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Post by bixaorellana on May 12, 2010 20:48:09 GMT
I'm still getting through the list in #342 above. I was distracted from the last novella in the Jim Harrison book, then realized I never returned to it because it was kind of turning me off. The Condition almost lost me at the beginning because of too much extraneous detail (kids go for ice cream, and what each one gets is listed -- that sort of thing). However, Haigh really can write and organizes her material really well. That was important in this book as two different medical conditions are brought in and she tells you what you need to know in an interesting, non-overwhelming way. I quite surprised myself by being very moved at the end of the book. Now I'm slogging through The Zookeeper's Wife and being irritated, bored, and intrigued, often simultaneously. That's because the author is all over the place with her subject and whatever else she picked up in the course of doing research. Apparently she's been told she has a way with words. Maybe so, but she's seriously lacking in the self-editing department. Example: As Spring sidled closer and nature hovered between seasons, the snow melted and a low green cityscape of garden plants arose during the day, but at night the land froze over again and moonlight glittered the walk into silver skaing trails.So what's wrong with that, aside from being a tad purple?, you might be thinking. Besides the fact that she continues in that vein for an entire page, the book is about the occupation of Warsaw and the plight of the Jews there. But while leaving us confused or ignorant about facts and logistics (how large was the Warsaw ghetto; how do you hide a person in a zoo cage?), Ackerman skitters off after the most inconsequential bits and scraps, devoting boring page upon page to pointless anecdotes or more of her "word pictures". In one way the book has some importance in the sense that it makes you want to know more. There is a lengthy bibliography in the back, but with no indication of why each book in was consulted, nor what it contributed. The index seems quite complete, but the book is so disorganized, I can't imagine that using the index to look hither and yon would be anything other than frustrating. But the most bizarre item for a non-fiction book is the "Details" section. This is a list of items arranged by where they're to be found (chapter and page) ....... but on those chapters and pages are no numbers to direct you to this section. This book got some really good reviews. I do not concur. Bixa, I have the impression that Marquez sort of calmed down after 100 Years and there is a bit less odd stuff in there, so it's easier to understand because you don't have to make jumps in logic, if you see what I mean. Maybe too, it's that my copy of this book doesn't have a bunch of typos in it! I'm thinking that it was the typos that threw you. Lovers of 100 Years such as myself generally agree that the odd stuff seems completely normal when you're reading the book.
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Post by imec on May 14, 2010 16:34:48 GMT
The Armageddon Factor, The rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada, Marci McDonald.
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Post by lola on May 14, 2010 20:51:59 GMT
I finally put Brief Interviews with Hideous Men on my IPod so I could listen uninterrupted and get it back to the library. www.amazon.com/Brief-Interviews-Hideous-Foster-Wallace/dp/1600247377/ref=tmm_abk_title_0Remarkable. A series of stories -- or essays, riffs -- as interviews, where you must imagine the questions put by the interviewer. See whether your library has the audio version, really well read by the author and various others. In one, a man recounts how he picked a woman up, and how he reacts to a story she told him. Is this how men think, or would ever talk?
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Post by joanne28 on May 15, 2010 15:07:32 GMT
Finally got my hand on no. 3 of the Stieg Larsson last night. I'm only a 100 pages in but I found it so intense last night I had to take a break with some lighter reading.
I've been trying to get to the movie (no. 1 book) for 2 weeks with a friend but both our schedules have been busy. Hers is worse than mine because in addition to being extremely busy at work, she's moving at the end of the month, with all the enjoyment that entails.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 22, 2010 23:33:56 GMT
So glad you finally got #3, Joanne. And yeah, it's not a walk in the park! I am also happy to report that your good influence finally soaked into my lazy self. I found myself actually yearning for some good non-fiction. Because of the interest piqued by the annoying Zookeeper's Wife (#360, above), I wanted to know more about Poland during WWII. That's how I wound up finding the intensely interesting Imperium, by Ryszard Kapuściński. That link will allow you to read the Preface, first chapter, and more. I started reading it on the bus home from the library and had to drag myself out of it in order not to miss my stop. Really, to say that the book is intensely interesting is not to do it justice. There is no excess, no playing with phrases, yet the text practically takes flight off the page. The first chapter is told from the point of view of his seven-year-old self, something that could have been fey and forced, but was so perfect that it seemed the only way to tell it. He also plants small essays within the historical segments, but so deftly and with such restraint that it never feels preachy or boring. One can only imagine how incredible this must be in the Polish original if it's this perfect in English. The edition I have was published by Granta as part of its "classics of reportage" series -- a fitting tribute, but inadequate to describe the breadth of the book. It could also take a place on any shelf of essential travel books. I'm not even on page 40 yet, and am already wondering how I can get my hands on the rest of his books!
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Post by traveler63 on May 23, 2010 1:32:37 GMT
I am also waiting for Larsson's #3. I finally finished both of the other ones. it is a very different read for me. I think I have become intellectually traumatized reading all of these formula books, so I am taking a different path. I liked Larsson's first two books very much. I think his writing can become a little daunting and I am trying to break myself of thinking every book has to have one wow factor after another to be stimulating. I finished The Angel Game by Zafron. His writing has similar effects on me like Marquez. So I am really waiting for his third, which I believe is called Prince of Mist.
I am taking a reading breather right now. My granddaughter and I are are reading The Faerie Queen by Spenser together. So, we text and email back and forth if we are stuck trying to figure out some of the Middle English. I will give updates on how this is going.
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Post by bjd on May 23, 2010 6:32:51 GMT
I'm glad you like Kapuscinski, Bixa. I think Imperium is the best of his books because it's the most personal, at least at the beginning. He spent much of his life as a foreign correspondent for the Polish press agency and has written extensively about Africa, although there is also an interesting book about Central America called The Soccer War.
He died about a year ago and apparently there is a lot of discussion in Poland about a recent biography. Some people accuse him of fictionalizing events to make them read better. Others say that's what made him so good to read. Bur for sure, the events at the beginning of Imperium are definitely true.
I have nearly finished El Amor en los Tiempos de Colera by GG Marquez, but interrupted it to read a book called The Fruit Palace by Charles Nicholl. It's about the author's trip to Colombia in the early 1980s to write about the cocaine trade. I read it in French (from the library) and the French title is much less interesting: Colombie Cocaine. The description of the section that takes place along the Caribbean coast struck home -- it was exactly where we went in December. Even the names of the beaches were not changed!
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Post by bixaorellana on May 23, 2010 6:51:31 GMT
So interesting, Bjd ~~ thanks.
It's funny that he should be accused of fictionalizing when you consider that the history and countries he was covering naturally afforded so much drama and pathos that at times his voice is forced to become dispassionate in order to get the story out.
The Fruit Palace sounds good. It must have felt very real to you, having so recently been where it took place.
I'll be interested in your final word on ...Colera, a book I felt could never hold a candle to 100 Years.
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Post by bjd on May 23, 2010 7:35:29 GMT
I have nearly finished in fact, but it's definitely not as good as 100 Years. I mean, it's alright, but I guess any book Marquez wrote after 100 Years would have been a bit of a comedown. Perhaps too, the fact that I am reading them in Spanish slows me down so I don't get into "page-turning" mode.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2010 10:23:36 GMT
Some interesting finds on here today!! I'm very intrigued by Kapuscinski,will look for to be sure.Thanks! While on vacation,I took advantage of the many used book stores in NY,both in NYC,and on Long Island. I bought several books. One,I wasn't even aware of,a novel By Marquez,Of Love and Other Demons,set in a South American seaport during the colonial era. The main theme deals with exorcism. I also picked upa Philip Henshler novel,The Northern Clemency,(I had enjoyed his Mulberry Empire quite a bit). A British author who has been likened to A.S. Byatt. Another one,a Paul Theroux,Ghost Train to the Eastern Star,a book I have wanted to read for quite some time. Can't really go wrong with Theroux. I picked up some more poetry,Anne Sexton,whom I love,and was introduced to my freshman year of college. While there,I read an excellent,newly published biography of Raymond Carver,a great read if you're a Carver fan. Well researched. Also,a biography of Fellini,more of a curiosity than anything else.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 23, 2010 15:25:43 GMT
I love this thread so much! One thing I've started doing is to make a note of stuff I see here that I'd like to read. It's so easy to copy a line from someone's post and paste it into a Word document that can be printed out & carried to the library or bookstore. I would have sworn that I read Of Love & etc., but thought it was a book of short stories. Obviously I need to read it again (or for the first time ). Thanks for the reminder about Ghost Train -- it's on my list now.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2010 15:29:17 GMT
Oh,I'm surprised,I thought you had read all of Theroux Bixa...I am greatly looking forward to it.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 23, 2010 23:57:33 GMT
I will ..... eventually!
Ghost Train shows why I need a list -- keep forgetting to look for it in the library.
Speaking of forgetting ~~ I wanted to ask you, T63 how you and your granddaughter decided to tackle The Faerie Queen. What an undertaking!
I understand about the reading breather, but you have been missed.
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Post by tillystar on May 24, 2010 8:41:16 GMT
I need a list too Bixa, I read some books I threaten to from this thread, but forget too many.
I really enjoyed that book Casi. This may sound a little crazy but there was a line about a fighter plan circling overhead towards the end that could have come across as really out of place, but I always think of it as one of the most powerful lines I have read, somehow it didn’t seem out of place or sci-fi and knocked me for a second.
I just wandered if you had noticed that line, I have never met anyone else who read the book so don’t know if it is just all in my head!
Also, I am on the look out for a book so will have a look at The Northern Clemency and put it on the invisible list.
I started The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie last night. I couldn't get into it at all. I was tired though, so maybe try again later when I am not falling asleep.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2010 10:35:35 GMT
I don't recall that specific line Tilly. Now, makes me feel like I may have missed something profound. I've had this very same thing occur when I have read a book,and talk with someone who did also,I'll ask them about a particular line or passage and they don't recall. It really does make one wonder sometimes... the impact certain words can have on one reader and totally escapes another.
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Post by lola on May 24, 2010 14:30:37 GMT
Based on my intense liking of ther recorded books version of Brief Encounters with Hideous Men, I have started David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. "Acidic 1,088 page encyclopedia of hurt" per one reviewer. Noramally I avoid encyclopedias of hurt, feeling that life deals out an adequate amount, but this is the witty, genius level writing kind.
Literature is so personal. No one else in my family can take PG Wodehouse, for instance, who is a refuge for me. I'm afraid I've disliked some of the books above recommended by you I admire and trust. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if someone tried this guy and hated him, but it might be interesting to discuss.
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Post by gusm on May 26, 2010 4:34:45 GMT
Getting ready for le vacence in July, I have finished The Marne by Holger Herwig, Champagne by Don Kladstrup, and am beginning Widow Cliquot by Tilar Mazzeo. Guess where I am going!
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Post by bjd on May 26, 2010 10:13:08 GMT
gusm -- I think you mean "les vacances"? Going to eastern France, are you?
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Post by hwinpp on May 27, 2010 2:41:25 GMT
I can't believe I finished my first book in four years! A detective story by Dick Francis.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 27, 2010 3:45:41 GMT
What got you started reading again?
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2010 18:08:16 GMT
I am reading the accompanying essay written by Peter Galassi,to the Henri Cartier -Bresson (The Modern Century) tome that I purchased(my one real splurge...) at MOMA after seeing his exhibit. As you can well imagine,a fascinating life story,although,this is not a thorough biography.
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Post by traveler63 on May 28, 2010 1:46:30 GMT
Bixa;
How did we decide to read The Faerie Queen? My Heather is 19 and she has been writing poetry since she was 9 years old. She has never really had any formal training on style, meter etc. So for her birthday in April I bought her a Poetry Handbook called The Everything Writing Poetry Book; A Practical Guide to Style, Structure and Form. Then I decided on The Faerie Queen because Spenser invented Iambic Pentameter and I guess I just love the structure. She is excited too. Yes, it is a big undertaking but, it is amazing, once I started it, some of it came back to me. It has been, well........many, many years ago since I have read it, but as I still believe, anything you read as a young person, can have a different meaning and sometimes what you think it meant back then changes if you re-read it when you are more mature.
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Post by hwinpp on May 28, 2010 9:21:07 GMT
What got you started reading again? It's gotten a bit cooler so it's more comfortable to read in bed. Also Thai TV is showing some soaps that seem to be terribly interesting to my girlfriend, so interesting in fact, that she keeps the remote control near her... The TV is in the living/ dining room.
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Post by spindrift on May 28, 2010 10:17:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2010 10:36:33 GMT
Am really really enjoying The Northern Clemency,Henchler is a great writer!!! I think you should check out Tilly.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 28, 2010 16:34:26 GMT
A bit of serendipity ~~ I was picking up a pile of New Yorkers off a chair ( ) and noticed a couple of them were folded open. The one on top was open to the "Briefly Noted" section, which featured a review of The Northern Clemency! (Nov. 17, '08, p. 105, for you hoarders)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2010 21:36:46 GMT
Now, I am dying of curiosity as to what the review said or not... I am enjoying (The Northern Clemency) so much. I may read some of his other books after this. This is the second of his that I've liked quite a bit.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 2, 2010 21:51:36 GMT
What -- you don't know where that particular New Yorker is? ;D The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher (Knopf; $26.95) November 17, 2008 The English middle class is scrutinized in this sprawling account of two families on an affluent Sheffield housing estate. The Sellerses, carried north by a job transfer with “the Electricity,” arrive on Rayfield Avenue in 1974, just as Katherine Glover is stamping to death her youngest child’s illicit pet snake in front of the house opposite. Despite this traumatic beginning, the Sellerses and the Glovers gradually develop the ties of proximity—teen-agers becoming friends, younger children caught up in playground games, wives sharing confidences and glasses of wine. Hensher’s attention is on the foreground, revealing ordinary life through impressive, often funny set pieces and assiduously observed dramatic episodes, which almost compensate for the lack of an organized plot. The transformative events of the Thatcher years (notably, the local coal miners’ strike of 1984) unfold in the distance; “clothy” vol-au-vents are as indicative as miners’ wives collecting donations of tinned food. that full issue: www.newyorker.com/magazine/toc/2008/11/17/toc_20081110
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2010 21:58:01 GMT
Right now I am reading "La Vie Secrète des Jeunes II" by Riad Sattouf. Oh, he has such cruel and acutely accurate vision.
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Post by Jazz on Jun 2, 2010 22:24:22 GMT
Notes from Madoo, by Robert Dash…a very special gift. This book is slow and languorous, unlike any other gardening book I’ve read. I wasn’t quite prepared for it to be working on so many levels, nor for it to be so beautifully written. Dash is an artist and this is expressed in this book in a very direct and primal sense. As is his philosophy. This is a rare find for me. I sit in the garden, read a few pages, sometimes only a paragraph or two, then I feel intense creative energy and go off to do something. Appetite for Life (bio of Julia Child) has a similar effect. Of course, his gardening thoughts are superb. There are no photos in the book, but we have a great Madoo Conservancy thread, anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gardening&action=display&thread=2027
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