Laura's Reading Journey

[LauraT]

1.Have you always loved books? Who, if anyone, in your life has most inspired you to read?
Not always I have to confess. As Kid I preferred to read comics – if you think that now I don’t read any comics at all!!! – or watch tv. When a child I remember I had to answer a sort of “survey” from my school asking me how many books for children I had in the house – I had over 100! – but after that I was asked what I preferred reading and I answered “Comics”! My parents have always insisted with me on my reading books, but I have to say that I got to literature by myself, mainly thanks to teacher in school and professors in University!!!!

2. What was your favourite childhood book?
I don’t know if it can be considered a Children book, but I started loving it as a kid: Little Women & Good Wives. I’ve reread it thousands of time, finding it much deeper than when I first read it. But the fascination it held on me then still remains …

3. Which books do you remember studying at school? Did you enjoy them?
Yes, some of them were really nice; of course mostly are from Italian literature: I Malavoglia by Giovanni Verga, Zeno's Conscience by Italo Svevo. I didn’t like I Promessi Sposi by Alessandro Manzoni when I had to read it in school, but I reread it two years ago and loved it this time!!!!

4. Where do you most enjoy reading? Do you need silence to read, or can you read almost anywhere?
I read everywhere – I also “listen to books” when I drive or make little domestic duties such as ironing, but it depends on what I’m reading: for some books – say Ulysses or Swann's Way I need to be more concentrated!

5.Choose five of your favourite books and tell us why you loved them so much!
1. Pride and Prejudice – The wit, the dialogs, the description of a place and a time so far from my life and still so similar for the way of thinking made my understand that books and literature in general was not boring, but something I couldn’t live without!
2. War and Peace – how to get lost in a good book, without the fear of finishing it too soon. All the stories there, together with the “history” made me love historical novels more and more.
3. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale – an epic book. To a young reader, if he has the courage to resists the cetacean chapters, it gives the sense that you can go on trying, fighting for something it will never come. Ideals, even if wrong, are ideals …
4. Middlemarch – How grand can the Province be. And how stupid can women become if blinded by ideals. Dorothea is one of my favourite anti heroine, together with Becky Sharp|
5. The Warden – I fell in love with Victorian literature and Trollope with this little book, describing a reality we don’t have in Italy: the community of clergymen with their wives, daughters, sons and so on. The whole Barset Series I think one tof the most beautiful ever written .

6. Do you prefer reading fiction or non fiction?
Definitly Fiction. I read non fiction every now and then, but it is really a “sporadic” read! I have to immprove on that!

7. Are you fond of a particular author and what attracts you to their books? (You can pick a few if you can’t choose!)
No, I can’t name only one author. I love a lot of writers, all passionately!
Anthony Trollope, for his sharp irony on Victorian society, Jane Austen for her insight on people, with whims and defects; Lucy Maud Montgomery for being fresh and sunny also after 150 years, Charles Dickens because how he described XIX Century England is still unsurpassed, William Makepeace Thackeray for the same reason also considering his not “consolatory ways” ,Wilkie Collins because he “invented” the mystery genre which I adhore, Elizabeth Gaskell – Women finally foremost. And many others …

8. Is there an author you haven't yet tried but you'd really like to?
Many, almost all discovered here! I've just read a mystery by Dorothy Cannell which I had never heard of before and liked a lot. Next year, in my personal challenge, I have a proper cathegory for books by author I've enver read before. Up to now I've noted down these names: Weatherly Anna, John Wyndham
C. H. B Kitchin

9. Do you rely on goodreads to keep track of your reading or do you have your own method?
I rely on Goodreads but I still write all the books I read on my diary and in an old black Moleskine

10. What's the best book you've read so far this year? What are you reading at the moment? What will you be reading next?
Hard question this one. Te best of this year up to now? Mmm, one is not enough: some discoveries: D.E. Stevenson's Miss Buncle's Book, Elizabeth Strout's The Burgess Boys, Bill Richardson's Waiting for Gertrude: A Graveyard Gothic, Marcello Fois's Stirpe.
For what I'm reading now: Red Sorghum - liking but not that much; probably too far away from my life, and Mrs. Dalloway; hoping to start soon a book for a readalong of ABB: Their Eyes Were Watching God!

[Jenny]

It's been great reading your journey Laura, I chuckled at how very much you seem to be English at heart, at least when it comes to literature ;)
I've read As a Man Grows Older by Italo Svevo (Senilità) years ago and liked it a lot, so I've added Zeno's Conscience to my TBR. A lot of books in there that I haven't read yet, so I'll keep a close eye on your shelves ;)

[Dhanaraj]

Yet to try Italo Svevo.

[LauraT]

He's a good read. I read As a Man Grows Older in University, but Zeno's Conscience is definitly better - at least to my tastes!
And Yes, I'm definitly English at heart. Only for the weather condition I don't move to London!

[Shirley]

Great reading journey Laura, you really do love the classics, don't you!! I have recently added Middlemarch to my to read list, thanks to the enthusiasm in this group, and I would also like to read more of Elizabeth Gaskell - oh and I need to try out Anthony Trollope too.

I also loved comics as a child, you've just reminded me of that! And Little Women too!

[Faye]

Little Women!! That was always one of my top favourites, too. And I love your list of favourite authors!

[LauraT]

;)

[Amber]

Awesome journey laurat! I enjoyed reading it. :-)

[[deleted user]]

I enjoyed reading that, Laura. Thanks

[Leslie]

Great journey! Although I am surprised that you picked The Warden over Barchester Towers! :P

I really must read Middlemarch as so many people keep saying how wonderful it is! Glad that it is down on my 2014 list for Jan.

[Pink]

Thanks for sharing Laura, I really enjoyed reading this. I'm ashamed to admit that I have read none of your favourite books, though they're all on my TBR list, probably starting with the read along of Middlemarch next year!

[LauraT]

Leslie wrote: "Great journey! Although I am surprised that you picked The Warden over Barchester Towers! :P

I really must read Middlemarch as so many people keep saying how wonderful it is! Glad that it is do..."

I picked The Warden because it was the first - as the first love. I admit I prefere Barchester Tower though ...

Thanks all for the patience you've displayed reading all this "boring" classics addict rumbles!

[Maggie]

Great journey LauraT

[LauraT]

Thanks Maggie

[Tweedledum]

I loved reading your responses to the questions Laura. I was particularly struck by your thoughts about our Victorian authors Trollope and Eliot whom I fear we sadly undervalue over here in England.

[LauraT]

Tweedledum wrote: "I loved reading your responses to the questions Laura. I was particularly struck by your thoughts about our Victorian authors Trollope and Eliot whom I fear we sadly undervalue over here in England."
They're almost not known in Italy I'm afraid! It's only that I've studied English literature

[Tweedledum]

Hmmm but then what do I know of that most famous Italian author Dante.! Actually it has taken the American Dan Brown with Inferno to raise my interest in him. I'm afraid we all tend to be a bit prejudiced in favour of our own.
Do you like The Little World of Don Camillo? I have read them all (in English) and absolutely love them.

[Bionic Jean]

Such an interesting journey, Laura, and I too love all those Classic English authors that you mention, as you know :)

I had to scratch my head over L M Montgomery - then remembered her - a Canadian amongst all those English! I must now look into what else she has written apart from "Anne of Green Gables" since you rate her so highly.

But I am ashamed to say I have read none of your Italian favourites, nor any of the books you have enjoyed most this year.

[LauraT]

Tweedledum wrote: "Hmmm but then what do I know of that most famous Italian author Dante.! Actually it has taken the American Dan Brown with Inferno to raise my interest in him. I'm afraid we all tend..."

I've read DAnte in school, but not the whole of The Divine Comedy: we are planning with Jenny to "fill the Gap".
I've read some of Don Camillo novels. I laughed with them, but I find them totally out of time now: that's an Italy we don't have anymore ...

[LauraT]

Jean wrote: "I had to scratch my head over L M Montgomery - then remembered her - a Canadian amongst all those English! I must now look into what else she has written apart from "Anne of Green Gables" since you rate her so highly."

But Anne's books are her best.

[Bionic Jean]

Ah OK, thank you, Laura :)

[Amber]

Hey laurat my reading journey is up. Def check it out. :-)

[LauraT]

I will!!!