From his theory about teeth to his dissection of JR’s voice, to read Clive James was to marvel, learn and breakdown with humour at his staggering insights and snark-free humour

Clive James was a reserved fan of Game of Thrones despite a hitherto lifelong principle “to have nothing to do with any artistry word which has dragons in it” and proclaimed it his ambition when he first precipitated seriously ill at 74 to live to see season four. In the end, he existed both emphysema and leukaemia for long enough to see the eight-season run entire. He died a few days ago at persons under the age of 80.

After depart Australia( he was born in the Sydney suburb of Kogarah) for Cambridge, James began his post-university life as a literary critic- and if you do nothing else today, predicted his take on Judith Krantz’s Princess Daisy in the London Review of Books, which remains the most bravura of takedowns. But it was his time as the Observer’s TV critic( from 1972 to 1982) that first did his list. Chiefly because he made the flesh his own. He was perhaps the first person to take the medium- still generally considered slightly infra dig- earnestly, and he raised his vast intelligence and erudition to bear on the job.

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Read more: theguardian.com