What are we reading? 6/11/2023

[Tam]

Diana wrote: "I do recall admiring and enjoying reading A.S. Byatt‘s „Possession“ , but, like Gpfr.., I prefer Margaret Drabble‘s writing. I have quite a collection on my shelves but added The Millstone (1965) o..."

I'm on the preferring Margaret Drabble side as well. I enjoyed 'Possession' a bit, but I didn't like the supposed 'poetry' in it. The one other book of Byatt's that I enjoyed was 'The Children's Book', which loosely follows real famous people's life stories, with her imagined fictional counterparts. It was an interesting take, of the world of the English 'Fabians', from the late 19th century to the end of WWI. Otherwise I didn't take to her portrayals of very privileged Oxbridge graduates having a spiffing old time amongst themselves... But each to their own I guess...

[scarletnoir]

Robert wrote: "The dissatisfaction with the federal response to the migrant crisis crosses party lines, revealing a rare consensus."

I'm not going to comment on individuals or political systems for the moment. However, this is a problem for very many 'first world' countries, and none appear to have found an adequate solution. They seem to fall between impossible and absurd attempts ("build a wall!" - Trump; or "send them to Rwanda!" - Braverman) or trying in some way to alleviate the problems arising.

I have a feeling (and I'm sure read, somewhere) that such mass population movements have historically been almost impossible to control. Probably the best that can be attempted is to (1) do what is possible to improve conditions in the home countries so that people don't want to leave in the first place - it's an upheaval that most don't really want - by aid and political pressure; and (2) make sure that there is an adequately resourced system to vet applicants for asylum or immigrant status. It's absurd to make the process so slow and inefficient that thousands of people get locked up at great expense, only for most to be allowed to enter - eventually (as happens in the UK). Such processing could be carried out in the EU and elsewhere with sufficient money spent.

[AB76]

scarletnoir wrote: "Robert wrote: "The dissatisfaction with the federal response to the migrant crisis crosses party lines, revealing a rare consensus."

I'm not going to comment on individuals or political systems fo..."

very accurate on the slow process, in the uk its not "hordes" arriving at Dover, its a trickle, its not "hordes" flooding the country after gaining asylum, its the middle of the process that is overloaded. "hordes" is a negative right wing term but my point is the Dover/boats issue is totally overblown, with a sensible system it wouldnt matter. I do think they need to find safe routes faster and for the brexit mob to realise leaving the EU weakened their xenophobic options (ie returning people to place of destination, we dont have that option now since brexit)

Rwanda was risible from the start, if by throwing money at a country they get some kind of "magic deal", a corrupt landlocked african state was the worst of all worlds and i was stunned nobody in the civil service made that clear

[giveusaclue]

MK wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "Negative covid test today, so only a week this time. Which makes the op postponement even more annoying. But I suppose I have to be glad of small mercies."

Feel free to insert ..."

Well I've obviously had you share as well as my own!!😀

[Gpfr]

Diana wrote: "Margaret Drabble wrote in her early novels about young middle class women’s lives and motherhood in the 60s, and we have a fascinating insight into or reminder of the social milieu of that time..."

I think I've written this somewhere before — in 1969 an older colleague (30 something as opposed to my 21, former nurse now teaching EFL, me just out of university ...) said to me something on the lines of, "How can anyone like Margaret Drabble's books, nobody thinks/talks like that, it's so unrealistic". There was I thinking it was very much the way I thought, felt etc., quite realistic!

[Gpfr]

AB76 wrote: "Rwanda was risible from the start ..."

What I love is the now proposed solution of passing a law saying it's safe which will make everything OK!

[AB76]

The leaves are now falling fast, the hardy ash on my street has become a rather tatty remnant of its green glory, oaks are most resistant, the poplars long gone

As for reading, i have started Australian legend Randolph Stows 1979 novel Visitants, the blurb suggests an enquiry into the suicide of a patrol officer in the Trobriand Islands, in Papua New Guinea. But Stow has avoided a procedural novel based on four witnesses and what they know, by weaving a multitude of voices into one narrative. So far so good...

in The White Album(1979) my third Didion non-fiction read, the distinctive prose of the late author is bringing new names and situations to me, mainy from the American 1970s. I loved Slouching Towards Bethelem and was dissapointed by Miami. Again so far so good with this one

Nuremberg Diary(1947) by GM Gilbert was only discovered by me in September, i'm amazed i didnt read this 20 years ago. Its almost 500 pages of discussions with the Nuremberg defendants during the trial. Gilbert sits, as the prison pyschologist and listens and talks to the men who face trial, the Nazi henchman turned squabbling children. So far Hans Fritzche, propaganda radio presenter, comes accross as the most human(Goering even wonders why he is on trial as he had never heard of him!). Hans Frank, brutal Governor of a region of Poland is all Catholic convert sackloth and ashes, biblical and critical, even if Gilbert feels it may be due to him seeking whether there is something after this life. Ribbentrop is the most pathetic, a wreck of a man, in denial over Hitler and seemingingly losing his mind.

[AB76]

Gpfr wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Rwanda was risible from the start ..."

What I love is the now proposed solution of passing a law saying it's safe which will make everything OK!"

words fail me on that, the UK has stooped as low as it can be on treaties and laws since 2016.

[MK]

AB76 wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Robert wrote: "The dissatisfaction with the federal response to the migrant crisis crosses party lines, revealing a rare consensus."

I'm not going to comment on individuals or ..."

Only following Australia's example - (google cllip) - Nauru

Since then, Nauru's financial footing has depended on hosting a regional asylum processing and resettlement operation for Australia. On and off since 2001, Australia automatically sent asylum seekers arriving by boat to Nauru or Papua New Guinea's Manus Island for refugee status determination.Aug 29, 2023

[CCCubbon]

Diana wrote: "I do recall admiring and enjoying reading A.S. Byatt‘s „Possession“ , but, like Gpfr.., I prefer Margaret Drabble‘s writing. I have quite a collection on my shelves but added The Millstone (1965) o..."
There is a short passage from one of Drabble’s books, cannot remember which, which has always stuck in my mind
- There is a young woman, despairing, standing outside a church where there is a noticeboard with a text on a poster urging her to ‘ lift up thine eyes unto the hills’
‘There are no hills’ she cries to herself.
I don’t know why it sticks but it does.
In another book she has her heroine lying in the grass describing the feel and sounds. That sounds just like Somerset where the richness is noticeable. So impressed at the time I researched to find there was a Somerset connection.
Daft things we remember!

[CCCubbon]

Here’s my Drabble list
Drabble Margaret A Natural Curiosity
Drabble Margaret The Gates of Ivory
Drabble Margaret The Middle Ground
Drabble Margaret The Radiant Way
Drabble Margaret The Needle’s Eye
Drabble Margaret The Ice Age
Drabble Margaret The Waterfall
Drabble Margaret The Peppered Moth
Drabble Margaret The Dark Flood Rises
Drabble Margaret The Seven Sisters

I didn’t enjoy The Dark Flood much and I think the quote above comes from The Radiant Way.

[Gpfr]

CCCubbon wrote: "Here’s my Drabble list..."

I've read them all & I think I've got them all — sudden doubt about one ... I'll check.

I've just remembered that Jerusalem the Golden was a Reading Group choice:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/boo...

[Gpfr]

I'll close the thread in a couple of hours.