Member: raggedprince

Hello James! It's been too long - how are you? Are you still working at BC in Krakow, or have you moved on from there? I've decided to take a second year here in Bielsko, but I won't be working a six day week like I have been lately, and will have more time to come over to Krakow and catch up with friends. So, that long-promised visit isn't totally out of the question!

I've just finished 'Sense and Sensibility', which took me bloody ages. I'll have more time to read over the summer, though, since I'm staying in Poland and will be doing the summer school here with just one other teacher. I've got a stack of books to read; I'm tempted to try Marco Polo's 'Travels'.

All the best,
Chris

posted by soylentgreen23 at 11:38 am (EST) on Jun 19, 2008

Hi--Belated thanks for the kind comment over at my profile. If you like parasites, you may be interested in my next book, Microcosm, which comes out in May. I investigate the question, "What is Life?" by looking just at E. coli. While most strains of E. coli are harmless, there are some that have evolved into remarkable parasites.

posted by cwzimmer at 9:43 am (EST) on Feb 11, 2008

In actual fact I haven't read a lot of Steinbeck. Off the top of my head--The Pearl, Of mice and men and In dubious battle. I should probably read more of his work. I haven't read Faulkner in a while either. One writer from that era I've become quite interested in is Dos Passos.

posted by lriley at 8:24 am (EST) on Apr 23, 2007

I'll look forward to reading a comparison review from you in the near future! There seems to be a magic about considering books in comparison that brings quite amazing insights sometimes. I started the group after reading an essay by Cynthia Ozick in last month's issue of Harper's, where she laments the decline of reviews that consider books in the context of other literature. I just thought, well, we don't have to wait for the professionals to get their act together - we can just do a grassroots thing on LibraryThing! I had no idea the group was going to be so exciting. My list of must-read-soon books has become quite unwieldy!

Is Polish cooking a lot like German? Lots of pork and potatoes? When I was traveling in Germany, I especially enjoyed the fish and the bread. Pickled herring and that dense, heavy rye bread where one slice almost makes a meal. My husband hates the stuff. If you ever take a holiday trip to Hungary, and you like spicy food, you must have the classic fish soup, halászlé. We can't make it here in the U.S. because it's made with a species of fish we don't have.

posted by margad at 8:56 pm (EST) on Apr 11, 2007

Welcome to Books Compared. I especially enjoyed your review of Kafka's The Trial. Hope you'll contribute a comparison review for us soon.

posted by margad at 7:52 pm (EST) on Apr 4, 2007

Hi! Nice to see we share some books in common already. I'm a big fan of Philip K. Dick; his short stories are definitely worth a look when you get the time (or should that be 'if'?). I'm looking forward to seeing what else you add to your catalogue!

Chris

posted by soylentgreen23 at 8:43 am (EST) on Dec 20, 2006