Part 1

Part 2




Books Read in 2009: (***=unfinished book)

January:
1. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
2. The Illusion of Return by Samir El-Youssef
3. A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʾo
4. Mishima's Sword by Christopher Ross
5. Patriotism by Yukio Mishima
6. Does Your House Have Lions? by Sonia Sanchez
7. Mi Revalueshanary Fren by Linton Kwesi Johnson
8. The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso
9. Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami
10. Pinball, 1973 by Haruki Murakami
11. Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra
***12. Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolaño

February:
13. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
14. Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoevsky
15. The Interrogation by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio
16. Admiring Silence by Abdulrazak Gurnah
17. Novel 11, Book 18 by Dag Solstad
18. A Better Angel: Stories by Chris Adrian
19. The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuściński
20. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
21. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
22. Travelling with Djinns by Jamal Mahjoub
23. The Conjure Woman by Charles W. Chesnutt
24. Metropole by Ferenc Karinthy
25. A Journey Round My Skull by Frigyes Karinthy
26. Ül: Four Mapuche Poets, edited by Cecilia Vicuña
27. The Lemoine Affair by Marcel Proust

March:
28. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
29. My Floating Mother, City by Kazuko Shiraishi
30. The Oldest Orphan by Tierno Monénembo
31. Outcasts United: A Refugee Soccer Team, an American Town by Warren St. John
32. Resistance: The Human Struggle Against Infection by Norbert Gualde, M.D.
***33. The United States of Africa by Abdourahman A. Waberi
34. The Winners by Julio Cortázar
35. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
36. Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
37. Broken Glass by Alain Mabanckou
38. The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martinez
39. Autonauts of the Cosmoroute by Julio Cortázar & Carol Dunlop
40. Golpes Bajos/Low Blows: Instantáneas/Snapshots by Alicia Borinsky
41. UFO in Her Eyes by Xiaolu Guo (China)
42. Shyness & Dignity by Dag Solstad (Denmark)
43. A Strange and Sublime Address by Amit Chaudhuri (India)

April:
44. Brain Surgeon by Keith Black, MD (USA)
45. The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (The Netherlands)
46. Cambridge by Caryl Phillips (UK/Caribbean)
47. Afternoon Raag by Amit Chaudhuri (India/UK)
48. A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo (China/UK)
49. Breath by Tim Winton (Australia)
50. Books v. Cigarettes by George Orwell (UK)
51. Rhyming Life & Death by Amos Oz (Israel)
52. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan)
53. World Ball Notebook by Sesshu Foster (US)
54. The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt (US)
55. Unlucky Lucky Days by Daniel Grandbois (US)

May:
***56. Five Spice Street by Can Xue (China)
57. The Mighty Angel by Jerzy Pilch (Poland)
58. The Fat Man and Infinity by António Lobo Antunes (Portugal)
59. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (Ireland)
60. Gimpel the Fool: And Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Poland)
61. Flowers of a Moment by Ko Un (Korea)
62. W, or The Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec (France)
63. Voice Over by Céline Curiol (France)
64. C.L.R. James: Cricket's Philosopher King by Dave Renton (Trinidad/UK/)
65. The King's Rifle by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/UK)
66. Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello (Italy)
67. Plants Don't Drink Coffee by Unai Elorriaga (Basque/Spain)
68. Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (UK)
69. The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt)
70. The Armies by Evelio Rosero (Colombia)
***71. The Bathroom by Jean-Philippe Toussaint (France)

June:
72. Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun (South Korea/US)
73. Rose by Li-Young Lee (Indonesia/US)
74. Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulić (Croatia)
75. In the Falling Snow by Caryl Phillips (St. Kitts/UK)
76. The Halfway House by Guillermo Rosales (Cuba/US)
77. How I Became a Nun by César Aira (Argentina)
78. The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre (France)
79. Ravel by Jean Echenoz (France)
80. Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
***81. Hoppla! 1 2 3 by Gérard Gavarry (France)
82. Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones (UK)
83. The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín (Ireland)
***84. The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat (Iran)

July:
85. Ghosts by César Aira (Argentina)
86. Medical London: City of Diseases, City of Cures by Richard Barnett (UK)
87. Chess Story by Stefan Zweig (Austria)
***88. The Postman by Antonio Skármeta (Chile)
89. Nostalgic Views of Atlanta {Atlanta History Center}
90. Mercury Under My Tongue by Sylvain Trudel (Canada)
91. The Fête at Coqueville by Émile Zola (France)
92. Flaw by Magdalena Tulli (Poland)
93. The Observer by Matt Charman (UK)
94. Literary Cafés of Paris by Noël Riley Fitch
95. Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi (UK)

August:
***96. Palafox by Eric Chevillard (France)
97. The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds (UK)
98. Literary Paris: A Guide by Jessica Powell

Currently reading:
Not Untrue & Not Unkind by Ed O'Loughlin (Ireland)
Harare North by Brian Chikwava (Zimbabwe/UK)

Message edited by its author, Aug 5, 2009, 3:15am.

Amazing reading output, Darryl!

Got you starred again, Darryl!

ditto what Akeela and Stasia said.

#2-4: Hi guys! I hope to post a book by week's end. I'll resume reading The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey tonight, then start In the Falling Snow, the new novel by Caryl Phillips, and The Armies by Evelio Rosero, which won this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

ditto message #4 + Whisper1

Book #70: The Armies by Evelio Rosero

My rating:

Evelio Rosero (1958-) is an award winning author and journalist who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, where he currently resides. The Armies (Los ejércitos), his first novel to be translated into English, won the Tusquets International Novel Prize in 2006 and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2009.

Ismael is a 70 year old retired school teacher, who lives peacefully with his wife Otilia in a Colombian village. His days are spent picking oranges from the trees in his garden, while longingly admiring his neighbor as she sunbathes in the nude. Surrounding this peaceful village, however, are guerrillas who grow coca in the nearby hills, who occasionally threaten and kidnap individuals but do not have much of an impact on the town as a whole. Unfortunately for the villagers, the army decides to use the village as a front in the war against the guerrillas, and slowly but steadily the villagers are caught in the middle of these warring factions.

Ismael decides to take an early morning walk, and is detained by government soldiers. Otilia goes to look for him later that day, and Ismael goes to look for her after his release. However, there is fierce fighting on that day, and he cannot find her by day's end. His neighbor's husband and son are kidnapped, and a number of villagers are killed or injured. Over the next days, as the fighting intensifies and the villagers find themselves increasingly trapped, Ismael continues his search for Otilia, vowing to remain there until she returns to him.

No one in The Armies is entirely innocent or guilty: the captain of the army randomly shoots several civilians, accusing them of being guerrillas; the mayor and the local police abandon the villagers with little warning; journalists drop in for photo ops but are detached and uninterested in the villagers' plight; and the country's president denies the existence of the war, and claims that the deaths reported by the media were due to old age.

This was a beautifully written novel which captures the horrors of the Colombian civil war on its people, without resorting to gruesome and repetitive depictions of violence, and is highly recommended.

#7: Looks like another book I need to put on the Continent. Thanks once again for your great review, Darryl.

Where do you find all these great books?? Sounds lovely, as always.

Wonderful review, thank you.

I have to say, Darryl, I am always incredibly impressed by how wide-spread your reading is, globally. You are always reading authors from different parts of the world, authors of whom I have never even heard. I am going to echo Eliza's question - where do you find these books?

#9: I'd say that a majority of the books I've purchased and read over the past two years have come from one of four sources: (1) books reviewed in The Guardian or The New York Times (I subscribe to the NYT and The Guardian Weekly, and I look at The Guardian's Books page on the Internet practically every day; (2) books I've picked up at certain bookstores, particularly City Lights in San Francisco; (3) recommendations from other LT members; (4) select independent publishers, especially Archipelago Books, Godine, Seven Stories, and Melville House.

I learned about the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize from The Guardian, and I'm sure that I had no clue about this award prior to '07. I also knew practically nothing about the other major UK literary awards, such as the Booker, Orange, and Whitbread/Costa prizes either.

Oh...what I can do is tell you guys how I learned about each book I read, and where I got it from, especially since a lot of them come from the UK (and haven't yet been published in the US) or from City Lights (which features a lot of books from small publishers that you won't find in Borders or B&N). I purchased The Armies from The Book Depository, as it has not been published in the US yet. (Where did you get your copy from, kiwidoc? I see that you've purchased it, too.)

Message edited by its author, May 31, 2009, 2:17pm.

Oh, we posted at the same time! Thanks for sharing your sources with us - The Guardian's Books page looks like one that I might start checking as well :)

Book #71: The Bathroom by Jean-Philippe Toussaint

My rating: (3 yawns)

I first learned about this French writer after I purchased his latest book, Camera, at City Lights Books last year, which I enjoyed. This is his first novel, published in 1985, and I picked it up at my local Borders (in Atlanta) while browsing the fiction shelves this past week. I decided to read it on this morning's flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia (I'm visiting my parents this week), as it is only 102 pages long. Well, I couldn't even make it to 50 pages!

The narrator is a researcher who decides that he will live in his bathroom in a Parisian flat. He moves everything (clothes, books, etc.) there, and sits in his tub all day, contemplating his toenails. His girlfriend and his mother visit him and are amazingly tolerant of his foibles. The book consists of short, self-absorbed entries, such as this one:

9. The bathroom walls were light green, the paint blistered in spots. After turning the key in the door I took off my underpants and hung them on the doorknob. I took a shower in the tub, dried myself, and went back to my room shivering, towel around my shoulders. The new underwear was on the table. Using my teeth, I separated the socks, which were tied together with a thread. The wool was soft, smelled good. I put on clean socks, new underpants. I was feeling good. In that state, I hung around the room for a while, pulling on the elastic of my underpants, reading the notices thumbtacked to the door: safety instructions, prices of rooms, breakfast. Turning back to the table, I pulled on my trousers and put on my dirty shirt, which stank under the armpits.

I'm amazed that I made it through almost 50 pages without screaming at the captain, being forcibly removed from the plane after an emergency landing in Charlotte, or using every barf bag on the plane. Thankfully there was a very cute baby two seats ahead of me, whose coos and laughs allowed me to keep my sanity. This is recommended only if you want a reason to visit a psychotherapist.

Message edited by its author, May 31, 2009, 3:08pm.

kidzdoc;
LOVE THIS!~!
Excellent review!
belva

cute...cute ...three yawns photo!

#14: OK, no matter how cute the kid pics, I am passing up that book!

LOL What Stasia said...

Book #72: Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun

My rating: Miles From Nowhere is on the shortlist for this year's Orange Award for New Writers, along with The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber and An Equal Stillness by Francesca Kay. Ms Mun was born in Seoul, South Korea and moved with her parents to the Bronx as a young child. After working a variety of odd jobs from 7th grade on, she moved to SoCal as a teenager, and received degrees from UC Berkeley and the U of Michigan. She currently teaches Creative Writing at Columbia College in Chicago.

Miles From Nowhere is an unblinking, stark and disturbing story of Joon-Mee, a Korean girl who emigrated with her family to the Bronx and ran away at age 12 after her father left her and her mother to fend for themselves. The novel takes place in the late 1970s and early 1980s, at a time when NYC was an especially dangerous and unforgiving place to live. Joon encounters a variety of fellow misfits, who provide her with shelter, support, drugs, and loveless sex, and works as a prostitute, drug dealer, petty thief, and escort girl. Somehow she maintains enough optimism and manages to keep her head barely above water despite her precarious existence, believing that she can "choose my own beginning, one that was scrubbed clean of everything past."

Much of the story is told in a matter of fact fashion, as she describes her life and those around her without much introspection or insight into the pain she must have experienced, which made the novel less depressing and more readable than it could have been. The ending, though, was quite surprising, and the story ends rather abruptly, which was less than satisfying. However, it was a fast paced and captivating read, and is definitely recommended.

Message edited by its author, Jun 1, 2009, 10:58pm.

sounds really good kidzdoc, thanx for sharing.

#19: That one is already on the Planet or I would add it again!

Book 73: Rose: Poems by Li-Young Lee

My rating:

This is Lee's first collection of poetry, which won the New York University's 1986 Delmore Schwartz Memorial Poetry Award. The poems are delicate and beautiful, yet powerful and deeply emotional, and use imagery to describe the love he has for his parents and his wife. A representative example is The Gift:

The Gift

To pull the metal splinter from my palm
my father recited a story in a low voice.
I watched his lovely face and not the blade.
Before the story ended, he'd removed
the iron sliver I thought I'd die from.

I can't remember the tale,
but I hear his voice still, a well
of dark water, a prayer.
And I recall his hands,
two measures of tenderness
he laid against my face,
the flames of discipline
he raised above my head.

Had you entered that afternoon
you would have thought you saw a man
planting something in a boy's palm,
a silver tear, a tiny flame.
Had you followed that boy
you would have arrived here,
where I bend over my wife's right hand.

Look how I shave her thumbnail down
so carefully she feels no pain.
Watch as I lift the splinter out.
I was seven when my father
took my hand like this,
and I did not hold that shard
between my fingers and think,
Metal that will bury me,
christen it Little Assassin,
Ore Going Deep for My Heart.
And I did not lift up my wound and cry,
Death visited here!
I did what a child does
when he's given something to keep.
I kissed my father.

I'll reread these poems again over the rest of the week, and I may bump my rating to 5 stars.

What a breathtaking poem. I'm adding Rose: Poems to my list now.

Marilynne Robinson is the unanimous winner of this year's Orange Prize Award for Fiction for Home. Francesca Kay is the winner of the Orange Award for New Writers for An Equal Stillness.

Interestingly, the Orange Prize youth panel selected Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo as their winner for the Orange Prize, which was longlisted but did not make the shortlist for the actual award.

Marilynne Robinson wins Orange prize

Message edited by its author, Jun 3, 2009, 2:26pm.

Just running in to wave hello, and see what you are reading today :)

Hi kath! I'll be finished with Frida's Bed very shortly, and will post a review within the next hour or two. After that I'll resume reading In the Falling Snow, the new novel by Caryl Phillips and More Than Just Race, the latest book by the renowned Harvard sociologist William Julius Wilson.

Tomorrow I'll take the train to NYC, visit a friend from my grad school days at NYU, and buy lots of books at Strand Bookstore in Greenwich Village, with an obligatory trip to Russ and Daughters on the Lower East Side for bialys, whitefish salad and smoked salmon. Yum!

Message edited by its author, Jun 3, 2009, 8:16pm.

Darryl -

Couldn't resist saying to enjoy a bialy for me while you are there in NYC. What fun, a good friend, great bookstore, and bialys all in one day.

Then soon, we will read here in your thread, about what you bought and are reviewing for all of us.

Thanks for the post re: The Orange Prize. Hadn't seen or heard anything until your post.

Have a wonderful trip.

With love, WH

Book #74: Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulic

My rating:

I learned about this book from SqueakyChu, who read it earlier this year. I was especially interested in the novel, based on the life of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, as I was enthralled by the Kahlo exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art last year.

This was a brilliant and enlightening story, in which Kahlo is an occasional narrator. She was born with spina bifida, developed polio at a young age, which caused extreme pain and atrophy of her right leg, and barely survived a horrible accident aboard a streetcar as a young woman, which led to chronic debilitating pain and disability throughout the rest of her life. Her mother gave her supplies to paint during her convalescence from the accident, and she turned to painting to take her mind off of the pain, and as a mode of self expression.

She boldly took several of her works to the famed muralist Diego Rivera, referred to as "the Maestro" throughout the book, who almost immediately recognized her talent and her beauty, leaving his wife to marry the much younger Kahlo. Their marriage was a necessary but not happy one, as her art flourished with his support but his wanton infidelities took an emotional toll on her.

Drakulic does a masterful job in unveiling Kahlo, and Frida's Bed feels less like a novel than a short autobiography. The author includes several descriptions of Kahlo's portraits within the story, but prints are not included. I had the catalogue from the museum exhibit, Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera, and could quickly refer to these prints. However, someone reading this novel without access to these prints, whether online or on paper, would not gain the same experience and understanding of her work.

The last 30-40 pages were somewhat tedious and repetitive, but Frida's Bed was a fascinating psychological, medical and historical analysis of the life and work of Frida Kahlo, and is highly recommended.

Message edited by its author, Jun 3, 2009, 9:16pm.

#29: Another great review, Darryl, and another book for me to add to Planet TBR.

The train? I have always wanted to take a train trip.. then friends, bookstores and friends at the end. Have a blast! Keep those virtual juniper berries handy. :)

Hi kath! Actually the train trip is nothing too special, just a commuter train (New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor line, which runs from Trenton, NJ to New York's Penn Station). I took this train every day for a couple of years, along with thousands of other people that live in Bucks County, PA and the Trenton/Princeton area, when I worked and went to grad school at NYU. The trip by express train takes barely over an hour, as Trenton and NYC are only 50-60 miles apart. I went to Strand Bookstore in Greenwich Village, near NYU's main campus, then had lunch with a friend from NYU, before returning home. It was a good day.

I'll post the 10-11 books I bought later today or tomorrow.

Go away for a few days and *kapow*, a whole new thread AND babies yawning AND photos of oranges. Have put Rose:poems on the wish list and am really tempted to fly over to the BookDepository for the Frida's Bed book as well. Good meaty reviews, thanks Kidz.

Ha ha! You're welcome, Tui, thanks for the compliment.

I have lost track of you.. I thought you were traveling from Atlanta. You just amaze me.. seriously. So much travel would finish me off!
I used to take a train from Swampscott to Boston or Glouchester .. it was a slow rumber...

(Lynn, Lynn, City of sin, you never come out the way you go in) was a sort of tradition with some of the conductors or whatever the ticket guys are called.
Anyone from the area would know the story :)

You need to get one of thse rolling suitcases just for your books, I am sure..

Message edited by its author, Jun 5, 2009, 7:31am.

Hi kath, I'm visiting my parents in suburban Philadelphia this week. They live midway between the city and Trenton, NJ, and it's easy to take a commuter train to either of the two cities (Philly or NYC), or slightly further destinations (Boston, Baltimore, Washington).

Funny you should mention it, but my mother did buy me a medium sized rolling Samsonite suitcase recently! I have a large Samsonite (4 wheels) that is battered but quite usable, as well. I did bring a small Travelpro shoulder bag with me, and its job is to carry books that I've purchased.

I'll make one more trip to NYC tomorrow before flying back to Atlanta tomorrow afternoon. There are a couple of bookstores in Brooklyn that I want to check out, BookCourt and Melville House Bookstore, and I still need to pick up bialys and whitefish salad from Russ & Daughters.

Message edited by its author, Jun 7, 2009, 7:38am.

We're still waiting to hear what you bought at the Strand. :)

Oh, right. I posted it on the What Are You Reading Now? thread, but not here. I'll do a cut and paste...

The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow
The Other City by Michal Ajvaz
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
The Monkey King by Timothy Mo
Evening Is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan
Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
Levittown: Two Families, One Tycoon, and the Fight for Civil Rights in America's Legendary Suburb by David Kushner
Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne

That is a nice haul of books! I hope they all fit in the bag. I can see you now with your arms stretched 5 inches from lugging books all over the country. Might come in handy for reaching things though :)
( like more books? ) ( cupcakes?) :P
You mom is trying to save you from that fate .. maybe you should stick the clothes in the travelpro and the books in the rolling bag?

Your folks are going to hate to see you leave, I am sure. It makes me sad when my kids go home.

Enjoy your bialys (??) and have a safe journey back, then..

Ooh that's a great list of new books! I'm eyeing the ones about Paris, Latin America and probability... looking forward to some reviews.

I gave away our unloved, long ignored copy of the Bone People to a German friend, who read it on the plane home. I know it's a Great Work of NZ Literature, but that doesn't make me want to read it. (All the good reviews I've seen on here are having a more positive effect!)

#39: LOL! Yesterday I lugged around the shoulder bag I use every day at work, along with a City Lights shoulder bag, which were both full of books. So my arms are okay, but my shoulders are probably stretched down to my abdomen.

I visit my folks every couple of months, usually for a week or more at a time. The last time I was here, in early February, the neighbor across the street said to me, "You're back again?"

#40: I'll start Seven Ages of Paris this weekend or next week, as I may visit the city as early as next month. I may read The Bone People as early as this weekend, too.

hah! that neighbor probably has kids who live three miles down the road and don't visit.. they're jealous :)

Frida's Bed; wonderful book and a fascinating woman. Great reviews, by the way.

Book #75: In the Falling Snow by Caryl Phillips

My rating:

Keith Gordon is a second-generation black Briton in his late 40s whose previously staid life as a social worker in the Race Equality unit is slowly spiraling downward. His wife divorced him three years earlier, after he confessed to having a brief sexual encounter with a colleague at work. Their teenaged son is getting into more and more trouble in and outside of school, which threatens to derail his plans to attend university, as his parents seem unable to get through to him. He breaks off an affair with a younger woman who works for him, and she distributes their steamy e-mails to everyone in his department. And his father, who came to Britain during the large influx of West Indians in the early 1960s, is in failing health.

I found this novel of the experiences of three generations of black British men mildly interesting and well-written, but ultimately disappointing. Keith is an unsympathetic and irritating character, who is self-centered, immature and quite clueless in his relationships with his colleagues, family and his ex-lover. The book ended abruptly and incompletely, as if Phillips himself was fed up with Keith and wanted to be done with him.

Message edited by its author, Jun 6, 2009, 12:40am.

#44: Congratulations on hitting 75, Darryl. I just wish book 75 had been better for you. Maybe the next one . . .

Thanks, Stasia. It wasn't a bad book, but I had very high expectations when I first received it, as Phillips is one of my favorite writers and its topic was most interesting. However, the reviews in the British press (The Guardian. The Times and The Independent) were not favorable, so I had an inkling that it wasn't going to be a great book.

#46: I have never read anything by Caryl Phillips. Are there titles of his that you would highly recommend?

75 already! Way to go, Darryl! I look forward to the next 75 :)

I liked his last three books the best. Foreigners: Three English Lives is a historical novel about three actual black Britons: a companion of Samuel Johnson; a boxer who beat the great American middleweight fighter Sugar Ray Robinson; and a Nigerian immigrant, David Oluwale, whose tragic murder led in part to the 1960s civil rights movement in the UK. It received very mixed reviews, and is a pretty depressing book, but I thoroughly "enjoyed" it. Dancing in the Dark is another historical novel, based on the life of the black American entertainer Bert Williams, who was wildly successful but only when he performed in minstrel shows in blackface. However, if I were to choose one book for someone to start with, it would be A Distant Shore, which was a finalist for the 2003 Booker Prize, about a young man who is a recent emigrant from Africa and an older British widow who live as neighbors in a small English coastal town, which was beautifully written.

I thought that his latest book would be of the same quality of these three books. Sadly, it wasn't, IMO.

Message edited by its author, Jun 6, 2009, 5:54am.

#49: Thanks for the recommendations, Darryl.

From my posts on the Books Brought Home thread:

MEGA-haul today! My internist has arranged for me to enter an inpatient bookaholic rehab facility next week.

First, I went to Strand Bookstore in Greenwich Village (NYC), and bought eight books:

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov: recommended by multiple LTers

Taratuta and Still Life with Pipe: Two Novellas by José Donoso: I had read his novel The Obscene Bird of Night earlier this year, which was fantastic, and the store had this displayed at half price (new copy)

Chopin's Move by Jean Echenoz
Piano by Jean Echenoz: I was looking for his novel Ravel, which the store did not have, but it had these two novels at half price (new copies)

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle: winner of the 1993 Booker Prize, "used" copy (unread and in excellent condition) at 2/3 off list price

Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex von Tunzelmann: epic historical account of the end of the British occupation of India, and the 1947 Partition that led to the formation of India and Pakistan, a book I had read about but hadn't picked up, new copy at 2/3 off list price

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: her latest novel, signed hardcover copies were available at 20% off list price

Behindlings by Nicola Barker: recommended by FlossieT, another "used" hardcover book that was never read and in excellent condition, only $7.50!

MEGA-haul Part Two: After I left Strand Bookstore, I took the subway to a bookshop that was new to me, BookCourt in Brooklyn's beautiful and vibrant Boerum Hill neighborhood, which is adjacent to Brooklyn Heights. What a great neighborhood bookstore! It had a fantastic selection, as I found several books that I hadn't found in other bookstores; very friendly and helpful staff; and lots of cute toddlers running about, as I apparently went there just after story time.

I bought 11 more books there, stopping after my arms were full!

How I Became a Nun by César Aira: LT recommendation

The Halfway House by Guillermo Rosales: recommended by Three Percent

Platform by Michel Houellebecq: I'd been looking for a book by this French author for months!

Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa: Llosa is one of my favorite novelists, and lriley described this book as "maybe the best novel to come out of the South American continent in the 20th century"

Hoppla! 1 2 3 by Gérard Gavarry: I read a review of this book in this month's Brooklyn Rail

Independent People by Halldór Laxness: recommended by multiple LTers

Knowledge of Hell by Antonio Lobo Antunes: I'd never heard of this book by the great Portuguese author; his latest book The Fat Man and Infinity: And Other Writings is one of my top reads of the year

Pierrot Mon Ami by Raymond Queneau: I'd heard of this French author, but haven't read anything by him

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro: Munro won the 2009 Man Booker International Prize, and multiple LTers recommended this novel

The Adolescent by Dostoevsky: for the Author Theme read, I couldn't find this anywhere!

Walking Brooklyn by Adrienne Onofri: I plan to spend a lot more time in Brooklyn, and at BookCourt, this summer and fall, and this book will help.

Wow! You are going to be very busy, Darryl!

A Signed copy ?!?!
I wasn't wild about that book, but I am mad about Sarah Waters~
What a treasure! Well done :)

Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex von Tunzelmann: and Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro look good :)

Uh oh...sorry to hear that you didn't like The Little Stranger, kath. I bought it because I read a couple of glowing reviews in The Guardian and The Telegraph. I haven't read anything by her before, but I'm now that much more curious to read it. Bad news: it's still at my parents' house (my shoulder bag wasn't big enough to bring all the books I bought back to Atlanta; I flew back earlier this afternoon). Good news: I'll probably go back to Philadelphia this coming Saturday, as I'm off for another seven day stretch starting then (I'll have to avoid the bookstores, though).

The signed copies were on display along with the regular books. A lot of writers give talks at Strand, and other bookstores in Manhattan and Brooklyn, so it isn't uncommon to get a signed copy of a book.

I think I was disappointed because I find her other books extraordinary.
The way she develops her characters..their stories.
This was touted as a ghost story ( which is really isn't) and it isn't a love story, and it isn't a lot of things I have come to expect from Sarah...
To be honest, I am not sure you would enjoy her other books, but you may well enjoy this one.

Sounds complicated.

Hmm

Well, off to the local with me, for dinner with friends and a night with my toes in the sand listening to my favorite Irish band, Corned Beef and Curry :)
It sure would be fun if some of my LT friends ( like you ) could come and join me! ( Do you ever eat just pub grub?)

Kath, that sounds like fun. I'd be up for pub food, although the only traditional English foods I ate during my London trip were fish & chips and Cornish pasties. As long as I don't have to have curry in my Corned beef, or vice versa, I'm good.

I haven't yet figured out when I'll revisit Pittsburgh; I haven't been back since med school graduation in '97.

Book #76: The Halfway House by Guillermo Rosales

My rating:

I read a review of this book on the Three Percent web site here, and bought it from BookCourt in Brooklyn yesterday.

Guillermo Rosales (1946-1993) was a Cuban novelist and journalist, who was characterized as a "misfit", as he opposed the positions of both the Castro government and the Cuban exiles living in America, and because he suffered from mental illness throughout his adult life. He emigrated to the United States in 1979, where he was diagnosed as being schizophrenic. He lived much of the remainder of his life in a variety of halfway houses and mental hospitals, and ultimately committed suicide in Miami. He published four novels, but he destroyed all but this one, and El Juego de la Viola, which is currently being translated into English.

Like the author, the narrator of The Halfway House, William Figueras, is a Cuban writer who emigrates to Miami, and meets his expatriated relatives, who are disappointed to learn that the "future winner" they were expecting is, instead, a "crazy, nearly toothless, skinny, frightened guy who had to be admitted to a psychiatric ward that very day because he eyed everyone in the family with suspicion and, instead of hugging and kissing them, insulted them." After he spends six months in and out of psychiatric wards, his aunt drops him off at a halfway house that caters to Latinos, telling him that "nothing more can be done."

William very quickly learns that he has landed in Hell. His housemates are all demented, stuffing toilets with clothes and relieving themselves all over the house. The owner, Mr. Curbelo, steals their Social Security checks, and provides them with less amenities than the worst jail. Order is kept by several "employees", especially Arsenio, who steals from and beats the male residents, and rapes the female ones. Out of anger and frustration, William also begins to physically and sexually abuse his housemates, earning him the respect of Arsenio.

One day a young innocent and disturbed woman, Frances, becomes a resident. William immediately takes to her, and the two create a plan to escape from the halfway house and build a life together. However, Mr. Curbelo and Arsenio have a plan for them.

This novella, although quite sad, was not morbidly depressing, as it is infused with warmth and humor, and the narrator does not descend into madness or despair despite his obvious pain and anguish.

Message edited by its author, Jun 9, 2009, 9:27pm.

Book #77: How I Became a Nun by César Aira

My rating:

A surreal story of a 6 year old boy (or girl) who eats a small amount of cyanide laced ice cream. Then things get really wacky.

Due to the late hour, I'll submit a haiku review (a fun project that some of us on Club Read are doing) and a more meaningful review later in the week.

(S)he couldn't have known
Poisoned strawberry ice cream
Would be (her) demise

Edited to downgrade rating from 4 to 3-1/2 stars

Message edited by its author, Jun 8, 2009, 8:29am.

#58/59: The Rosales book looks pretty good. I am not so sure about the Aira one. I am pending my decision based on your pending review :)

love the haiku

and the books looks intriguing.

Well, doc .. if you are ever in my neighborhood again,
we will check out http://www.myhometownlinks.com/kellys/
and hopefully it will be during island time when we can sit outside
under the palm trees..

last night was .. well

There must have been 10 kids there from ages 2-10.
I am judgmental about this, but as nice a place as Kelly's is
I don't think kids belong in a pub.. and surely not at night.

Then we had the absolute worst waitress in the world.....
Bob wasn't feeling well. ( part of the band)
This made him grumpy.. I do love him, but a grumpy Bob
is far better off at home.

:P

oh well.. I left a little early, came home and started a book for review..
and it was terrible. I plan to post a warning.. lol

Definitely adding The Halfway House to the bourgeoning mountain. great review kidzdoc!

doc, I am jumping into The Blackwater Lightship while I have a minute, before more ARCs show up..

Thought I would mention it :)

Belated congrats on hitting 75, Darryl! And on the amazing book haul - I just got a copy of Barker's Darkmans for 2.50 from the RSPCA shop last week :) (I've read it already, but it's one of those books I want to own a copy of too....)

#61: Palm trees in Pittsburgh, kath? Uh oh, global warming is worse than I thought! Soon all of Pittsburgh except for Squirrel Hill, Polish Hill and the North Hills will be underwater. Hail to (glub, glub) Pitt!

#63: Oh, right. I'll start The Blackwater Lightship this weekend, thanks for the reminder.

#64: Thanks, Rachael! I have my copy of Darkmans close by, as I would like to read it next week. I bought my hardcover copy at Blackwell's on Charing Cross Road two years ago. My copy of Behindlings is still at my parents' house, so I'll have to wait until my next trip home to start on it.

Book #78: The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre

My rating:

Dominique Fabre (1960-) is one of the leading contemporary French novelists, whose work primarily focuses on "the lives of individuals on the margins of society." He has published nine works of fiction, including The Waitress Was New, which is his first novel that has been translated into English. It was published by Archipelago Books in 2008, and was listed as one of the Best Translated Books of 2008 by Three Percent.

Pierre is a bartender in a busy neighborhood café just outside of Paris, who lives a mundane but peaceful life as he nears the end of his work career. He has experienced the ups and downs of life, but has no regrets about what has happened to him. He has only a few more trimesters of work before he can draw a full pension, and plans to work at the café until that time, as he has established a comfortable relationship with the owner and his wife. He lives alone, having no relationship with his ex-wife or past lovers, and his days are largely taken up with work.

Sabrina, the regular waitress, calls in sick, and a new waitress takes her place, without disrupting the tenor of the café. A few days later, the owner calls Pierre to inform him that he will not be working at the café that day; however, the owner's wife has no idea where he is, but suspects that he is having an affair with Sabrina. As the days progress, the owner continues to remain missing, and the operation of the café begins to slowly unravel.

This is a simple, quiet, and beautiful story of an ordinary man, which is infused with emotional depth and wisdom.

I posted this on FlossieT's thread yesterday:

Today I discharged from the hospital a girl who is now my all-time favorite patient, provided I don't acquire what she has! She was a very cute 6 yr old with spina bifida who acquired salmonellosis (intestinal infection with the Salmonella bacterium) after eating egg salad last weekend. Today she absolutely smothered me with hugs and kisses, told me she loved me a half dozen times, and held onto me so that I couldn't leave her room! She told me that I had to go home with her and her mother. When I asked her how I should get to her house, she said "You sit in the back of Mommy's car with me, and she can drive us to my house." Her mother and I were in tears with laughter at this, and several other comments she made. Her mother took photos and a video, which she said she would post on Facebook this weekend; once she does, I'll select a photo or two and post it on my thread.

Here is one of the photos that her mother sent to me today, which shows her pulling on my ear, and my exaggerated response:

Message edited by its author, Jun 13, 2009, 2:21pm.

Great picture, Darryl! Thanks for sharing that.

The Waitress Was New looks like a terrific book. I am going to look for it. Thanks for another great review and recommendation.

Wonderful picture, Darryl! Great job with the kids--I admire anyone who takes care of little ones! I've had (thankfully) only 2 experiences with our Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, and both (outside of the reason for them, of course) were fabulous experiences.

That's a winner, Darryl. I'd frame that and hang it! Doesn't she look delighted?

Great pic!

Book #79: Ravel by Jean Echenoz

My rating:

This novel by the award winning French author was shortlisted for this year's IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It consists of nine snapshots of the composer Maurice Ravel during the last 10 years of his life. In the first chapter we find Ravel reclining in his bathtub on the day he is set to embark on a four month tour of the United States, in 1927. He is contemplative and quite reluctant to leave his aqueous cocoon:

'Leaving the bathtub is sometimes quite annoying. First of all, it's a shame to abandon the soapy lukewarm water, where stray hairs wind around bubbles among the scrubbed-off skin cells, for the chill atmosphere of a poorly heated house. Then, if one is the least bit short, and the side of that claw-footed tub the least bit high, it's always a challenge to swing a leg over the edge to feel around, with a hesitant toe, for the slippery tile floor. Caution is advised, to avoid bumping one's crotch or risking a nasty fall. The solution to this predicament would be of course to order a custom-made bathtub, but that entails expenses, perhaps even exceeding the cost of the recently installed but still inadequate cnetral heating. Better to remain submerged up to the neck for hours, if not forever, using one's right foot to periodically manipulate the hot-water faucet, thus adjusting the thermostat to maintain a comfortable amniotic ambience.'

Subsequent chapters describe the creation of Boléro and Piano Concerto for the Left Hand for Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm during World War I and earned the wrath of Ravel by embellishing the concerto, and Ravel's rapid decline before his premature death.

Despite the book's small size, Echenoz provides fascinating and exquisite detail into the life and mind of Ravel, with rich descriptions of the luxury liner that carries him to America and the cross-country trains that take him from one city to the next on his tour, and the despair he experiences toward the end of his life.

This is a book that begs to be reread, and I would imagine that the reader would glean greater insight and enjoyment on repeated readings, similar to repeated listening to a fine piece of music.

Message edited by its author, Jun 13, 2009, 9:19pm.

Darryl, I am now officially madly in love with you :)
I triple love this photo.. what a cutie! ( the child is pretty cute too) :-D

Kids always know good people..

That picture is precious, Daryl. Thanks for sharing it with us. That's one cool kid!!

Message edited by its author, Jun 13, 2009, 10:36pm.

Thanks for the compliments, you guys! She is a cool kid, one of those you know will leave her mark on this world...well, she already has! Her mother says that she runs on her crutches, and is quite a speedster when she uses her wheelchair. She is quite intelligent for her age, and has an infectious joie de vivre. I saw her on the day she was admitted, when she had high fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, and even then she had a 200-watt smile and a laugh that filled the room.

So ... Darryl ...I agree that this young girl is brilliant, face shining with love and admiration for YOU. It would be wonderful to be able to know her as she continues to hold onto the wonderful, natural zest for life that she exhibits.

Now, as to her friend/doctor, what can I say ... SHE knows how to pick 'em.

So do WE here at LT! You are equally radiant and compelling in your photo. All the very best to you each and every day. This photo will help you remember who you are and how much you are loved, for sure.

BTW, I have added the two most recent reads of yours to my TBR Collection. They look excellent.

You are regarded with great warmth by me - Ruth

womansheart

Aww...thanks Ruth!

National Public Radio's Books page on the Internet is another of my favorite sources for new books and author interviews, especially at this time of year. One of my favorite articles each year is the one in which several independent booksellers are asked to select their favorite summer reads. Normally I'll find at least two or three books to add to my Wish List, and this year's entry is no exception; Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone by Eduardo Galeano and The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang are now must reads for me, and The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa isn't included only because I've already read (and loved) it.

The NPR Books page is updated several times per week, with book excerpts and links to audio files.

aha! so that is where you found the Sarah Waters book!

Actually I had read about it in The Guardian; I completely missed the NPR story about her.

oh yea.. I think you did say that somewhere, maybe??

I did...at least I think I did. Maybe on my Club Read page?

I experienced book paralysis this morning, as I couldn't decide what to read after finishing Ravel . I've decided to start Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa. It's 601 pages of small print, so I'll be at it for most of the rest of the week (but I'm off until Saturday, so I should be able to finish it).

Uh oh, there are severe thunderstorms rolling through Birmingham now, which are headed toward Atlanta. I think I'll postpone my outdoor plans until this evening or tomorrow.

One more cute photo: playing I Spy with my favorite patient.

Message edited by its author, Jun 14, 2009, 7:33pm.

I enjoy the great photos....
Many thanks for posting them.

Thank you for the photos - I'm grinning ear to ear.

M~E~L~T

Aw Darryl - what lovely pics. You are a real charmer. Now you have a whole pile of LTers pretty darn keen on you, too.

Every book here is a must read - what to do?!?!? Quit my day job is the only answer. Thanks for the reviews.

doc, you are a dear.... so wonderful to know that there are doctors that give of their time and sincerely care.

more pics?

Darryl, based on the conversation in another thread, I was thinking of starting Conversation in the Cathedral too when I get home (away for a few days), although it is too large for subway reading (I have a remaindered hard cover) and would distract me from some other long books I planned to read this summer. But the fact that you're reading it too is inspiration.

Rebecca, I have the softcover edition, which I bought at BookCourt in Brooklyn last weekend ($14.95). It's manageable in size, but the print is a bit smaller than usual, so it might be a bit difficult to read while standing on the subway (I find that I tend to skip lines on a page if I or the book are moving too much, and I have to recover my place).

Although it was my first visit, I think that BookCourt may leapfrog over Book Culture, Strand and St. Mark's Bookshop to become my favorite NYC bookstore. The neighborhood (Boerum Hill) is fabulous, too. It's easy to get there by subway, as it is a short walk from the Bergen Street station (the F line stops there, as does the G; I take the F train frequently when I visit the city, to go to Russ & Daughters).

I'm off from clinical duty until Saturday (although I'll go in for meetings for a few days this week), so I should be able to finish it.

There are more pictures, mckait, at least 10 more. I'll figure out a way to post them online, as I've downloaded them from her mother's Facebook page. After I do that, I'll post a link here.

Message edited by its author, Jun 15, 2009, 9:53am.

> kidzdoc - I, too am so looking forward to the link for more pictures. I just keep smiling to myself each time that I remember they are here to view over and over again.

Love, WH

like everyone else, i'm totally charmed by those pics. if a kid's gonna be sick, you look like just the doctor to have. so sweet.

Darryl, I will have to make a pilgrimage out to Book Court, although it will never become my regular bookstore because it's too much of a trip from the upper west side where I now live -- the F is a pain to get to, and the G is something we in Manhattan pretend we don't know about! (Twenty years ago when I lived downtown it would have been a breeze -- the F was my regular line, and Russ and Daughters a regular stop.)

I don't blame you, Rebecca; that would be a long haul from the Upper West Side to Brooklyn! And, Book Culture is a great bookstore (and a lot closer!). I would think that Book Culture would have books from the independent publishers that are based in Brooklyn, like Akashic Books, Archipelago and Melville House.

There was a great Upper West Side bookstore that I used to go to when I was in grad school, on Broadway between 79th & 86th Streets, a little north of H&H Bagels and Zabar's, but south of the mega-Barnes & Noble (or Borders), which had an adorable cat. Was it Shakespeare Books? Is it still there?

I don't think I've ever been on the G train. It's the only non-shuttle train that doesn't go into Manhattan, right?

Daryll--What wonderful photos. Your patients are very lucky, and it's quite obvious that you care deeply for them, and love what you do.

What fantastic pictures! The expression on your face in the first is absolutely priceless...

Darryl, You are right that it was Shakespeare Books, and it hasn't been there for more than 10 years (corner of 81st St.). At first I thought I was going to miss it terribly, since I'd stop in it several times a week on the way home from work, but the people who worked there were such terrible literary snobs I found I didn't miss it at all. Except in the sense that it was great to have a good bookstore right in the neighborhood.

There is still a Shakespeare's downtown, on Broadway near NYU, I think, and there's one on the upper east side near Hunter College.

The G only goes between Brooklyn and Queens I think. I've only been on it once in a lifetime of living in New York.

Yes...now that you mention it, I remember liking the bookstore, and the cat, but not the people that worked there. I mainly bought books from Strand, the flagship Barnes & Noble at 5th Ave & 18th St, Coliseum Books on 42nd St, and the NYU main bookstore.

The old Coliseum on 57th Street near Columbus Circle was my favorite bookstore in all New York. Its successor on 42nd Street, though I was thrilled to see it, couldn't hold a candle to it.

To show how old I am, I remember when the Barnes and Noble on 19th Street was the ONLY B&N and specialized in books for college classes!

I got most of my college textbooks from that Barnes & Noble, when I was an undergraduate at Rutgers and in graduate school at NYU.

Speaking of Brooklyn and Boerum Hill, The NewsHour on PBS ended with a story on the playwright Lynn Nottage, whose play Ruined was awarded the Pulitzer Prize this year. She grew up in Boerum Hill, and lives in that same brownstone of her childhood, and the piece shows her walking around the neighborhood with the NewsHour reporter (I'm blanking on his name at the moment). Sigh...I'd love to live in that neighborhood.

Rebecca, when I was at grad school in New Haven a bunch of us came down to Manhattan to go to the Met. We arrived a few hours early - our first visit was to that Barnes and Noble on 19th because it had such fantastic economics textbooks! Geez, we were swotty...

I'm feeling very nostalgic for New York bookshops reading your thread Darryl!! I was going to ask about an independent on the upper east side that I remember, somewhere on Madison in the 70s so maybe it was Shakespeare Books. It had nearly all fiction. I didn't go there much when we lived there - mostly to Strand and the big B&N in Union Square.

I didn't venture to the Upper East Side very often, cmt, and I don't know the bookshop that you're referring to; sorry!

There used to be two bookshops on Madison in the 70s, one at about 70th Street and one at about 77th Street. Both have been gone for 5+ years. There is still a great small bookstore, Crawford-Doyle, on Madison and about 82nd Street; I drop in there frequently because it's more or less just across Central Park for me. There's another small bookstore on Madison in the low 90s, but it isn't as good as Crawford-Doyle where the owner & staff are unbelievably knowledgeable about both books and customers.

Rebecca, I'm 1/4 of the way through Conversation in the Cathedral. It's very good so far, but the dialogue requires close attention, and would definitely not be a good subway read (not for me, anyway). The chapters I've read so far mainly consist of intertwined conversations, consisting of a conversation in La Catedral (which is a bar) between the two main characters, and one or two other conversations that are taking place in the past, involving characters that are linked to the main ones. Llosa also uses nicknames for several of the characters, who sometimes have more than one nickname, so you have to be able to keep them straight. Despite this, the novel flows well, and I would still highly recommend it. I'll put all other books aside to focus on it, and hopefully I'll finish it by Thursday or Friday.

I've heard of Crawford-Doyle, but I've never been there.

Message edited by its author, Jun 16, 2009, 10:20am.

I just learned that Black Oak Books in Berkeley, my favorite West Coast used book store, closed on May 31st. I went there on my last trip to San Francisco last month, and thought I overheard a conversation about its possible closure. Its other location, on Irving Street in the Sunset District of SF, near the UCSF campus, closed a couple of years ago. Sadly, Bay Area bookstore closures are becoming quite common.

Earlier this month my father sent me a link to a hilarious video, which I have also found on YouTube, entitled 'Can't get the printer to work!' Synopsis: cat vs. printer, printer wins. No cats were harmed in the filming of this video, but I'm not sure about the printer.

Can't get the printer to work!

yes, that was funny. i needed that.

LOL, tell your dad thanks! it made me LOL

I just bought a nail buffer filer thingie for pedicures...
My neighbor started to sell avon and I just bought a nail buffer
filer thingie for pedicures . I don't use avon so.....anyway, I put the batteries in, and started it up to see if it worked and my kitty Emmie did much the same thing. It however, resulted in a long scratch on the hand holding the buffer thingie.

It might have made a funny video, but I didn't think so while I was bleeding :P

My old cat Iris used to do that to the vacuum cleaner (when it was "dead"). She'd go up to the power head and give it what for. Hated that thing, she did.

I loved the video. I laughed so hard. I'm sending it along to a friend that I know will appreciate it.

Continuing the humor, here is one of my favorite videos. Pluto chases a little boy in Disneyworld.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxqUUEuAy...

--> 106

Great video. I, too, sent it along to some of my cat buddies.

I finished Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa, which was absolutely brilliant, easily 5 stars. I agree with LT member lriley, it is the best book about 20th century South America that I've read. I'll submit a review tomorrow; my head is still spinning at the moment! I need to read something lighthearted and entertaining, and Harry Pearson's A Tall Man in a Low Land: Some Time Among the Belgians should fit the bill.

Message edited by its author, Jun 18, 2009, 8:25pm.

#112: I had already put Conversation in the Cathedral on Planet TBR. I cannot wait to see your review!

Book #89: Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa (601 pp)

My rating: Conversation in the Cathedral was originally published in 1969, while Mr Llosa was living in Europe, and was translated into English in 1975.

I'd like to say in advance that this review cannot possibly do justice to this book. It is absolutely brilliant, the best book I've read this year, and, as I mentioned previously, the best novel about Latin America that I've read so far.

Santiago Zavala is the 30 year old son of a powerful Peruvian senator, who is estranged from his upper middle class family and eking out a meager existence as a investigational journalist in Lima. One day during an afternoon siesta his wife tells him that two black men snatched her beloved dog out of her arms, and he goes to the nearest pound to look for the animal. He finds the dog, and one of the men who took it is also there. Santiago quickly recognizes this man as his father's former chauffeur Ambrosio, who has obviously fallen on hard times. Ambrosio takes him to a local dive, La Catedral, where they reminisce about their former lives over the remainder of the afternoon.

The conversation is interspersed with other conversations that take place a few years before, during the dictatorial presidency of Manuel Odría (1948-56). Ambrosio was also formerly employed by the despicable and cunning Don Cayo Bermúdez, who was Odría's Director of Security and Minister for Public Order and the enemy of the senator. Santiago had previously learned that Ambrosio had been accused of the brutal murder of Bermúdez's mistress while he worked for Senatory Zavala, but Ambrosio reveals much more unsavory information about himself, the senator and Bermúdez, and the extent of the depravity of the Odría regime.

Llosa gives us an unsettling and unforgettable view of the effect of dictatorship and corruption on individuals of all levels of Peruvian society during and after Odría. All are adversely affected, even Bermúdez, who profits more than anyone from the regime.

This book was not an easy read, particularly in its first half, as the different conversations are woven together at times, which requires close attention and occasional review of previous pages or chapters. I'd encourage anyone who reads this book to be aware of this in advance, as lriley did in his review, and to stick with it, as most of the latter half in the book does not use this technique, making for a faster read.

I would also highly recommend one of Mr Llosa's later books, The Feast of the Goat, a novel about the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic, one of the few books that left me with sweaty palms and a rapidly palpating heart at the end.

good review kidzdoc! i'll add it to the tbr. i'll also be adding The Feast of the Goat. Since reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, i've had some interest in learning more about the Trujillo regime.

>114: I had added this to my TBR pile after lriley commented that it was the best book to come out of South America over in the Booker discussion. I'm glad to see another review validating that. Thanks.

I'm adding Conversation in the Cathedral to my list. However, I already own Death in the Andes, so I will probably be reading that one first.

I posted this message on the What Are You Reading Now? group's What are you reading the week of June 13 2009? thread, and thought I would post these links here, as well.

I agree with Richard. Most of the translated literature available in the US comes from smaller publishing houses, and most of these books are not available in the major chain bookstores or general stores. So, average US readers wouldn't know about most of these books unless they receive some additional recognition, such as a book review or a major literary award.

Here are some US publishing houses that focus on international literature:
Archipelago Books
Open Letter Books at the University of Rochester
David R. Godine, Publisher
Dalkey Archive Press at the University of Illinois
Seven Stories Press
New Directions Publishing

You can sign up for e-mail newsletters for these publishers to get information about current and forthcoming books.

Here are some helpful web sites about literature in translation:
Words Without Borders
Rainmaker Translations
Three Percent
World Literature Today
World Literature Forum

Book #81: Hoppla! 1 2 3 by Gerard Gavarry (160 pp)

My rating:

This French novel is set in a contemporary Parisian suburb, which is populated by troubled and unemployed immigrant youths. The protagonist, Ti-Jus, is one of these youths, an aggressive and sexually magnetic young man, whose mother works at a nearby supermarket. His mother, who also works as a seamstress at home, asks him to deliver a dress to the manager of the supermarket she works at. Ti-Jus and a friend go to the manager's apartment, and while she is trying on the dress, he enters her bedroom, then rapes and kills her. The two young men then casually leave the apartment; end of story.

The same story is told in three different modes, each about 50 pages in length. IMO, the author was more concerned with stylistic technique than he was with telling the story of troubled immigrant youth in France, which was what I was hoping to read about. I quit the novel after 75 pages out of sheer boredom.

Message edited by its author, Jun 19, 2009, 9:15pm.

In the UK, Booktrust has a website www.translatedfiction.org.uk that has some good stuff on it too.

Just back from the first full day of World Literature Weekend, which was excellent. Unfortunately it did make me buy more books...

Thanks for the info about Booktrust, Rachael. There are some books that look interesting there.

I'll be interested to hear about the World Literature Weekend, and which books you purchased as a result.

Have you read Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig? When I entered my copy, which I received last week from The Book Depository, I noticed that you had purchased it too. I also bought Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones at the same time, and I think I'll read it next week, after my current work stretch.

I put Hearts and Minds on my wishlist, actually! So I haven't got to it yet. Reviews looked interesting though.

I didn't go to the whole of World Lit Weekend - just the Saturday (and, er, the launch party, so I was rather "tired" on Saturday morning) - but what I did see was great. There was a translation panel first, with four past winners of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, which covered some interesting topics; it was particularly interesting to get some insight into the business end of how involved the process is of persuading a publisher to take on a book in translation.

Then Ma Jian and his translator Flora Drew, which was really thought-provoking. Although his books are banned in China, he's still allowed to return - he says he usually takes a stack of copies of Beijing Coma with him and sneaks them into the bookshops. But he is followed everywhere by the secret police, as are everyone who he meets while he's there.

Finally, Faïza Guène and her translator Sarah Ardizzone (rachbxl also came to this one!), which was possibly the best event of the day for me - they clearly know each other really well, so it was really well planned, and covered a lot of interesting topics. She was also very funny, despite speaking via an interpreter. I think it will be interesting to see what her third novel is like - Sarah will be translating it soon with a view to publication next year, but apparently it's quite different to the first two.

Naturally I've come away with copies of Beijing Coma and both of Guène's books... and bizarrely, a copy of Human Rights Watch's 2009 World Report.

Mourid Barghouti and Ruth Padel today looked like it was going to be really good as well.

>#89 Catching up on threads. Book Court is better than Book Culture and the Strand? Those are my two favorite bookstores. I'm going to have to visit Book Court. Luckily the F is my local train. It'll probably be easier to get to than Book Culture.
Really cute pics. It was great to see pics of you spending time with your patient. I'm a peds nurse and I rarely see the MDs at work spending any real time with the patients.

>119 Darryl, I just noticed the link between your book here and Faïza Guène - whose two books translated to English thus far are both about immigrant youth! I haven't read either of them yet, but the event on Saturday was very good so she's probably worth a look (if you haven't already).

Book #82: Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones (524 pp)

My rating:

This novel was shortlisted for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2008.

The narrator, John Cromer, is the first born son of a mildly eccentric Royal Air Force pilot and his neurotic and socially obsessed wife, who is such a beautiful baby that he appears on a magazine cover in post-war Britain. A couple of years later he is tormented by severe joint pains and fever, and is diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever. He is condemned to bed rest, on the advice of his physicians, as no medications are effective in treating this disorder. This inactivity, however, causes his joints to become stiff and immobile, as he actually has Still's disease, a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which leaves him unable to walk, stand or even sit upright.

His parents arrange for him to attend a converted hospital for children with Still's disease, where he encounters a stern but loving matron, and several sadistic physiotherapists and nurses. The other patients, mainly girls, appear to be more fortunate than he, as they were diagnosed earlier and given corticosteroids, a new and potentially revolutionary therapy. The long-term effects of treatment later become tragically apparent; despite his greater immobility, John is actually the most fortunate of the group.

In later childhood, he is transferred to a school for chronically ill boys, where he undergoes an intellectual and sexual awakening as he enters his pre-teen years.

The first 2/3 of this work was elegantly written and a joy to read, with rich descriptions of the life of a chronic child in mid-20th century institutions that were frequently harmful and repressive. Despite these conditions, John manages to get as much fun out of life as he possibly can, and is as mischievous as one would expect from a boy in his situation. For me, the wheels fell off the story after he moved to the new school, and his sexual experiences with his fellow students and his male teachers overshadowed everything else. The story also ended abruptly, as it is supposedly the first book in a trilogy about John Cromer.

I'd give 5 stars to the first 1/3 of the book, 4 stars to the middle 1/3, and 2 stars for the last portion.

>#82 - Darryl -

This sounds like an interesting book. I think it probably made you grateful that you practice medicine in the 21st century instead of the era of mid-20th as in the book.

I like your review and think it was creative to rate each section of the book separately as you did. It seems you liked this fictional patient quite a lot.

Holding off on adding it right now but am so pleased to read your well written review.

With love, WH

hi doc :)

I haven't seen you in a while. Who has been missing, you or me? Or both of us?

hugs

k

#126: Thanks, Ruth, I'm glad you liked the review. When I wrote it I thought it wasn't very good! You're right, I did enjoy the author's insight into John as a patient, as his portrayal of this chronically ill and misunderstood kid seemed spot on, and the practice of institutionalized medicine for children in the mid-20th century was enlightening and in line with other accounts I've read. However, when John became a pre-teen he was much less likable to me, and his seemingly endless pursuit of sexual pleasure was a bit overdone, IMO.

There isn't much action or tragedy in the second third of the novel, and it felt as if I would never finish it, but it was such an enjoyable journey that I didn't mind the narrator's mundane accounts of his days in the hospital. It also seemed accurate, reflecting the boredom that these kids must have experienced, and their ability to make the most out of every day. If the story had ended after the second portion it would have been one of my favorite reads of the year, so I would still recommend it, up to page 350 or so.

#127: Hi kath! I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's been missing, as Pilcrow was my first book post in over a week, because of its length and because I worked from Sat-Wed. I usually don't read for pleasure very much on days that I work, and last week was no exception. I go back to work Mon-Fri, but I hope to get one more book in today, probably The Blackwater Lightship, which I have just started this morning. My partner and office mate at work (who BTW is from the North Hills, growing up close to Ross Park Mall), was reading Brooklyn last week, and encouraged me to read The Blackwater Lightship, which is his favorite Tóibín novel. So, I have to read this now, as he'll ask me about it tomorrow morning.

We are the two grumpy old men of the group; this is a photo of us at work (I'm on the right):

Message edited by its author, Jun 28, 2009, 8:26am.

LOL nice pic! despite the fact that working for doctors for 30 or so years put me off of them... ( talk about grumpy old men~ and ~ women) for life... I find it hard to believe that you sustain a grump for long. I have seen those pics of you and a patient that you spent time with.. actual time. If it had been any other doc I would have been floored. I sort of expected it of you though.. Every doctor I worked for treated staff and sometimes patients..like.. well ..crap. I vowed never to do it again. :P

Blackwater Lightship was good. I didn't think it was fantastic, but it was good.
I am currently hooked on Erik Larson who is an extraordinary writer. I read
Isaac's Storm and I am in the middle of Devil in the White City. I am really liking it a lot too.. this man can write. I think I will read Brooklyn at some point, but it is not in my immediate future.

I need another bookshelf. I need space for another bookshelf. OR someone to build me some in the dining room. Any volunteers?

eta

wonky t-stone

Message edited by its author, Jun 28, 2009, 8:36am.

You're right; my mini-tirades are brief, and usually justified (according to my partners, anyway). Often times we (the nurses and doctors) will vent with (not at) each other about frustrating situations or annoying parents, which helps us all to cope better. There is very little yelling or screaming that goes on, probably because it is a children's hospital, but mainly because these tirades are frowned upon and those who do it repeatedly are frequently taken aside and privately counseled about their behavior.

I'd volunteer to help with your bookshelf, if I could stop tripping over the piles of books I have lying about. One of my tasks for this weekend was to go to Ikea to look for more shelving, but I hate going outside when it's this hot (it reached at least 95 degrees yesterday, and today's high should be the same, or higher). I opened my front door at 7:30 am to pick up the Sunday New York Times, and it felt as if I had stepped into a sauna. I think I'll stay inside again today unless I get stir crazy or feel an urgent need to use my Borders coupon.

I'm such a sucker for Ikea shelves - we've been buying pieces from the same set for four years, and I'm always so glad they they continue the line so that everything matches. Hoping for a cool day so you can get out and take a look...

Also adding Pilcrow to the wishlist - thanks.

Big Ikea bookshelf fan here too, Luxx, but they've discontinued mine, the Billy Oak ones. I found a pair online but they're in California....

Oh no, tiffin! We use Billy shelves in white. They've discontinued the middle size, but not the shelves entirely; we've been lucky so far.

I just finished The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín, which was absolutely wonderful, at least 4-1/2 stars. I'll post a review later this week.

Had a perfect ending, didn't it?

Yes, I did like the ending much better than the "resolution" in Brooklyn.

Book #84: The Blind Owl by Ṣādiq Hidāyat

My rating:

According to the back cover, this is supposed to be "the most important work of modern Iranian literature." I have tried reading this twice, and couldn't get past page 50 either time. The novella is about a young man quite fond of wine and opium, who sees a beautiful but mysterious woman through a ventilation hole in his closet. He goes back to the closet three days later to look for her, but there is no such aperture there. He is in despair over "losing" her, but several weeks later she shows up outside of his front door. He invites her in, and she lies on his bed. He touches her, and realizes she is dead. From there on, the story is more morbid and surreal, and he eventually descends into madness.

If you like Edgar Allan Poe, you'll probably like this novella. If not, I wouldn't recommend it.

book 84: gack.

yeah. A lot of books make claims such as that. The way I approach them is..
Will this book be important to me . I tend to ignore boasters, both in the flesh and on paper :P

#137: I am so not adding that one to the already overflowing Planet. Sorry it was not a better read for you, Darryl. I certainly hope your next one is an improvement!

Theatre review!

God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza

My review: (with apology to the San Francisco Chronicle)

Yasmina Reza's latest play opened in Zurich at the end of 2006, moved to London in March 2008, where it won the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, and opened on Broadway in March 2009, where it won three Tony Awards, including the Best Play of the year and Best Actress award (Marcia Gay Harden). It will be playing at the Bernard Jacobs Theater on W 45th St until mid-November, with a hiatus from late July until early September.

The action takes place at the home of an upper-middle class couple in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. There they meet with another couple, whose 11 year old son has assaulted their boy with a stick, and they intend to civilly discuss how to handle the matter. The couple that hosts the meeting consists of a seller of household fixtures (James Gandolfini, who starred in "The Sopranos" (and a fellow Rutgers alumnus!)) and a writer (Marcia Gay Harden) who is completing a book about Darfur. Their guests are a corporate lawyer/shark (Jeff Daniels) and a wealth management consultant (Hope Davis).

Initially the meeting is quite amiable, as the guests dine on espresso and clafouti. However, comments from the high-minded and morally superior writer played by Harden irritate the lawyer, and he attacks her while simultaneously devouring all of the clafouti and engaging in cell phone conversations every two minutes. The couples viciously attack each other verbally, and absolute chaos ensues, particularly after the salesman treats everyone to way too much rum.

The writing is wittily sharp and sarcastic, and the actors are all excellent, particularly Harden and Daniels. There is nothing to be learned from this play, but it was the most hilarious play I have ever seen, and is highly recommended.

It is 90 minutes in length, with no interruptions.

Message edited by its author, Jul 9, 2009, 6:12pm.

Sounds fun, doc :D

I agree with Kath - it does sound fun!

It was thoroughly enjoyable, kath & Stasia. Mine wasn't much of a review. But, I wanted to make others aware of this great play!

Hopefully the play will do a circuit that includes Vancouver!

> 141 - Darryl -

Where oh where did you see this play? Just wondering. (Wish I had been there with you to have some laughs at the character's foibles). Are you in London? France?

I'm like a little kid here, Where in the World is kidzdoc?

All the best in your day and week, Darryl.

With love, Ruth aka womansheart

> 145: I haven't seen any information on where God of Carnage will go after it closes on Broadway in November. Maybe Chicago?

> 146: I saw it this past Wednesday on Broadway, at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre (W 45th St, between B'way & 8th Av). My parents live in suburban Philadelphia, about 75 miles south of NYC, and about 15 minutes away from the Trenton, NJ Amtrak station. From there I can take an express commuter train (NJ Transit) and get to Penn Station in about 1 hr 20 min.

I flew back to Atlanta from Philadelphia yesterday, as I'm working this weekend. I'm heading to London in a couple of weeks (Jul 26-Aug 13), and will visit Paris during that trip (Aug 4-7).

No one else is able to keep up with my travels either, so you're not alone!

Are you dropping in to see Shakespeare and Company in Pawee? Love that bookshop.

bookslump eh? Not good.

May I suggest something outside of your usual?? There has been a lot of talk about it around the forum and it is one of my all time favorites.

The Sparrow I have a feeling it will be something you like..

justa thought

I'll definitely go to Shakespeare and Company, Tui. The hotel I'm staying at, the Henri IV Rive Gauche, is right around the corner, on Rue Saint Jacques near the Sorbonne.

Hmm...that book sounds interesting, kath. Lord knows I don't need to buy any more books, at least not any before the London/Paris trip. The announcement of books for the Booker Prize longlist will take place on July 28, the day after I arrive, so there will be books to pick up from that list. And I'll certainly pick up a few from Shakespeare and Company.

My biggest "problem" was being at my parents' house, with family and guests coming over, and not having a quiet place to read, more than the books I had available to me to read. I'm working in the hospital tonight (8 pm to 8 am), and hopefully it will be a quiet night. If so, then I'll have a least a couple of hours to read, and I'll bring a few books, including the two for my Reading Globally monthly read, Independent People and An African in Greenland, The Thing Around Your Neck, the new collection of short stories by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. If I can't get into one of these books, then something is wrong with me!

I will put The Sparrow on my wish list, though...

I cannot wait for the Booker Prize longlist - any guesses as to what will be on it?

There is an active discussion taking place on the Booker Prize web site, the 2009 longlist speculation thread here.

I expect to see Brooklyn and Burnt Shadows on the longlist. Other than those two, I have no idea. The books on the longlist don't have to be published in the UK until Sep 30 of this year, so there will likely be some books on the list that aren't available for purchase yet.

Thanks for the link! Margaret Atwood has a new book coming out in September, so I am guessing it might make the longlist. I am setting myself the goal of reading the entire longlist this year - if the judges can read over 100 books in a short time span, then I can read the longlist!

Right. I bought 12 of the 13 longlisted books, all except Girl in a Blue Dress, and read 10 of the 12 by the time of the announcement of the winner, all but The Northern Clemency and The Clothes on Their Backs. I'm in agreement with most that the 2008 selections were a bit disappointing, but I still plan to pick up most if not all of the longlisted books that are available.a

What did you think of The Northern Clemency? I had read good things about it, so I bought it. I haven't read it yet.

Kidzdoc, my husband saw God of Carnage here a fortnight ago too! But it was set in Paris, not Brooklyn. So maybe you could all come to New Zealand to watch it!

I'm very jealous of your Paris trip. I've just finished Jeremy Mercer's book about Shakespeare & Co - have you read it? It's called Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs over here but Time was Soft There: a Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co in the US. Anyway, the author leaves Canada not knowing what he's doing with his life and ends up there. I really enjoyed it.

>155 I haven't read The Northern Clemency yet. I lent it to a good friend, who managed to read it in full within 3-4 days after I left, and she liked it. I'll have to pick it up on my next visit there (Madison, WI).

>156 So your husband saw "God of Carnage" but didn't take you? I think that the West End production was also set in Paris. I read Time Was Soft There several years ago, and I agree, it was very enjoyable, and made me eager to go there, especially since it is often compared to City Lights Books in San Francisco, my favorite bookstore (as in this recent article on independent bookshops). Going to Shakespeare and Company is probably #1 on my list of things to do in Paris.

Message edited by its author, Jul 13, 2009, 10:48am.

Whatever else you do in Paris (and there is plenty to do), be sure to leave time for walking around. It is a beautiful city and if you walk nowhere else, you should walk along the Seine and over the bridges.

Good suggestion, Rebecca. I was thinking the same thing; since I'll only be there for three days (as there are too many things I want to do in London), and since I definitely plan to go back in the near future, I'd rather get a feel of the city by walking around it instead of trying to cram as much as possible in that short time. I'll probably skip the typical "must see" sites (Louvre, Eiffel Tower), although I would like to see Notre-Dame, which will be a short distance from the hotel, and check out at least a couple of the jazz clubs and cafes on the Left Bank.

Hmm...does anyone know of a literary guide to Paris? I'd love to see where authors like Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Sartre/Camus/de Beauvoir, and Hemingway hung out, as well as some of the notable expatriate jazz musicians (Mal Waldron, Kenny Clarke, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, etc.).

When we were in Paris a few years ago, we went to one of the main jazz clubs (can't remember name) and a little hole in the wall in the back of a courtyard that a friend took us to and that I really can't remember the name of (it was the night we arrived, super-jetlagged). Sorry not to be more help!

As for literary Paris, I have a book called Literary Cafes of Paris and the recommendations for it include a book called Literary Paris. I also recommend Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik, a book of essays by the New Yorker columnist who lived in Paris for some time with his family, for insight into the French mindset.

I posted this on the Jazz thread on Club Read earlier today.

Thanks to LT member profilerSR, I ordered a turntable last week for my father that will convert LPs and 45s to mp3 files that can be played on iTunes. I used it last week to record my favorite childhood album and one of his favorites, "The King and I" by the Mastersounds, which has been unavailable since its release in 1957. I bought a copy of the album online a couple of years ago, as his album practically has holes in it from being played so much, and we probably haven't listened to "The King and I" in nearly 40 years.



It is impossible for me to objectively review this album, as it brought back such warm memories of childhood that I had tears in my eyes listening to it. It consists of jazz interpretations of songs from the musical, and Buddy Montgomery's solos on "Dance of the Siamese Children" and "Shall We Dance?" are indescribably beautiful.

The Mastersounds was a quartet modeled on the MJQ (Modern Jazz Quartet), and featured two of Wes Montgomery's brothers, Buddy Montgomery (who died a few weeks ago) on vibes, Monk Montgomery on bass, in addition to Richie Crabtree (piano) and Benny Barth (drums). The group released six albums under the World Pacific label from 1957-1960 before disbanding. The group has been described as at least the equal of the MJQ in its prime; however, most of these albums, including another favorite of mine, "Kismet", have been unavailable for half a century...until now.



This weekend I discovered that El Records in the UK will be releasing a CD twofer, "The Mastesounds with Wes Montgomery: The King and I/Kismet", next week! Amazon has the CD available for pre-purchase, as it will be available in the US in late August. I'll be on the lookout for the CD when I go to London later this month, and will review "Kismet", which also features Wes Montgomery. I'm very curious to hear how "The King and I" sounds on the new CD, especially in comparison to the LP.

They are really good about putting plaques up on buildings, kidz. On Ile St. Louis, behind Notre Dame, there were several plaques on houses which identified writers (Victor Hugo for one). I bet Shakespeare & Co would have info about this. I completely agree with Rebecca about walking - especially where you will be based. You're just over a bridge to Notre Dame. Another fun way to see the city is from a bateau mouche, which goes UNDER the bridges and gives you a completely different perspective. I wonder if the original Hot Club of France (of Django Reinhardt/Stefan Grapelli fame) is still in existence? Apart from the obvious big tourist highlights like the Louvre and d'Orsay, one of my favourite places was La Musée national de Moyen Age, Cluny, built over old Roman baths. Oh, and Pere Lachaise cemetery.

>160: Thanks, Rebecca; I'll be on the lookout for those books at Shakespeare. Let me know if you remember the name or location of that jazz club.

>162: Thanks, Tui; LisaCurcio also recommended taking the bateau mouche, so I'll definitely do that. I hope I learn enough French to be able to read those plaques! I'm taking a one day French course for travelers on Saturday, and I have a book & CD on basic French that I'll look at before then.

I don't see any info in my guidebook (Access Paris) about the Hot Club de France, although I did find information about the Hotel Claridge, where the Hot Club was apparently based, near the Champs-Elysées. There is a famous jazz club, Les Trois Maillets, very near the Hotel Henri IV, so I'll definitely go there at least once.

Just a little tip: if you go into a bakery or shop, always say bonjour madam/monsieur to the person behind the counter. It is considered the height of rudeness not to. Many North Americans just walk in and start ordering. Cultural no no.

Thanks for the reminder, Tui. I had read or been told this previously, but I'm sure I'll remember now. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated!

Yes, and be sure to add the madame/monsieur; you never just say "bonjour" or "bonsoir."

And I second the recommendation of the Cluny, especially the Unicorn tapestries. You will not be too far away if your hotel is near the Sorbonne.

Darryl -

I am so excited to read about your upcoming trip ... all of it ... but especially the Paris portion. It is so great that your friends here at LT are giving you all these ideas and important tips re: the culture and being mannerly toward Parisians.

I have not been to Europe. Still hoping though. Still reading lots of books by authors from all parts of the world and the people/characters AND the real/fictional lives they writie about.

The music you wrote about sounds amazing. I love listening to music from my childhood also. It really brings back the feelings from that time in my life.

Have a great time at the Language class on Saturday. Remember today is la Fete de 15 Julliet, Bastllle Day. Here's a link to a beautiful picture to feast your/our eyes upon ...

http://blog.nj.com/events_impact/2008/07...

au revoir - WH

I do not speak French, at all. but I'm pretty good with a menu and some recipes. tee hee

Thanks for that tip, Rebecca; I would have been inclined to just say "Bonjour" otherwise, I think. I see that the Musée National du Moyen-Age is also close to my hotel, so I'll make a trip there, too. If I haven't said so already, the Access series of guide books (e.g., Access Paris and Access London) are great for learning about the city of interest, as they are divided by neighborhoods with good street and transit maps.

Thanks for the warm sentiments (as always!), WH. Hopefully you'll be able to visit Europe soon. This spring British Airways had ridiculously low fares, as low as $156 each way between New York and London; maybe they'll repeat those fares this year or next.

I love that photo!

Here's more information about the Mastersounds:

Jazz Profiles: Remembering The Mastersounds

And PS, every woman who isn't a girl is Madame, married or not, old or young.

Kidz, Pere Lachaise cemetery is a fascinating place. It's like a strange little village with cobbled streets and ancient little gothic houses on the graves, complete with stained glass windows. Some of the Jewish holocaust graves, by contrast, are stark black marble, unadorned and shaped like pieces of sculpture. Heloise and Abelard are buried there together, moved there by Napoleon. I didn't find Jim Morrison's grave (didn't look too hard) but I did find Chopin's. I waited until the little cluster of tourists had moved on and then I said "Thanks for the beautiful nocturnes" out loud to him. This voice, with a heavy French accent, came from behind his grave saying "You're welcome!". I had a great good laugh over that! It was fascinating to walk around through the "streets" looking at the names, a real glimpse of history.

doc, have a wonderful time, and get people to take pictures of you there so you can post them for us.

please?

Thanks again, Rebecca. I am convinced that the biggest "mistake" I will make will be to confuse French with Spanish, and say something like "Bonjour, señor" or "Buenos días, madame".

Great story about Pere Lachaise cemetry, Tui. I'll add it to my list of places to see.

I usually don't like having my picture taken, kath, but I'll try to accomodate your request. I don't mind it when it's an "action" photo, like the ones I posted with Brianah, or photos with friends or family. I usually look awful in solo staged photos though; if I smile I look like a crazed moron, so I usually don't smile, and have the appearance of a constipated, soulless yuppie (or terrorist, same thing). My passport photo is the only staged photo that I have liked in years; my license and work photos are known to induce seizures or intractable vomiting.

yikes!

you must have lots of very brave and/ or unconscious patients.

( not that I believe it for a minute) I too have a dislike of being photographed ..

speaking of pictures. I have to go to work and take pictures of our students wearing some sort of monkey hat. poor things.. so not my idea. some of them hate having things stuck on their heads.

I like taking action pics of them.. at work and at play and print them to take send to the parents. I do it all the time when they are doing something special. ( seeing the firetruck or learning a new skill. in 7 years, not one parent has said hey thanks! but I carry on just in case.)

Finally...a book review!

Book #86: Medical London: City of Diseases, City of Cures by Richard Barnett and Mike Jay

My rating:

This is one of the most unique items in my library, and is now one of my favorites, as well. Medical London was published by the Wellcome Collection, which includes the famous Wellcome Library of Medicine, and it consists of three parts: "Sick City", a book of essays by Richard Barnett about the medical history of London over two millenia; "Anatomy of the City", a guide to the past and current sites of medical importance in the capital; and six elegantly designed pamphlets that serve as walking guides.

The six essays in "Sick City" provide fascinating and graphic accounts of the health and daily lives of Londoners, including the squalor that characterized the medieval and Victorian eras. We learn about the history and development of hospitals and mental institutions, how physicians were able to distinguish themselves from barber-surgeons and apothecaries to become respected professionals, the birth of public health with the linkage of fetid pump water to mid-19th century cholera epidemics in the capital, and other equally intriguing stories.

"Anatomy of the City" is closely linked with the walking guides, which focus on the Thames in medieval times; the plague in Daniel DeFoe's time; the life of an 18th century medical student; tropical diseases in the British Empire; STDs and other infectious diseases in shady Soho; and Bohemian medicine in Chelsea ("From homeopaths to psychopaths").

Barnett is a gifted and enthusiastic historian, and Medical London was clearly a labor of love. There is also a website, http://www.medicallondon.org, that includes further information about the collection, including videos from the six walks.

I would highly recommend Medical London to anyone interested in the history of the capital, the development of Western medicine and public health, or anyone looking for a captivating historical read. I will bring "Anatomy of the City" and the pamphlets with me next week and post information about the walks, with selected photos, over the next few weeks.

Message edited by its author, Jul 16, 2009, 8:35am.

>175: This sounds very interesting. I'll have to give it a try.

#176 ditto, looks fascinating and I have bookmarked the link. I really enjoyed visiting the old operating theatre & herb garret when I was last in London so some of those walks on the site look good.

Medical London sounds good. I'm adding it to my wish list.
I recommend a trip to the Florence Nightingale Museum at St Thomas' Hospital in London if you have time to squeeze it into your schedule. Very informative.
Have a great time in Paris and London.

Book #87: Chess Story by Stefan Zweig

My rating:

The action in this novella takes place during World War II, on a cruise ship heading from NYC to Buenos Aires. On board is the world chess champion Mirko Czentovic, who is on tour to play the best chessmasters of South America. The nameless narrator is intrigued by Czentovic, a monomaniac whose aloof manner hides the fact that he is an otherwise ignorant and uneducated peasant. In an effort to meet Czentovic, the narrator plays chess with an arrogant and wealthy businessman, who ultimately persuades Czentovic to play him for money. The game is witnessed by many of the passengers, and Czentovic handily trounces the businessman in several games. However, a stranger provides tactical advice to the businessman, who manages to battle the champion to a draw. Czentovic challenges the stranger, Dr. B., to a game the following day, and the narrator is able to learn more about Dr. B's dark secret, and how he was able to match the champion even though he had not played chess in over two decades. The battle royale takes place the next afternoon, and is both a tactical and psychological battle of wills.

Unfortunately this was the last published complete work by Zweig, a Jew who fled his native Austria before the Nazi occupation, and committed suicide with his wife in 1942, due to his despair with the demise of European culture under the Nazis. It is a brilliant work, and is highly recommended.

Book #88: The Postman (Il Postino) by Antonio Skármeta

My rating:

Ugh. A very superficial story about a young postman whose only customer is the poet Pablo Neruda, who falls in love with a young girl and enlists the poet to help him win the girl's heart. I stopped reading it after 60 pages.

>178: "Anatomy of the City" has a full page dedicated to the Florence Nightingale Museum, with the location, directions, and hours of operation, and my Access London guide book lists it as well. So, I'll definitely go there.

Message edited by its author, Jul 16, 2009, 3:27pm.

Just added Chess Story to my wishlist - thanks. Have a great trip to Europe!

>180 sorry to hear you didn't like this - I'd put it on my wishlist after akeela enjoyed it recently. Maybe I won't rush to get hold of a copy...

With regard to literary Paris, Oxygen Books in the UK are publishing a series of 'literary' city guides. I get the impression they're more city-themed anthologies, but might be of interest - details on the website.

Medical London looks fabulous! Really makes me wish I'd bought it for my husband at Christmas...

Rachael, I might suggest seeking out other reviews before deciding whether to get The Postman or not. It was not what I had expected, and so it was very disappointing, especially in comparison to Chess Story. I usually like what Akeela recommends, so I'd take my review with a grain of salt.

Thanks for the information about Oxygen Books. I did already order Literary Paris: A Guide and Literary Cafes of Paris, which I'll bring with me, and I'll look for the Oxygen Books after I get there.

Medical London is fantastic! I would definitely recommend it for your husband, but a lot of non-MDs would enjoy it, too.

I hope your trip is wonderful!

Sad but not unexpected news; Walter Cronkite died earlier today. There will never be another one like him.

I just heard the news a few minutes ago. He truly was a legend.

I watched the Vietnam war nightly on his program. He always ended it with the total number of people killed to date. There is no newscaster working today to compare with him.

Ditto all above re Walter Cronkite.

Thanks for the info on Medical London which has bounced into my Book Depository basket with ease.

I also loved Chess Story and went on to devour all his other writing - Chess Story was one of his very best for me. Unfortunately Zweig does not have a lot of novels to read.

> 180, 183 Hey guys! My review should have stated that it was a little book and that it was light-hearted. If a reader came to the book expecting a story with any significant import on Neruda, they’d be terribly disappointed.

The Postman is frothy; it’s fun, trivial, a romp, even. I guess I really needed a laugh at the time I read it, and it worked magically for me! Hence the enthusiastic review.

>190: "fun, trivial, a romp" sounds good to me - OK, back it goes :) (though the only copy on BookMooch in English seems to be a persistent non-responder...grrr.)

*waves to doc, and hopes he takes rant in my thread well, and not personally*

Hi, kath! No offense taken by your comments; your views were well thought out and expressed, and no physicians were threatened or injured in the process (with the possible exception of Dr. Offit, but I'm sure that he has developed a thick skin by now).

I hadn't responded yet, as I was on my way to get breakfast (Einstein Bros Santa Fe bagel sandwich)



and go to the supermarket (the Publix in Ansley Mall, which is probably not too far from where your son lives) for groceries, and I'm just getting back in.

I have come across very few families that are categorically against vaccines; many more parents, as you mentioned, would rather space the vaccines out, so that the child doesn't receive three or more at a time, which I think is quite reasonable. And, as you said, vaccines aren't completely benign, there is a federal program (VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting Program) for those who have definitely or possibly suffered morbidity as a result of a vaccine.

Having said that, and without going into a long-winded explanation (which Lord knows I'm perfectly capable of doing about almost anything), I'm definitely pro-vaccine, on a personal and professional basis.

*whew*

If you run into Adam @ Publix, say hi for me !

Will do...um, I don't know what he looks like!

I assume that Adam is your son, and not some random Publix employee that caught your eye. ;-)

he looks like me of course! ( random employee, LOL)

but he has a beard

Message edited by its author, Jul 19, 2009, 10:44am.

Book #90: Mercury Under My Tongue by Sylvain Trudel

My rating:

Frederic is a 16 year old boy who has end-stage bone cancer, and he spends his last days in his "bachelor pad" on the hematology/oncology ward of a hospital in Montreal. He is frequently in pain, and the few friends he has on the wards are too consumed with their own morbidity to provide him with much solace or understanding. Frederick's poetry does provide an escape, and it links him to a beautiful girl there who is battling leukemia. His family visits him infrequently, as he simultaneously seeks their comfort and pushes them away. His aloof manner hides a fear of the death he knows will come soon.

He is filled with angst, and his irrational rants followed by brilliant insights into himself and others rings true. His prose flows poetically, although it is frequently searing and acerbic:

"I haven't said anything about the most hideous days, the days when the pain rips me open and leave my eyes scalding and glassy, my face decomposed, my bones bare and my forehead greasy and my dirty hair clings to it like seaweed and my damp pajamas stink of sweat. When the nurses come to turn my bed upside down so they can bleach the sheets in which I've sweated blood and lymph, I'm always afraid they'll discover a Turin Shroud that would dehumanize me, like some kind of Easter Sunday, like the resurrection of Christ who spoiled everything by easing the pain of the Passion, by canceling the sacrifice of Good Friday."

This was an tough but honest look into the mind of a teenager who realizes that his life will end before it has begun, and is highly recommended.

Message edited by its author, Jul 19, 2009, 2:39pm.

A few months ago, a friend of mine from high school died from bone cancer at the age of 21, after being diagnosed at 17. It sounds like Mercury Under My Tongue is about all of the things I imagined were going through his head, or at least I imagined them going through my head when I pictured myself in his place. I think I'll try to find a copy of Mercury Under My Tongue, even though I'm sure it won't be a happy read.

That sounds like a pretty powerful book. Not something I can currently tackle (emotionally), but I'm thankful for your review!

I could not read that book :(

Here's a quick, light and enjoyable contrast to Mercury Under My Tongue:

The Fête at Coqueville by Émile Zola

My rating:

I wanted a light and quick read to finish the weekend, and this fit the bill perfectly. It is a humorous novella about a small fishing town, which is dominated by the descendants of two families that have been warring for centuries but live together under an uneasy truce, and what happens to the townspeople after an amazing and unexpected discovery is made at sea. To say anything more would give away too much of the story, but it was quite enjoyable, and is definitely recommended.

The Fête at Coqueville is available for purchase on Amazon, or it can be downloaded for free at http://manybooks.net.

#201: I think I could handle that one, but not Mercury Under My Tongue. I read Zola's Germinal earlier this year and loved it, but this one looks to be a lighter read than that. Thanks for the recommendation, Darryl!

now, that one sounds good...

I'm interested in reading Merury Under My Tongue. It reminds me of when I was a new nurse (many, many years ago). My first job was at The Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland) on the Oncology unit. Sadly, there were quite a few young people as patients. One, I distinctly remember, was a young man from Warren, Ohio. He and I used to share poetry.

James Dickey was a popular poet at the time. Not all Dickey's poetry was happy poetry, but Dickey's poems spoke to me. He could express fear, anxiety, and even talk about impending death or death itself, when no one else could.
The Hospital Window
The Cancer Match

Message edited by its author, Jul 20, 2009, 9:48am.

I am working my way through Zola's 20 book Rougon-Macquart series, which are considerably gloomier than this one sounds. However, since Zola is one of my favorite authors, I'm going to read it. I'm glad you found this, since I hadn't heard of it before.

* looks under sofa for doc..*

*checks behind door*

Damn! he must he off healing the sick or something..

Right! I'm working all week (Mon-Fri) in the hospital, and almost certainly won't finish reading anything before Sunday.

*waits patiently*
go on then.. keep up the good work! :)

Message edited by its author, Jul 24, 2009, 10:59am.

I'm simply stopping by to say hello.

I don't post to your thread each time I check it, but want you to know that I visit regularly and am in awe of your reading selections.

Since one of my closest friends is slipping away and the ovarian cancer is winning, I will add your book #90: Mercury Under My Tongue by Sylvain Trudel to my list to read at a later time. Right now, I'm simply too sad to read this, but it is something I will read down the road.

My heart sank when I read your post, Whisper. I'll say a prayer for you and your friend.

Thanks Darryl. She leaves behind a college age daughter and a son who will be married next year. She is scared, hurting and angry.

I appreciate your prayers for Phyllis.

You are a dear, kind man and the world need more people like you.

Linda

Hi kidzdoc - just discovered your thread, so posting in order to find you again, pending theatre reviews!

Too many posts, so I've just skim read, but I take it you're in the UK at the moment? What plans have you got (besides visiting the South Bank for umpteen shows!)? Hope you have a fantastic stay!

Oooh, and if this gets you in time and you're looking for not-just-touristy things to do in Paris I'd like to recommend the Musée Carnavalet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnavalet_..., near the Picasso Museum), which I think is fantastic (particularly the revolution bit) and seems to be nothing like as busy as most other museums.

Also, the view from Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, is fantastic (and doesn't involve climbing the terrifying heights of the Eiffel Tower). Thumbs up to whoever it was (can't remember) who suggested just walking around though - definitely the best way to see Paris in a short time!

Happy travels!

Hi flissp! Yes, I'm in London, and have been here since Monday morning. Other than reading (Booker Prize longlist is now out), going to National Theatre performances ("The Observer" two days ago, "The Black Album" today, and at least two more before I leave), I'll hit the museums here, go on historical walks using Medical London (see post #175), and relaxing.

Thanks for the Paris suggestions; on this trip I'll probably take up your last suggestion, as I still haven't spent any significant time learning any French.

Right now I'm reading Palafox by Eric Chevillard, another Archipelago Books translation, which is a humorous novel about a mysterious creature that defies classification by scientists (bird? reptile? animal? other?), and The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds, which made the Booker Prize longlist. I need to post a couple of book reviews, too, which I'll probably get to later today or tomorrow.

I am looking forward to those reviews, Darryl.

flissp, I saw The Black Album at the National Theatre this afternoon. It was very good, and I'll submit a review in the next day or two. Even though it was at the Cottesloe Theatre there were still plenty of empty seats, at least two dozen.

Darryl!

It sounds like you are having a delightful time!

Sounds like you're enjoying yourself. At least in theatres you don't get rained on too much! Good old British weather

I see you sitting on that lion in Trafalgar Square, Darryl kidzdoc! My Guinness but it sounds like you are having a good time.

Right. I love the energy of a major city, particularly one that is a major cultural center. I'm nearly as fond of plays and other performing arts as I am of books, and am most happy when I can combine these loves, which I can do in a few select cities (NYC, San Francisco, and London).

Yesterday's weather was only a mild nuisance; I'd rather have that than the near torrential downpours that we'll get in Atlanta.

Which lion did you see me on, Tui? I think that there are four of them on Trafalgar Square.

Have a good day, everyone!

Message edited by its author, Aug 2, 2009, 3:12am.

glad to hear your enjoying London Darryl! there are some wonderful book shops there!

This was a good week for reading; I finished six books:

Flaw by Magdalena Tulli
The Observer by Matt Charman
Literary Cafés of Paris by Noël Riley Fitch
Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi
Palafox by Eric Chevillard
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds

Since it's almost midnight, I'll submit reviews for these in the next couple of days.

I'm currently reading How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall, a Booker Prize longlisted book (as is The Quickening Maze), and Harare North by Brian Chikwava.

#213 Medical London sounds fascinating - I'm definitely going to have to root that out (and I don't know how I've missed it - the Wellcome Trust fund me!)

#215 looking forward to it! I quite like the Cottesloe - it feels so much more intimate than the Olivier (or even the Lyttleton). Out of interest, have you read the book the play is based on? I think that Hanif Kureishi adapted it himself didn't he? Anyway, I'm pinning my sister down as we speak, but good to know it's not sold out yet...

...Looking forward to your review of Intimacy too - I haven't yet read it (partly because I have a suspicion that I might be heartily disgusted by him - I believe it's semi-autobiographical...).

I trust you'll spend a little time ambling along the South Bank while you're theatre-ing? ;) It's one of my favourite places in London, despite how ridiculously busy it gets... Oooh and on Sundays there are second hand book sales under one of the bridges (near the NT/Southbank Centre) - I've had quite good haul's from there...

I wouldn't have known about Medical London if I didn't see it posted on the home page of the London Review Bookshop at the end of last year.

I sat in the balconies of the Cottesloe for The Observer and The Black Album, and those seats weren't as good as I thought they would be. It didn't take away from the enjoyment of either performance, and the seats were far more comfortable than comparable seats in off- or on-Broadway theaters. Plus, you can't beat the prices!

I'll also be going to England People Very Nice on Aug 8, and All's Well That Ends Well on Aug 12. There is another NT performance involving two couples that I might also go to.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather, and I'll stay inside until at least the evening. So, I'll get to these book and theatre reviews...

Book #93: The Observer by Matt Charman

My rating: The Observer is currently playing at the Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre, London until Sep 3. I saw the play last Thursday afternoon, and read the script that evening.

A team of international observers goes to an unnamed West African country to oversee its first democratic election. The current presidentis n ot well liked by Western governments, who want to do business in the region, and by many of his countryment, due to the corrupt nature of his regime. Despite this, he is expected to win the election without difficulty. The first round of voting is close, and his main rival is able to force a run off, due to the support of villagers in the rural and mountainous areas of the country.

Fiona Russell is the deputy chief of the international observation committee, a Briton from who quit her job as a local election official in Leeds due to the complacency of voters there. She is idealistic and passionate about her job, and wants to see democracy instilled in the countries that she oversees. She is deeply opposed to the current president, and sees the run off as an opportunity for the country to "take a huge step forward" by electing the challenger. Her main ally is Daniel, a local student who serves as her translator and confident.

Fiona gets approval for a campaign to register voters in rural and mountainous areas, those who have supported the challenger. Despite mild opposition from her ineffective boss, Daniel, and others, and despite increasing violence inflicted upon supporters of the challenger, she doggedly pursues her goal. The winner is announced...but, as a key character declares in the midst of a near civil war, "What happens now?"

The Observer was a powerful statement and performance about the deleterious effect that well meaning outsiders can have on developing countries and their people. Anna Chancellor (Fiona) and Chuk Iwuji (Daniel) were fabulous in their roles, and the supporting cast was also strong. I would highly recommend this play for anyone who can attend it in London before it closes next month.

Message edited by its author, Aug 3, 2009, 10:47am.

I am very envious of your travels! And, I am very glad that you are having a wonderful time!

Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

flissp, I haven't read The Black Album yet. I bought it before I left, but I didn't bring it with me. The Cottesloe Theatre Bookstall has signed copies of it, and I was tempted to get a copy, but I held off...for now.

I'll have to look for the book stands you mentioned under the bridge (the one that goes to Charing Cross station?) on Sunday. I went to the Foyles branch at Southbank Centre yesterday to look for two Booker Prize longlisted books that I haven't found yet, the Scudamore and the Mawer, and I walked across that bridge over the Thames, but I didn't see those booksellers under the bridge.

Book #94: Literary Cafés of Paris by Noël Riley Fitch

My rating:

This is a nice guide to roughly 30 of the most famous cafés frequented by famous writers in Paris. It includes a good amount of detail, but not too much, and maps to the cafés. At 80 pp in length it is the perfect size to fit in a pocket or purse, and is highly recommended.

Book #95: Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi

My rating:

This was a tough book for me to rate, due to its subject matter. The narrator was a repulsive character, and the topic is supposedly semi-autobiographical; however, the writing is quite good.

Jay, like the author, is a London playwright who has decided to leave his partner, who he has never married, and their two young sons, who he loves dearly. However, he is bored in this loveless relationship, and sees no hope that it can be salvaged. He is most happy when he is with his current girlfriend, a young woman who excites and challenges him sexually, though she is not his social or intellectual equal.

This short novel, set in London in the early 1990s, describes the mind set of one restless but decent urban professional approaching middle age, who is not ready to settle into a monogamous, steady relationship. I found Jay to be quite superficial, self-absorbed and immature; however, his desires and attitudes remind me of those of a cousin of mine, and couple of former acquaintances, and are spot on with their views. This book may not be for everyone, but it is a well-written, accurate work.

Re Intimacy - I think you've pinpointed my feelings about Hanif Kureishi! I love his writing - I've very much enjoyed pretty much everything I've read by him (although The Buddha of Suburbia is easily my favourite), but I've always had this deep, dark suspicion that he's not a very nice person - it's what puts me off reading this book, although I know it shouldn't... Hmmm. Worth reading then?

Re the booksellers under the bridge - they're under Waterloo Bridge (the wide one - next one down from the footbridge from Embankment/Charring X Tube. They'll be hard to miss anyway.

I thought that they were just open Sunday, but I just googled them and came up with this page, which says they're there every day until 7pm (there's a pic) - of course, I'm usually there after that time, which could be why I haven't noticed this!

There's also quite a large second hand booksale at the indoor bit of Camden Market (Camden Town tube - also a great area for live music - loads of venues) if you're interested.

Love the sound of the Paris Cafe book - shall have to look that up next time I go...

Thanks for that link to the South Bank Book Market, flissp! I'll definitely check it out later this week, and report back here. I went to the outdoor portion of Camden Market last week, but haven't been inside yet. I had intended to go back, as I saw an anti-Facebook T-shirt that I wanted to get for one of my work mates, so I'll check out the books then.

Regarding Kureishi, he isn't someone I would look up to, and I certainly wouldn't leave him alone with a wife, sister or girlfriend, but I think he is worth reading in the way that Philip Roth is.

I have another Paris book to read and review, Literary Paris: A Guide by Jessica Powell, which I should get to by the weekend.

Message edited by its author, Aug 3, 2009, 2:26pm.

Book #96: Palafox by Eric Chevillard

My rating:

This is the first Archipelago book I didn't like, and I stopped reading it after 60-65 pp. It was about a mysterious creature (bird? reptile? animal? insect?) who is transferred from the care of a family to four scientists of different backgrounds, who cannot seem to categorize the creature, named Palafox. Initially the concept was interesting, but for me it became repetitive and tedious.

Hmm...I've noticed that several of the books I haven't enjoyed and haven't finished this year have been by contemporary French authors.

Sounds like all is well and happy with you...* waves*

Hi, Darryl:

Great to read about how you are and how your trip is going. I send you very best wishes for lots of fun, great books, great food and new friends.

Love, WH aka Ruth

Hi Darryl--Sounds like you're having a fabulous time in London. And you get to stay there a decent amount of time too! I'm envious. Enjoy the rest of your stay in London, and have fun in Paris.

Great to read that you are travelling in London - and still managing to read a significant volume. I hope my subscription to Archipelago doesn't start with Palafox!

Book #97: The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds

My rating: The Quickening Maze, the second novel by Mr Foulds, was selected for the 2009 Booker Prize longlist last week.

The setting for this historical novel is Epping Forest, just outside of London, in the 1840s. Dr. Matthew Allen, an apothecary and polymath with a checkered past, runs an institution for the mentally ill based on Christian reformist teachings. The asylum is highly regarded, but Allen and his family live beyond their means. The most famous patient at the High Beach Private Asylum is John Clare, the "peasant poet", who is battling alcoholism, melancholia and probably schizophrenia.

Dr. Allen’s newest patient, Septimus Tennyson, arrives at the asylum, accompanied by his brother and emerging poet, Alfred. Hannah Allen’s teenaged daughter, falls in love with Alfred, and seeks to win his attention in order to escape from the boredom and confinement at the asylum. Dr. Allen needs to be able to pay for his eldest daughter’s wedding, and with the financial support of the Tennysons, designs a mass production engine that will make him a rich man -- or send him back to the poor house.

The action in this novel starts slowly, as Foulds introduces a number of major and minor characters that seem to be initially unnecessary, but their importance to the novel becomes apparent as the novel progresses. The loosely interwoven stories come together nicely in the second half of the book; I read the last 2/3 of the book at a single sitting, and was captivated until the final page. I thought I would like this book, since it dealt with mental illness and concepts about its treatment in the mid-19th century. These topics were not heavily discussed, but I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and its diverse set of characters.

Message edited by its author, Aug 24, 2009, 7:58pm.

#231-234: Thanks for the good wishes!

#235: You definitely won't get Palafox, as it was published several years ago, so good news there. I think I've only read two or three of the 2009 Archipelago Books; I'll rectify that once I return to the other side of the pond.

Hmm...I've tried several times to submit a review of The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds, but haven't been able to do so. I'll try one more time; if I can't get it to go through, I'll start a new thread.

Hmm...it does seem like two reviews of The Quickening Maze are here, but this thread, or LT, is still acting a bit goofy. I'll leave both in for now.

The Foulds book sounds really good. I will have to look for it, Darryl. He is an author I have not heard of, so it would be great to find someone new. What nationality is he?

Foulds is British, educated at Oxford and the University of East Anglia.

Thanks Darryl. I am definitely going to read that one. British travel goes with British reading. Good for you.

Right. I've picked up quite a few books (>20) since I've been here, including seven more this afternoon from the London Review Bookshop. Several were books that I had been looking for in the US for months, but hadn't found online or in a bookstore:

Devil on the Cross by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
Matigari by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
Blank Gaze by José Luis Peixoto
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie
Life: A User's Manual by Georges Perec

I also bought Another Gulmohar Tree by Aamer Hussein and Derelict London by Paul Talling, which both looked interesting.

The Quickening Maze sounds interesting; I'll have to keep an eye out for it. It's sometimes frustrating when the Man Booker list comes out, and so many of the books aren't available in the US (I'm trying to save my money, so I try to do most of my reading from the library). I suppose it's good for me to be more patient. I hope the Ngugi wa Thiong'o books are good as well; I read his Wizard of the Crow earlier this year and was very impressed.

I hope you write a long descriptive post with pictures? or just pics?
or.. just give me a call and tell me everything ! lol

be safe

>236 ooh, I can't wait to read this now!! An interesting companion piece for you (maybe post-Bookerthon) could be Iain Sinclair's The Edge of the Orison - Sinclair walked the route that John Clare took when he was trying to walk back out of London to his lost love. I still haven't read it myself but the excerpts he read in the event at the London Review Bookshop (sorry, yes, that again - I just can't help myself) were totally fascinating. It's partly a history of Clare, partly a family story about Sinclair's wife, who is distantly related, and partly a record of how that countryside is changing.

In fact I may go off and look for a copy myself to read with it.... damn. What was it we were saying about addiction and enabling??

#244: Hello, legxleg! There is a wonderful online bookseller, The Book Depository, that will ship books published in the UK to North America (and Europe), at discount, and with no shipping or handling fees! I've ordered 20-30 books from TBD, and although it sounds too good to be true, it is legitimate. I paid list price (£16.99) for the book I'm currently reading, Not Untrue and Not Unkind by Ed O'Loughlin; however, TBD is selling it for £11.39!

#245: Thanks for that link, Rachael; I'll listen to it this afternoon. From what little I read about Clare on Wikipedia, it seems that Foulds' account of him is quite accurate.

Book #98: Literary Paris: A Guide by Jessica Powell

My rating:

This book features brief summaries of the lives of about two dozen famous authors that spent significant periods of their writing careers in Paris, starting with Molière and ending with James Baldwin. Included are links to homes owned by the authors, restaurants and hotels they frequented, and other related sites of interest.

The author is a journalist, and the stories about the authors focus more on their scandalous behaviors more than the literary merit of their works. Thus, for me, it was not as interesting a read as it could have been.

Message edited by its author, Aug 5, 2009, 2:41am.

Adding The Quickening Maze to Planet TBR.

I hope your travels continue to be enjoyable! Sounds like you are having a wonderful book finding mission at any rate :)

Darryl -

London, then Paris, bookshops, comfortable hotels, books, LT friends following your every move and reading every published report you offer ... you are definitely the Man of the Hour.

I hope you continue to have an absolutely wonderful trip and enjoy every minute of it.

With love, Ruth

>246 - Rachael -

Sometimes your posts reach out and pique my interest in a book so much that I immediately add it to my TBR Cyber Stack. Such is the case with your mention of The Edge of the Orison. When I checked out the main page it appears several readers have tagged this one with psychogeography, a term new to me, and compelling.

I will listen to the audio very soon.

Many thanks for sharing your brilliant bits and pieces with me/us.

With love, Ruth

#250: Thanks, Ruth! Unfortunately, I think that the proverbial piper will have to be paid once I return. I have looked -- as I really don't want to know -- but I imagine that I'll have a hideous 4th quarter work schedule. Hopefully I'll get either Christmas or Thanksgiving off, but neither is guaranteed at the moment.

I am just coming back from seeing several exhibits at the Wellcome Collection, which were excellent. I had intended to spend two hours there, since the museum is free; however, when I checked my watch I had been there for 3-1/2 hours. The Collection had a bookshop, so naturally I had to get two books by the medical historian Roy Porter: Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine and Madmen: A Social History of Madhouses, Mad-Doctors and Lunatics.

I think I've also found my favorite hangout here: the Cafe at Foyles Bookshop, which has nice sandwiches, Monmouth coffee, great desserts, plenty of seating, great classic jazz instead of music more suited for Disney Radio -- and free WiFi!

Message edited by its author, Aug 5, 2009, 9:51am.

Darryl, I'm getting such a kick out of seeing London with you. I'm going to be sorry when you're back at work too!

My partners at work won't be sorry! They've probably created a dart board with my photo on it by now.

Sounds like you're packing loads in!

Did you bring a second (or third) suitcase for all the books you're buying? Looks like you've got a lot of fabulous reading awaiting you.

Is the Life: A User's Manual that you bought the new version that was supposed to be coming out soon?

One of the things I always wish to do is the walking tours of London. Have you tried these, Darryl? Flossie et al might think they are too touristy but I thought they seemed low-key and informative.

Aruba, after I bought it I remembered that the new translation was being released by Godine this year. The version I bought (Vintage Classics) was published last year, so I'll have to see if it uses the same translator as the upcoming Godine release.

I did bring an extra bag for books, which I do when I go to SF or NYC. I'll be leaving some of these books behind, those I am sure that I don't want to re-read, which I usually do whenever I travel and buy a ton of books. As long as I don't buy too many more books, I should be fine.

kiwi, I have a set of six pamphlets from Medical London which serve as personal walking guides for a medical history of the city. I've done one already, the walk along the Thames, and will do the rest in the remaining days that I'll be here.

Since this thread has exceeded 250 posts, I'll start a new one, with my review of Not Untrue and Not Unkind .