kidzdoc: 75 from the shelves #8

I Wayan Pugur, The Snake Tree, 1945




Thread #1
Thread #2
Thread #3
Thread #4
Thread #5
Thread #6
Thread #7

Currently reading:

Granta 113: The Best of Young Spanish Novelists
Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution by Nick Lane

Completed books:

January:
1. Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox by Gareth Williams (review)
2. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (review)
3. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt (review)
4. The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago (review)
5. The Tenant and the Motive by Javier Cercas (review)
6. Who Killed Palomino Molero? by Mario Vargas Llosa (review)
7. An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie (review)
8. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (review)
9. The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
10. Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes (review)
11. Yalo by Elias Khoury

February:
12. Match Day: One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors by Brian Eule (review)
13. Monument Eternal: The Music of Alice Coltrane by Franya J. Berkman (review)
14. Egypt on the Brink: From Nasser to Mubarak by Tarek Osman
15. Métaphysique des tubes (The Character of Rain) by Amélie Nothomb (review)
16. The Seine Was Red: Paris, October 1961 by Leïla Sebbar (review)
17. The Secret History of Costaguana by Juan Gabriel Vasquéz (review)
18. Staying On by Paul Scott (review)
19. Hygiène de l'assassin (Hygiene and the Assassin) by Amélie Nothomb
20. Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure by Paul A. Offit, M.D.
21. Jonah's Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston (review)
22. The Latino Challenge to Black America by Earl Ofari Hutchinson (review)
23. Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb (review)

March:
24. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar (review)
25.The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
26. Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss (review)
27. The Book of Proper Names by Amélie Nothomb
28. A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond (A Novel) by Percival Everett & James Kincaid
29. I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey by Izzeldin Abuelaish (review)
30. Memory of Departure by Abdulrazak Gurnah (review)
31. Little Mountain by Elias Khoury (review)
32. Chinese Dreams (Kindle Single) by Anand Giridharadas (review)
33. Harlem Is Nowhere by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts (review)
34. Morning and Evening Talk by Naguib Mahfouz (review)
35. Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord (review)
36. The Anatomy of a Moment by Javier Cercas (review)
37. Pakistan and the Mumbai Attacks (Kindle Single) by Sebastian Rotella
38. Chopin's Move by Jean Echenoz

April:
39. A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 by Alistair Horne
40. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
41. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
42. Dubliners by James Joyce
43. A Murder of Crows by Larry D. Thomas
44. The Carpenter's Pencil by Manuel Rivas
45. Send in the Idiots: Stories from the Other Side of Autism by Kamran Nazeer
46. On Elegance While Sleeping by Viscount Lascano Tegui
47. Being Abbas el Abd by Ahmed Alaidy
48. Monsieur Linh and His Child by Philippe Claudel (review)

May:
49. The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed (review)
50. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (review)
51. The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise by Georges Perec (review)
52. Amigoland by Oscar Casares (review)
53. The Three Christs of Ypsilanti by Milton Rokeach (review)
54. The Chalupa Rules: A Latino Guide to Gringolandia by Mario Bosquez (review)
55. Death to the Dictator! by Afsaneh Moqadam
56. Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer (review)
57. Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas
58. The Instigators (Kindle Single) by David Wolman (review)
59. The Shadow of What We Were by Luis Sepúlveda (review)
60. I Love a Broad Margin to My Life by Maxine Hong Kingston (review)
61. Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck
62. To Siberia by Per Petterson (review)
63. White Egrets by Derek Walcott (review)
64. The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta by Mario Vargas Llosa (review)
65. Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott (review)
66. Americus, Book I by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
67. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan
68. All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen & Jory John
69. Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
70. The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search for His Disabled Son by Ian Brown
71. Emerging Arab Voices: Nadwa I, edited by Peter Clark (review)
72. Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo (review)
73. The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson (review)

June:
74. The Bill From My Father: A Memoir by Bernard Cooper
75. Elegguas by Kamau Brathwaite
76. Partitions by Amit Majmudar (review)
77. A Season in the Congo by Aimé Césaire
78. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
79. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
80. Above All, Don't Look Back by Maïssa Bey (review)
81. Fair Play by Tove Jansson
82. Naked (Asian Poetry in Translation) by Shuntarō Tanikawa
83. Open City by Teju Cole
84. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz

July:
85. the immigrant suite: hey xenophobe! who you calling a foreigner? by Hattie Gossett (review)
86. Seeing Patients: Unconscious Bias in Health Care by Augustus A. White III, M.D. (review)
87. The Outcast by Sadie Jones (review)
88. The Sea and Poison by Shusaku Endo (review)
89. The Passport in America: The History of a Document by Craig Robertson (review)
90. The Prospector by J.M.G. Le Clézio (review)
91. The Swimmer by Roma Tearne (review)
92. Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig (review)
93. The London Train by Tessa Hadley (review)
94. Daisy Miller by Henry James (review)
95. Des éclairs (Lightning) by Jean Echenoz (review)
96. Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette (review)
97. Dump This Book While You Still Can! by Marcel Bénabou (review)
98. A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (review)
99. Underdog: Poems by Katrina Roberts
100. Snow Plain by Duo Duo
101. Mañana Forever?: Mexico and the Mexicans by Jorge Castañeda
102. 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today
103. On Beauty by Zadie Smith

My 11 in 11 challenge:

A. Read a book I already own by 11 different Nobel Prize laureates
1. The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago
2. Who Killed Palomino Molero? by Mario Vargas Llosa
3. Morning and Evening Talk by Naguib Mahfouz
4. White Egrets by Derek Walcott
5. The Prospector by J.M.G. Le Clézio

B. Read a New York Review Books book that I already own
1. An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie
2. A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes

C. Read a nonfiction book (that doesn't fit in category H, I or K) that I already own
1. The Latino Challenge to Black America by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
2. A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 by Alistair Horne
3. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
4. Send in the Idiots: Stories from the Other Side of Autism by Kamran Nazeer
5. Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
6. The Bill From My Father: A Memoir by Bernard Cooper
7. The Passport in America: The History of a Document by Craig Robertson

D. Read a Booker Prize winner that I already own
1. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1970)
2. Staying On by Paul Scott (1977)
3. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (1992)

E. Read a novel by an African-American author that I aleady own
1. Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes
2. Jonah's Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston
3. A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid (A Novel) by Percival Everett & James Kincaid

F. Read a novel from the 2011 Booker Prize longlist (or from longlists of previous years)
1. The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut (2003 shortlist)
2. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar (2006 shortlist)

G. Read a novel from the 2011 Orange Prize longlist (or from longlists of previous years)
1. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (2010 shortlist)
2. Annabel by Kathleen Winter (2011 longlist)
3. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (2011 shortlist)
4. The Outcast by Sadie Jones (2008 shortlist)
5. The Swimmer by Roma Tearne (2011 longlist)
6. Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig (2010 longlist)
7. The London Train by Tessa Hadley (2011 longlist)
8. On Beauty by Zadie Smith (2006 winner)

H. Read a medicine or science book that I already own
1. Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox by Gareth Williams
2. Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure by Paul A. Offit, M.D.

I. Read a biography or autobiography that I already own
1. Monument Eternal: The Music of Alice Coltrane by Franya J. Berkman
2. Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss
3. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz

J. Read a book published by Archipelago Books in 2009-2011
1. Yalo by Elias Khoury

K. Read a novel by a public intellectual that I already own
1. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt

That painting is by the Balinese artist I Wayan Pugur, which was created when he was 13 years old and was displayed in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1964. I love its vivid colors and its simplicity and vibrancy. Unfortunately this piece was not part of the current Bali exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco that Suz & I saw last month.

Hi Darryl, gorgeous painting! I'm anxious to see your thoughts on the Ghosh Ibis trilogy novel. I think the cover is stunning. I keep checking the library every few days to make sure I'll be one of the first to request it. :o)

Good morning, sir! Lovely painting.

>4 GCPLreader: Thanks, Jenny. I'm planning to read River of Smoke next week, when I visit my parents in Philadelphia (13-19 July). I don't think it will be published in the US until late September, unfortunately, and the cover for the US edition is dull in comparison to the UK and India ones:



>5 London_StJ: Thanks, Luxx!

The Millions has come out with a list of highly anticipated books for the second half of 2011:

Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2011 Book Preview

I'm especially looking forward to these titles:

Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar (August)
River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh (September, although I already have the UK edition)
Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga (September)
Crossbones by Nuruddin Farah (September)
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (October)
The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst (October)
Cain by José Saramago (October)
Zone One by Colson Whitehead (October)
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje (October)
Nanjing Requiem by Ha Jin (October)
The Palace of Dreams by Ismail Kadare (October)
Blue Nights by Joan Didion (November)
The Artist of Disappearance by Anita Desai (December)

Although it didn't make the list, I'll certainly buy Color Me English, the new collection of essays by Caryl Phillips when it is published in the UK next month.

oh, I LOVE you for posting that link! Have you read Colson Whitehead's Sag Harbor? --wonderfully nostalgic and hysterically funny

Thanks, Jenny! I haven't read Sag Harbor yet, but it's on my list of books to read this summer.

>7 kidzdoc:: That's an awesome list, Darryl. It looks like a busy rest of the year for us readers. I already have the new Bonnie Jo Campbell book reserved at the library, and I'm sure I'll find a few others to put on my list.

What a beautiful painting!

Agree with you on the River of Smoke cover, Darryl. May have to borrow your copy, therefore! *grin*

I def want to read the Hisham Matar novel; I have an advance copy of Cain thanks to NetGalley, tho I haven't yet read it.

>12 Chatterbox: I'd be happy to lend River of Smoke to you after I'm finished reading it.

I only recently discovered that there's a Shirley Jackson award. Might not be your cup of tea, but when I think of award lists I think of you...

Woo, a new thread! Hallo Darryl, how's life at the moment? I love the painting...

...but gah, I missed your comments on Dubliners - I shall have to go back in search of it - I've had it lined up to read for ages, but didn't particularly get along with Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which puts me off a bit.

#14 A Shirley Jackson award?! That may not be up Darryl's street, but I suspect it's certainly up mine - I shall have to investigate!

>10 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. I'll almost certainly buy all of those books, and I ordered The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst from the UK from AbeBooks, as I've read a couple of stellar reviews about it and it seems to be a strong possibility to make this year's Booker Prize longlist, along with River of Smoke. The longlist announcement is coming up soon, on 26 July.

>11 richardderus: Thanks, Richard; I'd love to see it in person.

>14 London_StJ: I hadn't heard of that award, and I don't see it a thread for it in the Prizes group. It's not my cup of tea, but hopefully someone else will create a thread about it.

Speaking of awards, Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikötter was selected as the winner of this year's BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction tonight; more info here:

http://www.thesamueljohnsonprize.co.uk/pages/news/index.asp?NewsID=32

>15 flissp: Hi Fliss! I'm doing pretty well (although I've had to deal with a credit card fraud issue for a good part of the afternoon). I'm in the process of planning details for my upcoming trip to London (26 Aug to 18 Sep), and I'm planning to go to several plays at the National Theatre and at least a couple of BBC Proms concerts.

I haven't reviewed Dubliners yet, but I did give it 4 stars. I can't remember much about it, but one of the longer stories was quite memorable, but the others were not.

After a lackluster beginning to the day I achieved reading Nirvana, and was able to finish The Prospector by J. M. G. Le Clézio (4 stars), and read half of The Swimmer by Roma Tearne, which I'm reading for Orange July (it made this year's longlist). I could keep going, but I'll turn in soon, and finish it tomorrow (make that later today, since it's after midnight EST).

I've finally reviewed Solo, which beautiful book was a gift from the delightful Linda, over in my thread...post #224. It's very grim and serious. You'll love it!

>18 richardderus: I read and reviewed Solo in 2009, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I wasn't sleepy after my previous post, so I did continue and finish The Swimmer by Roma Tearne, which I did not like (2-1/2 stars, maybe). I'll review both books, and The Passport in America, later today.

Hmm, I've got another Roma Tearne waiting for me at the library -- Bone China.

reading nirvana -- wowza.

I knew I shouldn't have visited here, there are too many books I want to read. Eek. How will I deal with them all, I cant read as fast as you. :-)

>20 Chatterbox: I have Bone China and Mosquito by Roma Tearne, which I bought after I read Brixton Beach, which I loved. The Swimmer was very disappointing, in comparison.

>21 LovingLit: LOL! Sorry...today is my last day off from work for this stretch, so my reading output will (probably) slow down until the middle of next week.

Book #89: The Passport in America: The History of a Document by Craig Robertson



My rating:

I was very interested to learn more about the history of the passport, after I received my first one in 2007 and took my first trip abroad since childhood, when a passport was not required to enter Canada. So, when I read about this book, I bought it immediately.

Craig Robertson, a professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern, provides a comprehensive history of the passport in the United States, starting from its initial use in the late 18th century. The book is divided into two parts, on the assembly of the passport (including the document itself, the applicant's name, signature, physical description and, later, his photograph), and the use of the passport as its primary role changed, from a letter of introduction to foreign governments for travelers, to an essential form of identification in the early 20th century, particularly for immigrants wishing to travel to or establish residency in the US. I was interested to learn that married women did not routinely receive their own passports until the women's suffrage movement took place, as respectable women always traveled in the presence of their husbands, whose passport photograph included their wives and children; and that the upper and middle classes resented having to use passports as a form of identification, as many felt that this document was most appropriate to keep anarchists, non-white immigrants and other undesirables from entering the US and western European countries.

The book includes several interesting personal stories, including the one that opens the book about a Danish man who was encouraged to shave off his Kaiser Wilhelm mustache upon entering Germany, and then was denied entry to the US after his clean shaven face did not match his passport photo. However, I found most of the book to be a bit dry and academic, and there was almost no discussion or analysis about the history and use of the passport after the 1920s, which would have made this a more interesting book for me.

Darryl
I hope you have a lovely time in Philadelphia with your parents.

What a lovely picture to start your new thread.

Book #90: The Prospector by J. M. G. Le Clézio



My rating:

This novel about a man's search for a lost treasure and personal fulfillment begins on the island of Mauritius in 1892, where the eight year old Alexis L'Estang lives with his parents and beloved older sister Laure in an isolated house, surrounded by rich foliage and close to the sea, which nurtures and draws him in every night. His older friend Denis, the son of the black cook who lives nearby, teaches him about the mysteries of the sea and the local flora in the mountainous forest above it. His father also passes on to him his dream to find the hidden treasure of the Unknown Corsair, through maps and stories.

The family's idyllic existence is disrupted by tragedy, causing it to sink into poverty, and Alexis is forced to take on responsibilities in advance of his years. However, he does not abandon his father's dream, and he eventually travels to the island of Rodrigues to seek the treasure that will ensure his family's good standing. There he meets Ouma, the love of his life, but his search is disrupted by the onset of the Great War, and he must abandon his search, and Ouma. Eventually he is able to return, as an older man whose dream and love have not been diminished by time, but his family's continued poverty and changes in the region cause his dual goals to become more distant and seemingly unachievable.

The Prospector is filled with evocative descriptions of the sea and island life, which was its main strength, along with the love that Alexis and Ouma shared for each other, and the description of the horrors of trench warfare. However, the other characters, especially Laure and Alexis' mother, were not portrayed as richly, and I had some difficulty in understanding Alexis' motivations and actions. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed, and would highly recommend, this beautifully told story.

Thumbs-ups from me on both reviews!

Book #91: The Swimmer by Roma Tearne



My rating:

2011 Orange Prize longlist

Ria is a poet who lives alone in the small East Anglian town of Ipswich, surrounded by small minded and nosy neighbors who are isolated from their fellow Britons, and fearful of the immigrants that are slowly infiltrating the country and their region. Her only close living relative is her brother Jack, a bully interested in right-wing politics who frequently harasses and troubles her, along with his less than lovable wife and children, and she is not particularly friendly with anyone in town, whose citizens view her with suspicion as an outsider who has returned from London to live amongst them.

Ria's uneasy peace is disrupted one night as she spots a man emerging from a swim in the river adjacent to her home. She eventually meets him, and learns that he is a young doctor from Sri Lanka who has fled his troubled country for the safety of England, and works on a nearby farm while he waits for his application for political asylum to be processed. At the same time, there are a series of crimes being committed by a person of color in the region, along with increased suspicions from the townspeople that a group of foreign terrorists are hiding nearby, which leads to greater scrutiny of Ria and her home as she and the young man become ever closer.

The Swimmer describes a maudlin love story, which is followed by an improbable and, for this reader, very distasteful second love story, along with the increased xenophobia of the citizens of a small town and a country fearful of immigrants of color and terrorism. I found this novel to be superficial and its characters to be quite trivial, especially in comparison to Tearne's superb previous novel Brixton Beach.

As you can probably tell, one of my goals for the second half of the year is to promptly review the books I've read. I'll also try my best to post at least a brief summary of the first half books that I haven't reviewed yet, and more substantial reviews of the ones that I especially enjoyed (or disliked).

>24 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! I would like to have a Philadelphia LT meet up later this year, but next week won't be a good time for me (plus it'll probably be too hot). I'm disappointed that I'll miss the Chagall exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which ends on Sunday.

>26 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

The Passport book does look interesting, but your "dry and academic" comment makes me think- mmmm, maybe not for me just now.

A Chagall exhibition though, now that I'd like to see - I probably wont be swinging by Philly any time soon though unfortunately :-)

Darryl, I'm sure that we can arrange a Phila. meet up in the future. Congratulations on two excellent reviews!

>29 LovingLit: I found a recent book on Amazon entitled The Passport: The History of Man's Most Travelled Document by Martin Lloyd, which looks interesting and has received several good reviews; I've added it to my wish list.

I saw a Chagall exhibit years ago (NYC? Philadelphia?) that was quite good, so I'm not completely disappointed that I'll miss this exhibit (and maybe I can catch it elsewhere).

>31 kidzdoc: Thanks, Linda! Which of my three reviews wasn't excellent? ;-)

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like Roma Tearne's new book, The Swimmer. I still haven't read anything else of hers besides Mosquito but I loved that book and want to read more. I guess I'll try Brixton Beach next.

Great reviews, Darryl--all three of them!

Love the pic, Darryl. I like Balinese art. Have you been to Bali? I was last there a few years ago, and bought a couple of beautifully vibrant paintings that are now hung above the bookcases in my office.

Thanks for the heads up on The Swimmer. I'll keep away from that one, but your review of The Prospector was just too good for me not to add this to my obese wish list ... especially since there's part of Gauguin's painting on the cover of the book.

28,30: Philadelphia meetup? I despair of keeping up with the 75ers, hope I notice when it happens...

>32 phebj: Thanks, Pat. Brixton Beach still hasn't been published in the US, even though it was published in the UK two years ago. I bought it in London in 2009, but gave my copy to Rachael (FlossieT) before I left.

>33 cameling: I haven't been to Bali, but I do want to go after seeing the exhibit at the Asian Art Museum last month. I did purchase a wooden sculpture of a Balinese funeral procession at the museum's gift shop, which will be delivered to me tomorrow.

>34 qebo: Whomever sets this up (me, Linda, Laura?) should set up a thread in advance. I visit my parents every 2-3 months, so I'll almost certainly be there in the fall, when the weather should be nicer.

Ah, so that's why my library doesn't have Brixton Beach. I guess it's going to be Bone China then which they do have. Seems like a long delay for publishing it in the US.

You'd love Bali, I'm sure, Darryl. I hope you get to make it over there at some point. If you do find yourself planning a trip there, let me know ... I can tell you what tourist traps to avoid, and where some fabulous local eateries can be found. The Balinese are just graceful and gracious people, you'll want to stay.

I loved the fish eateries on Jimbaran bay... And the banana pancakes and pineapple pancakes for breakfast...

In fact, I wanna go back. Sigh. Add that to my looooong list of places to back to. Also want to go to Java, so I can see all the fab temples at yogyakarta.

A Philly meetup would be great fun. We can run the Rocky steps together. :) Lucy/sibyx introduced me to a couple of excellent used bookshops we can visit too. Darryl, you'll have to let us know timing for your fall trip, whenever your dates are set.

I am not even going to try to catch up, Darryl. I love the painting at the top though!

I'm over halfway through my current book, Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig, which I'm reading for Orange July (it was longlisted for the 2010 prize), which is excellent so far. It's set in contemporary London, and revolves around the intertwined lives of several legal and illegal immigrants eking out a living, overshadowed by a mysterious murder and a couple of sinister characters. It's quite the page turner; I'll finish it after work today or tomorrow.

>36 phebj: Amazon US does offer new and used copies of Brixton Beach for as low as a penny, with $3.99 shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0007301561/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&redir...

I doubt that it will be published in the US.

>37 cameling:, 38 I definitely want to go to Bali now!

>39 lauralkeet: Will do, Laura.

>40 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia!

I already have Hearts and Minds in the BlackHole, so I am dodging the BB even before you shoot it!

Book #35: Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord



My rating:

This unique and engaging debut novel by Barbadian author Karen Lord is based on a Senegalese folk tale which incorporates magical realism as its primary device to build upon the story.

You can read the entire review in the latest issue of Belletrista, which was published earlier today:

http://www.belletrista.com/2011/Issue12/reviews_11.php

I've just finished Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig for Orange July (2010 longlist), which was very good. It's somewhere between a 4 and a 4-1/2 star read, and I'll review it tomorrow.

Hmmm, and it's a page-turner? May have to bump it up my list...

I'm just bumbling along here. The library police are going to come and confiscate my copies of The Memory of Love and State of Wonder if I don't hurry up with them; have started the latter but so far it hasn't bitten me; I don't feel compelled to continue.

Book #92: Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig



My rating:

This novel, which was longlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize, is set in contemporary London, and opens with the discovery of the body of a young unknown woman in a pond in upscale Hampstead Heath. From there we are introduced to the five main characters: Polly, an divorced asylum lawyer, who fiercely struggles to combine her career with motherhood; Job, an educated and literate immigrant from Zimbabwe, who has fled to the capital to avoid the horrors of his homeland; Ian, a white South African teacher in a rundown public school where chaos and violence is a constant threat; Anna, a 15 year old girl who agrees to emigrate to London to become a hotel chambermaid but is forced into sexual slavery; and Katie, a young American who works as the personal assistant for the publisher of the Rambler, a London daily best known for controversy rather than accuracy and good taste.

The five live separate lives of near constant frustration and occasional menace, in a faceless city where the police are indifferent and all except the most wealthy are emotionally abraded and cross. Through them and several minor characters Craig shows us the underside of life in the capital, where illegal immigrants fill the jobs that are beneath the dignity of other Londoners, and live hand to mouth in a daily battle to earn enough to survive, while steering clear of the constant threat of discovery by authorities and deportation back to their home countries. A series of unrelated and increasing threats affect each of the characters, and the author expertly weaves their stories and lives together in a tale that is both believable and compelling.

Hearts and Minds is a superb novel which gives the reader a view of the lives of the invisible and voiceless workers of the underground economy of a large city in the context of a gripping story. Highly recommended!

Sure .. get me during a weak moment, prone from heat exhaustion after helping a friend move, with this great review, Darryl. How can I not add this to my obese wish list?

How's the asthma recovery? My eyes are itching like crazy. Two of my neighbors are having trees cut down, and it's putting my allergies into hyper-drive, I think.

>45 Chatterbox: Definitely read Hearts and Minds ASAP, Suz, especially because you selected it for your TIOLI challenge! I'm curious to get your take on State of Wonder.

>47 cameling: Thanks, Caroline! Hearts and Minds hasn't been published in the US yet, but Amazon US has new and used copies available for sale:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0349115877/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&co...

I'm almost completely back to normal, as my asthma attack has resolved and my allergies are significantly better.

Normal is highly overrated. At least, in a psychological state. I would agree to banish all allergies, asthma attacks and migraines to the same isolated, remote island, but loathe the idea of "normality". Life would be SO dull...

>46 kidzdoc:: Oh that sounds like a fantastic book Darryl!

*rushed over to Amazon and picked up my copy* .. thanks for the tip there, Darryl. I'll save a piece of my peach and grappa cranberry pie for you. Whipped cream or ice cream?

Like the snake tree....

>50 lauralkeet: It was, Laura. It's a shame that books like Hearts and Minds and Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne haven't been published in the US.

>51 cameling: Whipped cream, please (as long as it isn't Cool Whip)!

>52 mckait: Thanks, Kath; I love looking at that painting every day when I check this thread.

Continuing on my Orange Prize tear, I'm almost halfway through The London Train by Tessa Hadley, which was longlisted for this year's award, and I'm enjoying it so far.

I finished The London Train, which consisted of two unrelated novellas whose narrators traveled from Cardiff to London by train. The first story was very good, but I sped through the second one, as it was trivial and lifeless in comparison to the first one. I'll give it 3-1/2 stars, mainly due to the strength of the first story, and I'll review it tomorrow or Monday.

I woke up a bit early this morning (I'm working from 10 am to 8 pm today), so I read Daisy Miller, a novella by Henry James for a TIOLI challenge, which was a mildly interesting story set in the late 19th century, about a flighty young American woman who travels with her mother and brother to Switzerland and Italy. I'll give it 3 stars, and review it later today (if it's quiet at work) or tomorrow.

I need to make some progress on my 11 in 11 challenge, so my next novel will be A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes for my NYRB challenge, which also fits for the Seas quarterly read in the Reading Globally group.

A High Wind in Jamaica is just wonderful, Darryl. I hope you love it as much as I did.

A High Wind in Jamaica has been on my WL for a while now. I look forward to your thoughts on it.

>56 rebeccanyc: I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed A High Wind in Jamaica, Rebecca; I expect that I'll also like it.

>57 katiekrug: Will do, Katie. I won't start it until tomorrow, and I should finish it by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Book #80: Above All, Don't Look Back by Maïssa Bey



My rating:

In 2003 the north African country of Algeria was in a state of recovery after a decade-long civil war that claimed the lives of over 160,000 Islamic fundamentalists, government troops and innocent civilians. On May 21 of that year a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck just east of the capital of Algiers, and over 2,000 Algerians were killed in the initial quake and the aftershocks that followed over the next several days. The government came under intense scrutiny and criticism, as many recently constructed buildings collapsed due to shoddy building design and materials, and local and national officials provided inadequate and untimely aid to the earthquake survivors. As a result, the already fragile psyche of the Algerian people was damaged even further, as thousands of citizens faced displacement, fetid and disease ridden tent cities, violence, and post-traumatic psychological trauma.

Maïssa Bey, born near Algiers in 1950, originally taught literature until the 1990s, when she began to write in response to the effect of the war that plagued her country. She dedicated this novel to the memory of victims of natural disasters, including the 2003 earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

The remainder of this review can be found in issue 12 of Belletrista:

http://www.belletrista.com/2011/Issue12/anth_14.php

You're really keeping up with your reviews!!

Love your last two book covers! Im such a sucker for an attractive cover, great that they were good reads too.

I hate when you review books I can never get my hands on! Blast. Oh well, I live in hope that one of these days my local library will actually carry books of quality.

Great review, Darryl, and a big thumbs up from me.

I'm adding this one to my birthday present list, Darryl. I have a friend who will love this, I'm sure. I think I might like reading this too, but I'd have to be in the right mood for it because it sounds somewhat depressing.

>60 Chatterbox: Thanks, Suz! I'm two reviews behind, so I'll catch up tonight. Sunday and Monday were much busier days at work than expected, so I haven't read anything since early Sunday morning.

>61 LovingLit: Same here; I love good book covers, which are in much shorter supply in the US than the UK, IMO.

>62 alcottacre: Acceding to Stasia's post, I will only review books by Jodi Picoult, Joan Collins, Glenn Beck, James Patterson and Janet Evanovich for the next month, unless my brain turns to Pablum before then.

>63 phebj: Thanks, Pat!

>64 cameling: Above All, Don't Look Back is a sobering book, Caroline, but I didn't find it to be significantly depressing. I agree with you that you would probably need to be in a certain frame of mind to best appreciate it.

Thanks to Christopher from Club Read for letting me know about this profile in The Economist of Francophone author Alain Mabanckou, who is originally from the Congo but now lives in France. I've read two of his novels that have been translated into English, African Psycho and Broken Glass, and I'll pick up Memoirs of a Porcupine when I go to London next month, as it was released there in English translation in May.

Posting my review of Above All, Don't Look Back reminds me of my favorite Temptations songs:

YouTube: Don't Look Back

Book #93: The London Train by Tessa Hadley



My rating: (3 yawns)

Longlist, 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction

The London Train consists of two linked stories, whose main characters each take a train from Cardiff to London. In the opening story, a writer travels to London in search of his daughter, who has withdrawn from university and only informs him of her whereabouts and condition, to the chagrin of her mother and his ex-wife. In the second half, a woman attempts to reestablish her life and balance in Cardiff as a librarian, after she leaves her husband, with whom she lived in London. During this portion the two characters meet, and a relationship of convenience results.

I found the first half of the book moderately interesting, but the second half was mind numbingly dull, and I sped through it to get to the end. The London Train would be best appreciated by those who like stories about relationships, particularly ones that are flawed, but would be of little or no interest to anyone else, in my opinion.

Book #94: Daisy Miller by Henry James



My rating:

This novella is set in the last days of the 19th century, and opens in a resort town in Switzerland, as a young American man of means decides to leave Geneva to visit his aunt. While there, he meets a spirited young American woman from upstate New York, whose attractiveness is exceeded only by her impetuosity. The man is bewitched by her charm and flirtatiousness, to the chagrin of his aunt who finds her to be vulgar and reckless, and he eventually catches up with her some time later in Italy. There she engages in even more scandalous behavior than she did in Switzerland, which ultimately leads to her downfall.

"Daisy Miller" was an interesting story about a young woman who would have fit in well in 1920s America, but was ahead of her time in the 1890s Europe, whose upper classes were not ready for women who spoke their minds and refused to allow societal constraints to constrict their lives.

#67: The London Train - what an adorable rating for a mediocre book!
Daisy Miller sounds like an interesting one to add to my tbr.

Daisy Miller? I seem to remember a movie - unlikely though it may sound, Cybll Shepherd springs to mind? Could that be right?

The three yawns made me laugh out loud, Darryl. Glad to dodge The London Train.

ha ha 3 yawns, excellent

Oh my, seems like I've missed a lot here! But I'll be back to read all your wonderful reviews. At least I've got you starred again.

eta: LOVE the painting. So vibrant!

#16 Bah to credit card fraud - very tedious (I had my credit card cloned earlier this year - fortunately, the bank got in touch almost as soon as it happened, but it was still very boring). I hope that you manage to sort everything out without too many problems...

You'll have to keep us posted about your London trip - I'm due a massive NT ticket buying session at the moment, so maybe we'll overlap on plays again!

Hmmm, Re Dubliners - the fact that you can't remember very much doesn't bode particularly well, despite the 4 stars. Still, I shall probably get round to it at some point...

#27 Re The Swimmer - again, hmmmm. This is one of the Orange list books I'd singled out for reading. I'm guessing that you won't be recommending that ;o)

#41/46 Re Hearts and Minds - oooh good! I've had my fingers burnt with Amanda Craig, so have been a bit wary of picking her up again, but I absolutely loved In a Dark Wood, so hopefully the finger-burning book (whose name I can't remember right now, but it really was very bad) was just a one off.

#49 Suzanne - re "normal", I am completely with you!

#67 That would be a resounding NO to The London Train then!!

Love the "yawn" rating system!

Hearts and Minds sound like something quite unique. I think I will give it a try while skipping The London Train.

I have been considering reading something by Henry James but feel a bit intimidated by him. When I pick up one of his books and scan a page, I tend to just put it back and promise to try another time, maybe when I am less busy and can focus more on it. Of course, I know it is just an excuse. Maybe a novella is the place to start?

I love the three yawns, Darryl!

So, I won't be going to Philadelphia tomorrow after all. As I was driving home from work, a twentysomething Buckhead bimbo cut in front of me while making a blind left hand turn, cut into my lane, and destroyed the front end of my beloved convertible. It's no longer drivable, and will need a lot of front end work. It's at an overnight towing yard in a dodgy section of town, so hopefully it will still be there in the morning. I'll need to find out if the woman's insurance will cover the cost sufficiently (assuming she is insured, as she didn't seem to certain of this at the time the police officer asked us for our insurance documents).

She was able to drive off, with minimal damage; amazingly, she nearly did the exact same thing again, almost cutting off a car while making another left hand turn. The officer and I looked at each other and shook our heads after she drove off.

If you like attractive women who are incredibly stupid, Atlanta is the city for you!

omigod, Darryl... I hope the car is still there tomorrow! Erm, what was this woman consuming, if she did such an idiotic thing in the first place, nearly did it again and can't remember whether she is insured??? I suppose you could always sue her -- and at least she stopped. That same kind of thing happened to a friend of mine several years ago (chexmix on here) and his car was totaled; the guy didn't stop (highway) and his own insurance wouldn't cover it (other guy's fault or something.) So you are staying there while it gets fixed? Or cancelling the trip altogether?

Bloody hell. So sorry about that. You must be just shaking with fury & stress.

Three yawns -- but what is the rating if it's two? Two scowls? Four cheers?

#75 -- Washington Square is a good James novel to start with; for years it was the only one I could actually claim to have finished. Then last year read The American and quite liked it. Am now contemplating (from a safe distance) The Aspern Papers.

I'm so sorry to hear about the accident Darryl. I know this musn't be much consolation right now, but at least you came out unharmed. Just curious, what kind of car is it?

#78 Suz, I started reading Henry James with a book that had both The Aspern Papers and The Turn of the Screw. Really enjoyed the first, and moved on to Portrait of a Lady as a group read from there. I look forward to more and have a book with The Europeans, The Spoils of Poynton and The Sacred Fount and also have What Maisie Knew. Washington Square is definitely on the radar, among others.

My sympathies to you and your car, Darryl. That woman sounds maddening.

At least you are OK enuf to be angry about it... That tells me (famous medical practitioner that I am) that you didn't take a whack on the head that we'd need to worry about...

Ilana, The Europeans and Portrait of a Lady and Wings of the Dove are where I have come to grief. Repeatedly.

>78 Chatterbox: The woman was completely sober; she was just reckless and stupid, like the majority of young women—and men—in this city. All she had to do was either wait for traffic to clear before making the turn, or inch SLOWLY into the far lane, so that I could have seen her and stopped in time, instead of shooting across without looking properly.

I was so pissed off that I didn't say anything to the woman directly, and I spoke only to the police officer who investigated the accident.

I'll just cancel the trip, as I have no idea how many days it will take to get this taken care of. I have six days off in early August (9th-14th), so I'll fly to Philadelphia then.

"Shaking with fury and stress" is spot on.

>79 Smiler69: My car is (or was) a 1999 BMW Z3 Roadster:



I've had it for a little over 10 years, and I was thinking of getting another car within the next year, as it's now starting to show its age. I haven't done any research to figure out what car I want, though; I'd prefer to buy a certified and pre-owned 1-3 year old car from a BMW dealer or another manufacturer. I'd prefer to buy another convertible, but I need to look to see what other affordable cars I might like.

>80 phebj: Maddening is right.

Beautiful car! I remember your stories about your yuppie car wash. Now I see why you took it there.

So very sorry to hear about the damage to your convertible, Darryl. What a bummer! My younger son and his fiancee are now in San Francisco (I know. Lucky them!) where they are renting a red mini-Cooper convertible. I am so jealous. It brings back memories of me being twenty-something (but not a Buckhead bimbo) and driving my yellow VW convertible through the streets of San Francisco.

Just this week someone mashed in the side of my hsband's Accura but we have no idea who did it so he is not sure whether or not he wants to spend the money to fix it.

It's so maddening when all some people really think of is themselves. I hope, for your sake, the owner of the car that hit yours has insurance. A good insurance company can sometimes ease the pain of the loss a bit. We've been insured with Erie for years with no claims until one day my older son (still on our policy at that time) totalled his car (sun in his eyes, he hit truck, another car sandwiched him in, he was okay, car was not). Our insurance company came up with a big check for us very propmptly. It was mightily appreciated.

Anyway, here's to a prompt and satisfactory resolution to your car problem. :(

Argh - I'm sorry Darryl - I'm furious on your behalf! Fingers crossed that she does have insurance - if she wasn't sure, that sounds worrying (how on earth can you not know if you've got car insurance or not?!). Very glad that you came out of it in one piece though... Stupid bimbo...

How infuriating, Darryl, and how shocking, but at least you are OK and (apparently) not hurt. We have a 99 car too, and I've also been thinking about getting a new one in a year or two, but it isn't in the same class as yours (no yuppie car wash for us, either).

#78 Thanks for the recommendation, I will give Washington Square a try.

Darryl, I'm so sorry about the accident. That's some car and I can understand your grief and anger!

Yikes! And such a great car! I hope things work out for you.

I am glad you are OK, even if your car is not.

I'm sorry, too, Darryl, but so glad you are okay. I know how upsetting it is to be forced to part from a beloved car before you are ready. We had a Volvo station wagon (not sexy, but we loved it) for 12 years, then one morning came out to find someone had clipped it in the night, and somehow broke the front axle. The cost of fixing that, plus the government incentives at the time (December '09) on scrapping old cars and buying newer, greener ones, made it just stupid to repair rather than replace. I still mourn that car.

#82 Wow, that's a gorgeous baby. I remember drooling over it when it first came out, and every time I've seen one since. We have lots of nice cars in Montreal, but fewer than in other more temperate climates since they get wrecked fast here with the salt they put on the roads every winter.

I'm amazed that you were able to keep your cool with the bimbo after the accident. I probably would've made a fool of myself and done a whole lot of hollering with plenty of insults flying her way. At least you left the scene with your dignity intact.

Thanks for your kind and supportive comments, everyone! My car is now at the local BMW collision center, and I'm waiting to hear back from a representative there, and from an agent with my insurance company. Given the hour (almost 7 pm), I doubt I'll hear from either one before tomorrow.

Today started out badly, although the afternoon was much better. I ordered a rental car online from a major national company, who had an office close to where I live. I took the bus to the office, and the guy (male bimbo) there told me that he didn't have any cars, and said "Oh, I guess we should have called you." I left there biting my tongue, and took the subway to the airport, went to the Rental Center, and got a rental car there. The afternoon was much better, as a very nice and even more helpful representative from my insurance company was able to talk with the towing company that picked up my car (which wasn't easy, since the two phone numbers the driver gave me were no longer in service), and got someone to take my car to the collision center.

I haven't done any reading, except for a very unfocused effort to read A High Wind in Jamaica, but I'll resume reading it tonight.

The weather is brutal here too; it's dropped down to 95 degrees at 7 pm (I'm not sure what the high temperature was for today, since I took a LONG afternoon nap after I slept badly overnight).

>69 avatiakh:-71, 74, 76 I'm glad that you guys enjoyed my unorthodox rating of The London Train. I started this occasional alternative rating scale when I reviewed the surreal, bizarre and outstanding novel The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso in 2009, which I rated 5 Dalí heads (http://www.librarything.com/topic/51408#1028798).

>73 flissp: Hi Fliss! I'll touch base with you later this week about NT plays. I definitely plan to see "FELA!", which I missed in NYC, and I want to see "The Kitchen", the four Double Feature plays, "One Man, Two Guvnors", and The John Harvard Lecture with Simon Schama.

I did receive the time off as I had requested, so the dates for my London trip (Aug 26 - Sep 18) are set, and I've already made flight and hotel reservations.

>92 Smiler69: I was very angry after the accident, but I didn't want to scare the woman and make a bad situation that much worse. Besides, it can't undo what had already happened. More importantly, my rants can't compare to those of the fiery coach of the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie Guillen:

YouTube: Hillarious Ejection of Ozzie Guillen of White Sox vs Cubs

Adding my commiserations to the list, it's a great car and I hope everything sorts out.

Today is Bastille Day, so I think I'll celebrate by reading a book (or two) by a French or Francophone author. At least four of the books I bought at City Lights last month were written by Frenchmen, and, depending on what I have to do today, I could probably read two of them. For now I'll plan to read Des éclairs (Lightning) by Jean Echenoz, and either Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette or Dump This Book While You Still Can! by Marcel Benabou.

Anyone care to join me?

I would if I had the books!

I'm so sorry about your car! And those kinds of things shake you up -

I hope they can make yr. baby 'like new'!

ouch! poor car!
wishing it and you well

>96 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy. I should be hearing from the collision center and the GEICO agent later today.

>97 mckait: Thanks, Kath. I'm in much better spirits today than I was on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, although I'm disappointed that I'm not having breakfast with my parents at the moment. I've made plans to visit them next month, though.

I hope all goes well with the collision center and the insurance agent today, Darryl.

Good luck with the car, Darryl ... was the woman driving an SUV? bimbos are dangerous enough behind the wheel of any vehicle, be they bicycles or cars, but somehow when they get behind the wheel of an SUV, they're even more treacherous I think.

I'll join you in spirit for Bastille Day Darryl. I was thinking of posting something on my blog to send a wink out to my mum who's been living in France for quite a few years now. Can't add anything to my reading pile this month I'm afraid as I'm already crumbling under.

My car will be transported, unrepaired, from the local BMW collision center to GEICO's local inspection facility in the far suburbs, where it will be looked at thoroughly to determine if it is repairable or not. The GEICO rep I spoke with sounded pessimistic about the chance that it was worth it to be repaired, but I'm pretty sure he hadn't seen the car yet. So, I'm still in a state of uncertainty, but I'll start doing research on a new car tomorrow. I'm leaning toward getting another certified pre-owned 2-3 year old BMW, since I had such a good experience with getting the Z3 10 years ago in that fashion.

I finished Des éclairs (Lightning) by Jean Echenoz, my first Bastille Day book, which was a fictionalized account of the life of the Serbian inventor Nikolai Tesla, named Gregor in the book. It was very enjoyable, definitely recommended, and I think it's closer to a 4-1/2 than a 4 star read.

Next up: Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette. It's only 98 pages long, so I'll definitely finish it today.

Caroline, the woman was driving an SUV (Toyota 4Runner?), which is probably why she was driving so recklessly; SUV drivers, at least in Atlanta, drive fearlessly and carelessly, as if they own the road and can intimate drivers of smaller, more sensible cars. And, it's definitely why my car suffered such serious damage, while she was able to drive hers off with no problem (and almost get into another accident while doing so). I'd like to get another convertible, but part of me wonders if I should get an SUV as protection against the crazed Atlanta drivers.

More bad news for Borders: Judge OKs Borders Auction; Liquidators Open Bid

Sorry about your car woes, Darryl. And isn't it the way that if you drive an old banger, you never get hit!

Sorry to hear about the car Darryl. Some people don't belong behind the wheel.

I did finish Fatale, which was a strange read. Rebecca didn't like it, and neither did I. I'll give it 3 stars, and review it and Lightning: A Novel tomorrow.

I've started reading another French novel, Dump This Book While You Still Can! by Marcel Bénabou, which I'll finish tomorrow.

I didn't completely dislike Fatale; I enjoyed the way the author skewered pretensions and one or two of the characters.

Book #95: Lightning: A Novel by Jean Echenoz



My rating:

Lightning is a fictionalized account of the tragic life of Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating current, the form of electricity used to power homes and businesses, a man whose grandiose ideas and ambitions did not lead to financial success or personal fulfillment, due to the unscrupulous men who benefited from his work and his own failure to demand adequate compensation for his achievements.

'Gregor', born during a fierce lightning storm in a small Serbian town, travels to New York from Austria as a young man, where his accomplishments were exceeded only by his pomposity and showmanship, and is hired by Thomas Edison to be his personal assistant. After Edison plays a dirty trick on him he is employed by Edison's rival George Westinghouse, who parlayed Gregor's alternating current concept into a vast fortune, then convinced Gregor to tear up the contract that would have turned him into a multi-millionaire. Plagued by financial difficulty and ostracism from other scientists and potential investors, Gregor's life and career take a steady down turn, as he becomes more withdrawn and quirky and chooses to spend more time with the pigeons that he tends to in his increasingly shabby hotel rooms than the woman who loves and nurtures him.

Similar to his most recent novels Running and Ravel, Echenoz expertly uses fiction as a technique to tell the tragic story of an underappreciated man in Lightning, a compelling short novel that I could not put down once I started reading it.

Book #96: Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette



My rating:

Fatale was a strange and unbelievable crime novella about a attractive young widow and cold-blooded killer who moves to a small French seaside town, where she uses her allure and social skills to befriend the most influential people. After a series of mysterious deaths occurs, Aimée befriends a mentally troubled man living on the edge of town who seeks revenge against its most prominent citizens, and uses him to blackmail them, in order to keep sensitive information from leaking out. The plan goes somewhat awry, but Aimée triumphs due to her cunning and superior strength and ability.

Other than the clever portrayals of Aimée and the troubled Baron Jules, there was little in this novella to keep my interest, and the story was rather slight and wooden. Fatale may be of some interest to those who like crime novels, but everyone else should steer clear of this book.

#108: Nice review, Darryl! My local library does not have the book, but maybe next year when I am not on the book-buying ban, I can actually get it.

>107 rebeccanyc: I suspect that I liked it less than you did, Rebecca.

>110 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Echenoz has quickly become one of my favorite writers, as I've liked all but one of the five novels of his that I've read so far. I'm still looking for I'm Gone, his Prix Goncourt winning novel, which I hope to find in London next month.

#111: I would say 'Stay in London until you find it!' Good excuse for not rushing back to the States!

I am fascinated by Tesla..and have read a book or three..

>112 alcottacre: I don't think I'll need any excuse to not rush back...

>113 mckait: This is the second book about Tesla that I've read, the first being The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt, in which Tesla was nearing the end of his life, living in The New Yorker Hotel. It was pretty good, but not as good as Lightning.

I'll finish my third Bastille Day novel, Dump This Book While You Still Can!, this morning, and then I'll restart A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes later today.

#114: Yeah, I did not figure you needed an excuse.

This sounds perfect: a reading retreat in an English country home or an Italian castle.

Reading retreats: Paradise for book lovers

>116 kidzdoc: I've thought of doing something similar myself, though on a less grand scale... just booking a long weekend for myself at a good hotel and taking a stack of reading material. I just might do it before the summer is over!

Great reviews (as usual) Darryl and thumbs from me. My library actually has Lightning on order! And I loved that article about the reading retreats, especially the one in the UK where you had to consult with a bibliotherapist beforehand and get your reading prescription for your vacation.

#116 Like the sound of that! Although not so much the having someone pick my books for me - I've got quite enough unread books already thank you ;o)

#93 Re the NT - those plays seem to mostly be things that I want to see at some point or other, but I've yet to have a proper peruse of the newer listings. I'll probably book lots of tickets at the weekend. I've a feeling that "One Man, Two Goveners" is sold out though?

>117 katiekrug: Actually, most of my long vacations, especially to San Francisco and London, are essentially reading vacations, where I buy books and read them, although I'll often visit friends and attend cultural events while I'm there. I might get a bit stir crazy if I did nothing but read for more than a weekend.

>118 phebj: Thanks, Pat! I wonder how much a bibliotherapist makes...

>119 flissp: Right, Fliss; I don't need anyone to prescribe books for me (although a prescription for excessive book buying might be useful).

I just sent you a PM regarding NT tickets. You're right, all advance tickets for "One Man, Two Guvnors" have been sold out.

I did finish reading Dump This Book While You Still Can! just before noon. One sentence review: Dump this book before you buy it (2-1/2 stars). More comments later.

Sorry to hear about your car woes, Darryl. I've had my own, totalling my car on the way to work last fall. No one was injured, thankfully, but the next month was pretty crazy. Good luck with the insurance.

Apologies fopr being nosey - but what is 'NT'?

NT = The (Royal) National Theatre, which is on the South Bank of the Thames in central London. The NT puts on ~20 plays each year, at one of the three auditoriums in its South Bank home, or in other locales in and around London. I've probably seen 8-10 plays during my three visits to the capital, and enjoyed each one. The NT is subsided in part by the British government, and by private companies such as Travelex; as a result, ticket prices are far less than what you would pay for plays on the West End. In 2009 I went to four plays, of which three were £10 Travelex specials, and paid less for those four performances than I did for a single ticket for a Broadway matinee perfomance of "God of Carnage" that year.

Attending NT performances is high on my list of favorite things to do in London, as I love live theater nearly as much as I do reading, and I'll go to as many performances as I can while I'm there.

Of course! Thanks for the explanation, Darryl - as a previous London resident, I often went there - just didn't recognise the acronym! Sounds like you are in for a wonderful stage-fest while you are there. *eyes glaze while remembering times past*

I prefer reading at home, I think. If I were in a country cabin or castle..
I think I would be too distracted and anxious to explore the territory to read.

Hmm, good point, Kath. I would also need time to explore before I began reading, and I might still be distracted by the surroundings.

Speaking of impressive places to read, have you ever been to the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt, Kath? It's the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere, and the ground floor is a great place to study and read (once you've been there enough times to stop gaping at the interior and exterior architecture).

Morning Darryl- Great review of Lightning: A Novel. I've said this before, but you always manage to find the most interesting books. Have a good weekend.

So sorry to read about your traffic incident, Darryl. As terrible as it is, you are unscathed and that's issue number one. I know how you feel about your Z3 as I have a 328i for one more year, then the lease is up and BMW wants the car back. I'd love another but the lease prices are going through the roof. If it is not feasible to repair the Z3, I hope you find another car that meets, nay, exceeds your expectations.
BTW: You read some d**n good books!

How do you like your 328i, Lynda? I'm strongly inclined to get another Certified Pre-Owned BMW from my local dealer, who I've had very good experiences with over the past 10 years. There are a couple of very reasonably priced 328i sedans currently on sale there, though I'm not sure that either one will be there after this weekend. I like the look of the 335i convertible, but the ones available there are considerably more expensive. The 1 series convertible also looks nice, but the new ones cost much more than I want to spend. There is also a Z4 for sale, but I'd rather have a 4-seat car with more trunk space this time around, particularly if I want to take any trips.

Buy a SAAB! The new 9-5 is excellent!

#126 Hail to Pitt!! My alma mater!!

>130 richardderus: Too $$$!

>131 tangledthread: H2P! Pitt Med, class of 1997. When did you graduate?

>121 markon: Sorry to hear about your past accident, Ardene. Was anyone else involved?

>127 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Lightning: A Novel was a typical surprise find at City Lights, as I didn't know that Jean Echenoz's latest book had been published in English.

>132 kidzdoc: What?! A paltry $45,000 has you skittish? Why, think of that as Thursday night's pay, you'll be fine.

Ha! That amount is a LOT of Thursday nights' pay, sir. And that is too much money to spend on a car, IMO. I'd rather let someone else pay for the first 2-3 years of a car, and buy it when it has lost 1/4 to 1/3 or more of its value. I paid less than $30K for the Z3, and I'd like to stay in the mid $30s for my next car.

My first car, a used 1973 Honda Civic, cost $650, I think:



My brother called it the Flintstone-Mobile, as the floor had rusted out.



However, he and my father stopped laughing at it when my car was the only one in the family whose engine started every time in the dead of winter, and it could navigate the worst snowstorms better than either of their cars.

Oh yes..... I have been to the Cathedral of Learning :)
Astounding place, that!

Love that photo of your first car!!!!!

#126 Oh my, that's quite gorgeous isn't it?

Dunno what they were griping about. A rusted floor really helps with the braking. Doesn't it? Not to mention, if it's rusted through then it can't collect all that unsightly clutter. *shrug*

I'm with you on the gently pre-owned car thing. It's utterly logical, and you're not sacrificing either style or reliability (obviously, if this one lasted a decade and only met its doom at the wheel of an SUV-wielding bimbo...)

#129 At the risk of sounding like a blase tv commercial, I can tell you my 328i is amazing, Darryl. I've never had a car that had so much speed of acceleration nor curve hugging capabilities as this little ride. Of couse, your Z3 most likely offered that ............and more!
The hubsters prefers to lease because we're under warranty for the life of the lease and he feels to repair and maintain a purchased BMW is too costly. But if you're going to buy, the pre-owned vehicles are excellent, simply because they probably have been well cared for during the first three years of ownership. Whatever you decide.....have fun choosing.

>136 mckait: The Cathedral of Learning is an impressive building.

>137 sibylline: It's not my actual car, but it looks exactly like it. Mine was a bit rustier than that.

>138 Smiler69: Pittsburgh does have several impressive works of architecture, lots of parks, and is much cleaner than any other major US city that I've lived in. It has plenty of steep hills in and around the city, along with two major rivers, the Allegheny and the Monongahela ("Mon"), that converge to form the Ohio River downtown, as seen in this photo taken from Mount Washington:



>139 Chatterbox: Having a retractable floor does help with braking, although it's tough on shoes.

The only downsides for getting a certified pre-owned car are that you don't get the latest model (which, given the recalls that have happened lately (e.g., Toyota Camry), may be a good thing), and you don't get that new car smell. I'll gladly pay $10-15K less for a car that otherwise looks and drives like new.

>140 Carmenere: That car drives like a dream, especially around corners and when making turns. The first week I had it I almost clipped two cars, as I wasn't used to a car with that much responsiveness. Conversely, driving any other car, especially the rental car I now have, has become a bit uncomfortable, as they are too big (I've always had small cars) and feel bulky in comparison.

I would only buy a certified pre-owned car from an affiliate of the car's manufacturer, based on my excellent experience with BMW, along with the horrible experience one of the physician assistants who used to work with us had. She bought a pre-owned BMW from a major used car dealer (I can't remember which one, but it's one that most of you in the US would have heard of), a bit impetuously, and she frequently complained about the way it handled. Sometime after the warranty from the car dealer expired she had it looked at by a mechanic, who put it up on a lift and showed her that the chassis was misaligned, as it had been in a major accident before she bought it. I think she went back to the car dealer, but it was too late for her to get any compensation for it.

I finished one book late last night, Snow Plain: Selected Stories by the Chinese poet Duo Duo, who won the Neustadt Prize for International Literature ("American Nobel") last year, which was very good. I'm four reviews behind, as I read three books on Friday, so I'll start catching up now.

Book #97: Dump This Book While You Still Can! by Marcel Bénabou



My rating:

A man who has just turned 40 and lives alone in a cluttered apartment one day finds a book that he doesn't remember buying on his desk. Its cover is completely blank, and the book opens with a request that it not be read:

Come on, dump this book. Or better yet, throw it as far away as you can. Right now. Before it's too late. That resolution is your only escape, believe me.

The narrator is piqued and intrigued, and decides to read the book in spite of the author's request, both for the challenge of reading it, and because he is convinced that it will be worth the effort. He is perplexed and consumed by it, and he devotes nearly all his energy to elucidating its hidden messages. Throughout this book, we learn about Sophie, a young but elusive woman who he loves deeply, his past and current unsatisfactory life, and the pleasures and frustrations of reading.

Unfortunately, I lost interest in this story and its narrator somewhere in the middle of the book, as it became a bit too clever and esoteric for me. So, I would encourage anyone considering this book to dump it before you buy it.

#142: OK, one not to look for from your thread. That so rarely happens here.

Book #98: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes



My rating:

This novel was originally written in 1929, and is centered on the lives of two sets of British children who live with their parents in Jamaica in the late 19th century, after slavery was abolished and while the country was taking its first steps toward independence. The seven members of the Bas-Thornton family reside in a dilapidated house on an isolated and ruined sugar cane plantation, where the children enjoy each others' company amid the exotic flora and fauna, with minimal contact from the black Jamaicans who live in the surrounding hills. Their only contact with other whites is with the two children of the Fernandez family, who live along the seaside.

The island is devastated by a fierce hurricane that destroys the Bas-Thornton's home, and the parents decide to send the children back to the safety of England, where they can receive a proper education and upbringing. The Fernandez children join them, along with a servant, and all are placed in the care of the captain of a small barque, as neither family can afford to send them to England on a steamer. En route, the ship is captured by a motley crew of pirates dressed as women, and the children are taken as booty. The pirates are unable to rid themselves of the children, and are forced to sail with them onboard while they search for other prey. Children being children, they adopt to and thrive in their new home, as they drive the pirates to perpetual distraction while endearing themselves to them.

A High Wind in Jamaica is a mostly rollicking but occasionally tragic novel about imperfect but engaging and lovable children—and pirates—and a most enjoyable sea adventure that ended far too soon.

>143 alcottacre: Avoid Dump This Book While You Still Can!, but definitely read A High Wind in Jamaica if you haven't done so already. It was also made into a movie in 1965, which starred Anthony Quinn, James Coburn, and a young Martin Amis.

For now I'll hold off writing a review of Underdog, the poetry collection that I read after A High Wind in Jamaica, as the poems were inscrutable to me on a first reading, and I'll review Snow Plain by Duo Duo later today or tomorrow.

Glad to hear you enjoyed A High Wind in Jamaica, Darryl. I'll be moving it up the TBR pile, I think.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through Partitions, which I am liking? Enjoying? Not sure those words are right, as so much of it is very brutal. But an excellent first novel, for sure.

>132 kidzdoc: undergrad '74, SHRP - PT A long time before you were there! But I grew up in that area.

I love the sounds of A High Wind in Jamaica Darryl and your excellent review has prompted me to add it to my teetering tower. I have seldom been disappointed by the NYRB selections.

A High Wind in Jamaica sounds great. I'm going to look for that one.

That's a beautiful picture of the city of Pittsburgh. I was only there once about 20 years ago for a business meeting but I loved the city, especially the funiculars which I was glad to see in the picture.

Thumbs-upped your review of A High Wind in Jamaica!

I remember reading A High Wind in Jamaica when I was a kid and being wowed by it -- it was quite different somehow from everything else. I'm thinking it might well be worth a reread!

#141 I've visited quite a few places on the US over the years, but Pittsburg hasn't featured among my travels yet. I didn't realize how much I was missing out until now.

#142 Done.

#143 Thanks for a great review of what sound like a book that should definitely not be missed. Duly thumbed and wishlisted!

eta: grrrrr.... would you believe they only have the French version of A High Wind in Jamaica at the library? That sort of thing really pisses me off. I may be bilingual, but I refuse to read English books in French translation!

Ilana, I used to do just that -- read English books in French translation -- when I was starting to really read in French. The idea being that I knew the author would be good, so that would give me an additional push along the way. I agree, though, that it's suboptimal.

That said, I do think the woman who is doing French to English translations for Europa is particularly good. I noticed after reading the Gavalda novel that just appeared -- the tone & style are utterly different to someone like Cosse, and she captured those nuances, I think.

Should look for High Wind in Jamaica. Although for some reason, my library still has me having out the Memory of Love, accruing late fees -- although I returned it on Friday. If that didn't get logged back into the system, I'm going to have some major problems...

126, 141: Ooh. I was in Pittsburgh for a couple of days around this time last year, saw the exterior of the Cathedral of Learning, did not go inside. Now I'm sorry. I wanted more to wander across bridges, and did some of that, but the temperature was in the 90s and I wilt quickly.

Suz, I agree that reading French translations from English when you're getting familiar with reading in that language is a good idea. But in my case, both English and French are mother tongues, since I started speaking and reading both languages at the same time. Quebec is probably one of the only places in the world where one is constantly exposed to French and English side by side almost at all times, and I've always had a reflex of translating both languages back and forth, trying to figure out which language the original text was written in, which is easy to do as I usually find fault with the translated version and am always re-translating things in my mind.

This means that when I'm reading a translated novel (be it from any language), I'm always hyper conscious that it is only an approximation of the author's original intention, no matter how good the translation happens to be, and can't help translate back into what I imagine the text to have been like in the original language if it's English or French, then translate it my own way as I go along. As you can imagine (and for all I know you do the same thing too), this makes for a lot of mental gymnastics—not that there's anything wrong with that—which also means that I'm easily distracted from the actual text at hand, which doesn't make for a very relaxing reading experience.

So yeah. That's why my frustration about finding English texts available only in French translation. Besides the fact that it's just wrong. If it was written in French or English initially, since both are official languages in Canada, it should be available int the original language, period. /end of rant.

Except, Ilana, that you live in a unilingual province (at least, one that is officially unilingual), sadly! I completely agree with you, btw, that if a book is available in both original & translated language, it should be provided in both, in any city with large enough populations to warrant this.

There was a time in my 20s where I started to think in images rather than in languages. That's when I was at my most fluently bilingual, really not even noticing when I switched from English to French or back, and when I had also spent three years studying Russian and was living in a Japanese-speaking environment. It was as if my brain just hit "language overload" and went into a different mode. A few years later, Pierre Trudeau mentioned that he had "thought" that way for most of his life, which intrigued me. I wonder if anyone has done a study not just of the effects of bilingualism generally but of highly-literature multi-lingual people, for whom words/language/writing/communication are hyper-important.

Oh, FYI, I was one of the guinea pigs of the bilingual school system in Ottawa, Ilana, in the mid 70s, before we moved to Belgium. Interesting, because I was talking about this with a friend last night -- she is a New Yorker who lived for many years in Canada. Her daughter was brought up in a bilingual education system, and she's worried that the daughter is now (at 14) losing her French.

Sorry about the thread hijack, Darryl!

Wow, a lot of activity here since my last post!

I just finished Mañana Forever?: Mexico and the Mexicans by Jorge Castañeda, who is currently a professor at NYU and previously served Mexico's foreign minister from 2000 to 2003, which was a superb look, by a native and well connected Mexican who is also somewhat of an outsider due to his upbringing outside of the country, of Mexican society, its political and governmental institutions, and the challenges the country faces to solve its current problems, including the battle against the narcotraficantes, the establishment of a stable and functioning democracy, and the country's sluggish economic growth compared to other Latin American countries and its neighbor to the north. It was quite insightful and interesting, and worthy of a 4-1/2 star rating. I'll review it tomorrow.

>146 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. And I'm glad that you're "enjoying" Partitions; it's one of the best LT ER books I've read, and a very good debut novel.

>147 tangledthread: SHRP = School of Health Related Professions, right? I assume PT = physical therapist. SeanLong is the only other LTer I know who went to Pitt.

>148 brenzi: I agree, Bonnie, almost all of the NYRB books I've read have been excellent or at least very good, Fatale being one recent exception. I have at least two dozen NYRBs that I haven't read, and my next one will almost certainly be The Summer Book by Tove Jansson.

>149 phebj: Thanks, Pat. I enjoyed my four years living in Pittsburgh, as I lived in a nice neighborhood (Shadyside) in a gorgeous 1920s apartment building, which I still miss, and made several good friends from my class, who I'm still very close to, even though they live far away.

>150 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>151 sibylline: I'd say it's worth a re-read, Lucy. Rebecca reminded me that there were several aspects of the book that I didn't comment on, particularly guilt and innocence in the children and the pirates. I'll probably revise my review of the book later this week, and post a link to it here.

>152 Smiler69: A late spring or early fall weekend in Pittsburgh would be a nice trip, I think.

>154 qebo: Pittsburgh is a very walkable city, and my friends & I would occasionally walk across one the downtown bridges to the North Side, especially when we would go to the Andy Warhol Museum or see a Pirates baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium (which has been replaced by a newer and much nicer baseball only stadium).

>153 Chatterbox:, 155, 156 I have nothing to add, but feel free to continue the conversation here.

Next up: On Beauty by Zadie Smith, for my TIOLI "hot" author challenge.

I'll be interested in what you think of On Beauty, as I am not one of its many fans. Have you read Howards End which Smith says she was paying homage to with this book?

>158 rebeccanyc: What Rebecca said. As to the Howard's End comment, I think Forster should haunt her for saying it. Chain-rattlings and cold-spots and ectoplasmic slimings.

>158 rebeccanyc: I'm only 50 pages into On Beauty, but I'm enjoying it so far. I loved White Teeth, but I thought her other novel, The Autograph Man, was forgettable (and I can't remember a single detail about it at the moment).

I have not read Howards End, but I've downloaded the free version of it to my Kindle, and I'll plan to read it this summer.

>158 rebeccanyc: He might give her praise instead of haunting her; she seems to be a huge fan of his, based on this book and her article about him in The New York Review of Books (E.M. Forster, Middle Manager), which also appears in her book of essays, Changing My Mind (which is sitting beside me, waiting to be read).

Hmmm, that actually makes me want to read BOTH books! I've avoided Zadie Smith since everyone on the Tube in London was reading her my last year or so living there. Whenever the entire world agrees that something is a "must read" I tend to get wary...

>161 Chatterbox: Which books? On Beauty and Howards End?

I loved On Beauty but have yet to hear of anyone else who did. I never read Howard's End so can't comment on the similarities. Hope you continue to enjoy it.

I would recommend reading Howards End before On Beauty; of course, maybe if I'd read On Beauty first I might -- marginally -- have liked it better.

Yup, Darryl. I've read Howards End, but it was 25 years ago or thereabouts. After the film version of A Room with a View appeared, but before the Emma Thompson movie of Howards End. ETA: So, I'm curious to see in what way On Beauty might be a literary hommage.

>163 phebj: I looked at some of the LT reviews of On Beauty, to see why readers did and didn't like it. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to help me very much. No matter; it's been on my shelves for way too long, and I'm enjoying it so far, so I'll continue to read it. I get the sense that it may not be the best book to plow through in two days, so I may slowly read it over the week and finish it this weekend.

>164 rebeccanyc: Did you read White Teeth, Rebecca? If so, did you like it, and how did it compare to On Beauty? I'll still read On Beauty before Howards End, but I'll read the latter book soon, probably next month.

>165 Chatterbox: Has anyone else read Howards End and On Beauty?

BTW, the title of Howards End doesn't have an apostrophe...

I've read and loved both. It was so fun to find connections within Smith's novel to Howards End, which has long been a beloved book and movie. I'm dying to read White Teeth. It's taking forever coming in for my reserve at the library. :o)

Nor does it in my posts. (the apostrophe) At least, not any more.

Blame hot weather for addlepatedness. It's 83 F in my home office already.

Darryl, I never did read White Teeth, though I read On Beauty some years back. Didn't know about the connection to Howards End at the time, which I haven't read either, and had I read it first, it might have helped me enjoy On Beauty more. I do know I kept wondering through the whole thing what the title could possibly refer to. Maybe you can clarify that for me when you're done.

#161 Whenever the entire world agrees that something is a "must read" I tend to get wary

I know just what you mean Suzanne.

#156 I try to forget that I'm in a unilingual province, thank you very much. My mum used to be pro separation and we staunchly agreed to disagree. I've never thought of myself as a Quebecoise, even though I suppose I am that perforce, though I prefer to think of myself as a world citizen. As a child I used to speak with a French French accent, and people here used to make fun of me. Now I have the ugly Quebecois accent like everyone else, though when I go to France it tends to soften considerably.

There was one point in my life at which I was trilingual (was fluent in Hebrew when lived in Israel), and I couldn't say for sure if I thought in any one language or more in images. As a matter of fact, don't really know how I think now... (do I think, ever?) but that's a really interesting point you bring up Suz.

It's funny, because I love the song "gens du pays" -- and yet deplore the idea of separatism. (with apologies to any PQistes lurking here...) Strikes me as cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. And to be a separatist these days strikes me as the height of idiocy and irrationality. Today's Quebec has, as best I can tell, every vestige of cultural independence that it could manage to obtain given its geographic position in the middle of North America. But then I saw this from outside the country -- when people in Asia would say, well, we want to open a factory, and you folks from the Canadian government tell us that's fine, but the folks from the Quebec government mission say no, not unless you send French-speakers to run it -- well, who do we believe? Ah, the joys of federalism and separatism...

>157 kidzdoc: Correct on both counts. The building we used (Pennsylvania Hall which was up near the VA hosp.) has been demolished. Not a bad thing since getting to class every day involved entering a parking garage on the lower level (same street that Western Psych was on...can't remember the street name) and taking the elevator to the top level and walking off there. That was followed by flight of stairs (144 steps) up to the lower level of the building. Obviously before ADA.

The school is now the School of Health and Rehabilitation Science. Cliff Brubaker and team is doing a great job.

Howard's End is a joke...I dated a guy who had read Maurice and thought Howard's End was set to be another in the same genre. I forget that, absent context, it's not funny but dumb. Well, *I* still think it's funny. I'm also still sniggering over "Un Bullo in Mascara" and "Ariadne Obnoxious" though.

Oh, Darryl. I love visiting your thread and finding you cheerleading for Pittsburgh. I'm looking out my window at the incline and front half of Point State Park right now. You reminded me to be grateful to live here.

One of the things I've always really liked about the Cathedral of Learning (besides the Nationality Rooms) is that no matter how many college students you squeeze into that first floor, the scale of the architecture give it a certain hush that, for me, just feels like a place of higher education.

Another Pittsburgher here! Women's Studies 1990. Most of my classes were in the Cathedral - unfortunately the upper floors are not as nice as the ground floor. And I lived in Shadyside - on Howe Street. IMO, there and Squirrel Hill are the best places in the US, outside of NYC, to live.

thanks for the "heads up" on The London Train. I liked the title and planned to take it along on my recent trip for a conference but put it aside due to your "yawning" review. Picked up A Visit from the Goon Squad at the airport. Enjoyable read so far.

Sorry about your car - but, how can someone not know whether they have insurance or not? Bizarre! Totally irresponsible.

Oops! I missed your new thread. Don't have time to catch up now, but have you starred and wanted to say hello.

I'm quite sure that it was you who some time ago alerted me to the existence of the book Jade Visions: the life and music of Scott LaFaro. I just finished and reviewed it, and am glad to have read it.

Well, Pittsburgh. If I could choose a city to live outside of, it would be Roanoke, Va.
But that is nothing to do with Pittsburgh. I have no feelings about the city, aside from wanting
to stay out of it. I am not a city person.. I find them unnerving . Roanoke ? Well, I want to live
in that area somewhere, but ot in the city, although as cities go, it is less threatening to me
than most.

So what do you do in the winter with your convertible, Darryl? Or do you have a winter car and garage the BMW when it snows?

Okay, I'm about to blow a gasket. The local GEICO adjuster I spoke with four days ago after my car was moved to the BMW collision center where I wanted my car to be repaired told me that it needed to be moved to the GEICO inspection center waayyy on the other side of town, 40-50 miles away, so that an adjuster could inspect it there and determine if it could be repaired or not. I reluctantly agreed to this, and he told me that GEICO would make a decision about its repairability early this week. This afternoon I received a call from a GEICO representative, asking me why I hadn't signed a release form to have the car taken to the GEICO inspection center, as it is still at the BMW collision center, collecting dust. Did the #*$&%!!! adjuster I spoke with tell me I needed to do this???? Nooo!!! So, I drive over to the collision center about 20 miles away, to confirm that the car was there and sign a release form, fuming all the way. I spoke with a very helpful guy there, who confirmed my suspicion that GEICO's plan made no sense, and that an adjuster should come there to inspect the vehicle, particularly since he and the mechanic I spoke with said that it should be repairable. So, I called the GEICO rep back, fuming but fortunately not cursing, and I'm waiting to hear back from the #*$&*#!!! who gave me the misinformation on Thursday. I let her know that I was extremely displeased and frustrated with GEICO's service, would be making a complaint (as I have their names and numbers), and would probably switch insurance carriers after this *$&% has been resolved.

God, I hate Atlanta. This place has more bimbos and idiots than any place I've ever lived. Give me Pittsburgh any day of the week!

Sorry to hear of your insurance woes. If you're going to switch, I'd recommend Liberty Mutual, Darryl ... they're fantastic!

There is no winter in Atlanta to speak of Caro. Sorry about your troubles with Geico.
Insurance companies are the devil, in most cases.

It doesn't snow in Atlanta?

Hardly ever. And then usually only an inch or so and it goes away. Usually.

The preceding message was not sponsored by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

>171 tangledthread: The painted building just above Pitt Stadium was Pennsylvania Hall, right?



I think that PA Hall was still there when I was a student, and Pitt Stadium wasn't torn down until after I graduated in 1997.

We used to hate going from Scaife Hall (the med school building) to the VA! I looked at Google Maps, and the street that wrapped around Pitt Stadium to the west and north is Sutherland Street. I remember being amazed the first time I walked on it, as it started at the bottom of the stadium (SW corner) and ended just above the stadium (NE corner), where Pennsylvania Hall sat; how steep can you get? Then we had to keep walking uphill to the VA (puff, gasp). Whoever named it "Cardiac Hill" got it right!

One reason I almost always took a PA Transit (71C) bus or the Pitt Shuttle on weekdays to campus (besides the fact that both were free for Pitt students) was that it was essentially impossible to find a parking spot that wasn't on a steep hill close to campus. If I had to drive I'd usually park in the garage above Fitzgerald Field House. The view of downtown and the campus was fabulous from there, once you adjusted to the thin air.

Walking down DeSoto Street (which ran north-south) between Scaife Hall and Western Psych was a challenge in winter time, especially if the street was icy. Once when I walked down hill with several of my classmates one of them slipped, and while falling down grabbed onto another person, who also, fell, etc., so all four of us ended up on the ground, unhurt, but scarred by the roars of laughter from our classmates that were behind us (who also slipped and fell after we did).

>172 richardderus: Sorry Richard, that went waaayyy over my head.

>173 nancyewhite: The Cathedral of Learning was a great place to study, for the reasons you mentioned, although we had plenty of study rooms at Scaife Hall, which is directly across the street from the Petersen Events Center (Pitt's basketball arena). So, I only rarely studied at the C of L.

>174 catarina1: Woo hoo, another Pitt alum! Sadly, I never went upstairs in the C of L. I loved living in Shadyside, it was peaceful, friendly and safe, quite a contrast to Atlanta. My best friend lived in Squirrel Hill, and we would usually spend Sunday mornings at the Jewish dairy restaurant near the bottom of Murray Avenue (name?) or the restaurant with the decadent desserts near the Giant Eagle in the middle of Murray Avenue (name???) having a leisurely breakfast while sharing the Sunday New York Times. I miss that.

The apartment building I stayed in included an older Jewish couple, who would usually sit on their porch in the afternoons if it was warm enough. They treated me as if I was their son, and would invite me to their place for a snack if it was early enough, or for dinner if it was late and I looked tired. They were very upset when I told them I would be moving to Atlanta for residency after graduation, and the wife was quite teary toward the end. I know that the husband died of cancer soon after I left, and I fear that his wife has passed on, as well. They were easily the best neighbors I've ever had since I moved away from home. (*sniff*)

>175 tymfos: I think you're right about the Scott LaFaro biography, although I can't remember who told me about it. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I'll check your review shortly, as I haven't read it yet.

>176 mckait: I haven't been to Roanoke, and I can't think of anyone I know who is from there or has lived there previously. I suspect that it would be a bit small for my taste, but I'm sure that it's beautiful there (it's in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains, right?).

>177 cameling: Atlanta has no winter to speak of, Caroline, despite what the locals say. Anytime there is a threat of snow, the folks here (those who aren't from the Northeast or Midwest) go into panic mode, and buy up bread and milk as if an apocalypse was about to take place. You may remember that I slept in the hospital for three or four days earlier this year, as the roads were too treacherous to drive on (as they weren't plowed or salted properly), and the locals got into hundreds of accidents, as folks in the Deep South are completely clueless when it comes to driving on snowy or icy roads.

Blue Ridge.. which has a lot to do with my opinion of the area.. so wonderful!

>179 cameling: I used to be with Liberty Mutual, but switched to GEICO after I bought my car, as my employer has a special relationship with the company. I'll almost certainly switch back to Liberty Mutual after this fiasco is over. Maybe GEICO should devote more of its resources to hiring competent employees rather than showing innumerable stupid @$$ed commercials on television.

>180 mckait:-182 Right, what passes for winter here is hardly worth mentioning, although the locals dress as if they are in Minnesota or Wisconsin in the dead of winter once it drops below 50 degrees, wearing fur hats and fur lined coats, thick gloves, and heavy scarfs. Sad.

I've lived here 14 years, and we've only had two snowfalls that exceeded 1-2 inches, including last year's "Snowmageddon", as they called it here, which would have been nothing unusual for cities like Pittsburgh and Boston. Atlanta tries hard to be an international city, but the local and state officials and infrastructure (including public transportation and road services), etc. are absolutely pathetic compared to other major cities. I'm sure some of you have heard about the latest embarrassing Atlanta incident, the school cheating scandal in the Atlanta Public School system that was initiated by the previously lauded superintendent of schools, who resigned just before the investigation became public, that involved nearly 180 principals and teachers. The best suburban schools here are comparable to those anywhere else, but I would never allow any child of mine to receive a public education in this city.

(end of way too lengthy anti-Atlanta rant)

On the good news front, I did pick up two new books today: Pao by Kerry Young, my LT Early Reviewer book for June, and Haiti After the Earthquake by Paul Farmer, which I ordered from my local Borders.

>184 mckait: Yes, the Blue Ridge mountains are gorgeous!

ETA: Here's an article about the Atlanta Public Schools scandal, from yesterday's New York Times:

Cracking a System in Which Test Scores Were for Changing

#166. No, I haven't read anything else by Smith except a forgettable short story in The New Yorker. I'm my iPhone so will write more later.

Same school thing happened here in Pittsburgh Darryl.....
http://www.wtae.com/high-school-playbook/28534792/detail.html

That is and has been happening all over.
I had kids ( mine) who refused to take the standardized testing and told the school that
they learned more at home than they did at school and they were not going to test for them.
Such rebels. Wonder where they get it :-/

>183 kidzdoc: Yes, that is Pennsylvania Hall. It didn't have "Hail to Pitt" painted on the side 'back in the day'. The photo brings back some memories.
The incline on De Soto Street was why we did the parking garage trick...and elevator part of the way was better than none.

Hope the car repair stuff gets ironed out. Seems cheaper to me to transport a person (Gieco assessor) than it is to tow a car there and back again. Offer them cab fair!

I've skimmed and caught up with you a bit, Darryl. So sorry to hear of your accident and the hassles with the insurance company. My brother had bad luck with Geico, too. Can't speak to the Atlanta critique from personal experience, but you sure have dealt with your share of bimbos and idiots this week.

Certified used cars seem to be a good way to go if you do need to replace your car. I have no experience with BMW, but my last Chevy was a GM pre-owned certified car; it was such a good experience, I just bought another one.

Wow, that's a lot of $^&*(^$%^&ing and $%$*&%^#^*(()*)&ing going on!

I take it you're not a fan of the gecko?

Hopefully the idiots can be relocated south to, say, Biloxi, or you can relocate westward to, say, San Francisco before it's not your car whose gaskets are blown, but you!

It's official. According to a letter from the president of Borders, Mike Edwards, the chain will close all of its remaining stores by the end of September, according to this article from The New York Times, which includes a letter from Mr Edwards to the company's 10,000+ employees:

Calling Off Auction, Borders Plans to Liquidate

Sorry for my rants; I'm a bit calmer at the moment.

>186 rebeccanyc: Hmm, I wonder if the short story you read was an excerpt from one of her three novels. Must check...

>187 mckait: Wow, that is sad about the Western Pennsylvania schools. I watched a little bit of the 6 pm local news, which featured several stories about the Atlanta Public Schools scandal, and mentioned that the Washington, DC public schools were also being investigated for cheating. This could get ugly.

>188 tangledthread: So, you were at Pitt when Matt Cavanaugh and Tony Dorsett were there and just before Dan Marino played for the Panthers, right? The only Pitt football games I "saw" live (other than a game when I was in high school at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia in the mid-70s, when Tony Dorsett ran wild against Temple) were from the cafeteria of Presbyterian Hospital, which overlooked the stadium. I remember that one Saturday several of us were studying at Scaife Hall in the morning, ate a late lunch at Presby's cafeteria in the afternoon, and decided to go to the second half of the Pitt-Ohio State game at Pitt Stadium. I can't remember what the score was at the time, although we could easily see the scoreboard from the cafeteria, but I remember that we all cringed and decided not to go, and that Ohio State ended up winning 72-0:

72-0! NO. 7 OHIO ST. DEALS PITT WORST LOSS EVER

The football team was horrible all four years that I was there, and the basketball team was mediocre, as it didn't make the NCAA tournament or win 20 games in any of those seasons.

That's exactly what I told the GEICO rep on the phone; it didn't make any sense to me, nor did I think it was cost effective, to have the car transported 40-50 miles away, when none of the adjusters had looked at it, and when the collision center's staff said that it was repairable (some good news, anyway). If this lasts much longer I'll just pay for the *&$&$*!! repairs myself, and deal with the reimbursement later. And, if that happens, I'll drop GEICO like a hot potato and sign up with Liberty Mutual.

>189 tymfos: Fortunately, from what the guys at the collision center told me, the car should be repairable. The two of them (the rep and the mechanic) were much more professional and courteous than the woman I dealt with today, and the GEICO adjuster I spoke with on Thursday. However, to be fair, the two women from GEICO that I spoke with on Tuesday and Wednesday were very helpful and supportive, so it hasn't been a completely negative experience. I still haven't heard back from the adjuster I spoke with on Thursday, so I'll call the company in the morning and request that another adjuster handle the case, or speak with a supervisor, but this will be their last chance to make amends with me.

>190 Chatterbox: Unfortunately, most of the minimally educated and marginally literate graduates from SEC and other Southern schools want to come to the "big city" of Atlanta (ha!). I won't be here that much longer, no more than 5-10 years at the most, and I'll almost certainly move back to the Northeast, probably somewhere between Philadelphia and NYC.

Those GEICO commercials are juvenile and annoying, especially in comparison to the ones by Liberty Mutual and Allstate.

Trust me when I tell you Darryl, the cheating has been going on for a long time. V long.
Sad state of affairs.

Well, as I'm only a bystander, I can be entertained by the rants -- from a distance. But they can't be good for your blood pressure. So I prescribe a healthy dose of good literature, taken daily until your car is returned to you in pristine shape.

I confess I'm amused by your definition of "much longer" -- 5 to 10 years?!?!
Talk about taking the long view...

Must go and read more Death in Venice. Herr von Aschenbach is calling to me from his seat on the beach.

OK, I think I am completely caught up. Your views on living in Atlanta are pretty much the same as mine about living in Texas. It is after 11pm and still 95 degrees here. I hate not having seasons. Give me the northeast any day.

As far as insurance goes, we had Geico for several years and never had a problem with them. I hope your car situation gets cleared up rapidly, Darryl.

I already had High Wind in Jamaica in the BlackHole or I would add it again.

After yesterday's rants, I've decided to keep things positive here today, no matter what the day brings.

I've fallen behind on reviews, so I'll try to catch up during today or later in the week. I really need to start a thread for my proposed read of Life A User's Manual by Georges Perec that will start in August, so that will be the first order of the day, before I run some errands and deal with the insurance company.

Darryl, you live in ATLANTA. You're entitled to rant and holler and generally kick up some dust. If you don't you'll start to think it's all for the best in this best of all possible worlds. Can finding your bimbish Cunegonde be far behind?

I had to go to Wikipedia to get information about Cunégonde, who is Candide's love interest. If I ever end up with anyone like her you and anyone else have permission to shoot me dead or give me a fatal cocktail, as you will ultimately be doing me a huge favor.

I've finally posted an introductory thread for my proposed group read of Life A User's Manual by Georges Perec, which I'd like to start in early August:

Life A User's Manual: An Introduction (BTW, there is no colon between 'Life' and 'A', despite what LT thinks).

I'll post information about the group read in the Message Board, and in the Club Read and Reading Globally groups. Feel free to share information about the read with anyone who might be interested.

>192 kidzdoc: yes...Tony Dorsett was a freshman my senior year. You could see down into the stadium from Pa. Hall....I had forgotten about that until you posted that photo with the logo on the wall. I don't think I went to any games my last two years because our schedule was full between classes, labs and clinicals.

For those of you who have young girls (or have friends or family who do) and are concerned about the impact that the media may be having on them, Nickelini from Club Read reviewed what sounds like a very important and timely book, entitled Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers' Schemes by Sharon Lamb. She's reviewed it on her thread, and on the book's page on LT:

http://www.librarything.com/review/75596886

(Staying calm) More accident info: I was finally able to get a copy of the accident report from the Atlanta Police Department today. The girl that hit me was a 19 year old (I just love teenagers!) from a little town well south of Atlanta, and Daddy is paying for her insurance, which is probably why she had no idea who her carrier was (when I was 19, I paid for my own car and my own insurance; then again, I wasn't a Southern princess). The officer cited her for failure to yield while turning left; I wasn't given a citation or warning. So, I think it's fair to say that she is completely at fault (and I think Daddy needs to take away her SUV, and make her pay for her own insurance).

The GEICO adjuster never called me yesterday, so I called him, as I had his cell phone number. Naturally, he said that he was going to call me today(!), to let me know that the case had been transferred to another adjuster, who hasn't called me either. I left a message on her cell phone, and then got the name, from the helpful woman I spoke to yesterday, of the first adjuster's supervisor, and registered a complaint with him.

Meanwhile, the collision center was kind enough to take photos of my car and e-mail them to me, so that I could forward them to the GEICO adjuster. So, big thumbs up for the collision center (and I will insist that my car is fixed there), several thumbs down for the slack @$$es at GEICO.

On the way back, I went back to Borders, mainly to see if it had this past Sunday's New York Times (which it didn't), and to use my coupon to buy a book before the liquidation sale begins, possibly as early as Friday. Things were the same as usual, although the staff seemed to be getting a lot of phone calls to see if it was still open (it would have been nice if these people showed as much concern about Borders before it went into bankruptcy and liquidation). I used my coupon to buy Thoughts Without Cigarettes, a memoir by Oscar Hijuelos, author of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, which was on my wish list. I also purchased The Angry Island: Hunting the English by A.A. Gill, a satirical look at the British; Failure, a collection of poems that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008, which was on sale for $2.99; and Frommer's French Phrasebook & Culture Guide, a handbook that will hopefully keep me out of trouble when I go to Paris in September.

I think that the people I encountered in person today must have heard about or read my anti-Atlanta rant from yesterday, as everyone was very nice (except, of course, for the useless GEICO adjuster).

If you become entangled with a Cunegonde (or a 19 year old southern Belle) surely you want one of us to shoot her, not you? Nicht wahr?

Being this zen in this situation isn't normal. I'll be more worried about your bp if you stay too calm on the surface -- it will mean a lot of surface tension that will explode is something like a mass slaying at Geico's Atlanta offices in a year's time.

>202 Chatterbox: No, I want you to shoot me, to put me out of my future life of misery.

ETA: If it's quick, I would also accept being drawn and quartered rather than marry a Southern princess.

Now that I have the accident report, which indicates that the girl was at fault for the accident, I've filed a claim with her Daddy's insurer, a company which is older and has a solid reputation (and no annoying TV commercials with cartoonish mascots). So, my BP is now back in the normal range, although it's certainly possible it could rise again soon.

Here are the two photos of my car that the collision center sent via e-mail to me today. Warning: these images may be disturbing to sensitive viewers (like myself).



ETA: I'm doubly impressed, as I had no idea that the collision center had my e-mail address.

Although I realize you have to think about the car, if you can think about going to Paris in September you will be much happier!

>204 rebeccanyc: Absolutely, Rebecca! I'm in the process of buying tickets and making plans for the trip, which will start and end in London, and I'll probably go to Paris via Eurostar for 3 days and 2 nights just before I return, probably from Sep 12-14, and I'll probably take one or two day trips to Brussels from London when I have a free day, as it's less than two hours away on Eurostar (Paris is ~2 hr 15 min, from St Pancras Station to Gare du Nord).

Car update: I just spoke to a very helpful and professional with Allstate, the girl's insurer, who told me that an adjuster would be going to the collision center to inspect the vehicle and obtain an estimate of the cost to repair it. I was impressed with the service I was given, and, depending on how the rest of the process goes, I think GEICO has just lost a customer to Allstate.

Wow! That poor car ! Looks terrible. My daughters SUV was totaled a while back , hit front and back by
a teenaged girl. Same situation, dad.. etc.

Both she and the girl had Nationwide. She and her husband were hurt, she still has some neck and back issues, as the SUV hit them in back and spun to him them in front.

Since they both had the same insurance company.. satisfaction was never reached.

V frustrating. It took 2 years for them to get enough from insurance to barely cover
lost wages, hospital ER costs and it did not remotely cover the cost of a new car.

Insurance companies are the devil. Then, last Nov. She was hit from behind by a truck...
a big pickup .. gardening business. Their insurance company was something offshore..
and it took 3.5 weeks just to get a decision on whether to total her car. Meanwhile, they paid a big chunk of money for her v fancy SUV rental. Craziness. IF they would have totaled it on day one they would have saved over 2,500$

I have no idea what she has now, but I know it isn't Nationwide.

Ouch. I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's accident, Kath, both in terms of the accident and the horrible experience with Nationwide.

This is the first time I've had to deal with an insurance company since 1998, when my also beloved Honda CRX that got me through medical school was totaled by another ditzy Atlanta driver. She blasted me from behind while driving 30-35 miles an hour on a clear and sunny afternoon, after she failed to notice that I was (legally) stopped behind another car on Peachtree Street that was making a left hand turn. I may have mentioned this already, but she initially claimed that she hit me because my brake lights weren't working (and, as we all know, nonworking brake lights are a perfectly acceptable reason to run into someone else's car at full speed on a clear day). Infuriated, I opened my car door, pressed on the brake, and showed her that both brake lights were functioning properly. She was an adult, so I yelled at her, "Are they working now???" She was also given a citation for reckless driving, and my car was also towed away, while she drove off with minimal damage. That was the last I saw of that car, as it was a total loss. I used public transportation for the last 2+ years of my pediatric residency, as I didn't have the money to spend on another car and pay off my student loans from medical school (~$120,000).

#203 Ouch, that really hurts. And I'm not even a *car person* having only ever had just one in my entire life, which was a 1990 Honda Civic Hatchback, which I had from about 1998-2003. Great little car it was too. But with city life and little travelling to do, my banker suggested I stick to taxis, which comes out much cheaper. Those parking tickets were just killing me.

Oh. My. God. I'm increasingly grateful to not possess either a driver's license or a car. Either I'd end up as the ditz behind the wheel banging into other people, or I'd be driven nuts by the people slamming into me.

My mother had a Honda CRX for an astonishing 23 years. She bought it in 1985 and reluctantly gave it up (in favor of another little red Honda) a few years ago, when it kept needing too many repairs. I think she cried.

#205, I love Paris and hope to get back there sometime in the next several years. You should have a wonderful time.

Oooooch! Your poor baby really needs a hug right now. His eyeball was completely ripped out! At what speed was this ditz making her turn? 70MPH?

Beemer's are built like stylish tanks. When I drove my husbands X3 to work in bad weather I slid right into my parking space and couldn't come to a stop. The car drove over the curb and my parking sign which became jammed into the under carriage of the car. Hardly a scar.

If I may suggest, and if you're going to head back up north some time in the future, that you consider going with Erie Insurance. They have been great with us.

We haven't made a claim for years, but when my oldest son's car was totaled, they came forth with a decent check that enabled him to buy another car right away. We were always treated very courteously by the people who dealt with the claim.

We do buy our insurance through an insurance broker, rather than an agent for one insurance company, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with our satisfaction or not. I'm sticking with Erie for most of our insurance needs (i.e. auto, home, business liability, business truck, husband's life insurance) as we have been with them for years with no problems at all.

Ok, so this February, the wife and I were heading home about 9 pm, she was following my big Dodge truck in her Acura. We hit a ptch of black ice, the guy in front of me spun out, I headed for the side of the road to avoid him and turned sideways just in time to catch the Acura square in the passenger door. End result, truck totaled, Acura in the shop for a month.

Yeah, we managed to take out *both* vehicles at one time. The county police thought it was hysterical when they got there. State Farm took care of everything, no fuss, no muss. Our rates didn't even go up. But now we're famous in our local agent's office.

I found out some news this afternoon which puts my "problems" into better perspective. Last week there was a multiple shooting on my street in Midtown Atlanta, about two blocks from where I live (which is a very busy street, with several nice hotels, high rise office buildings, and high rise condos, so it's a heavily traveled and normally safe area). A security guard at one of the businesses shot three young women, one of whom died. Today I learned that this woman was the daughter of one of the ER doctors whom I'm particularly friendly with; she had gotten married and was excited to move back to Atlanta with her new husband.

My car problems don't seem very important now...

Darryl, I just don't know what anyone can say in such a situation. I am sending hugs to help you through things.

214: Oh, how horribly sad.

That's just awful. Awful.

I'm so sorry Darryl. Bizarre and awful.

I'm glad your car is now in 'process' properly.

I liked On Beauty but ... there was something a little loose about it; overall, she's a good enough writer that even at less than her best, she is very good. And just as the Forster did, it tackles the question of how do you really help someone? Can you, even? That every act, no matter how unselfish it may seem has unintended consequences. It's a perennially interesting question.

Aw, that's very sad Darryl.

So very sorry about your friend's daughter, Darryl. So tragic.

#214: Yeah, that really does put things into perspective.

So very sorry to hear about your friend's daughter, Darryl.

A couple of months back a woman was killed locally in a collision with a truck. She had stopped at traffic lights, the truck didn't. I later found out that the woman's father was a colleague of mine, an absolutely lovely man who would often speak of his family with much warmth.

My colleague now goes about his work like a shadow of who he used to be. It's so difficult to know what to say but I do keep talking because he has said that he and his wife feel so isolated in the village where they live. Apparently neighbours duck into shops to avoid talking to him because they don't know what to say!

I was shocked to hear this and do hope this is just a British thing and not universally typical!

What a tragedy about your friend's daughter. It sure does put things into perspective. Keep up your friendship with your colleague. Learn more about his daughter. Keep talking as he'll really need everyone's support.

Things have surely gotten pulled into perspective here, Darryl. After my son's car was totalled, I could only be grateful that he remained uninjured as his car had been "sandwiched' between a truck in front and a car in back.

> 222

Apparently neighbours duck into shops to avoid talking to him because they don't know what to say!

This is so wrong! People stop talking because they don't know what to say. They need to say they're sorry and continue to talk to anyone who has experienced such a great loss. After losing a child, parents do not also need to lose their "friends" through isolation.

>222 Soupdragon: - I think the discomfort may be universal. I lost a few friends in college when my mother passed away because they felt so awkward around me. We just kind of drifted apart, and it makes me sad to this day.

So sorry to hear of your colleague's daughter Darryl. Why is it so hard for we humans to deal with death in the families of friends and acquaintances?

I think we're scared of death ourselves -- unless/until we learn how to process that inevitability, or unless/until we lose someone v. close to us, the discomfort triumphs over our common sense and our instinct to comfort. And I think we're so afraid of getting it wrong, of saying the wrong thing in that most awful of situations. What people don't realize is that there really isn't such a thing as "wrong". Even saying, "I wish I knew what to say that would help or comfort you; all I can say is that I'm thinking of you" is the "right" thing, IMO. Just don't say, " ask me if there is anything I can do to help." If you're sincere, ask friends & neighbors what needs doing and either do it or ask if you can help in that way. Don't put the onus on the people who are grieving. Just my 0.02 worth.

Darryl, you're right, that kind of tragedy imposes a horrible context in which to place your car's fate. However loved, it was an inanimate object whose loss will fade as the inconvenience vanishes and you move on. The loss of a loved one? That's a permanent gap.

Thanks for your warm sentiments, everyone. Both of the young woman's parents work at the hospital I do; her father is a long time ER doctor, and one of the nicest guys I can think of. I don't know his wife as well, but the nurses I talked to on one of the wards today had the same sentiment towards her.

Suzanne, my experiences with the deaths of people deeply close to me made me nod my head as I read your post. People undoubtedly mean well, but they can't know what someone who is grieving feels and probably they can't comfort them (and maybe the idea of comfort is meaningless anyway), but they can do helpful things and let the mourner know they are thinking of him or her. One of the most annoying things to hear is "I know what you're feeling" -- nobody else can.

Sad for your friend :(

I learned as a young adult how it feels to lose someone... it also taught me
how to talk to someone who has had a loss. It is too bad that their "friends" don't understand :(

Rebecca, yes, "I know what you're feeling" ranks as one of the obnoxious and presumptuous things anyone can say, ever, in any context. It invariably makes me want to respond "the f*** you do!" Or, in politer moments, "oh, so the scientists have succeeded in implanting the ESP gene in your brain?" Grrrr.

Oh damn, it is so hot today. And I have to go out soon. *whimper whimper*

Darryl, I'm sorry about your friend's tragic loss.

I can provide you the names of the Pittsburgh restaurants you mentioned.

Jewish dairy restaurant near the bottom of Murray Avenue (name?)
At the time I believe this was Rhoda's. I loved that place - all atmosphere, surly waitresses and good food. Sadly, it became another deli for a while and is now a pizza shop or something equally horrible.

or the restaurant with the decadent desserts near the Giant Eagle in the middle of Murray Avenue (name???) This one is Gullifty's. Still open, still with the insane decadent desserts.

>231 nancyewhite: Yes and yes to Rhoda's and Gullifty's. Thanks, Nancy!

R.I.P., Amy Winehouse, a very talented but deeply troubled singer who died far too soon.

Amy Winehouse found dead aged 27 in London flat

Wow. Haven't read the article yet, am on my way there and it's sad news, but at the same time, I sort of knew she wasn't likely to live into old age.

eta: very sad news indeed. She was a restless soul with a great talent. May she RIP now.

Why is it that very talented people are more likely to self-destruct? Or is it just that because they make the headlines when they do, we are more aware of this than we would be of anonymous folks doing the same thing to their lives? I'm thinking of everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Ernest Hemingway, etc. etc. Or those with troubled lives still alive today -- addicts, battling mental issues, etc. Is it the burden of talent -- or is it the celebrity hounds pursuing them??

Puff puff...just caught up on your thread, Darryl, so sorry about that awful shooting...though recent events in Norway put that in perspective too...oh, and vale Lucien Freud who died yesterday aged 88. Now that is a talent!

Loved yor photosof Pittsburgh and the Hall of learning - I had no idea it was such a beautiful place....a stopover for the Great American Roadtrip I plan in retirement!

>234 Smiler69: She is one of the very few pop singers that I liked, so I'll miss her (and I'm sure I'm far from alone).

>235 Chatterbox: Right. I have no idea.

>236 PrueGallagher: The initial impression about the terrorist(s) in Norway was partly right; it was due to a religious extremist.

I'm unfamiliar with Lucian Freud, but there is a nice obituary of him in Thursday's New York Times, so I'll have to read it and familiarize myself with him:

Lucian Freud, Figurative Painter Who Redefined Portraiture, Is Dead at 88

Pittsburgh is easily the cleanest major city I've lived in or visited, and some of the views from the numerous hills in town are superb.

The Booker Prize longlist will be announced on Tuesday!

Freud was an amazing portraitist; I tend to prefer some of his earlier work, like Girl in a Bed, a fabulous portrait of one of his wives, Caroline Blackwood. I remember his portrait of the Queen was a great scandal -- I suppose no one was quite ready for the degree of realism! To be painted by him would not be easy or the result flattering, but the vision was always unique.

Just thinking how much talent has run in the Freud family... His close family has included politicians, journalists, other artists, fashion designers, authors... (not to mention grandpa Sigmund...)

On the subject of families of famous psychiatrists, this morning on NPR I heard a piece by the NPR journalist Margo Adler who, it turns out, is the grand-daughter of Alfred Adler, one of the founders of psychiatry (he broke with Freud at some point), on the search for his ashes (which turned up in Scotland, where he died after fleeing from Austria), along with their eventual burial (?) in Vienna.

Lucian Freud was a very influential artist. I can't say I was especially fond of his nudes and more recent work, as I too, like Suzanne, tend to prefer his earlier work. I got a book called Lucian Freud on Paper last year which is one of my most cherished art books showcasing drawings and works on paper he did throughout his life, starting from childhood.

We did an art project this year in my drawing class inspired by one of his drawings and I hadn't dared post it on my site because I was ashamed to put my work alongside his, but I think I'll go ahead and post it today soon as my own little memorial to him.

Thanks for sharing the news Darryl. I get email notifications from the NY Times and received one about Amy Winehouse, but I guess Lucian Freud wasn't enough of a household name to be given that treatment.

eta: migraine today makes everything seem so complicated that I'll keep my goals very minimalistic for the day.

received one about Amy Winehouse, but I guess Lucian Freud wasn't enough of a household name to be given that treatment.
What on earth does this say about the world? Amy Winehouse - sure, very talented, but on the world stage for a couple of years, v. Freud, one of the most unique artists of his generation (even if you don't like his stuff, which I have to admit I don't, very much, his talent shines through in everything he did). Pop culture - all very well, but is that really all we have that's important enough for the NYT?

239: Oh? I did not know that. Margot Adler's program Justice Talking (which sadly met its demise from lack of funding a few years ago) was taped in Philadelphia, where I lived at the time, so I would occasionally drop in to watch.

Yes, Janet, I'm with you on that. I don't know if it was apparent that my comment was dripping with sarcasm.

Freud was considered as one of the greatest painters of the 20th and 21st century, so you'd think his passing would have been given *a bit* more importance. But then, aside from or because of Winehouse having been a pop star, her troubles frequently made the tabloids, whereas Freud, less photogenic in his old age, didn't quite make as much noise in the press. Which isn't to say the the young singer didn't deserve recognition. Sad sad sad all around.

I'm sort of blue today and all this is not helping. But then, I guess I'm grieving in my own way.

#243 - yes, yes, I knew you felt the same way....so much sadness this week. The events in Norway are really bothering me. One of my nurses here is a young Norwegian woman, and she is clearly very upset by it.

Yes, in Scandinavia there is so much rationality about events that cause social upheaval elsewhere, that when the the relatively small handful of lunatics do surface (I'm thinking back to the assassination of Palme in Stockholm, for instance) it's an even greater blow than it might be somewhere where we accept that life is full of lunatics who behave violently.

Lucian Freud's life -- with the exception of all those illegitimate kids -- didn't make for great copy, sadly. He worked hard at his art, took it to fresh heights -- but it's an area that appeals to relatively few people and is seen (wrongly, IMO) as an elite or insider game. Also, he died at a relatively advanced age. Sadly, self-destructive young people, particularly those with great talent, make better copy. I'd definitely argue that we've lost more with Freud than Winehouse, but what we lost with Amy Winehouse was largely the potential of what she could become rather than what she was. She had showed us that she could be fresh, new, different and v v good. But how much did she deliver on that promise? There's a bit of schadenfreude that makes people want to read about her, and the mystery surrounding her death, and the lost potential element. Freud? Well, he's an old white guy who in the last several decades has lived a boring life.

I finished On Beauty by Zadie Smith late last night, which I read for Orange July (it was the 2006 Orange Prize winner) and for my TIOLI "hot" author challenge. It was well written and interesting, but filled with maddening and, IMO, inauthentic characters. I'll give it 3-1/2 stars for now, and review it later today or tomorrow.

I'm off for five of the next seven days (work Thursday and Friday), so I hope to read three or four books in that time. I'm about a third of the way through issue 113 of Granta, The Best of the Young Spanish Language Novelists, a collection of short stories or book excerpts by 22 writers 35 years of age or younger, which I should finish today. I'll start Ghostwritten by David Mitchell today or tomorrow, and continue reading Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution by Nick Lane, which won last year's Royal Society Prize for Science Books.

>238 Chatterbox: I haven't read the NYT obit on Lucian Freud, but I wondered if he was related to Sigmund. I thought I saw that some of his work was currently being shown at one of the London museums, but I can't seem to locate which one it was.

>239 rebeccanyc: I just read the transcript associated with that NPR story, Rebecca; here's a link to the transcript and the audio file:

On Life And Ideas: A Relative's Ashes Reclaimed

>240 Smiler69: I looked at several of Freud's nude portraits on Google Images, mainly to find an image for my new thread, and none appealed to me, either (although they were certainly realistic and very impressive).

I get email notifications from the NY Times and received one about Amy Winehouse, but I guess Lucian Freud wasn't enough of a household name to be given that treatment.

I receive NYT e-mail notifications, including one for "Today's Headlines", which you can tailor to your interests. I just looked at my "Today's Headlines" e-mail from Friday, and Freud's passing is the first article cited in the Arts section.

>241 JanetinLondon: Pop culture - all very well, but is that really all we have that's important enough for the NYT?

The Amy Winehouse obit did appear on the bottom half page 1 of yesterday's NYT (I subscribe to the National Edition, whose front page may or may not be slightly different from the City Edition), whereas the Lucian Freud obit was buried in the middle of the first section, although there was a brief mention of his passing at the bottom of page 1. The Freud biography takes up more than half of page A14 in Friday's National Edition, and includes a color photo of Freud and color prints of three of his works, "The Painter's Daughter", "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II", and "Reflection with Two Children". The Winehouse obit is shorter, less comprehensive, and reads more like a news story than an obit. So, I would suggest that the NYT's coverage of Freud's death was more substantial than Winehouse's passing, although the latter's passing was more newsworthy, given her popularity, young age, and the suddenness and surprise of her death. And, I think the NYT does a superb job in memorializing people of importance in its obituaries who are not well known to the general public (again, I shamefacedly admit that I had not heard of Lucian Freud before Friday).

BTW, I read somewhere years ago that NYT obits of older or ill people of note are prepared weeks or months in advance, so that they can be quickly posted to the print edition or online. I would guess that one was prepared for the 88 year old Freud, but I seriously doubt that anyone had worked on one for the 27 year old Winehouse, despite her recent problems.

>242 qebo: I didn't realize that Margot Adler taped her program from WHYY's studios. Terry Gross still tapes "Fresh Air" there, right?

>243 Smiler69: Sarcasm duly noted.

>244 JanetinLondon: I'm really struggling with this killer's motives, although I haven't read the weekend papers yet, since I had to work on Saturday and Sunday. From what little I've read, he wanted to engage in a Christian war against Islam and Muslim fundamentalists, so he kills nearly 100 people, none of whom are Muslim??? I doubt that Norway has the death penalty, but he should never be released from prison.

>245 Chatterbox: Suz, I think you nailed it on why Winehouse's death was more newsworthy (although far less ____ ) than Freud's passing (I cannot think of the right word to insert in the blank!). If I remember correctly, Jean-Michel Basquiat's sudden death from a heroin overdose (also at the age of 27) also received wide attention, though less so than Winehouse's death. I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to read a lot more about Winehouse in the days, weeks and months that follow.

I vividly remember Palme's murder, although the political assassination that I remember the most was the kidnapping and murder of the Italian prime minister Aldo Moro in 1978, which occurred at the end of my senior year in high school.

New thread with cool summery photo here!

246: I'd assume that Terry Gross still tapes Fresh Air there, she certainly used to, but that's not an audience event and I don't live there any more, so I haven't paid attention. Also since I no longer have a commute, and my local NPR station isn't really local so the reception is iffy, NPR has receded into the realm of nostalgia.

I'll be interested in your review of Life Ascending, which I have, but which hasn't made it to the (loosely arranged and ever-changing) TBR queue.

247: Aaack! You slipped in while I was typing!

>248 qebo: You're in Lancaster, I see. Is your "local" NPR station in Harrisburg, Philadelphia/Wilmington, or somewhere a bit closer?

I should finish Life Ascending no later than the weekend.

>249 qebo: Sorry! :-)

250: Yeah, "local" is Harrisburg, and the signal is weak and easily interfered with.

#251 You can listen online.

252: I know, but generally the radio is for the times when I'm not concentrating on something else, so while driving, while gardening, etc.