Deceived by Jamie Oliver

I am feeling furious with myself. I bought a book on Amazon that I thought was by Jamie Oliver, and it turned out to be by Jamie Oliver.

Take a look at the link from the title. Don't you agree that it's in the Jamie Oliver style? That the wording might be Jamie Oliver? That's the "perfect partner" chosen by Amazon is a Jamie Oliver cookbook? That it might just be a subject that Jamie Oliver had decided to turn his hand to? So did I.

But it's nothing of the sort. The Jamie Oliver is another Jamie Oliver -- not that the book tells you this directly, as there is no information on the author whatsoever anywhere in the book that I can see. But can you imagine Jamie Oliver -- the real Jamie Oliver, St Jamie Oliver -- publishing a book that doesn't feature his photograph anywhere? And can you imagine him writing in the pedestrian style of this book? Of course not.

So I have been comprehensively had. Not that the book will be thrown away -- it's one of those mildly amusing volumes which can be consigned to the gents for the comfort of the constipated -- but I am feeling ashamed of myself, and angry.

Angry with the publishers -- it seems to me that in the way this book has been presented it is deliberately designed to deceive. More angry with Amazon, who despite my having immediately submitted a review of the book several days ago, have declined (as of the moment that this blog was published) either to publish it or to desist from linking the book to St Jamie's other titles.

Writing a blog is a great way of calming down.