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Fiction- What are you reading? Part 2
Joan wrote: "Chrissie, have you enjoyed other books by Saul Bellow?I had to read his “The Rain King” in college and 40 years later it still bothers me that I didn’t understand why it was considered a great boo..."
The Adventures of Augie March I only gave two stars. Then I read Herzog and gave that four. For this reason I wanted to try another. I have not read the one you mention. I have been considering Seize the Day and Ravelstein.
I've started The Notebooks of Serafino Gubbio, which I've been meaning to read for a while. I think I've read basically everything else Luigi Pirandello has written - he's one of my favorite authors, and I would like to re-read some of his work at some point.
Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "I've started The Notebooks of Serafino Gubbio, which I've been meaning to read for a while. I think I've read basically everything else Luigi Pirandello has written - he..."Have you read One, None and a Hundred Thousand by the author? This I can get. If you have, please tell me what you think of it.
Chrissie wrote: "Have you read One, None and a Hundred Thousand by the author? This I can get. If you have, please tell me what you think of it. "Yes, I have, Chrissie. I read all of his books either for school (so in my teens) or in my twenties, that's why I would like to re-read them. One, None and a Hundred Thousand is a great one, but if you can get your hands on The Late Mattia Pascal it is even better. Anyway, in my opinion you can't go wrong with Pirandello, all of his books (be it novels, short stories or plays) are great.
Marina, this is cool discovering a new classic author I have never read! I have put the book on my wishlist and will read it soon. I force myself to read those books already purchased. Thank God, I can return books I do not like to Audible! It is the only book they have by him, but maybe I can find free shorts stories online. Do you have a favorite short story I should search for?
Chrissie wrote: "Marina, this is cool discovering a new classic author I have never read! I have put the book on my wishlist and will read it soon. I force myself to read those books already purchased. Thank God, I..."I'm having a hard time finding the English titles of Pirandello's short stories... My favorite one is called "La patente" in Italian, but I can't seem to find its English title :( However, I still think you can't go wrong with any of them :)
Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Marina, this is cool discovering a new classic author I have never read! I have put the book on my wishlist and will read it soon. I force myself to read those books already purcha..."OK, I will start with the novel first, as you say both his longer and shorter pieces are equally good. I have discovered that some authors do better short stories than novels. Just in my view of course.
Chrissie, that is true. It depends on the author, but I think some do better with short stories, while some others with novels. I really hope you'll like Pirandello - looking forward to your thoughts!
Marina, thanks for introducing me to a new author who I cannot believe I never heard of. I’m looking forward to reading The Late Mattia Pascal.
Ditto what Joan said. Surprisingly I found the book at one of the libraries in our system and have sent for it, so I will be reading it too.
Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "I've started The Notebooks of Serafino Gubbio, which I've been meaning to read for a while. I think I've read basically everything else Luigi Pirandello has written - he..."I should re-read him too. I remember that at school I didn't like his Mattia Pascal. But I liked Six Characters in Search of an Author when I've read it a few years ago.
I enjoyed the group fiction book “Force of Nature” by Jane Harper so much I just raced through her book “The Dry” - I hope she writes more like these.
She has a third coming out in February, The Lost Man. It is a standalone, but she is such a good story teller it should be good, or so I hope.
You're very welcome, Joan and Diane. I'm always glad to help, especially when I can make friends aware of authors that I love and that they didn't know. Pirandello is one of the best Italian authors ever, in my humble opinion. I hope you'll like his work!
I will soon start Edith Wharton's Bunner Sisters. I am hopeful b/c it is short. For me her short pieces are superior to her longer books.
I am working through the short stories in Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories. So far I have only read the title story and did not like it.
During my first year at university, one of my flatmates was writing her dissertation on Flannery O'Connor and she gave me a book with her short stories to read. I only read a few, because I didn't like them at all. I can't remember their titles, though, it was so many years ago. I wonder whether I would like her now, although I have to admit I don't plan on reading her work soon.
Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "During my first year at university, one of my flatmates was writing her dissertation on Flannery O'Connor and she gave me a book with her short stories to read. I only read a few, because I didn't ..."I do not know why she is so famous. On GR some classify it as Southern Gothic--which I do understand. The one I read was gruesome and bloody and violent to t he extreme.
Maybe I will try another today but I do not look forward to it with pleasure. For Southern short writers I will take Hurston any day over O'Connor.
Reading both Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America and the stories in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories is VERY depressing. Usch. The first book IS good and is worth reading, but is hard to read nevertheless. I thought the O'Connor stories would give me some relief. Not at all. They are a peculiar mix of violence and religion and hopelessness, Neither an I figure out what O'Connor is trying to say! I am suffering.
I tried to read some of Flannery O'Connor's work when I was in college. I didn't like it at all, though my professor was a huge fan. Dark, depressing, violent, and not enjoyable in the least. I never could see what all the fuss was about. I'm a southerner, but I don't recognize the characters in any of these stories. My prof also foisted Eudora Welty on us without success. None of us liked Welty either. I found her boring and pretentious. It occurred to me that the prof and I had very different tastes. I have avoided Walker Percy and William Faulkner because those were also favorite authors of hers. I figure if she liked them, then I probably would not.
Diane wrote: "I tried to read some of Flannery O'Connor's work when I was in college. I didn't like it at all, though my professor was a huge fan. Dark, depressing, violent, and not enjoyable in the least. I nev..."So wonderful to me another who does not go for either O'Connor or Welty. I do not like Welty but O'Connor is even worse! In my view, William Faulkner is a teeny bit more palatable.
There are very good Southern writers though. I'll take Zora Neale Hurston any day over those. Rick Bragg, Shirley Ann Grau, Carson McCullers, Silas House and others. Check out Paul Theroux's Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads. In it he talks a lot about Southern literature. There are excellent Southern writers but they are not Welty of O'Connor. I am in total agreement with you on that.
I started The Incorrigible Optimists Club by Jean-Michel Guenassia. It was highly recommended to me by an old lady that is a strong reader too. Let's hope I will like it.
dely wrote: "I started The Incorrigible Optimists Club by Jean-Michel Guenassia. It was highly recommended to me by an old lady that is a strong reader too. Let's hope I will li..."I have heard too that that is very good.
I'm almost thru "The Changeling" by Victor LaValle. I'm really disappointed in the book. At the beginning the writing caught me. Then thru 124 pages it got boring. On page 124 the story actually started. I understand the author had to build the characters and set the stage but I think he took to long to get there. On page 124 the story turned into a nightmare. Then Apollo chases that nightmare and the author takes the reader on an unnecessary treasure hunt during which he begins to spout a garbled philosophy of life. Maybe it just wasn't the book for me.
Chrissie wrote: "Diane wrote: "I tried to read some of Flannery O'Connor's work when I was in college. I didn't like it at all, though my professor was a huge fan. Dark, depressing, violent, and not enjoyable in th..."I've been thinking about trying Paul Theroux. I may try Shirley Grau as well. I have one of her books (The Hard Blue Sky) on my Kindle.
Diane wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Diane wrote: "I tried to read some of Flannery O'Connor's work when I was in college. I didn't like it at all, though my professor was a huge fan. Dark, depressing, violent, and no..."Read The Hard Blue Sky! Don't let it just sit there. Theroux KNOWS books, he doesn't just list them or drop names. I have not tried yet his fiction........
Chrissie wrote: "I have heard too that that is very good. "
I was thinking about you while reading it! From the first pages I thought that you may like it. Is there an audiobook available? Of course I've read only 70 pages or so, but I'm liking it so far. It's one of those books that throw you in from the first pages and that are hard to put down.
dely wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have heard too that that is very good. "
I was thinking about you while reading it! From the first pages I thought that you may like it. Is there an audiobook available? Of cou..."
No, not in English, which thoroughly annoys me. My French has become too rusty to tackle it in French. French is harder and harder as my vision gets worse.
Hello all, I am currently reading ... Harry Potter & the Philosophers Stone (again ...) & loving it ! 😊 🧙♂️💓📚🐛
Chrissie wrote: "No, not in English, which thoroughly annoys me. My French has become too rusty to tackle it in French. French is harder and harder as my vision gets worse. "Maybe they will do it also in English if a lot of people ask for it.
dely wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "No, not in English, which thoroughly annoys me. My French has become too rusty to tackle it in French. French is harder and harder as my vision gets worse. "Maybe they will do it..."
Maybe, that is why I keep it on my lists.
Kirsten wrote: "I've been listening to The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger"How do you like it so far? I read this back when it was fairly new, before it was out on audio I think.
I am currently reading: Her Pretty Face which so far is really good.
Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "I've started Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands."I've read it in February for my Novel-Cure-Challenge because it should cheer up the reader. Well, except the first pages, for me it wasn't a funny book with funny characters or a funny story. I hope though you will enjoy it.
I have just finished City of Thieves which was a good qquick read but not for the faint-hearted - War, Nazis, Starvation.Now I am reading XX. It is about IVF creating a baby from two eggs so no sperm needed. I am wondering how the story will develop.
I’ve got about 8 books checked out from the library but I started reading a book I own - The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, her first novel. It’s good so far!
I've just finished The Book Thief now excuse me while I go and cryhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I loved bed The Bean Trees and the sequel.I have returned to borrowing books from the library. I really like new books but I found when I downloaded them, I had plenty of time to read them so I never get to them. I am currently reading Robyn Harding’s second book Her Pretty Face and so far it is very good.
I am too far behind to try catching up here so I will just say I hope everyone has been enjoying their books. >Nancy from NJ -- I too have been patronizing my library a lot recently, for similar reasons! My library's online offerings have recently been joined by 5 or 6 nearby systems so that is a great help with new or popular books - I can put in holds in all the systems and then when one of them comes in, cancel the rest.
I am currently listening to the audiobook of Of Beast and Beauty, one of my own rather than borrowed from the library. And from the library, I am reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for our group classic read.
Pam wrote: "I’ve got about 8 books checked out from the library but I started reading a book I own - The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, her first novel. It’s good so far!"I loved The Bean Trees! I still remember Turtle. I'm so glad you're enjoying this, Pam.
If you feel the same when you reach the end, consider the sequel Pigs in Heaven. It's also very good.
Jess wrote: "I've just finished The Book Thief now excuse me while I go and cryhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
The Book Thief was so good. Glad you enjoyed it, Jess.
dely, I read your review of Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands before starting it. I guess I will wait and see whether I like it or not. I'm about 15% in and I'm enjoying it, so let's see how it goes on.
I have begun One, None and a Hundred Thousand, written by Luigi Pirandello, a famous Italian author and playwright. Marina recommended it.
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I had to read his “The Rain King” in college and 40 years later it still bothers me that I didn’t understand why it was considered a great book. I only remember it as a real slog.