Whatcha Readin' While ILB is on the Rocks?

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Go Patricia Highsmith!

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

I am finally reading The Russian Debutante's Handbook, which I was given for Christmas 2004. I quite like it, but am not absorbed by it.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 7 December 2006 08:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Highsmith seconded.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Thursday, 7 December 2006 23:40 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.villagevoice.com/books/0650,haskell,75247,10.html

― Ray Cummings (skateboardr), Friday, 8 December 2006 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link

My Seville homework, if you rmember me bringing that up, was "The Seville Communion" because ILx went down before I had the chance to see whether you lot had recommended anything else. I'd read it before, it's goofy and OK (Seville itself is perhaps the loveliest place I've ever been and the book doesn't really do it justice).

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

I'm reading The Name of the Rose, which I first read about 5 years ago for school. I enjoyed it the first time, but I have a feeling I’ll get more out of it now, especially the semiotics stuff. And I actually can’t remember the outcome of the murder mystery, if there is one, so it should keep me in a bit of suspense.

― franny (frannyglass), Friday, 8 December 2006 15:38 (seventeen years ago) link

hey cas(etc) it was you reading the platonic dialogues one by one before right? would you recommend that? i was thinking about it cuz i read 'phaedrus' last night but i might leave it til the summer

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

No, it wasn't me. I was just recommending some that I like. It's prolly about time I read another one.

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

ah. well, next year's failed project - in the spirit of this year's failed project to read all of philip k dick* - will be to read all the dialogues, i guess.

* 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

I just read Edward Anderson's "Thieves Like Us". The usually spurious back-cover X-meets-Y blurb is actually just right this time, describing it as Dashiell Hammett crossed with John Steinbeck. Written and set during the Depression, a nicely bleak little crime novel.

― James Morrison (James Morrison), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 01:07 (seventeen years ago) link

'eye in the sky'

― tom sandbox west (thomp), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 02:49 (seventeen years ago) link

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

― Casuistry (casuistry), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 08:07 (seventeen years ago) link

Finished the very fine "Fingersmith", now reading "London Fields" by Martin Amis. Semi-re-reading, because I read around half of it shortly after it was published. I loathed it at the time. A couple of abysmal short stories from "Heavy Weather" apart, I have read no fiction by Amis since, although I did read (and rather liked) "Experience".

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 12 December 2006 11:23 (seventeen years ago) link

I started reading Patricia Highsmith's "Small g" last night, has anyone read it? There was a collection of three Ripley novels but I just couldn't get excited about it in the bookstore for some reason.

― JordanC (JordanC), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 15:18 (seventeen years ago) link

Terry Pratchett's young adult Discworld books: Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith, because I needed some heavy-duty light reading.

― jaq (jaq), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 17:33 (seventeen years ago) link

La planète des singes.

― Casuistry (casuistry), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 21:47 (seventeen years ago) link

The ending of that one is disappointing.

― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Tuesday, 12 December 2006 21:59 (seventeen years ago) link

My recent reading cover connections:

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

'the world jones made'

― tom sandbox west (thomp), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 05:10 (seventeen years ago) link

xpost nietzsche contra ape

― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 06:20 (seventeen years ago) link

"Ape has killed God!"

― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 13:31 (seventeen years ago) link

I love that ape stock exchange chapter.

Somerest Maugham - The Painted Veil

― Dr M (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 16:00 (seventeen years ago) link

W. Somerset Maugham's _The Painted Veil_ (not coincidentally)

― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 20:43 (seventeen years ago) link

"The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation" Vol. 1 The Pox Party
2007 is the year I go YA

― Matilda Wormwood (Mary ), Wednesday, 13 December 2006 23:23 (seventeen years ago) link

As predicted I set Mawrdew Czgowchwz aside. Instead I picked up "Party Going" by Henry Green, which is a perfect read for this time of year. I may never have said how I love Henry Green here in the sandbox, which is an oversight, and I can't say I love Henry Green too often.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 14 December 2006 14:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Stainslaw Lem 'Solaris' and currently finishing Frank Herbert's 'Whipping star'.

― xyzzzz__ (xyzzzz__), Thursday, 14 December 2006 17:25 (seventeen years ago) link

ian mcewan's atonement, will start housekeeping up again soon thereafter

― jo ga11ucci electrix (joseph), Thursday, 14 December 2006 20:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Henry Green's wonderful, though I have to admit it took me a while to get to grips with him. He has a unique style of rendering conversation and the like, which I read somewhere was based on the sorts of things he thought he heard because he was partly deaf. Have you read 'Caught', Tim? As a sucker for Blitz novels and a sucker for Green novels, it was catnip for me.

I'm partway through George Saunders' 'The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil', which is really good, although I'm wondering whether the consistency of theme for each story is going to wear me out before I get to the end of the collection.

― James Morrison (James Morrison), Thursday, 14 December 2006 22:37 (seventeen years ago) link

finished 'the world jones made'. onto c whitehead's 'john henry days'. coincidenttally, both of these books include one-line mentions of saskatchewan, although they don't agree on the spelling.

― tom sandbox west (thomp), Friday, 15 December 2006 03:08 (seventeen years ago) link

'Against the Day' 550 pages in....

― Dave pacey, Friday, 15 December 2006 06:25 (seventeen years ago) link

James, "Caught" was the first HG I read, and now "Concluding" is the only one I haven't read. So, I remember liking "Caught" a lot, but I bet I'll like it a whole lot more when I get round to re-reading it.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 15 December 2006 13:55 (seventeen years ago) link

the semester is done! nowe i'm reading john wyndham, the chrysalids for the fourth time, i think. wonderful book.

― derrick (derrick), Saturday, 16 December 2006 04:15 (seventeen years ago) link

still reading goncharov-oblomov

in the inbox are:
michael herr-dispatches
david mamet-oleanna
milan kundera-the book of laughter and forgetting (began this and abandoned for oblomov...it was good but maybe not so much the frame of mind I am in)

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 16 December 2006 18:09 (seventeen years ago) link

Gilbert Sorrentino, Red The Fiend

Because he writes over and over again about both Bohemian New York and Blue Collar New York with that characteristic blend of anger and humor that is his alone.

― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Sunday, 17 December 2006 00:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Although, I have a feeling that Bohemian New York is not going to make an appearance in this one.

― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Sunday, 17 December 2006 00:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Essential German Grammar, by Stern and Bleiler. I'm apparently going through a grammar phase. This one is precisely what I wanted, though, and if the other books in this series are as good, I am excited.

― Casuistry (casuistry), Sunday, 17 December 2006 02:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Is that a Dover publication, Chris?

― Ruud Haarvest (KenL), Sunday, 17 December 2006 05:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Yes it is.

All my reading might be doomed now that I have borrowed Martin M.'s PS2 for Katamari-rolling purposes.

― Casuistry (casuistry), Sunday, 17 December 2006 09:05 (seventeen years ago) link

I just got myself a VPL card, and I got the first Groucho Marx, Master Sleuth book. I had heard about it, but had no idea it was by Ron Goulart. It's pretty corny as a mystery/crime/whatever, but the Groucho quips are kinda fun (and might just be cut-and-pasted from various sources). Unless I can figure out what else I want to read, I'll probably read the other books, too.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Sunday, 17 December 2006 15:01 (seventeen years ago) link

ah, VPL!

― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 17 December 2006 23:09 (seventeen years ago) link

i just graduated college. i also just finished reading a lot of checkhov, dostoevsky, a salman rushdie novel, and the most recent haruki murakami novel. therefore it is time to read something fantastic that doesn't make me think too hard and has pretty pictures.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401210821?ie=UTF8&tag=artandlies-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401210821

thanks dad. i love the graduation present.

― hm (modestmickey), Monday, 18 December 2006 04:37 (seventeen years ago) link

All my reading might be doomed now that I have borrowed Martin M.'s PS2 for Katamari-rolling purposes.

hahahahaha! See you in the spring sometime :) Once I get home again (possibly tomorrow), I still have to send you that "thing" for MM.

― jaq (jaq), Monday, 18 December 2006 06:28 (seventeen years ago) link

y'know, while VPL has a few really nice bldngs, Regina PL has way more books (or at least a wider variety).

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 18 December 2006 21:22 (seventeen years ago) link

Have you checked the basement?

Maybe I should visit V before school starts up again.

― Casuistry (casuistry), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 03:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Just started The Persian Puzzle by Kenneth Pollack. It's not amazing but it's clearly written and helpful in forming an understanding of Iran, which I lack.

― Hurting (A-Ron Hubbard), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah, i'm not that pumped on the VPL myself - i use the SFU library for most of my library needs. i liked spotting the acronym, though :)

now i'm finishing daphne du maurier's 'don't look now' and other stories.

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 10:17 (seventeen years ago) link

I just bought Jon Ronson's Men Who Stare At Goats rather than take the bus up to the Riley Park branch, which wasn't even open on Monday.
And my main complaint about the VPL vs RPL is that RPL has a kick-ass graphic novel section, while VPL has, like, 3 copies of Ghost World and a bunch of Strangers In Paradise. SNOOZE.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 17:17 (seventeen years ago) link

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

― Matilda Wormwood (Mary ), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 20:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

― Sara Robinson-Coolidge (Sara R-C), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 21:50 (seventeen years ago) link

For a brief moment, I thought the Powers namechecking upthread was referring to Tim Powers (who's Three Days To Never just arrived from Amazon today). Going to start in on that after I finish Diamond's Collapse.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 19 December 2006 22:29 (seventeen years ago) link

Skipping 20 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

stein, 'blood on the dining room floor'
linda williams, 'hard core'

― tom is not at home, Wednesday, 3 January 2007 14:56 (seventeen years ago) link

Arethusa: Powers, Russian Short Stories, Sedaris - all excellent!

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

Persephone Books is an excellent establishment, as is Serpent's Tail and Virago: three of my favourites!

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

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