What Are We Reading? 16 Nov 2020

[Andy]

Lljones wrote: "The New York Times has compiled The 10 Best Books Through Time -- 2004-2019, with 2020 due in a few weeks."

You’ve pushed me towards the Yehoshua..I was resisting.

Year Bests is a treat I save for 31 Dec, with a glass of something suitable..

[Andy]

AB76 wrote: "Has anyone here read much Alain Mabanckou?

I love his witty and elegant tales of Congolese life(previously the French Congo, the smaller version of what was the Belgian Congo)

My latest novel of ..."

Black Moses is my favourite of the three I have read. The others Black Bazaar and Memoirs of a Porcupine
I’ve got 4 on my tbr list though.. looking forward in particular to The Death of Comrade President and The Negro Grandsons of Vercingetorix.

[Andy]

PaleFires wrote: "Thanks very much for the Boardman-Tasker update and the links, Andy."

The one I am most keen to read and own is The Unremembered Places: Exploring Scotland's Wild Histories.

[Andy]

AB76 wrote: "is safereturndoubtful in here? whats the new AKA? or somewhere in the vosges mountains still?"

AB. I’m sorry I never identified myself. (SRD)..
You probably think there’s some strange man responding to your posts..
I was back from my road trip end of October. I spent the last 2 weeks in a village called Tresviso in Picos de Europa. What an incredible little place it is...
So back in the Lakes and loving it, my favourite season also. Certainly the dog is happy to be back.
But of course I’m planning the next trip..
Time to bring out a favourite quote..

At length, in my old age, and after enjoying many years of tranquillity at home, I became once more possessed of a desire of visiting foreign countries; and one day, without acquainting any of my family with my design, I packed up some bundles of such merchandise as was most precious and least bulky, and, engaged a porter to carry them, went with him down to the sea-shore, to await the arrival of any chance vessel that might convey me out of the kingdom into some region which I had not as yet explored.

Poe

[AB76]

Andy wrote: "AB76 wrote: "is safereturndoubtful in here? whats the new AKA? or somewhere in the vosges mountains still?"

AB. I’m sorry I never identified myself. (SRD)..
You probably think there’s some strange..."

a-ha, sorted, there you are! welcome again to ersatz TLS....almost mid 40s dementia got me there...until i forgot your new ID again!

[Magrat]

Lljones wrote: "Bill wrote: "I haven’t been keeping statistics, so this may be a false impression, but it seems to me that mo..."

It had a HUGE following in the US, especially as we advanced through the DUBYA era..."

For what it's worth, Mr M is currently binge-rewatching the lot. Apart from its educational aspects, it's comforting because they're all so bloody noble about ruling the world - in the nicest possible way...

[Lljones]

Magrat wrote: "For what it's worth, Mr M is currently binge-rewatching the lot (West Wing)..."

I, on the other hand, picked up where I left off eons ago with 'The Crown', starting with Season 3, episode 3: Aberfan. Cheerful relief from the weekend cable news stream? Not.

(Lucia was - unexpectedly and inexplicably - a 'royal watcher' and a big fan of Prince Charles ("that poor man", she frequently said). We watched Seasons 1 and 2 together.)

[Magrat]

Lljones wrote: "Magrat wrote: "For what it's worth, Mr M is currently binge-rewatching the lot (West Wing)..."

I, on the other hand, picked up where I left off eons ago with 'The Crown', starting with Season 3, e..."

We're well into Season 4 of 'The Crown'. It's unkind to the lot of them, with the possible exception of Diana (a naiive child from a broken home), and rather cruel to the Thatchers, but not incompatible with the received versions. Rather like 'Wolf Hall', knowing how it's going to end doesn't make it any the less entertaining!

[SydneyH]

PaleFires wrote: "Hey SydneyH, please let us know what you make of the Vasquez..."

I seem to recall you weren't a big fan of The Shape of the Ruins :)

[AB76]

SydneyH wrote: "PaleFires wrote: "Hey SydneyH, please let us know what you make of the Vasquez..."

I seem to recall you weren't a big fan of The Shape of the Ruins :)"

i hated the Shape of thge Ruins in the end, such a great idea for a novel, a kind of autofiction but it went on and on and on, with diminishing returns

[AB76]

almost poltergeist like...my MR James short story collection i didnt read last xmas has flown to the top of my pile.....there is a Grimshaw cover on the OUP classics collection which i had to find second hand last autumn, that will follow the CF Ramuz story

[SydneyH]

AB76 wrote: "i hated the Shape of the R..."

Hmm. Noted - I haven't read it personally. I clearly heard some bad feedback from someone about The Shape of the Ruins. Sound of Things Falling caught my eye when it won the Dublin International.

[AB76]

SydneyH wrote: "AB76 wrote: "i hated the Shape of the R..."

Hmm. Noted - I haven't read it personally. I clearly heard some bad feedback from someone about The Shape of the Ruins. Sound of Things Falling caught m..."

he is very popular with the professional critic class and i think that that has boosted his appeal. I love latin american (non magic realist)novels but he really failed with Shape of the Ruins, just became an indulgent mess.To kill off a really interesting premise over such a long novel was remarkable