Ken’s Comments (group member since Jan 21, 2020)

Ken’s comments from the The Obscure Reading Group group.

No. This is just where I'll put nominated books that did not win each poll. The reason is some people are interested in reading also-rans on their own (based on our good taste).

I created a thread with the runners-up to Abigail and will add to it when we have runners-up to October's winner.

Easy-peasy!

Cakes and Ale

The Changing Light at Sandover

Once @ 9:53am

The Time of Man

Crome Yellow

The Beast Within

The Milk Bowl of Feathers: Essential Surrealist Writings

The Whale at the End of the World

Effi Briest

Ceremony

The Nice and the Good

A Time to Love and a Time to Die

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Père Goriot

Memoirs from Beyond the Grave: 1768-1800

The Way of All Flesh

Ramona

Kenilworth

The Rise of Silas Lapham

For the Term of His Natural Life

The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth-Century Korea

Gulliver's Travels

Gösta Berling's Saga

The Emigrants

The Invisible Mountain

Medicine Walk

Nadja

Pereira Maintains

Brighton Rock

Hopscotch

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Machine Without Horses

The Custom of the Country

The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze and Other Stories

The Sundial

The Chateau

Spirit Lake

The Man Who Laughs

Sue wrote: "I’m slowly coming back to my reading world after having had my second back surgery earlier in August. I am finding it difficult to read now but hopefully I’ll have those reading chops back in hand ..."

Glad you are on the mend, Sue, and hoping you can be part of the October discussion.

Fair warning: in four days I'll send out a request to all members who can, if they wish (it's entirely optional), nominate a book for October.

I know a few of you have had your eyes peeled for what looks like an entirely interesting yet somewhat obscure book that you haven't read yet.

I also know some of you are happy to let others nominate and are willing to read whatever the eventual poll shows as winner. To each his own and viva la difference!

Sure enough! The link is on my profile page up top.

Hi, Jan. Glad to hear you've been reading some good stuff. I don't watch much TV, either. The political ads are especially bad in Maine because of the presence of Susan Collins here. What a waste. I'm sure 99% of people already know how they're voting, not only for Senator but for President.

Hard to believe we're so close to the ORG's next voting session. On August 28th, I'll send out a call for obscure titles via group messaging. Then we'll do a vote so we have most of September to read for our Oct. 1st start.

Who said "Tempus fugit." Such a wise person. Wise in Latin, I mean.

It's amazing how ubiquitous obscurity is.

😉

It's been a month since I checked in. I've actually written down a few interesting obscure titles, one of which I'll eventually choose as my nominee for October's book (we'll be nominating and voting at the end of August).

I hope everyone is well in these unwell times. I also hope you are keeping one eye on off-the-beaten-path books your GR friends review. Maybe one will prove interesting fodder for our October vote!

I see I might have closed this thread too soon, as some readers here are still getting to their reviews of the book. For instance, I came across Candi's review just yesterday.

If you find other reviews by readers from the group, feel free to link them here, as the readers may not know we offered the chance to share links as a send-off to dear Abigail (the statue, the book, what-have-you).

Sandra wrote: "Thank you, Candi! Ken, I have very little motivation to contact small book publishing companies...nor any idea how...but good luck to you!"


I could show you how, but if you don't want to go that way, go the way you want to go! And who knows, if everybody and her sister rejects my 3rd ms., I may seek advice from YOU on self-publishing (the options, I know, are endless).

Angela wrote: "Ken, good luck with the "shopping." I just received "Lost Sherpa of Happiness" in the mail and look forward to reading it. I haven't read a complete book of poetry in some time."

Wow! I hope the Sherpa is to your liking, Angela. If not, keep it secret. ;-)

Candi wrote: "Ken, I downloaded a set of William Styron books to my kindle not long ago when there was a really great sale going on. So I hope to read more of his work after Sophie's Choice!

Ken and Sandra -bes..."

I actually knew some people who knew Styron when he had his Litchfield County digs in CT, my home stomping state!

Kathleen wrote: "How exciting, Ken! You deserve a mailbox full of acceptance letters!

I appreciate the front porch. It feels like a long time til October since I wasn't able to read the last book. I'm currently on..."

Very interested in the McGahern because I've never heard of him! Alas, my local library hasn't either. Maybe when interlibrary loan returns?

Sandra wrote: "Candi, I love Dickens, so I’m sure you’re enjoying DC. I just started The Lotus Eaters. I see it’s ten years old, but I read a review on Goodreads and realized I’ve never read a novel about Viet Na..."


Yeppers. Shopping around my 3rd manuscript to publishers right now. As for your poetry book in the making, you should, when it's ready, send it to small, independent poetry publishers first. My first two were accepted by such outfits.

I know there isn't universal agreement on this point, but I consider self-publishing a last resort, one I haven't had to visit. (On the other hand, there are a few cases of authors who self-published and became so successful their books were subsequently bought by big-bopper publishers. They weren't poets, though. Lord knows, if money's the thing, don't let your children become poets!)

Candi wrote: "I think this is a great idea too!

I am finally reading Sophie's Choice. It seems I am late to the party with this one, never having read the book nor watched the movie before! I love..."

I saw the movie the year it came out, I think, and that's got to be forever ago. But the book? Or anything by Wm Styron? Not yet, sadly.

As for DC, he's my favorite CD. (Book and author make a nice palindrome.)

Sandra wrote: "Love the front porch idea!!"

Thanks, Sandra. Especially seeings how most houses have BACK porches nowadays. The front is more social.

Carol wrote: "I haven’t did much reading. My mind wanders away, and I can’t seem to find it. If any one sees it send it back to me. I am useless without it. 😩

Hoping for better things to come after November . M..."

I'm glad the group read motivated you, Carol. And not to worry -- your mind is top-notch!

The front porch of the Obscure Reading Group where folks can stop for a bit and talk about what they're reading during the in-between times.

Well, friends, we've reached the last day of the last week's discussion period and appear to be about done with our thoughts (though you are of course still free to pipe in) on Abigail.

With that, I thank you all for reading (or lurking) and look forward to our next discussion starting Oct. 1st. That means, along about the end of August, I'll send an all-message out for nominations on our next obscure but compelling book, then we'll have a vote, pick a winner, and roll up our sleeves again. Can't wait!

Meantime, enjoy your independent reads and remember, we always have an "Open Discussion" thread here if you feel like book chatting a bit or even making "independent" recommendations for various group members to read on their own in the "in-between" times!

Kind regards,
Ken, Sandra, John

P.S. One great use of the "Open Discussion" thread would be reporting back on your other Magda Szabó discoveries. Seems her other books have landed on a lot of our reading lists.

I've read a few of your reviews but would be interested in reading all of them. It would be cool (though not mandatory) if people linked their reviews here.

Here's mine.