What I'm Reading

[Harry]

PS. Wasn't the misspelling of tovább in the original, the fault of the Putty Collecting Club members, for which they were rebuked by their teacher?

[Timár_Krisztina]

fióka wrote: "Harry wrote: "Thanks very very much!

If I really do make a stamp out of it, I'll try to figure out a way to share it with you.

Best wishes to all."

A small correction to the copy-paste Hungaria..."

No, no, no, there was no mistake in the quote! Harry can absolutely use the version with one "b" instead of two. :) I love the idea, by the way. :D

Actually, there is a mistake in it, and yes, "tovább" has to be spelt with a double "b", but the mistake is within the book, and it's supposed to be a source of humour.

The point is that the children who make the stamp don't know how to spell. They don't know how to apply a quote either, and that's why the use of Petőfi's poem makes no sense at all. They're not slaves, they just want a quote they like.

[Dani]

Fun fact: I was translating The Electric Kool-Ade Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, and they were riding around in a psychedelic hippie bus, called "Furthur". Guess what the bus was called in Hungarian ...

[blueisthenewpink]

Harry wrote: "Nemecsek!"

♡♡♡

[Harry]

Dani wrote: "Fun fact: I was translating The Electric Kool-Ade Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, and they were riding around in a psychedelic hippie bus, called "Furthur". Guess what the bus was called in Hungarian ..."

"buss"?

[blueisthenewpink]

Dani wrote: "Fun fact: I was translating The Electric Kool-Ade Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, and they were riding around in a psychedelic hippie bus, called "Furthur". Guess what the bus was called in Hungarian ..."

továb?

[Stephen]

With one b?

[Harry]

BTW, I've created a simple mockup of the Putty Club stamp. It is now the profile picture for this group. Unfortunately, it's hard to see unless you click on it.

[fióka]

Timár_Krisztina wrote: "fióka wrote: "Harry wrote: "Thanks very very much!

If I really do make a stamp out of it, I'll try to figure out a way to share it with you.

Best wishes to all."

A small correction to the copy-..."

I honestly did not remember this, I have read it almost 40 years ago. I stand corrected, thank you :)).

[fióka]

Harry wrote: "BTW, I've created a simple mockup of the Putty Club stamp. It is now the profile picture for this group. Unfortunately, it's hard to see unless you click on it."

It looks lovely! :)

[Harry]

I just finished the book, to "the soft tolling of a church bell in the Josephtown section."

Thanks so much to Andrea who recommended it and to all of you who helped me appreciate it.

[blueisthenewpink]

Harry wrote: "I just finished the book, to "the soft tolling of a church bell in the Josephtown section."

Thanks so much to Andrea who recommended it and to all of you who helped me appreciate it."

I remember when my son was reading it at 8-9 years old. I had dreaded the moment when he would get to (view spoiler)[Nemecsek's death (hide spoiler)]. I was folding laundry when he just showed up at the door of the room and said 'Mum!', and I hugged him and we both cried.

And here you go, the sculpture I promised to show you:
 https://hu.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%...

(Okay, just copy-paste or click the link please, I can't seem to figure out rhe html for pics)

[Harry]

Dear J.,

Oh, my. That's devastating.

Thanks again to you all.

PS. I'd still like to know how Dani named the hippie bus.

[Timár_Krisztina]

fióka wrote: "I honestly did not remember this, I have read it almost 40 years ago. I stand corrected, thank you :))."

I honestly hope you didn't mind me correcting you.
I re-read it a few years ago, and also saw the musical at Vígszínház, that's the only reason why I remembered. :)

[fióka]

Timár_Krisztina wrote: "fióka wrote: "I honestly did not remember this, I have read it almost 40 years ago. I stand corrected, thank you :))."

I honestly hope you didn't mind me correcting you.
I re-read it a few years ..."

Oh, absolutely not! :)

[Harry]

Dear Friends,

I hope you have been well. I had a grim semester and had to read the school assignments made my the professor (me). I also despaired at securing more Mór Jókai books, because most extant copies are very old and libraries are reluctant to lend them via interlibrary loan.

However, I complained to my school's library about the difficulty, and pains were taken to place The Slaves of the Padishah in my hands, as the semester comes to a close. I'm enjoying it.

Sometimes, complaining is worthwhile.

Best wishes to you all.

[Harry]

Dear Friends,

I'm moving on to The Corsair King. I hope you had good winter holidays.

best,

Harry

[Timár_Krisztina]

Harry wrote: "Dear Friends,

I'm moving on to The Corsair King. I hope you had good winter holidays.

best,

Harry"

Poor you, I hated that one. :) I'll be really interested in your opinion; I think it's rather atypical of Jókai.

I admire you though, with your enthusiasm. I also reread his books from time to time, and it's always worth the effort. I've been reading a serial story by a contemporary of Jókai, and it's pretty good writing, even apparently trying to emulate Jókai, and it does have its points of interest, especially as there were followers of the genre and style fifty years later - but it is so much less exciting than Jókai's work.

At the moment I'm thinking what exactly was missing.

[Harry]

Dear Krisztina,

Thanks for your reply. I didn't see it until now.

I think Jokai deals frequently with the issue of womanly influence on men -- meaning that men react to what happens to women.

I am reading some Harry Mathews now, and I'll work in some Taiwanese literature too. My next Hungarian book will be The Hungarian Nabob.

It would be good to hear from more of you. I just had an involved medical treatment, and it would feel better being more connected.

best wishes,

Harry
PS. It may snow in Mobile, Alabama next Tuesday. It only snows here once every ten years.

[Harry]

Although I'm becoming a bit fatigued with Jokai, I have started The Hungarian Nabob and find it very amusing.

[fióka]

Harry wrote: "Although I'm becoming a bit fatigued with Jokai, I have started The Hungarian Nabob and find it very amusing."

No wonder, you're reading a lot of Jókai. :))

I'm all for contemporary literature these days, Hungarian and international, reading my third Vigdis Hjorth atm (and some others).

[Timár_Krisztina]

The Nábob is one of his best. You will find it great, I'm sure. The previous one you read is full of clichés, but this one is absolutely delightful.

I'm mostly reading 19th century French adventure novels at the moment, but I have also continued my reading around the world.