Reading the 20th Century discussion
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What books are you reading now? (2020)
Last evening I finished The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor. My review.Today I started Vein of Iron. I've barely begun, but I think it will grow on me.
I have completed Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather. Nobody talks bout this Cather book, which is a shame. It's short but very good.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have begun another short book-- Cousin Phillis by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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Judy wrote: "I love Cousin Phillis - I hope you enjoy it, Chrissie."Oh really! What was your rating?
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That sounds good. I like very much the character of Phillis' father--the reverend and farmer,Do you understand why the book's title has two different spellings of the central character's name--Phyllis and Phillis!? Is it incorrectly registered at GR? Audible spells it Phillis.
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That makes sense. You are probably right. Thank you.
I just finished How To Be Right… in a World Gone Wrong this evening and really enjoyed it - thanks Nigeyb!
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Judy wrote: "I have always seen the title of this book spelt Cousin Phillis, but the girl's name is now usually spelt Phyllis, so possibly some editions have been updated? Just guessing though."I have checked, and all editions seem to spell it as Cousin Phillis except the 2007 Hesperus Press edition which spells it as Cousin Phyllis
. Goodreads seems to use that edition as its main edition, though. I have not yet found out why Hesperus did this, but in my search I did see this interesting 2000 discussion of Cousin Phyllis and Gaskell's name choices: http://www.jimandellen.org/trollope/a...
Brian wrote: "Goodreads seems to use that edition as its main edition, though. "The primary edition on Goodreads is the edition most shelved/rated by its members. The Hesperus Press edition has been shelved by 2216 members with 93 reviews. The Penguin edition, which is next, has been shelved by 338 members and 38 reviews.
Nigeyb wrote: "and quite relieved too"Were you worried I'd hate it? He's certainly opinionated isn't he, but then he'd have to be, to do that job! I certainly didn't agree with all his arguments but they really made me question why I think what I do, and I enjoyed that.
:-)
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "The primary edition on Goodreads is the edition most shelved/rated by its members. The Hesperus Press edition has been shelved by 2216 members with 93 reviews. The Penguin edition, which is next, has been shelved by 338 members and 38 reviews...."Thanks for that info. It makes sense. When I just went to look for the info you cite, I found this info for each edition; the Hesperus has 906 ratings averaging 3,5 and the Penguin has 204 ratings averaging 3.3. I didn't find the # shelved and # of reviews info that you provided, Where do I find that?
Brian wrote: "Where do I find that?"Click on the ratings details at the top. The "this edition" information is the bottom line.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Click on the ratings details at the top. The "this edition" information is the bottom line."Got it! Oh boy, another info source to look at. Thanks!
Brian wrote: "Oh boy, another info source to look at."You can also filter in the community reviews section for the specific edition. I would think for audio books in particular that would be a good piece of information.
I have completed Cousin Phillis by Elizabeth Gaskell. Several have asked me what I thought. Judy, yoo-who!My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have begun Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton. The audiobook narrator reads too fast. I hope I can deal with this.
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Light Years (1975) by James Salter
I'm pleased to say it picked up a bit
Here’s my review
3/5
The blurb...
Nedra and Viri are a married couple whose favoured life is centred around dinners, ingenious games with their children, enviable friends and near-perfect days passed skating on a frozen river or sunning on the beach. But fine cracks are beginning to spread through the shimmering surface of their life - flaws that will eventually mar the lovely picture beyond repair. Seductive, witty, tender and resonant, Light Years is an exquisite novel of lost lives and the elusiveness of happiness.
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Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari
So far it's very interesting
The blurb...
From the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, a radical new way of thinking about depression and anxiety.
What really causes depression and anxiety - and how can we really solve them? Award-winning journalist Johann Hari suffered from depression since he was a child and started taking anti-depressants when he was a teenager. He was told that his problems were caused by a chemical imbalance in his brain. As an adult, trained in the social sciences, he began to investigate whether this was true – and he learned that almost everything we have been told about depression and anxiety is wrong.
Across the world, Hari found social scientists who were uncovering evidence that depression and anxiety are not caused by a chemical imbalance in our brains. In fact, they are largely caused by key problems with the way we live today. Hari´s journey took him from a mind-blowing series of experiments in Baltimore, to an Amish community in Indiana, to an uprising in Berlin. Once he had uncovered nine real causes of depression and anxiety, they led him to scientists who are discovering seven very different solutions – ones that work.
It is an epic journey that will change how we think about one of the biggest crises in our culture today. His TED talk – 'Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong' – has been viewed more than 8 million times and revolutionized the global debate. This book will do the same.
Nigeyb wrote: "Last night I finishedLight Years (1975) by James Salter
I'm pleased to say it picked up a bit
Here’s my review
3/5
The blurb...
Nedra and Viri are a married cou..."
I like Salter a lot. What you just read, The Hunters and Solo Faces, all of these I have gave four stars.Where he puts you feels real, genuine. I also like his humor.
it is good to get other people's pov, don't you think?
I have completed Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I do not recommend the audiobook version; I think it is read way too fast.
I have begun Lark Rise by Flora Thompson. I have been told that at least the first of the three part series is NOT like the BBC show. It reads as non-fiction; it is informative but also light and amusing. It is about the author's own childhood in the 1880s in Oxfordshire, England. It is classified as semi-autobiographical fiction.
I recently finished Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. Many of our group have already read it, I'm sure. Even though it's classified as non-fiction, it fits the 20th century time frame, covering the period 1930-1949, and set mostly in Ireland. I had somehow missed reading this, though it was published in 1996. I enjoyed it, as much as one can enjoy a book about living in miserable conditions. Link to my Full Review
Nigeyb wrote: "Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann HariSo far it's very interesting..."
I'll be interested to know how you get on with this Nigeyb. I heard Johann Hari interviewed on the radio some months back and wanted to read this.
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I've nearly finished Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutionsand I think it's really interesting
A lot of interesting thoughts and ideas on anxiety and depression, and why, for many people, anti-depressants have little or no effect. Johann Hari also explores alternative approaches to dealing with the issue, and how modern society contributes to these illnesses.
Well worth reading. I'll post my review when I've finished.
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I've nearly finished Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutionsand I think it's really interesting"
As promised Sue....
...here’s my review
4/5
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Dogs of War
by
Adrian Tchaikovsky (2017)
...which was an Audible deal of the day.
I had no idea what to expect however I am really enjoying it
Adrian Tchaikovsky won the Arthur C Clarke award for the space opera Children of Time
Dogs of War is a timely warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence and super weapons in the hands of unscrupulous powers.
Rex is a bioform, a genetically modified dog, part human and with heavy duty weapons installed for good measure. Seven foot tall, he possesses dense muscles, and bones as strong as titanium; and he has an unswerving loyalty to his master.
Rex is the controlling unit for a Multi-form Assault Pack, a fighting team that includes the characters Dragon, Honey and Bees. Each of these have their own unique abilities.
Rex leads the unit and Rex’s master controls him. Rex wants to be a good dog. He’s programmed to obey, and not to think, and he fulfils his orders with ruthless efficiency.
The powerful opening combine scenes of a war in Mexico with philosophical insights into the ethics of future warfare and its consequences.
This is the kind of hokum that often leads me cold however, so far, this is done with real panache, and is also tackling big themes and asking some profound questions.
So far, so surprising, clever, exciting and unpredictable.
I'll keep you posted.
I have just finished Lark Rise, the first of a trilogy by Flora Thompson. I enjoyed it so much I immediately began the second. It is more a book of social history than anything else. It is classified as semi-autobiographical fiction. It is interesting, amusing and well written.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Having begun Over to Candleford, the second in the trilogy by Flora Thompson, it seems as good as the first.
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I was bought the Lark Rise to Candleford hardback trilogy back about the time the series was on TV, so I have put off reading it until it has gone from my memory. Also because it is a heavy book to carry about and hold. I think the TV version was added to, to make it last longer.
I read it last year and really enjoyed it. It is nothing like the TV series, there are just a few of the characters that crop up occasionally, but like Chrissie says, the book is more of a social history whereas the TV series was made for entertainment. They are both good in their own right.
I read them many years ago and remember liking them at the time, but not much about them otherwise. I might get around to reading them again some time. The TV series was a bit too cute and I didn't watch much of it.
I have to agree with Val here, it was made very cute. I enjoyed watching it because it was filmed around here and some of my family ended up playing extras. My sister once played Laura's legs. She has the same build and they had to re-shoot a scene so filmed from the legs down because the actress wasn't available. Easy Sunday entertainment.
I have not seen the TV show, and I from what Tania says it is the book that fits ME better. I suppose people want different things. I would say read the book before looking at the show, IF you are interested in social history. There seems to be be more of a "story" in the second book. Not sure, I have not read much of it yet. The humor is here in this book too.
I would have watched more of it in your case. Did your family members enjoy taking part?
I would most definitely prefer to read a book before seeing an a film or TV adaption, but back in 2008 it was easier to sit in front of the TV
Published in 1925, Porgy is the novel on which the play Porgy and notable Gershwin folk opera Porgy and Bess is based. This story is a moving, empathetic portrayal of poor urban blacks in the American South, an uncommon storyline for its time. The primary characters are fully fleshed out, with hopes and dreams, strengths and flaws. The story is well-framed, and the writing is beautifully poetic. The only difficulty, at least initially, is the dialogue, which is written in Gullah dialect, but I eventually got the hang of it. It is slim, but powerful. Porgy by DuBose Heyward - 4 stars - My Full Review
Jill wrote: "I would most definitely prefer to read a book before seeing an a film or TV adaption, but back in 2008 it was easier to sit in front of the TV"I am with you in preferring a book over a film.
Tania wrote: "My sister once played Laura's legs. ..."That made me smile Tania!
I really enjoyed the TV series, more so than the book which I don't think I ever finished (I only attempted the first one). I agree that the book and its adaptation were very different. I think my expectations were set by the TV series and consequently I was disappointed not to find the same characters and anecdotes in the book, which I read at around the same time. Quite possibly if I read it again today I'd feel very differently about it.
Val wrote: "I would have watched more of it in your case. Did your family members enjoy taking part?"They did, but Freya found that experience very odd. She had the runners running around for her doing everything, even moving a chair from the shade to the sunny spot. They found it rather interesting to see how it all worked.
Started Delta Wedding, but I barely scratched the surface yesterday. First, I had no internet, which you'd think would have given me extra time, but trouble shooting is more time consuming than I would have thought.
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.."
Thank you for mentioning this book, Chrissie - I have just seen the film Harriet, which is very powerful, and would like to read a biography of Harriet Tubman, who clearly had the most amazing life.
As regards readers speaking too fast, I've sometimes had to speed up the narration of audiobooks on audible - I believe it is also possible to slow them down, but I don't think you can change the speed for audiobooks borrowed from my local libraries.
I have completed Over to Candleford, the second book in Flora Thompson's Lark Rise to Candleford Trilogy. It is quite different from the first. I liked both but for different reasons.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I wanted to read another by Joseph Conrad, having so enjoyed Typhoon. This time I have chosen Victory.
Judy wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have begun Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton. The audiobook narrator reads too fast. I hope I can deal with this.*.."
Thank you for mentioning this book,..."
I am glad I could help suggest a Tubman biography to you. II have checked out what is on the market and found this to be the best.
I know it is possible to lower the speed, but then it becomes way to slow.
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Dogs of War
by
Adrian Tchaikovsky (2017)
...which was an Audible deal of the day.
I had no idea what to expect however I am really enjoying it"
And now I've finished
It's blimmin marvellous
Here’s my review
5/5
Reading the 20th Century
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Extremely hard work. Any book containing characters with names like Viri, Nedra, Franca, Jivan, Hadji (a dog) etc might raise an eyebrow in many readers. When the self same book comes spectacularly over laden with metaphors, similes, and analogies, and an alarming lack of plot, it becomes increasingly trying. I've got to stick with it as it's for my book group. At least I'm listening and not reading. Seven hours still to go and really hoping it will pick up.