What Are You Reading Now? Showing 1,851-1,900 of 2,435

[Cynda]

RJ, Oxford editions can bring so much worthwhile information to the reader. It may not be necessary with Google but definitely.focused and helpful. . . .Don't you think.

[Cynda]

I am finishing to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which is narrated by Michael York.

[Franky]

Cynda will back full time 2024 wrote: "I am finishing to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which is narrated by Michael York."

That sounds pretty awesome.

I just finished up The Magnificent Ambersons and am currently reading The Silent Boy, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Mote in God's Eye. I hope to get to The Legend Of Sleepy Hallow and a few other ones soon.

[Cynda]

Franky, I will start The Left Hand of Darkness for our group too. Hope to see you at the discussion :-)

The Legend Of Sleepy Hallow is great. Someday I may read more of Washington Irving's short stories.

[Ron]

I recently bought a lot of philosopher books. I'm debating on these ones:

The Odyssey

Paradise Lost

The Portable Thoreau (Penguin Classics) by Henry David Thoreau

The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Cynda will back full time 2024 wrote: "RJ, Oxford editions can bring so much worthwhile information to the reader. It may not be necessary with Google but definitely.focused and helpful. . . .Don't you think."

Absolutely. I've gotten so that I will try to buy the Oxford edition of any classic work I'm going to read. Unless I have the Norton Critical Edition, which I prefer in some cases.

But the exception is for translated books. For example, I think I'm going to try to read Swann's Way with the group, assuming it holds on to win Long Read for the first quarter of 2024, and the translation I want to read is the Penguin edition.

[Cynda]

Interesting RJ. I will ask why if/when Swann's Way becomes the group's selection.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Cynda will back full time 2024 wrote: "Interesting RJ. I will ask why if/when Swann's Way becomes the group's selection."

No worries, I'll tell you now. :)

I have started searching online opinions for best translation options for non-English novels. I really noticed the difference when I started reading the longish short story The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol as translated by Constance Garnett. Someone in the group commented about Garnett, and posted a link to this article:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...

The article is behind a paywall but the New Yorker allows you to read a few free articles, and this one is well worth it. Although I was aware that there were always differences in translation, I didn't fully understand that in some cases in the past the translator has almost completely re-written the source material, as Garnett has been accused of doing. Russian especially is subject to translation errors because the language is so different from English.

The article then goes on to discuss the more recent work of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky whose translation of Anna Karenina was selected for Oprah's Book Club a few years ago. Pevear and Volokhonsky have been praised for the clarity of their translations, especially those of Fyodor Dostoevsky.

So back to The Overcoat. Mid-read I switched to a different translation and was blown away by the difference. Instead of slogging through a Victorian-Era novel about clothing, the story of a hapless clerk living a tortured life within an indifferent bureaucracy exploded vividly to life. It was like reading a completely different book.

In the interest of fairness, here is an article that is much more kind to Constance Garnett (and by the way, it should be said that even those who don't like many of Garnett's translations agree that she did better with some writers than she did with others): https://lithub.com/the-woman-who-brou...

So now I pay much more attention to translations. Researching Swann's Way online, the consensus seems to be that Lydia Davis' recent translation, published by Penguin, and Moncrieff's original translation (which has been revised twice) stand out. Based on what I read, I decided to read the Davis translation, but I will probably switch to Moncrieff for later books in the series.

Here are some links to articles about Swann's Way translations that I found helpful or interesting, for anyone who might find them useful:

Paris Review: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...

New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-...

The Cork Lined Room (a literary blog): https://thecorklinedroom.wordpress.co...

[Cynda]

Thank you RJ! I agree about the Penguin as I discovered in high school that I liked the Signet editions because they lively or vibrant to me. I believe Penguin and Signet are two parts of the same publishing company, but I could be wrong.

I can foresee reading Mexican Gothic in the original Gótico Mexicano because the bits of Spanish that I have read are perfect. The English is correct, but the Spanish is perfect.

I have signed up New Yorker articles as I am for various other periodicals. Sometimes they say no more for me. I always just find something else to read until they let me back.

[Ron]

Hoping to start either The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring in December.

[Brian E]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "So now I pay much more attention to translations. Researching Swann's Way online, the consensus seems to be that Lydia Davis' recent translation, published by Penguin, and Moncrieff's original translation (which has been revised twice) stand out. Based on what I read, I decided to read the Davis translation, but I will probably switch to Moncrieff for later books in the series.

Here are some links to articles about Swann's Way translations that I found helpful or interesting, for anyone who might find them useful:
Paris Review: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...
New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-...
The Cork Lined Room (a literary blog): https://thecorklinedroom.wordpress.co....."


I had researched Proust translations in early 2022 for the unspecified future time I might read Swann's Way and, based on the Cork Lined Room review RJ cites, bought this Penguin edition with Lydia Davis' translation: . Having read the Cork Lined Room review, in the remote eventuality that I did go ahead and read the whole series, I, like RJ, planned on skipping the rest of the Penguin series that has a different translator for each book and go with the updated Moncrieff translations instead,

Also, from similar research, I became convinced that Pevear and Volokhonsky was the best translation to read Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky books. So, since 2016, I read:
and all of which I rated as either 2 or 3 star reads. The only book by these two great 19th century authors authors that I rated at 4 stars was my 20th Century read of Crime and Punishment which was NOT by P&V but by another translator, most likely David Magarshack .

P&V's translations just did not work for me as none of their books went smoothly. Yet I still kept reading their translations thinking it was me. And it was me, as I'm the one who did not enjoy their word and syntax choices. Based on this experience, I've found that the critical favorite translation may not be the one that will suit your reading preferences.

[Greg]

Brian E wrote: "Based on this experience, I've found that the critical favorite translation may not be the one that will suit your reading preferences.

For sure, I agree with this Brian E.

Scrupulously accurate and good read might not be the same thing. The translation you probably want for scholarship might not always be the best choice for personal pleasure/enrichment, or at least I often find that it differs for me.

[Teri-K]

Greg wrote: "Scrupulously accurate and good read might not be the same thing. The translation you probably want for scholarship might not always be the best choice for personal pleasure/enrichment, or at least I often find that it differs for me."

I think this is especially true the first time I read a book. I've learned to read several sections from every translation of a new-to-me book that I can get my hands on and then pick the one I enjoy the most. Readability trumps almost everything for me to get that story the first time, because if I'm trudging through a dense translation I may not finish. Or I might end up disliking the book and never going back to it.

Any really good book deserves a reread, and then I can try other translations. I fell in love with The Odyssey as a young girl and have enjoyed reading different translations over the years. If I'd not happened on the Rouse first, I might not have know how fun it can be and just skipped it instead. What a loss that would have been!

[Sam]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "Cynda will back full time 2024 wrote: "Interesting RJ. I will ask why if/when Swann's Way becomes the group's selection."

No worries, I'll tell you now. :)

I have started searching online opinio..."
I have been enjoying the discussion on translation and have found myself over the years moving from the concept of reading the best translation to reading and sampling multiple translations when available. In the case of Gogol, I find it necessary to get a clear picture of the story and it helps my appreciation of Gogol. In the case of Proust, Moncrieff is almost essential for Moncrieff was the source for many quotes and allusions that followed. I will be spending some time with the recent NYRB Swann's Way by Australian, Grieves. In first U.S. release.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Brian E wrote: "...P&V's translations just did not work for me as none of their books went smoothly. Yet I still kept reading their translations thinking it was me. And it was me, as I'm the one who did not enjoy their word and syntax choices. Based on this experience, I've found that the critical favorite translation may not be the one that will suit your reading preferences."

Sorry to hear they didn't work for you. I haven't read enough of them, or of other translations, to give any kind of educated response. When I switched translations of Gogol's The Overcoat, I actually switched from Garnett to a translation by Andrew McAndrew (you can read it for free here: https://cgismondicc.files.wordpress.c...) which I enjoyed very much. I did acquire the PV translation when I purchased the collection The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol but I haven't read it yet. And if anyone wants to read the Constance Garnett version, it's available for free here: https://fountainheadpress.com/expandi...

I ran across a website once that offered multiple translations of a couple paragraphs of writing for various translated classic novels, so you could more easily choose which translation you liked, but now I can't find it. I'll look some more and I'll post it if I find it again.

Greg wrote: "...Scrupulously accurate and good read might not be the same thing. The translation you probably want for scholarship might not always be the best choice for personal pleasure/enrichment, or at least I often find that it differs for me."

So true. I recently finished The Aeneid, and I chose the Oxford World's Classic version with a translation by Frederick Ahl, who chose to translate the text with as much accuracy as possible. Unfortunately, I think this robbed the text of the lyricism that makes an epic poem EPIC. I think the version I read might have been best for serious students of the poem, but I found myself wishing that I had a more poetic version, or maybe that they were presented side by side?

Sam wrote: "...I will be spending some time with the recent NYRB Swann's Way by Australian, Grieves. In first U.S. release."

I saw that one but couldn't locate many opinions about it. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[Ron]

I've officially started with the Hobbit. It's my goal to start reading them in order. The last time I read the LOTR Trilogy was 20 years ago!

I've always been meaning to get back to them. Time just never seems to be right because of life in general and all of the other books I read.


J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

[Lynn, New School Classics]

Ron wrote: "I've officially started with the Hobbit. It's my goal to start reading them in order. The last time I read the LOTR Trilogy was 20 years ago!

I've always been meaning to get back to them. Time ju..."

I know what you mean. Books stay on my to-be-read shelf for years, and when I finally get to them I am surprised it took so long. It seems like I recently decided to read them.

[Ron]

Exactly. I'm the same way.

[Teri-K]

Ron wrote: "I've officially started with the Hobbit. It's my goal to start reading them in order. The last time I read the LOTR Trilogy was 20 years ago!

I've always been meaning to get back to them. Time ju..."

Awesome! I'm going to reread them next year. It's been quite a few years for me, too, though I recently listed to The Hobbit narrated by Andy Serkis. I thought it was excellent.

[Ron]

Oh that's cool. He does the narration? I'll have to listen to it.

[Teri-K]

Ron wrote: "Oh that's cool. He does the narration? I'll have to listen to it."

Yes, and I thought he was great!

[Ron]

Thanks for letting me know. I'll check it out.

- Found it. Woah, it was on sale for only $5 compared to the $25 it normally is at.

[Wreade1872]

Finished The Thing in the Woods by Margery Williams Bianco [2/5] review , the Thing turned out to be mostly boredom and frustration :P .
Still reading Dreams and Delights by L.Adams Beck and just started
The Fox-Woman, the Blue Pagoda by A. Merritt & Hannes Bok , which i chose in part because it was short at 109 pages... which turns out to be a complete lie. The pdf has double columns and the original might even be A4 sized, hard to tell.
In any case some quick math puts the equivalent page count at about 414 pages, and doubly annoying i'm going to have to read most of it on my laptop as my ancient ereader hates the pdf its in :# .

[Janice]

I am rereading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen <3

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Teri-K wrote: "...I recently listed to The Hobbit narrated by Andy Serkis. I thought it was excellent."

Amen to that. (Except for the singing.)

[Regina]

I am listening to Oliver Twist, narrated by Jonathan Pryce. It's good so far, but it's hard to top Richard Armitage's narration of David Copperfield. Armitage really brings Mr. Micawber and Uriah Heep to life. I love that so many classics are available free on Audible. Many are so long that it's hard to finish library versions before they're due.

I'm also reading Christmas Pudding and Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford.

I agree with Andy Sirkis's narration of The Hobbit. I really loved it and have his narration of The Fellowship of the Ring slated for sometime in 2024.

[Ron]

I agree with Andy Sirkis's narration of The Hobbit. I really loved it and have his narration of The Fellowship of the Ring slated for sometime in 2024.

I recently got the one with his narration for The Hobbit so I'm looking forward to hearing him tell the story.

And thanks for the heads up that he'll be narrating Fellowship in 2024.

[Doris]

Ron wrote: "I agree with Andy Sirkis's narration of The Hobbit. I really loved it and have his narration of The Fellowship of the Ring slated for sometime in 2024.

I recently got the one with his narration for The Hobbit so I'm looking forward to hearing him tell the story.

And thanks for the heads up that he'll be narrating Fellowship in 2024."

He has already narrated all three volumes of LOTR (released in 2021), and his narration of The Silmarillion was released earlier this year.

I can't find out if there are any plans afoot for him to record any of Tolkien's other work. (I expect he'd do wonderfully with Letters from Father Christmas. ;-))

[Ron]

Oh nice. I'll have to find them then. Thanks for that.

Okay got them. Audible was still having good deals on them.

[Cynda]

I am starting The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton

[Jane]

I am currently reading Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman - looks like a mammoth read at nearlt 800 pages

[Darya Silman]

Jane wrote: "I am currently reading Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman - looks like a mammoth read at nearlt 800 pages"

It's very readable

[Greg]

Finished The Sound of Waves (Yukio Mishima) (4.0★) and An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving & Other Stories: Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag, Vol. 6 (Louisa May Alcott) (2.5★).

Finally, a book by Mishima that I really liked! Yes, it's less psychologically dark, but that's not the main reason. I feel like Mishima's obsessions, fetishes, and thirst for attention/shock value completely took over The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. But here, with those urges toned down, he was able to get at some things that were more substantial.

The Alcott was fairly forgettable, though I imagine her major works must be better? Probably not a smart choice to begin with this one.

Now, I'm reading The Memory Police (Yōko Ogawa), which I am absolutely loving! And I'm reading The Cabin at the End of the World (Paul Tremblay), which is suspenseful and almost perfectly paced, but I feel hostile to aspects of the story and I'm not sure what I'm going to think; I'm keeping an open mind until I finish.

Next up after these two will be Men Without Women (Haruki Murakami)

[Kathleen]

Greg wrote: "Finished The Sound of Waves (Yukio Mishima) (4.0★)

Some fascinating reading, Greg! I'm glad to hear that Sound of Waves wasn't like the other Mishimas, and may give it a try someday. I hope you report back when you've finished The Memory Police--would love to hear your thoughts.

[Greg]

Kathleen wrote: "
Some fascinating reading, Greg! I'm glad to hear that Sound of Waves wasn't like the other M..."

Thanks Kathleen!

And will do on Memory Police - it's a beautiful book so far and beautiful in such a different way than the other book of hers that I've read, The Housekeeper and the Professor.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I finished the second of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries and was not overly impressed, dash it all!


Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the second Continental Op novel


The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett

[Teri-K]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I finished the second of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries and was not overly impressed, dash it all!


Clouds of Witness by [author:Dorothy L. Say..."

I'm forever trying to convince folks to start the Lord Peter series with Strong Poison. It's where his personality re-forms and the stories get stronger.

Also, Sayers didn't write the same type of story over and over - she was always experimenting. So you can not like one or two but still love others. Gaudy Night is undoubtedly her magnum opus, but you can't start with it, you have to work your way in, because the relationships and Harriet's character are important to the story. I especially like The Nine Tailors, and Busman's Honeymoon, too.

It's the same with Ngaio Marsh - start with Artists in Crime and move forward. You can always go back later, the earlier books are fine but not as strong.

Of course they still might not be your cup of tea, but at least you'll know for sure, instead of reading the weaker books first because they come earlier in the series.

[Janice]

I finished rereading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and Luke - NIV. I am now in the mood to read Christmas books so I have started Christmas at Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Sequel (Paperback) - Common by Regina Jeffers

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Teri-K wrote: "I'm forever trying to convince folks to start the Lord Peter series with Strong Poison...."

That's probably good advice. I still plan to continue the series because I know it is supposed to get better, but I did think the first two books were uneven.

[Darya Silman]

I accidently stumbled upon The Sandman: Book One by Neil Gaiman in the nearest library and spent the next 2 hours reading it on the spot. I took all four volumes home. I've never read comics (I was born in a country with no history of comics), but they proved to be entertaining.

The story is more disgusting than the series' version, with more blood, gore and 18+ scenes. I bet library workers haven't read it either because the books were in a YA section. I wouldn't want my teenage daughter to read them.

[Erin]

I started to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall my final book from the Bronte sisters. I have high hopes for this one.

[Darya Silman]

I am listening to a radio play, Солярис(Solaris) by Stanisław Lem

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I finished the "Pastoral Science Fiction" novel which won the 1964 Hugo Award for Best Novel


Way Station by Clifford D. Simak
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading Roger Zelazny's first novel, originally titled "...And Call Me Conrad"


This Immortal by Roger Zelazny

[Lynn, New School Classics]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I finished the "Pastoral Science Fiction" novel which won the 1964 Hugo Award for Best Novel


Way Station by Clifford D. Simak
Rating: ..."

I read Way Station in 2022 and also really liked it. I gave it 5*. Glad you enjoyed it. The only Zelazny I have ever read was Damnation Alley. and also the wonderful novella A Rose for Ecclesiastes. I recently rewatched the movie "Damnation Alley". There is a channel on youtube called "Creature Feature" where there is a silly host showing old B movies. https://www.youtube.com/@CreatureFeat...

[Darya Silman]

I am listening to Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman. Technically, it's still not classics as it was written in 2007, but the movie of the same name made the book famous.

I liked the movie more...

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Lynn wrote: "I read Way Station in 2022 and also really liked it. I gave it 5*. Glad you enjoyed it. The only Zelazny I have ever read was Damnation Alley. and also the wonderful novella A Rose for Ecclesiastes..."

Thanks Lynn. I haven't read Damnation Alley yet but I will definitely get to it someday.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I finished the second installment in Asimov's Robots series


The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the middle book in the Xenogenesis series


Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I also finished another classic Science Fiction novel, the 1969 Hugo Award winner:


Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started the very non-Science Fiction classic novel (despite the fact that it is the first volume in a series named "In Search of Lost Time")


Swann's Way by Marcel Proust

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Yesterday I also finished, but did not particularly enjoy, the second Continental Op novel


The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the book that was the basis for the 1987 Kevin Costner film No Way Out as well as two other older film versions


The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing

[Janice]

Erin wrote: "I started to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall my final book from the Bronte sisters. I have high hopes for this one."

I hope to read it in 2024! :)