On the Southern Literary Trail discussion
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General Bookishness
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Retired: What are you reading?
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Dave, "Red Sammy"
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Dec 05, 2021 11:52AM
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Dave wrote: "The casting and the acting were fantastic. Last week I watched the HBO TV serialisation of '' 'I Know This Much is True''. I've not read the book by Walley Lamb but the TV show was brilliant"That's great to hear Dave. I don't have access to HBO and the book has been on my Kindle for a long time. The length has kept it languishing there. I think I'll go for the film when it's available apart from HBO.
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The Midnight Library – Matt Haig – 2.5**
I was intrigued at the beginning, especially by the basic premise of getting to experience a different life, even if just for a few moments. I was also interested in the concept of parallel universes and found myself thinking about how my life might be different if I had made other choices. However, the novel just didn’t work for me. I grew tired of the one-sentence “Hallmark card” philosophy spouted by the librarian (or sometimes by Nora). And I could see the ending coming a mile off. The extra half-star is for the excellent audio performance by Carey Mulligan.
My full review HERE
Even In Paradise – Elizabeth Nunez – 4****
This is a retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear set in the Caribbean. What a wonderful character study! Nunez had me on the edge of my seat a few times, even though I knew the basic story line already. I liked how she wove in current issues of race and class and the history of colonialism (and slavery) in the Caribbean.
My full review HERE
Darktown Thomas Mullen★★★★★ and ❤
Shortly after WW2, Atlanta's administration decided to hire the first eight black policemen. Since this was the Jim Crow era, the black policemen were segregated to the basement of a YMCA supervised by a white sergeant, who was being punished for exposing a confedercy of crooked policemen. Most of the white policement hope that the experiment fails and the black policemen are fired. For my complete review, please click here.
In the spirit of Christmas, I just read two wonderful Christmas stories...new to me.The Melodeon which made me think of a Wendell Berry novel.
Small Things Like These a story that will leave you with a lot to think about.
Both of these take place at Christmas, but they would make good reading all year round.
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I'm right behind Diane, thanks Sara.
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The Melodeon is available at Archive.Org for anyone who might have trouble finding it.
Delighted to find out our library has a copy … with a waiting list. So not in time for Christmas but soon.
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Cathrine ☯️ wrote: "Delighted to find out our library has a copy … with a waiting list. So not in time for Christmas but soon."You will enjoy this one even if you are reading it in July, Cathrine. It is not the kind of Christmas story that is only magical at Christmastime.
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‘The Melodean’ was reissued under the title ‘A Christmas Gift,’ according to Swarthout’s son Miles and is available on Kindle for $3.99.“A Christmas Gift is a reissue of a Doubleday novella originally published in 1977 under the title The Melodeon. The 1978 TV-Movie for CBS starring Joanne Woodward, Eva Marie Saint and Jason Robards was much altered from the original story and appeared under the title A Christmas To Remember. A condensed version of this same story also appeared in a Good Housekeeping December holiday issue under a 3rd title, "Journey Into Christmas." Finally Glendon and St. Martin's Press realized any Christmas story needed "Christmas" in the title, so A Christmas Gift is the final title of all these confusing name changes for the very same fine holiday story.” ~ Miles Swarthout, 2014
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Y’all are most welcome. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Sara. I downloaded it this afternoon and plan to start as soon as I recover from ‘The Speckled Beauty.’ Rick Bragg always saps my emotions.
Only audible? I’ll have to check it out. Hope the ebook is available
I'm in my second year with Audible and I have never heard of a daily deal.
Cathrine ☯️ wrote: "I'm in my second year with Audible and I have never heard of a daily deal."It is posted on the Audible home page each day. You can also elect to get a daily email notification. The Daily Deals and information on all sales are also posted in this group.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/596
Eva Luna – Isabel Allende – 4****
I’m already a huge fan of Allende’s magical realism, and this book did not disappoint. I loved the many characters – from the Lebanese merchant to the petty criminal/guerrilla leader to the transsexual entertainer. As Eva tells the story of her life, she tells the story of this South American nation – of corruption, class struggle, feast and famine. The story comes alive with saints and ghosts, servants and political leaders equally profiled, skewered and cherished.
My full review HERE
Has anyone ever read any books by Frances Parkinson Keys that are set in New Orleans and/or Louisiana?I was just looking at several brochures entitled Bestsellers from the Past, printed by my local library. The brochures show the bestsellers first by decade, then by year.
The brochure for the period 1950-1959 listed a new-to-me author by the name of Frances Parkinson Keyes. She was born in Virginia, lived in New England, but eventually moved to New Orleans. She wrote numerous novels set in New Orleans and/or Louisiana.
Two of her books, Steamboat Gothic (1952) and The River Road (1945) sound particularly intriguing to me.
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OMG, I had not thought of her in ages, Shirley. I read Steamboat Gothic when I was a girl and loved it. I have no idea how it would hold up as an adult, since I can barely recall what it was about. I think I must have read a number of her books. I will have to read it again now that you have brought it up. I love that "flash from the past" feeling just reading her name gave me.
I was remembering them as almost gothic romance, Diane. I'm so curious to know about them now and wishing my memory was better...of course, this must have been at least 55 years ago for me.
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Sara, your enthusiasm for Keyes has me interested in checking out Steamboat Gothic from my library. Thank you! I was surprised that my local library still has an extensive collection of her books. I need to check them out and save them (one of the librarians told me they purge books that have not been checked out in 10 years). I think her novels will probably be dated, but that's okay. From what I read about her, she meticulously researched everything before writing a book... I love that!Diane... I did read that Keyes converted to Catholicism later in life, so her books did have religious overtones. I'm not surprised at your grandmother's reluctance to read secular books - people were more apt to read faith-based books back then.
Thank you for your thoughts!
Sara wrote: "OMG, I had not thought of her in ages, Shirley. I read Steamboat Gothic when I was a girl and loved it. I have no idea how it would hold up as an adult, since I can barely recall what..."Thinking about your comment, Sara, I was just curious as to how you came across Frances Parkinson Keyes as a young girl. Although living in Louisiana as a teenager, I'm surprised I never ran across any of her books. I'm so glad seeing her name again sparked a joyful blast from the past for you.
I'll be curious to hear if you still enjoy Keyes' style upon a re-read.
I often got books from my older sisters. This may be one of those or I may have bought it off the rack. I do not remember how I came to read her, only that I did. I tended to read books more than once back then...so I might have read this more than once.
That’s so wonderful, Sara, that you shared a love of reading with your sisters… kind of like the Brontë sisters. I’ve often wondered what influenced my choices (I was a voracious reader even as a child), as I was the only reader in my home. Interesting how we all come to a lifetime love of books.
My older sister was three years ahead of me and I read all her school books. I also dragged both my younger sisters to the library and made them check out books for me because I was limited to three at a time...theirs gave me a total of nine. I have some very fond memories of reading when I was young, and because of my older sister I always read ahead of my age.
Jamaica Inn – Daphne du Maurier – 4****
What a wonderfully atmospheric, dark, sinister tale! I shivered with the damp, cold fog, strained to see by faint candle or lamp light, listened to the alternating whispers and shouts of a rabble of men up to no good. Mary Yellan is a marvelous heroine. Young and somewhat naïve, she is still a strong woman, resolute and determined to make the best of her situation. Du Maurier’s plot is intricate and complex and had several twists & turns in it. I wish there were a sequel so I could find out what Mary Yellen is like as an older woman!
My full review HERE
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Jamaica Inn
– Daphne du Maurier – 4****
What a wonderfully atmospheric, dark, sinister tale! I shivered with the damp, cold fog, strained to see by faint candle..."
I loved that one.
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Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire mystery series, graciously sends out a free story to his loyal fans on this date every year. I look for it every Christmas, even before I check under the tree. I haven't yet read it but it appears that 2021's story tells the story of Walt Longmire, rookie deputy.
http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/post...
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The one I’m sooooo excited about is the Harry Crews, The Gospel Singer. It will be showing up on some reading list on the Trail fairly soon, I’m pretty confident. I’m pleased it’s being put back into print.
Laura wrote: "https://www.ajc.com/life/arts-culture...The one I..."
I agree. I've wanted to read 'The Gospel Singer' for quite some time, but alas, 'twas out of print and too expensive.
As this is my first reply in this section, I must say that I started William Gaddis's 'The Recognitions' on New Year's Day...and I expect it to take me until the next New Year's Day to complete it.
Laura wrote: "https://www.ajc.com/life/arts-culture...The one I..."
The Taylor Brown sounds marvelous as well. Be interesting to see how he portrays Faulkner in his fiction.
I read a lot of Frances Parkinson Keyes, Dinner at Antoine’s was a favorite, when we were visiting New Orleans with family, we had dinner there and at the Court of the Two Sisters. We took my brother-in-law there, along with my sister, and the menu was in French…I helped my bil as he had simple food tastes & I stored him towards beef bourguignon & whispered to him it was a fancy name for beef stew. I also stopped him from dumping ketchup on it, I thought the waiter was going to have heart failure. Told him to taste it before “doctoring” it, and he found it good as was. Years later, he started to do that to my homemade lasagna (recipe from a member of the Mangione family) and I threatened to stab him him in the hand with my fork (mostly not seriously) if he did not taste it first, since, as I pointed out, it was tomato-based all ready. 🤦🏻♀️ He fell in love with it without added ketchup. My dad had poisson en pappillote which I found intriguing, it was something he had enjoyed a lot back in the day when he wined & dined with members of Congress. I am trying to remember what I had at 14, I suspect it was chicken of some sort, I was less adventurous back then that I grew to be.
I read so many of her books, my mom had a lot in paperback editions & I began to collect them as well as seeking them out at the college library that served our town. Her earlier books were political (someone in her family circle was in D.C., husband perhaps?) and she did a lot of historical books with a dose of romance.
The more religious aspect came later, as I remember../
Sara wrote: "Laura wrote: "https://www.ajc.com/life/arts-culture...-..."When we read Faulkner's collection of short stories last year, Honor was about a wing walker. It would be interesting to reread the short story, then see how Taylor Brown imagines the incident.
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On the Southern Literary Trail
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