Hodge

Based on a recommendation from Ian, I have just finished reading "Any Human Heart" by William Boyd. Excellent book, and I am very glad that he suggested it to me. I should make sure that I come back to it in future posts, to talk about all sorts of things - the remarkable changes in the world in the 20th century, some of Logan's experiences, Freya and Stella, Logan's father, and lots more as well.

However, today's post is about a very trivial point, but a coincidence that occurred today. Reading the final section of the book yesterday - The French Journal - we learn that Logan gets a pet dog and a pet cat. The dog is named Bowser, and the reason for that is obvious, being named after a brand of pet food. The cat is named Hodge, but no reason is given. Yesterday, when I read it, I had guessed that there must be some connection with one of Logan's friends, whose name is Dick Hodge, but I couldn't see what that connection was.

Then today, I was working in London, and despite it being within one minute's walk of our London office, I think that for the first time ever I walked through Gough Square, and this is what I found.


Bit of a coincidence I thought?!

Lots of other signage within Gough Square made it clear that Dr Samuel Johnson had lived there in the 18th century, and a very small amount of research reveals that he was an animal lover, and Hodge was his favourite cat.

Given that Logan was a writer, it seems pretty likely that he'd decided that the only appropriate name for a writer's cat was Hodge.

Maybe Boyd thought that a well-informed reader should have known that already. Well the real coincidence was that this one managed to find it out the day after reading the book!