The Mookse and the Gripes discussion
The Goldsmiths Prize
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2020 Goldsmiths Shortlist - Mr Beethoven
This book was born to be on a Goldsmiths Longlist
And its even made the shortlist :o)
Gumble's Yard wrote: "And its even made the shortlist :o)"Whoops that was my excitement taking over.
I am so glad Mr. Beethoven made it
Great choice. Wonderful press as well.And a Republic of Consciousness book of the month book
A while ago, James Tookey, who looks after the RoC, asked me which had been my favourite book I had received so far. I nominated this one although I said there were a couple of others that came close. James was pleased because he was apparently closely involved in getting this one published.I thought this book was very clever in the way it made space for Beethoven in history, slotted him in and then covered over all the cracks.
"the way it made space for Beethoven in history, slotted him in and then covered over all the cracks"great description! It is explicitly Oulipan in the way he allows himself to "invent only what is strictly possible"
I don't really appreciate classical music/Beethoven enough for this one to work perfectly for me, but it is very well done. The author suggested the below as a playlist of sorts:
https://www.republicofconsciousness.c...
I love classical music, perhaps this will be the one time I listen to music while I read.I don’t know which of the myths around Beethoven are true, like that pianos had to be built sturdier because he pounded the keys so hard, that he had a mysterious lover, his immortal beloved, and that he might not have been totally deaf, but I find him and Mozart fascinating.
I have watched this Ode to Joy scene from Immortal Beloved countless times.
https://youtu.be/7qWbcosJdtU
I have to brag about Cleveland and suggest anyone who wants to listen to Beethoven look for Cleveland Orchestra. Christoph von Dohnanyi was exceptional and still under Franz Welser-Most Cleveland Ochestra is America’s best.
I listen to music while I’m reading all the time. Especially classical. I couldn’t tell you much about the piece- name, composer, etc. but I love the peacefulness it gives me. I think my comprehension improves, too. I ordered this today. Probably won’t get in time to read before the prize, but it sounds wonderful.
I like white noise, like a fan, but other than that I enjoy silence. I’ll listen to Beethoven while reading Mr Beethoven though. Maybe I’ll discover I like background music while reading.
I do like to listen to music when directly relevant to the book - hoping to see Girls Against God on the International Booker which features https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1eMY...
I definitely could not listen to that while reading.
Mod
I like classical music but my knowledge of it is patchy and idiosyncratic, and I am looking forward to reading this one.
Like Hugh, I am distracted by other words when reading. This means I often listen to instrumental music through headphones when I am sitting in our lounge reading while Julie is watching TV. She watches quite a few history documentaries, and it's impossible to concentrate on a story when Henry VIII is disposing of wives in the corner of the room. I listen to a lot of my Bill Bruford jazz albums this way.
I definitely can’t hear other words while reading. One of the covid -19 negatives for me is that now there aren’t year round sports for my husband to watch, which he did with the volume very low or muted, so he’s catching up on all the movies he’s never seen or watching popular series like Shameless, now Schitt’s Creek. Now I have to contend with the television on in the next room. I find that because my hearing isn’t as good I can turn a fan on and not hear the dialogue, fortunately.I’m not knowledgeable about classical (or hardcore, as Paul and Robert so brutally pointed out!) music either, I only know what I like when I hear it.
I have started Mr. Beethoven 4 times and it is just not hooking me. I wanted to read it while waiting for the books I ordered to arrive, but I can’t find my way into it. (I think it’s pre-election anxiety, Ohio is hugely important state so we are buried under political ads.)
I’m reading an easy, spooky book now, Wakenhyrst, and will try Mr Beethoven later.
My husband, Dave (I don’t like constantly referring to him as my husband,) and I are going to a house on the shore of Lake Superior in the upper peninsula of Michigan the last week of the month so I hope to read a few of the Goldsmith books then. I think when I’m in a Goldsmith mind frame Mr Beethoven will grab me.
If any consolation the mood on the ground in Ohio isn't likely a great guide to the overall election, as the state is now well to the Republican side of the national vote.If Ohio is a toss-up then Trump has likely lost the overall electoral college by a decent margin.
[statistics not politics based post]
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/...
I’m less concerned about who will win, I am concerned of course, though I believe it will be Biden, but very concerned about fall out either way. We have had bloodshed already and domestic groups are gearing up for violence when the election is called.
WndyJW wrote: "I have started Mr. Beethoven 4 times and it is just not hooking me."Dear Wendy, Sorry about that, but thanks for trying. On an earlier point, I wouldn't suggest listening to Beethoven's music while reading the book. For one thing, most of the pieces mentioned haven't been recorded. Best wishes, p
Welcome to the forum Paul and thanks for your book!
Well, thank you for your interest. In case anyone's not aware, a programme of Goldsmiths shortlist readings and discussion will be streamed at 7 p.m. London time on Wednesday next week. Details on my twitter: https://twitter.com/disgwylfa. Best wishes to all, p
Yes, thank you for your book Paul (G). I had a lot of fun reading it.
Neil, thank you. I had quite some fun writing it, and hoped some of that would rub off on the page. p
Oh yes it did! - definitely! I love it when novels have a playful aspect to them
Paul wrote: "WndyJW wrote: "I have started Mr. Beethoven 4 times and it is just not hooking me."Dear Wendy, Sorry about that, but thanks for trying. On an earlier point, I wouldn't suggest listening to Beethov..."
It’s not the book! I assure you, it’s my state of mind right now. Without getting into politics again, I’ll just remind you that I live in the US and our election is in 3 weeks.
I read an easy, spooky book this week that didn’t require much focus, but I will be spending all of next week in an isolated house on the shore of Lake Superior where I will tune out the world and settle into Mr. Beethoven and any of the other Goldsmith books that arrive before I leave.
If after next week I feel the same then I’ll have to admit the book is just not for me, but I’ve been struggling with reader’s block the last week: none of the books I planned to read are hooking me and I’m making matters worse by doom scrolling.
Welcome to the group though, Mr. Griffiths! I’m sorry our introduction is me moaning about my lack of focus and mentioning your, by all accounts, wonderful book.
WndyJW wrote: "It’s not the book!"Sounds like a much needed break. Yes, I've been to Cleveland, for the orchestra and the museum. And having lived through two U.S. elections in which the candidate with most votes lost, I'm with you in not taking anything for granted. (Note: the harshest episode in Mr. Beethoven is a theological debate.)
So you can attest to quality of our orchestra and museum!I avoided the news all day yesterday and after finishing A Lover’s Discourse I picked up Mr Beethoven and was able to hear the narrative voice which had eluded me my first few attempts. This is the kind of book that requires focus, which I love, and is more enjoyable when read slowly with attention paid to punctuation. I have found my way into Mr. Beethoven and knew when the cabin boy wondered briefly if Mr. Beethoven wouldn't wake up because the boy mispronounced Beethoven that all the praise is deserved.
WndyJW wrote: "So you can attest to quality of our orchestra and museum!."Whew... Very happy to read this. Thank you. But now maybe I should take my leave, as you shouldn't feel your discussion is being watched over by the wretched author. All best wishes, p
No, please don’t leave. If I didn’t like it, I just wouldn’t comment on it. I don’t think I’m the only one who enjoys hearing from authors who are also readers. We are having an interesting discussion about savage reviews of books with Derek Owusu, author of the outstanding That Reminds Me, on the Book Chat-General Book News Discussion box and would like to hear your thoughts on the issue.
WndyJW wrote: "No, please don’t leave."OK, thanks. On reviewing, I'd say it's much easier to write a negative than a positive review. If you don't like something, your mind tries to work out why, and pretty soon you have an argument. If you do like something, it's much more difficult to come up with a reasoned response. For the same reason, negative reviews can be much more informative. From the perspective of one being reviewed, I think the common experience is to trust the naysayers and discount the enthusiasts.
I agree, although I usually turn to a thesaurus to write any review. Read the other comments under Book Chat General News. It would be interesting to hear from both you and Derek, our two resident authors, on this topic.
WndyJW wrote: "Read the other comments..."Will keep an eye, but am trying to write the novel after the novel after MR. BEETHOVEN. Strongly agree Owusu should have been on this Goldsmiths list.
Oh, well, don’t let me keep you from writing! It would be great if Henningham published your next books as well. They produce intersecting and/or lovely editions.
WndyJW wrote: "It would be great if Henningham published your next books as well."I'm hoping there'll be something new from me under the HFP imprint next year. And "intersecting" isn't so far off the mark.
Looking forward to that!If it is being crowd / subscriber funded please do let us know on here.
Paul wrote: "Looking forward to that!If it is being crowd / subscriber funded please do let us know on here."
This is very encouraging, and generous. Thank you.
I meant interesting, but the intersection of book as work of narrative, poetry or prose and book as beautiful object works with Henningham.
there are a few of us here who like to subscribe to sponsor books. And not just because we see our name in the back. though that is kind of cool.
WndyJW wrote: "I meant interesting..."Yes, I realized this was an automistake, but it's spot-on for what I hope will be my next HFP book, in which dialogues and media intersect - quite apart from the intersection, of course, with HFP production values. And it's absolutely right to be proud of supporting small presses.
My first read from the 2020 Goldsmiths shortlist, and a worthy inclusion indeed. The Oulipo constraints kept me entertained, even attempting to see what constraint had been used where, and the peppering of the book with historical figures of the era really kept me guessing who would pop up next. The implication that Beethoven's imagined journey could have sown Longfellow's Hiawatha & Melville's Moby Dick seeds was one of the cheeky elements I liked.Like most here, I received this from the ROC subscription but it sat on a TBR pile until the Goldsmiths announcement (got to prioritise somehow!!)
Unfortunately the mail delays here in Australia (COVID related with sorting facilities having reduced staff) means I'm still awaiting the other five titles to land in my mail box!!! Hopefully I'll get to another 2 or 3 before the winner is announced.
Paul (G) - enjoyed your contribution to the readings this evening, including your generous and eloquent descriptions of the other 5 books.
Paul wrote: "Paul (G) - enjoyed your contribution to the readings this evening, including your generous and eloquent descriptions of the other 5 books."Thank you. Much appreciated.
Different this year to most as it's usually at the university and there are lots of questions from the students (albeit usually not having actually read the books).
Greetings. Paul G here. Wondering why the book now has seven reviews (many thanks) from people I take to be XY but none from the XXs.
I wonder if that says more about the prize - or indeed mansplaining reviewers? - than the book. But there are 9 now with one "XX".
Or the “second shift”- men come home from work and their work day is done, women come home from work and start their second shift-dinner, laundry, grocery shopping, housecleaning, kids’ bookbags, baths, bedtime for kids. Or it’s just happens that more men read this book already and the women, as Vesna said, simply haven’t gotten to it yet.
The Mookse and the Gripes
Books mentioned in this topic
Let Me Tell You (other topics)Let Me Tell You (other topics)
That Reminds Me (other topics)
Wakenhyrst (other topics)
Girls Against God (other topics)
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Mr Beethoven by Paul Griffiths