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Which LIST book did you just finish?
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Mia
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Mar 16, 2020 06:17AM
Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.
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The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago - 4 stars - My Full ReviewShort Review:
Published in 1984, this book blends magical realism, historical fiction, and literary fiction. The year is 1935 to 1936, and the backdrop is the rise of the fascist movement in Europe. This is a philosophical novel, filled with musings on life, love, art, literature, politics, religion, history, and death. It is character driven and the plot is sparse.
Saramago’s style is not for everyone. He employs long paragraphs, stretching over many pages. Dialogue is embedded within these paragraphs. For me, this type structure is hard on the eyes, as it provides no natural stopping places for reflection (and this book requires lots of reflection). I have to say though, I found it kept my interest and I learned quite a bit about Portuguese history and literature.
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Fascinating book. This was Carmen Martín Gaite's first novel after the death of Franco. Using magical realism, she attempts to recall her childhood memories of the Spanish Civil War and subsequent events.
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Finished all of Winterson's books on the list.
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It's in the 1001 you-must-read list, was a Booker nominee and made into a popular film. It's surprising it has only 15 thousand ratings. I have it in my to-read list
I finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. i haven't read it since high school and I still enjoyed it this time around.
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Finished Hearing Secret Harmonies by Anthony Powell, last in the Dance to the Music of Time series. What an overall enjoyable read. Though I wouldn't rate each book in the series as five stars, I do for the series as a whole
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Quite the accomplishment! Well done!
Thank you! I always had them on my TBR, but last year, an online friend suggested reading one a month--I didn't hear anymore from her after the first one (other than she liked it), but I kept on with the schedule...almost. It took me 13 months to read the 12 books. Powell's writing really dovetailed with my own tastes--it is very subdued, very droll. The books are connected by the characters that weave their way in and out of them, but otherwise they are mostly plotless--incidental might be a better way to describe them. The overall effect is a chronicle of the upper-middle class in England from the late 20s to the early 70s. The general trend seems to shy away from books that cover that group (although you wouldn't know it by Downton Abbey), but I definitely recommend it for its subtle humor and reflective style.
The first book was enjoyable, but if I hadn't been committed, I might have stopped there. I think the series improved as it began to layer incident on incident, and as it chronicled the growth of the characters. I was definitely hooked by the time I'd finished the second.
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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind It kept my interest, but it's hard to see what's compulsory about it.
I finished Anna Karenina.Actually, I've read most of the great Russian novels and this is my least favorite. It just seemed like a silly love story compared to War and Peace and the Dostoevsky novels (which I love!).
I finished The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. I really liked it. The beginning was little slow but after that I couldn't put it down.
Women in Love by D.H.Lawrence. A difficult but not particularly enjoyable read.
Martin Eden. I feel like it was the American Lost Illusions. So good.
Crossfire by Miyuki Miyabe.I did not quite know what to expect but ended up enjoying this one thoroughly. It is like Natsuo Kirino decided to go paranormal, in a sense.
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Kind of a downer, but overall I enjoyed it."
Hardy = downer. At least all the ones I've read, anyway.
Emma, I have to admit I really didn't like it. I get tired of the spoiled people who think that they are better than other people and talk incessantly about money and status. Just a different time period I know, but drives me crazy.
Vikki wrote: "Emma, I have to admit I really didn't like it. I get tired of the spoiled people who think that they are better than other people and talk incessantly about money and status. Just a different time ..."I can so relate. I have the book, picked up the other day, read the first paragraph describing the eponymous Emma and right away returned it to the shelf. Some other day I will read it but it will be a chore. Jane Austen is not for me, I'm afraid.
I finished So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ and am very glad I read it. It's full of humanity, of yearning, despair, love and hope. Absolutely wonderful.
I always feel like reading Antunes is like catching a speeding train.
The Quiet American by Graham Greene. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Yes, that‘s a good description. Fado Alexandrino was my first novel by Antunes but I want to read more of his work. I was quite impressed by his style of writing.
My introduction to him was Knowledge of Hell, which, from the little I know, seems to be autobiographical. It is very intense. I keep promising myself that I'll get to his The Land at the End of the World, which sounds like it might be the one to read just before Knowledge of HellI did read another of his, but I didn't like it nearly as much--The Natural Order of Things.
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Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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