What are we reading? 2/01/2024

[Berkley]

AB76 wrote: "
Apollo Classics are an imprint worth exploring (the Gerhardie novel is published by them) a range of novels in brilliant covers and presentation from some neglected authors. They dont seem to be producing any new volumes but i have read about six of their catalogue in last 5 years.

i think with Moore, the starting point should be The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, though the later novels like The Statement and The Revolution Script are also briliiant. I havent read "Coffey" yet, though it is on my pile."

Thanks, I believe I saw The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne at the local used bookstore last time I was in there so I'll have a look for it when I pass by there today.

Alessandro Baricco

[scarletnoir]

Ruby wrote: "First Nation children were dragged, literally, from their birth families...."

This sort of behaviour seems to have been common amongst colonialists - and more recently than we might care to believe. The Australian film 'Rabbit-Proof Fence' deals with the issue:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252444/...

Such stories of child abduction are not only racial/colonial in origin: the Catholic church has a fine tradition of extracting babies from young unmarried mothers and selling them on to 'responsible parents', as in 'Wilhelmina', for example - there are many tales of this type.

Not only do they occur for racial or 'religious/moral' reasons - in some countries, this happened for political reasons. In Argentina, where some 30,000 people "disappeared" (just like that?), their children were given to junta supporters who wanted to expand their families:
https://daily.jstor.org/stolen-childr...

Inhuman human behaviour is all too common, unfortunately.

[scarletnoir]

MK wrote: "OMG - at this rate I'll use up my gift articles PDQ. However, it is beyond me how the Tories can stomach this. Of course, meeting demands would mean somebody with £££; i.e, Tories, needs to pay mor..."

What the Tories would ideally like is a system more like the American one, where people pay and those who can't get a lower level of service. They have already sneaked a good deal of 'privatisation' into the NHS, to no good effect.

[Gpfr]

Some interesting looking books here, first biography prize: https://foxedquarterly.com/slightly-f...

[Gpfr]

scarletnoir wrote: "Ruby wrote: "First Nation children were dragged, literally, from their birth families...."

"the Catholic church has a fine tradition of extracting babies from young unmarried mothers and selling them on to 'responsible parents', as in 'Wilhelmina', for example..."

Do you mean Philomena?

[scarletnoir]

Anne wrote: "I think, that there's no such thing as a foolproof tip to get out of a reading rut."

Indeed... but I do think that reading and commenting on this site has helped me to clarify my own ideas about what I like, and what I don't. From there - if someone praises a crime novel on the basis of the puzzle element, I'll think: "Fine - but what about the characters?" I loved Christie when I was young, but don't care to revisit that genre. Or if it's a literary effort - if they praise the descriptions, or the language, I'll think: "Good for them... but is there a story? And are the descriptions interminable? Do they lead anywhere?" And so on.

One good thing about Amazon reviews is that for many novels there are many comments... if in doubt, I'll check both the positive and most negative reviews, to see if any pet hates crop up. It saves time. (Browsing the first few pages - either in a bookshop, or from an ebook sample, can also help a lot.)

[MK]

scarletnoir wrote: "Ruby wrote: "First Nation children were dragged, literally, from their birth families...."

This sort of behaviour seems to have been common amongst colonialists - and more recently than we might c..."

It must have been 2012 and had to be a rainy day because I am not usually a movie goer . I was staying at an early equivalent of an air b&b in Holland Park. As I came out of the tube I saw a marquee for 'Oranges and Sunshine'. I wish I had passed it by as I have a hard time processing people being so mean and deceitful.

Here's a link to the original book -Oranges & Sunshine

[scarletnoir]

giveusaclue wrote: "Greenfairy wrote: "short stories are often just the thing ."

I tend to find them rather irritating, I'm just getting into them and they end!"

I tend to feel the same way... few short story writers excite me, though Frank O'Connor is one I recall with great affection - sensitive and entertaining.

[Gpfr]

In the festive spirit, I've been re-reading a book of classic crime stories: Murder at Christmas: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season. Michael Innes, Nicholas Blake, Margery Allingham ...

I very much like short stories — this year I've particularly enjoyed those of Elizabeth Taylor and last year, Jane Gardam. I also enjoyed this year one of Martin Edward's anthologies for the British Library classic crime series: Final Acts, theatrical mysteries.

[scarletnoir]

Gpfr wrote: "Do you mean Philomena?"

I do indeed!

Believe it or not - I had doubts about 'Wilhelmina' (from memory), then went to the trouble of checking out Steve Coogan films on IMDB, saw that the correct title was 'Philomena'.

Went back to my keyboard and typed... 'Wilhelmina'! Just goes to show, when an idea implants itself...

[scarletnoir]

MK wrote: "I saw a marquee for 'Oranges and Sunshine'. I wish I had passed it by as I have a hard time processing people being so mean and deceitful."

I remember reading about this a while back, though don't recall if that was linked to this book's release. Colonisers were quite keen to populate the countries they invaded... that's why all those crims were sent to Aussie, back in the day!

[CCCubbon]

AB76 wrote: "CCCubbon wrote: "Reading the Quirke books by John Banville writing as Benjamin Black has been a joy over the festive season. Not that the books are joyful, their content at times so awful that one’..."

I do intersperse with other authors. I have mixed up the three AK Turner books in with them but I suppose I do like to read a run at times. The Quirke series has been very good although I know some didn’t like them, I rate them highly for the quality of the writing and the setting and atmosphere of Dublin innthe fifties.

[AB76]

Berkley wrote: "AB76 wrote: "
Apollo Classics are an imprint worth exploring (the Gerhardie novel is published by them) a range of novels in brilliant covers and presentation from some neglected authors. They dont..."

For me it was my first Ulster novel, i have always been interested in Northern Ireland and the culture and religious divides but until then, no novels of the area had informed my reading. Now i have read a good 6 or 7 Ulster novels and it was Moore and Judith Hearne that got me started.

One can feel the bleakness of Belfast in those years, a hard, industrial city, the society that was male dominated and macho and the uneasy, silent prejudices of the two tribes(Catholic and Protestant)

[giveusaclue]

scarletnoir wrote: "Ruby wrote: "First Nation children were dragged, literally, from their birth families...."

This sort of behaviour seems to have been common amongst colonialists - and more recently than we might c..."

Aren't the Russians doing this in Ukraine?

[MK]

scarletnoir wrote: "MK wrote: "I saw a marquee for 'Oranges and Sunshine'. I wish I had passed it by as I have a hard time processing people being so mean and deceitful."

I remember reading about this a while back, t..."

Except this time it was children.

[Berkley]

AB76 wrote: "Berkley wrote: "AB76 wrote: "
Apollo Classics are an imprint worth exploring (the Gerhardie novel is published by them) a range of novels in brilliant covers and presentation from some neglected au..."

Just bought the Brian Moore book, looking forward to reading it.

I also bought a book by Alessandro Baricco that I had seen at the same used book shop (that's why that name appeared mysteriously at the bottom of my earlier post: I had been about to mention it and accidentally clicked post before finishing).

I think I remember someone recommending this Italian author on the old Guardian group a few years ago - probably Paul. I wasn't able to find anything back then but just a few days ago I saw five or six of them on the shelf. I went with Ocean Sea, as it was the earliest of them.

[AB76]

Berkley wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Berkley wrote: "AB76 wrote: "
Apollo Classics are an imprint worth exploring (the Gerhardie novel is published by them) a range of novels in brilliant covers and presentation from some..."

good stuff Berkley, glad to get people into reading Brian Moore

video intvw with moore, about his later novel "The Statement", which is also superb about a Vichy war criminal

https://charlierose.com/videos/9185

[AB76]

Really enjoying Selected Journalism, 1850-1870 , i purchased it a good decade ago, read one half and then left it for another time, not sure why

Anyway, with the advent of 2024, i have picked up this volume again and have found it wonderful reading in my late night spot, reserved for essays, diaries etc.

Obviously the language and style is a key component of Dickens, alongside the interesting stories he tells of London, France and other locations. In last few days i have read of a visit to a Asylum for a Boxing Day dance for patients, on the Thames with the River Police, a stirring article on finding five young women sleeping outside a workhouse ("spectral figures, gaunt and exhausted") and an article on Stafford and how boring it was!

In the intro, there is a reference to a train crash in 1865 that Dickens was caught in, how it shook him up so badly he couldnt write about it, developing tremors and in that five years up to his untimely death in 1870, he wrote no more journalism which was his first love

[scarletnoir]

giveusaclue wrote: ".Aren't the Russians doing this in Ukraine?"

(Referring to child abduction)

It has certainly been claimed, and given what Putin and his followers are like, I would not put it past them at all.

Indeed, having checked this on Wikipedia, it certainly seems that there are many instances of this shocking behaviour:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_a....

[scarletnoir]

MK wrote: "Except this time it was children..."

Most of the examples in the original discussion were children: UK to Australia; white Australians taking Aboriginal children (apologies if that term isn't acceptable now - not sure what is); Argentina junta supporters 'gaining' children from the "disappeared"... and so on.

[MK]

Does anyone here read about food? I've stuck a used copy of An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David in my basket at Powells and am wondering if I should really buy it.

[AB76]

scarletnoir wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: ".Aren't the Russians doing this in Ukraine?"

(Referring to child abduction)

It has certainly been claimed, and given what Putin and his followers are like, I would not put it ..."

yes, the NYT yesterday had an article on russian child abductions. Putin claiming instead of dying in Mariopol, the abducted kids get nice holidays in Russian Crimea!

i would imagine safeguarding is a huge issue with adoption in Russia and many of these Ukrainian kids could end in nightmare situations

[Gpfr]

MK wrote: "Does anyone here read about food? ..."

Sometimes: for example, Laurie Colwin - Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen, Julia Child - My Life in France ... Nora Ephron's Heartburn has recipes and The Most of Nora Ephron includes writing about food ...

[FrancesBurgundy]

MK wrote: "Does anyone here read about food? I've stuck a used copy of An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David in my basket ..."

Two of Elizabeth David's works that have stuck with me are English Bread and Yeast Cookery, but then I do like making bread, and Harvest of the Cold Months, all about how ice was 'harvested' and brought from the US and Scandinavia to England.

For anyone who can get to London, the Canal Museum near Kings Cross is definitely worth a visit. It's in a former ice warehouse (next to Regent's Canal) and you get two museums for the price of one - canals and barges, plus history of bringing enormous blocks of ice to the UK.

[Ruby]

I also liked Laurie Colwin's books about food--feeding 200 people in Home Cooking.

I thought I was back to normal reading but I'm not even close. This past year I read for second and third time many books. I needed sure things to read rather than stop and start a lot of newer books, plus wanting to read again.

Couldn't finish Gorky Park much as I liked it wanted to get to the end. Nonfiction can hold my distracted brain more than fiction. So am rereading Your Inner Fish. I remember when Philip Roth announced he was quitting fiction reading. Maybe he had brain distraction issues!

A cold spell is a-comin'--really cold for this part of the world. Maybe even lowland snow.

[Gpfr]

Gpfr wrote: "MK wrote: "Does anyone here read about food?..."

Jane Grigson's English Food is another — I read it more than I cook from it.

And a book given to me many years ago, Japanese cooking by Peter and Joan Martin.

[Ruby]

I am high in the library queue for Zadie Smith and James McBride--dont want to give up on fiction entirely.

[scarletnoir]

AB76 wrote: "the NYT yesterday had an article on russian child abductions. Putin claiming instead of dying in Mariopol, the abducted kids get nice holidays in Russian Crimea!"

Indeed - and now on the BBC, a report mentions the figure of 19,000 (!) kids stolen by the Russians:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-euro...

[scarletnoir]

MK wrote: "Does anyone here read about food? I've stuck a used copy of An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David in my basket at Powells and am wondering if I should real..."

I prefer eating food to reading about it ;-) but do sometimes peruse the food pieces in the Guardian/Observer... as I'm a veggie, only some of these are of any interest. I could certainly manage an omelette and a glass of wine, though!

[scarletnoir]

Ruby wrote: "Nonfiction can hold my distracted brain more than fiction."

More evidence on how we are all different - I can read any number of (decently written) novels, but hardly ever a full non-fiction book - my eyes glaze over. Mostly, when I'm a bit interested in something - usually as a result of an online article or references in (yes) a story - I'll research it as long as it takes to satisfy my curiosity, then I'll stop!

[Ruby]

More on Little Bird, about tearing children from their families. Maybe this should be in movies section, but the discussion is here.

I liked that it was Canadian. The writer Hannah Moscovitch I hadn't known about. She is well established in Canadian theater. There was a Jewish aspect in the movie., Esther, nee Brezhig (first in Ojibwe), was adopted by a woman in Montreal who was a H survivor, and the name was chosen for sister who perished.

So here is Esther, beautiful native woman, with star of David around her neck, saying blessings with her adopted family in Hebrew, and when her twin dies, Esther and Mom say kaddish and Esther's native family saying prayers in Ojibwe.

[scarletnoir]

Norwood by Charles Portis

This is the third Portis I've read, after The Dog of the South and True Grit. It has similarities with the former - a poor southerner sets out to recuperate something - in this case, Norwood Pratt heads north from Ralph, Texas to New York City to get back $70 owed him by an old army buddy. The journey is anything but straightforward, and many incidents befall Norwood on his trip north, and on his return...

But this book is not 'about' the incidents so much... its attraction lies in the wonderful way Portis writes dialogue which is so convincing it sounds almost like a transcription - with the proviso that for the most part only the most droll or surreal exchanges have been retained. Since the tale is set in the early '60s, or maybe late '50s, it also retains some racist epithets which are rightly considered unacceptable, but I'm fairly sure that they are used in order to convey the attitudes of some characters rather than the author's own.

This was Portis' first novel - it is full of cultural and geographical references which will be easier for Americans of a certain age to fully grasp - I felt that at times I was probably missing out on some of the humour, as I lacked the knowledge to fully understand the context. Enough remained for me to thoroughly enjoy the book, though I feel that 'The Dog of the South' was rather better.

Be that as it may - I enjoyed it enough to order his other two novels, Gringos and Masters of Atlantis. As these are being shipped from the USA, they won't arrive until mid-February!

[scarletnoir]

Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

This wasn't bad, and certainly entertained - but I liked it less than the previous three books. Two reasons that I can think of - first, the context was less interesting to me than the historical and geographical background of those three, and secondly - there seemed to be three strands which didn't quite add up to a coherent story - more like three intermingled short tales.

In this book, the setting is the 'Three Stations' area of Moscow, where a young prostitute is found murdered. The casinos in Moscow have been closed recently (this happened in 2009) and so a casino owner who features is temporarily 'embarrassed'. There are (failed) ballet dancers and a dwarf... As always, the writing is good, and there is some humour, my favourite incident being (view spoiler)[ when Renko has to shoot a hit man, who turns out to be dressed as Dopey - so Renko kills one of the seven dwarfs! (hide spoiler)].

So far, I'd say that the best books in the series come in an excellent run of 'Havana Bay', 'Wolves Eat Dogs' and 'Stalin's Ghost' - all focused on more interesting histories. It's still good to see how Smith and his protagonist Renko negotiate the period from the Soviet era through the dissolution of the Soviet Union and now the rise of Putin and the oligarchs.

[Robert]

I am reading a modern Gothic mystery, "Leech." This isolated manor house lies in a remote part of some post-apocalyptic world (the former Swiss Alps?); our protagonist is not a vulnerable girl but a physician, and a rum one; the mystery is the what and how of a violent death. The language of the novel is interesting, and the subject matter intriguing.

[giveusaclue]

scarletnoir wrote: "Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

This wasn't bad, and certainly entertained - but I liked it less than the previous three books. Two reasons that I can think of - first, the cont..."

I will have to go back to Renko again. I enjoyed Gorky Park but was disappointed with Polar Star so haven't tried any for a while.

I am currently reading



First book by Nadal that I have tried. It "stars" a female DI Karen Heath just demoted after an operation went wrong and two officers were killed and who was scapegoated for it. At the beginning of the book a criminal is just released from prison in Belgium and receives an anonymous call to tell him when and where his former partner in crime would be holding his birthday party. He is out for revenge as he knows this guy set him up for a fall. He goes to confront his nemesis Taylor at the party. A few hours later Taylor has a violent row with his wife and attacks his stepson. He his then found shot dead the next morning.

I am enjoying the book which centres round criminal gangs in London involving a corrupt officer.Karen feels certain that her operation went wrong because of a tip off but doesn't know who is to blame. Yet.

[MK]

giveusaclue wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

This wasn't bad, and certainly entertained - but I liked it less than the previous three books. Two reasons that I can think ..."

@Clue - how's the weather? Is the water receding?

We may or may not get a taste of winter in the lowlands here later this week. I hope not because I have appts. both Thursday and Friday. Seattle does not handle snow well. Here's a favorite photo - https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/20...

[AB76]

MK wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

This wasn't bad, and certainly entertained - but I liked it less than the previous three books. Two reaso..."

in my area the water is falling fast, though lying everywhere in the fields, its colder but not freezing, sleet forecast on Monday

[AB76]

scarletnoir wrote: "Ruby wrote: "Nonfiction can hold my distracted brain more than fiction."

More evidence on how we are all different - I can read any number of (decently written) novels, but hardly ever a full non-..."

i read a good balance of both, about 60/40 in favour of fiction but i do love non-fiction. The two areas i dont read much of are modern fiction, (which i generally loathe) and poetry(which i can never get into)

i have a curious mind, so i dont find many topics boring when reading fiction or non-fiction, though i dislike popular history which everyone buys and generic, formulaic stuff like crime novels but i do read a good 3 or 4 crime novels a year, i just need to space them out, so they seem novel and not the same old churn

[AB76]

Despite not being a big lover of crime novels, i know many in here read loads of crime novels back to back

this small canadian publisher would interest you all i think:

https://www.vehiculepress.com/1-ricoc...

It publishes a selection of Quebec region noir novels). I greatly enjoyed The Body on Mount Royal by David Montrose and aim to read Whispering City by Horace Brown sometime in 2024

[Ruby]

scarletnoir wrote: "Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

Really appreciate your comments on the Arkady Renko books. I surprised (and delighted) myself last night when I put down the thrilling Your Inner Fish (fossil hunting in the Arctic in 375 million year old rocks for water-to-land transition fossils) and took up Gorky Park again. I dont usually read 2 books at the same time altho I know people who do - but this may make it easier for me. 2 or 3 chapters in one, 2 or 3 in another. fingers crossed.

[Gpfr]

After writing this post, it occurs to me I should have put it in Words — oh, well, tant pis ...
One of the books I'm reading at the moment is Patrick Leigh Fermor's Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece. In one chapter he is visiting the monasteries on the Meteora, perched almost inaccessibly on precipitous rocks.
The chapels have frescoes and reading a description of one I came across the wyvern — what is it, I thought, and had to look it up.

Oh, a dragon, you say. The wyvern has 2 legs, a dragon 4. If you want more information, you can get it here: https://a-z-animals.com/blog/wyvern-v...

In the same sentence, there was the hippogryph. This name seemed familiar but when I stopped to think, I realised I didn't know what that was either. It has the front half of an eagle and the hind part of a horse.

[Greenfairy]

Hippogryphs feature in the Harry Potter Books, which probably explains the familiarity with the name?

[Greenfairy]

On Radio 4's Open Book earlier there was an excellent discussion on The Moonstone. The books influence on modern detective fiction and crime writing was talked about among other things, well worth a listen.

[CCCubbon]

Gpfr wrote: "After writing this post, it occurs to me I should have put it in Words — oh, well, tant pis ...
One of the books I'm reading at the moment is Patrick Leigh Fermor's [book:Roumeli: Travels in Northe..."

Oddly, hippogriff ( alternate spelling) came up in the crossword today.
I looked it up and noted that another hippogriff, the father of this one had the hind part of a lion withe front of an eagle. The mixture gets stranger, wonder what the mother was!

[Gpfr]

Greenfairy wrote: "Hippogryphs feature in the Harry Potter Books, which probably explains the familiarity with the name?"

No, never read them nor seen any of the films.

[MK]

Ann Stafford's Army Without Banners is being re-issued, and there's an online talk about it - if you are interested.

Here's the link - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ann-st...

[giveusaclue]

MK wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: "Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

This wasn't bad, and certainly entertained - but I liked it less than the previous three books. Two reaso..."

Thanks for asking about the floods. Water is receding now, local roads open again, and the weather forecast is for dry this week. Fortunately.

[AB76]

Futility by William Gerhardie(1922) is unlike many novels i would choose to read, as it mixes comedy and realism with a light, very 1920s British touch

However, so far, as 2024 slowly starts to gather pace, it has been a very absorbing read, the style is perfect really, you pick it up to read 30 pages and it glides smoothly along, 90 odd pages in and no section has jarred or bored me, which can occur with even the best novels.

I wouldnt say it has thrilled me either, its like a well formed product in a factory, lacking flaws but the subject matter and locations carry it higher on the waterline than my comments may suggest.

Early sections deal with a complicated family which the narrator visits during the 1910-11 period(roughly), the Tsarist capital features as a subtle backdrop and then , just now as i read,it shifts towards the unrest of 1917 and the eventual murderous death of Liberal hopes with the Bolsheviks.

Gerhardie was very highly rated in the 1920s and knew the city of St Petersburg as a native, though of British descent. Its interesting to see that viewpoint on Russian life, in times of extreme change, i read Arthur Ransome's non-fiction account of the same period and after last year.

[AB76]

MK wrote: "Ann Stafford's Army Without Banners is being re-issued, and there's an online talk about it - if you are interested.

Here's the link - https://www.eventbrite.co...."

interesting, didnt know about this book

[scarletnoir]

Robert wrote: "...post-apocalyptic world..."

Those very words are sufficient to make my eyes glaze over... I'll give this one a miss!