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Welcome to the group, David. It's great to have you here.
You've mentioned three of my all-time favourite authors in your introduction. I'm quite the fan of Steinbeck, Harris and Connolly.
Anyhow, it's nice to meet you and I look forward to chatting with you in the future.
You've mentioned three of my all-time favourite authors in your introduction. I'm quite the fan of Steinbeck, Harris and Connolly.
Anyhow, it's nice to meet you and I look forward to chatting with you in the future.
Allan wrote: "I love Steinbeck as well-East of Eden is waiting for me to read, but I'm going to devote a sustained period to it when I'm off over the summer. I also have 'Fatherland' by Harris on my 'to read' sh..."I enjoyed 'East of Eden' - 'Cannery Row' is very good, too. With regards to Harris, I enjoyed 'Fatherland' and 'The Ghost'... less so 'Pompeii'. If you're looking for another Tom Wolfe to read I would recommend 'A Man in Full'. It's terrific.
I second the Cannery Row recommendation, and if you like that read Sweet Thursday, too, as they're both based on the same district of Monterey and involve a lot of the same characters. Another favourite of mine is In Dubious Battle. It's one of Steinbeck's Socialism/trade unionism novels and a great read, IMO.
I have to disagree about Pompeii and The Ghost, David. I found the Ghost to be a little predictable and a little bland. Not up to Harris's usual standards at all. I really enjoyed Pompeii. The characters and Harris's depiction of the city really brought everything to life. The Cicero novels, Lustrum and Imperium, are Excellent, too. Well worth a read if you can find the time.
I have to disagree about Pompeii and The Ghost, David. I found the Ghost to be a little predictable and a little bland. Not up to Harris's usual standards at all. I really enjoyed Pompeii. The characters and Harris's depiction of the city really brought everything to life. The Cicero novels, Lustrum and Imperium, are Excellent, too. Well worth a read if you can find the time.
Declan wrote: "I second the Cannery Row recommendation, and if you like that read Sweet Thursday, too, as they're both based on the same district of Monterey and involve a lot of the same characters. Another favo..."Declan wrote: "I second the Cannery Row recommendation, and if you like that read Sweet Thursday, too, as they're both based on the same district of Monterey and involve a lot of the same characters. Another favo..."
I'll keep in mind In Dubious Battle and Sweet Thursday. Maybe it was the whole Roman period that skewed me against Pompeii, I don't know. We'll just have to agree to disagree on The Ghost, Declan :)
Allan wrote: "I loved both Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, and have read and enjoyed Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men and Travels with Charley by Steinbeck. I have a volume of his short novels and East of Eden s..."Hope you enjoy it, Allan. I've never read Travels With Charley. That's another one to go on the list...
I've been trying to remember the 12 'modern novels' we had to do for our leaving cert. The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, and Steinbeck was one of them - I want to say East of eden but I don't think so (had something to do with a porch, I think). The Old Man and the Sea was another.
So I want to read them all again with a 'slightly' older perspective rather than having to read them because I wanted to get a good exam result. There was another book about some boys stranded on a beach. Can't remember the name of that one.
And by the way nice to meet you David. I'm from Tipperary. I am definitely going to check out your book the Tans. My Grand uncle was killed by the Tan's. There is a monument to him in North Cork and his name is on the monument in Kilcrumper Cemetery, near Fermoy. Daniel Shinnick, my brother is almost a replica of him.
Katherine wrote: "I've been trying to remember the 12 'modern novels' we had to do for our leaving cert. The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, and Steinbeck was one of them - I want to say East of eden but I don't think..."
Hi Katherine,
Hope you like the book, whenever you get round to reading it. It's interesting how many families were touched by the Tans' brutality... that history is still so close.
I remember doing the Modern Novel course in my Leaving Cert. I can recall some of the books I had to read - Lord of the Rings (that was the one about the boys on the beach), The Greatest of These, The Old Man and The Sea, Wuthering Heights, There was a Steinbeck (maybe The Grapes of Wrath), Huckleberry Finn, Animal Farm...and that's about all I can remember. Enjoy reading them again!
We grew up learning about Uncle Dan. His closest relative is still alive i.e. his niece. Just thought, I need meet her soon and actually pay some heed to what she tells me.Steinbeck novel wasn't the grapes of Wrath (teach us a novel like that?) and wuthering Heights would have been treated like one of the Classics, but maybe not!.
I had misfortune to have Charles Dickens (Hard Times) as my primary novel and The Mayor of Casterbridge as my second novel (which I loved).
Thanks for helping me work out part of the list. Lord of the rings is 100% correct
Allan wrote: "The book about the boys stranded on the island might be 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding-there is a pretty famous 60s film based on it.I did English Lit for A Level in N Ireland and we had ..."
Yes, of course, it's Lord of The Flies (not Rings). Wuthering Heights was definitley ead in my school. I think Great Expectations, Death of A Salesman and the Mill on the Floss may have been on my modern novel course,too, or perhaps I'm confusing the list with some I read in uni.
The Pearl was the Steinbeck novel that was on the leaving cert curriculum when I was at school. Lord of the Flies was part of the junior cert. I also studied Hamlet and The Playboy of the Western World the leaving cert. I also read Animal Farm, and some people in my class read Austen's Emma. If I can remember any more I'll add them to the thread.
The Pearl! I remember that. Emma was on my course as was Playboy and Hamlet. When exactly, I'm not sure...
It was 2000, when I did my LC. That was the last one of the old format. I know that some things remained but there were quite a few significant changes.
Showing my age here - I did mine in '85...I think they were still using the abacus during maths classes in those days :)
85!? For some reason I had the impression we were aroind the same age, lol.
You were probably advanced early for your outstanding academic ability. :)
You were probably advanced early for your outstanding academic ability. :)
That would often be the case, Allan. The movie club was refreshingly different, though. It ran the gamut from early twenties to late sixties, and there were even a few teens who chose not stay for the discussion.
David wrote: "Allan wrote: "I love Steinbeck as well-East of Eden is waiting for me to read, but I'm going to devote a sustained period to it when I'm off over the summer. I also have 'Fatherland' by Harris on m..."Welcome David.
Re Steinbeck, I had the privilege of getting to know California over the past 4 years, as my daughter and son-in-law were working over there temporarily. Having yawned my way through 'Grapes of Wrath' as a schoolgirl, in later life I now drove the Pacific Highway, from San Francisco to San Diego (and back), with a copy of 'Cannery Row' in my bag. I walked around Monterrey, saw where the great pipeline used to be, which stretched out into the bay to suck fish directly from the boats to the canneries onshore, and got a real sense of the boom and bust times, of the desperation and poverty which lay behind the tourist chowder. I found a great 2nd hand bookshop in Monterrey too.
I drove through some of the working class areas, passed fields of nodding artichokes (I nodded back) and played Django Rheinhardt on the car's CD player. I got a real sense of the depression times, of denim clad Oakies and also city professionals in dusty suits, hot and tired, tramping along the roads in a vain hope of finding work. I felt the ghosts of the Steinbeck characters were with me all the way. All in all, it was a most haunting experience and one I would thoroughly recommend.
I found Californians to be very cultured folks and I found myself one morning taking breakfast in a Santa Monica diner alongside a young professional man who was out to breakfast with his adored little boy. He heard my accent and immediately struck up a conversation, trying to glean all my impressions, as an outsider, of America and Americans ion general, and Californians in particular, and to learn as much as he could, as our ships briefly passed, about my corner of Europe. He seemed astonished that Europeans might be interested in American literature. 'Doing' California, with Steinbeck and Rheinhardt in my pocket, was altogether a fascinating experience.
That sounds like a trip worth taking, alright...Django Rheinhardt included. I just need those lotto numbers to come up and I'm sorted.With all this talk of Steinbeck you're tempting me to crack open Cannery Row once again. I have to resist, though. I'm twelve thousand words into a new novel and just don't have the time right now. One of these days though...
I've said this before, but a trip to Cali to see Monterey and Salinas is one of my dream holidays. Reading your comments has made me determined to get there in the next two years.
Declan, I'd recommend staying at the Seven Gables Inn at Pacific Grove, which is a short walk from Monterey and is not cheap, but even if you just indulged yourself one or two nights here, you'd love it. They are part of a chain of stunning 'Queen Anne' style guesthouses along the coast. We stayed in a couple, interspersed with cheaper motels and then stayed with the kids in San Diego. At these Inns though, they lay on free wine and local snacks (like artichoke and cheese tortillas) every afternoon, so the guests can get to know each other. The rooms have lovely bay windows with bay views too and from them, we watched the sea otters sporting in the bay, and red hawks swooping to take their prey. Santa Barbara (with it's red tile trail around town) is a must see too.
You should add travel journels to your list if genres, D.J.
You're making me fall in love with places I've nevet seen.
You're making me fall in love with places I've nevet seen.
Welcome David. That's a very interesting history blog! I've been known to pick up an American history book: current areas of interest are the American Civil War and WWII in the Pacific.
The expression "the modern novel" is a blast from the past! The Pearl was my first Steinbeck and Cannery Row/Sweet Thursday are favourites now: very bitter-sweet and very enjoyable reads.
That said, I detested "The Old Man and The Sea" and have never read Hemingway since!
Hi Sean,Have to agree with you on The Old Man And The Sea. I kept waiting for that little boat to sink! Glad you like the blog.
I've always been interested in American History. This is a great blog on the subject if you're interested http://www.iaincmartin.blogspot.ie
Big hello to everyone in the group, from the overcast South West!
Hi Bo, it's not much better on the east coast at the moment
Morning David, let's hope Summer wasn't last week!
Welcome, Bo. I'm stuck in the center of Dublin in a t-shirt and it's ready to lash rain, if it's any consolation?
Declan wrote: "Welcome, Bo. I'm stuck in the center of Dublin in a t-shirt and it's ready to lash rain, if it's any consolation?"Lol Declan, you're brave!
David wrote: "Hi,My name is David Lawlor. I live in Greystones, Wicklow and work as a journalist with a national newspaper.
I like to write books. So far I've published two - Tan, which is set during the Iris..."
David,
There are some really interesting and strange articles in your blog. I really enjoyed going through it.
Related to your book about WW1 Flanders, I would recommend Sebastian Barry's touching novel A Long, Long Way.
A Long Long Way
Hi Laura, I'm glad you enjoy the blog. I love the quirky side to history It often gets lost in the grander scheme of things but is no less interesting. Thanks for the Sebastian Barry recommendation I read that book and found it quite useful when it came to writing about Flanders. Of course, that other 'Sebastian- - Faulks - wrote a cracker in Birdsong. I see that you are reading Strumpet City. I can't actually remember if I read it or not (terrible, I know...). I certainly watched the TV series in the Seventies, which has stayed with me ever since. Hope you enjoy it.
- David :)
David wrote: "Hi,My name is David Lawlor. I live in Greystones, Wicklow and work as a journalist with a national newspaper.
"
Hi - I only just spotted this.
Small world. My wife, Fiona, writes occasional features for the same paper.
It's an even smaller world than you think, John - I work in the features department. What's her name?
I know. I Googled you :) Fiona McPhillips. Most of her features are about women and family.
Allan wrote: "The book about the boys stranded on the island might be 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding-there is a pretty famous 60s film based on it.I did English Lit for A Level in N Ireland and we had ..."
I'm coming in late to this discussion but there is often debate here in the US about secondary school reading lists. Students are expected to read books that are often beyond their years and experience. As Colin Bateman says, it can turn you off literature.
I loved DJ's account of her trip through California. I've been to Monterrey a couple of times, but never had a chance to explore the Steinbeck sites. I bought a new copy of East of Eden this week and will read it soon. When I bought it, two of friends from my James Joyce group berated me saying Steinbeck is soooo depressing and I should read Hemingway. I have decided (in my sometimes stubborn way) that life is too short to read Hemingway. But I do plan to read Fitzgerald (who is buried up the road from my house). Thanks to Goodreads, and book-loving friends, I am finally getting into reading more literature and enjoying it.
I've only read a couple of Hemingway's novels, but they weren't exactly joyful little romps about everyday life; and from what I've heard and read about the rest they don't seem to be a whole lot different. I'm very surprised that they said that to you.
John wrote: "I know. I Googled you :) Fiona McPhillips. Most of her features are about women and family."That must be the first time anyone has Googled me and actually found out something! I'm very familiar with Fiona's writing. She's very good.
We've never met, but say hello from me anyway :)
My name is David Lawlor. I live in Greystones, Wicklow and work as a journalist with a national newspaper.
I like to write books. So far I've published two - Tan, which is set during the Irish War of Independence, and The Golden Grave, set in the post-war battlefields of Flanders.
I love reading, but that pastime has taken a bit of a battering since I've started writing, due to lack of time. Some favourites include Steinbeck,Tom Wolfe, Robert Harris, John Connolly, Frank O'Connor... I could go on and on and on.
I also have a keen interest in American history and in World War One and Two. I write a blog on the lesser known players in history, called historywithatwist.wordpress.com