The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Miscellaneous - Archives
>
So, What's On the Bedside Table these Days? -- Part 1
Mod
With the relatively recent release of the latest installment ("Towers of Midnight") in the late Robert Jordan's massive fantasy epic "The Wheel of Time" series, I spent much of October through early January re-reading all 13 tomes. I really, really enjoyed going back and reading these again, as it had been simply ages since I had last read the series sequentially.
I am also reading Ted Hughes' marvelous adaptation of "Tales from Ovid" and loving his amazing poetry. I was able to obtain a brand-new copy of this book for postage through GR 'Book Swap' feature!
I received a copy of Helen Vendler's beautiful book of the poetry of Emily Dickinson, in her book Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries. I mentioned this superb book in a posting in the Poetry section above.
Finally, I am reading for the first time a very intellectually creative, intense, dark, and very well written ten-book fantasy series by Canadian author, Steven Erikson, entitled "The Malazan Book of the Fallen."
Because of my current job situation (i.e., as acting director of my agency), I am traveling a lot these days on planes. So I am getting some good reading time in airports and on the planes.
Christopher wrote: "What's everyone been reading these days?
With the relatively recent release of the latest installment ("Towers of Midnight") in the late Robert Jordan's massive fantasy epic "The Wheel of Time" se..."
Good use of your time :)
I'm one of those who abandonned WoT around Volume 7 and will never return, but I'm curious as to how well you think Sanderson's voice and style mesh with Jordan's.
With the relatively recent release of the latest installment ("Towers of Midnight") in the late Robert Jordan's massive fantasy epic "The Wheel of Time" se..."
Good use of your time :)
I'm one of those who abandonned WoT around Volume 7 and will never return, but I'm curious as to how well you think Sanderson's voice and style mesh with Jordan's.
Mod
With the relatively recent release of the latest installment ("Towers of Midnight") in the late Robert Jordan's massive fantasy epic "T..."
Brandon, has done a masterful job of picking this up and running with it. Clearly, his pacing is faster than Jordan's (and that's a good thing IMHO). There are subtle differences in Sanderson's voice versus that of Jordan's, but it really works well. Personally, I find the last two installments, both written by Brandon, to mesh seamlessly with the earlier volumes. Having said all of this, I have to believe that TOR and Harriet (Jordan's widow and editor) probably keep Brandon on a fairly 'tight leash' and that he has copious notes and outlines and sections that were written by Jordan before his death. I am sure that he can't get too far 'off-the-reservation', so to speak. In all honesty, Kate, at some point I do hope you'll reconsider your decision to leave off reading the series. Truly 'tis one of my faves. Cheers! Chris
Christopher wrote: "In all honesty, Kate, at some point I do hope you'll reconsider your decision to leave off reading the series. Truly 'tis one of my faves. "
Ahh, but you enjoy world building and development. I like plot resolution, damn it! ;)
Honestly, I have never found a multi volume series that didn't lose focus and become repettitious after 6-7 books. Even authors I like (i.e., Bujold's Vorkosigan or Cherryh's Foreigner series) haven't been able to carry it off.
Ahh, but you enjoy world building and development. I like plot resolution, damn it! ;)
Honestly, I have never found a multi volume series that didn't lose focus and become repettitious after 6-7 books. Even authors I like (i.e., Bujold's Vorkosigan or Cherryh's Foreigner series) haven't been able to carry it off.
Mod
Ahh, but you enjoy world building a..."
Yeah, I can see that. Generally, I agree with you. There are really very, very few fantasy series that I have stayed with to the end too, or live up to the initial hype. Somehow though, Jordan's series just really captured my imagination and heart and soul. Call me weird, but these big epic Manichaean-like struggles between good and evil have always intrigued me.
I'm currently reading all of the following with a different GR group: 
The Woman in White
Crime and Punishment
The Lord of the Rings (Following a pre-read of The Hobbit.)As we do here, this group reads together according to a schedule, though we tend to have much shorter reading assignments every week.
I'll admit I'm a little nervous about adding The Count of Monte Cristo to that list, but I think I might attempt to do that one as an audiobook for my commute and gym-time, so I won't feel too overextended.
Mod
The Woman in White[book:Crime and P..."Loretta, will this be your first read of Tolkien's LOTR? If so, I am highly envious of you; what a treat you are in for! I wish I could read it again for the very first time! Have fun! Cheers! Chris
Chris, I think the answer to that question is: sort of.I read The Hobbit when I was about 11 years old, so rereading it now is almost like reading it for the first time again, having forgotten many of the details over the years (though a few scenes stuck in my head over the years).
I did read The Fellowship of the Ring a few years ago, but gave up after just that one. I think my approach to reading has changed quite a bit since then (now I read many books at a time--see above--which holds my attention better rather than forcing myself to read something when I'm not in the "mood" for it), so I'm hopeful my earlier fickleness won't get in the way of my finishing something I was actually enjoying.
It will be the first time I am reading The Two Towers and The Return of the King. I had better stick with it, as I am moderating that discussion!
Mod
I read The Hobbit when I was about 11 years old, so rereading it now is almost like reading it for the first time again, having forgotten ..."
Terrific! Have fun, Loretta! That will be a fun discussion to moderate I should think! Hmmm, makes me think that it is nearly time to sit down and watch all three movies again! ;-)
Yes, I've already been having fun moderating The Hobbit!I am actually hoping to get the group to join in a "group watch"--at the end of each book, I was thinking of posting a separate thread, for those who are interested, to watch and discuss the film version.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were such awesome books. I've read them three times so far. I've read them in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade. It's been three years since then and I'm thinking of reading them again. In eighth grade, I started Moby Dick. I got to this insanely boring part (of which I just happen to find in most the books I've read) and I just had a major crackdown. Now I'm reading again and I just can't stop. :)
Recently I've added to the bedisde table Atlas Shrugged, Borges: The Sonnets, some essays by Schopenhauer, The Portable Carl Jung, The Scarlet Letter, and J.D. Salinger's story collection called Nine Stories.
Wow! I don't know how I'd get through the sonnets and essays. I might get through Nine Stories and the Portable Carl Jung, and I know I could read the Scarlet Letter.
Historybuff93 wrote: "Recently I've added to the bedisde table Atlas Shrugged, Borges: The Sonnets, some essays by Schopenhauer, The Portable Carl Jung, The Scarlet Letter, and J.D. Salinger's story collection called Ni..."And what's on the agenda for NEXT week?
I read Wheel of Time through the first 7ish books while in middle and high school. It's funny, I don't usually need to identify with a character in a book to like the book itself, and I don't get upset if there aren't any sympathetic women, or even any women at all, in a book. I had female friends in high school who hated the Lord of the Rings for this reason (they wanted more than 'just' Eowyn and Galadriel), but I just love those books.BUT it was my consistent loathing for every single one of Robert Jordan's women that eventually made me lose pleasure in the series. UGH. Granted the men aren't much better, but I recall there were one or two of them I didn't want to smack.
OTOH, Jordan was a great world-builder, and I totally see why you enjoy them so much, Chris. I, after all, have read almost all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels and shan't throw stones .
Anyway, besides The Count of Monte Cristo and The Canterbury Tales, I'm reading The Emperor of All Maladies, which is excellent so far (it's all about . . . cancer), and William Penn's (yes, that William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania) theological treatise, No Cross, No Crown.
I just finished (2-ish days ago) Reading Lolita in Tehran which was decidedly meh, and in my antsy moments I've been reading the Ian Rutledge detective novels by the Todd team.
I've been in the middle of Fear and Trembling and Swann's Way for so damn long that I suspect the glue of their bindings will come undone before I finish them.
Wow, S! William Penn's been off the best-seller list for 300 years. What does he say, in brief?Please explain "meh."
Mod
Please explain "meh.""
I think he recommends the cheese-steak with grilled onions. Jalapenos for those so inspired. ;-)
I'm glad you're back. It's hard for Kate and me to uphold the humorous end alone.
Rochelle wrote: "I'm glad you're back. It's hard for Kate and me to uphold the humorous end alone."
LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas and hasn't come home yet. :P
LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas and hasn't come home yet. :P
Meh means that she mixed literary criticism of four books (Lolita, The Great Gatsby, Washington Square, and Pride and Prejudice) in with her memoir of life under the Ayatollah in Iran. If she had written two different books I would have liked each one on its own merits. As it was, I thought the criticism was weaker for her trying to force it into a commentary on Iran, and the memoir was weaker for trying self-consciously to be literary. In the end I didn't enjoy either as much as I had hoped.
William Penn was a Quaker and has remained widely read among Quakers, which would be why I am reading him.
In brief, he discusses self denial, humility, and sacrifice as essential parts of the Christian life. The review on Amazon refers to his "dramatic and persuasive style" and I think that's accurate. While reading him I feel as if I'm in the midst of a (very, very, old) tent revival.
Honestly, although I was familiar with the work from reading excerpts in other Quaker publications, I think the first reason I picked it up was my attraction to the physical book. This copy is from 1920ish and feels wonderful in my hands. It's still quite sturdy so I am not afraid to turn the pages and even carry it around with me, but I can also run my fingers over the grooves in the paper from the printing press. Mmmm.
Mod
LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas and hasn't come home yet. :P"
Jalapenos go a great distance toward curing that, Kate. And, my dear friend, I am as stunned and shocked as you probably are right now over our beloved Ducks. Truth be told--I very much dislike Auburn, and I quite dislike Cam Newton. I am so much a dyed-in-the-wool PAC-10 fan that my stomach is in knots. Ughhh...
Christopher wrote: "Kate Mc. wrote: "Rochelle wrote: "I'm glad you're back. It's hard for Kate and me to uphold the humorous end alone."
LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas and hasn't come home y..."
Loud growling and flinging of objects happened at the failure to stop Auburn's last drive. And you just "know" that Cam Newton and Auburn are going to be sanctioned by the NCAA when they finish investigating the recruiting violations. Which means they may end up vacating all their wins this season, but by then I won't care.
LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas and hasn't come home y..."
Loud growling and flinging of objects happened at the failure to stop Auburn's last drive. And you just "know" that Cam Newton and Auburn are going to be sanctioned by the NCAA when they finish investigating the recruiting violations. Which means they may end up vacating all their wins this season, but by then I won't care.
Mod
LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas an..."
I had precisely the same thoughts... As I said, my stomach is in knots.
Kate Mc. wrote: LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas and hasn't come home yet.
Don't know anything about ducks. But also around Christmas, a member here who doesn't play well with others became more vocal, disturbing the harmony of this close-knit group.
Mod
LOL. I think my humor went missing somewhere before Xmas and hasn't come home yet.
Don't know anything about ducks. But also around Christmas, a member here who doesn't play well..."
Hmmm...one must wonder where this might be headed?
It wasn't headed anywhere because I just saw the other thread. GR's email system...Grrr....
that's why it's named GR.I'm reading my 6th Anne Tyler novel, A Patchwork Planet. She's best known for Breathing Lessons,which won the 1988 Pulitzer and The Accidental Tourist. Tyler nails the problems of us middle-aged folks with compassion and great humor. I read her in my early 30's and didn't understand her at all.
And I'm sort of skimming Canterbury Tales, because I can't read 2 books at once. CT has to wait.
S. Rosemary wrote: "William Penn was a Quaker and has remained widely read among Quakers, which would be why I am reading him.In brief, he discusses self denial, humility, and sacrifice as essential parts of the Christian life. The review on Amazon refers to his "dramatic and persuasive style" and I think that's accurate. While reading him I feel as if I'm in the midst of a (very, very, old) tent revival. "
Good summary. I read Penn (and the other early Quakers -- not only Fox but Woolman, Barclay, Nayler, Penington, Ellwood, among many others. Except for Barclay, they aren't heavy on theology, but like Penn are more introspective, more experiential in their writings on their faith.
Rochelle wrote: "And I'm sort of skimming Canterbury Tales, because I can't read 2 books at once. CT has to wait."
That's okay, we've got nine weeks for CT, so you can get to it when you finish your current book. [g]
Oops, you saw that. Actually I'm skimming. Nice thing is that it's split into so many stories. And I did read it 40 years ago. :)
Rochelle wrote: "Oops, you saw that. Actually I'm skimming. Nice thing is that it's split into so many stories. And I did read it 40 years ago. :)"
Hah! Busted!!! *snicker*
If you're skimming, you must be using a modernized version, yes?
Hah! Busted!!! *snicker*
If you're skimming, you must be using a modernized version, yes?
Rochelle wrote: "Oops, you saw that. Actually I'm skimming. Nice thing is that it's split into so many stories. And I did read it 40 years ago. :)"
Hah! Busted!!! *snicker*
If you're skimming, you must be using a modernized version, yes?
Hah! Busted!!! *snicker*
If you're skimming, you must be using a modernized version, yes?
I'm using Murphy's version with modernized spelling and a modern English version, both in web downloads.
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. it's surprisingly enjoyable.
Sadly I do not have a bedside table as my bed is lofted, but what's under my pillow right now is Lolita by Nabakov. I've been meaning to read it for some time, and while it doesn't fit in the time period for this group, I decided to start it the other day. It's refreshing to read classic literature after being stuck with contemporary young adult for so long, but at the same time the book makes uncomfortable. I want to love it, but it disgusts me at the same time knowing what I'm reading about. I find some of the descriptions to be lovely, and then I really think about what the narrator is saying, and I'm horrified. Has anyone else had this reaction to the book?
Gwenyth wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Sadly I do not have a bedside table as my bed is lofted, but what's under my pillow right now is Lolita by Nabakov. I've been meaning to read it for some time, and while it doesn't..."Thank you for replying Gwenyth. I love your name, by the way. :)
I will let you know what I think of it when I am able to finish it. I just now realized that the age of Lo in the book and the age of my students is nearly the same, and that made it even worse.
I think your comment about reading 100 books a year and having that many left is interesting. I never thought of it that way. I always just said so many books, so little time. I aim for 100 books a year and have been able to do that for the last three years. This will be my fourth year with that target in mind and I'm already set to exceed it. When I look at it in those terms of how many books I can fit in, that's actually frightening! How does one choose which books to read...
I think I might actually pose that question to my students. Though I might have to substitute movies or video games for some of them.
I keep meaning to read Lolita and it keeps sifting down the stack. Some day. I've decided to read my TBR list from oldest to newest and stop cherry picking, so I should get to it this year.
Just finished House of Mirth and Remains of the Day back to back over the last couple days. I was going to go on to Suite Française but I need something upbeat and lightweight after those two. I'm going to go dig in my fluff stuff and find some brain candy.
Just finished House of Mirth and Remains of the Day back to back over the last couple days. I was going to go on to Suite Française but I need something upbeat and lightweight after those two. I'm going to go dig in my fluff stuff and find some brain candy.
Jennifer wrote: "Has anyone else had this reaction to the book? "Very much so.
Personally, I prefer Nabokov's critical work (his essays on literature) to his fiction.
Right now I am into Russian Literature. Just finished Crime and Punishment and currently reading Best Russian Short Stories. Also starting The Last Sin Eater with my group.
Right now I'm reading Doctor Zhivago!
Reading To Say Nothing of the Dog. Until I started it, I hadn't made the connection with Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog. So far it's lots of fun and I'm having a blast picking up on all the allusions.
Tango wrote: "Re-readingJane Eyre. Such a brilliant book!"Yep, Jane Eyre is hard to beat. You wouldn't think Vilette and Shirley were written by the same author.
Kate Mc. wrote: "Reading To Say Nothing of the Dog. Until I started it, I hadn't made the connection with Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog. So far it's lots of fun and I'm..."OOH, just looked at the blurb and now I'm intrigued.
Sasha wrote: "Kate Mc. wrote: "Reading To Say Nothing of the Dog. Until I started it, I hadn't made the connection with Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog. So far it's lo..."
It's manic and hilarious, but a lot of my enjoyment is from recognizing all the bits of Three Men in a Boat that she used as the backbone of the story. I would recommend reading that first. TMiaB is definitely British humor, but you're an Aussie so you should be able to handle it ;)
She's thrown in lots of other historical and literary references also, so if you like figuring out all the little allusions you'll get even more out of it.
It's manic and hilarious, but a lot of my enjoyment is from recognizing all the bits of Three Men in a Boat that she used as the backbone of the story. I would recommend reading that first. TMiaB is definitely British humor, but you're an Aussie so you should be able to handle it ;)
She's thrown in lots of other historical and literary references also, so if you like figuring out all the little allusions you'll get even more out of it.
Funnily enough, my husband bought me TMIAB last year and it's on my to-be-read shelf. I will move it up the pile.
I am a complete Anglophile, so I'm sure I will enjoy it.
Sasha wrote: "Funnily enough, my husband bought me TMIAB last year and it's on my to-be-read shelf. I will move it up the pile."Do so. It's a quick read, and worth the time, especially when you're in the mood for a good chuckle or even an actual laugh.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910
Books mentioned in this topic
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (other topics)The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli (other topics)
McTeague: A Story of San Francisco (other topics)
Love in the Time of Cholera (other topics)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Philip Levine (other topics)Michael Connelly (other topics)
Kazuo Ishiguro (other topics)
Gerald Durrell (other topics)
Rumer Godden (other topics)
More...
I thought Hopkins was brilliant in "The Remains of the Day" and brought his character to life perfectly. What was it about his performance that you didn't like, John?