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

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

I picked up a free copy of Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson. It is an old edition (1963) and part of the New Riverside Literature Series- RLS R18. I can't even find this particular edition in Goodreads! It was first published in 1885.

So interesting Brian! I will have to check that one out.

I’m reading both the e-book and the paperback (Penguin Orange Collection). I’m glad I picked up the paperback because it includes sketches by the author from when he worked in the psych ward at the VA hospital in Meno Park. The e-book doesn’t include these sketches. It’s a nice little extra touch!

I went ahead and started it, out of curiosity. I think it is going to be good! I was surprised to see which character is narrating. Should be interesting! Now I have to decide which of 4 books to continue with or to read bits of each one here and there. Only a book addict would have this dilemma!

I will try to get to it this month. I just downloaded it from the library but have a few others to finish first. I remember the movie, too, particularly one dramatic scene from the ending! I have been wanting to read this book for a long time even though I usually don't like to read books after I've seen the movie. I don't remember many details about this one since it has been decades since I watched it.

Brian- To edit from your phone, you have to go to the desktop version. You can’t do it using the App.

I had to take a break with this book to read a couple others but I’m back on it today. I’m on chapter 12 The Salamander Syndicate.

I just read a comment in “The Friend” by Sigrid Nunez which made me wonder about the scene in Hunger where the MC is telling the lady that she lost a book. This comment didn’t make sense to me. In “The Friend”, the MC talks about “Balzac lamenting after a night of passion that he just lost a book...” Could this be a literary reference/joke? It’s such an odd comment by the MC, not that he wasn’t prone to making odd comments!

I finished it this afternoon and wound up really liking it! I read the translation by Sverre Lyngstad, which is not the one linked. I found the story really intriguing, all of the character's crazy thoughts and ramblings.

The other frustrating part of the story to me is the lack of compassion by people. So far, only 1 person has helped him.

I’m ~1/3 finished. I really like the writing but I feel a little frustrated with the character. If he would just put aside his pride...

My library hold came in but I’m determined to finish one of the books I’ve already started before I start this one! I can probably start it by Friday.

I started a little early, since my library hold came in quick, and am on p. 122. This is a very unusual book but I like it! I will wait to comment until others start reading it.

I just started War with the Newts by Karel Capek.

I read this book last January for a real life SF book club meeting at my library. I hope there will be some comments that refresh my memory! I do remember that we all liked it and had a great discussion.

Here's my list. Most of them I've read in the last 2 years.

Science Fiction
Abbott, Edwin E. Flatland: A Romance of many Dimensions
Asimov, Isaac The Gods Themselves
Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451
Bradbury, Ray The Illustrated Man
Capek, Karel R.U.R.
Dick, Philip K. The Crystal Crypt
Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Dick, Philip K. Eye in the Sky
Dick, Philip K. Martian Time-Slip
Dick, Philip K. Ubik
Herbert, Frank Dune
Herbert, Frank Dune Messiah
Jackson, Shirley The Lottery
Keyes, Daniel Flowers for Algernon
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness
Lewis, C. S. Out of the Silent Planet
Lovecraft, HP The Dunwich Horror
Orwell, George 1984
Orwell, George Animal Farm
Verne, Jules Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Vonnegut, Kurt Slaughterhouse-Five
Wells, HG The Time Machine
Wyndham, John The Day of the Triffids
Zamyatin, Yevgeny We

Fantasy
Bradbury, Ray Something Wicked This Way Comes
Tolkien, JRR The Hobbit
White, TH The Once and Future King

Hi, my name is Pam. I've been a member of the group since July 2018 but haven't participated till recently. I live in New Mexico and am retired, although I may go back to work part-time at some point. I have always loved reading but haven't focused on classics too much. I mostly enjoy modern (20th century) classics, literary fiction, historical fiction, and sci-fi. I am interested in diving into some of the older classics. (I started Don Quixote but didn't get very far. I am determined to finish it in 2019.) I received for free almost 100 brand new classics when one of our indie book stores closed several years ago. I'm hoping to start tackling them! My husband is a classics reader (and keeps his books) so I also have his books to read. I'm looking forward to participating in the group and see what others are reading!

Rosemarie wrote: "Glad to have you in our group, Pam."

Thanks Rosemarie! I recognize several people on this thread from other groups that I'm in. I guess we all run in the same circles!

Thank you Claire! I’m new to the group and looking forward to participating in some group reads!

Brian - Sounds good to me! I forgot that Dona Barbara was on the long side. It didn’t seem so long since I was reading it the same time as Lonesome Dove, which was really long!