So, What's On the Bedside Table these Days? -- Part 2

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I am liking Jude so far, but I am only in part 2.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Hilary wrote: "Rosemarie, I have again become bogged down with just too many reads. I need not to keep adding more and more! I'm not at all self-disciplined. I see you're reading Little Women and Jude. I really m..."

I have the same issue. My desire is always bigger than my ability

[Shannon]

Almost finished with

Loving most of the short stories.

[Lori, Moderator]

I'm currently re-reading "Brave New World" - I've been going around saying "Oh, Ford" for a week now. Next on the list, aside from the group reads, is "Master and Margaret" by Bulgakov, per a friend's recommendation.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I am almost finished Lorna Doone.

[Hilary]

I just read 'The Birds'. I have way too many, but there is Lady Chatterley, Hardy's The Woodlanders, Great Expectations and there will soon be Trollope's 'The Small House at Allington'. Apart from that I have put countless books on hold. I have managed to strike a couple of these off the list, not before time!

[Hilary]

Oops, I didn't see your comment from a month ago, Deborah. I'm always missing comments! It's so true: desire to read more and more carries us away. How I wish I could at least listen to an audio and read at the same time! Two birds with one ...

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I finished Lorna Doone last night. The ending was very dramatic.
I also have way too many books on the go. The book I am really enjoying is by Cesare Pavese, and is called The Moon and the Bonfire (La luna e i falò). The book I am not enjoying very much but am curious as to how it will end is Vathek. I read The Castle of Otranto and enjoyed that. Vathek is in the same book of gothic novels, the other being Frankenstein, which I liked. Vathek is the weakest of the three.
My goal for 2017 is to read more of my own books. (Haha.) I am making some progress but still reading more library books.

[Hilary]

I haven't heard of most of those books. Rosemarie. They sound fascinating. I did read Frankenstein and enjoyed it. Dracula was another level of creepy and brilliantly written, I thought.

Everyman, you talk about being annoyed with poor Mark in Framley. You see I'm totally convinced that they are real people, living out their lives, so I couldn't allow myself to be too angry with them. True, I was irritated with Lady L at a time. I wanted to shake her, but she came good though she really had, or ought to have had, a lot of making up to do!

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I find that the characters in Trollope's novels are more like people we know, if you take away the titles, as compared to Dickens, where the characters are more exaggerated. Or in the case of female characters, lacking a bit of bite, in others words, weaker than the male characters. But this is just a generalization of course. I am talking about overall impressions.

[Everyman]

Rosemarie wrote: "But this is just a generalization of course. I am talking about overall impressions. "

It is a generalization, but not an unfair one. I do find the characters in Trollope, and also in Hardy, to be more representative of real people and the way they act than those in much of Dickens. In another broad generalization, Trollope and Hardy are portrait artists, painting the real person but, as any great artist will, looking below the surface features to the character below, while still accurately representing the external, whereas Dickens seems to me more of a caricaturist, like those in the New York Review of Books or certain political cartoonists, grossly distorting the features in order to emphasize a particular feature or features that the caricaturist wants to emphasize.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I am reading Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis. I have just started it and am enjoying it so far.

[Everyman]

Got from the library Letters of Note compiled by Shaun Usher. It's a very miscellaneous collection of letters of all sorts and kinds, from love letters to a handwritten and misspelled letter to President Eisenhower begging that Elvis's sideburns not be cut "or we will die," to a letter from a young (20 years old) Hunter Thompson to a letter from Albert Einstein answering an inquiry whether scientists pray and lots more, with the only thing they have in common being that they are delightful to read. Most have an image of the letter, all have a printed transcript, and they all have a short squib about the author or situation.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

That sounds like a fun book to read. I like books of compilations about a variety of topics.

[Rafael]

I am reading Monsieur Bergeret em Paris(original Monsieur Bergeret à Paris) by Anatole France.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I am reading Scriblerus by Alexander Pope.

[Deborah, Moderator]

I'm reading light right now. Rebecca

[Everyman]

My back problem makes me unable to read in bed comfortably, so I've taken to an audio book (which my wife prefers because I put the light out and listen with earbuds so she can get to sleep more easily). Right now am listening to Middlemarch, which I've read several times but I'm getting a quite different perspective listening to it -- for one thing, no skimming passages, so I get details that I've missed in the past. Very different "reading" experience.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Everyman wrote: "My back problem makes me unable to read in bed comfortably, so I've taken to an audio book (which my wife prefers because I put the light out and listen with earbuds so she can get to sleep more ea..."

Oh the dread light. My hubby was patient about it, but I think it's easier for him now that I use my kindle in bed.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I can't read in bed either due to back issues. It is fine as long as I sit up straight- no cozy chairs for me(unfortunately).

[Rafael]

I am reading Antes de Adão (Before Adam) by Jack London.

[Rafael]

I am reading A travessia do Snark (The Cruise of the Snark) by Jack London.

[Rafael]

I started today to read Thinner by Richard Bachman. It started well.

[Rafael]

Rosemarie wrote: "I am reading Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis. I have just started it and am enjoying it so far."

Did you finish it, Rosemarie? What you find about it? And about the protagonist doubt, have you any opinion?

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I did finish Dom Casmurro. The protagonist was his own worst enemy, but I still enjoyed the book. We only see his point of view, so it is a biased point of view. There were some surprises and sad parts near the end.

[Rafael]

Rosemarie wrote: "I did finish Dom Casmurro. The protagonist was his own worst enemy, but I still enjoyed the book. We only see his point of view, so it is a biased point of view. There were some surprises and sad p..."

He is. About my question (view spoiler)[Do you think that Capitu (I don't know how it is translated) cheated her husband? (hide spoiler)]

That is one of the greatest matter of discussion in the brazilian literature.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I don't think she did. There is a scene where a portrait is compared to Capitu. So I think it was just a coincidence. I read the book in Portuguese, so I may have missed some of the nuances, but my impression is that the main character had major trust issues.

[Rafael]

Thank you for the answer. You are right in your two statements. he has trust issues and our point of view is his point of view.

[Rafael]

I am reading now Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I have just started reading Lolita by Nabokov.

[Rafael]

I am reading too The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.

[Lori, Moderator]

I finally started The Master and Margarita

[Rafael]

I am reading The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Lori, what do you think of the book so far? I thought it was strange and funny.

[Lori, Moderator]

Rosemarie wrote: "Lori, what do you think of the book so far? I thought it was strange and funny."

I love it so far! I was laughing while waiting for my student and reading.

[MeriS]

Currently reading "Middlemarch" by Eliot. So far so good 😊

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I am a big fan of George Eliot's works, including Middlemarch.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Happy almost New Year. As you can see by our home page, we will be starting off the new year with a bang. The Trollope project continues its outstanding work. We’ve added a short story to accompany the book of the month. We’ve taken a few days to catch our breath as I’m sure many of you are either holiday busy, weary, or both.

In the still of our quiet moment, tell me what’s on your bedside table? What are you reading? Let’s get to know each other a bit better.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I have started reading Doctor Zhivago.

[mark]

Currently reading the recent Golden Hill (great so far) and an obscure fantasy Lord Soho (also great). But for some reason I'm obsessed with reaching 100 books by year's end, so yesterday and today I've been reading a lot of shorts and novellas. Which feels vaguely like cheating.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Not cheating, Mark, just strategic reading. I often use that strategy to complete personal challenges. I read plays for that reason, as well as enjoyment, of course.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Rosemarie wrote: "I have started reading Doctor Zhivago."

That sounds like fun

[Deborah, Moderator]

mark wrote: "Currently reading the recent Golden Hill (great so far) and an obscure fantasy Lord Soho (also great). But for some reason I'm obsessed with reaching 100 books by year's end, so yesterday and today..."

If it’s reading, it’s not cheating

[Deborah, Moderator]

I had a tough reading year. I did read all the Miss Marple mysteries by Christie in the order of publication. Currently I’m reading a Nagio Marsh mystery and am starting A Room with a View.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I read all the Agatha Christie mysteries starting in the early 90s, then Dorothy Sayers and Ngaio Marsh.
Starting last June , with our group discussion of A Study in Scarlet, I am now working my way through the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Rosemarie wrote: "I read all the Agatha Christie mysteries starting in the early 90s, then Dorothy Sayers and Ngaio Marsh.
Starting last June , with our group discussion of A Study in Scarlet, I am now working my w..."

I have a complete set of Holmes stories as well as the annotated version. I’ve read many as a kid

[Catherine]

The Golden House - Salman Rushdie

[Lori, Moderator]

Well, aside from the books here (not all of which I got to), I've had to focus on books that help me with parenting or writing.

My daughter has selective mutism, so I'm reading about that.
I wrote (the rough draft of) a horror novella during NaNoWriMo, so I periodically read HP Lovecraft's stories for inspiration and the best way to describe fear and creepy situations.
Some creative nonfiction for inspiration, because I want to improve my own creative nonfiction - this year I really enjoyed For the Time Being by Annie Dillard
Some books on writing - my favorite was Tell it Slant by Brenda Miller. Next on the list is On Writing by Stephen King.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

How old is your daughter, Lori?

I have started reading Lovecraft this year and will read more, if only because it is so weird.

[Lori, Moderator]

She's five years old.

Yeah, I like Lovecraft a lot, but just wish he hadn't been so racist. It shows up in a few of his stories.