Greg’s Comments (group member since Jul 02, 2014)

Greg’s comments from the All About Books group.

Leslie wrote: "
I read Flowers in the Attic when it was all the rage & never read anything by her again. Not that it was a bad book but it scared the pants off me! .."

Haha, I can imagine! I haven't read the book, but I saw one of the TV movie adaptions. It was very sensationalized and strange.

Esther wrote: "Greg wrote: "I'm very curious to see what you think of The Leftovers. ."

I loved the TV series.
So many reviewers said they found the first season gloomy and depressing and preferred the 2nd and ..."

I did love it too Esther - some episodes were quite bleak I thought, but other episodes were definitely uplifting as you say. There was enough of the human spirit in it that it didn't go over the edge into full bleakness, and every once in a while, an episode would be absolutely extraordinary. It was very moving and beautifully filmed & acted as well. I liked all the seasons.

What did you think of the final episode of the final season? I thought they did a great job ending the series, revealing enough and yet keeping some of the Mystery as well.

I definitely count it as well, and as far as the narrator getting in the way, I think as you listen to more audiobooks you get the skill to separate the two. Like Chrissie says, you can almost evaluate the narrator and the source material separately.

But most often I do listen and read the same books as Nichole does! I listen during my commute, and at night, I pick up where I left off listening in the hard copy and read. There are actually very few books that I listen to only.

Sometimes a narrator is so bad that I dread listening so I listen to music in parts of my commute instead. Or the syntax is so complex that I have to rewind and relisten often. Then I read 90% and listen to 10%. Other times, the narrator is the "icing on the cake" as Chrissie says and then I love listening so much that I find excuses to go extra places in my car. Then I read 10% and listen to 90%. But most often I read about 25% and listen to 75% of a book.

Oddly, I have a very tough time absorbing poetry on audio. Poetry (other than narrative poetry) is so often dense and the transitions so unpredictable that I find it very tough to just listen. I do like to listen after I read though, after I have fully absorbed a poem reading.

And I love listening to plays, but sometimes I struggle without the book in front of me because I'm not sure who is speaking. I like audiobooks of plays best when they read all the stage directions and don't skip them (unless I have already have read or seen the play before - then I can picture it properly).

Esther wrote: "Greg wrote: "That's a good challenge Esther! I need to do that!"

I am good a creating challenges, not so good at sticking to them :0)
But there is not a single book on that list I am not eager to ..."

I'm very curious to see what you think of The Leftovers. The TV show was often very (too) depressing, but the best episodes of that series were exquisitely moving. I have often thought about giving the book a try.

Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition wrote: "http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2012/12/ch...

This is interesting & informative, but may contain some spoilers for those unfamiliar with the story."

Thanks for the link Terry! :)

Karen wrote: "Is anyone else doing this? I have it coming from the library. I am having a rather austere and insular (if not quite dismal) holiday and am trying to read my way through. I've never read any Maugha..."

Hope your holiday is getting better Karen!

I quite liked the book The Razor's Edge. I've never seen the movie, but I'm curious to see it now based on your recommendation .. I have seen several of Power's movies.

Sadly there is no audiobook of Christmas Holiday I can get; so I doubt I'll fit it in before the holidays. My commute and lunch walking time is my main read time these days! Maybe I'll be able to read the paperback after Christmas.

Pam wrote: "I nominate An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. It might be fun to also watch the movie A Place in the Sun and compare the two. Like many classics, I've seen the mov..."

A great movie Pam!

Esther wrote: "I always want to challenge myself to read all the books I bought in the last 2 years..."

That's a good challenge Esther! I need to do that!

I just started The Member of the Wedding tonight, and I am absolutely loving it! .. some wonderful humor and enough unique oddity to feel "true" to me. This is a childhood I instantly related to!

I am very pleasantly surprised by how much I am loving this book because if I am honest with myself, I really didn't care for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter at all. Intellectually, I could of course appreciate the literary style of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, but I didn't "like" it or connect to it, either the characters or the worldview - both felt heavy-handed. I think it was one of those books that I could appreciate the qualities of but not really like.

But The Member of the Wedding feels to me like it comes from a much more mature and nuanced perspective (not the characters of course who are quite young but the writer behind them). A slightly softer touch. I am really enjoying it! It could very well end up 5 stars.

Pink, Chrissie, and Heather, I have been eager to try Ali Smith for a while!

Pam wrote: "
I love your explanation Greg! And, I agree. I haven't read any of the authors you listed...yet. .."

Thanks Pam! :)

If you haven't read "Bliss" by Katherine Mansfield, I highly recommend it .. one of her stories that is very often anthologized .. a slice of life story but beautifully done. You can probably find an online copy for free somewhere if you don't have access to an anthology through a library.

Pam wrote: "I just finished Tash Hearts Tolstoy, a YA novel about an asexual (ACE) teenage girl who achieves surprise success with her web series, a modernization of Anna Karenina. I usually do..."

That one sounds interesting Pam! I'll add it to my to-read list.

Joan wrote: "Cane or The Sparrow sound interesting to me."

Joan, Nichole, Colleen, are you still interested in a buddy read of The Sparrow? How about we read it together in January - would that work?

Chinook wrote: "I’ve spent the morning reading picture books about Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas with Kait since she’s now sick and had to stay home from gymnastics. There was a lot of sad when her sister left t..."

Hope she feels better soon Chinook!

Joan wrote: "I enjoy short stories. They first hooked me in junior high when the teacher had us graph out the plot and action -exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution - I loved the rules! ..."

Haha, I remember being taught that way too with the graphs! :) I remember my teacher used to use the term "denouement."

She was a great teacher actually - she genuinely loved reading and books. she loved the deeper meanings and subtleties; it wasn't just a mind game for her.

Chrissie wrote: "Greg wrote: I have not yet read Cakes and Ale or Christmas Holiday. Is there an audio version of Christmas Holiday? Audible doesn't seem to have it in the US anyway.

Yes, Audible in the US did, a..."

It does seem to be gone. :( Must be a weird copyright thing

I actually love short stories! Like poems they can suggest a huge amount in a small space - I feel like the best short stories do more in 30 or 40 pages than many novels do in 500. But I think short stories are really like poetry in that they often suggest more and say less directly since they have to do so much in such a short space.

In the best short stories there's that moment like scuba diving past an underwater cliff edge and just being struck by something vast and profound, miles of rocking dark water in every direction .. something that can't be explained fully but only experienced.

Joyce's Dubliners is amazing .. some other favorite short story writers: Katherine Mansfield, Flannery O'Connor, Jorge Luis Borges.

Bette, I just love your Day in Literature posts! Thanks so much for all you do!!

Chrissie wrote: "Of Human Bondage is in my view NOT his best. My favorite so far is The Painted Veil, followed by Christmas Holiday. I think I might try Cakes and Ale soon. ..."

I liked The Painted Veil a lot too Chrissie, also The Razor's Edge, though that one is very philosophical. I think those were my first and second favorites so far. I liked them much better than The Moon and Sixpence.

I have not yet read Cakes and Ale or Christmas Holiday. Is there an audio version of Christmas Holiday? Audible doesn't seem to have it in the US anyway.

Marina wrote: "Oh, that's good to know, thanks Greg! So I will also suggest Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family, since I was having a hard time choosing between the two."

That one has been on my to-read list for quite a while! Great choices Marina!