Reading the 20th Century discussion
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What books are you reading now? (2020)
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov - 4 stars - My ReviewThe overarching storyline involves a method by which matter is exchanged between our universe and a parallel universe, resulting in what at first appears to be an unlimited supply of free energy to both. This is a hard science fiction. In order to fully enjoy it, the reader will need to internalize the overall concept and follow the scientists’ trains of thought, and in order to do so, will need to have a certain level of interest in scientific detail. It does not require advanced knowledge of physics or chemistry, as the principles and processes are described in layman’s terms. It is divided into three sections, which are related only by the overall story arc. Section 1 sets the stage (3.5 stars). Section 2 (5 stars) is my personal favorite. It describes the lives of the beings in the para-universe. Section 3 (4 stars) takes place on the moon, and involves either proving or disproving the anticipated impact of the energy exchange. As with all great science fiction, it not only tells a great story, it imparts plenty of observations about our own time. I find it amazing that it was published so long ago (1972) and yet the themes are still very relevant, particularly to the climate change debate, which had not really ramped up yet at the time of this book's release.
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As you say...
As with all great science fiction, it not only tells a great story, it imparts plenty of observations about our own time
I have completed Victory by Joseph Conrad. I preferred the author's adventure tale Typhoon. Victory tries to do too many things, in my view. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am now reading Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill.
A few more recent reviews:Feebleminded by Ariana Harwicz My review
In the Heart of the Country by J.M. Coetzee My review
Family Album by Penelope Lively My review
Vinland by George Mackay Brown My review
Mostly Hero by Anna Burns My review
HHhH by Laurent Binet My review
Common People edited by Kit de Waal My review
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I haven't read Penelope Lively before. One of those names I always think I should get round to someday but never do. My local library has The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories so I may give that a go. Has anyone read that one?
Yes. The Purple Swamp Jen wouldn't be a bad place to start...
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Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse: And Other Lessons from Modern Life which is a collection of quite old satirical articles from David Mitchell's Observer newspaper columns.
Here’s my review
I now plan to read the 2019 follow up Dishonesty is the Second-Best Policy: And Other Rules to Live By.
4/5
Hugh wrote: "Yes. The Purple Swamp Jen wouldn't be a bad place to start..."Thanks Hugh!
I have completed Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill. It grew on me. The more I thought about it, the more valuable I found it to be.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have begun The English Teacher by Lily King.
Faulkner's classic, published in 1932 and set during Prohibition, follows the intersecting lives of five people not following a traditional path in life. The closest we come to a protagonist is Joe Christmas, an orphan who believes he is of mixed race ancestry. This book is an indictment of the legacy of slavery and racism in the American south. The storyline goes forward and backward in time fluidly. Faulkner uses unusual pairings of words, running them together to create vivid images. This novel is mostly dark, violent, tragic, and sad, with only a faint flicker of hope. It requires a certain maturity to assimilate the complexities inherent in this story. I tried reading Faulkner when I was in high school, but most of it flew over my head. I have not read his entire canon, but this book would be a better starting point than The Sound and the Fury or Absalom. Absalom!Light in August by William Faulkner - 4 stars - My Full Review
Joy D wrote: "Faulkner's classic, published in 1932 and set during Prohibition, follows the intersecting lives of five people not following a traditional path in life. The closest we come to a protagonist is Joe..."I think that was my first by Faulkner. A wonderful book. I will be reading as much of Faulkner as I can fit in with other reads.
I just finished a fabulous book- Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax! I am thinking already that it may be my favorite book this year. I am getting ready to start a short book titled Silence of the Chagos: A Novel by Shenaz Patel. I am really interested in this one since it is a part of history set in a geographical area (Chagos Archipelago) that I know nothing about! I’m also reading a classic French mystery Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon. It’s not bad. It’s my first book by Simenon and the first in the long Inspector Maigret series.
Pam wrote: "I’m also reading a classic French mystery Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon. It’s not bad. It’s my first book by Simenon and the first in the long Inspector Maigret series.We have a Georges Simenon thread in the favorite authors. You'll find more of us are interested in him than you might have thought!
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Click here to read and contribute to it
I enjoyed Pietr the Latvian although it is clear both the character and Georges Simenon developed considerably from that first Maigret book.
Joy D wrote: "Faulkner's classic, published in 1932 and set during Prohibition, follows the intersecting lives of five people not following a traditional path in life. The closest we come to a protagonist is Joe..."Oh my, Faulkner's books do give me trouble. They are confusing and thus difficult to figure out what exactly Faulkner wants to have said. I'd have to say I get annoyed by the intentional confusion.
I have finished The English Teacher by Lily King. I picked it up because I thoroughly enjoyed the author's Euphoria. I ended up liking that one better..My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have begun A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir byDonald Worster. Having read books written by Muir, I thought it was time to read a comprehensive biography about him.
Nigeyb- I’m glad to hear that future Simenon books are better! I didn’t really like Pietr the Latvian. I’ll try a later Maigret book and see how it compares.
I highly recommend A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir by Donald Worster. I dithered between four or five stars.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I will in a second begin Lala by Jacek Dehnel.
Story of the author’s grandmother, Lily Casey, and her life of teaching and ranching in the desert near the Grand Canyon in Arizona in the early 1900s. At first, I thought this book was non-fiction, and it is based on a real person and her actual experiences, but Walls describes it as a novel. It is written in first person as if her grandmother is telling her life story. Lily Casey is a colorful character who led an eventful life. The book is filled with family anecdotes of her adventures.
I found this book entertaining and enjoyed “getting to know” Lily Casey. It provides a good idea of what life was like back in those times, with lots of mentions of how people lived – no indoor plumbing, listening to the radio, the hard work in getting almost anything accomplished. I think the author does a great job of capturing the voice of her grandmother and could almost hear her speaking in her no-nonsense manner.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls - 4 stars - My Full Review
I totally fell for Lala by Jacek Dehnel. The author is very popular in Poland. I can understand why. Thank you , Hugh, for bribing he book to my attention.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have begun A Naturalist at Large: The Best Essays of Bernd Heinrich. I know I like this author, having previously enjoyed his books before, but I have been hesitant toward this one because it consists of essays.
I just started The Rotter’s Club by Jonathan Coe, one of my favorite authors. I finished Me by Elton John and wanted to read something with a connection to it. A setting of 1970s England seemed like a close enough connection! Middlemarch just didn’t feel like the right book to follow all of that sex, drugs (and booze), and rock-n-roll. I’ve only read the first few pages and already like it. I love his sense of humor.
I have two going right now. Beethoven Was One-Sixteenth Black and Other Stories by Nadine Gordimer. It's a collection of the oddest short stories I've ever encountered. Also reading Four Novels: The Square, Moderato Cantabile, 10:30 on a Summer Night, the Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas by Marguerite Duras. Though on Bloom's Canon, I'm not sure this is typical of her.
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That's wonderful news Pam
I share your enthusiasm for Coe
I really must read those of his novels that I haven't got to yet
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A book of essays is not really my thing, but A Naturalist at Large: The Best Essays of Bernd Heinrich isn't bad. I have preferred his other books more.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I will begin John Dos Passos' Manhattan Transfer.
This book is a fictional story of a Frenchman's life from his birth in 1929 to the 1980s. It is beautifully written. The tone is philosophical, filled with atmospheric prose and thoughtful reflections. Themes include the impact of kindness, the value of friendship, and the importance of integrity. It is a contemplation about finding the beauty in life and being true to oneself. This book provides a great break between heavy reads, or pick it up when you are in the mood for a poignant, reflective, uplifting story. Seasons of the Moon by Julien Aranda - 5 stars - My Review
Currently reading ‘If I Were You’ by P.G. Wodehouse. The blurb on the back says it’s one of his rarest works. Don’t know how true that is. Has anyone else ever read it?
Lynaia wrote: "Currently reading ‘If I Were You’ by P.G. Wodehouse. The blurb on the back says it’s one of his rarest works. Don’t know how true that is. Has anyone else ever read it?"I've never heard of it until now, and I've read more than 20 Wodehouse books.
On Goodreads it has only 325 ratings which has it ranked as about the 109th most popular Wodehouse book for Goodreads readers. Sounds rare or at least medium rare to me. Please let us know what you think of it when you finish.
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That's a new one on me too Lynaia. I look forward to your reaction.
Nigeyb wrote: " share your enthusiasm for CoeI really must read those of his novels that I haven't got to yet."
The first Coe book I read was Expo 58, not one of his most famous but I loved it! The only reason I picked it up is because it was sitting next to a book I was looking for by a different author. The 2nd book I read was The Winshaw Legacy: or, What a Carve Up!, which I also loved. I'm really enjoying The Rotters' Club! I don't think that Coe is as well known in the US as he is in the UK, which is unfortunate. He is a terrific writer! I had never heard of him until I serendipitously found Expo 58.
I have finished John Dos Passos' Manhattan Transfer.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have begun The Plateau by Maggie Paxson.
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I really must read those of his novels that I haven't got to yet."
The first Coe book I read was Expo 58, not one of his most famous b..."
He definitely sounds like he needs to be added to my TBR list, Pam.
Pam wrote: "Nigeyb wrote: " share your enthusiasm for CoeI really must read those of his novels that I haven't got to yet."
The first Coe book I read was Expo 58, not one of his most famous b..."
Having lived in Brussels myself and having not read Coe before, I will have to give Expo 58 a try. Is it essential to like mysteries? I rarely do, but do to the stetting this intrigues me. Which is you favorite by the author so far?
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No need to like mysteries
It's a fun book. Very light and easy - but with a bit more there under the surface.
Chrissie wrote: "Which is you favorite by the author so far?"
The Rotters' Club
Expo 58 is one of his better ones, and no, I am not a mystery reader, but I agree that The Rotters Club is the best.
Published in 1995, this book is an allegory relating lack of sight to ignorance and irrationality. There are many disturbing and potentially triggering scenes, and I would not recommend it for sensitive readers. It reminded me a bit of Lord of the Flies with adult protagonists rather than children. I found it extremely thought-provoking and deserving of its place as a modern classic. Blindness by José Saramago - 4 stars - My Review
I have anther question, please. I faintly remember reading somewhere that in the book a "zoo" kept of native Congolese is mentioned. This WAS part of an expo held earlier at what is today Cinquantenaire Park when Belgium celebrated its 50 years as a nation but NOT at the Expo of 1958. Is this correctly explained in the book? I do not wand history incorrectly rewritten. This is why I earlier decided not to read the book. Please clear this up for me. Basically what I am asking is if historical facts are correctly presented. Is it true that the Russian and American areas really were placed next to each other.? I will go now and check out The Rotters' Club too, sine you both recommend that as being his best. Thank you for your help.
So what is this with the super long sentence that ends The Rotters' Club. That doesn't sound good! If you both say it is better........should I just forget that sentence?
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I really enjoyed that book Joy - the follow up is well worth reading too, it's called Seeing
Nigeyb wrote: "I can't remember the ending sentence - it's been many a moon since I read it."I understand that it hasn't remained stuck in your head. That is probably a good sign, I think.
Joy - I read Blindness a few years ago. I remember that the unconventional writing style drove me nuts. Did you have a problem with it? I need more natural breaks in writing, not just commas between thoughts. And, a 3 page paragraph is too long! I did find the story to be interesting and thought-provoking but the violence was over the top for me. I found it to be so disturbing that I almost stopped reading it.
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Hi Pam, I read it back in 2012 and your question prompted me to revisit my review.
This is what I wrote about the writing style...
José Saramago employs an unusual style: no quotation marks for dialogue, and many long sentences which frequently have a "stream of consciousness" quality. Despite this I found it easy to follow. Characters do not have proper names e.g. the doctor's wife, the girl with the dark glasses, the dog of tears etc.
Pam wrote: "I did find the story to be interesting and thought-provoking but the violence was over the top for me. I found it to be so disturbing that I almost stopped reading it."
Again, from my 2012 review...
The message I took from the book is simply a reminder to appreciate the wonder of the everyday - sanitation, drinking water, plenty of varied food, feeling secure - and, above all, the gift of sight. The book is original, unusual, compelling, and memorable. Since finishing it I have discovered there is a sequel called Seeing. I'll be reading that soon.
Here’s my review
4/5
Kirsten #operaday #nationalkiteflyingday #globalmovieday wrote: "I've been reading the travel nonfiction classic 
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West"I absolutely adored that book.Before we traveled to Croatia I read it. This was long ago. Then I went on to read her fiction, but none are quite as good as that. The Return of the Soldier I did like a lot.
Reading the 20th Century
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Started Silas Marner. To be honest, I don't know if I actually read this in high school or whether I just listened to classroom discussions and winged it. I'm glad to be re-visiting it in either case.