Reading the 20th Century discussion
General
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Introductions
Hello, I'm Lynnie and live in Ipswich, Suffolk. I think I joined this group a little while ago but hadn't introduced myself and as I would like to join in with some of the upcoming reads....well hello!As well as golden age detective novels and middlebrow women writers I also enjoy espionage/spy (Ian Fleming and Lionel Davidson) and women wriers from the latter part of the 20th century - Mary Wesley, Penelope Lively, Helen Dunmore, Janice Elliott.
For fun I like romantic-suspense-adventure and gothic/romance! (Mary Stewart, Jane Aiken Hodge, Patricia Wentworth)
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Hello, everyone. I'm Woman Reading, and I respond to "WR."I've sporadically peeked into this group before. When I noticed the splendid attention surprisingly focused upon Mick Herron, I joined. I've long loved espionage films, but I didn't immerse myself in the novels until last year. So after I completed all of John le Carré's Smiley books (RIP), I turned to Herron. What a treat!
While I don't dedicate all of my reading to the 20th century, a good portion of it is with a mix of nonfiction and crime fiction. A recent nonfiction I read along these lines was Ken Follett's On Wings of Eagles.
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Welcome WR. This is a terrific group. I'm sure you'll enjoy the discussions and the variety of books we tackle..
Thank you, all, for such a warm welcome. Susan, I'm going try and join in some of the Slough House buddy reads.
RC, yes, I am considering noir too.
I'm very interested in the upcoming Ben Macintyre book.
WndyJW wrote: "Hello WR!"Hi, WndyJW! This is a friendly group indeed. Happy reading! 😃
Hi, my name is Mary,I’m studying history at present and have the most remarkable opportunity of living with a retired history teacher: an awfully kind lady: my good friend’s mother. This week I sat my first-year exams and according to my mentor, I smashed it, "Yippe-Dippee-Doo-Daa."
I struggled at school and family, when I lived at home, laughed at me for trying to improve myself through books. Until I joined Goodreads, I would read high-street novels, but now - outside of my studies - I’m reading European political intrigue: to me these works are more thrilling than the novels I once read.
I did, before leaving Manchester, talk to a man, in his late years, on the bus to work: he told me, a good book will always teach you something.
I don't do social media, I did, but suffered too much abuse. I get upset easily. I am tiny and I was very timid.
I now live in the south-east corner of Britain. I work in a garden centre and love it.
I will try and read all the posts; I can't promise I'll add to them.
Please be kind to me.
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Goodreads is not like some forms of social media. The group is moderated and we are, pretty much, all very nice to each other, so I hope you feel comfortable to post and to join in with some of the reads. We are not book snobs - high street or high brow - we have a really eclectic mix.
Welcome Mary. This group reads quite a mixture of books, so I’m sure you will find some you like.
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That's our mantra here Mary
I hope you find plenty of things to interest and amuse - and learn from too
Yes, welcome from me, too, Mary. Kindness is pretty much baked in here, so I hope you feel comfortable.
Hello Mary. You’re missing nothing by staying off social media. Congratulations on smashing your exams!Happy reading!
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Just a quick note to say hello. I'm David, I'm based in Chicago, and I've been on Goodreads for about a year and a half.In recent years, most of my reading has been new fiction, a lot of it experimental, focusing on writers and forms outside the perceived mainstream. In a way, this has been a reaction to the 20th century fiction I grew up with that was overwhelmingly white, male, cishet, and frankly boorish.
I'm on a bit of a journey this year to slow down my reading and expand my horizons. That includes exploring 20th century literature that hasn't been on my radar and isn't, well, Hemingway.
I'll probably be more of an observer than participant, at least initially. I'm interested to see what this group is reading and everyone's thoughts throughout the year.
David wrote: "Just a quick note to say hello. I'm David, I'm based in Chicago, and I've been on Goodreads for about a year and a half.In recent years, most of my reading has been new fiction, a lot of it exper..."
I'm from Chicago area, now living in western North Carolina. I am not missing the snow. We get a total of a couple of inches a year. It falls one day and is usually gone by the next. Unlike Chicago where it stays around for a couple of months and gets gray or black.
Welcome.
Thanks, Jan. That part of North Carolina is lovely. I've been in Palm Springs for a few weeks so I've missed the current snow.
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We're a pretty relaxed and open group here: our group reads are either written in or about the twentieth century, but our buddy reads are more chronologically diverse.
My personal feeling is that quite a lot of contemporary experimental writing draws, consciously or not, on earlier work: whether the 'postmodernism' of Ovid or the more self-conscious experimentations of Eliot, Woolf, Joyce etc.
We're happy to read everything from Raymond Chandler and Celia Fremlin to Saramago and Scholastique Mukasonga.
It only takes a few interested readers to set up a buddy read so do feel free to suggest anything you're keen to read in company. And enjoy the group!
I appreciate the warm welcome. I completely agree that contemporary fiction draws on earlier work. There's a deep well of 20th century work (and earlier) to draw from.
Welcome, David! I've really enjoyed focusing on the 20th century with this group, and they've led me to some wonderful discoveries. I hope the same will happen for you.
Welcome, David. I lurk on another group where you are an active member and I always enjoy your posts. It's great to see you here.
Hi David. I’m still fairly new here myself, but plan on being more active with group reads as I’ve neglected the classics of the 20th century the last few years. I would for you to read at least one Celia Fremlin novel. She writes about white, middle class, traditional families, but in her novels that was where true horror was found.
Thanks, everyone. I haven't read Celia Fremlin, Wendy. It looks like she has a lot to choose from. Is there a good place to start?
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That was my first Fremlin and I haven't looked back. We're bound to do another buddy in 2023, I expect.
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I have suggested it in the buddy reads thread, along with something else by Margaret Kennedy. If anyone is interested, have a peek.
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And Possession, I thought that was A.S. Byatt’s Possession.
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"And Possession, I thought that was A.S. Byatt’s Possession."
Isn't Susan referring to Possession by Celia Fremlin?
Yes she was. I replied that I would read Margaret Kennedy, not realizing Fremlin also wrote a book titled Possession. I was just adding that I would be in the group read or buddy read of Possession.It’s safe to assume that I will join any Fremlin group or buddy read!
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Pocket bio: Retired humanities teacher, residing in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with two dogs and six indoor cats. Passionate about literature, history, philosophy, classical music and opera, cinema, and similar subjects. Nostalgic guy. Politically centrist. BA in American Studies from Yale; MAs in English and Education from Boston University. Born in northern New Jersey. Have lived and worked in San Francisco, Chicago, northern Nevada, northeast Wisconsin, South Korea. More detail at Goodreads profile.
Welcome to our group, Patrick. You'll find this a very friendly and active group, with a wide variety of literature to read, along with occasional non-fiction and receptive to all points of view.How did you find yourself in Tlaxcala?
I’ve been teaching internationally since 2010, in Changwon, South Korea, Culiacán, Mexico City, and Querétaro, Mexico. I retired in 2020 as a result of (1) COVID decimating my private English teaching business in Querétaro, and (2) turning 62 and becoming eligible to receive my Social Security benefit. Since Querétaro is kind of expensive as Mexico goes, I scouted around for a cheaper city and found Tlaxcala. I love it here. The weather is perfect, always between 50 F /10 C and 86 F / 30 C, and the cost of living and housing is very low.
Welcome aboard, Patrick. I've myself spent some time in Querétaro and environs - Tequisquiapan, Bernal, San Migeul, etc. - and love central Mexico. A good friend of mine hails from Puebla, in your neck of the woods, and I'll have to explore the area north of Puebla next time I'm down there.
Central Mexico away from the coasts is very underrated. Puebla is an extremely nice bigger city. I was fond of Querétaro, too, but I get so much more bang for my buck here in Tlaxcala.
Reading the 20th Century
Books mentioned in this topic
Baby Driver (other topics)Possession (other topics)
The Hours Before Dawn (other topics)
The Hours Before Dawn (other topics)
On Wings of Eagles (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ben Macintyre (other topics)Ken Follett (other topics)
Mick Herron (other topics)
John Le Carré (other topics)
Wallace Stegner (other topics)
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Thank you, Susan.