

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