Now I'm 35 pages into Jonathan Raban's 'Sureveillance', which seems very promising.
― James Morrison (James Morrison), Thursday, 30 November 2006 23:15 (seventeen years ago) link
Also reading anything by Ken Bruen, especially the Irish ones with Jack Taylor, The Guards, The Killing Of The Tinkers, The Magdalen Martyrs and now The Dramatist. He may even convince me to give Pelecanos another try.
― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Friday, 1 December 2006 02:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Friday, 1 December 2006 02:56 (seventeen years ago) link
― Brass Monkey, Friday, 1 December 2006 03:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― cellardoor, Friday, 1 December 2006 03:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― horseshoe (horseshoe), Friday, 1 December 2006 03:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― clotpoll, Friday, 1 December 2006 06:51 (seventeen years ago) link
I have Pnin on hold at the library which is also exciting.
― franny (frannyglass), Friday, 1 December 2006 19:45 (seventeen years ago) link
Right now I seem to be reading A New Latin Syntax by Woodcock.
― Casuistry (casuistry), Friday, 1 December 2006 20:51 (seventeen years ago) link
about to retry delillo's "players," and quickly making my way through rj smith's super awesome "great black way" -- it's even better than i thouht it was gonna be, damn!
― Mike McGonigal (yetimike), Saturday, 2 December 2006 08:40 (seventeen years ago) link
i found delillo's players to be really formative. a lot of it is better developed in mao ii, for one, and i really disliked the smugness with which he treats his main characters for most of the novel.
i am now re-reading douglas coupland's life after god.
― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 3 December 2006 05:22 (seventeen years ago) link
― colin0Hara (colin_o_hara), Sunday, 3 December 2006 22:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Sunday, 3 December 2006 23:14 (seventeen years ago) link
what i heard was that the mao-ii author was william gaddis. i have no idea tho.
i am reading 'aspects of the novel' and finding it a lot more than i imagined.
― tom w, Monday, 4 December 2006 01:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― tom west, Monday, 4 December 2006 01:27 (seventeen years ago) link
what i really should be reading is turkey: a modern history by eric zurcher, because i have a final exam on the late ottoman empire next monday. but, you know...
― derrick (derrick), Monday, 4 December 2006 07:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― (tom), Monday, 4 December 2006 18:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― o. nate (o. nate), Monday, 4 December 2006 20:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― youn (youn), Tuesday, 5 December 2006 02:06 (seventeen years ago) link
― JordanC (JordanC), Tuesday, 5 December 2006 17:36 (seventeen years ago) link
how did you like the hammett? i still think it's one of the best things i've read this year
― tom, etc., Tuesday, 5 December 2006 17:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― JordanC (JordanC), Tuesday, 5 December 2006 17:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― Matilda Wormwood (Mary ), Tuesday, 5 December 2006 20:02 (seventeen years ago) link
Now I'm reading 'The Cardboard Crown' by Martin Boyd, first in a tetralogy of which I only have the first 2 books and the last 2 are out of print, alas. Yesterday I finished Max Frisch's 'Homo Faber', which must win Most Boring Narrator In Twentieth Century Literature, and come close in the Most Pseudo-Profundities category, too.
― James Morrison (James Morrison), Wednesday, 6 December 2006 22:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 7 December 2006 08:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ray Cummings (skateboardr), Friday, 8 December 2006 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link
Now I'm reading "Mawrdew Czgowchwz" by James McCourt, which I'm enjoying as a description of extreme fandom. It's heavy going in a sumptuous sort of way. I like it, but I'm not sure I'm going to finish it, what with the mind-clouding distractions of the festive season in direct competition.
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 8 December 2006 12:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― franny (frannyglass), Friday, 8 December 2006 15:38 (seventeen years ago) link
at any rate let this stand as a reminder to do a platonic dialogues thread once we get proper ILE back
― tom sandbox west (thomp), Sunday, 10 December 2006 01:28 (seventeen years ago) link
Today I read more of "Twilight of the Idols" and started that Stein book about birthdays and names, which is so completely great. Is there a 20th C. poet better than Stein? One the one hand, I don't think that statement means anything, but on the other hand, holy crap she is great.
― Casuistry (casuistry), Sunday, 10 December 2006 07:58 (seventeen years ago) link
* tho i did get round to 'the unteleported man' and 'the cosmic puppets' recently
― tom sandbox west (thomp), Sunday, 10 December 2006 15:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― James Morrison (James Morrison), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 01:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― tom sandbox west (thomp), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 02:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Casuistry (casuistry), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 08:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 12 December 2006 11:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― JordanC (JordanC), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 15:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― jaq (jaq), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 17:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― Casuistry (casuistry), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 21:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 21:59 (seventeen years ago) link
http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0140445145.01._AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/2266026534.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_V62579294_.jpg
― Casuistry (casuistry), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 22:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― tom sandbox west (thomp), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 05:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 06:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 13:31 (seventeen years ago) link
Somerest Maugham - The Painted Veil
― Dr M (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 16:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 20:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― Matilda Wormwood (Mary ), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 23:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 14 December 2006 14:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― xyzzzz__ (xyzzzz__), Thursday, 14 December 2006 17:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― jo ga11ucci electrix (joseph), Thursday, 14 December 2006 20:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― Matilda Wormwood (Mary ), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 20:13 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sara Robinson-Coolidge (Sara R-C), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 21:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 22:29 (seventeen years ago) link
Sara, what's 'Julie and Julia' like? It's in the pile of books I bought my foodie wife for Christmas, and I'm hoping it's not a dud.
Elvis, I'd forgotten about Tim Powers - I read 'The Anubis Gates' years ago, and really enjoyed it. Thanks for reminding me about him - must get more!
― James Morrison (James Morrison), Wednesday, 20 December 2006 00:49 (seventeen years ago) link
I'd suggest going with either Last Call or Declare next.
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 20 December 2006 01:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 20 December 2006 08:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― frankiemachine, Wednesday, 20 December 2006 11:28 (seventeen years ago) link
It's pretty funny; lots of swearing, though. (I worry that traditional "foodies" might find this offensive...) I read the blog while the Julie/Julia Project was actually happening and found it hilarious, so I was anxious to read the book. I haven't been disappointed; I hope your wife enjoys it!
― Sara Robinson-Coolidge (Sara R-C), Wednesday, 20 December 2006 18:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― James Morrison (James Morrison), Thursday, 21 December 2006 23:09 (seventeen years ago) link
Gore Vidal- LincolnJanwillem van de Wetering- Maine MassacreGore Vidal- EmpireMinette Walters- Acid RowPG Wodehouse- UkridgeStuart Woods- The RunGore Vidal- 1876Gore Vidal- HollywoodPG Wodehouse- Do Butlers Burgle Banks?Robert Tannenbaum- Irresistible ImpulseHoward Swindle- Jitter JointPG Wodehouse- Right Ho, JeevesAnne Tyler- Back When We Were GrownupsLeo Tolstoy- The CossacksGore Vidal- Smithsonian Institute
― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Wednesday, 27 December 2006 12:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sara Robinson-Coolidge (Sara R-C), Friday, 29 December 2006 22:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― LynnK (klynn), Saturday, 30 December 2006 23:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― James Morrison (James Morrison), Monday, 1 January 2007 23:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― Casuistry (casuistry), Tuesday, 2 January 2007 18:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Michael White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 2 January 2007 18:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― o. nate (o. nate), Tuesday, 2 January 2007 20:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Tuesday, 2 January 2007 20:24 (seventeen years ago) link
A large Norton volume of Percy Shelley's poetry, as well as a couple of cantos from Byron's Don Juan. I was not overly impressed by much of it.
A failed attempt at reading Emma -- I only managed to finish the first volume.
Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations, which was very compelling and full of interesting insights. Also, one of the more demanding reading experiences that I have had in some time.
Four of Christopher Marlowe's plays, of which my favorite was Dr. Faustus. That bit about the fellow riding his horse into the water and then demanding a refund was hilarious. The dramatic excess of his plays is a strongpoint for me.
In process/Coming up:
The Caxton version of Le Morte D'Arthur, which is a long-term reading project.
Plays by Shakespeare and Aeschylus.
Wittgenstein's On Certainty, when I can find it in the coming week.
― mj (robert blake), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 02:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Casuistry (casuistry), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 03:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 04:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 04:52 (seventeen years ago) link
And I'm getting the Penguin Russian Short Stories collection tomorrow too. Right now I'm reading Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim in a final surrender to Sedaris mania and Pamuk's My Name is Red for a book club.
― Arethusa (Arethusa), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 05:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― Meg Busset (Meg Busset), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 12:56 (seventeen years ago) link
― tom is not at home, Wednesday, 3 January 2007 14:56 (seventeen years ago) link
Am reading Gerard Woodward's 'August' now, which I'm loving, though I'm getting to the very bleak (but still very funny) parts. Before that I reading henning Mankell's 'Depths', which reminded me of a subzero (literally and emotionally) Tom Ripley, and the Persephone books reissue of the clever and gripping 'The Expendable Man' by Dorothy hughes.
― James Morrison (James Morrison), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 22:14 (seventeen years ago) link
I finished the Sedaris yesterday and have started John McGahern's Amongst Women. I read about his works in the TLS and thought he sounded like someone I'd want to read. I was right. His clear, authentic, piercing style makes a deep impression on me. I always feel sad that I learn about such great authors after their death.
― Arethusa (Arethusa), Thursday, 4 January 2007 23:44 (seventeen years ago) link