Indian Readers discussion
READING PROGRESS 2017
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dely in 2017: books and challenges
Syl wrote: "which is it? the 1000 page oneI am reading two tomes - David Copperfield and It (973 and 3335 respectively), enjoying those.... but going slow "
The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil.
Syl wrote: "dely wrote: "35) 
Der schweizerische Robinson ★★☆☆☆English edition: The Swiss Family Robinson by [author:Johann David ..."
I had never heard about it before GR. Maybe it's more enjoyable as a child because you like to read about this super-father, all the wild animals, the dangers/adventures, etc. I'm a too realistic person to like such exaggerated stories though I understand why he wrote it that way.
Mod
I am reading two tomes - David Copperfield and It (973 and 3335 respectively), enjoying those.... but going slow "
[book:The Man Without Qualities|527756..."
Oh, haven;t heard of it.
Mod
Der schweizerische Robinson ★★☆☆☆English edition: The Swiss Family Robinson by [author:J..."
he he...... perhaps I too would feel the same as an adult.
37)
La masseria delle allodole ★★★☆☆English edition: Skylark Farm by Antonia Arslan
This book talks about the Armenian genocide and the author is a descendant of a survivor. I liked the book and it was also very moving but for me there was something lucking. I don't know if it's because it's too short and I wanted more, or because some parts go on too fast as if there's a "hole" between what happened first and what was happening later. I however recommend it if someone wants to read about this genocide, though about the same topic I preferred The Forty Days of Musa Dagh by Franz Werfel.
38)
Il funesto demiurgo No rating because I didn't finish it.English edition: The New Gods by Emil M. Cioran
I tried to read this book a few years ago, gave up, and now I tried again for my challenge to finish books I already own. I have read the first 3-4 pages of every chapter (everyone about a different topic) but it's not my cup of tea.
Yay! Only 4 books to finish my challenge! I already know that I will surely abandon one book, another I don't know if I will like it, one I'm already reading (1000 pages) and I should be able to finish it before the end of the year, and one with 1000 pages I will surely read next year.
39)
La strada di Smirne by Antonia Arslan ★★★☆☆To tell the truth it's a 3,5*.
This isn't part of any challenge, but seen that a few days ago I have read Skylark Farm, I wanted to see what would happen next to this Armenian family during the genocide committed by the Turks. This is in fact the follow-up of Skylark Farm but sadly there isn't an English translation.
I liked also this book, it was more flowing respect to the first one, also written better, but it wasn't as moving as the first one and I felt the characters pretty distant. I was involved with what happened to them but not as much as with the first book.
Only Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Gorab wrote: "You are doing an excellent job of cleaning your shelves dely. Kudos and thanks for the inspiration!"Thanks! I'm nearly done! I'm already thinking about the books I will buy or borrow at the library and about a new challenge for next year :D
Mod
Mod
Lol.. It should be a great relief of sorts I am sure!
A lot of fun is in the planning.. I have an excel file with all the planning done every year for the last 3-4 years :P
All the very best :)
Girish wrote: "dely wrote: "Thanks! I'm nearly done! I'm already thinking about the books I will buy or borrow at the library and about a new challenge for next year :D"Lol.. It should be a great relief of sort..."
You are very organized! I'm only thinking about it but of course next year I could also change my mind about the challenges thought now, lol.
40)
Il Messico insorge ★★★★☆ 4,5English edition: Insurgent Mexico by John Reed
An interesting and enthralling non-fiction about the Mexican revolution of 1913-1914 and his leader Pancho Villa.
My 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 2013.
Started and gave up Ottobre 1917: 100 anni, 100 militanti della rivoluzione (no English edition). I was told that it would have the stories of 100 people that lived the Russian revolution of 1917, but more than half book is about the history that lead to the revolution. This was so boring! Then I skipped to the biographies thinking that the people wrote about their live, but no, there was a very short biography about them: when they were born, died, and a very brief summit of what they have done (like the author's biography on a book).
41)
Bilal: Viaggiare, lavorare, morire da clandestini by Fabrizio Gatti ★★★★★No English edition, sadly.
The author of this book is an Italian reporter and journalist, and a few years ago he decided to follow the so called "route of slaves", the route that Africans have to do to come to Europe as illegal immigrants. He disguided himself as a tuareg so that people couldn't see that he was white, so he could be a witness of what south-saharian Africans have to endure to arrive to Libia and then from here try to arrive in Europe. They have to cross the Sahara desert, they don't always arrive alive, they are tortured, they are robbed by police and soldiers, women and young girls are also obliged to prostitute themselves to earn some money and continue their trip. Sometimes they are left without passport so they don't receive the help of anyone. The author has been saved more than once by his Italian passport otherwise he would have been tortured and robbed too. When it became to risky, he said that he was Italian to save himself but also those that were with him because the police didn't want that people in Europe see what is really going on in Africa along these routes.
When they are in Libia, they have to take a boat to arrive to Lampedusa, a small island of Sicily (Italy). These boats are not good boats, a lot of them sink, or if there is a rough sea they don't always arrive on the Italian coast. During their whole trip there are "slave-drivers" that ask money for everything, also to go on such dangerous boats. In Libia the refuge houses are like prisons where those people have no rights and are tortured. If they try to work to earn some money and continue their trip, they aren't paid or they are underpaid.
Well, some of them manage to arrive to Lampedusa, but their ordeal doesn't finish here. In Lampedusa there is another of those refuge for illigal immigrants (the author was able to enter it as an illegal immigrant) and this was a hard part too for me to read, because I didn't know that our police behaved so badly and in a inhuman way with those poor people.
The journey goes on because the author (saying he was an Iraqi Kurd), receives a paper that he has to leave Italy. Of course he doesn't leave Italy, but tries to find out what happens of all those people that receive that piece of paper. Of course no one of them goes away after such a difficult trip that lasts also months. So looking for a job, there are people who continue to exploit them: they have to work for several hours a day, reduced to slavery, sometimes they also don't receive an earning or only a very small earning. This way they are obliged to continue working as slaves because they don't want to go back to Africa, and being illegal immigrants they can't seek help because police would arrest them and send them back to their country. A lot of them also die because of the hard work, no food and sometimes also no water in summer. If they try to rise up, they are also killed.
This only a short summary of the book. Kudos to the author that has been that brave to do this long journey with those people, that had to shut up in front of abuses of the police otherwise they would have find out that he was an Italian that gave wrong personal details (in Italy he had to do as if he doesn't understand Italian) and he would have been arrested and couldn't go on with his researches. But I have to say that he tried to help the others as good as he could, though he was tempted more than once to cry out loud to don't torture those people.
I have cried a lot reading this book and I felt ashamed about how some police officers behave. I really didn't think there could be such inhuman people among our police. Shame also on Italy for their laws that don't protect enough illegal immigrants and shame on Italy for the agreements with Libia that made the whole situation of illegal immigrants even worse. Shame on all the European countries that don't want to help as they could and instead of helping, these xenophobes try to increase fear and racism in common people. Then they send money to Libia and other North African countries to stop illegal emigration, knowing perfectly what happens to that money.
42)
Le ferite dell'infanzia: Come si creano, come le riproduciamo inconsapevolmente, come uscire dalla ripetizione automatica by Valeria Pisano ★☆☆☆☆No English edition.
It's a self-help (I didn't know it before reading it) and I don't like a lot self-help books. The title could be translated with The Grieves of Childhood.
Only Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Girish wrote: "I'd recommend this book called How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia which is like the antithesis of your one star read. It is written like a self help book, but it is a novel which..."Thanks! Added to my wishlist.
43)
La città dei ladri ★★★☆☆English edition: City of Thieves by David Benioff
3* means that I liked it but at the end I thought there were too many clichés and several things were not credible.
Only Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And with this book I completed my challenge to read 40 books in 2017!
Mod
Gorab wrote: "I also read this book a couple of months back and agree with you on the overall rating and cliches towards the end. Happy to find another common book with you :)"I had seen your 4* rating so I thought you liked it a lot. Now I've read also your review so I know better your opnions about it. By sure it's a real pageturner and it isn't a bad book. It is very entertaining though there is no "substance".
44)
La vita degli altri ★★★☆☆English edition: The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee
3,5* I liked it though in the middle it was a little bit too slow and dragging.
My very short English opinions about it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Part of my IR-challenge to read 5 books set in India or by in Indian author. Only 3 to go to complete also this challenge but it will be nearly impossible till the end of the year.
Mod
Girish wrote: "Has been in my To read list for years now! Hope to take it up soon.."I hope you will like it!
45)
La linea sacra dell'arcangelo Michele by Sandro Mancinelli ★★★★☆No English edition. It's a book about the "sacred line" of Saint Michael Archangel. Very interesting! It talks about Saint Michael in the bible, his worship, the prayers, and then of course of the seven sanctuaries dedicated to him: the appearances that led to their construction, some legends about these places and their architecture.
For who doesn't know what the sacred line is, here two links: https://aleteia.org/2017/05/31/7-sanc...
https://www.tfpstudentaction.org/blog...
Mod
La città dei ladri ★★★☆☆English edition: City of Thieves by David Benioff
3* means that I liked it but ..."
CONGRATULATIONS
46)
Il Palazzo degli specchi ★★★★☆English edition: The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
Historical fiction about Burma. Very interesting and engrossing.
My English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also part of the IR group challenge to read books by Indian authors or set in India.
Mod
Syl wrote: "Yet to read.. though I bought this book - a beautiful hardback copy for reduced rates almost 5 years ago."I think you may like it.
47)
L'ultimo sospiro del Moro ★☆☆☆☆English edition: The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie
I didn't enjoy this book at all. It's a pity because I really loved Midnight Children so I hoped this one would be good to.
First of all it loses with the translation. The author plays a lot with words and the wit is lost with the translation. There were also several words in Maharati (? or Hindi?) that were not translated so I wasn't always able to understand a sentence. There are also too many references and cutting remarks to politicians, Bollywood actors or happenings, that a non-Indian can't always understand.
I also didn't like the writing style. The sentences were too long and at the end of a sentence I didn't know what he was talking about (too many subordinates didn't help to understand).
But with this book I completed my challenge to read 5 books for the IR group challenge.
48)
Fiabe e storie ★★☆☆☆ 2,5English edition: Complete Fairy Tales & Stories by Hans Christian Andersen
Started in March, I finally finished the Complete Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Some stories are very good, others less, and there were also boring tales. I didn't enjoy it that much though some stories are very moving. It has more than 1000 pages and though I've read it in 10 months, only a few tales at the same time, it started beeing too dragging.
Also part of my challenge to read books I already own. It was in my to-read list since 2014 and I finally read it from March to December 2017, a few tales between a book and another.
Only one book to go to finish this challenge. I hope to start it this year and maybe finish it in January (if I will like it, otherwise I give up).
Only Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
49)
Io non mi chiamo Miriam by Majgull Axelsson ★★★★☆No English edition and it is a pity because I think a lot of people would like this book. The translated title could be "My name is not Miriam".
It talks about the holocaust, but this time we don't have the point of view of a Jew, but that of a gypsy girl. Reading this book I could learn also about their holocaust. For them it was even worse because they were considered bad people by everyone, also by Jews, so they had to be left separated from Jews. Also after the war, they didn't receive a reimbursement as it happened with Jews and they couldn't talk about their experience with everyone because considered bad and unwanted people by a lot of countries. Maybe someone was also glad that a lot of them had beed sterminated.
Well, Miriam was that gypsy girl that, by a fortuitous fate, while deported from Auschwitz to Ravensbrück, wore the dress of a dead Jewish girl because her dress was totally lacerated, so she was since then always with the Jews. For her whole life she decided to hide her real name and her origin because she knew she would have never been accepted or helped even when the war was over and she had been brought to Sweden. Racism against gypsies was also there.
This book doesn't lessen what Jews have gone through, absolutely not (also because Miriam, the main character, lives among Jews in Ravensbrück). But the author wanted to talk also about other ethnic groups that had to endure the holocaust but no one knows about it.
It's a very interesting and moving book though some parts were repetitive (for ex. that Miriam had to hide her secret if she wanted to survive and to be accepted and helped after the war is repeated a zillion times).
Syl wrote: "One more to half century :P"I don't know if I can do it. I started today the last book for my challenge to read books I own, and it has 1000 pages. Of course if I won't like it, then I give up and will read other books that.... I need to buy! I don't have others left on my pile to read! What a weird feeling! But I could also pick up some of my son's books, hehe.
I saw it only now, but "My Year in Books" is already there in the homepage!https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i...
Mod
And a great reading year it has been.. congratulations :)
Mod
Yes, I'm a determinated person: if something has to be done, then I do it :DCan't wait to finish (or abandon) the last book!
After 3% of The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil I give up. I started an Italian edition but it was full of missing letters and sometimes also entire words were missing, so it was impossible to read.
I switched to a German edition, have read 3% of it but it's too difficult for a not native speaker. Since the book has more than 1000 pages, I really don't want to torture myself. I also won't buy another Italian edition because it isn't a book I'm still interested to read.
This was also my last book for my challenge to read books I already own. I'm free! :D
50)
L'umanità della fede: Fede che umanizza, fede da umanizzare by Manicardi Luciano ★★★☆☆No English edition. The title could be "The Humanity of Faith".
I downloaded it for free and though it was short, it was very interesting. It shows how faith should "humanize" human beings, but also that faith shouldn't be that rigid and strict, but it needs to be humanized.
Mod
are you planning to buy some more books now??
Gorab wrote: "the only person ever to finish a challenge of reading ALL the owned books. big big congrats... you're such an inspiring force.are you planning to buy some more books now??"
Thanks!
I think I will wait January to buy again books. Now maybe I will read some books of my son's bookshelves, or maybe I'll go to the library. I know what to buy, but I want to wait.... it's only a couple of weeks! :D
51)
Bug-Jargal / Claude Geux / Le Dernier Jour d'un condamné ★★★☆☆English edition: The Last Days of a Condemned; Bug-Jargal. Claude Gueux by Victor Hugo
I have read only one story and I don't know if I will read also the other two. My edition is in French and though I hadn't problems reading it, I always prefer to read in my mothertongue.
English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Seen that my brain "switched" to French, I decided to read also another story by Victor Hugo that is in my edition of The Last Days of a Condemned; Bug-Jargal. Claude Gueux: Claude Geux. 4,5*Here the topic reminds me even more of Les Misérables. Claude Geux is a convicted: he had stolen because hungry and to feed his wife and child. It's a very short story but the descriptions of Claude and the prison director are just marvellous and Hugo is able to point out his ideas.
I have added another piece to my English review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Indian Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
The Complete Fairy Tales (other topics)A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (other topics)
The story of a humble Christian (other topics)
The Neverending Story (other topics)
The story of a humble Christian (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Hans Christian Andersen (other topics)Ignazio Silone (other topics)
Eckhart Tolle (other topics)
Michael Ende (other topics)
Ignazio Silone (other topics)
More...
I didn't finish this book. I've read a long introduction but when the story started I gave up after the first paragraph. (Also the introduction was pretty boring for me) It really isn't my cup of tea and I don't want to waste my time reading books I know I won't like. This has been a gift from a friend but despite this I won't force myself to read it.
I decided to skip also the two volumes of Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I have the German editions, downloaded for free from Amazon. I tried to read them but I can't concentrate so maybe I will keep them on my kindle for better times or I will buy the Italian edition. I should stop downloading for free classics I don't know if and when I will read.
Yay, three books less in a couple of days :D