Indian Readers discussion
READING PROGRESS 2017
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dely in 2017: books and challenges
25)
Storie di vagabondaggio ★★★★★English edition: Wandering by Hermann Hesse
It's a collection of very short stories (1-2 pages), some poems, and there were also two longer stories. Also this book I borrowed at the beach library but I must buy it because it was wonderful.
This was really amazing. I loved the poetic prose, the stories were so touching that they moved me to tears more than once. All the stories deal with the lust of going away, explore new places, but sometimes also about nostalgia about the homeland. I could feel the romantic vein of Hesse, the love for nature, the Wanderlust, but also the longing for God and above all a spiritual life.
Italian/English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
26)
Il canto di Bernadette ★★★★★English edition: The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel
Another amazing book that moved me to tears more than once. It's the fictionalized story of Bernadette, the saint of Lourdes, that has seen the Vergin more than once. I didn't know anything about her so, seen that someday I would like to go to Lourdes, I thought it would be good to know something about Bernadette, her life and her apparitions.
I think this book could be interesting also for people that aren't Catholics.
Italian/English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
1984 by George Orwell ★★★★☆I have read the English edition. It is my son's book and he loved it that much that he obliged me to read it t..."
Was a scary read, especially the second half.
dely wrote: "24) 1984 by George Orwell ★★★★☆I have read the English edition. It is my son's book and he loved it that much that he obliged me to read it t..."
I read this book just recently . After reading the first few pages i was almost going to give up reading it , but somehow i kept reading it and it turned out to be a very good book .
I couldn't feel scared. The only feeling I had was that of claustrophobia. I really felt choked since the beginning of the book till the end.
27)
Fantasmi: Dispacci dalla Cambogia by Tiziano Terzani ★★★★★Sadly there isn't an English edition and it is really a pity. The book contains the reportages and articles he wrote from 1970 to 1996 about Cambodia while living there as long as he could or going again to the country after the war of Pol Pot. As usual his is a flowing and easy style, he adds personal considerations and the reader has an excellent description of what was going on in Cambodia before, during and after Pol Pot. There are also some photos.
edit: I forgot to add that this book too is part of my challenge books I already own: it was in my to-read list since 2016.
Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Gorab wrote: "Oh man! This looks very interesting."It is, like all his other books. I know that his books haven't been translated a lot into English, but I can suggest you to read A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East and One More Ride on the Merry-Go-Round. Of course it would be good to read them in cronological order, to see also how he changed in those years (his political points of view, for example).
His last book concentrates on his last travel, the travel where he was the usual curious reporter, but that gave him a lot of answers about his own life. It's more like an inner journey. I don't know why I rated it only with 4*, because it should be a 5*.
edit: I updated the rating to 5*.
Mod
Also your elaborate comment under your review of fortune teller. Very nice.
Gorab wrote: "Thanks for the recos. I looked them up and found them both interesting.Also your elaborate comment under your review of fortune teller. Very nice."
I love this author and I always recommend him to everyone. More than a "typical" reporter he is an acute observer also of himself and of people. And his language is easy and the style flowing, so his books or articles aren't boring as those of other reporters. He also wanted to see everything by himself: he entered Cambodia after Pol Pot took power and he was caught by the Khmers Rouge (he has been saved only because he had an Italian passport, smiled all the time and didn't show them how scared he was), he went to Afghanistan during the war though it wasn't allowed, etc.
I think I will start soon In Asia. It's the book he has written after have lived for 30 years there, from China to India, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, etc. Sadly there isn't an English edition neither of this book. I think not all his books have been translated into English because he was anti-USA and he underlines in his books all the mistakes they have done in the East with their wars and their conspiracies to control everything.
Mod
Sort of borrowing the books I own completion challenge for the rest of the year..
Girish wrote: "Making a note of Teziani as an author to explore. Your reading choices so far have this year have been a bit different from your usual choices. More experimentation of deeper books with no 'common'..."This year I'm reading more non-fiction and, above all, I'm reading also more books about the Gospels or books related to Catholicism.
28)
La cucina dell'Islam by Hocine Benchina ★★☆☆☆No English edition. Title could be "Cuisine in Islam".
I have always been interested to see the difference of food related to different religions. Sadly this book was only ok for me because it talked above all about the cuisine in Arabian countries and the part dedicated to Islam was pretty short. It also hadn't interesting concepts and it was boring. In the second part of the book there are 60 recipes but I won't be able to try them because I'm vegetarian and the Arabian/Islamic cuisine uses a lot of meat.
Also part of my challenge books I already own: it was in my to-read list since 2014.
Only Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
29)
Cronaca di una morte annunciata ★★★☆☆English edition: Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez
It is 3,5*
I like Marquez's writing and prose, but I can't rate it higher because I liked a lot his two masterpieces so I always compare his other books to these ones and I can't give them the same rating.
The reader knows from the beginning who will be killed and by whom. But his isn't a thriller, it is a depiction of the mentality of the people of that place in that time (Colombia, around 1950). I like how Marquez describes people and their behaviour. It is also a real life event and Marquez was a friend of both the killers and the victim.
Only Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
30)
Il ragazzo mucca by Michele Serra ★☆☆☆☆No English edition. It was a useless book that talks about a 40 years old man with a good job that has a midlife crisis. I also didn't like the style and the language: pretentious and forced.
Only Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Topic looks interesting. I like such kind of books. But only honest accounts.
Gorab wrote: "dely wrote: " a 40 years old man with a good job that has a midlife crisis"Topic looks interesting. I like such kind of books. But only honest accounts."
Me too, it's because of this that I picked up this book. But it had no depth and I think the author wanted only to vent about the Italian communist party seen that the main character is the director of a communist newspaper. There were some comparisons between the broken life of the main character and the "broken" life of the communist party.
Mod
Syl wrote: "ditto ... I too like such stories..but perhaps will dislike this one."I have seen that a lot of people disliked it. The ratings on GR are very low for this book.
Mod
Syl wrote: "What made you take it up, dely? (just curious 🙄)"The book blurb. I thought it could be interesting. But at least I borrowed it at the beach library so I didn't spend money to buy it. And I have seen the low ratings only after have picked it up.
Mod
Yes... the blurb is interesting.
31)
In Asia by Tiziano Terzani ★★★★☆No English translation.
The book is a collection of some news reports he wrote while living in Asia for 30 years. He talks about Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, North and South Korea, Sri Lanka, China, Hong Kong and Macao and their passage to China, Pakistan, India, Japan but also the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin (Russia), Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Philippines.
As usual, his pieces are very interesting and he is really able to engage the reader. He is as usual very curious so he is one of those reporters that want to go on place to see by their own what is going on. He doesn't talk only about wars or dictatorhips, but in some reports he talks also about his life in those countries or considerations about the modernization and westernization of Eastern countries.
I found very interesting the pieces about countries I didn't know a lot about, as for example Japan, Nepal and Burma. About the other countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and China, I had already read his other books where he talks in details about them, so in this book for me they were a kind of repetition of things I already knew.
English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also part of my Books I Own Challenge: it was in my to-read list since December 2016.
I don't know if I will add it to my India Challenge because though there are several chapters dedicated to India, they happen in places I have already visited through books (Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir.)
I will think about adding it to my India Challenge!
Mod
Mod
Syl wrote: "must be a fabulous travelogue. Will miss reading it for the lack of English translation."All his books are worth. They are so interesting and he writes in such an easy and flowing way.
Girish wrote: "sure curious what he had to say about his Indian visits!"
He didn't visit it, he has lived there for several years. If I don't go wrong he had an apartment in New Delhi but has lived also on the Himalaya, and he travelled a lot from one corner of India to the other. He lived among the people and he didn't lead a life as a reporter: go, write and turn back to Italy. Wherever he went, he adapted to the life of that country. He had also his family with him (not always, but very often) so he often led a common family life.
He loved India! And loving her he is very objective and he talks about good but also bad things.
I know that now there is an English edition available of One More Ride on the Merry-Go-Round. It's his last book and it is set in India.
I deleted Rising of a Dead Moon by Paul Haston from my kindle. It was in my to-read list since 2013 and I already tried to read it 4 years ago but gave up at 8%. Now I tried again but it's a terrible formatting and I already don't like the first sentences of the book.I don't remember if I downloaded it for free from GR or if I received it for free from the author.
Mod
All his books are worth. They are so interesting and he writes in such an easy and flowing way..."
Market it to read. I find travelogues (for the want of better word) as a fun-house mirror for the civilization. Some of the things we are proud of today are all thanks to the writings left behind by visitors.
Was planning to pick up Darlymple later this year. Now might add Terzani to the list.
Girish wrote: "Was planning to pick up Darlymple later this year. Now might add Terzani to the list."They are different. By Darlymple I've read Nine Lives and it was very good but he is a "distant" observer. He talks about interesting things and he does it well, but he is only a "cold" observer. Terzani adds in his observations his heart and his personal opinions. He is engaged in what he observes. With Darlymple I hadn't this feeling though Nine Life is very good too.
With Terzani the reader is there with him, with Darlymple the reader is like looking at a documentary.
Mod
Girish wrote: "I am picking up Terzani later this year then :) Thanks Dely!"I hope you will like it!
32)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett ★★☆☆☆Only 2 stars because I decided to finish it, but I can't rate more than this such a book full of racism and colonial mindset. What did the author teach to the children of her time?! Nope, I can't stand racism so the fact that it was the typical mentality of her age can't be an excuse.
My English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also part of my challenge books I already own. Only 11 to go but I think that I will drop a few of them.
Mod
Racism was always there, especially with British authors till the mid 20th century. Perhaps it crept in unconsciously, and not with an intent to hurt or demean.
Syl wrote: "saw your review, dely. I only vaguely remember the story, but I too have rated it low.Racism was always there, especially with British authors till the mid 20th century. Perhaps it crept in unconsciously, and not with an intent to hurt or demean. "
This could be, but I however couldn't stand it.
33)
Gli anni ★★★★☆English edition: The Years by Annie Ernaux
I tried to read this book already last year, but I had to give up because of the writing style and because I didn't know what the author was talking about. This time I didn't give up and I'm very glad because this is a wonderful book once you get into it.
My Italian/English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also part of my challenge Books I already own: it was in my to-read list since 2015.
Mod
Gorab wrote: "The pleasure somehow increases manifold when you enjoy an abandoned book on a re-read :)"I think this is the first time I give a second chance to an abandoned book, and I did it only because it has several positive reviews from GR friends I trust. I was sure it was my fault if I wasn't able to enjoy it. It isn't easy to get into the flow of the narrative voice, but it is really worth to hold on.
34)
Trama d'infanzia ★★★☆☆English edition: Patterns of Childhood by Christa Wolf
I liked the topic (a common German family during Nazi Germany) but not the writing style. I really struggled a lot with it.
My English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also part of my challenge books I already own: this was in my to-read list since 2014. To tell the truth, I had the German edition but seen that it was too difficult for me, I had to buy the Italian edition (and I had problems also with my mothertongue to follow the author's style!).
Only 9 books to go! Sadly one of those has nearly 1000 pages so I think I will keep it for next year. I also think that I will drop a few of them because I'm nearly at the end of this challenge and there are only the most difficult books left :/
Good news! I gave a look to the books that I still have to read and I have one less! It seems that I already dropped one last year but forgot to delete if from my list in this discussion! Yay! New books I still have to buy, I'm coming!
Lol, I'm doing everything wrong! I have added in my list a book that I dropped last year, but forgot to add another book by the same author. I think I confused the two books. So I have still to read 9 books :-(
Mod
Reminds me of those 'answer in any order' exams where I always try to keep an easy question for the last half hour. That's what I think am doing with my version of your challenge - reserving the easiest of my picks for the last :D
Girish wrote: "Lol. That still counts as one swapped book! What you have achieved so far is a jaw-dropping feat for book hoarders like us! :DReminds me of those 'answer in any order' exams where I always try t..."
I should have mixed the difficult/boring books with the more easy ones, but I wasn't able to control myself, and the desire to read books I like was stronger :-(
But at least now I'm so tired of this challenge that I'm sure I won't force myself to read books I won't like. I just give up so it will be easier to finish the challenge, hehehe :D
Mod
35)
Der schweizerische Robinson ★★☆☆☆English edition: The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
The book is about how a family of six, shipwrecked passagers, survive on a deserted island.
Too long and boring because of too many detailed descriptions.
My Italian/English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
which is it? the 1000 page one
I am reading two tomes - David Copperfield and It (973 and 3335 respectively), enjoying those.... but going slow
Mod
:D :D :P
Mod
Der schweizerische Robinson ★★☆☆☆English edition: The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss..."
Only 2?
I remember liking it (but in childhood)
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I have read the English edition. It is my son's book and he loved it that much that he obliged me to read it too.
It is a real pageturner, I was never able to foresee what would happen, and everytime I thought I knew what would happen, it never happened. I liked it but for me it wasn't that easy, there were a lot of words I didn't know so I'm sure I missed the feeling and the emotions of the book.