Pam’s Comments (group member since Jul 12, 2018)

Pam’s comments from the Never too Late to Read Classics group.

It’s been ridiculously hot and dry in Albuquerque! We usually have a few triple digit days in late June/early July but 9 days in a row next week, with 2 at 105 is extreme. We’re still waiting for rain, possibly next week! Hope everyone has a good week!

Re: the movie, I liked the introductory montage of scenes from older John Wayne movies. I wasn’t even paying attention to it but later read about it in the book’s intro. My husband has seen all of his movies (but not this one recently) so he was interested in seeing it. He was able to identify each of the movies! That was pretty ingenious of the director/producer to include that montage!

John- I will be interested to see how the movie compares to the book. I figured that they lightened up the movie. What makes the movie memorable is knowing that John Wayne also was dying from cancer and this was his last movie. One scene I liked, for the setting, was the one with the horse drawn trolley. I’ve never seen that before.

I watched the movie the other day. I really liked the storyline but the movie was just ok for me, even though it's on a list for the 10 best movies of that year. When it comes to Westerns, I prefer Clint Eastwood over John Wayne. And, Ron Howard will always be either Opie Taylor or Richie Cunningham for me. I guess I watched too many episodes of Happy Days as a teen. I put the book on hold from the library and will try to get to it. I hope everyone enjoys it!

I picked up a used copy of My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. My mom loved the show The Durrells in Corfu, which was based on the book. I only watched 1 episode but have been meaning to read the book.

I’m sorry to hear that Karin! Bummer. I’ll try a few and see what I think. I don’t care for that kind of attitude at all. There is a Stephen Leacock award for Canadian literary humor. Maybe I can find a winner on that list who is worth reading.

Andrea - I highly recommend Indian Horse by Ojibwe Canadian author Richard Wagamese. It’s not a classic yet but I suspect it will be! If I was an English teacher in the US or Canada, it would be on my required reading list.

I plan to read a few short stories from A Treasury of Stephen Leacock, which includes 3 collections of his short stories.

I haven’t read much Canadian lit and only 1 classic, Anne of Green Gables. I have a personal challenge in another GR group that I set up many years ago to read from all of the provinces. I’m still missing a few! Maybe I’ll find a few suggestions in this thread.

Thanks Luis for your recommendations!

Chrissie wrote: "Pam, nice to be on vacation, but those temperatures are so very high. Drink lots of water."

Thanks Chrissie! I stayed hydrated and survived the AZ summer! The weather is the same here in Albuquerque. We are supposed to hit 100 on Wednesday. The humidity is much lower in AZ and NM (sometimes single digit). But, the heat is still overwhelming, especially when there are no clouds. I'm sorry that so many of you are dealing with bad weather and smoke. I hope it clears up soon!

We got in some really nice hikes, a beautiful train ride, a bluegrass festival, visits with friends & family, and relaxation at the pool/hot tub. Saw some wildlife - lots of lizards (naturally), a herd of mule deer, a common black hawk (which is actually rare with only ~250 pairs in the US), and some bats by the pool in the early evening. Fortunately, we were warned about a snake on a trail and missed it! I hate snakes. I really hoped to see a javelina but no such luck. We are back home now.

We have July designated for the countries Peru and Uruguay. I plan to read something by Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa. Most of his works have been published post 1973 but he does have 5 novels published between 1959-1973. The 2 I'm deciding between are Conversation in the Cathedral (601 pages) and Captain Pantoja and the Special Service (243 pages). The length of the book may be the deciding factor. I hate to say that but it's a reality. I'm hoping that if I like Captain Pantoja that I will be encouraged to read Conversation in the Cathedral. The other 3 classic choices are :

1959 – Los jefes (The Cubs and Other Stories, 1979)
1963 – La ciudad y los perros (The Time of the Hero, 1966)
1966 – La casa verde (The Green House, 1968)

What is everyone else reading? You are not limited to Peru and Uruguay! They are just suggestions.

Lorraine and Luis - I checked out The Hour of the Star last summer but didn't read it. This one was her last book and published in 1977, slightly out of the classics time period of 50 years. I thought about trying some of her short stories. Any suggestions Luis or anyone else?

I finished The Alienist and Other Stories of Nineteenth-Century Brazil by Machado de Assis. It was really good. I liked that there was an introduction, providing some context, to each of the stories. I'd like to read something else by him. Any suggestions?

Stuart wrote: "Pam wrote: "I’m rereading The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. I first read it in the ‘70s when I was a teen. It was one of my favorites!"

my aunt recommended this when I was a teen. I do not know if it..."

Stuart - I just finished re-reading The Outsiders and I still loved it, almost 50 years later! It has an authentic feel, having been written by a teenager. My high school experience was nothing like the one in this book. I don't remember gangs but we did have cliques and the occasional fight but not rumbles. I felt so much compassion for these teenagers who were "from the wrong side of the tracks" and whose lives were full of violence. (These are the kids we often see on the news who end up in prison or dead.) The opening scene is actually based on the author's personal experience. Any book that makes me feel emotional is a good read, and this one certainly did that! I had forgotten how the story ended but, as I was reading it, it all came back to me. The characters felt like old friends to me! I saw the movie when it first came out but didn't enjoy it as much. I'm sure it is good but, for me, didn't live up to the experience of reading the book.

I’m on vacation in Sedona AZ and our unit has little to no cell
Service. We have to walk around the resort just to find a few bars! It’s all good, though! I’ve been on my phone much less than usual, which is a good thing. Having a good time but the heat (high 90s) is too much for me. We took a train ride today which was awesome! The evenings are really nice.

I’m rereading The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. I first read it in the ‘70s when I was a teen. It was one of my favorites!

I picked up a used copy of Dr. Faustus by Thomas Mann. I want to finish The Magic Mountain, though, before starting this one.

I read this book in 2017 and highly recommend it! I’m glad it’s coming out in a movie since it’s a story that more people to know. I’m definitely planning to see it. The story is shocking and an ugly part of US history relating to the treatment of our Native American population.

The Time Machine -144
How Do You Live? - 288

Group Total - 258,989

I’m reading a Japanese 1937 classic “How Do You Live?” by Genzaburō Yoshino. I looked it up when I saw that Studio Ghibli and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki have a movie adaptation coming out in Japan this summer. Hopefully, the English version will not be far behind!

Rosemarie wrote: "The Alienist will be a pleasant break from Marquez for you, Pam. It's funny and strange and I loved it."

I agree Rosemarie that The Alienist and Other Stories of Nineteenth-Century Brazil is a pleasant break and I've enjoyed the few stories I've read so far! i plan to finish it next month. The style feels more like a European author and not as much like the Latin American authors I've read so far.

I've taken a little break from Latin American classics to read a few other books, including 2 British classics - The Time Machine and David Copperfield plus a few contemporary novels. I hope that others are finding some good reads!