phebj's 75 books in 2010 - Part 3

This is my third thread for the year. Thanks for visiting!

(My first thread can be found here and my second thread here).

I'm taking a course on Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls and the Spanish Civil War in November. I visited Hemingway's memorial in Sun Valley, Idaho last year which I thought was so simple and so beautiful. It bears the following inscription:

Best of all he loved the fall
The leaves yellow on the cottonwoods
Leaves floating on the trout streams
And above the hills
The high blue windless skies
Now he will be a part of them forever

Here's a picture which actually doesn't do the setting justice. It sits up on a high hill overlooking a fairly large creek with a view of the mountains in the distance.

*waves at Pat*

Hi, Caro! I'm setting up my new thread. Thanks for finding me so quickly!

These are the books I've read from January through October this year:

Read in January (5)

1. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
2. The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon
3. Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper
4. A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein
5. American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Read in February (6)

6. Dancing to Almendra by Mayra Montero
7. Mosquito by Roma Tearne
8. Best American Crime Writing 2007 edited by Linda Fairstein
9. Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler
10. Felicia's Journey by William Trevor
11. A Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee

Read in March (9)

12. Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett
13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
14. The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Sue Meyers
15. Mating by Norman Rush
**. Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (didn't finish)
16. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
17. Best American Crime Writing 2008 edited by Jonathan Kellerman
18. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
19. Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
20. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Read in April (8)

21. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
22. Still Life by Louise Penny
23. Naked by David Sedaris
24. Replay by Ken Grimwood
25. Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead by Frank Meeink
26. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
27. The Whole World by Emily Winslow
28. The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford

Read in May (7)

29. Innocent by Scott Turow
30. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
31. Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs by Wallace Stegner
32. Best American Crime Reporting 2009 edited by Jeffrey Toobin
33. The Royal Game and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig
34. The Trouble with Poetry and other poems by Billy Collins
35. In the Wake by Per Petterson

Read in June (8)

36. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
37. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
38. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
39. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
40. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
41. The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn R. Saks
42. Blame: A Novel by Michelle Huneven
43. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Read in July (11)

44. Four Perfect Pebbles by Lila Perl and Marion Blumenthal Lazan
45. Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins
46. Solar by Ian McEwan
47. The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese
**. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler (didn't finish)
48. One Day by David Nicholls
49. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
50. How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard
51. The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth
52. Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy by Joseph E. Stiglitz
53. The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine by Gregg Olsen
54. Chasing Goldman Sachs by Suzanne McGee

Read in August (9)

55. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
56. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
57. Death Comes For the Archbishop by Willa Cather
58. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
**. 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up edited by Julia Eccleshare (skimmed)
59. The Big Short by Michael Lewis
60. Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry by Billy Collins
61. What Narcissim Means to Me by Tony Hoagland
62. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
63. An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

Read in September (6)

64. Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin
65. Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
66. Fool's Gold: How the Bold Dream of a Small Tribe at J.P. Morgan Was Corrupted by Wall Street Greed and Unleashed a Catastrophe by Gillian Tett
67. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
68. Blindness by Jose Saramago
69. Life Work by Donald Hall
**. Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall (children's book)
**. The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems edited by Donald Hall

Read in October (7)

70. Family Portrait by Catherine Drinker Bowen
71. Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
72. The Collector by John Fowles
73. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
74. How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu
75. The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
76. The White Family by Maggie Gee

Read in November (4)

77. A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton
78. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
79. The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre
80. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber

Read in December (17)

81. A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
82. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
83. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
84. Auggie Wren's Christmas Story by Paul Auster
85. Lucy's Christmas by Donald Hall
86. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
87. Santa Claustrophobia by Mike Reiss
88. The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett
89. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
90. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger
91. Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson
92. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
93. A Christmas Carol Including A Christmas Tree by Charles Dickens
94. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt
95. Middlemarch by George Eliot
96. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
97. A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson

I'm currently reading:

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Best American Short Stories 2009 edited by Alice Sebold (reading with my friend, Juli)

Ongoing (this is a re-read and going very slowly):

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Possible Books for December:

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson
Out of Egypt: A Memoir by Andre Aciman
The Seige by Helen Dunmore
O Pioneers by Willa Cather

ER Books to read and/or review:

The Storyteller of Marrakesh by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya (review by 1/29/11)

Upcoming Group Reads:

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (January)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (January)
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (January?)
The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner (April with Linda Panzo)
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (Spring with Mark)

My favorite books of 2010 (in the order I read them) are:

Mosquito by Roma Tearne
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Still Life by Louise Penny
Replay by Kem Grimwood
Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs by Wallace Stegner
The Royal Game and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Life Work by Donald Hall
Family Portrait by Catherine Drinker Bowen
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
The White Family by Maggie Gee
The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt
Middlemarch by George Eliot

I'm also participating in a Scandinavian Book Challenge for 2010 started by BlackSheepDances/Amy. The challenge is to read 6 books by December 31, 2010. I'd love any suggestions that any one has (especially for short books since the deadline is looming). So far I've read the following books:

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (Finland)
In the Wake by Per Petterson (Norway)
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (Sweden)
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell (Sweden)

Hi Pat- It's a night of new threads! I love your book choices! That "best of the year list" is pretty impressive.

Hi, Mark. Welcome to my new thread!

Hey, Pat! Found you again!

Hi, Stasia. Glad you did!

I love the pic of Hemingway's memorial!

Me too -- it made me teary actually..... the yellow leaves bit....

I LOVE Tove Jansson -- but for the J Moominfamily books!!!!! They are so delightful!

And I made a successful leap to new thread!

Hi Becky and Lucy, glad you found me! I have to say seeing the Hemingway memorial was a profound experience. The setting is so beautiful and peaceful and I loved the inscription. One of those totally unexpected and wonderful things.

Lucy, maybe I'll read 3 of the Moomin books to finish my Scandinavian challenge. :)

Pat, the picture and inscription at Hemingway's memorial is a fantastic way to begin your new thread. I am so inspired by you. I think taking a class on Hemingway sounds like such fun. I have reached the age where I can audit any class I want at Missouri State for free. Now, what is holding me back? Like I said, you are inspiring. I'm going to check out the offerings for the spring semester.

Hi, Pat! Your Hemingway class sounds great! I think I may be old enough to audit classes for free at the U of Minnesota (it's a blessing and a curse, I guess). I agree with Donna--you are inspiring!

Karen O.

Thanks Donna and Karen! I don't remember the last time that I've been called inspiring. :) Hope you both find classes you enjoy. I love taking non-credit classes--no tests.

Hi Pat!
Found your new thread ... and I'm gonna check on that age thing for auditing classes at Bowdoin (near me).
I've always wanted to do that. :)

Found you again. :)

Hi Pat! I'm a little late, but here now! :)

Hi Claudia, Angela and Stephen--glad you guys found me! :) I'm always afraid I'll be lost in thread transitions.

Hiya! For the Scandinavian book challenge, if crime books count you've got oodles of options. Try the first Henning Mankell/Wallender book, Faceless Killers.

Thanks for the recommendation, Suzanne. Crime books definitely count and my library has it so hopefully I'll pick it up tomorrow. And it under 300 pages!

Hi Pat - I found your new thread.

#Re short Scandinavian books, have you thought of trying the Moomintroll books by Tove Jansson? My copies are about 150 pages although I can see you've already read The Summer Book by Jansson and might be wanting to try a different author.

I know how you feel, Pat, about being lost in thread transitions! I know I lose track of people all the time, and as often as I have to create new threads... :(

Pipi Longstocking ... you've made me yearn for my favorite childhood read, Pat

#26 : Ditto what Stefano said

I found you, starred you, read you, and am leaving satisfied with a job well done!

Hi Heather--I'm definitely going to check out the Moomintroll books!

Hi Stephen, Caroline and Peggy--so glad you "transitioned" with me!

Book No. 73 Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman

I absolutely loved this book and it’s one of my favorite reads this year.

Fadiman originally wrote these essays for Civilization, the magazine of the Library of Congress. They chronicle her family’s love affair with books and words (the insufferable foursome who . . . still proofread menus together). Her parents (Clifton Fadiman and Annalee Whitmore Jacoby Fadiman) were both writers and she and her brother learned a lot about them from perusing their bookcases--their selves were on their shelves.

I enjoyed each and every one of the 18 essays in this collection but my favorites were probably “Never Do That To A Book” (about book abuse) and “Secondhand Prose” (about used books).

Fadiman’s family believed in “carnal,” as opposed to “courtly,” love of books. Hard use was a sign not of disrespect but of intimacy. She gives the example of her father, who, in order to reduce the weight of the paperbacks he read on airplanes, tore off the chapters he had competed and threw them in the trash.

Fadiman’s husband, an “incorrigible book-splayer” was once told by a friend: “George, if you ever break the spine of one of my books, I want you to know you might as well be breaking my own spine.”

At the other extreme, Fadiman writes about her friend Clark who won’t let his wife raise the blinds until sundown, lest the bindings fade. He buys at least two copies of his favorite books, so that only one need be subjected to the stress of having its pages turned.

On used books: When I was young I liked my books young as well. . . . In those days, just as I believed that age would buffet other people’s bodies but not my own, so I believed my paperbacks would last forever. I was wrong on both counts. As Fadiman got older, she began to enjoy the sensation of being a small link in a long chain of book owners.

In a secondhand bookstore, each volume is one-of-a-kind, neither replaceable from a publisher’s warehouse nor visually identical to its original siblings, which have accreted individuality with every change of ownership. If I don’t buy the book now, I may never have another chance. And therefore, like Beecher, who believed the temptations of drink were paltry compared with the temptations of books, I am weak.

Fadiman’s musings are funny and enlightening and highly recommended. 5 stars.

Hi Pat! Great review - already on my wishlist. Thumb from me!

Pat- I loved this book too! Great review!

Thanks, Claudia and Mark!

I also loved it and the review. Well-chosen quotes, brought the book back to me vividly.

Another crime recommendation, then -- The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg. Not long, and very readable. A Swedish friend of mine says it's a great depiction of life along the coast there.

#30: I love, love, love that book and pass it on to all my reader friends. I am glad you found it, Pat. Nice review!

Congrats on having a hot review!

Thanks for the kind words everyone. So glad I found LT or I may never have found Ex Libris!

Suzanne, thanks for the recommendation of The Ice Princess. I'm going to see if my library has it. I have a feeling December is going to be full of Scandinavian books for me so I can complete that challenge.

Thanks for the great review of Ex Libris - I'm off to thumb it and to wish for it.

Thanks, Peggy! Hope you get your wish. :)

Great job on the review of Ex Libris Pat (thumb!). I have to get a copy since evryone raves it.

Nice review of Ex Libris, Pat! I'll have to put this near the top of my wish list.

Thanks, Bonnie and Darryl. I thought I was the only one on LT who hadn't read this!

Ernest Hemingway--class notes

Walked into my first class on Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls today to find the instructor had brought in numerous pictures of war posters from the Spanish Civil War, copies of paintings by Picasso (“Guernica”), Miro, and Magritte, a bust of Hemingway, books on the War and several other things. It looked like an art gallery. 40 people had signed up for the course with another 40 on a waiting list that never got in. Our teacher is Dr. Stacey Guill, a Hemingway scholar, and she had a 3-page, color syllabus for everyone. Great start!

Today’s class was introductory so we went over some general information about Hemingway (who Dr. Guill thinks is the best writer of the 20th century), the Spanish Civil War, and For Whom the Bell Tolls (Hemingway’s “finest and richest novel” again according to Dr. Guill).

She started off with a quote from Picasso: “It’s not enough to know the works by an artist, you also have to know when he did them, why, how, and under what circumstances.” Her point was you can’t fully appreciate For Whom the Bell Tolls without knowing about the Spanish Civil War.

Some things that I learned about the SCW (1936-39): The big issue was agrarian reform--the peasants wanted to take back the land (4% of the population held the majority of the land; it was basically a feudal system). The Catholic Church controlled the education system which benefited the rich; the poor were illiterate (almost 60% of the population). This was why the war posters were so important--they helped get the war message out to the illiterate people. Although it started as a civil war, Hitler and Mussolini were soon helping the fascists, led by Franco, and Stalin was helping the leftist republicans (so essentially it was a war between the fascists and the communists). It was the first time mass bombings of civilians were used to demoralize the people. (Dr. Guill showed us photographs of people looking anxiously up at the sky.) Women fought in the war and it was the first time they wore pants. 500,000 people were killed. Franco’s forces won, of course, and he stayed in power until 1975.

Hemingway was a foreign war correspondent during the SCW and was unable to stay out of the politics. He loved Spain, in particular the bullfights--even naming his first son after a bullfighter (one of his middle names). He hated fascism and sympathized with the plight of the peasants. The title of For Whom the Bell Tolls is a reference to Hemingway’s belief that if we didn’t help the fledgling democratic government in Spain, we would be next.

The book tells the story of 4 days in the life of Robert Jordan, an American supporting the republican cause by carrying out the demolition of a bridge on the instructions of a Russian general. During that time he comes to know the peasants who are fighting the fascists and helping him destroy the bridge. For next week, we’re supposed to focus on the stories of the two women in the story--Pilar and Maria--and what happened to them in the past.

This sounds like a good class. Thanks for sharing, Pat. I confess that though I experienced For Whom the Bell Tolls, I cannot really appreciate Hemingway. His style drives me completely nuts, bananas, batty........

Peggy, I took this course so I could appreciate Hemingway. Haven't read anything by him since high school. We were supposed to read all of For Whom the Bell Tolls before the class started but I only got through 200 of the 470 pages. I don't think I would have gotten that far if not for the class. His style is definitely hard to get used to.

I am with Peggy. It does sound like a good class. I appreciate you sharing what you are learning, Pat.

Pat

Many thanks for bringing your classroom experience into my living room! Please continue to share what you are learning. I find it fascinating.

Pat- Thanks for sharing the Hemingway experience! I read and loved For Whom the Bell Tolls, although it's been many years!

This class sounds as though it will be a wonderful experience all around! Thanks for the precis on the Spanish War -- I was just thinking about it the other day trying to remember the dates and couldn't. My daughter is a Hemingway fan and she was asking me about it.... so this is so useful!

I love learning vicariously through you, Pat. I'm glad to not be the only one who under-appreciates Hemingway. I haven't touched his work since required reading in high school. I may give The Moveable Feast a try since Pat Conroy said good things about it in his new memoir.

#46 - Hi Pat, For Whom the Bell Tolls is the only Hemingway I have ever attempted to read and that was probably about 25 years ago. I vowed never to traverse that way again but perhaps enough time has past to attempt something of his again. I've purchased more but shudder and the vile taste in my mouth overcomes me each and every time I pick one up.

Wow... I'm really missing school. Haven't been to a class for over 12 years. Thanks for sharing - but now I want to re-visit Hemingway.
Haven't read him in years, but I don't remember not liking his writing style. Shoot... now I'm too curious to let it go.
Maybe if I pull out one of his books and put it on TOP of one of my piles - it'll make me feel better???? I'll just peek under the cover... just a wee bit.

To echo the above sentiments, thank you SO much for sharing about your class! I used to love Hemingway in high school and college (probably mostly because it was always my decision to read him) and haven't read any "new" books of his in years. I've read A Moveable Feast twice, really liked it the first time, but the second, not as much. My favorite of his is A Farewell to Arms. I've been intimidated to read For Whom just because of its size, but now that I have a little extra "background" info, I just may pick it up next year.

Thanks again, and I hope you share more in the future!

Hi Everyone,

Glad you liked the class notes. It actually helps me remember what I heard to write them up. I've got three more classes, all Tuesdays (Nov 16, 30 and Dec 7), so I'll plan to post then as well.

It was actually kind of a funny experience. I'm taking the class with a friend and on our drive over we were talking about Hemingway's style and how hard it was to make any progress in the book--after one chapter, you need to put it down and take a break. Definitely not a page turner. But once we walked into the class and saw how much effort the instructor had put into setting everything up and then hearing how passionate she was about Hemingway, all of a sudden it seemed like a fantastic book. Of course, this is exactly why I wanted to take the course. I've had no interest on my own to read Hemingway and think I'll definitely get my money's worth out of this course.

#55: once we walked into the class and saw how much effort the instructor had put into setting everything up and then hearing how passionate she was about Hemingway, all of a sudden it seemed like a fantastic book. Of course, this is exactly why I wanted to take the course. I've had no interest on my own to read Hemingway and think I'll definitely get my money's worth out this course.

A teacher who is passionate about his/her subject can make all the difference, can't they? I had the same experience with a terrific American Literature professor who instilled in me a love of The Scarlet Letter that abides to this day. Congratulations on getting lucky with your teacher, Pat!

Yes, the teacher can make all the difference. I've taken required courses when I was in school that I dreaded but that ended up being great solely because of the teacher.

Oh Pat I am so jealoushappy that you are getting to take this course. It sounds divine and like you hit the jackpot with your professor. I appreciate all the info re:the Spanish Civil War too; so interesting. I've only read The Sun Also Rises and The Old Man and the Sea and that was back a million years ago in college when I didn't really appreciate good literature the way I do now. I might take a stab at For Whom the Bell Tolls by the time you get done with your course:)

>55 phebj: " I've had no interest on my own to read Hemingway "

Then you were very brave to even take this class, Pat.
Glad it is gonna be great for all of us! LOL

Yes I think we are all going to be in your class vicariously!!!!!

Bonnie, I totally agree about not really appreciating good literature when I was younger.

Claudia and Lucy, I'm starting to feel like a LT representative taking this course. LOL!

Thanks for posting your notes from your Hemingway class!

Hi Anne, thanks for stopping by!

#30 Ex Libris was already on my wishlist but I think your excellent review has turned it into a 'must buy' for me!

And I also loved hearing about your Hemingway class. I had very little knowledge of the Spanish Civil War so that was very helpful.

Heather, Ex Libris would make a nice Christmas present for yourself!

Sounds like a cool class!

Someone suggested to me that the town of Ronda might be a model for that in For Whom the Bell Tolls? If so, it would be v. intriguing. It was certainly a hotbed of fighting during the civil war. A book to read about Spain if you're interested is Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett -- he looks at modern Spain through the prism of the civil war and the Franco dictatorship. It still seems like a country caught between what it was, how it was shaped and what it wants to become. Some of the most beautiful places (eg Granada) were also the sites of some of the worst human rights abuses during the war (mass executions, etc.)

There's also a v. good film by Ken Loach (I think?) about the experiences of British volunteers during the Civil war, and how they were caught up in the factionalism -- i.e. just being anti-fascist wasn't enough. Came out in the early 90s, I think.

Suzanne, I just googled "Ronda" and For Whom the Bell Tolls and BINGO--that was the site of a riveting chapter when the Republicans kill the Nationalists by beating them and then flinging them over a cliff. Wikipedia says: Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls describes the murder of Nationalist sympathizers early in the Spanish Civil War. The Republicans murder the Nationalists by throwing them from cliffs in an Andalusian village, and Hemingway allegedly based the account on killings that took place in Ronda at the cliffs of El Tajo. I'll have to go back and look at the pictures more closely. One of our homework assignments is to re-read that chapter and it's going to be so much better after looking at the pictures. THANKS!

Ghosts of Spain also looks great but I haven't been able to track down the film you mentioned yet. I did a quick search on Netflix but they only have 3 films on the SCW and none of them seemed to be about the British volunteers.

Hello to you! Stopping by to say how much I appreciate you!

Hemingway class notes

Well, believe it or not, today’s class was even better than last week’s. The teacher is so into Hemingway that it’s like she casts a spell over you and the two hours race by.

The main thing we focused on today was Chapter 10 of For Whom the Bell Tolls which is a fictionalized account of the real life mass murder of fascist sympathizers by the republican peasants in the town of Ronda early in the Spanish Civil War. In the book, the peasants form a gauntlet that the fascists must pass through as they’re beaten with farm implements (the agrarian reform connection). At the end, they’re flung out and over the river below the town. Ronda is built at the top of a very steep and narrow canyon and it’s a long way down to the river. So far this has been the most riveting part of the book (I still haven’t finished it).

Here’s a picture of Ronda so you can see how far down the fascists had to fall:

Hemingway (cont.):

We also talked about the role of women in the Spanish Civil War and the characters of Pilar and Maria in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Pilar is clearly a very strong character (she’s a leader of the guerrilla fighters that are helping Robert Jordan blow up the bridge) but Maria comes off as very submissive (fetching things for Jordan as he demands them, cooking, being called “rabbit”). It’s almost a shock to experience the character of Maria today. The book was published in 1940 and she seems to be just a servant and a sex object. Our teacher however was making the case today that she was actually a stronger character than people think she is. Dr. Guill’s position is that the charge that Hemingway didn’t write strong women is not true. Not sure I see this yet with Maria but then I’m still only halfway through the book.

We also talked briefly about Hemingway and the history of suicide in his family; there are something like five or six direct family members that have died this way. Dr. Guill was saying that in EH’s case it wasn’t entirely genetic. She told this heartbreaking story about his last days, when both his physical and mental health was collapsing. He made several trips to the Mayo Clinic and had numerous electroshock treatments which only made things worse by affecting his memory. She said he would stand by the window in his home in Idaho with tears running down his face because he couldn’t write anymore.

Anyway, I ended up taking 5 pages of notes and won’t include anything else except to say again that Dr. Guill really is a fantastic teacher. It’s so rare and energizing to be around someone who so totally loves their work.

Oh, and we found out that in the Spring, the Osher Institute is offering a course on Wallace Stegner but that the class size is going to be limited. I will have to figure out a way to make sure I get into that class!

Pat, I am currently reading Ex Libris and I am also finding it delightful.
And thanks for sharing your class information with us! I know next to nothing about the Spanish Civil War, and I appreciate you filling in some gaps!

Hi, Terri! Thanks for stopping by. I'm so glad you're enjoying Ex Libris, another book I never would have heard of if not for LT.

Hi Pat, thoroughly enjoying the Hemingway class vicariously.

Me, too! Thanks for the notes and the photo!

Wow, I thought there might be a Ronda connection... but who knew??

Yes, the city is divided in half by this canyon -- and the bridge. It's way up in the hills of Andalucia, about an hour or two from Sevilla. You can take a very steep pathway down into part of the lower ground, and there's a wonderful garden there with very fragrant jasmine. The town also has a bullring that was opened when Napoleon's brother was King of Spain (about 1808, maybe?)

Checked for the name of the film -- it's Land and Freedom. Also, I think Homage to Catalonia by Orwell covers some of the same turf.

Thanks for sharing the photo and information about Hemingway and the Spanish Civil War with us, Pat! I'll have to get to For Whom the Bell Tolls and Homage to Catalonia next year.

Thanks for the mini class, Pat. I like this way of learning through you. And, doggone it, you've made me want to read Hemingway. I didn't think there was a chance of that happening!!!

Hi Pat!
I know I read For Whom the Bell Tolls a long time ago and enjoyed it - but much has melted away in my brain over the years. I love this info and the enthusiasm you are passing on. I'm gonna put this on a re-read list - which is always very, very short for me. My perspective will be much different now.

That's a beautiful pictures - but scary to think about falling from it!

Thanks for all the interest in my class. I must say I like the class better than the book (but the class is helping me enjoy the book much more than I would have on my own).

There are a couple of things that were oft-putting about the book in the beginning. The first is Hemingway's method of making you feel like you're hearing the Spanish language. When the characters talk in Spanish, he writes as though it's a literal translation. The main thing is he ends up using "thee" and "thou" ALOT and it took me a long time to get used to it.

The other thing is the characters swear alot but Hemingway couldn't (censorship?), or wouldn't, use the actual words. So, for instance, a common way for a character to express frustration or anger is to say "I obscenity in the milk of your mother" (instead of "I shit in the milk of your mother" which is still a strange phrase but apparently popular in Spain). Again, this happens ALOT.

I guess my point is that Hemingway, at least with this book, is an acquired taste for me.

Suzanne, that garden you described lower down on the cliff with the jasmine sounds wonderful. And I did see pictures of the bullring when I was searching for a good picture of Ronda to post. Unfortunately, neither Netflix or my library has the film "Land and Freedom" and it's $22 on Amazon. It got a number of awards so I'm surprised Netflix doesn't have it. I did add Homage to Catalonia to my wishlist. That looks great.

Thank you for the picture. It brings the story to life. And for reporting on your class. We are lucky!

Thanks again for passing on your class notes to us, Pat. Good luck getting into the Stegner class!

Book No. 74 How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu

To me this was a beautifully written, multi-layered story of survival and self-discovery and one I will go back to to read all the passages I've marked.

When we first meet Jonas Woldemariam, he’s at the beginning of retracing a trip his parents took across the Midwest 30 years ago, just before he was born. During this journey, he recalls a number of unfortunate recent events in his life--his father’s death, his failing marriage and the loss of his job, which is related to the story of his father’s tortuous immigration to the United States from Ethiopia.

Pretty quickly you realize that Jonas is good at making things up and so you’re not really sure how much of what he’s telling you is true. The narrative jumps around a lot chronologically and that can also be disorienting. But eventually I realized that the main journey is the one Jonas is making emotionally.

His father was an angry man who lashed out verbally and physically and Jonas perfected the art of “blending into the background” as a child so as not to be noticed by his father. “I had always suspected that at some early point in my life, while still living with my parents and their daily battles, I had gone numb as a tactical strategy.” Unfortunately, his childhood coping skills have become a major problem for him as an adult.

Mengestu’s writing has a melancholy tone and the story was occasionally almost too painful to continue reading. But I loved the ending and was glad I finished Jonas’ journey. Early on Jonas is thinking about his father and says: “He had realized at a young age . . . that the world was a cruel and unfair place, and yet despite that, he . . . couldn’t stand to see some days end.” You’re never sure whether his father ever actually said this but by the end you know that Jonas could have and that he’s finally arrived at a better place.

Highly recommended--4 ½ stars.

Nice review, Pat! Thumb from me.

Sounds like a good one.

Thanks, Claudia!

another thumbs up from me.

I love hearing your enthusiasm re. your class. Thanks ever so much for taking the time to keep us posted. Your experience with an excellent professor reminds me of one of my all-time favorite professors who taught European history. He was fantastic and thanks to him I've spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on books re. The Tudors.

Pat- Great review of How to Read the Air! I've been hearing some strong buzz on this one. On the List it goes!

Once again, I loved this week's notes from your Hemingway class Pat.

Beautiful review of How to Read the Air, Pat. I especially enjoyed, and agreed with, your comment about the disjointed narrative, and the realization that the journey Jonas took, and continues to take, is more of an emotional one that a strictly linear or chronological one. That realization was the most hopeful aspect of the novel for me, as I felt that he would eventually overcome his emotional faults and barriers and become a more well-rounded person as he delved deeper into his past.

I hate to make such a sweeping statement, but I have to admit that I never developed much liking for Hemingway. However, it's wonderful that you found a class like this presented by someone who has such great enthusiasm for him. I'm sure you're right, that a class like this one would help me (anyone) to appreciate his writing.

I know a fair amount about the period in which he was writing, other writers surrounding him, what he thought of them, what they thought of him, etc. He's a wonderfully fascinating character, for whom the term "larger than life" absolutely fits. I just never much liked his stories.

If volumes of correspondence interest you, his letters are really wonderful. Believe me, the man knew how to use "the actual words"--haha. One that I have is Ernest Hemingway Selected Letters edited by one of his biographers, Carlos Baker.

This comes from a 31 Oct 1929 letter to his editor, Maxwell Perkins:

"I saw in the World {a New York newspaper} that some citizen was lecturing on Farewell to Arms. God it would be fine to walk in and ask a few questions and then say "Shit, Sir I do believe you are mistaken!"

He was quite a guy. Maybe someday I'll look for someone teaching a class about him and try again. Thanks for posting the notes!

#86 Thanks, Linda. Now I realize why you're so into the Tudors. It's amazing the difference a good teacher can make.

#87 Thanks, Mark. I hope you end up liking Mengestu's books. I think he's a great writer and am happy he's getting more recognition. He was one of The New Yorkers' 20 under 40 writers this year and it was great how thrilled he was about that. Darryl had posted some links to interviews with him where he sounded like a little kid he was so excited to be included.

#88 Hi, Heather. Glad you're enjoying the Hemingway class notes. I've got two more classes to go--one on Nov 30 and one on Dec 7. I'm going to be sad to see this class end.

#89 Thanks, Darryl. I agree with you about Jonas. The book ending on a hopeful note was very important to me. I felt like I could close the book and not worry about him; that he had discovered something crucial about life and had come out of his shell and wasn't going to lead a hollow life like his father (and to some extent his mother).

#90 Becky, thanks for the recommendation on the book of Hemingway's letters. One of the things our teacher talked about last Tuesday was her work on The Hemingway Letters Project. Apparently, it's an ongoing project to publish all of Hemingway's letters (over 6,000 of them) in 12 volumes. The first one is due out early next year and covers the years 1907-1922. I think one volume is supposed to be published each year until they're done. Our teacher worked on the letters from 1936 and talked about being at the Princeton University library examining his original letters to make sure nothing had been missed by the transcribers who had worked from copies. She talked about being so anxious that she was the last link between the actual letters and the published versions.

I also noticed that there are a couple of new 2010 books out about him. One I have on hold at the library is Hemingway: So Far from Simple by Donald F. Bouchard and the other one that Amazon recently "recommended" was Hemingway's Guns which actually looked interesting. Amazon has alot of the last book available to look at on their site.

Right now I would agree with you that I find the man more interesting than his writing.

So much buzz about this book Pat that I must add it. Thumb for your review. Keep'em coming.

Thanks, Bonnie. Hope you end up liking How to Read the Air. Did you ever read his other book, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears? That was very good too.

I'm really happy to hear about the Hemingway letters project. I know several authors whose correspondence I would rather read than their published writing--in face we were having that discussion about Virginia Woolf this morning on another LT thread. I not the biggest fan in the world of her fiction; I hugely enjoy her essays; but I LOVE her letters--all 7 or whatever many volumes that have been published. I hope they publish the Hemingway letters in "affordable" paperback editions.

Becky, the Hemingway letters are being published by Cambridge University Press. I went to their website and it says the first volume will be available in September (!) 2011 for 30 pounds and it'll be a hardcover edition.

I saw the discussion on Lucy's thread about Virginia Woolf's letters and wishlisted A Room of One's Own. I've never considered reading letters before so thanks for the suggestion.

Thumbed your review of How to Read The Air, Pat. I've already got that on my obese wish list, otherwise I'd be adding it just from reading your review. I'd have to keep this for a day when I'm not under a dark cloud though because it sounds as if it could very easily make me sad.

Hi Pat, I'm adding both of the books by Dinaw Mengestu to my wishbook. I'll probably get to them before I get to Hemingway. ;-)

Hi Caroline and Donna. Hope you both like Mengestu's books when you get to them.

Caroline, I would definitely not read How to Read the Air if you're in a gloomy mood. There were several times where I thought it was almost too painful to read. But I was glad I persevered and I didn't feel sad at the end.

#96: I love A Room of One's Own! It was the first of Woolf's writings I ever read. I hope you enjoy it, Pat!

I really like biographies, especially biographies about writers, so it was an easy step to liking their correspondence. Have you read a biog of Ernest Hemingway? I'd be really interested to know which one your professor likes the best. The one I have is Hemingway A Biography by Jeffrey Meyers, pub. in 1985. Carlos Baker is the editor of the letters collection that I have: Ernest Hemingway Selected Letters. I think he also wrote a biog of Hemingway--yes, he did: Ernest Hemingway A Life Story, pub. in 1969. Baker's biog was evidently the first one. I've found that the more I know about someone's life, the more I enjoy reading their letters, because then I know something about who they were writing to, etc.

I was just reading a review of the Meyers biog (it's been years since I read it--in fact, I probably read it in 1985 when it came out), and the reviewer says that Meyers is consistently disapproving of Hemingway. Oh, I guess this is one of those Freudian biographies. That approach is pretty much out of favor these days, I think. Raymond Carver, who is the reviewer of the Meyers book, says that the only antidote for how you feel about Hemingway after reading the Meyers book is to go back "at once" and reread the fiction itself. Heh.

#100 Stasia, I'm really looking forward to reading A Room of One's Own now that you, Lucy and Becky are all recommending it.

#101 Becky, I haven't read any biographies of Hemingway but I'd like to after this class. Our next class is Nov 30th so I'll ask the teacher then what her favorite one is.

Book No. 75 The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

This is an adventure story aimed at 9-to-12 year olds that was originally published in 1947 and won a Newbery Medal. I heard about it earlier this year in a NPR article on “comfort books.” The story includes hot air balloons, presidential trains, a Utopian society, diamond mines, various fanciful inventions, a volcano, and the San Francisco Explorers’ Club, all experienced by Professor William Waterman Sherman.

Professor Sherman’s intention is to get away from people after teaching arithmetic at a boys’ school for 40 years and spend a year traveling in a hot air balloon. His plan goes awry when he crash lands on the Island of Krakatoa in mid-August of 1883, just days before the eruption of the volcano on August 27th.

Probably my favorite part of the story is the beginning when Sherman builds and then takes off in the hot air balloon. The balloon’s basket is designed as a library built of light weight materials with a wrap around porch. In order to bring as many books as possible, he takes only paperbacks with small print. When he first takes off, he spends his time reading in a comfortable chair on the porch with his feet propped up on the balustrade.

Once Sherman lands on Krakatoa, the story never really worked for me. It seemed like one invention after another was trotted out for the reader to marvel over. There is no real character development so I never really cared what happened to Sherman or any of the other inhabitants of Krakatoa and of course you know the volcano will soon erupt.

The author not only wrote the book, he also illustrated it and I liked the illustrations. They definitely added to the story. The other interesting thing is a note in the front of the book where the author acknowledges that his story bears a strong resemblance to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz” which he says he has no explanation for.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book but I was only occasionally enchanted. (Of course, I’m not exactly in the target audience for the book.)

3 stars.

Congrats!

75!!!!!! Yay!

Thanks, Stasia, Jim and Lucy! I've never counted the books I've read in a year before but I know I've never read this many so it does feel like a real accomplishment. So thrilled I found LT!

Congratulations Pat! :)

Congratulations on reaching 75!

Thanks, Stephen and Caty!

Hooray for your 75 books! :)

Pat- Congrats on 75!! It's a nice milestone, isn't it? Hope you have a great Thanksgiving too! Keep warm!

Add my congratulations to the crowd. 75 goal accomplished...great job!

Congratulations on getting to 75 books, Pat, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thanks, Angela, Mark, Linda and Darryl. Hope you guys all have a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

Way to go, Pat! And have a very happy Thanksgiving

Edited because my message was partially sent the first time.

Thanks, Caroline. And a Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

Pat

Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the lovely person you are!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have been enjoying your enjoyment of the Hemingway class. I was in Sevilla for a year during college and as always, I wish I had known then what I know now.

Happy Thanksgiving Pat and congratulations on reaching 75!

Thanks Linda, Laura and Bonnie. Hope you all have great Thanksgivings too!

Happy Thanksgiving, and BIG HOORAY FOR YOU! On reaching #75!

Have a terrific Thanksgiving, Pat!

Thanks, Jenn and Stasia!

Whoa, 75--how very cool. And way before Dec. 31. Nice going, Pat.

Congratulations, and I hope you're having a very cozy Thanksgiving!

Thanks Becky and Laura! Hope your both enjoying the holiday weekend.

Congratulations on 75 with a whole month to enjoy reading without pressure! Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving too!

You did it! Give us a big I-Read-75-books smile!

glitter-graphics.com

Congrats!

Now that is something to be thankful for! Congratulations, Pat.

Thanks Peggy, Claudia and Donna. I do actually feel less pressured. I'm reading Middlemarch and For Whom the Bell Tolls very slowly and not concerned at all that I won't finish them in November.

Congratulations Pat!

Woo hoo, congratulations Pat!

glitter-graphics.com

Way to go, Pat!

Really enjoying your comments regarding your Hemingway class. I would like to find a similar class around me or perhaps an online class.

Thanks Heather, Cushla and Lynda! Hope you're all enjoying your weekend. It's snowing here right now and very pretty.

Snowing heavily here too and beautiful!

I want snow! No fair :(

Congrats Pat! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

Congratulations on hitting 75, Pat, and on doing it with such style!

We had light snow on Thanksgiving day. Our granddaughter Kayla was excited. She has her grand father wrapped around her finger. He does not like the cold, yet they bundled up and tossed a bit of snow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ChayT4uNLM
and now I'm singing this song!

Thanks, Joanne and Terri. I had a great Thanksgiving but am dreading getting on the scale!

Congratulations on 75 Pat! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Thanks, Deborah. Hope your Thanksgiving was good too. It definitely feels like winter here in Idaho. Does Seattle still have abnormally cold weather? Do you still have any snow on the ground?

We're done with the snow for now. We usually have only one weather event like that a year, so hopefully it will only be rain (and dark) for the rest of the winter.

Hemingway course notes

The focus of yesterday’s class was the physical, emotional and psychological impact of the aerial bombing of the Spanish people during the civil war. Our teacher said there were over 100 references to planes in For Whom the Bell Tolls (and she had a detailed spreadsheet with her to back that up). Almost every character in the book expresses anxiety and fear about the planes. Robert Jordan, the main character, says they are shaped like sharks and “move like mechanized doom.” In the bombing scenes in the book, Hemingway builds the tension starting when the planes are first heard and then seen and the helpless feeling of there being no place to run and no place to hide.

We reviewed some paintings and poems about the bombings. Langston Hughes wrote the following poem called “Air Raid: Barcelona”

Up in the sky-lanes
Against the stars
A flock of death birds
Whose wings are steel bars
Fill the sky with a low dull
roar
Of a plane,
two planes
three planes,
five planes,
or more.

We also spent time looking at Rene Magritte’s “Le Drapeau noir” (The Black Flag), 1937. From the National Galleries of Scotland website: “Magritte wrote that the picture ‘gave a foretaste of the terror which would come from flying machines.’ In contrast to artists who praised technology, Magritte was showing that machines have their darker side.”

I'll have to wait to look at the photo of the Magritte until tomorrow -- it won't load for me at home with our stressed out connection. (wifi attached to a cell phone....) but thank you for the poem.

Hemingway cont.

We also looked at Picasso’s painting of Guernica and talked about the bombing of that town on April 26, 1937. The Germans bombed it in support of Franco’s forces and they did it on a Market Day when mostly women and children and animals were out. The painting shows the terror and chaos of the bombing (the person on the far right is on fire) and it’s become an anti-war symbol of the horrors of aerial bombing. The main point our teacher was making was that the Spanish Civil War was the first time that no distinction was made between soldiers and civilians as bomb targets. Bombing civilians was now seen as a valid means to the end of winning a war.

Hemingway cont.

These are some excerpts from Chapter 27 of For Whom the Bell Tolls when a band of Republican guerillas led by a character named El Sordo are holding the fascists off with guns on a hilltop when suddenly the planes come:

He (El Sordo) turned and saw the gray, fear-drained face of Joaquin and he looked where the boy was pointing and saw the three planes coming. . . . The planes were coming on steadily. They were in echelon and each second they grew larger and their noise was greater. . . . Then, through the hammering of the gun, there was the whistle of the air splitting apart and then in the red black roar the earth rolled under his knees and then waved up to hit him in the face and then dirt and bits of rock were falling all over and Ignacio was lying on him and the gun was lying on him. But he was not dead because the whistle came again and the earth rolled under him with the roar. Then it came again and the earth lurched under his belly and one side of the hilltop rose into the air and then fell slowly over them where they lay.

Needless to say, it doesn’t end well.

Pat, you must have been reading my mind! Last night, I wanted to ask you if your class had discussed Guernica but I must have been distracted by something at home. Now, this morning, Poof!, Guernica is up.
I'm tempted to reread this book now that I know a little bit more about it.

Hi Pat!
How cool is this class? Thanks again for sharing. :)

I'm thinking about reading "For Whom" next year - I'll have to favorite a message or two in this thread so I can come back and learn a little more about the background of the book.

Thanks again for sharing!

I have never read For Whom the Bell Tolls but the more I am learning about the book from your thread, the more I want to read it!

Thanks for the picture of the Drapeau Noir. What a dark painting it is. He's a favorite of mine but somehow I missed that one. It didn't take long, did, for folks to start using a great and useful invention for destruction and inventing insane rationales for using them.

Thanks for posting your Hemingway class notes, Pat. Great stuff!

Oh, I love learning about Hemminway through your eyes! Years ago Picasso’s painting of Guernica was at the New York Modern Art Museum. I remember it as a huge painting that took an entire wall.

I believe there was a contorversy and the Modern Art Museum had to return the painting to Spain.

Thanks for taking the time to post about your class and your thoughts.

I'm glad you explained the meaning of the painting because i never would have figured it out; not a Picasso fan. Give me an Andrew Wyeth or Georgia O'Keefe anyday.

Pat- Thanks for all the fascinating Hemingway info! I read and enjoyed For Whom the Bell Tolls back in the 80s. You are encouraging a re-read.

I'm still loving the vicarious learning here. It is so cool how your professor is incorporating art and poetry into the Hemingway study. I bought a nice used copy of A Moveable Feast at the Joplin meet-up. When I got home, I noticed the interesting black-and-white photos in the book. It is currently at the top of one of my three teetering towers of books.

Loving your Hemingway class notes! Thanks for sharing. I have always thought Guernica was the stuff of nightmares (both the painting and the actual event).

Thanks everyone for your continuing interest in my Hemingway class. Before anyone runs out to buy a copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls, I just want to emphasize that while I'd definitely give the class 5 stars, I still haven't finished the book. I started it on November 1st and even with the class just haven't found it compelling enough to finish. For the most part, I find it uneven with some parts compelling and others something I have to push myself to read. Right now I'd probably give it 3 stars but I still have about 120 pages to go. If you think you might be interested, I'd say take it out of the library.

It didn't take long, did it, for folks to start using a great and useful invention for destruction and inventing insane rationales for using them.

Lucy, this comment made me think of another thing we discussed in class--the ideas of the Italian General Guilio Douhet (1869-1930). This is from wikipedia:

The chief strategy laid out in his writings, the Douhet model, is pivotal in debates regarding the use of air power and bombing campaigns. The Douhet model rests on the belief that in a conflict, the infliction of high costs from aerial bombing can shatter civilian morale. This would unravel the social basis of resistance, and pressure citizens into asking their governments to surrender. The logic of this model is that exposing large portions of civilian populations to the terror of destruction or the shortage of consumer goods would damage civilian morale into submission. By smothering the enemy's civilian centers with bombs, Douhet argued the war would become so terrible that the common people would rise against their government, overthrow it with revolution, then sue for peace.

I believe there was a contorversy and the Modern Art Museum had to return the painting to Spain.

Linda, you were so right. Here's what wikipedia says about Picasso's "Guernica"--

As early as 1968, Franco had expressed an interest in having Guernica return to Spain. However, Picasso refused to allow this until the Spanish people again enjoyed a republic. He later added other conditions, such as the restoration of "public liberties and democratic institutions". Picasso died in 1973. Franco, ten years Picasso's junior, died two years later, in 1975. After Franco's death, Spain was transformed into a democratic constitutional monarchy, ratified by a new constitution in 1978. However, MOMA was reluctant to give up one of their greatest treasures and argued that a monarchy did not represent the republic that had been stipulated in Picasso's will as a condition for the painting's return. Under great pressure from a number of observers, MOMA finally ceded the painting to Spain in 1981.

I have a dim memory of seeing the painting at MOMA also but it must have been at least 30 years ago. At the time, I never imagined that I'd learn about its significance at a class in Idaho!

I'm chilled all over reading the Douhet. Loved your last sentence in 164.

I'm chilled all over reading the Douhet

Ditto.

Sounds like this has been a great class! I would definitely put myself in the camp of finding Hemingway the person more intriguing than some of his works, especially his short stories. I enjoyed The Sun Also Rises but not some others, but now I'm tempted to read For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Going back to the discussion of writers & works, I have to whole-heartedly agree on Virginia Woolf. I appreciate her novels (and I loved The Waves), but it's her essays that bring me actual joy -- from The Common Reader, both series, to Three Guineas and A Room of One's Own. I've got two volumes of her complete essays and hope to add the other three eventually.

Re the planes & bombing -- I have occasionally had weird dreams about planes dropping bombs on me from a great height. I can't remember the contexts now, but twice recently this has been brought to mind. Once, it was something I read -- possibly in Megan Stack's book? -- in which someone in a war zone said that what she couldn't stand was the bombing, which was so random. In comparison, other forms of violent conflict were more tolerable. I ended up discussing this observation with someone I talked to for my philanthropy feature story, who has done a lot of work in war zones, and he agreed with me. Bombing is so abstract, for want of a better phrase; it enables the person doing the killing in wartime to dissociate themselves from the impact of their action. To me, Hiroshima is the epitome of that -- it's no coincidence that the pic of that with which we are most familiar is that of the mushroom cloud from above, not the horror below.

Incidentally, there's a Michael Korda book that I have on my Kindle about aerial warfare in WW2, for which Spain was a dry run (on the part of the Fascist powers, particularly.) Will try and find the title.

I am so enjoying the vicarious experience of your Hemingway class. Thank you so much for sharing. I really look forward to new updates!

Thanks again everyone for your continuing interest in my Hemingway class. Tomorrow is the last one and I will be sad to see it end.

#167 Bombing is so abstract, for want of a better phrase; it enables the person doing the killing in wartime to dissociate themselves from the impact of their action. To me, Hiroshima is the epitome of that -- it's no coincidence that the pic of that with which we are most familiar is that of the mushroom cloud from above, not the horror below.

This was a really interesting comment, Suzanne. I've been trying to imagine what it would feel like to be afraid of being bombed and being afraid of the sky. The only thing that comes to me is a memory I have from 9/11. We were living just north of NYC then (in a town called Pelham) and took our dogs out for a walk at about 2:30 in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and more quiet than normal. Normally there would be sounds of airplanes taking off and landing at Laguardia but of course that wasn't happening. Instead while we were out for our walk, all of a sudden two Air Force fighter jets roared overhead. We knew they were ours but I don't know what I would have felt if I thought they weren't. I think I remember reading a story about people in Jersey City who saw what happened and then saw the planes and were terrified because they didn't know whose they were. Very scary time.

Just to throw my random thoughts into the mix, I've been reading a little of All Clear lately having just finished Blackout. The three main characters are in London in the fall of 1940, and although they know (because they're time travelers) when and where the bombs are going to fall, they are still afraid that their information is wrong, and they don't know the schedule after January because they're not supposed to be there that long. For light fiction it's pretty unsettling. In contrast, I've been reading about the hand-to-hand combat between the Trojans and their allies and the Rutulians and their allies in Lavinia. The women back within the city walls don't know whether they are going to be taken, be under siege, or be safe because their men are victorious. My conclusion is that all war is very scary, personal or impersonal. I am against it.

Thanks for those comments, Peggy. Reading about war in so many other places makes me realize how fortunate I've been not to have experienced it personally. When I think about war, I usually think about the soldiers but lately I've realized how frightening it must be to be a civilian in a country under attack.

#169/170 -- both v. interesting comments.
Re 9/11, at the site and then crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, I will say that it felt as if we were trapped in a real life action adventure movie, unable to wake up. And that it's terribly hard to divorce your intellectual awareness about something from your emotional response -- eg planes doing odd things, or fireworks, which I can't respond to nearly as enthusiastically as I once did. I know the big bangs and explosions are to create beauty, but I still flinch. It was very irritating for my father when we were at the Calgary Stampede in 2004...

Lizzie, I'm about to read Blackout and have All Clear on request from the library...

Hemingway course notes

Today was our last class (sad face) and we talked about the Spanish Civil War as “the last great cause.” Robert Jordan, the main character in For Whom the Bell Tolls, is an American fighting against the fascists in Spain who feels a duty towards all the oppressed people of the world (If we win here, we win everywhere). His mission is to blow up a bridge deemed crucial to the battle against the fascists--The bridge can be the point on which the future of the human race can turn.

Hemingway was furious that the United States and other countries didn’t support the republican cause in Spain (he called it “criminal stupidity”) and heartbroken that the war was lost because of “bureaucracy, inefficiency and party strife.” A memorial in San Francisco to the men who lost their lives fighting as volunteers in the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War bears this quote of Hemingway’s: No men ever entered the earth more honorably than those who died in Spain.

Franco won the Spanish Civil War and ruled Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975. A quote of Franco’s: Our regime is based on bayonets and blood, not on hypocritical elections.

Hemingway cont.

We also talked more about The Hemingway Letters Project and all the work that is going into getting these letters published. They’ve been working for 5 years so far and plan to publish the first volume next year with his letters from 1907-1922, starting with letters he wrote as a child (he was born in 1899). He was a prolific letter writer, often writing four letters a day, and not only do they all have to be transcribed accurately but they are also being annotated. We looked at just one two-page letter that he hand wrote and it contained references to his friendships (with Max Perkins of Scribner’s, Archibald MacLeish and F. Scott Fitzgerald), his father’s suicide, his love of deep sea fishing, drinking, writing and camping.

Our teacher also talked a little bit about what a voracious reader Hemingway was. His favorite authors included Mark Twain and Dostoyevsky and he was constantly being sent books by Max Perkins at Scribner’s (his publisher) of other books they were publishing.

Our teacher’s Hemingway favorites:

Short stories--Indian Camp, The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Novels--A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Biography--the three volume set written by Michael S. Reynolds
Letters--Ernest Hemingway, Selected Letters, 1917-1961

Sad face here, too. Now the big question is: Are you going to finish the book?

Oops! I meant to add that I was embarrassed at having to admit I still haven't finished the book. I've got about 50 pages to go and, yes, I will finish it but I think it's only going to be a 3 star read for me.

Thanks so much for letting us share vicariously in your class! I'm not sure that Spain was as cut and dried as it seemed -- just as the fascists were behind the Franco regime, the Stalinists hijacked the Republican cause, perhaps dooming it. (The question to ask is why didn't the rest of Europe or America offer its support? It wasn't just pacificism; it was the deep reluctance to hop into bed with Stalin.) Certainly, there were many who came back from Spain with their ideals utterly shattered. I do recommend the Giles Tremlett book, Ghosts of Spain, if you want to get a handle on Spain's past and its more recent history. He does a good job of penetrating the long silence.

I remember my parents cautioning us about what to say/not say before we went to Spain in '73, when I was 11. It made a great impression -- it was the first "dictatorship" I had ever visited. Sadly, too many have followed...

Great wrap up to your very enlightening class, Pat.
So tell me, what class are all of us attending next semester?

BTW: I received an ER book entitled The Paris Wife. It concerns the marriage of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson. Although fiction, it may offer a little insight into the author's life. I hope to begin it next week.

Thanks again for sharing your class with us, Pat. It sounds like an interesting one!

Thanks for the vicarious Hemingway class.
Such an interesting discussion about war, etc.
it was the deep reluctance to hop into bed with Stalin Funny thing how we went ahead and jumped right in anyway during WWII, no?

#177 Suzanne, that's a good point about the communist association with the republican cause. The Robert Jordan character speculates that he'll be branded a communist when he returns to the United States and have trouble finding a job as a result. The point is made in the book that Jordan is an anti-fascist rather than a communist. He only associates with the communists because they're the best organized and most disciplined of the groups supporting the republicans. I ordered a copy of The Ghosts of Spain from Amazon today. I still know basically nothing about the Spanish Civil War but it now seems fascinating to me after this class.

#178 Lynda, I'll be really interested to see what you think of The Paris Wife. Hemingway really led a remarkable life. Our teacher was talking about some letters yesterday between Mary Hemingway (his 4th wife), the Museum of Modern Art and Hadley Hemingway. Apparently, Hemingway loaned MOMA a painting by Miro which he gave to Hadley as a birthday present (and which he bought with Hadley's money). MOMA still had it when he died and Mary wanted it back. Hadley got involved for awhile since she actually bought it. Anyway, it was a funny story about how complicated Hemingway's personal life was.

A great class indeed and we all got to be a part of it.....

Does anyone else remember being afraid during the Cuban Missile Crisis? I was at a friend's house in a Phila suburb and we were fooling around in the front yard and some men must have decided to practice marching around (?) I'm serious, we saw a bunch of 'em, must have been an armory nearby and we panicked and hid in a closet in the laundry room in the basement of their house until her mother found us. We were both TERRIFIED that war with the Soviets had started. It was very real!

I remember practicing "duck and cover" under our desks at school and also in the hallways. Was that a result of the Cuban Missle Crisis? I also remember a neighbor who had a bomb shelter in their backyard. We used to play in it as kids--it had bunk beds and canned food in it. I don't ever remember being afraid. I don't think I had any understanding of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a child.

I did get into the Wallace Stegner class for the Spring semester. It's on 5 Fridays (Feb 4 thru Mar 4). Here's the description:

Wallace Stegner and His Sources

"Many members have requested a class on Wallace Stegner, and we've heard you! In this class, members will study the author, read his novels, and pay particular attention to his use of real-life sources in his fiction. Opening with Stegner's best known and most controversial novel, Angle of Repose, class members will consider how much of this Pulitzer-prize winning novel should be attributed to Mary Hallock Foote. To make that determination, the class will also read portions of Foote's memoir, A Victorian Gentlewoman in the Far West and additional materials. Other novels that will be covered include, The Big Rock Candy Mountain and Crossing to Safety. A list of supporting readings will be provided to class members."

I'm really looking forward to this class!

We still even have some of the stuff from my DH's parent's bomb shelter -- his father had these sets of plastic and aluminum plates and silverware that we've used as picnic stuff! And we had neighbors with a very well-equipped shelter as you described where we liked to go hang out.

Weirdly, at my school, not public, we didn't do the duck and cover. I guess they knew how stupid and pointless it was? It would be interesting to canvas private/public school policy from that era, but my guess is most private schools didn't bother with it. I know that after the 'flag in every classroom' baloney after 2001 my daughter's school did not comply and, guess what, no one cared. As is proper.

Pat- Is there any chance I can attend the Wallace Stegner class with you? It sounds fantastic. I'm a big fan of Angle of Repose & Crossing to Safety. I also have a couple other books by him in the stacks, including The Big Rock Candy Mountain. I'm just a jealous guy.

Hey Pat, I've put a hold on Angle of Repose at my local library.
Now to sharpen my pencils and get a new notebook :)

#186 Mark, I have to say I'm beside myself about the Stegner class. I've already read Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety and did an LT group read of Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs. I like Stegner's writing and feel like he's the kind of person I would like to have known in real life. I also own two biographies of his life and a non-fiction book he wrote about John Wesley Powell. So I am ready to immerse myself in this class! It was limited to 30 people and "sold out" in 2 days and I feel lucky to have gotten in.

#187 Lynda, LOL! From what I've heard this is going to be an intense course. The Director of the Osher Institute told me they had to force the teacher to scale back what she wanted us to read because initially it was an overwhelming amount of material for a 5 week class.

Oh, Goody - Goody! You did such a wonderful job with sharing the Hemingway class, Pat. Can't wait for the next one on Stegner!
Feb 4th gives me time to read Angel of Repose. I actually have it on my shelf.

Hi Pat, Thanks so much for sharing your Hemingway class with us. You got a lot out of it! And now Stegner - YAY! I can't wait for classes to start. :)

Oh boy I really envy you and the Stegner class Pat. I want to reread Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety next year. I'll be "coming" to class with you :)

Oh, how great to know that you are taking another class...and, being the kind, loving person you are, you will share this experience with us as well. I hope...I hope...I hope.

Hugs to you!

I WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH YOU!

I can't believe I have to wait almost 2 months for the Stegner class to start. Although if I'm smart I'll start reading now rather than proscrastinating which is what I usually do.

I am anxious for your news on the Stegner class as well. I really enjoy his books!

I have never even heard of Stegner - sounds like I have some reading to do.

>184 phebj:: I'm really looking forward to this class!

Me too, Pat. I hope you'll keep all us Stegner fans in the loop. I may finally get around to reading The Big Rock Candy Mountain to keep you company.

I'm going to check out what Missouri State has to offer this spring. I think it would have to be a regular full-length class. I'm thinking Shakespeare, but that might be too daunting!

#195/196 Hi Stasia and Laura!

Laura, I had never heard of Wallace Stegner until 2 years ago when someone told me he was their favorite author. He writes alot about the American West and I was relatively new to Idaho so I got his book Crossing to Safety out of the library. I LOVED it. That book actually takes place mainly in Vermont and is about a lifelong friendship between two married couples. Both of the men are academics and part of their relationship involves professional jealousy but the main character is one of the wives and how she manipulates her husband and the friendship.

Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs is a book of essays Stegner wrote and those are about the American West and how Stegner thinks it's being ruined by overdevelopment and overpopulation. A group of people (including Stasia) read that book together in May this year and it was a great experience. I really got so much more out the book than I would have on my own.

His book Angle of Repose won the Pulitzer Prize and it was based on the life of a woman named Mary Hallock Foote. He used alot of her letters in the book with the permission of the family but the book was fiction and the family felt he should have acknowledged their relative more completely so there was a huge controversy about it. I liked Angle of Repose but it was a slow read for me and is not my favorite Stegner.

Anyway, might be more than you wanted to know but hope you like his books if you try them.

Perfect - thanks for all the information. Now I have somewhere to start. Our library has Crossing to Safety so I'll start with that one.

Crossing to Safety was my first Stegner and I loved it!

Me too, Lucy! I think that we even proposed reading Big Rock Candy Mountain together this fall, but *MM* has proved to be so mountainous that fall is gone....Maybe next year with you although I want to read Angle of Repose first. Anyway, thank you for all the Hemingway stuff.

I'm also a Stegner newbie, just heard of him this year (here, of course), so I will be reading your posts avidly, Pat, and might even try to read Angle of Repose.

#197 Hi Donna. I just saw your post (we must have cross-posted). I'll definitely be posting about my Stegner class. There was such a big group here on LT that did the Stegner group read.

I remember the discussion about doing another GR for The Big Rock Candy Mountain but since I'm still in the middle of Middlemarch I never would have gotten to it this year. I hope you can find some classes you want to take. It's so much fun when there are no tests or grades.

#199 Laura, I really hope you like Crossing to Safety.

#200/201 Lucy and Peggy, Crossing to Safety was also my first Stegner and I'm looking forward to re-reading it. I need to find a really nice copy to buy. The copy I read was from the library and I subsequently bought a used hardcover version through Amazon but when I got it the print was so tiny that it seems like it will be problematic to read. When I really like a library book, I can get very picky about finding the perfect copy to buy for my own library.

#201/202 Peggy and Janet, I hope you like Angle of Repose. I'm hoping I'll like it better on a second reading with the class. (Not that I didn't like it but it wasn't as good as Crossing to Safety to me.)

Oh, I'm so excited you got into the Stegner course! Like you, I loved Crossing to Safety more than Angle of Repose. I had heard of the controversy but I didn't know anything about it. I can't wait to see what you uncover!

For nonfiction of Stegner's besides Where the Bluebird Sings, I would also recommend his Beyond the Hundredth Meridian.

#205 Anne, I can't wait either. I knew a little bit about the controversy about Angle of Repose because my book had an introduction that talked about it but it was downplayed. So it will be interesting to find out more and to actually read Mary Hallock Foote's story.

#206 Stasia, I own a copy of Beyond the Hundredth Meridian but I only got up to about page 40. I just couldn't get into it. Does the book get better later on? It was highly recommended by a RL friend (that's why I bought it) but it seemed like Powell and his group were just kind of aimlessly wandering in the beginning and nothing much was happening.

I've really enjoyed reading your Hemingway posts - we spent Christmas in 2002 in Ronda, and I had no idea about its civil war background. I got a few hundred pages through Antony Beevor's book a few years ago, but gave up because I needed to take notes on who was who!

The book I'm in now, The Cello Suites, has quite a bit about Spain and how the war affected Pablo Casals. And last year I read a biography of Martha Gellhorn, who was married to Hemingway during the war, by Caroline Moorhead. It didn't make me want to rush out and read his books! Suzanne, Ghosts of Spain is already on my WL from you but it's time I found it somewhere.

(Martha Gellhorn was married to Hemingway? I didn't know that! Thanks, Cushla.)

Hi Cushla and Peggy.

I saw the Beevor book (The Battle for Spain) in the library but thought I'd start with Ghosts of Spain since Suzanne had recommended it. My copy is currently "out for delivery" from Amazon so I should get it later today. Did you like the biography of Gellhorn, Cushla?

For Whom the Bell Tolls is dedicated to Gellhorn (his 3rd wife). I went to Wikipedia to see what they had to say about her and it was pretty interesting. She met Hemingway in Key West in 1936, married him in 1940 and divorced him in 1945. These are a couple of quotes from the Wikipedia site:

Increasingly resentful of Gellhorn's long absences during her reporting assignments (she was a war correspondent), Hemingway wrote her when she left their Finca Vigia estate near Havana in 1943, to cover the Italian Front: "Are you a war correspondent, or wife in my bed?"

Gellhorn resented her reflected fame as Hemingway's third wife, remarking that she had no intention of "being a footnote in someone else's life."

A quote of Gellhorn's in 1972

If I practised sex, out of moral conviction, that was one thing; but to enjoy it ... seemed a defeat. I accompanied men and was accompanied in action, in the extrovert part of life; I plunged into that ... but not sex; that seemed to be their delight and all I got was a pleasure of being wanted, I suppose, and the tenderness (not nearly enough) that a man gives when he is satisfied. I daresay I was the worst bed partner in five continents.

Also, Wikipedia says HBO is making a film to be broadcast in 2011 called Hemingway & Gellhorn starring Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen. That sounds good!

Also, Wikipedia says HBO is making a film to be broadcast in 2011 called Hemingway & Gellhorn starring Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen. That sounds good!

Thanks for that tidbit of information. I'll be looking for it.

Very interesting! Thanks, Pat.

The Beevor book is good, Pat, but heavier on the military history. I hope you enjoy the Tremlett one; what I enjoyed was the way he linked the past to the present, and presented the whole thing as more of a journalistic narrative.

Add that to the list of movies that I want to see next year! The other title that is on it is The Ghost of Munich, based on a rather good and obscure novel about Daladier, the French prime minister who was shoved into the shadows during the manoeuvering at the Munich conference in 1938. The more I think about that book, in fact, the more I think that I should re-read it. It was disturbing but good -- Daladier seemed to think of himself as a bull, entering an arena to fight, while forgetting that in many traditions, the bull ends up ritually slaughtered...

I've read some of Gelhorn's war correspondence, and one of her novels A Stricken Field, way back in the 80s. I seem to recall that I enjoyed all of them, and wondered why they were relatively obscure. I think I still have them all kicking around the place. Somewhere.

#207: Pat, I would say that if you could not get into the book by page 40, then it is probably not a book for you. I normally give a book 50 pages, but what is 10 more? lol

If you want to read more about Powell without attempting the Stegner book again, I would recommend Donald Worster's A River Running West.

#213 Suzanne, I got a great used hardcover copy of Ghosts of Spain on Friday. Now I'll have to find time to read it! I also found a great new hardcover of Homage to Catalonia in Barnes & Noble the other day. They published it together with Down and Out in Paris and London. I found it on the shelves with the new hardcover fiction(?!). It's a beautiful book, so even though it was $22, I had to buy it. I've wishlisted The Ghost of Munich, another book I've never heard of.

#214 Stasia, thanks for the recommendation for A River Running West. I'm going to see if my library has it and give it a try. It's almost 700 pages so I want to be sure I like it before I buy a copy.

Simply stopping by to say how much I appreciate you!

Hi, Linda. It always puts a smile on my face to see you here!

#215: I'm going to see if my library has it and give it a try.

I cannot blame you a bit for that! I use the local library to vet my books too.

Good news re the Spain books! I'll be v. interested to hear what you think about Orwell's non-fiction. I haven't read Homage to Catalonia but have a lot of his essays/letters, etc. and Burmese Days, and I think his nonfiction is sometimes better than his novels. (heresy, I know...) Great coup to find that volume!

And if you find a value-priced copy of Ghost of Munich, grab it. It's an intriguing story and well-written, to boot. I suspect the only reason it hasn't been published here (I think?) is that it's "too European" -- i.e. Munich was a European peace "settlement" in which Americans had no involvement -- and the author is French. (Though judging by his name, or Moroccan or Tunisian extraction.) Am v. glad Milos Forman is turning it into a film.

Just ordered a copy of the film, Meeting Venus, directed by Istvan Szabo. It's about music, about personalities, about singing, about group dynamics. Saw it on a whim eons ago and adored it. Will be delighted to have a copy of my very own at last! (Speaking of obscure works of various kinds...)

Hi Pat, just catching up on your thread and enjoying your Hemingway posts. I'll add my recommendation for Ghosts of Spain to Suzanne's. I read it soon after visiting Spain a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I've just started reading The Battle for Spain, but will be taking it slowly as there are so many factions it's easy to lose the thread.

Like Kerry, I also enjoyed the Hemingway posts. I am very tempted to give Hemingway another try with For Whom the Bell Tolls. (I've only read A Farewell to Arms and although I didn't loathe it I wasn't planning to try more.)

I'd never heard of Stegner until someone waved Big Rock Candy Mountain under my nose a few months ago and I added it to the wishlist. I'll be interested to hear about the spring class.

There are so many great books out there. I wish I could speed up my reading so I could get to more of them!

I'm going to be away until late Wednesday visiting my mother in Tucson without access to LT! I've got some good books to bring with me but am a little apprehensive about seeing my Mom. She's been in the middle stages of Alzheimer's for several years but just in the last few days seems to have gotten much worse. They think it's partly a progression of the disease, partly a new medication they just started her on and possibly a small stroke she may have had.

I absolutely love the place she's staying at--an adult care home with only 6 residents and wonderful caregivers. She also has wonderful nurses--one from her doctor's office that visits her regularly at the home and then all the wonderful people from hospice that are a support for the whole family.

I'll miss everything that goes on here on LT for the next couple of days. See you Thursday (or possibly late Wednesday night if I'm not exhausted when I get home).

Have a safe trip -- I'm sure it won't be easy emotionally, but at least you know that she is well cared for, a real blessing in cases of Alzheimer's. I'm sure seeing her will be hard/stressful, but somewhere in there is the same person, even if you sometimes have to fight to remember that. Sending hugs...

Oh, that can be rough. I am glad she is in a good place, and I hope the visit goes as well as it can.

Pat, have a safe trip! I hope everything goes well with your mom. I can understand why you're apprehensive about your visit. I'm so glad she's so well cared for and in a facility you like so well. Sounds like she's in good hands.

Have a safe trip, Pat. We'll be here waiting for ya.

Safe travels Pat. Hope the visit to your mum's goes ok.

>222 phebj: "She's been in the middle stages of Alzheimer's for several years"

This is where my Mom is now, Pat. She's living with us and occasionally has a string of bad days - makes me nervous. I know what's coming, but don't want it to happen. So I understand your apprehension - not knowing what to expect. Hopefully she will be heartened by your visit and it will be a good one. :)

I just hope when the time comes we can find a good place for her - that we will love too. Good Luck! Safe travels!
Claudia

Just over a year ago Pat, my mom passed away after suffering for seven years with Alzheimer's. She was in an excellent facility also and it makes all the difference. Coincidentally, when I first started my PT for my shoulder, it turned out that the therapist had worked at that facility. When I told him that my mom had been there he said, "Oh I loved your mother. She had such a great sense of humor." That was really nice to hear. Even though she wasn't the same mother that we'd known for most of our lives, she kept her sense of humor and others still enjoyed her.

Pat- Have a good trip! See you later in the week!

#229 -- that speaks well for the therapist, too. Far too few people see past an older person's age/disability to the personality beneath it. What a waste... We worship youth and disdain what those of 70 plus have learned over a lifetime. Sure, some have become crusty and curmudgeonly, but others are wacky and creative and freewheeling.

Pat, I hope I'm not too late to get my good wishes for your safe trip and good visit here before you go.

Safe travels, Pat! Enjoy your visit.

Have a safe trip. I hope your visit with your mother goes well.

I echo everyone else, Pat. Safe travels.

>229 brenzi: I had a similar experience, so my sympathy goes out to you. How nice to find someone remembering that piece of her!

Pat -- You will NEVER feel the same about eating out again after you finish Down and Out in Paris in London. However it is entirely worth it. A great read. Homage to Catalonia is also wonderful, so the money is well spent!

And my two cents too about having a great trip.

Have a safe trip and a pleasant visit with your mother, Pat.

I second Lucy's recommendation of Down and Out in Paris and London.

#223 thru 237 Thanks so much for all the good wishes about the visit with my mother. As Claudia mentioned, she has good and bad days. Luckily for me, the days I was there were good ones. She still seems to know who I am and seemed pretty lively and was in a good mood. My brother and I got to meet with all her caregivers and get an update as to how she was doing. They think she's on the borderline of middle to late-stage Alzheimer's. She sometimes forgets how to walk (and is therefore at risk of falling) but she still is eating pretty well and isn't having any trouble swallowing yet (which seems to be an indication of the later stages of the disease). It was a good visit and the weather was perfect--sunny and 80 degrees! And I found time to go to a bookstore. :)

Lucy, I am very intrigued about your comment that I'll never feel the same about eating out again after reading Down and Out in Paris and London!

When I was in Tucson, I bought the following books:

The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells
Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon

ETA: Oh, and when I got home there was a package waiting for me from Laura (lauranav) for Mark's Christmas Book Swap. So far it's still wrapped! Thanks, Laura. (Wish I had a Christmas Ladder Tree to put it under but hopefully I will next year.)

Glad you are back and that the visit went well. We will hold out on opening those packages - yes we will!

Pat, I'm so glad you had some good days with your mother, and that you are safely home. I saw the whole progression of my mother's decade of A.D. I centered my life around visits with her at the nursing home and then visits with my dad to keep him going. What a terrible disease that is.

On a happier note, you got some good books and a nice surprise on your return home. Least Heat-Moon is a Missouri author. I've really liked his books. He has a new one out that I don't have as yet.

I LOVE all of those books, except the Bennett which I am sure I will love when I read it. I am a great fan of Howells who has gotten lost in the shuffle of James and Wharton worship.

Glad your trip was a success. Don't underestimate the toll on your own psyche - I was always so exhausted, I did my best to respect it, but it was hard to believe that spending a few hours with my mother,(esp on a bad day, I admit) made the rest of the day pretty much a done deal.

Welcome home Pat! It sounds like your trip went well. You bought some books and found some goodies waiting for you on your return. Remember, self control!

Welcome back from me too!

Glad to hear you had a nice visit with your Mom Pat.

Glad you are back safe and sound, Pat!

Thank goodness your visit went well and you had some "quality" time with your mother. The good days are very precious.
Enjoy your new books... and welcome back!

I'm catching up here, but really glad you were there for some of your mother's good days. One of my grandmothers had Alzheimer's and I found it very hard, and I wasn't even seeing her very often. My mother bore the brunt of it and it was exhausting for her.

And it sounds like you found some good books while you were there!

Glad to hear your visit went well, Pat.

I've read the Bennett and Fitzgerald and both were great!

hey pat, i'm glad to have found your thread! i see that you have Remains of the Day as one of your favorites of the year. i love it so much. it's definitely one of my favorite 5 of all time. (along with a similar great novel that was made into a great movie-- Howard's End) :o)

Hi Jenny. I'm glad you found my thread too!

I tried to read Howard's End right after I finished On Beauty by Zadie Smith, which I think was supposed to be a modern day version of Howard's End, but couldn't get into it. I think it was too soon after I had finished On Beauty so I'll have to try it again.

Hi Pat, I just realized you were back! I guess I was thinking you'd be gone through the holiday. Glad your trip was a safe one and your visit with mom fruitful.

I read The clothes the stood up in and look forward to your thoughts.

I'm enjoying The Paris Wife and all the knowledge I have gained concerning Papa. Interesting man to say the least.

Naughty of me to say this but the MOVIE of Howard's End is darned good!I feel like a temptress! One of the kids who was in a theatre workshop I used to put on in the summer said to me once, that his family 'had a saying': "Why read the book if you can see the movie." He was, of course, joking, but not entirely........

#251 Hi Lynda. I'm back. I've just been neglecting my thread. Glad you're enjoying The Paris Wife. I definitely want to read more about Hemingway. I actually read The Clothes They Stood Up In while I was in Tucson. I bought it because I enjoyed The Uncommon Reader so much and wanted to read more Alan Bennett. Unfortunately, I didn't like it that much. Kind of a strange story. I was never sure where it was going and then was not sure I liked where it went. Did you like it?

#252 Lucy, you sold me on the movie. Don't feel bad. I have to cut back somewhere! We tried to get a family book club going a couple of years ago and one of my husband's cousins wanted us to only read books that had been made into movies so she could just watch the movie. Needless to say, the book club didn't last more than a couple of months. The interests were just too diverse.

That is a great movie! And it's one of those that will tempt you -- I think -- to read the book afterwards. I hope. At least, it tempted me to re-read it. I'd also recommend both the movie and the film of A Room with a View. (The latter also has the most amazing soundtrack...)

Too bad about the other Bennett book. I adored The Uncommon Reader. If I've read any of his others, it was so long ago that it has slipped my mind.

Pat

I'm simply stopping in to say hello and to say I'm grateful for your friendship.

Waving hello.

I will give you a wave as well, Pat! Happy holidays!

Hi Linda, Jenn and Stasia! Big wave back at you.

Merry Christmas Pat! I hope it's a lovely one.

Merry Christmas, Pat!

Joining in to wish you a very Merry Christmas, Pat!

Happy Christmas Pat!

Merry Christmas, Pat! Have a beautiful day!

Merry Christmas Pat!

Merry Christmas!!

Thinking of you! Merry Christmas!


glitter-graphics.com

Hope you're having a great Christmas day celebration Pat :)

Merry Christmas, Pat!

Merry Christmas, Pat! Hope it's continuing!!

mornin' Pat, Santa bring you any goodies? My Santa (bf- Jim) gave me a Kindle! don't know if I'll take to it-- seems cold and flat in my hands.. lol -- but will give it a go. :o) Jenny

Merry Christmas Pat, hope you had a great day yesterday!

Just skittering through, hope you are reading......

Thanks for all the Christmas wishes everyone. Our big celebration was Christmas Eve and my main book presents were gift certificates so I'm happily going through everyone's threads looking for what to get.

I did get two books from Laura (lauranav), my Christmas Book Swapee--A Guide to the Birds of East Africa and Cutting for Stone--that I was thrilled to receive. I've already started A Guide to the Birds of East Africa and am loving it.

I also have to thank my husband for The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan. It's a fictionalized biography of the poet, Pablo Neruda, which is beautifully illustrated. I visited Neruda's house in Valpariso, Chile when I accompanied my husband on a business trip years ago so it brings back fond memories of that trip. Usually, he doesn't risk getting me books I haven't specifically requested so this was a great surprise.

Believe it or not, I finally wrote another review! A big thank you to Darryl for recommending this book and then passing it on to me.

Book No. 76 The White Family by Maggie Gee

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why this book isn’t better known. It was shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 2002 but I just heard about it from another LTer (kidzdoc) two months ago. With the exception of not knowing what to think of the ending, this was an excellent book.

The White Family is comprised of Alfred and May and their three grown children. Alfred has been a Park Keeper in London for decades and, at the beginning of the book, collapses on the job following a tense encounter with a young black family he believes are breaking park rules. As his family gathers at Alfred’s side in the hospital, they each tell their stories along with several family friends and a picture begins to emerge of what life is like for the Whites. While there is real affection between Alfred and May, their kids are mostly alienated from them and Alfred emerges as a bully and a racist. Even worse, his youngest son, Dirk, has embraced these traits with a vengence.

The true genius of this book was the author’s ability to make the reader sympathetic to Alfred and Dirk. Alfred doesn’t get to explain himself right away so your initial impression of him is shaped by the mixed feelings his wife and children have of him. I was surprised to like him more than I thought when he finally gets to tell his own story. Dirk, on the other hand, is introduced in the beginning and it seemed like a roller coaster ride being in his presence. I was alternately repulsed by his violent nature and overpowered by the amount of emotional pain he suffered.

I was totally engaged by this book from the beginning and so the end was a disappointment to me. I felt like I was being ripped out of the characters’ lives and out of the story and the way everything was wrapped up felt wrong. Despite this, I really cared about these characters and want to know what happened to them so, although I’m deducting a ½ star for the ending, I would still highly recommend the book.

This book would make a great choice for a book club discussion. The main themes are racism, domestic violence and cultural diversity but homophobia, sibling rivalry and the social and economic changes in Britain in the last 60 years are also addressed. Reading and writing also play a role in the story and the following quote of James Baldwin is important to one of the characters: “Books taught me that the things that tormented me the most were the very things that connected me to everyone who was alive and who had ever been alive.” Ironically, this book made me feel connected to two white racists.

4 ½ stars and one of my favorite books for 2010.

This is a WOW of a review. Thank you Pat.

Pat- Excellent review of The White Family! You out-did yourself! I had not heard of this book or author, but now I have! Thanks!

I'm #4 thumbs up. Congratulations on another hot review!

Great review. I'm adding it to my list, but noting your cautions regarding the end.

Echoing the "WOW" of a review comment -- what thoughtful comments. I'm adding it to my wishlist.

#275: I bought that one when Darryl recommended it a couple months back. I will have to get to it in 2011. Thanks for the reminder, Pat!

Thanks everyone for your kind comments on my review of The White Family. It really was a fantastic book. If anyone is interested in reading the book, I would be happy to pass it on. Just send me a PM. If not for Darryl, I may never have read this book, let alone heard of it, and I feel strongly that it should be more widely read.

Thumb from me and very nice job on your White Family review.

#275 Great review Pat!

Wow! sums it up nicely. I am thumb #9. I may suggest this to my book club. So, do i read it first or with the rest of the group? mmmm

Thanks for the idea...

Geesh I almost lost you Pat until I saw you had the #1 review for a book that I've got staring at me from my shelf. Great job on the review BTW. I can get to it during Orange January for sure. Thanks.

Thanks, Becky, Heather, Claudia and Bonnie!

Claudia, what does your book club normally do re reading books before the group does? The one I belong to has a rule that the books we choose have to be ones we haven't read so if it's a dud no one feels bad. I have to admit I remember being crushed when I picked The Last Chinese Chef for a book club and most people hated it.

Bonnie, I really hope you like The White Family and am glad it works for Orange January.

My copy of The White Family will be winging it's way to Mark.

I'm glad that you liked it, Pat, and I enjoyed your excellent review of it. I'll look for more of Maggie Gee's books in the near future.

Pat, we do everything - no rules. Usually though we take suggestions from people who have read and love a book. Not a guarantee that everyone will like it, but it's a very tolerant group.
ETA: Oh, shoot! I just remembered, we do have 1 rule. Has to be paperback or cheap.

i'm laughing because I belong to two different book clubs and we all want to have at least one person who has read the book and can say whether we think everyone else will at least be able to finish it. The one time I suggested a book I hadn't read, nobody liked it except me, and I would have recommended it anyway even if I had read it before - Year of wonders if you're wondering. A couple people thought it was "Too graphic" - these are the same people who loved the Girl in the Dragon tatoo Go Figah!!!

Add another thumb to the pile ... sorry, hope that doesn't sound serial-killer-y.

Thanks guys!

I still have about 20 books for 2010 that I want to try and comment on this week but I won’t be doing any more reviews. I'm going to try and group them based on genres rather than the order I read them.

Graphic Novels

I finally took the plunge and tried my first graphic novels with Mark and Claudia’s encouragement and was glad I did. Both of these books were very good and they’re short (about 15 minute reads). I think they’re a great way to try the genre and thank Mark for recommending them.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan--4 ½ stars

Not only is this a graphic novel, it’s a wordless graphic novel. It’s about a man who leaves his wife and daughter to find a better life for his family and his experience trying to understand the strange and confusing ways of his new country. It has an element of fantasy to it and feels almost like you’re in the middle of a dream. The ending wasn’t really a surprise but I got chills as it unfolded. I can’t remember the last time that’s happened to me with a book. This was a library book and the more I think about it, the more I want to get a copy of my own.

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger--4 stars

This graphic novel also had a dreamlike quality to it and in the afterword, the author said the idea for the book actually was a dream she had as a teenager. It’s about a woman experiencing problems in her life who escapes into her books and longs to be a librarian in the bookmobile she randomly encounters on night time walks which holds all the books she’s ever read in her life. The ending was a big surprise to me and very thought-provoking. This is the first installment of a larger work the author is planning and I’ll definitely be looking for the next one.

I don't want to flog a dead horse here, and maybe it hasn't been suggested to you, BUT I wanted to give you a rec for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. It's a mostly graphic novel, and despite its enormous size it passes by very quickly and it absorbs you into its world. It was one of the first graphics that I read and when I read The Arrival there was something about the two that seemed similar to me. Glad to see another GN fan!

Mark also recommended The Invention of Hugo Cabret to me, Laura, so that's definitely on my radar. Glad you liked it too. I saw it in a used book store recently that my husband was rushing me out of to get to a movie on time so I didn't look at it closely but it looked huge!

I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret with my son last year and we both enjoyed it very much. It is huge, but it goes by quickly... Unlike Personal History which has taken up most of this month for me.

Oh, I loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret!

Adding my two cents to the love fest for The Invention of Hugo Cabret - it is terrific!

Hugo Cabret is probably my favorite graphic, to date. FYI- the film-maker Martin Scorcese has been filming a version in Paris. Sounds interesting!

>292 phebj:. I still have about 20 books for 2010 that I want to try and comment on this week but I won’t be doing any more reviews. I'm going to try and group them based on genres rather than the order I read them.

Pat, I really like this idea. Very useful way of summing up some of your 2010 reading. I think I'm going to copy you. (grin)

OK... Hugo is already on my wishlist - but I put him on so long ago I forgot why! Had no idea it was a GN... I remember someone saying it had some great artwork though.
Pushing Hugo up several notches. Thanks!

Hmm I've not heard Hugo Cabret called a graphic novel before... I wouldn't classify it as such, rather as a children's book with some beautiful artwork.

Hi Pat, I too like the idea of grouping genres together and making some general comments. My problem is that I tend to stick with literary fiction without much variety. I'm slowly getting into mysteries and am always trying to find NF books that appeal to me.

The Borders Express store in our local mall is closing. I somehow found myself in there last week with a copy of Hugo Cabret in hand but put it back down. Maybe I'll venture into the land of unclaimed books and take another look at it. It would make a good gift for my granddaughter even if it doesn't work for me. I am having big trouble appreciating the graphic novel genre. I can't get the 'comic book' stigma out of my head. Sounds like it's my loss.

OK--that's Laura, Jenn, Anne, Stasia, Mark and Faith all saying great things about The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Looks like it's going to the top of the list! I just put it on hold at the library.

Donna, I still think of graphic novels like comic books but all grown up and worldly. Both of the ones I read were beautifully done, hardcover books and definitely literary.

I remember taking a library tour last spring and the two big trends they talked about were the use of computers by library patrons and the explosion in popularity of graphic novels and manga. I couldn't really even tell you what manga is. Does anyone else know? Is it just another form of graphic novel?

The catergories I still have left to discuss for 2010 are: Christmas books, Children/YA, Fiction and Non-Fiction.

Manga = Japanese cartoons. And I've just told you EVERYTHING I KNOW about the subject--haha.

I've been in the same RL book club for nearly 20 years, and during that time I've chosen as my book a book I'd not yet read only two times. Both times, I hated the book (although there were people in the group who loved it). My rule now is to always read the book before I choose it. There's always someone who dislikes the book, but in all our years I can think of only one book the group unanimously hated. It was chosen by a member who hadn't read it on the recommendation of her father, and she hated it too!

Christmas Books

I read these 7 stories for the December TIOLI Challenge. All of them were illustrated books. They’re listed in the order I’d recommend them (rather than the order I read them).

Auggie Wren's Christmas Story by Paul Auster--4 ½ stars

Paul Auster was asked to write a short Christmas story for The New York Times op-ed page in the early 1990s and he was determined not to write a sentimental story. After days of staring at a blank page with his deadline looming, he takes a break and stops in at his local cigar store, run by Auggie Wren, and ends up sharing his dilemma about trying to write an unsentimental Christmas story. "A Christmas story? Is that all?" Auggie counters. "If you buy me lunch, my friend, I'll tell you the best Christmas story you ever heard. And I guarantee every word of it is true." The story he tells involves lying and stealing but also kindness, and contains a number of moral dilemmas that make you question if the end ever justifies the means.

This is more of an adult Christmas story than the other books and I liked it the best. It has an edge to it and leaves you wondering how much of it is true. But as Auster says at the end: "As long as there's one person to believe it, there's no story that can't be true." Thanks to Tad for first recommending this book to me.

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote--4 ½ stars

As a young child in the 1930s, Truman Capote lived with distant relatives in rural Alabama. This book is based on his fond memories of sharing Christmas with one of his cousins. Buddy, age 7 and at the beginning of his life, and his cousin, Sook, in her mid-60s and not well, spend the month leading up to Christmas making fruitcakes (“it’s fruitcake weather”) and mailing them off to people they admire like President Roosevelt. The story has a nostalgic quality to it and the ending is bittersweet.

The writing is wonderful and when I finished it, I actually felt “centered” and connected to fond Christmas memories of my own. It lifted me out of the frenzied feeling I often get leading up to Christmas--worrying about what to get people and what I need to do--and made me think about the people (as opposed to the things) that are important to me. . . which is actually kind of priceless. I’ll definitely make a point of reading this each year at Christmas time. Highly recommended for kids and adults.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens--4 stars

Although I regularly watched Mr. Magoo’s A Christmas Carol as a child, this is the first time I’ve read A Christmas Carol. No real surprises because I remember the story so well but the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future were certainly less scary than 45-50 years ago. I bought this edition because it contains the unabridged version of the story (plus Dicken’s story A Christmas Tree--see below) and the reviewers on Amazon raved about the illustrations by Robert Ingpen. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a beautiful book--hardcover with heavy, glossy cream-colored pages and the illustrations on almost every page are definitely a plus. A great keepsake.

Lucy's Christmas by Donald Hall--4 stars

I kind of fell in love with Donald Hall while reading his memoir, Life Work, earlier this year. Besides being a renowned poet (he’s a former Poet Laureate of the US), he writes children’s books. This one is an account of what his mother’s (Lucy’s) Christmases were like as a child in the early 1900s living on a farm in rural New Hampshire. Starting in September, the family begins working on their handmade Christmas gifts which will eventually be exchanged at a community gathering at their church. At this particular Christmas, one of the most anticipated events in Lucy’s family is the arrival of a new Glenwood wood-burning kitchen range ordered from the Sears Roebuck catalog. In an afterword, Hall notes that the range is still in the kitchen of the house today. (Since 1975, Hall has lived in the house his mother grew up in.) The story is simple but satisfying and the book is beautifully illustrated by Michael McCurdy with colored scratchboard drawings that fit perfectly with the nostalgic feel of the text. Highly recommended, especially to Becky, Lucy and Stasia who also read and loved Life Work.

Christmas Books continued

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas--3 ½ stars

I will have to give this book another try because I think I missed a lot of it’s charm on my first quick reading. I don’t remember ever reading anything by Dylan Thomas and was expecting this to be a traditional children’s book (with a beginning, middle and end) rather than a poet’s seemingly random recollections of Christmases past. As a result, I felt a little lost while reading it and wasn’t sure what was going on at times. I was relieved to read on Amazon that it was actually a combination of two separate pieces produced during Thomas' lifetime and put together afterwards. A number of people on Amazon also said this book is best read aloud so maybe next year I’ll try it as an audio book (I’m pretty sure there’s one where Thomas reads it that would be perfect).

A favorite quote: All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find.

A Christmas Tree by Charles Dickens--3 stars

This story was included in my copy of A Christmas Carol so I decided to read it as well. An older man reminisces about Christmases past as he looks at the gifts and toys that decorate his Christmas tree, starting with the ones at the top which are the oldest. Some of his memories are warm and fuzzy and some are spooky, almost like ghost stories. It has a bittersweet feel because as he gets to the decorations on the bottom of the tree, he’s remembering things at the end of his life and the sense is there won’t be many more Christmases for him to celebrate. I might try this again since I want to keep the book. This was the last of the 7 Christmas stories I read and I think I was burnt out.

Santa Claustrophobia by Mike Reiss--3 stars

Mike Reiss is a writer for The Simpsons and has written other popular holiday books like How Murray Saved Christmas. This is a cute book, geared to 4-8 year olds, about a crisis caused by Santa’s crippling fear that he’ll get stuck in a chimney above a blazing fire. Doc Holiday prescribes a vacation and all the other seasonal celebrities (the Groundhog, Cupid, the Easter Bunny, etc.) pitch in to get ready for Christmas. Chaos and hilarity ensue and Santa returns just in time (and 19 pounds lighter) to save the day. Told in rhyme. 3 stars because I liked it but don’t really remember it several weeks later. Would be a great book to read aloud with young kids though.

Santa Claustrophobia was recommended by Patrick (pbadeer) who I thought had a wonderful holiday tradition. Their family has an Advent Christmas Book Calendar where behind each “door” they open is the name of the Christmas book they will read that night. Love that idea!

Wow Pat, you've been busy. I'm so glad you liked my favorite Christmas book, Auggie Wren's Christmas Story and also my second favorite, A Christmas Memory. Both are utterly charming in their own unique ways and make me smile just thinking of them.

I bought myself a copy of Dicken's A Christmas Carol for Christmas but haven't cracked it yet. It also includes A Christmas Tree.

Joanne put a link to Auggie Wren's Christmas Story on her thread - an audio of Auster reading the book - or otherwise I might not have gotten to read it. I thought it was very good! I am glad you enjoyed it too, Pat.

That's a lot of Christmas reading! I've only read A Christmas Carol - some of the others sound great. Maybe next Christmas...

Pat- Wow! You were knocking 'em out! I don't read Christmas books. Maybe I should start!

Hi Joanne, Stasia, Caty and Mark. I'll definitely be reading Christmas books again next December (especially Auster and Capote's books). Most of these were pretty short and could easily be read in 15-30 minutes (or less).

I've got to go back to Joanne's thread--I saw the NPR link to Auster reading Auggie Wren but haven't listened to it yet. I originally took Auggie Wren out of the library and then ordered a used copy to keep. I must say it was hard to find a decently priced one. Mine was $15 but then they went up to $30 and then $90! They must be out of print.

Children’s Books Read in November/December 2010

Children’s books are something I’ve started reading this year based on LT recommendations, mainly from Linda and Stasia but also from Lucy. Both these books are highly recommended to kids of all ages.

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber--4 stars

Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn’t go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the wings from nightingales.

So begins James Thurber’s 1950’s fairy tale of an evil Duke who thinks he has stopped time. ("We all have flaws," he says, "and mine is being wicked.") This is a delightful book for readers of all ages. One of the things I particularly liked about it was Thurber’s use of language. There were words I was looking up because I had never heard of them and words that he made up that worked perfectly in the story.

My copy of the book is from the New York Review of Books’ Children’s Collection. It’s hardcover with great watercolor illustrations by Marc Simont. (Apparently, Thurber’s eyesight was too bad when he wrote the story to do his own drawings.) It’s one of those good-looking books that you’re proud to own. I first heard about this book on LT this year but unfortunately I can’t remember whose thread it was mentioned on or I'd thank them.

Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson--4 stars

Tove Jansson is from Finland but I believe the Moomin stories were orginally written in Swedish. At any rate, they’re definitely Scandinavian children’s literature.

The Moomins (Moomintroll and his parents, Moominpappa and Moominmamma) live in Moominland and share adventures with their neighbors, Snork and his sister, the Snork Maiden, and a number of guests who seem to stay indefinitely at Moominhouse (such as Sniff, Snufkin and the Muskrat). There is a fairytale quality to the stories but they’re never scary. Jansson also does the illustrations in the book which are charming. The Moomins look like small hippopotamuses. I loved Jansson’s witty footnotes (often addressed to the parents) and the Moomin Gallery at the back of the book with descriptions and drawings of all the characters so it’s easy to keep track of them.

This book wasn’t the first in the series but seemed like a good place to start. I’ll definitely read the rest of the books and can see myself becoming a Moomin fanatic. Thanks to Lucy for recommending the Moomins!

>312 phebj:: Holy cow, that's a lot of money for such a short story. I enjoyed the audio version very much while I was wrapping presents. Note to self: hang on to those old books hoping they'll go OOP and be worth something!

#314 I just went to Amazon to see what the prices were for Auggie Wren today. They start at $17.99 and go up to $200 for a used copy. The new copies never get above $100(?). I didn't check the "collectibles" but they started at $88.

What does "OOP" stand for?

Non-Fiction Books Read in November/December 2010

The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt--5 stars

I have Suzanne to thank for recommending this book. It’s one I will definitely re-read. Tony Judt was a historian, university professor and author who died of ALS earlier this year at the age of 62. He “wrote” these essays in his head at night while he lay awake trying to adjust to life with ALS. Because he was not able to physically write his thoughts down, he devised a way to remember them--by mentally placing them in the rooms of a Swiss chalet he remembered fondly from childhood--and then dictating them to an assistant in the morning.

The essays range over a number of topics and make you realize what has been lost with this man’s death. There is no way I can really do this book justice but would strongly urge you to read Suzanne’s excellent review on the book’s LT work page.

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf--4 stars

This is Virginia Woolf’s famous essay on the history of women and writing which concludes that a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write. I will probably read this again sometime. I was reading so many other books at the same time I don’t think I gave it the attention it deserved. Thanks to Lucy, Becky and Stasia for recommending this to me.

A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton--3 ½ stars

At British Airways’ invitation, de Botton spent a week at its new home base, Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport. He had access to all areas of the airport so this is both a behind the scenes look at how an airport operates and a philosophical look at the whole process of traveling. I liked his observation that we’re often hoping to get away from ourselves when we travel but that is one thing we can never leave at home. This is a short, thought-provoking, often funny book and would be the perfect thing to take on your next plane trip as long as you skipped the section on the subtleties of designing airport shopping areas due to the fact that so many people about to board a plane are thinking about dying not shopping. 3 ½ stars because it dragged in places. Loved de Botton’s writing though and would definitely read more of his writing. Thanks to Darryl for first bringing this book to my attention.

#253 I bought it because I enjoyed The Uncommon Reader so much and wanted to read more Alan Bennett. Unfortunately, I didn't like it that much. Kind of a strange story. I was never sure where it was going and then was not sure I liked where it went. Did you like it?

Nope!

Pat- Good reviews! The Memory Chalet sounds very interesting.

Hi Pat, seems like I'm constantly trying to catch up with.....everyone. You've done some great reading and reviewing these last couple months. I'd like to get to The Memory Chalet and A Room of One's Own.

ditto what Bonnie and Mark said!

>314 Donna828:: OOP stands for Out Of Print! If only I had a crystal ball to see which books would eventually become those coveted collector's items. Of course, as a 'book hoarder' I wouldn't be able to part with my precious books even if they were worth big bucks!

All three of your latest books commented on look interesting. I read A Room of One's Own long enough ago that I would like to reread it.

I definitely need to read A Room of One's Own again! Thanks for the reminder, Pat.

Lots to catch up on here Pat! I wishlisted most of the Christmas books you mentioned and then saw your comments about them being out of print! I guess that explains why none of my local libraries hold them. At least I have a year to keep my eye out for some bargains before next Christmas :-)

I've had The 13 Clocks on my wishlist for a while and still not got round to getting that one out of the library. It does sound fun. And I love the Moomin books! From Jansson's wikipedia page, the first book in the Moomin series was quite different to the later ones (and I think it's also out of print). I'm sure Finn Family Moomintroll was the first one I read. And Jansson was apparently part of the Swedish speaking minority in Finland which was why she wrote in Swedish. Things like that always make me realise how little I know about other countries and Sweden and Finland are not all that far away from me!

A week at the airport sounds interesting. Us Brits have a strange relationship with our airports. We want cheaper flights but better facilities, more frequent flights but not more runways and woe betide any airport that stops planes taking off because of poor weather conditions! There's probably a lot that airports could do to improve but it does feel a bit like they're doomed before they start in public opinion.

And now I'm going before you do any further damage to my wishlist!

I am so glad you loved The Thirteen Clocks! That is a family favorite! And even gladder you enjoyed visiting Moominland.

I got A Week at the Airport for Xmas and look forward to reading it!

I'm a big Thurber fan (his HUGE biog is on my to-read-next list), but I've never hear of 13 Clocks. Thanks so much for the mention.

Hey, Pat! Thanks for the support about the unsustainable premise over on my thread. I came here thinking that yours was shorter than mine and would take less time to load. In fact, it's longer!!! I need to read the Dickens Christmas stories, but they will have to wait until 2011. You did get me with The Memory Chalet.
Happy New Year!

I have The Thirteen Clocks in my pile somewhere -- I need to dig it out! My girls love the Moomin books. I read Jansson's The Summer Book recently, and liked it.

The other great Thurber is The Wonderful O (Premise is that a bad guy takes away the letter O, thus all the words with an O in them.....)

Favorite Books of 2010 (listed in the order I read them)

Fiction:

Mosquito by Roma Tearne
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Still Life by Louise Penny
Replay by Kem Grimwood
The Royal Game and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
The White Family by Maggie Gee
Middlemarch by George Eliot

Non-Fiction:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs by Wallace Stegner
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
Life Work by Donald Hall
Family Portrait by Catherine Drinker Bowen
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt

Pat- That's a great list of books. I plan on reading more Stefan Zweig this coming year. I also plan on reading Freedom, at some point.
Actually, I already have The Worst Hard Time saved on audio.

Congratulations on reading so many incredible books.

Happy New Year to you dear one!

WOW! I've just been slayed by the last 30 messages!

I'll have to come back with paper/pen. So many good recs!
Next December... watch out! I'll be much better prepared.
Thanks for your list and comments, Pat!

Hi Pat - Interesting list of books! I'll need to look up some of them. Like Mark, I also plan on The Worst Hard Time as an audio.

Happy New Year to you!

I did The Worst Hard Time last year (09) as an audio, and it was outstanding. I did however, get the book from the library, and then watch the special on tv to get the pictures. I can't remember if it was a special on PBS, or Discovery or the weather channel. I believe it was called Black Sunday. Either way tho, yo will all enjoy it. It was one of my best books of that year.

Happy New Year, Pat! I'm embarrassed to admit that I lost you right before your trip to see your mom. (Hemmingway is so not a favorite writer, but maybe if I had a class like yours.) My mom is just starting to forget a few things (at 87) but I'm more worried about my memory than hers. (What did you think of Still Alice, given your mom's experience?) I haven't had to deal with Alzheimers directly. Just saw lots of it when I was a medical assistant, and it sure is tough on the caregivers when they try to do it at home. Glad you've got such great care for her.

I don't know whether I want to read The White Family myself, but it sure was an interesting review. I'll be reading Freedom sometime this year as my son gave it to me for Christmas. I'll be in Club Read if you want to keep chatting, and I'll follow you into next year here in the 75-book Challenge group. Cheers!

Zweig is near the top of my 'gotta' list too.

You've had quite a successful reading year, Pat! Wishing 2011 brings lots of good ones too! Cheers to a great new year!

Happy New Year Pat!
Thanks for the great list of 2010 favorites.

These are the rest of the books I’ve read recently.

Fiction Books Read in November/December 2010

Highly Recommended

Middlemarch by George Eliot--4 ½ stars
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald--4 stars
The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre--4 stars
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell--4 stars

Not Recommended

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore--3 stars
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway--3 stars
The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett--3 stars

Happy New Year to everyone here on LT. You’ve all added immensely to the pleasure of my reading in 2010. I ended up reading 97 books this year but more importantly I ended up reading more widely--classics, poetry, graphic novels, children’s/YA, mysteries. I’m really looking forward to another year of LT. I’ll be back later to post a link to my 2011 thread. Hope to see you on the other side!

I get the feeling there aren't too many of us left over here.......

Boy Pat I have to agree with you about A Gate at the Stairs. I understand her short stories are much better. And after your great review of The White Family, I have it teed up for January. You've read some great books this year. I'm hoping to get to Faceless Killers in 2011. Happy New Year to you!

#340 It does sort of feel like "the last one to leave, please turn out the lights". . .

#341 I really liked Moore's writing but I felt the story often veered off track and there were things that just didn't really make sense to me. I'll definitely read more of her writing though. Hope you like The White Family.

My 2011 thread is over here. Hope to see you there!

But I'm still here and saying "Happy New Year, Pat!" (Now I'll go quietly.)

Happy New Year, Pat! Thanks for being a great addition to the 75ers in 2010. I am looking forward to a wonderful 2011!