Reading the 20th Century discussion
Archive
>
What books are you reading now? (2020)
Chrissie wrote: "Transparent Things by Vladimir Nabokov went over my head.My short review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I will now pick up the easier [book:Up the Do..."
I read it years ago - in high school. I never did get the title. In my schools you went both up and down the stairs. I guess it always reminded me of the fire at Our Lady of the Angels where they had enclosed staircases.
Jan C wrote: "I never did get the title. In my schools you went both up and down the stairs. ."In some schools there are rules designating the stairs where you go up and others where you go down The title of Up the Down Staircase has to refer to going against the flow.
This book, compared to the last read, I am pretty sure I will understand!
Jan C wrote: ".I guess it always reminded me of the fire at Our Lady of the Angels where they had enclosed staircases..."While I don't remember the fire, about 25 years ago I read a book about it, To Sleep with the Angels: The Story of a Fire. Most of my family read the book as one of the co-authors, John Kuenster, lived nearby. Kuenster was a sports reporter for the Chicago Tribune, who got 'serious' for this topic probably because he was a Catholic with 8 kids who attended Catholic grammar schools, the one I attended. While I honestly don't remember if it was well written, it was good enough that I don't remember the writing being a problem.
Brian wrote: "Jan C wrote: ".I guess it always reminded me of the fire at Our Lady of the Angels where they had enclosed staircases..."While I don't remember the fire, about 25 years ago I read a book about it..."
I was 8 at the time of the fire, so just old enough to be able to remember it. Actually it was the first time that I am aware of reading the newspaper (Sun-Times) and not sure I will ever forget their showing pictures of the victims. Everyone was afraid to go back to school until they showed us how safe it was, whether it actually was or not.
Chrissie wrote: "In some schools there are rules designating the stairs where you go up and others where you go down "There were no stairs in any of the schools I attended.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "In some schools there are rules designating the stairs where you go up and others where you go down "There were no stairs in any of the schools I attended."
Hmmm, none of them?!
In any case, the book, Up the Down Staircase, is proving to be very good.
Chrissie wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "There were no stairs in any of the schools I attended."Hmmm, none of them?! "
Grammar school, junior high and high school were all on one level. The junior high was older and had indoor hallways, but the grammar school and high school were new. I was in the first class to attend all years offered and they were not only all on one level, but all classroom doors opened to the outdoors.
My grammar school had an up staircase and a down staircase. We could go down the up staircase during a fire drill (and presumably if there was a fire), but someone would only go up the down staircase if they had some strange desire to be put in detention. When the school became a sixth form college, this was changed so that we could go up and down both staircases, keeping to the left.I don't know if the policy change was because over-sixteens were considered sensible enough not to mess about on the stairs, or because the pupils had come from other schools where two-way staircases were generally the rule.
All the classrooms had doors opening into hallways which ran round all the sides of an internal quadrangle, but most of the downstairs classrooms also had doors opening to the outside. These were called fire escapes, but we used them quite often, not just during fire drills.
I think when the school was built has something to do with inside/outside entrances. But also the one-level school has all to do with available land. In cities buildings go up because there is more air space than surface space. I grew up in California. They were building new schools as fast as they could. The school-age population was growing exponentially because of the post-war baby boom, and in California in particular because after the war people were flocking to that state.EDIT: Also affecting inside/outside classroom entrances would be weather. In colder climes, heating is cheaper when there is less access to the outdoors. Our classrooms did not have air conditioning, but I am assuming the same "cooling is cheaper" would apply in the desert or other places where warm temperatures are an issue.
There were staircases in my schools, but the ran on the same criteria as our roads. Keep to the Left.
I think all of my schools were multi-level. No AC, no exterior doors. They may have AC now, I don't know. But Illinois schools didn't see the point in it for 2-4 months out of the year. And just forget about those 'dopes' going to summer school - I only went one year and it was stifling. We had to beg in order to get the windows open. The high school was not on the cool side of town. ("cooler by the Lake").
My review of Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase, once a bestseller and now a classic:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have begun Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift.
Jill wrote: "There were staircases in my schools, but the ran on the same criteria as our roads. Keep to the Left."Same with me.
We had some art themed books scheduled for September, although they don't appear as upcoming. I have Life Class, which Susan has read recently, but am starting with What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in a Nutshell. It is good so far, the 150 years goes from approximately Turner to Emin, but it starts with Duchamp's 'Fontaine' to remind us that we should not take modern art too seriously.
Mod
I've just started What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in a Nutshell and am enjoying it too
I'm not sure why the books are not showing as upcoming - they are both on our to read shelf with the correct dates
Sometimes the gremlins take over Goodreads.
Mod
Mod
They are showing as upcoming for me, so maybe it is fixed?
Huh. I've never looked at that section on a group's home page. I see that you have The Portrait and the Elizabeth Bowen biography to start on the 12th. So glad I looked! I will plan to read accordingly rather than target the 15th as I would have without having looked.
Yes, 'Fontaine' is an upside-down urinal,and the upcoming books are showing for me as well now. Perhaps I needed to log off Goodreads and back on again for the gremlin to go away.
Mod
Don't take those dates too literally Elizabeth. It's roughly buddy reads mid month, Group and Mod reads roughly 1st of the month but often gets tweaked for various reasons. The bookshelf requires a date though.
Mod
and adored it. I love books about books, but author Cathy Rentzenbrink was funny, poignant and overwhelmingly enthusiastic about reading. Recommend it highly.
Nigeyb wrote: "Don't take those dates too literally Elizabeth. It's roughly buddy reads mid month, Group and Mod reads roughly 1st of the month but often gets tweaked for various reasons. The bookshelf requires a date though."Yes, but I've come to see you like to start things on the weekend. After more than a year in this group, I'm finally getting the idea. ;-)
Mothering Sunday is another one by Graham Swift that I like a lot.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am reading Chess Story by Stefan Zweig.
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig is a gem definitely worth five stars.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am about to begin Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. If you are an Audible,com gold or platinum member you can pick it up free.
Mod
Susan, in answer to your question about Audible:Platinum is 24 credits, but you pay for them all at once. Gold is 12 credits and you pay for them all at once. These are the names of two schemes available at Audible.com I know that Audible.uk offers the same schemes but perhaps they use different names.
You get the cheapest price per credit if you buy 24 all at once, both in the UK and in the US, I do this in both places. I definitely prefer the UK membership. When you have used up your 24 credits you can buy 3 credits for 11£ until the annual date of renewal. Such a saving is not available in the US! The disadvantage of the UK membership is that they offer fewer books and often, but not always, new books are made available sooner on the US site compared to the UK site,
There is another very important advantage of the UK site --the currency exchange rates are much better!
Another disadvantage of the US site is that you must use all your credits within one year or else you loose them. You cannot pull any over from one year to the next. This is a new rule that has changed from before. I am not sure, but I think that yo still can do this in the UK membership.
For these reasons, if I can buy an audiobook on either site, I always choose the UK site. The UK membership is in my view better.
Phew, I tried to give you all the facts.
Oh yeah, now the US have added PLUS audiobooks. These are a long list of books that are free. The list changes. Little information has been given about how these work. To get them free you must be a gold or platinum member. Girl, Woman, Other was on that list--that is why it was free for me. I browsed through the list--most are not worth picking up! Maybe this will change? The whole PLUS thing is new so I know very little about this.
Mod
Mod
https://audible-uk.custhelp.com/app/a...
Mod
As of info received just now, Audible in the US has changed the scheme names! It works as explained but the new name is Audible Premium Plus, with the word Annual added if you pay for the credits, 12 or 24, at the start.
Glad to help, Judy!
Personally, I think these changes are confusing. The changes are trying to make it LOOK like we have a better deal, but little is changed.
Susan wrote: "That was a very comprehensive answer, Chrissie. Thank you. I wasn't aware you could be a member of both Audible UK and US. I know I can't download books from the .com site to my kindle."It was Chrissie, thank you (and I don't even use audible).
Re: Susan's last sentence, I could a few years ago, using a different email account, but haven't tried recently.
Books available at the different sites involve different copyright issues. Usually a person's residence controls where they can make original purchases.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Books available at the different sites involve different copyright issues. Usually a person's residence controls where they can make original purchases."I think that may be why it worked with a different email account Elizabeth, it thought I was in Seattle. It was annoying for every day stuff, because all my searches under it came up with pages of US results before any UK ones.
What Elizabeth states is completely right, but residence is determined by the customer's bank address. If a person has a bank account in America they will have access to more books. due to copyright agreements. Getting clear information about the rules is very difficult. The Audible sites in different countries seem to work as competitors. You can join more than one site, but then you must pay the fee at each, and even if copyrights are what determine the books available to you, there will be books available at one site but not the other. Other differences exist too--like this with the new free PLUS books and dragging credits over from year to year.
I have completed Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo and here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Now I have picked up John Steinbeck's The Pastures of Heaven. How will this affect me?
Mod
Mod
I've started Elizabeth Bowen: A Literary Life and can see why it might not suit everyone. It's organised thematically rather than chronologically and, at times, almost feels like minimal commentary holding together a collage of quotations from Bowen and others.
It notes in the introduction that Glendinning was forced by Curtis Brown to censor her writing about Bowen's affairs in her biography, especially those with women: this was in 1973. Glendinning wrote about it in The Times in 2005.
Lots of interesting stuff so looking forward to our discussion.
Roman Clodia wrote: "I was on the fence with Girl, Woman, Other, Chrissie, and agree that it tends to the shallow and panoramic - all the characters are so rarefied too."Having looked at both your reviews, I can confirm this isn't a book for me. Others of my friends have rated it 5-stars, but I am perfectly happy filling my time with books that look as if I'd actually like them. I'm not always right about that, of course, and I may be missing out. But I'll be missing out on a whole lot of books anyway - what's one more?
Roman Clodia wrote: "I was on the fence with Girl, Woman, Other, Chrissie, and agree that it tends to the shallow and panoramic - all the characters are so rarefied too."The characters needn't have been shallow, but this is the result of how she has put together the story. Also, too much of the story is told rather than shown. It's too bad, since Evaristo is adept at picking the right words.
In the 1920’s during Prohibition, this is the story of brothers Randolph and Byron, sons of a Pennsylvania lumber baron. It is set in a sawmill in the Louisiana swamps. Byron has withdrawn to the edges of civilization after suffering psychological trauma in WWI, and Randolph wants to help him reconnect with life. Randolph cares deeply for his brother, eventually making a significant sacrifice. This book strikes a satisfying balance between character and plot. It is dark and violent but contains offsetting elements of decency and redemption. It gets the reader thinking about how violence impacts people and nature. The Clearing by Tim Gautreaux - 5 stars - My Full Review
It took me awhile to get into The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck, but I ended up liking it a lot. It was interesting to compare it to the last book read (Girl, Woman, Other) since both consist of twelve interconnected stories. Steinbeck's worked for me while Evaristo's did not.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I will begin Jackson's Dilemma by Iris Murdoch.
My review of Jackson's Dilemma by Iris Murdoch:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It was her last book and not a favorite for me.
I am about to begin Life Class by Pat Barker. It is a group read this month.
Mod
Mod
Sounds like another top tip
Roman Clodia wrote: "I've just started When We Cease to Understand the World and would recommend it to Sebald fans - it's also a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and has referenced the rings of Saturn tw..."This sounds splendid.
Reading the 20th Century
Books mentioned in this topic
Anna of the Five Towns (other topics)Riceyman Steps: A Novel (other topics)
Anna of the Five Towns (other topics)
Riceyman Steps: A Novel (other topics)
The Namesake (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
P.G. Wodehouse (other topics)Jhumpa Lahiri (other topics)
Arnold Bennett (other topics)
Vladimir Nabokov (other topics)
Arturo Pérez-Reverte (other topics)
More...
My short review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I will now pick up the easier Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman. I hope it cheers me up.