Poll
What work of fiction would you like to read in June?
Poll added by: Ally
This Poll is About
Authors:
Zora Neale Hurston, Jonathan Rabb, W. Somerset Maugham, P.G. Wodehouse, Zelda Fitzgerald, Jack London
Books:
Zora Neale Hurston, Jonathan Rabb, W. Somerset Maugham, P.G. Wodehouse, Zelda Fitzgerald, Jack London
Books:
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Would a shorter novel - or novella - encourage more BYTers to read and discuss the book? Whatever wins, I hope we get lots of readers and a lively discussion.
Up at the Villa is just 120 pages; liked by 91% of readers on Goodreads; has only had 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon.co.uk; is readily available in both the US and UK; and it's written by the wonderful W. Somerset Maugham.
POLL-WATCH 19 April 2013: The tension mounts with no title emerging from the pack of five books all on two votes each. If Up at the Villa doesn't pick up any more votes soon then I may change my vote to one of the five front runners to create a clear leader...Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 2 votes, 18.2%
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham 2 votes, 18.2%
Rosa by Jonathan Rabb 2 votes, 18.2%
Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald 2 votes, 18.2%
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 2 votes, 18.2%
Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham 1 vote, 9.1%
Excited? Me too.
I'd probably go for Cakes and Ale, though would be happy to read any of them.
POLL-WATCH 20 April 2013: I've switched horses, and changed to Cakes and Ale. I've just been reading reviews of Save Me The Waltz and concluded I'd probably find it a bit of struggle (much as I love F. Scott).So, at present, it's looking like a two horse race....
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham 4 votes, 28.6%
Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald 4 votes, 28.6%
Rosa by Jonathan Rabb 2 votes, 14.3%
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 2 votes, 14.3%
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 2 votes, 14.3%
POLL-WATCH 22 April 2013: What drama. Cakes and Ale has nudged in front....
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham 5 votes, 35.7%
Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald 4 votes, 28.6%
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 2 votes, 14.3%
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 2 votes, 14.3%
Rosa by Jonathan Rabb 1 vote, 7.1%
I'm going to order it from the library this very day. I think I'll read it whatever - even if it doesn't emerge triumphant from the poll.
POLL-WATCH 22 April 2013: The drama continues. "Cakes and Ale" and "Save Me The Waltz" neck and neck again....
Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald 5 votes, 33.3%
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham 5 votes, 33.3%
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 2 votes, 13.3%
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 2 votes, 13.3%
Rosa by Jonathan Rabb 1 vote, 6.7%
The Iron Heel by Jack London 0 votes, 0.0%
Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham 0 votes, 0.0%
Perhaps those who voted for "My Man Jeeves", "Rosa", and "Their Eyes Were Watching God" could consider changing their vote to provide an outright winner?
Excited? Me too.
It does look as if it will be one of those two now. We have had run-off polls some months, when two or more books are tied.
We have indeed. Still, I'd say it's preferable to establish an out and out winner in this poll if we can. Tense times.
POLL-WATCH 23 April 2013: Still deadlocked.
I'm poised to start Up At The Villa so will let you know how I get on. My fourth book by W. Somerset Maugham. So far he's always delivered something special.
It's a shame that we will not get to discuss...
Up At The Villa by W. Somerset Maugham.
...this month. I would have been very interested to know what other BYTers made of it. W. Somerset Maugham manages to pack a lot of plot into just 120 pages.
This is the fourth book I have read by W. Somerset Maugham, and follows Of Human Bondage, Ashenden and Christmas Holiday which were all excellent. I am intent on reading all his works.
This is a long short story, or a short novel, and I read it in less than a day, and really enjoyed it.
The other books I have read by W. Somerset Maugham were, to one degree or another, autobiographical. I doubt this contains any biography - although the location (Florence and the surrounding countryside) are doubtless drawn from first-hand experience.
The story manages to touch on love, tragedy, violence, loyalty, career, responsibility, politics, and refugees. As I stated earlier, W. Somerset Maugham manages to pack a lot of plot into just 120 pages. A pleasing - if slight - tale.
3/5
My copy of Cakes and Ale arrived at the library today. Hurrah! Save Me The Waltz is on order too.
Still waiting for the deadlock to break. Only five days left.
You will have read all the books by the time the poll has closed at this rate :)
That would be quite something. Funnily enough I'm now reading a biography of J L Carr who wrote May's forthcoming fiction choice. I am quite surprised to learn how much biographical detail there is in A Month in the Country.
POLL-WATCH 24 April 2013: Will no one end this deadlock? Just one vote for either title could swing it. If you've voted consider changing your vote, and if you haven't then vote.
POLL-WATCH 25 April 2013: Will this infernal deadlock never end?
POLL-WATCH 26 April 2013: Zelda takes the lead...
Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald 6 votes, 37.5%
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham 5 votes, 31.3%
POLL-WATCH 28 April 2013: Zelda's surely going to do it...
Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald 6 votes, 37.5%
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham 5 votes, 31.3%
My copy of Save Me The Waltz] should arrive any day now. Here's to a wonderful discussion. I hope everyone who voted gets involved. See you in June.
Nigeyb wrote: "My copy of Save Me The Waltz] should arrive any day now. Here's to a wonderful discussion. I hope everyone who voted gets involved. See you in June."My copy has arrived. I've had a sneaky peak but won't read it until I've finished the June non-fiction choice The Long Week End: A Social History of Great Britain, 1918-1939 which, based on the first 20 pages or so, looks fascinating and should make for a good discussion.
Hey gang. Sixteen people participated in the poll and six of you voted for Zelda. Come and get involved. I really want to know what you made of this book....http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Greetings fellow BYT'ers. There's still time to read and discuss our June 2013 fiction choice: Save Me The Waltz. Come and get involved. I really want to know what you made of this book....http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
"As good as any F.S.Fitzgerald piece I've read" stated Al_Jr_22 on Amazon.com on August 30, 2012
"I would like to first state that I am by no means a literary giant. I do think however that those who feel they are well educated in the field may overlook the talent displayed in this novel simply because it doesn't fit the cast of a "well polished and paced" Scott Fitzgerald work. In fact, I do believe that Zelda is all too often unfairly and with much bias compared to her husband. This story is a fairly easy and captivating read (yes, you do need a firm grasp of the English language and have a head to think through simile and metaphor) and the descriptive tangents that an English professor may find detracting and pointless are in fact what make this book such an interesting work. Some of these sections can be read over multiple times, an impetus for pulling images out of thought and time. I think to a fault in this day and age people want their imagination to be spoon fed...don't make me think too much for myself! It seems to me that anyone who would find this novel boring, distracting and/or pointless is probably more interested in being a literary critic than admitting that it is a very good story written in a very extravagant style by the wife of an early American classic novelist."
I'll answer my own questions from the Save Me The Waltz debate, in the hope we can generate some more discussion:To what extent is Zelda unfairly compared with her husband?
I'm not sure. I suppose there's an inevitability that, when married to a celebrated author, a book by his or her partner will draw comparisons. Is that fair? Probably not - but understandable.
How easy is it to judge this book on its own merits?
Very difficult. As Zelda apparently uses some of the same source material as F. Scott Fitzgerald used in Tender Is The Night.
To what extent do you agree with the statement "people want their imagination to be spoon-fed"?
I don't agree. I am someone who finds more obtuse and/or an overtly modernist writing style (e.g Joyce's Ulysses) difficult and ultimately tedious. I prefer the meaning to be reasonably clear and, whilst I understand the desire to experiment with form, for me it rarely works.
I found many of the passages in this book just feel overwritten and confused. Almost as if she had a thesaurus by her side and just threw in numerous adjective and adverbs - frequently her meaning was difficult to discern and I thought she was trying to appear clever.
How captivating did you find the book?
My main reaction was one of boredom and irritation.
To what extent do you agree that anyone who would find this novel boring, distracting and/or pointless is probably more interested in being a literary critic than admitting that it is a very good story written in a very extravagant style?
This question follows on well from my previous answer. I disagree. Indeed I'd reverse the statement so it reads "anyone who would find this novel interesting, exciting and/or compelling is probably more interested in being a literary critic than admitting that it is a very thin story overwritten in a very confused style."
Over to you BYTers. One week of June still to go - come and get involved.
Rosa by Jonathan Rabb 2 votes, 28.6%
Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald 2 votes, 28.6%
Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham 1 vote, 14.3%
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 1 vote, 14.3%
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 1 vote, 14.3%