Member: deebee1

That's fantastic, deebee!

I look forward to hearing your impressions when you get back!

E-N-J-O-Y!!!! :)

posted by akeela at 6:39 am (EST) on Nov 2, 2009

Thanks for the friends invitation and for adding me to your interesting libraries - I'm flattered.

I don't use interesting libraries so I have a question for you. Does it actually DO anything? I mean, can you keep track of what I add and things more easily? Or is it just a way of reminding yourself that you find a certain person's library interesting? I've been meaning to look into this for a while...

Thanks!

R

posted by rachbxl at 9:43 am (EST) on Oct 26, 2009

Hi there,

Hope you're enjoying being back in Lisbon! I've got another month in Poland but I have to say I'm ready to go home now and resume a more normal life.

I sympathise with what you say about not being able to take part in the Portugal read - that's what happened to me earlier in the year with the Poland one; I set it up but then just couldn't take part. Still, as you know I'm having my own little Poland read! Don't take any leads from me on that front just yet - I'm saving the good stuff till I can understand it properly so for now it's chick lit and other easy reads.

I had to abandon War and Peace, with regret, because I could see it was going to distract me from the Polish. Still, I read about 100 pages and that was more than enough to confirm that it's worth going back to - but at a time when I can appreciate it, I think.

Happy reading!

R

posted by rachbxl at 4:57 am (EST) on Oct 24, 2009

Hey deebee,

Thanks for the Dreiser comment and description of the collection of his short works. I will be on the lookout for that; it sounds great. And, yes, I was trying to make a dent in the Modern Library 100 best this year. Actually, I have a good deal completed but I am a bit stalle dout, what with the halloween reading group and the ER books I've been getting and trying to write and work. There's not enough time in the day. you probably noticed that my thread is getting less use and my reviews are starting to shorten up a bit.

You'll have to let me know how you enjoy the stories in the collection.

Good Reading!

posted by blackdogbooks at 9:49 am (EST) on Oct 23, 2009

Hi deebee,

I have logged in after months! Have had too busy a work schedule and my reading has really suffered in the meantime. I will post whatever little I could read in these past few months if I manage to find my thread!

Best Regards,
Piyush

posted by PiyushChourasia at 7:05 am (EST) on Oct 14, 2009

Hi deebee,

How are you? Hope all's well and that you're having a good summer.

I'm just apologizing in advance for the fact that I'm not going to take part in the Portugal read. I was actually really looking forward to it as an excuse to read some more of your recommendations, but I'm in Poland for 3 months now as of last week and I only brought "War & Peace" with me! (The idea being that that should see me through a large part of the 3 months - and other than that I'm trying to read only in Polish). I'll be following the read though and look forward to getting many new recommendations from it.

All the best,
Rachel

posted by rachbxl at 10:09 am (EST) on Aug 29, 2009

Thanks for your recommendation of NW15: The Anthology of New Writing Vol. 15 last year.
It finally percolated up to the top of my TBR stack and I just finished it.

I really enjoyed it. There were four stories that I particularly liked: Selma Dabbagh's "Down the Market", Zoë Strachan's "The Secret Life of Dads", Adam Marek's "Batman vs. the Bull" and Tod Harman's "Dear Dear Leader". I also liked Kate Rhodes' poem "Four Thing You Never Got to See".

--Tad

posted by TadAD at 5:46 pm (EST) on May 12, 2009

That sounds interesting--are you a biology grad student then? That almost sounds like it could be a topic in international relations too.
--Erin

posted by wunderkind at 2:15 pm (EST) on Apr 8, 2009

Deebee - good luck with your PHD preparation. Hope to continue to see you on LT from time to time.

posted by zenomax at 11:39 am (EST) on Apr 8, 2009

Hi Deebee,

Thanks for the advice; I have a book on conversational French, so I'll start looking at that soon.

I probably won't read Hopscotch in the immediate future, as I've already read two Cortázar books this month, The Winners and Autonauts of the Cosmoroute. And, I just received Blow-Up and Other Stories, a collection of his early short stories, which I'll probably read first. I'll probably get to Hopscotch in the summer, depending on my other book projects. In any case, I'll definitely post a review of it, as I'm now committed to reviewing all of the books I read on LT.

Did you see that Naipaul was selected as one of the finalists for The Man Booker International Prize yesterday? The World Is What it Is also won the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award for biography last week; I'll probably read it next month, if I finish the Borges biography this month.

There have been quite a few literary awards (or longlisted books or authors for upcoming awards) that have come out in the past week or so. I will be looking at the longlisted books on the Orange Prize list closely, and I'm eagerly awaiting my copy of Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie from The Book Depository.

Talk to you soon!

Darryl

posted by kidzdoc at 6:44 am (EST) on Mar 19, 2009

Hi Deebee,

Sorry for the late reply! I definitely have been packing in the reading so far, with seven books in seven days, and I hope to continue that pace this week.

Utrecht is in the Netherlands, right? That sounds very interesting. Can you get by speaking English there, or do you know some Dutch? I guess you'd have to know some words in that language. I'm planning to revisit Europe this year, probably in the fall, and this time I plan to venture outside of the UK (Paris for sure, and maybe Brussels). How necessary (vs helpful) is it for an English speaker to know the language of the country (s)he intends to visit?

Best wishes,

Darryl

posted by kidzdoc at 11:18 am (EST) on Mar 16, 2009

Hi deebee,
Haven't seen you for quite some time...so just dropped by to say hello.

Piyush

posted by PiyushChourasia at 3:40 pm (EST) on Mar 14, 2009

Deebee,
Just finished "Blindness" last night. Wow, I'm (almost) speechless. Thanks ever so much for recommending it - on the basis that it's made me want to read everything of his I can find, it was indeed an excellent introduction to Saramago.

Have a good weekend!

R

posted by rachbxl at 3:06 am (EST) on Feb 21, 2009

Hi,

No time to make a real comment but only to say that I am almost--or was almost--fluent in Brasilian Portuguese. Will check out the sites you mention.

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 7:53 am (EST) on Feb 18, 2009

Hi deebee,

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your note! I don't really know why, but I seem to have been really busy and haven't had much time to spend on LT. In the last couple of days, though, I've resuscitated my 75 thread - I missed the company!

Hope all's well with you - are you still busy, too?

Thanks for recommending Bruges-la-Morte - I haven't read it, but it sounds like it would be worth a go. I almost, almost started "Blindness" last night, but "Woman at Point Zero" pipped it to the post (have you read it? It's excellent, quite an extraordinary book - I'm hoping to finish it now before I go to work). It think it's time for "Blindness" next, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Have a good day!

Rachel

posted by rachbxl at 1:30 am (EST) on Feb 17, 2009

Hi deebee

I'm simply popping in to say thanks for thinking of the favorite reads of January 2009 for our 75 book challenge group. What a great idea!

posted by Whisper1 at 11:14 am (EST) on Feb 3, 2009

Thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely keep it in mind. After I finish Wild Swans, however, I will need a break from man's inhumanity to man. As true as it is, I can only take so much at a time. After a couple of months I'll be ready to take it on.

Snash

posted by snash at 6:38 am (EST) on Feb 3, 2009

deebee1 - Thanks for inviting me to author theme reads - I love that kind of thing! However, between grad school, work and not having the resources to participate (I'm in Japan, books in English are limited or tend to be costly) I probably can't contribute much! Dostoevsky would be fun however as it's been a few years. We share quite a few favorite authors by the way...

Best,

Christopher

posted by cwc790411 at 8:11 am (EST) on Feb 2, 2009

Hola DeeBee

Thanks for the link. I've got it starred to read later. For now, I'm off to cook dinner and do some housework. Fun Fun.

Chrine

posted by chrine at 6:59 pm (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

Hola DeeBee

Thank you for messenging me about The Brothers K and the Author Theme Reads group. =) I've actually been lurking and reading the posts there since ya'll were deciding on which author to read. LOL I've been enjoying reading the About Doetoevsky thread. I'd enjoy commenting there as well as at the 999C as I read The Brothers K. The Brothers K is going to be a challenge for me so I'm not sure if I'll read any of Doetoesky's other works this year. I'll have to see how much I like it. I do love ya'll's idea for a group to explore major authors in more depth.

Chrine

PS Please leave me a comment with the link to your 75 Challenge or any other challenge/reading log on LT, I'd like to star you so I can see what you read this year. The link on your profile is to your 2008 challenge.

posted by chrine at 3:58 pm (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

Hi deebee, re: Winesburg, Ohio - I believe I first heard about it in a Barnes and Noble online bookclub. If I remember correctly Azar Nafisi of Reading Lolita in Tehran fame was a guest in the bookclub and she may have mentioned it. I've been trying to read all of the books she mentions in Lolita and added Winesurg. I thought it rather charming in spots how couples used to court - a little Americanaish. I'd like to read it again someday.

posted by Carmenere at 8:54 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2009

deebee1, thanks so much for the link to the film about Monsanto! - I will definitely check it out. There's always the risk of becoming too infuriated though. The Future of Food had me pretty worked up...

posted by cocoafiend at 2:25 am (EST) on Jan 23, 2009

Thanks for the invite to the author theme read group. I have too many reading projects on the go at the moment, and want to leave some free time for more 'random' reading. I will keep an I an the group though, and would like to get involved in the future.
Cheers,
Andy

posted by depressaholic at 7:22 am (EST) on Jan 22, 2009

Hi deebee

Thanks for inviting me to the Author Theme Reads group. I'm really enjoying the interesting byways LibraryThing can take a reader and author theme reads sounds very interesting indeed.

Meg

posted by merry10 at 10:32 pm (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Hi deebee,
Thanks for the message you left the other day about "The Sorrow of Belgium" - I never got round to commenting on your thread about it, but I'd had exactly the same prejudices as you about it so I was fascinated to see how much you enjoyed it, and I've been on the look-out for a copy ever since.

Thanks too for the invitation to the Author Theme Reads group - looks great. I'm quite busy at the moment so I think I'll lurk for a while, but I'll certainly be keeping an eye on it and jumping in if there's something I can't resist. (by the way, have you found Club Read 2009?)

I've never been posted to Geneva, no (I'm EU rather than UN), but you'll definitely have run into people I know - small world! I keep meaning to ask - what's your doctorate going to be on?

R

posted by rachbxl at 11:05 am (EST) on Jan 20, 2009

Hi deebee, thanks so much for the invite to Author Theme Reads. My whole background is in science, so I'm overwhelmed by the group -- the caliber of writers being nominated AND YET what a terrific study it will be! I'm feeling under-water right now in the 999 Challenge but will keep an eye on the group. If there's a writer whose works are quite different over just a few novels, that might be a good place to begin?

posted by DetailMuse at 10:17 am (EST) on Jan 20, 2009

deebee,

I saw the mention of the Author Theme Reads group in the 75 Books Challenge group, and as much as I would like to take part, I just do not think I could do it right now. Maybe later though, because it really looks like a fantastic idea. I will probably pop in every now and again just to see what you are up to.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 7:25 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

Thanks for taking care of the group this weekend. I didn't mean to disappear like that!

posted by lilisin at 2:54 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

Thanks for the invite to "Author Theme Reads" Deebee. I've joined the group and look forward to the posts.
XenaBallerina

posted by XenaBallerina at 11:18 am (EST) on Jan 18, 2009

Hi Deebee,

thanks for your invitation to the group "Author Theme reads", although i'm not sure why. It's true that i have some books from the same authors but i have not read all of them in chronological order.
I do want to give it a try but i have already the 999 challenge that will keep me busy in 2009.
If you can agree by me becoming member just to observe what's going on in the "author theme reads" group, then i'm in.
Lunar18

posted by Lunar18 at 7:34 am (EST) on Jan 18, 2009

Hi Deebee

Thank you for the invitation. I'm in. I love your comments on your thread and on the other threads I'm following.

Deborah

posted by arubabookwoman at 4:15 pm (EST) on Jan 17, 2009

Thanks for the invite! I've joined and am looking forward to participating. Although it seems I spend more time on LT than actually reading. As I always say, if it weren't for audiobooks during my commute I'd never finish any books.

posted by Sandydog1 at 3:27 pm (EST) on Jan 17, 2009

Author Theme Reads:
http://www.librarything.com/groups/autho...

I'll be updating a bit more later but I have to get back to my reaction. (I'm a chemist with a lot of waiting time.)

posted by lilisin at 3:26 pm (EST) on Jan 16, 2009

I think we could just make it, start advertising on our respective groups and then start with an author with fewer works since we'll have fewer members. Then, if it doesn't get anybody, we can always delete the group.

posted by lilisin at 3:16 pm (EST) on Jan 16, 2009

I was actually thinking the same thing! My only concern is getting enough people to do it. But if you would like I could easily start a new group titled "Author Read" because I do think it would indeed be a better place to have an author theme read.

I was also concerned that there wouldn't be enough available in english translation.

posted by lilisin at 2:42 pm (EST) on Jan 16, 2009

deebee,

Yes, we do seem to be more ambitious this year than last. I guess I will see where I am at with War and Peace and Don Quixote before trying to do all 4 big books this year, but I will probably end up doing them all. I hope you do decide to join in with us during the summer~

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 7:19 am (EST) on Jan 16, 2009

deebee,

I got my copy of Bleak House in today for the summer read. It is an absolutely beautiful copy of the book. I ordered it from The Book Depository in England, and they had the Nonesuch Press edition. I am thrilled and cannot wait to get started on it in June. I hope you will join in with us!

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 3:25 pm (EST) on Jan 15, 2009

It's just gorgeous -- you might not want to go home. I have some friends who were involved in a church in Lisbon. Years and years ago Calvin and Kristi Weatherall (90s) and more recently the Dwight Seletzky family (back in the states for 2 years now?) and the Marty Uhler family who may actually may still be living there. I was close with the Weatheralls and just know the other couples. Just mention that because sometimes the world is smaller than we think ;->

posted by suslyn at 7:32 am (EST) on Jan 13, 2009

You were in Hungary! So close to us! If you're in the area again let me know. Or if you wanna be intentional about it, come visit :) -- Susan

posted by suslyn at 5:47 pm (EST) on Jan 12, 2009

Thanks for your comments Deebee,

I might have to check out that Reading Globally group, although my reading project for January is Bolano's 2666. I could be convinced to read the big Mishima 'Seat of Fertility' series when I finish Bolano. I like to read big books in January, it's a bit of a custom I have. And the truth is, I don't have a great deal of knowledge of Japanese literature. But maybe I will participate.

The horse - fascinating horse that it is - is on the cover of a Japanese design magazine, Casa Brutus, which I happen to enjoy looking at from time to time. I know that the horse is quite expensive, but that's it. Interesting that you saw it on a shop window...

Christopher

P.S. Camilo Jose Cela is an interesting author. I read one, slim novel a year or two ago and haven't forgotten it. Pascal Duarte - that's the one.

posted by cwc790411 at 7:48 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

I thought so too, I also dont put my academic books in my library, John Hull would otherwise have prominently featured there. I am more interested in Macro Economics, favourite being Mankiw. If I am not mistaken, I also saw an econometrics book in your library?

posted by PiyushChourasia at 9:12 am (EST) on Jan 8, 2009

Great! Thanks for the help (and I hope I have my audiobook in by the 15th - I did not think about that, lol).

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 7:50 am (EST) on Jan 8, 2009

deebee,

The big question for me moderating it is how to do it since I will be listening rather than actually physically reading the book. The War and Peace group I can say read to Part 2 section 1, but I have no idea how Don Quixote is broken up. I will have to think on how to do it - suggestions are welcome.

I will go ahead and get the thread going though and set up a tentative start date.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 7:37 am (EST) on Jan 8, 2009

deebee,

I think the Don Q fest is a great idea! Would you like to set up the thread or should I?

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 10:33 pm (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

A casual reader wont have 6 books on Economics in her library. Am an economics enthusiast, but mostly macro.

posted by PiyushChourasia at 8:20 pm (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

Deebee,

In response to your question re: the Sepoy Rebellion and the Opium Wars.

Both are outside my focus on 20th century conflicts, however I can recommend the following two books...

- "Indian Uprising of 1857-8: Prisons, Prisoners and Rebellion" by Clare Anderson
- "Foreign Mud: Being an Account of the Opium Imbroglio at Canton in the 1830's and the Anglo-Chinese War that Followed" By Maurice Collis

You can preview both books extensively on Google Books to see if they suit your needs. But both are highly readable and cover the conflicts, their causes and consequences.

I hope this helps.

posted by petermc at 7:53 pm (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

Yeah, I am still up for it and am open to both a each to his own pace or a min page limit like W&P. Are you an economist?

posted by PiyushChourasia at 3:33 pm (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

Sounds good deebee
Open up a thread and I will join as soon as I start reading Don Quixote.
I defenitely want to try to read that book this year ;-)
Anita

posted by FAMeulstee at 1:21 pm (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

It is already at the top of my list of one!

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 7:13 am (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

Deebee thank you for directing me to your review of The Heart So White - excellent review.
I have posted it on the Next Book thread.

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 6:50 am (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

BTW deebee, are you located in the UK?

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 6:48 am (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

Happy New Year deebee!

Thank you for your comments on The Heart So White. Where is your review as I would like to read it?

Thank you for your kind comments about my book project. I am having such fun writing it!

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 12:31 pm (EST) on Jan 4, 2009

Happy New Year deebee!

hope you had a good Christmas. I was back in the UK for a week so did some major book-shopping - including Saramago's "Blindness", which I'm really looking forward to reading. (Do you read him in Portuguese or English?)

I was really impressed by the figures on your 75 thread (57 translations!!), and it inspired me to do the same...it just confirms what a great reading year we've had! Thanks again for all your recommendations and comments.

Rachel

PS I've been reading Bolano's "The Savage Detectives" over Christmas - haven't finished yet but it's fantastic. Have you read it?

posted by rachbxl at 5:12 pm (EST) on Jan 3, 2009

Thanks for the comment on Hugo Claus. I am working my way through Thomas Mann and Dosteyvsky as my New Year Resolutions - so maybe that one will follow them.

Cheers,

Karen

posted by kiwidoc at 4:10 pm (EST) on Jan 1, 2009

Thanks for your comment! I looked at your library to see if you have written something about the book and your classification (number of stars) but could not find it in your list. I was curious to know if you have found some merit in the book, despite the fact that you did not feel sympathy for the characters.

posted by alalba at 8:06 am (EST) on Dec 29, 2008

I didn't have the problem with Anne Applebaum's voice that you've had. I do think, however, that it was good to read The Gulag Archipelago (all three volumes of it) before reading Gulag. Solzhenitsyn calls his big work a literary investigation. Having read it, I take him to mean that he writes narratively and well and that he looks at character in trying circumstances. Applebaum writes more journalistically (and, thank heavens, she is not dismissive of Solzhenitsyn) with an emphasis on who, where, what, when, and how. Solzhenitsyn hints at Kolyma; she tells us about it. She does fill in the gaps and is well worth reading.

Along the way, I think between Solzhenitsyn and Applebaum, I read Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore. It may not be the only book to read about Stalin if one cares deeply, but it sure helped my understanding of the whole mess.

Have fun,

Robert

posted by Mr.Durick at 6:37 pm (EST) on Dec 11, 2008

Hi deebee,

Thanks for the links; I haven't looked at them yet, but I'll be off all week, and will have plenty of time to look at them then.

Did you see the Saramago interview in The Guardian on Saturday? Here's the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/nov...

I've added the two books you recommended to my Amazon wish list; since it's getting close to Christmas, I'll let my friends & family buy them for me!

Darryl

posted by kidzdoc at 6:01 pm (EST) on Nov 24, 2008

I'll be interested to see what I think of it too! It's one of those books I've been meaning to get for ages and everyone else on LT seems to have read it (well, except you, that is). I'm not sure how soon I'll get round to it but it's not exactly huge and I've got through a couple of big books lately, so I'll soon be in he mood for something short. I've just stared Inkheart, which is very 'un-me' but I think I'm going to like it a lot. Maybe The Leopard will come to the top of the pile sometime after that. I'll try and let you know what I think.

posted by Booksloth at 3:24 pm (EST) on Nov 24, 2008

Hi deebee,

I read "The Flanders Panel" about 5 years ago and I loved it, and have been intending to read more ever since (all I've managed so far is a collection of his newspaper columns). I keep reading rave reviews of his books here on LT - I really must read something else soon! On the basis of the one I have read, though, I think you'd like him.

Have a good week yourself!

Rachel

posted by rachbxl at 9:29 am (EST) on Nov 24, 2008

Very thoughtful of you! Thank you.

posted by akeela at 6:08 am (EST) on Nov 24, 2008

Hi deebee,

I'm hardly the expert - just a proud South African!

I know Christopher Hope went into exile in the 70s, but beyond that, not much more. I'll now look out for his books, thanks to you! :)

posted by akeela at 12:17 pm (EST) on Nov 23, 2008

Hi deebee,

Glad to hear that you were able to attend the Naipaul lecture. I haven't read "The Enigma of Arrival", although I think I have it...no, actually I don't have it (wow, I didn't realize that I had 20 books by or about Naipaul!). I'll add it to my wish list.

What did he have to say about the publishing industry? I can imagine some critiques he would have, but I wouldn't be surprised if he expressed other thoughts that are much more insightful than mine. It seems to me, though, that these criticisms, although valid, have been expressed for many years.

I only became familiar with the Booker Prize after I visited London for the first time last fall. At that time the shortlist for the 2007 prize was announced, and the books were widely discussed in the press and displayed prominently in the bookstores I frequented. I've read about half of the books on the 2007 longlist, several of which were among my favorite books of 2007, incluing "The Gift of Rain" by Tan Twan Eng, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" by Mohsin Hamid, "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan, "Gifted" by Nikita Lalwani, and "Animal's People" by Indra Sinha. I didn't purchase the book that won the award, Anne Enright's "The Gathering", as the topic didn't interest me, and it seems that many others didn't like it either (I think it is the one book that was mentioned most frequently in the LT Clunkers of 2008 thread).

The books you're reading sound veryinteresting! I haven't heard of either author, but I'll add these two books to my wish list, too.

I didn't read anything from Monday through Friday, as I was working long hours this week. I'm about 1/4 of the way through "Carpentaria" by Alexis Wright, which I'm reading for the LT Reading Globally November theme read (Australian literature). The book won the Miles Franklin Literary Award for 2007, and is about the inhabitants of a town along the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia, which include the white inhabitants of the town proper, who are surrounded by two aboriginal settlements, and their relationship with each other and the mining company that has estalished operations just outside of the town. I'm enjoying it so far, although I've read it only sporadically over the past couple of weeks.

I haven't gotten past the introduction section of two nonfiction books that I'm planning to read, "Trusting Doctors: The Decline of Moral Authority in American Medicine" by Jonathan Imber, and "The Aftermath of War" by Jean-Paul Sartre. I should finish "Carpentaria", and maybe "Trusting Doctors", by next weekend, as I'll only have to work one day between now and the Monday after next.

Hopefully I'll start the Naipaul biography in mid-December, when I'll spend a week with my best friends in Wisconsin.

Talk to you soon,

Darryl

posted by kidzdoc at 11:08 pm (EST) on Nov 22, 2008

Glad you're enjoying Christopher Hope's Separate Development deebee. I believe that was his first book. As I think I might have mentioned before, I've only read his "Me, the Moon and Elvis Presley" and "My Mother's Lovers" but now I look forward to reading "Separate Development"... thanks for the nudge.

I agree with you about his writing making one laugh like mad - then suddenly realise it's often a case of "It would be a joke if it wasn't so awful"! That's satire for you I suppose.

posted by Thrin at 3:34 pm (EST) on Nov 22, 2008

I look forward to it! Thank you.

posted by akeela at 9:28 am (EST) on Nov 20, 2008

Hi deebee,

Thanks for the recommendations! I really appreciate it and will follow up on them.

I haven't read any of Allende's books yet. What would you suggest I start with?

Laura Esquivel, now that you mention her, I read “Like Water for Chocolate” many moons ago – it might be time for a reread. I vaguely remember some sensual kitchen scenes... :)

posted by akeela at 10:55 am (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

Thank you.

I started Montefiore's book on Stalin last night. If it goes quickly I will turn to either Applebaum's book or The Long Walk. Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler came yesterday, but I don't think I will read it for awhile.

I will let you know if I read Applebaum and whether it merits discussion.

Robert

posted by Mr.Durick at 3:42 pm (EST) on Nov 18, 2008

Hi DeeBee,

Sorry for the late reply, I'm just coming off of a long stretch at work, and wasn't looking at LT very much.

I think I have "The Inquistor's Manual" by Mr Antunes, but I haven't read it yet. I don't think I've read any of his other books either, or else I'm just not remembering any. But, given your description of him, I think I would have remembered, and liked, any of his works.

I would love to hear Mr Naipaul speak, especially now that "The World Is What it Is", the authorized biography of his life, was just published in the US last week. I bought a copy of it from the UK earlier this year, but haven't touched it yet. I understand that the book portrays him as a womanizer, a frequenter of prostitutes even while married, and an absolute beast toward his wives. I would love to hear him speak, especially now that this book has been published. If you go to the lecture, please let me know how it was.

I loved Mr Naipaul's early works that were set in Trinidad, especially "The Mystic Masseur", "A House for Mr Biswas", which is one of my all time favorite books, and "Miguel Street", and his travelogues, especially "A Turn in the South" and "India: A Wounded Civilization". His later books, though, haven't made a strong impression on me.

I have a couple of Mr Mishima's books, but haven't read either one yet. (I really should stop buying books for a while, as I have several hundred books in my TBR mountain range!)

I did read "Liquidation", and I agree that it was very good.

This week I'll hopefully finish two books for two different reading groups, Alexis Wright's "Carpentaria" for the LT Reading Globally November Theme Read, which is focusing on Australian literature this month, and "Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio" by Amara Lakhous, for the Words Without Borders book club. Both books focus on multicultural societies, a topic that I am particularly interested in. "Carpentaria" is about the inhabitants of an aboriginal community in northern Australia, and its relationship with newcomers to the area, and local government and law enforcement officials. "Clash of Civilizations" is set in an community of immigrants in Rome who occupy an apartment building where one of the tenants is murdered, and the people that are interviewed in the investigation tell stories about their experiences on the margins of society.

I just received "2666" by the newly discovered (at least in the US) Chilean author Roberto Bolaño, which has received glowing reviews here, including a gushing review by Jonathan Lethem on the front page of The New York Times Book Review this past Sunday. It has been described here as the most eagerly awaited novel of the fall in the US, after his book "The Savage Detectives" received acclaim here a couple of years ago. I'll probably start that during Thanksgiving week, but at 912 pages, I doubt that I'll finish it then.

Thanks for the recommendations of good Balkan literature. I have two (or three) of Mr Panuk's books, which I'll hopefully get to in 2009...if I can find them under all of the other TBR books!

Talk to you soon,

Darryl

posted by kidzdoc at 9:55 am (EST) on Nov 14, 2008

Hi DeeBee,

I can't remember if I mentioned that I read another book by a Portuguese writer last week, "The Implacable Order of Things" by Jose Luis Peixoto, which was prominently displayed at City Lights Books. I had not heard of him before, but the description of the book was interesting, and I was not disappointed. The cover indicated that this book, which was published in the UK as "Blank Gaze", won the Jose Saramago Literary Award in 2001. I tried to look for other books that won this award, but couldn't find any. Does this award still exist, or has it been replaced by another named award?

Darryl

posted by kidzdoc at 5:08 pm (EST) on Nov 4, 2008

Hi DeeBee,

I did read two of Le Clezio's books last week, "Onitsha" and "The Round and Other Cold Hard Facts", both of which were great. I've been on vacation in San Francisco for the past two weeks, so I haven't spent as much time on LT as usual, and haven't posted any reviews yet. I will be flying back to Atlanta this afternoon, and will be off from work Tuesday and Wednesday, so I'll post reviews of both books later this week, and I'll send you a message when I do

I've also received "Fever", "War", and "Wandering Star" by Le Clezio, and "The Prospector" should be waiting for me when I get back.

I picked up a ton of good books from City Lights Books and other bookstores in the Bay Area. City Lights always prominently displays translated works of fiction by authors who are little known in this country, but are highly regarded abroad. I picked up four more books last night that fit into this category, which I'll post shortly.

Thanks for the info about the new Saramago book! I hadn't heard this good news. I'm amazed -- and pleased -- that he has continued to write, considering his advanced age (86 yrs). I hope that he gets Margaret Jull Costa to translate it into English, ASAP!

I found this article from The Independent about his book, and his recent health, just now:

José Saramago's work The Elephant’s Journey is based on a real animal's trek across Europe in the 16th century

Portugal's Nobel Literature laureate Jose Saramago has announced the completion of his latest work "The Elephant's Journey", based on the real-life epic journey of an Indian elephant named Solomon who travelled from Lisbon to Vienna in the 16th century.

Saramago's achievement marks a rebirth for the veteran writer, 86, whose flagging health, for which he received hospital treatment late last year, sounded alarm bells in the literary world.

The author describes the book as "a story rather than a novel". It will be published shortly in Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan, and opens with the line: "However incongruous it may seem..."

Saramago has been captivated by the tale for last ten years, ever since he made a visit to Austria and went to eat by chance in a Salzburg restaurant called The Elephant, the author says in a long email interview published recently in the Spanish press.

The Elephant's Journey is filled with characters, some of them real historical figures, others anonymous fictional creations: "they are people the members of this travelling caravan encounter on their journey, and with whom they share perplexities, efforts and the harmonious joy of a roof over their heads".

The tale begins with a real event, but the scarcity of historical details of what actually happened during that improbable pan-European odyssey forced the writer to exercise his imagination.

The work is a reflection on feelings of "compassionate solidarity," Saramago emails from his home in the Canary Island of Lanzarote. He confesses there were moments when he thought he'd never finish, as he had suffered for many months from a serious respiratory illness.

"This story, I prefer to call it that rather than a novel, is what I always thought it should be. My illness didn't change anything," Saramago says. None the less, "the years don't pass in vain. It wasn't a stroll in the park. Something of what I went through will have passed into my writing. But even so, the essential elements of the story didn't change."

He felt relieved and pleased to have been able to finish the work, he added. "I wrote my last three books in the most deplorable state of health, not at all favourable for happy feelings. I prefer to say: if you have to write, you will write."

The tale is filled with the irony, sarcasm and humour typical of Saramago, his Spanish wife and translator, Pilar del Rio, writes on the author's website. The work follows the rules that the author sets for all his books, she adds. "Dialogues alternate with narrative to form a whole, which the reader has to sort out according to his or her own rhythm.

Saramago always seeks an exchange with the reader," Ms del Rio says.

The prolific writer, the son of landless peasants from Portugal's impoverished south, is author of The Cave, The Siege of Lisbon, The Stone Raft, Blindness and A Year in the Death of Ricardo Reis, among many works translated into English. He abandoned his homeland to settle in Lanzarote in 1991 when the conservative government in Lisbon censored his book "the Gospel according to Jesus Christ," claiming it was offensive to Catholics. He was awarded the Nobel Literature Prize in 1998.

From his self-imposed exile on the Spanish island, the radical former communist continues to snipe at the political establishment. He infuriated his compatriots last year when he urged Portugal to join Spain as an autonomous province, to form a new country, "Iberia". The provocative proposal plunged each country into a frenzy of soul searching over tortured relations with its closest neighbour. "We would continue to speak Portuguese, and write, think and feel in our own language," he prophesied teasingly. "We wouldn't have to become Spaniards."

Now recovered in health, and with renewed energies, Saramago reflects on the relationship between the writer and illness. "Can literature save your life?" his cyber-interlocutor asks. "Not as a medicine, but it is one of the richest springs from which the spirit can drink," the Portuguese laureate replies. "Perhaps it can't do great things for the body, but the soul needs literature like the mouth needs bread."

Thanks again for the good news! Talk to you soon.

Darryl

posted by kidzdoc at 10:00 am (EST) on Nov 3, 2008