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What are we reading? 1 August 2022
I only know that I find the music of Mahler beautiful.I had the very great pleasure of hearing Dame Janet Baker singing Mahler last week on the BBC.
Love that Wagner was influenced by Meyerbeer.
scarletnoir wrote: "Greenfairy wrote: "While you are here Scarlet, I must tell you that I have abandonded listening to The Bass Rock on audio because the narrator's attempt to do a Welsh accent for a voluble vicar is ..."My Mam and her siblings spoke with the Rhondda accent, One of them went to live in Cardiff though and I recall my surprise at first hearing the "Caaardif" variation!
Bill wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Just finished the short book Jews Dont Count by David Baddiel"Does the book fulfill this criterion? Every serious discussion of antisemitism includes this joke: an antisemite is some..."
In 2017 the Institute of Jewish Policy Research published
Antisemitism in contemporary Great Britain: A study of attitudes towards Jews and Israel
https://www.jpr.org.uk/publication?id...
The results themselves are of limited interest for somebody who lives outside the UK.
The thoughts behind it are, however, most interesting indeed, imo.
They set out to find answers to three main questions:
1. Jewish anxieties and the observed levels of antisemitism:
at cross-purposes?
2. Antisemitic and anti-Israel attitudes: two sides of the same
coin?
3. The relative importance of antisemitism among key
sub-groups: the far-right, the far-left, Christians and Muslims
Their conclusions go against the grain of what, let's call them "interested parties" (not individuals, to make that clear!), are peddling at every opportunity.
Reading your review made me realize that such a study, done in the US, would have to add fundamentalist Christian attitudes in question 3.
I am glad to live in a country that doesn't suffer from that pestilence.
I came across a word that I had not met before today - higgler.A higgler was an itinerant who sold small quantities of goods without a license, it could be eggs, butter, rabbits or even coal in Yorkshire. Usually their goods were cheaper than from a licensed seller. I suppose it’s a little like buying something at a car boot sale.
I could find when the word dates from but certainly in use in 17C.
While looking I came across ‘ mangle keeper’ in professions, defined as someone who lets others use their mangle doubtless for a charge.
I had a mangle when my children were small. Sign of the times that I did not have a washing machine and used to boil the terry towel nappies clean in a big old saucepan. My mangle could be fixed onto the side of the sink so that as you turned the handle to guide the clothes/nappies through the rollers the water could drain into the sink. You always had to take care not to trap your fingers in the rollers . You did your washing in the sink, tipped the nappies in there then used a pair of wooden tongs which had a metal loop at the top to get them into the mangle.
Greenfairy wrote: "I only know that I find the music of Mahler beautiful.I had the very great pleasure of hearing Dame Janet Baker singing Mahler last week on the BBC.
Love that Wagner was influenced by Meyerbeer."
Baker is probably my favorite singer of Mahler.
Hans von Bülow called Wagner's Rienzi "Meyerbeer's greatest opera".
@CC…a”Higgler ” is unfamiliar to me, but perhaps it wasn’t used in the East Riding. We always were a little detached from the rest of the county! However I recall my grandmother using a mangle. In fact my father, lost the tip of his small finger to one in childhood. I always thought he had lost it in his deep sea trawling days, but seemingly it was an encounter with the mangle.
Bill wrote: "Greenfairy wrote: "I only know that I find the music of Mahler beautiful.I had the very great pleasure of hearing Dame Janet Baker singing Mahler last week on the BBC.
Love that Wagner was influen..."
Some snide critic called "Rienzi" "Meyerbeer's best opera," so the influence must have been clear early in Wagner's career.
Just finished reading
The third in the Tom Novak series. A Serbian orphan refugee who has served in the Marines and is now with the Met police. He gets secondeded to undercover ops in the Balkans. For anyone who likes James Bond style, suspend disbelief, books these are for you.
Very enjoyable.
Robert wrote: "Some snide critic called "Rienzi" "Meyerbeer's best opera," so the influence must have been clear early in Wagner's career."Bryan Magee points out that in Wagner's first three forays into opera composition he experimented with the three basic types that were then being written and performed: in Die Feen, German Romantic opera (Weber, Marschner); Das Liebesverbot, Italian bel canto (Bellini, Donizetti); and Rienzi, French grand opera (Meyerbeer, Halévy).
Bill wrote: "Robert wrote: "Some snide critic called "Rienzi" "Meyerbeer's best opera," so the influence must have been clear early in Wagner's career."Bryan Magee points out that in Wagner's first three fora..."
Interesting.
I wonder if the term "higgler" was related to "haggle" or "haggler"?
Belated thanks GPFR for your intro this month and work as our co-chair so to speak, excellent!On the topic of long v shorter novels, i havent found a rule as yet, some shorter novels have taken a long time to read due to style and depth,while longer ones have rolled along. In my 40s i have become slightly less keen on longer novels 500+, which may be a wariness about getting bored or lost in the sea of text but i havent experienced anything too negative with longer novels all the same
Mod
"I wonder if the term "higgler" was related to "haggle" or "haggler"?"
This made me curious, CC, but searching didn't turn up much. Robert, it seems to be thought it's a variant of haggle.
I found this from Collins:
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dic...
Word origin[1625–35; appar. var. of haggle]
This word is first recorded in the period 1625–35.
Other words that entered English at around the same time include: deviate, etch, interlock, officiate, program
Gpfr wrote: "Robert wrote: CCCubbon wrote: "I came across a word that I had not met before today - higgler.""I wonder if the term "higgler" was related to "haggle" or "haggler"?"
This made me curious, CC, bu..."
A higgler was a person selling goods without a licence which was necessary in the seventeenth century. The book that I am reading (The Pudding Lane Plot)
Concentrates on higglers coming into London to sell eggs at a lower price than the Poulterers allowed. Eggs were priced officially at 1 penny each which seems very expensive for the times.
I found this-
The Worshipful Company of Poulters is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. In 1368, the Company received the power to regulate the sale of poultry, swans, pigeons, rabbits and small game. The Company, which was incorporated under a Royal Charter of Charles II on 13th June 1665, is no longer an association of tradesmen that retains its ancient powers, but now operates as a charitable institution as do most of the other Livery Companies.
Mod
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booke...
Two from me from the last few days.. Carnality by Lina Wolff translated from the Swedish by Frank Perry.
A Swedish writer ups sticks and moves to Madrid in search of new life.
Very soon after she arrives, she meets Miranda, and talks herself into a job as cater for her husband, Santiago, who has Alzheimer’s. At the same time, she is approached by a man in a bar, Mercuro, who asks if he can rent a room in her new apartment, upon which she ponders, and then agrees.
Of course Mercuro has a backstory; he has many past lovers and is in hiding after an experience on a web based series, run by a nun, and designed to shock its viewers.
The first part of the book is a third party narrative, that after a rather sedate start, swiftly moves to twists and spins aplenty.
From the second part, a monologue, we know things haven’t worked out well for the Swedish author, but we don’t know why. It takes the third part, a series of letters from a third character, for us to discover why.
And there is a particularly satisfying ending.
My criticism is that as a whole, the three parts don’t really gel together. Some of the many twists are confusing at first. But, it is written with an insinuation of dark humour, and really, credit must be given to an author who wants to experiment and try something different. It certainly entertains.
and, Moon Lake by Eudora Welty
This concerns the events at a summer camp in Mississippi in the early 1900s. Two groups of girls I’d guess at about fourteen years old, attend the camp, a middle class set and the other a group of orphans there due to charity.
It particularly focuses on the relationships between three girls, Nina Carmichael, Jinny Love Stark, and an orphan named Easter, as well as the lifeguard, a short-tempered and argumentative adolescent boy, probably just a year or two older than the girls. All four characters go through some challenging experiences as Welty beautifully delves into themes of identity, belonging and initiation.
Having led such groups on similar types of adventure activity courses it is refreshing to know that things haven’t changed much in a hundred years. The actual activity is a guise for the youngsters to encounter situations that may need new skills to be solved, teamwork and respect for others for example.
The brilliance is that Welty has captured all this in such wonderful prose in a matter of just over fifty pages. I’ve enjoyed plenty of Welty’s work before, but think this might just be her best.
I’m surprised it has never been adapted for the screen.
Written in 1947 it was incredibly rejected by seven magazines before being published by the Sewanee Review in 1949.
Just started two new reads:The Olive Trees of Justice by Jean Pelegri(1959)is an evocative novel of the Algerian War, a man returns to Algiers where his father lies dying, as the conflict starts to creep closer to the white city besides the sea, the metropolis of settler Algeria.
Miami by Joan Didion (1987) is an interesting look at the underworld of the tropical south, the cuban exiles and the link to Washington. Didion is brilliant as ever with her style and commentary, the new journalism personified
On a grimmer note, the heat is returning to the shires with five hot days from Weds, a nasty reminder of a similar hot spell in 2021 and the ridiculous heat of July. Its been a summer to forget for me, too hot, too dry and never ending.....i would say i will welcome the autumn but it will probably still be summer in mid-October!
Please don't alert the folks with straight jackets, but I saw a 2nd yellow car - really an SUV today. Thank you Shirley!
I'm sure all US-based eTLSer's have seen this today:
Remember "The Magic 8 Ball"?
I'm now imagining a novelty toy using a similar technology, "The Trump Toady Toilet": you raise the lid (embossed with the Presidential Seal), the water swirls, and a piece of paper floats up with the name of a Trump sycophant written on it: Stefanik, McCarthy, Cruz, Graham, Pence, Guliani ...
Georg wrote: "Bill wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Just finished the short book Jews Dont Count by David Baddiel"Does the book fulfill this criterion? Every serious discussion of antisemitism includes this joke: an antis..."
You do know that a lot of fundamentalist Christians are also very pro-Israel. Time to start another pile?
MK wrote: "Please don't alert the folks with straight jackets, but I saw a 2nd yellow car - really an SUV today. Thank you Shirley!"Two yellow cars in the PNW at the same time? Questions arise. Where is Nancy Drew when we need her?
Robert wrote: "I'd leave Rhodes where he is. His statue reflects the values of his time and reminds the viewer where the money came from. The viewer might then reflect on where the money comes from now."That's fine, so long as the viewer is given the information on which to form a judgement... such works should not be simply left as they are, with no commentary - IMO.
In a previous life, I used to visit many schools in Wales as part of my job - one was called Sir Thomas Picton School, in Haverfordwest. Like most people, I suppose, I never thought much about who Picton was but just got on with my work. It turns out that Picton was anything but an admirable character, which has led to the 're-framing' of his portrait at the national Museum of Wales in Cardiff:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2...
As for the school, it merged with Haverfordwest's other secondary and the name changed - in 2018!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Tho...
Bill wrote: "Ringer tries to be more precise than Fischer in defining “Jewish music”, but I’m not convinced that the term has meaning once one goes beyond liturgical or traditional music associated with Judaism."I'd agree with you on that... of rather more interest to me would be an investigation into the sincerity or otherwise of Mahler's conversion to Christianity - generally thought to be a means to improving his career prospects (and who can blame him?).
I like the joke, BTW... I've never understood the irrational dislike or hatred for someone just because they happen to be Jewish/black/white/ Muslim/whatever. Each individual should be judged as such on their own merits; it's possible to find ample reasons for dislike which arise from individual behaviour as opposed to those general classifications!
CCCubbon wrote: "I had a mangle when my children were small. Sign of the times that I did not have a washing machine..."My mother was in the same position when I was a kid (until we got a Bendix...) - it was a massive thing that lived in the garage - you'd have needed four strong men to lift that! Mam tells the tale that when she was young, a (male) cousin persuaded her to put her hand in the mangle - then he turned the handle... :-(
ScarletOuch, that was naughty there was quite some pressure between the rollers.
The first machine of a kind that I had was really just one that heated the water. On the top was a lid with a handle which you moved back and forth to swish the clothes around. Attached was a small mangle to squeeze out the water once washed. Mangles could get clothes almost as dry as a spin dryer.
CCCubbon wrote: "ScarletOuch, that was naughty there was quite some pressure between the rollers.
The first machine of a kind that I had was really just one that heated the water. On the top was a lid with a handl..."
Our mangle looked pretty much like this one (including green paint) - it may have been the same make, for all I know:
https://pixabay.com/photos/mangle-was...
My aunt had a mangle atop her washing machine that could be swung out over the sink very state of the art!
scarletnoir wrote: "Bill wrote: "Ringer tries to be more precise than Fischer in defining “Jewish music”, but I’m not convinced that the term has meaning once one goes beyond liturgical or traditional music associated..."I am pretty certain his conversion was purely pragmatic.
MK wrote: "Please don't alert the folks with straight jackets, but I saw a 2nd yellow car - really an SUV today. Thank you Shirley!"https://youtu.be/cqTwQBT3BLs 😊
Greenfairy wrote: "My aunt had a mangle atop her washing machine that could be swung out over the sink very state of the art!"
We had one of those, which may even have been electric. An object of fascination to me as a child. The problem with mangles though is that they put massive criss-cross creases in all your clothes. So they saved on the drying and doubled on the ironing.
We had one of those, which may even have been electric. An object of fascination to me as a child. The problem with mangles though is that they put massive criss-cross creases in all your clothes. So they saved on the drying and doubled on the ironing.
Robert wrote: "You do know that a lot of fundamentalist Christians are also very pro-Israel. Time to start another pile?"I mention this at the end of my review of Lipstadt's book:
In describing a meeting “hosted by the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations and the World Jewish Congress to strategize about combating BDS activity on college campuses and in social media”, Lipsatdt tells with obvious horror about insults and opprobrium piled on two Jewish students who represented “the left-of-center J Street U and the New Israel Fund” while, at the same meeting, “a Messianic Jew – a born Jew who converted to Christianity through Jews for Jesus” was met with cheers.
In mentioning Jews for Jesus, Lipstadt touches on the fringes of, as far as I’m aware, the most longstanding example of the mutual embrace between Israelis and adherents of an ideology that, though it presents itself as philo-semitic, is in its basics hardly distinguishable from antisemitism: the Fundamentalist Protestant “support” for the state of Israel. The Fundamentalists require Israel to exist as a stage set for their end time prophecies to be fulfilled, a narrative that involves the death of two-thirds of Jews and the conversion of the remainder. Admittedly this is a controversial issue, and an honest discussion of it may alienate many on the far right, but Lipstadt betrays her own directive to tell hard truths by avoiding it completely.
Sous les vents de Neptune – Fred Vargas, translated as Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand
This was my fourth Commissaire Adamsberg, and I hesitated to start, as perhaps I had got the swing of Vargas’ style and should move on to someone else, but really once the weirdly wonderful humour sets in all you want to do is let yourself be submerged in the flow. The trail of gruesome murders – the victims are all despatched with a trident – is, as it were, just a bonus. Then, all of a sudden, it all becomes tense and highly intriguing, and you have to discover how Adamsberg solves the case. Along the way there is a beautiful portrait of two aged women who seem eccentric but are very far from dotty.
This was my fourth Commissaire Adamsberg, and I hesitated to start, as perhaps I had got the swing of Vargas’ style and should move on to someone else, but really once the weirdly wonderful humour sets in all you want to do is let yourself be submerged in the flow. The trail of gruesome murders – the victims are all despatched with a trident – is, as it were, just a bonus. Then, all of a sudden, it all becomes tense and highly intriguing, and you have to discover how Adamsberg solves the case. Along the way there is a beautiful portrait of two aged women who seem eccentric but are very far from dotty.
scarletnoir wrote: "I'd agree with you on that... of rather more interest to me would be an investigation into the sincerity or otherwise of Mahler's conversion to Christianity - generally thought to be a means to improving his career prospects (and who can blame him?)."I'm now on the chapter of Fischer's biography that deals with Mahler's philosophical and spiritual beliefs, but it's fairly evident from the information presented that his conversion (specifically to Catholicism) was a purely careerist move.
At one point, in a letter which was, at least in part, associated with his campaign to land the position of conductor at the Vienna Court Opera, he notes that his religion should not be a problem as he has been baptised; in fact, at the point he wrote the letter, Mahler had not yet under gone baptism. I suspect he wanted to be more assured of his prospects before taking the step.
Later, his close collaborator Alfred Roller suggested that Mahler write a Mass; the composer quoted some of the Credo and replied that he could never set those words. (I note in passing that none of Schubert's Mass settings includes music for the clause "Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam".)
Bill wrote: "I'm sure all US-based eTLSer's have seen this today:Remember "The Magic 8 Ball"?
I'm now imagining a novelty toy using a similar technology, "The Trump Toady Toilet": you raise the lid (embosse..."
I am a big (okay HUGE) fan of Heather Cox Richardson (American historian of especially the Republican Party and the US Civil War). Each weekday she sends out an email highlighting the national (usually) newsworthy events of the day. (Just google Heather Cox Richardson to sign up.)
Today's issue had this note about Trump and the FBI search of Mar-A-Largo - I told you: no one with any brains at all ever messes with archivists. You may remember this all goes back to Trump taking boxes home - including classified stuff.
One of the reasons I like Heather Cox Richardson is that she deals in facts and stuff that has really happened. So much news today is filled with 'what if this or that happens' that I don't even listen to NPR any longer. I belong to the 'tell me when it's over camp'.
A tidbit from Bletchley Park - Today we remember the talented singer and actress, Olivia Newton-John, who has sadly passed away.
We caught up with Olivia in 2019 to reminisce about her father, Brinley Newton-John, who was one of the WW2 Codebreakers.
Being recruited to Bletchley Park in 1942 Olivia's father, Brinley, was an Intelligence Officer in Hut 3 and in Japanese Section. In addition to this, Brinley was fittingly part of the Bletchley Park Drama Group.
You can find out more about Brinley's Bletchley Park career here
➡️ https://bletchleypark.org.uk/roll-of-...
MK wrote: "Bill wrote: "I'm sure all US-based eTLSer's have seen this today:Remember "The Magic 8 Ball"?
I'm now imagining a novelty toy using a similar technology, "The Trump Toady Toilet": you raise the..."
this could be the situation that may snare Trump, apparently he will have broken the law by not sending all his documents to the archive, this includes non-classified, while his team are claiming its ok to have non-classified stuff...no it isnt. Debarring from running for President could be best result of this but not sure how much appetite there may be for it and he will surely blame some young employee and hang then out to dry, while fighting the process thrugh the courts
Trump sums up the fact that if you have bottomless pockets you can fight and fight everything in the courts and buy yourself time. Something in the anglo-saxon court system needs to stop the wealthy from benefitting from the courts and the wrangling that ensues
AB76 wrote: "MK wrote: "Bill wrote: "I'm sure all US-based eTLSer's have seen this today:Remember "The Magic 8 Ball"?
I'm now imagining a novelty toy using a similar technology, "The Trump Toady Toilet": yo..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarndyc...
Russell wrote: "Sous les vents de Neptune – Fred Vargas, translated as Wash This Blood Clean From My HandThis was my fourth Commissaire Adamsberg, and I hesitated to start, as perhaps I had got the swing of Varg..."
Just checked if I’d read this..no.. I’ve read 1, 2, 7 and 8..
There are indeed 11, which surprised me.
They are good entertainment. Maybe I’ll get to this. Thanks for the review.
Gpfr wrote: "Robert wrote: CCCubbon wrote: "I came across a word that I had not met before today - higgler.""I wonder if the term "higgler" was related to "haggle" or "haggler"?"
This made me curious, CC, bu..."
Thanks.
Oh dear, I have just learned of the death of Raymond Briggs, another light gone out..☹️
Robert wrote: "Gpfr wrote: "Robert wrote: CCCubbon wrote: "I came across a word that I had not met before today - higgler.""I wonder if the term "higgler" was related to "haggle" or "haggler"?"
This made me cu..."
There is a book called The Higgler which is a collection of short stories by A.E Coppard - I might put it on my tbr list.
MK wrote: "Bill wrote: "I'm sure all US-based eTLSer's have seen this today:Remember "The Magic 8 Ball"?
I'm now imagining a novelty toy using a similar technology, "The Trump Toady Toilet": you raise the..."
MK wrote: "Bill wrote: "I'm sure all US-based eTLSer's have seen this today:
Remember "The Magic 8 Ball"?
I'm now imagining a novelty toy using a similar technology, "The Trump Toady Toilet": you raise the..."
It isn't just the erosion of the center; it's the cast of mediocre politicians on both sides that depresses me. I, too, have tuned them out.
Mod
I'm also reading in the British Library Crime Classics series, Murder by the Book: Mysteries for Bibliophiles, a selection of Golden Age short stories.
As well as the higglers in The Pudding Lane Plot we meet some Fifth Monarchists.This sect which dates from c1651 believed that the execution of Charles l was the stating point leading to the Second Coming - that Jesus would descend from heaven to become King Jesus and rule the country for a thousand years. They were most disappointed when Cromwell made the Protectorate as they had considerable following in the previous six months.
The sect gradually died out by the 1680s. The best book I know about the history of all the various sects which abounded in the seventeenth century is by Christopher Hill and called The World turned upside Down
Glorious sunshine, so am sitting in the garden, having hauled on ancient shorts and T shirt. Would rather be in France, but garden sheltered and Martin Walker’s Dordogne set mystery, Fatal Pursuit, will have to do me for now.
Lass wrote: "Glorious sunshine, so am sitting in the garden, having hauled on ancient shorts and T shirt. Would rather be in France, but garden sheltered and Martin Walker’s Dordogne set mystery, Fatal Pursuit,..."Hi Lass, Hiding inside the house here at 30 degrees. Am waiting to get hold of the latest Martin Walker book. I noticed someone at a house round the corner from me had put aluminium foil on their bedroom window panes.
Mod
I'm enjoying Le Doorman by Madeleine Assas, the story of Ray from French Algeria who becomes a doorman in Park Avenue. I've just written a bit about it on WWR.
giveusaclue wrote: "Lass wrote: "Glorious sunshine, so am sitting in the garden, having hauled on ancient shorts and T shirt. Would rather be in France, but garden sheltered and Martin Walker’s Dordogne set mystery, F..."During a really hot spell several years ago I bought a sheet used in building (1/2" thick by something like 4 by 6 feet at the hardware store. I had them cut it (for free) into two premeasured pieces that I could further trim to fit windows and so I could fit it in my car. I still have them in the basement and have thought about dragging them out as they fit the windows on the sunny side of the house. But even though it's been hot, it hasn't been a real scorcher this year. Did I say one side is covered with a reflective like aluminum foil? Anyway, it was really cheap and made me think that - at least I was doing something without breaking the bank (like investing in air conditioning).
In the meantime I am readingThe Unquiet Bones
which is rather good. (I woke up early this a.m. and decided to stay under the covers for a while with it.) It's a police procedural type taking place in England after one of the serious plague years. The detective is a young, but thoughtful surgeon.
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I agree, but I can see one advantage in the idea: if there is such a thing as Jewish Music, then Meyerbeer, as a Jewish composer, might have been one of it foremost practitioners, depending on how it's defined; thus Wagner, heavily influenced by Meyerbeer during his early career, might be the most famous composer of Jewish Music who ever lived, a conclusion that I am sure would have made him very happy.