PGMCC's 2015 reading (Very existentialist title.)

HAPPY 2015, everyone.

Having learnt my lesson in 2013 and again 2014 with regards to planned reading I am NOT going to list the books that I am going to read in 2015. You will have to guess what I am going to read or else wait with bated breath for titles to be revealed as they are processed.

Read in 2015

Title Author Status/end date
The Bone Clocks by David MitchellJanuary 2015, 595pages
The Cry of the Sloth by Sam SavageJanuary 2015, 248pages
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami January 2015, 77pages
L'Appassionata by Stefan GrabinskiJanuary 2015, 60pages
Stones of Dublin by Lisa Marie Griffith 09/02/2015
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch 24/02/2015, 530page
Night Film by Marisha Pessl 07/03/2015, 598pages
Selected Stories by Guy De Maupassant 14/3/2015, 256pages
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert Reading

I started the year reading The Bone Clocks and Peas & Queues.

Happy New Year to you! I have your thread starred and will look forward to keeping up with your thinking and commentary.

Can we also try to guess what you are not going to read?

>2 jillmwo: Great to have you along.

>3 SylviaC: Feel free to speculate. Post your thoughts and I will let you know if I don't read the books you suggest. (Now you have me thinking of compiling a list of books not to read.)

Aww...how are we going to know when you're slacking, then?

At any rate, you've got my star. Happy new year.

>5 Meredy: Thank you!

In relation to my slacking, I am sure you will work out ways of inferring my reading activity or inactivity. ;-)

I'm very much looking forward to bullying, harassing and haranguing you in the New Year! Or, just enjoying your company here. :)

Happy new year! I'll just settle in over here and chip in from time to time. But first, coffee. Late night celebrations and next morning attention spans are not natural companions.

>8 imyril: Happy New Year to you too.

Have you got another coffee there? I am a tad behind you in making active moves into 2015. :-)

My late rise this morning is justified by my back-to-work 6am start tomorrow. :-(

Happy New Year pgmcc. I have The Bone Clocks on my wish list so will look forward to hearing what you think of it.

>10 katylit: The same to you.

I am only at the early stages of The Bone Clocks but it is keeping me interested. In other words, I am enjoying it.

;-)

Starred you again this year. Have The Bone Clocks on my list as well, so looking forward to your impressions.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, wishing you many enjoyable reads in the year ahead.

>13 suitable1: & >14 Peace2:

Thank you! I wish you good reading for 2015.

>9 pgmcc: What a pity you aren't in Cape Town! Though it's not a public holiday, the place is invariably closed on 2 January, and everybody celebrates "Tweede Nuwejaar" (second new year) -- often by watching or participating in the folksong carnival that starts in District Six and Bo-Kaap, and ends at Green Point Stadium. There, you'd only have to think of work on Mon. 5th. ;)

>9 pgmcc: 6am start? Ouch! I'll make sure the coffee is on - thankfully the machine has a timer setting...

>16 hfglen: While most of my colleagues have taken the 2nd as a leave day I have decided to go in for two reasons. One, I find it reduces the trauma of returning to work on a Monday after a break of more than a week if I start back on the Friday, and two, I have a specific piece of work that I would like to get cleared up before everyone else returns to work and it should be quiet in the office tomorrow. (Reading and amending contracts for a major project that is at the start-up stage. I will need @imyril's coffee.)

>17 imyril: I have a slight reprieve. My wife has offered to give me a lift to work tomorrow so I will not have to get up until about 07:00hrs. Luxury!

Looking forward to lurking here...I've been considering The Bone Clocks and will be interested to hear what you think.

I'm planning on reading something by David Mitchell this year but more than likely picking one of those already on the tbr shelves rather than adding another with The Bone Clocks despite the good things I've already heard about it.

>20 AHS-Wolfy: I enjoyed Black Swan Green and Cloud Atlas. While the first half of One Thousand Autumns was very interesting I felt the book degenerated into an adventure novel after that. (No offence to adventure novels but the second half of the book was not as good as what preceded it.)

January 2nd. First day at work in 2015. One book purchased.

The Ambassadors by Henry James. @jillmwo will be impressed...if I manage to read it.

I *will* be impressed. But I will also wonder about this odd propensity you seem to have for self-abuse.

>23 jillmwo: Everybody does it (or so I'm told). Happy new year, Peter!

>24 Jim53: Thanks, Jim. I hope 2015 is good to you.

>23 jillmwo: Everyone to his or her own. :-)

>18 pgmcc: I hope it wasn't too much of a shock and that you had as productive a day as you hoped!

>26 imyril: Thank you! As it happened I did get the tasks done that I wanted to get done. After work I managed to meet up with one of my daughters during her break from work.

The shock was not too severe. :-)

>22 pgmcc: Oh, good luck. (I will wonder about you too.) I tried it and just couldn't . . . I just couldn't.

Who do you suppose told him to keep up the good work?

>23 jillmwo: & >28 Meredy:

I do not know what all the fuss is about. Henry James writes beautifully, as you can see from the extract below:

"Strether's first question, when he reached the hotel, was about his friend; yet on his learning that Waymarsh was apparently not to arrive till evening he was not wholly disconcerted. A telegram from him bespeaking a room "only if not noisy", reply paid, was produced for the enquirer at the office, so that the understanding they should meet at Chester rather than at Liverpool remained to that extent sound. The same secret principle, however, that had prompted Strether not absolutely to desire Waymarsh's presence at the dock, that had led him thus to postpone for a few hours his enjoyment of it, now operated to make him feel he could still wait without disappointment."

It just flows off one's tongue.

And just to show you what a nice, restrained person I am, I won't tell you what it flows off the tongue like.

;-)

Good night, @Meredy. It's heading into the wee small hours here so I will toddle off to bed with my book.

A telegram from him bespeaking a room "only if not noisy"

I have no idea what the rest of that paragraph was talking about, but this certainly caught my innkeeper's eye. One of a hotelier's pet peeves.

>32 MrsLee: Telegrams or not noisy rooms?

People requesting "not noisy" rooms. As if we would try to give them noisy ones? Because we want you to hate your stay with us? I absolutely understand requesting not to be near an ice machine if possible, if you make your reservations and all, but if the hotel has already been filled, you can't throw a fit if you get put near one. After all, it is probably that same person who would throw a fit if they had to walk outside to a shed to an ice machine, too. Sorry, my bitterness seeped out! :)

I have actually had people who request "Not near the ice machine or noisy guests, on the second floor, close to the entrance, but away from the elevator but completely accessible, and not near a streetlight, not on the side of the hotel with the pool or the truck parking or casino noise." I have responded that perhaps they should consider staying at another hotel rather than the casino one which is by the truck stop. In a hotel with 51 rooms, they managed to eliminate almost all of them. Some people just shouldn't travel.

>34 MrsLee: Lee, doesn't the noise experienced depend on the way the place is built rather than where the room is? The room I had in Beijing in 2013 (last time I was in a hotel) was on the ground floor next-but-one to the door leading to the rest of the hotel. And so well soundproofed that one morning the cleaners had to knock three times to get me vertical!

>35 hfglen: Yes, Hugh. It was the soundproofing that made it difficult to get you up. ;-)

>34 MrsLee: You are reminding me of all the hotel experiences I have had over the years travelling. I must write them down as some of them are very funny. I love getting views of situations from both sides. I did a job in an Internet service providercall centre and discover the call centre agents hate customers just as much as we hate them.

>36 pgmcc: :-P~~~~~~

I just realized that I'm not being picky enough when reserving a hotel room.

>35 hfglen: Soundproofing is important, but when you are paying under $100 for a hotel room, it is a clue that you are probably not going to be in luxurious five star accommodations. At least in California. I have slept in our hotel, and the only noises I heard were some doors closing, but only when I was awake. I am convinced that the real issue is with people's ability to sleep. Some are very restless, especially in new surroundings, but rather than taking it philosophically, and getting on with life, they want to blame someone, anyone or thing around them. I had one guest complain that it was too quiet in his room and he needed noise to be able to sleep! It's a Goldilocks thing.

Sorry pgmcc! I really didn't mean to let it all out on your reading thread! Any more complaints are welcome on my thread. :)

>40 MrsLee: I have no problem with discussions wandering hither and thither on this thread. I am enjoying the conversation in this little corner of the pub. I see no reason to take the conversation elsewhere, unless fisty cuffs are envisioned, in that case it is out to the car park. I do not, however, see any of the Green Dragon regulars resorting to fisty cuffs.

Apropos people's ability to sleep in hotel rooms, I often found that my first night in a hotel could be a bit restless but that other nights were fine. It always puzzled me why the hotel was such a terrible place only on the nights of my arrival. ;-)

:) People do not realize some of the baggage they bring with them to the hotel. But of course, the hotel cannot explain that to them, either!

>42 MrsLee: I would have thought it very easy to explain the baggage people bring with them. I know I generally travel with a briefcase, a small overnight bag, possibly a shoulder bag with a book in it,...

I suppose when some people bring sports bags, hat boxes, trunks, etc... they might lose track of how much baggage they bring with them and require it to be explained to them.

:)

Your thread's already got off to a great start! Looking forward to another year of book reports and witty debate here.

Happy New Year, Clare. I hope 2015 is a great year for you.

I must get round to adding some comments about books on this thread soon.

Last month I reported on the good news about one of Dublin's few remaining bookshops, "Books Upstairs", moving to new, larger premises.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/178162#4961532

Now I have found the new premises, which is due to be opened in February.



The dangerous news is that I will be passing this shop every day as I go home from work.

Great news that it is new and bigger but ouch! that it's now going to be super-convenient. How's the willpower?

>48 Peace2: That's the scary part.

Interesting research on the benefits of reading physical books:

http://mic.com/articles/99408/science-has-great-news-for-people-who-read-actual-...

>50 pgmcc: Interesting article. I shall stick with my pile of paperbacks and stop worrying that I seem to be the only person of my immediate acquaintance who doesn't own an e-reader. *grin* I wonder if there has been a study to prove the opposite as well, the superiority of comprehension when one reads with links ready formed etc or how the loss of the weight of a real tome in your hands allows the brain to focus more fully on the information given, rather than distracting itself by trying to balance the excess weight.

>51 Peace2: I think you should not only stop worrying, but should adopt a degree of arrogant superiority and have a slight smirk on you face while looking down your nose at those around you with e-readers.

;-)

>50 pgmcc: that's really interesting. I never click a link from my Kindle although I'm far more easily distracted if I'm reading on the Kindle app on my phone. I'll have to ask myself how much I've read by phone next time I'm feeling disengaged! (I must say, not having this problem with John Saturnall's Feast, which I'm reading on both e-devices - I do love my food porn, so all the mouthwatering concoctions result in total immersion :)

I'm also curious about the study into reading vs Alzheimers.

"I'm keeping healthy and reducing my stress levels, dear, so just let me finish this chapter."

>53 imyril: I was interested in what was stated in the article about an e-reader not giving sufficient physical prompts as to where one was in a book and that this hurts the retention of content. My son-in-law reads mostly on a Kindle and that is the one thing he finds very disconcerting about reading on an e-reader.

I'm also curious about the study into reading vs Alzheimers.

I understand that participation in amateur dramatics is also an excellent way of keeping the mind active and reducing the likelihood of Alzheimers. I have been aware of this for a long time and was interested to see that reading has a similar effect. Reading is so much easier than acting. :-)

>54 pgmcc: With regard to Alzheimers - I've also read somewhere (I have no idea where now) that Crossword Puzzles, Sudoko and similar type challenges can also help to reduce the likelihood. I guess the message there is that just like exercise is good for the body, mental exercise is good for the mind and while it might not completely prevent any chance of things going wrong and it won't do any harm in resisting things for as long as possible. Plus reading is fun! (or it can be).

I found the idea that empathy is stronger when reading in print than in ebook interesting and sort of wonder about that.

I can understand the physical prompt point - I've always been good at knowing it was >about there< that A said Stuff or that X happened, and you do lose that completely with an ereader. That said, I don't think my memory of the order of events has suffered - I just find it harder to check back on details later; I can do so only because I can recall the order of events.

Lots of food for thought here though!

I agree with some of it, but I don't buy all the points. A lot of it is just a matter of what you're used to. I still prefer paper, but I'm gradually adapting to electronic. The thing I miss the most with an ebook is the flipping back and forth, although that is improving as programs evolve. Kindle notes percentage read of the chapter or book, which gives me a good feeling for where I am in the book. I find that reading on a dedicated device is much less distracting than reading on my iPad.

On the 14th day of January, 2015, in post number 58, I finally report the completion of my first book of the year , The Bone Clocks.

This was a very entertaining read and I happily give it four stars. More comment when I am not forced to use my phone to post due to my son doing his exam project on my laptop.

I have just finished reading Haruki Muakami's Strange Library. It is a very interesting little tale that, like all the Murikami I have read, can be interpreted in different ways. Themes I found in it include the effect of one's upbringing; loneliness; reaction to authority; abuse of authority; fear; resilience of youth; focus on trivia; loss.



Apart from the story the physical book is beautiful. I would suggest it is experimental. It is a small, hardback book containing a short story. The book layout and images make for an interesting reading experience. Format wise it is short story edging towards illustrated rather than graphic novel, albeit using several elements drawn from graphic novels.

I would suggest it is a book for people familiar with Murikami's work or as a gift to others. I enjoyed it.

It was a Christmas present to me from one of my daughters. I wonder how she knew I wanted it. :-)

>59 pgmcc: Someone gave me The strange library for Christmas too; can't think why! I'm waiting until I have time to read it in one go; maybe this Sunday. Glad you gave it a good report. I'm also curious about The bone clocks so am looking forward to your review.

I read most of The Strange Library on the bus to work. You will easily finish it in an hour.

My advice on The Bone Clocks: read it! (More to follow!)

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

The main thread of Mitchell’s latest novel spans from 1984 to 2043 and includes a few jumps back to much earlier times. While the story includes some more than natural elements these are used to string the main themes of the book together and to provide a path to topics in the book that make the reader think about issues facing the human race today.

Thought provoking topics include familial relationships, coming of age, the war on terror and its brutal realities, privilege in society, good requiring the existence of bad, pollution and the destruction of the global ecosystem.

I found this book eminently readable and it was a book I did not want to put down.

If I had one criticism it would be for the inclusion of the final section. Had the book finished at page 520 it would be a complete rounded work. I was surprised to see there was another section. Having said that, the final section, while unnecessary and not, in my opinion, adding anything to the primary thread of the book, was well written and was a wake-up call about the implications of our world polluting, gas-guzzling lifestyle in the West. The final section was like a short story written in the universe created in the main book.

Mitchell had a bit of fun with his readers in this by throwing in an allusion to one of his earlier books, Black Swan Green. He forges a familial link between the two novels. I wonder if this is going to be the basis of a back story to be used in a future story or if he was just amusing himself during a ling day’s writing. This did amuse me.

One concept in this book that will stay with me is a commentary on the digital age and the digital world many people live in today: “…the ‘natural order of things’ is entirely man-made.” (Yes, this quote comes from the part of the book I said was not necessary. Humble pie tastes really good at times.)

By the way, "Yes!", I will be buying his next book as soon as it comes out.

The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks

The Algebraist is a tale of impending war, political intrigue, loyalty, treachery, subversion, dynasties, multi-species civilisations inhabiting planetary systems spanning half-way across the Galaxy, governmental manipulation, hegemony, power brokering, the anthropological study of a gas planet dwelling species who hunt their own young, hold formal wars governed by strict rules of engagement designed to maximise the entertainment value, and who can live to be two billion years old, and the ubiquitous struggle for freedom.

The book follows the career of Seer Fassin Taak giving the reader glimpses of key moments in his life, from his antics as a youth, through his experimental “Hippy” days, to the quest thrust upon him by a powerful military-religious order to which he is seconded to help save not just the world, not just the system, but virtually the whole Galaxy which is coming under attack from the, and I quote, “Archimandrite Leseferous, warrior priest of the Starveling Cult of Leseum9 IV and effective ruler of one hundred and seventeen stellar systems, forty-plus inhabited planets, numerous significant artificial immobile habitats and many hundreds of thousands of civilian capital ships, who….”

This is a book of long sentences, galactic distances, and epochal timescales and is a tremendous, allegorical read sprinkled with serious messages for today. It contains shrewd analyses of the philosophies and tactics of the ruthless and successful, and is sprinkled liberally with wit and humour that appears in the most unexpected of places.

Iain has created civilisations, environments and technologies that appear real and he has populated them with a myriad of species and characters that enter the story naturally and create a real emotional response in the reader.

For those of you familiar with Iain’s Science Fiction work, this is not a “Culture” story. Everything in it has been created from scratch and I must say the author has worked wonders. I have always said his Science Fiction books were consistently good, but now I have to say there is one that destroys this consistency by rising above the rest. The Algebraist is a must read for all Iain M. Banks fans, and anyone else who enjoys a solid story with real (as far as they can be real) characters who inhabit environments that come across as complete and feasible.

If you haven’t already guessed, I liked this book.

>63 pgmcc: Think I just took a bullet.

>64 Jim53:
I hope the wound does not hurt too much.
:-)

Some people slammed The Algebraist but, as you ca see from my review, I thought it was great. I found it to be great apart from anything else. Some of the humour is quite dark.

>63 pgmcc: I tried reading one of his Culture books a long time ago and couldn't appreciate it at the time. I should probably try something from him again and this one might be the one.

>63 pgmcc: aaaah, I think you just got me back for all the Culture bullets last year! I've had The Algebraist on the shelf for at least a year and not done anything about it (in part because of the Culture reread, or at least that's my excuse), but I'm clearly going to have to rectify that.

My younger son handed in a project for his state exams yesterday. He has been working hard on it for weeks so we decided that Saturday should be a relaxing day for him. We took him on a bookshop crawl. My wife got two books on Economics, my son got a school book and humorous book on comments overheard in Dublin, and I got:

The Dream of the Celt

and

The Thirteenth Tale, a book bullet from here.

By the way, I am going to start adding the tag "BB" to book bullets from my "friends" on LT. "BBr" is for a Book Bullet reread, such as the Culture rereads prompted by the actions of @imyril.

I finished The Cry of the Sloth this morning. It is a great book. Report to follow.

I have just received a delivery of book bullets:

The Complete Little World of Don Camillo (no touchstone it would appear)
Stoner
The Enchanted

Thank you, to the shooters concerned. You know who you are. I know who you are. I am watching you.

Enjoy! When I was moving furniture around to accommodate Christmas decorations, I exposed some bookshelves which were not accessible without moving my reading chair. On them I found Comrade Don Camillo. This shall be read soon.

The full title of this book is, The Cry of the Sloth: The Mostly Tragic Story of Andrew Whittaker being his Collected, Final and Absolutely Complete Writings. It spans a period of four months (July to October) and includes letters, notes on a novel, and shopping lists written by Andrew Whittaker during that period.

Sam Savage has demonstrated great skill in the way he leads the reader to an understanding of Andrew Whittaker’s situation and in the pace he sets and techniques he uses to demonstrate the protagonist’s mental and physical decline. Savage has taken a serious, uncomfortable topic, the personal decline of an alcoholic, depressed and delusional man, and presented it using humour and pathos in a way that lets the reader see the growing depression in the mind of the victim and demonstrates the build up of diverse pressures that combine to make the sufferer believe he is trapped and without value.

Along the way he takes a few side swipes at the literary establishment and the cadre of local would be artistic community socialites.

Whittaker’s letters are addressed to, amongst others, his tenants (he owns a number of rental properties), his recently estranged wife, his daughter, former literary friends, and to the subscribers to a small press literary magazine, called Soap, he edits and publishes. His rejection letters and submission guidelines are honest, gritty and brutal. As a former editor of a fiction magazine Whittaker’s rejection letters are the ones I would like to have written but didn’t for fear of a libel action.

In one letter to someone who submitted a manuscript of a novel he writes, “That you are not a polished writer works in your favour; it’s how Hemmingway might have written had he never gone to high school.” The magazine “Guidelines for Submission” include the sentence, “In the current acerbic climate of American letters, with unrestrained emotional outbursts on the one side (the remains of the so-called Beat movement) and amorphous piles of pseudomodernist gibberish on the other, Soap steers a middle course.”

I really enjoyed this book. It is very funny yet carries a serious message about depression.

L'Appassionata



“L’Appassionata” is a sixty page story of a romantic encounter in Venice which begins to have eerie undertones and which gradually builds dread at a pace that draws the reader into mystery, intrigue, and, ultimately, surprise.

Grabinski’s descriptions of Venice bring the city to life and portray not just the glossed tourist image but also the backstreets and filthy water canals of the areas inhabited by the Venetians who do not own palaces.

It is a story that fans of premonitions, spirits and unfettered love will enjoy. It certainly has the hallmarks of a good Gothic tale.

Miroslaw Lipinski is tireless in his work translating and promoting the works of his late compatriot, Stefan Grabinski, and author whose work I have always found rewarding.

I have started reading Stones of Dublin. It takes ten historic buildings in Dublin and provides a biography of the buildings including the significance of the building in an historical context.



I got into town a bit earlier than usual this morning so I took a short walk along the quays and photographed the morning coming to meet me.



A bit of picture stitched gave me a broader view of the world.

Read in 2015

Title Author Status/end date
The Bone Clocks by David MitchellJanuary 2015, 595pages
The Cry of the Sloth by Sam SavageJanuary 2015, 248pages
L'Appassionata by Stefan GrabinskiJanuary 2014, 60pages
Stones of Dublin by Lisa Marie Griffith Currently reading

The first building in Stones of Dublin is Christ Church Cathedral:

>75 pgmcc: Those are beautiful pictures! What time was it when you took them? Right now, our sky would look like that about 7:00 am or shortly after.

>77 SylviaC: It was about 7:30am on Friday, 23rd January.

Dublin is at latitude 53degrees 21minutes North.

Ah, those photos are lovely. Makes me think it is almost worthwhile getting up at dawn. ;)

>79 MrsLee: I would suggest that your job has had you up at, or even before, dawn on more than one occasion.

Oh yes, and sometimes I even pause to appreciate the beauty, but it is not my preferred time of day. :) I am more than happy to look at other people's photos of the glorious dawn.

Chapter 2 in Stones of Dublin is about Dublin Castle. It was commissioned by King John of England in 1204.







In case you are wondering, most of the ten buildings featured in this book are within a lunchtime walk from my place of work, which is itself one of the featured buildings (The GPO).

I have this silly notion of taking photographs of the buildings when I am reading the relevant chapters and posting the photographs here. Kilmainham Gaol and Croke Park are a bit too far for a lunchtime walk but I will do my best.

Could you walk fast?

>83 suitable1: Thank you for the suggestion. I will take it on advisement.

This is wonderful! You're giving us a walking tour of Dublin!

I hope you are faithful about carrying out your silly notions, I would love to see them all!

That is one very big castle. Was it all built at the same time, or over the centuries?

>86 MrsLee: The oldest parts of the castle are under the present complex. The site was the centre of British rule from 1204 until 1922 when the British departed after The War of Independence.

Thank you

Peter, there's one sight particularly relevant to this pub I'm not seeing mention of, namely the home of Ireland's most beautiful nectar, in other words the Guinness factory. But your pictures cause me to pause and "take out a memory" (to quote a dear old Scots relative alas now resident in Tir nan Og) and enjoy an all-too-brief visit to your beautiful city all too long ago.

I wholeheartedly approve of your silly notion and look forward to the results :)

>89 hfglen: Never let it be said I never dun nothin' for ye, Hugh!



View of the Guinness Brewery as one joins the river having come from the direction of the Phoenix Park.



In this picture one can see many silos. They hold things. The large black block on the left-hand side of the picture is the new, ultramodern brewery plant that was approaching completion at the time of the photographs, hence the presence of the cranes.



This is a broader view of the brewery and the river. The river is flowing West to East of those who are interested, and that is from right to left for those who are even more interested.

These pictures were taken on the morning of July 27th, 2013, as I walked to work along the banks of the River Liffey. I got off the bus early to take advantage of the beautiful morning.

Guinness covers a lot of ground and the original main offices are behind what can be seen from the river. The James's Gate brewery building is on James's Street which runs parallel to the river behind the site in these pictures. The buildings in the pictures is where all the action takes place, i.e. the brewing.

Cheers!

> I appreciate your approval of my silly notion. I think @MrsLee does too. Deep down. Really deep, deep down.

In fact, I think her use of the term was a bit of a challenge to encourage me to complete the task I have set myself. In her job she is all into management and motivation, i.e. getting things done through the actions of other people.

Sometimes I feel so used. ;-)

>92 pgmcc: I know you hate it when we push you. It's the way you push back so very hard :)

>93 imyril: BANG! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! ...

Sound of door slamming and my stomping off in a sulk.

>94 pgmcc: Oooh more room in front of the fire for me? You're a sweety.

I'm not completely heartless though, so don't worry - I won't eat all of the ice cream.

>91 pgmcc: To be sure, 'tis myself that is truly grateful and plannin' to raise a pint in your honour.

>95 imyril: Neither heartless nor hearthless, one hopes.

silos... they hold things. Love it!

>97 Jim53: I have always been good at technical writing.

It would appear I have jumped the gun by presenting some photographs of the Guinness brewery at this stage. St. James's Gate Brewery is Chapter 6.

Lest I make another sequential error I will present the contents here:

1. Christ Church Cathedral
2. Dublin Castle
3. Trinity College Dublin (or, more correctly, Dublin University, Trinity College)
4. Parliament House (Now Bank of Ireland)
5. Dublin City Hall
6. St. James's Gate Brewery
7. Kilmainham Gaol
8. General Post Office (GPO)
9. The Abbey Theatre
10. Croke Park

You are forgiven for jumping the gun. If I'd had access to the book I'd have peeked ahead and waited (im-)patiently.

TCD (official international acronym) is important to South African botanists because it contains the collections made by William Henry Harvey at the Cape (and the specimens he scored off colleagues) and used to write the first three volumes of Flora capensis (apparently no copies on LT; published 1860--1865). These volumes contain first descriptions of many now well-known species, and parts are still the best available accounts of some plant groups. Best bit is that the specimens are, or were when I saw them, still in exactly the same state and sequence as they were when Harvey died in 1865. And the current curator is (or was within the last 10 years) an ex-Durban lad by the name of John Parnell. I shall think of you wen I teach this to a bunch of students in Pretoria early in March.

>100 hfglen:

Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 available in the Trinity library.

http://library.catalogue.tcd.ie/search

Printed Book
Flora capensis : being a systematic description of the plants of the Cape Colony, Caffraria, & Port
Harvey, William H. (William Henry), 1811-1866.
Dublin : Hodges, Smith, and Co. ; London , 1859-1924.


Location

Shelfmark

Status

Santry Stacks (EPB only) 75.cc.52 Vol. 3 IN
Santry Stacks (EPB only) 75.cc.53 Vol. 4, pt. 1 IN
Santry Stacks (EPB only) 75.cc.54 Vol. 4, pt. 2 IN

There are additional copies/volumes of this item



Also, ABEBOOKS.co.uk has pdf e-book versions available for £6.10, if you like that sort of thing.

>101 pgmcc: Trinity jolly well should have it, as they have an important slice of the underlying material! I have volumes 2, 7 and 5-supplement in my own collection, and most South African herbaria have one or more heavily used complete sets.

Now that we are on the subject of Trinity College Dublin ("TCD", as Hugh has pointed out) let me share the photographs from today's lunchtime walk.

You can see a map of the main TCD campus here.

On the most westerly extreme (the left hand side) of the campus you will see "Front Gate" marked. The picture below is taken from College Green looking east.



(Please ignore the traffic and the road works.)

If one crosses the traffic flow and goes through the gates and into the entrance hall one will see the following:



Through the archway one can see the Campanile.

(Interesting* side note: The Campanile was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon who also designed the Lanyon Building at Queen's University, Belfast, where I attended college.)
* Interesting to me.

Walking across Front Square (or Parliament Square) and turning one's back to the Campanile one has the view below, assuming one can take in about 180 degrees of view.



On the extreme right is the "Commons" dining hall where scholars have their evening meal.

Next is the college chapel where my wife and I were married. She is a graduate of TCD and as such had the right to have her wedding in the college.

Looking at the centre of the picture one is looking west and can see the entrance from whence one has just entered the college grounds.

The pillared building on the left is the Exam Hall. On the map this is marked as the Public Theatre, and my wife, who did all her examinations there, will testify to the drama that has taken place in that building. It is also used for graduations and my wife and two daughters graduated there. (One of them also got married in the college chapel.)

As you will see from the map the pictures only touch on a fraction of the campus. I have not shown any of the libraries, but these are well worth visiting if you are ever in Dublin. The most famous library in TCD contains The Long Room (pictured below) that houses The Book of Kells.



I refer to this as, "my library".

By the way, the next chapter is The Parliament Building. It is just across College Green from TCD.

I'm really enjoying the pictures from your lunchtime walks! I can see that Dublin is going to have to move up my list of places to visit.

>104 Sakerfalcon:

I am glad you are enjoying them, Claire. When you get here make sure you let me know and we can grab a coffee.

If you are still in Dublin - and can get hold of a car and willing to drive a bit - Annie McCaffrey has said Sally Gap was exactly what she pictured for the weyr hold in Pern. It's a truly breathtaking site, if you can make the excursion.

The Sally Gap is beautiful. Glendalough is nearby and is a wonderful place to visit and walk in.

Here are pictures of Sally Gap and Glendalough.

>106 JannyWurts: Interesting. I have to admit I'd always thought of the weyrs as being in mountains with cliffs, like the sandstone layers of the Drakensberg (which have many shelters decorated with San rock art).

Chapter 4. Parliament House (Now Bank of Ireland)


Above is the main entrance to Parliament House, which is now the Bank of Ireland.

This building was the first, purpose-built two chamber parliamentary building in the world. It had a chamber for the Commons and another for the Lords.

I am afraid the rules of the Green Dragon prohibit my describing the politics of the time. I will just say that members of the House of Commons were drawn from a community that owned approximately 97% of the land on the Island of Ireland and accounted for 25% of the population.

The picture below gives some perspective as to where the Parliament House is in relation to Trinity College. The railings on the right of the picture are the railings in front of the entrance to Trinity College that can be seen in my earlier post, #103.



I took the pictures of the front of Trinity while standing beside the right most tree that is in front of the Parliament House. That area and the thoroughfare that leads off to the left is called College Green. Not so green now but in the 1700s that would have been a different story.

If one goes round the corner to the left one will find, "Books Upstairs", the independent bookshop that I mentioned in December as moving into a larger premises...with a coffee shop.

Current location


New location (Opens second week in February.)


The coffee shop will be on the first floor (second floor for US convention) with the bay window overlooking the road works...I mean the ebb and flow of human kind. I can almost smell the coffee.

Since it was Annie herself drove Don and I up there - I'd guess her statement was accurate - she said 'inspiration for' - so likely the cliffs were embroidered by imagination.

Janny, i wouldn't doubt your information for a microsecond. But I find it fascinating how wildly the picture between different readers' ears varies depending on those readers' backgrounds. (And mine includes mountains with built-in cliffs above scree slopes.)

Ah, sorry, apologies for my shoddy language - was thinking Annie's imagination embroidered with cliffs for the book/with the readers right there with hers.

>109 pgmcc: aha! Thank you @pgmcc for the precise geographical reference - now when I come visit Dublin (as one day I honestly will get there at last) I know where to go book shopping. Mr B may not thank you, but at least I'll be able to bribe him with coffee ;)

>113 imyril: You set Mr B up with a cup of coffee upstairs and you disappear for five hours looking at the books. He will never notice the time passing as the view will fascinate him.

Daniel Pennac's 10 Inalienable Rights of the Reader

1. The right not to read
2. The right to skip
3. The right not to finish a book
4. The right to re-read
5. The right to read anything
6. The right to “Bovary-ism,” a textually transmitted disease (the right to mistake a book for real life)
7. The right to read anywhere
8. The right to dip in
9. The right to read out loud
10. The right to be silent

Chapter 5 deals with the Dublin City Hall.



This was originally build as the Royal Exchange by the merchants of Dublin for the purpose of providing a location for business to be conducted, and also as part of a power struggle between the merchants who wanted to keep the centre of the city where it had traditionally been, to the west near Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, and the land owners who wanted to move the centre of activity further east to enable them to be close to their estates in the country. (We are talking about the 1700s.)

This chapter describes the struggle between the two groups and the success of the land owners who succeeded in having a new customs house (pictured below) constructed along with a new bridge, originally called The Carlisle Bridge and now O'Connell Street, further down river, thus dragging the city centre in that direction.



There had been a customs house near where the merchants built their Royal Exchange, but that was demolished and the location where it was situated is now occupied by The Clarence Hotel which is owned by the Irish rock group U2.

The Clarence Hotel


In relation to the location of The Dublin City Hall, when I took the photograph I was on Parliament Street with my back to the River Liffey. Behind the City Hall is Dublin Castle. When I visited the Castle I entered via a gate that is to the right of the City Hall and exited via a gate that is further down the road to the left of the City Hall. (Note, I am using right and left in relation to my view of the City Hall.)

This chapter was about much more than the City Hall and it gave an interesting description of the struggle between the merchants and the landed gentry in Dublin of the 18th Century.

I am loving the photos ... one day . . . one day I'll get to visit (adds Dublin to the list!)

>117 Peace2: I hope you manage the trip.

One of the things I am seeing from reading this book is the number of other buildings that could have been included. The author, Lisa Marie Griffith could get a whole series of books by doing ten at a time.

@suitable, your wildly flippant remark about walking faster has not been forgotten, but I am looking a ways of getting to Kilmainham Gaol and Croke Park. I may have to take an extended lunch and walk faster. ;-)

@Peace2, I am glad you are enjoying the pictures. It is great fun visiting the locations with a bit more knowledge about their history. Apart from getting more exercise I am also living up to my belief that one should always try to be a tourist in the place one lives. It adds so much more to life.

wildly??

>119 suitable1: Thank you for triggering the realisation that I had made a mistake and accused the wrong person of wild flippancy. 😊

(Colloquially we would use "wild" or "wildly" to mean "very".)

I think about flippant much like unique; either it is or it isn't.

>121 suitable1: How right you are, but I am sure you will allow me some poetic licence for the sake of hyperbole.

Thanks to comments on a number of LT threads I have recently missed two Book Bullets (BBs), namely The Invisible Library and The Martian, that I felt were heading my way. I was thinking this was a good thing, but when I asked @Meredy, in a post on @Sakerfalcon's reading thread, if I gained any credit for avoiding a BB she informed me that "You have to stand and take two others to make up for it."

And she's absolutely right, @pgmcc. What could you possibly be thinking?

By the way, love the Customs House lit up at night. Is there more to the Clarence Hotel in terms of historic events or scandals? I seem to have heard of it, but can't think in what context.

I don't think you should dismiss The Martian. I enjoyed it and think you would too.

>124 jillmwo: I am glad you like the Customs House picture.

In terms of the Clarence Hotel I will dig into the scandal archives and see what I can dig up.

It does have a nice dinning room that it calls "The Tea Rooms" which is done up in 1930s style.

I don't think you should dismiss The Martian, either. Maybe we should vote on it.

Shouldn't PGMCC be allowed to make up his own mind?

It's a non-binding poll.

>129 hfglen: What makes you think that?

>129 hfglen:
Hugh, thank you for standing up for my rights. It looks like a long hard struggle ahead if us.

>131 Meredy: Now I know who my friends are.

I refer all of you to post #115 above.

We only apply the gentlest and most subtle pressure.

Coming a little late into your thread, but am enjoying it greatly. Enjoyed the article you posted about reading actual books. I am also one of those who haven't moved too an e-reader. I fully support the belief that reading will help keep Alzheimer's away, just another reason to enjoy it so much.

Also loving your pictures of Dublin, makes me want to visit it even more.

I have a question on The Bone Clocks. I've seen a lot of praise for this one from many different places, and have it in my wishlist, but should I read one of his earlier works before it? Cloud Atlas is the only other one of his I've heard of.

I can't vote on the Martian poll because my copy is languishing unread on my Kindle. I will try it, I've read too many varying reactions to it, so I'll give it a shot.

>133 SylviaC:
"Subtle", as in "ton of bricks"; "sledgehammer"; "thumbscrews"; etc...

I love it!

>134 heathn: I am glad you are enjoying the pictures and the discussion.

Having read four of David Mitchell's books I would say one can read them in any order. There is one reference in The Bone Clocks to a scene in Black Swan Green but I think was purely a bit of fun by the author.

I have benefitted from the Mitchell books I have read and hope you find The Bone Clocks interesting.

Thank you for dropping in.

A cold walk to the bus this morning was made more pleasant by the site of a full moon hanging low over the horizon with Venus clearly visible up to the left.

Last night I looked at Jupiter using binoculars and could make out three of its moons.

>138 pgmcc: Could you see Mars?

I didn't look for it. I am not sure where it is at the moment. The Moon and Jupiter were in my line of sight with other directions blocked by street lights.

It appears a new Harper Lee book is to be published in July.

Details here!

I have just finished the chapter on Kilmainham Gaol. This is one of the buildings that is a bit too far for me to visit at lunchtime, even if, as @suitable1 suggests, I walk faster.

This is a very significant building in Irish history. It was where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and executed. I will provide a couple of links on this post and will pay a real visit to the gaol later in the year and I promise some pictures from that trip will be posted on LT.

One of the interesting links I found was about graffiti in Kilmainham Gaol.

Cool building. Is it used for anything now?

Chapter 8: The General Post Office



I have no excuse for not visiting this one. It is the building I work in.

I took the picture above on the morning of 10th March, 2008 from a café across the road. I was having a cup of tea before entering the building to start my first day of work in that building that means so much to the people of Ireland. It was the head quarters for the 1916 rising and the Proclamation of the Irish Republic was read in public for the first time in front of the GPO.

>143 suitable1: It is now a national monument and one can visit it and avail of tours. It is primarily a monument to the memory of the people who were incarcerated their for their political views, especially those executed.

The Gaol is impressive. Think of how the sound must have echoed around in there.

I am enjoying this tour so much. Have you read Going Postal by Pratchett? I made my husband read it because the characters in it reminded me very much of some of the people he works with. I have a theory that post offices the world around mold and shape people into these characters. :)

>147 MrsLee: Not yet. It is in the house and will be pushed up my TBR pile. It is one I have intended reading for a long time.

I think we may have discussed Post Office by Charles Bukowski. I think it supports your hypothesis.

>144 pgmcc: I take it the building now houses other functions besides the post office?

>149 hfglen: It is the headquarters for An Post, the national postal service provider. The front ground floor is still a post office and is a key landmark for tourists to visit. It also has a small postal museum. The rest of the building is taken up by administraition departments. About 900 people are located in the building.

My two sons and one of my daughters are urging me to read The Lies of Locke Lamora. Any views?

It will be the next book I read after Stones of Dublin. I have just finished the chapter on The Abbey Theatre. It was founded in 1904 by W. B. Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory. It is the Irish National Theatre and specialises in plays by Irish playwrights.

The theatre has in the past not been shy of putting on plays that challenge Irish society and the establishment, be it government or church. Lisa Marie Griffith's approach of talking about the history of a building and describing the socio-economic and political background is fascinating and is particularly apt in this chapter. The theatre commenced its life in turbulent times and the plays it put on were in no small way complementary to the political and social goings on of the time. The start of the 20th Century saw an growing nationalist movement in Ireland and it was only twelve years after the opening of the theatre that the Easter Rising took place.

Plays in the abbey did not shy away from showing the dire poverty that existed at the time and it was not shy about showing people as the really were, not the way polite society wanted them to be. Many major Irish plays were first performed in the Abbey and they are still being performed around the world to this day. They are seen as a better glimpse into the reality of Irish live than piles of history books. The type of plays I mean are:

The Playboy of the Western World
Waiting for Godot
Juno and the Paycock

and many more.

The building is not much to look at these days (I am sure some poor architect would weep to see my writing that) but is only about 400 yards from my work place so I will dutifully walk to it and take at least one photograph.

I just came across another vista from Trinity College. This is the view one has having passed through the front entrance into the square.

>151 pgmcc: The Lies of Locke Lamora (and sequels) has been one of my favourite fantasy releases of recent years. Think something like Ocean's Eleven with a touch of Oliver Twist set in medieval Venice and you'll have some idea of how things stand in this book. It does get pretty dark at times and there is also some choice language so if that's not your cup of tea then you might not enjoy it.

The kids have been pushing me to try it for years. The youngest has told me the language is really bad but he is the one most anxious that I read it. What is a father to do when his youngest child tells him that his favourite book is full of very bad language? I blame the parents. Duh!

Is there an aunt or uncle we can blame?

Looking at the discussion above about The Lies of Locke Lamora make me smile - I picked it up while in a shop last week because I was sure it had been a book bullet from last year, but then I began to doubt myself - at least now I can be sure I had read some positive things about it hereabouts. I shall get to it eventually now. :D

>154 pgmcc: "What is a father to do when his youngest child tells him that his favourite book is full of very bad language? "

Similar to my eldest, still a teen, previewing the Sandman series for me to filter out the stories with more sex than I was comfortable with. That she loved them so much she wanted to share them with me, and yet knew what I could and could not handle was very endearing.

I really wanted to like The Lies of Locke Lamora but I gave up on it. You shouldn't go by that to make your decision, though, because I don't have as much patience as I used to and if the action doesn't start quickly, I might just not pick the book up again if I have a lot to do. And I found the atmosphere in the story was dark and not inviting. I used to like what other people did so it annoys me when I don't get hooked on a popular book. Kind of makes me wonder where my planet got to.

>158 nhlsecord: I have come to accept and be comfortable with the fact that not everyone is as discerning as I am with regards to books. This means I do not mind the occasions when everyone appears to be out of synch with my views on a book. ;-)

Today I bought Night Film and had to start reading it as I had two hours to kill and no other book with me. I found the start very good but I promised my son I would read The Lies next. I will be flying through it to get back to Night Film.

I mostly enjoyed Night Film, which I got as an ER book. I'll save my comments for when you've finished it.

The Rights of the Reader that I listed in post #115 above are from a book of that title written by the French author, "Daniel Pennac", whose praises I have extolled previously, especially in relation to his humorous novels, The Scapegoat, Write to Kill and The Fairy Gunmother.

Well, I received a copy of it today.

ETA: :-)

Croke Park is the subject of Chapter 10 in Lisa Marie Griffith's book, Stones of Dublin. It is the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the governing body for Gaelic sports, which include Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie.

Last August 31st I had the pleasure of attending the semi final of the men's All Ireland football match between Donegal and Dublin. Donegal won. (Yay!) In the picture below The Artane Band leads the two teams onto the pitch before the singing of the National Anthem at the start of the game.



The GAA plays and has played a big role in Irish society over the decades. Every county has a team and there are local clubs throughout every county, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic. Interestingly Gaelic games have proved popular in areas where Irish people have settled, and there are Gaelic games championships played in many parts of the world.

By the way, dark and light blue are the Dublin colours and the green and yellow are Donegal.

I've been a bit absent of late, but I thought I'd chime in on the use of gentle suggestion - you are absolutely entitled to make up your own mind about things, as long as you make the right choice ;)

I'm very much looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Locke Lamora. Lies is I think the best of the Locke Lamora books to date - also, crucially, not a book that demands you read the sequels, so you can enjoy it as a one-off. I hope you do (enjoy it).

>163 imyril: you are absolutely entitled to make up your own mind about things, as long as you make the right choice ;)


I always say there is nothing wrong with being biased when you are right.

>164 pgmcc: or as Mark Kermode would say 'Other opinions are available... they're just wrong.'

Stefan Grabinski was born on 26th February, 1887 in Kamianka Strumilova, Poland. He was an author of stories that are variously described as fantastic literature and horror stories. This has lead to his being referred to as the Polish Poe or the Polish Lovecraft. While his works are on a power with those of Poe and Lovecraft I believe his stories have their own character, power and nuances and the comparison with others could be misleading.

Miroslaw Lipinski has performed a great service to the English reading world by translating Grabinski’s works and making them available to likes of me and other fans of weird and often Gothic stories.

In the attached video, Grabinski’s story, “Saturnin Sektor”, is read by Dónal McClean. This reading took place at the opening of Phoenix Convention VIII in the Central Hotel, Dublin, on 4th March, 2011. The cameraman was Phil Ilten.

I would like to thank Miroslaw Lipinski for his translation work and for agreeing to this video being posted online.

I am the auld guy doing the introduction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enPYE4r_aVY

More information on Stefan Grabinski can be found at the website devoted to his work, here

Two acquisitions on Saturday, 21st Feb:

The Complete First Edition The Original Folk & Fairy Talse of the Brothers Grimm (Tourchstone not finding correct edition) translated by Jack Zipes



Of the Abuse of Words by John Locke - This is from a great little series: "Great Ideas" by Penguin Books. It reprints important works of the past. It is all I can do to stop myself from buying all of them. I nearly came home with five today. It was a struggle to pick just one.



The newly relocated Books Upstairs bookshop has a lovely coffee shop upstairs with a nice window seat overlooking the street outside.




My youngest child finds the new Books Upstairs bookshop a very relaxing place. The picture below shows how I found him when I came down from the bookshop café this afternoon.

>167 pgmcc: You found him adorable!

You know, I really like LibraryThing (I say with a comfortable sigh).

They really should provide their customers with higher backed chairs.

>168 MrsLee:

My son was chuffed that @MrsLee thinks he is adorable.

My wife wants to know who @MrsLee is.

>170 SylviaC:

My son said he quite likes the sinking feeling.

The foolishness of youth.

>171 pgmcc: You needn't tell your son, but you can tell your wife MrsLee is happily married with three of her own adorable kids. ;)

This bookshop will of course be on the itinerary of any trip I make to Dublin!

>173 MrsLee: That is exactly what she would expect me to tell her.
:-)

As you request, my son will remain ignorant of your marital status.

>174 Sakerfalcon: I only discovered last week that the old location has reopened as a bookshop for special offers. That means one independent bookshop has become two independent bookshops and a coffee shop right in the middle of the City. Definitely "must visit" locations for visitors.

>175 pgmcc:

You could say that MrsLee manages a "house" where people come and go at all hours.

(>176 suitable1: That's the kind of remark I depend on you for.)

(I love this place.)

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch



I enjoyed this book on an entertainment level. It was well written and the plot was circuitous enough to maintain interest. While there are sequels to this novel it stands on its own. While there are sequels to this novel I do not feel inclined to hunt them down and read them, despite their presence in my house.

My two sons and one of my daughters encouraged me to read The Lies of Locke Lamora as they thought it was wonderful. I think the age difference between my children and me explains the different levels of delight in the novel. My having been reading for twenty-five to forty years more than the three people who wanted me to read the book explains why I was not bowled over by the book as much as they were.

The use of bad language was aimed at the rebellious streak in youth. I did not think the bad language served much purpose. The book would have been just as good without it. I felt it was unnecessary and if the author did think it necessary it should have been used more extensively. It was a bit incongruous that the Gentlemen Bastards were trained to operate in polite company but it tended to be when Locke was in polite company that he used bad language more than in other company.

When I am reading a book I like to find more than the story and the characters. I like to find things that stop me in my tracks and make me think; commentary on social issues; interesting turns of phrase. I did not find anything in Lies of that nature. There was one two-page section that gave an overview of the economic world as a series of arrangements between businesses and criminal gangs that work in a symbiotic fashion with the security forces turning a blind-eye when necessary to keep the economy working and the pockets of their members well lined with coin. While I do not deny the implication of Scott’s description I do not feel it was made in strong enough a fashion as to make it a significant part of the novel.

Some people may get upset that the novel does appear to glorify stealing (Locke is a Robin Hood character without the giving to the poor bit), or at least treat it as a normal occupation. One has to go with the flow on this one. The turning robbery into a religion is another aspect one could get upset about. Again, go with the flow.

One of my pet peeves is writers ignoring the rule that the verb and subject should agree in person and number. Scott ignored this many times. While many of the occasions were in reported speech I do not see why authors persist in promoting common abuse of language when they could just as easily promote common correct use of language.

The novel was about the adventure and that is what one must focus on to enjoy it. Do not get too hung up on the detail, implausibility or improbability of some of the plot elements. The book is well written (with the specific exception noted above), entertaining, and it moves along with a good pace. It is good quality fantasy adventure.

>179 pgmcc: An entirely fair review. I enjoy it for the entertainment value - I don't think Lynch is trying to make any big or clever points (nor does he begin trying with subsequent instalments) - he's just having fun with the long con in a fantasy setting. And I do have a soft spot for Jean, for being a chunky bookworm with great culinary skills who just happens to be quite good at breaking other people's heads if the occasion calls for it. But really, he'd much rather finish his chapter.

>180 imyril: I like Jean too.

>179 pgmcc: I do not see why authors persist in promoting common abuse of language when they could just as easily promote common correct use of language.

I emphatically agree. Often I think it's because they don't know they're making a mistake. But where are their editors?

>182 Meredy: I suspect neither author nor editor realises the errors of their ways. I was giving them the benefit of the doubt.

I am currently reading, and enjoying, Night Film by Marisha Pessl. It is an interestingly constructed book. It is about the apparent suicide of the daughter of a famous, reclusive film director who specialised in horror movies. Of course someone suspects there is more to the death than a suicide.

The construction of the book is interesting as it does not rely totally on prose. When the body of the daughter is discovered the reader is shown 18 webpage images containing the typical type of Internet news snippets one gets these days. The webpages give the bare bones of the incident, the girls life as a child prodigy playing concerts at the age of 13, and reviews the life and works of her famous father. In another part of the book the main protagonist gets a medical report from a source. The book then presents the medical report to the reader.

It is a book that calls me to read it. I think it will be trying to play with the reader's mind, but I am ok with that. I can take it.

I won't be reading it because the subject and genre don't appeal to me at all, but the format sounds interesting. I'll look forward to hearing how it works when you're finished.

>184 pgmcc: @sakerfalcon got me with that book bullet a while ago, and you are cheerfully bumping it up the list :)

>186 imyril: I suppose that is not a direct hit but could be interpreted as laying down effective ground fire. ;-)

>187 pgmcc: definitely a team effort :)

I'll toss in a grenade too. I enjoyed this one as an Early Review book in 2013, and had previously enjoyed her Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Neither is entirely fabulous, but both do some things quite nicely.

>189 Jim53: I have Special Topics in Calamity Physics in the house. I started reading it a couple of years ago but work got in the way and I set it aside at a very early stage. I did not realise it was the same author until after I had started reading Night Film. My current experience with Night Film means I will be digging up Calamity Physics in the near future to give it a read.

Okay, which format does one want for these two titles -- print or electronic? >184 pgmcc: would seem to suggest that one wants it in electronic form to see the snippets of web pages. >189 Jim53: did you have a thought?

>191 jillmwo: I am happy with the physical form. I would prefer the physical form.

>191 jillmwo: I did but it escaped.

Oh, about the book, right. I'm a hard-core dead-tree guy myself, so I might not be the best judge. My ER trade-paper copy had printed versions of the various non-text items, and it worked fine for me.

>190 pgmcc: The earlier book has a very different tone, although as I recall it also concerns a father and daughter.

>189 Jim53: ...any book with a title referring to Calamity Physics sounds awesome :)

I too have read both Pessl's books (in print versions) and enjoyed them. Jim's comment is a fair one - neither book is perfect but both have lots of good things in that suggest she's going to get better with each future work. Usually I'm not keen on such self-consciously clever writers/books but something about hers just hits the right spot for me.

>186 imyril: Looking forward to your comments when Night film reaches the top of the pile!

The weekend got off to a good start...on Thursday. At about 3:30pm I received a message from a friend that he was in the queue for the 5:30pm opening of the annual Trinity College second-hand book sale. This is an annual event at which books donated by alumni are sold to raise money for the college library. It takes place in the Exam Hall.

On the Thursday evening there is a 3 euros entrance fee to browse and buy. Later in the evening there is an auction for the more valuable antiquarian books donated. On Friday the floor is restocked with more books and the entrance is free. On Saturday the remaining books are sold off at half price.

I joined the queue at 5:30pm, ten minutes after the doors had opened. The shot below was taken as I joined the queue.


The next shot is inside the Exam Hall.


The picture on the extreme right is of William King, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin from 1703 to 1729. He is an ancestor of my wife. You can see him in a bit more detail below:


This is the room my wife did he college exams in. I think her ancestor's presence on the wall was more intimidating than encouraging.

By the way, the picture along the wall to the left is of Jonathan Swift.

So, what books did I find?

On my Thursday visit I picked up:

1963 edition of The Glass Blowers by Daphne Du Maurier


1951 edition of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell


This afternoon I took an hour out of work to visit the sale again. What I took away on this occasion:

Tai-Pan by James Clavell

Getting it Right by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Complicity by Iain Banks (bought as a give away recommendation)

De Valera by Tim Pat Coogan (bought for my wife who is a member of the political party that was led by De Valera)

Syntax: A Linguistic Introduction to Sentence Structure by E.K. Brown and J.E. Miller (bought to sit on my shelf and intimidate people who might want to correct my sentences. No! Of course I will not read it.)

I Predict a Riot by Colin Bateman, a writer of humorous novels who hails from my home town of Belfast

The Goal by Eli Goldratt (a classic work related book (the basis of The Theory of Constraints) for those working in operations management. I have my own copy but when I saw this copy I bought it to give away to someone else. It is a book I am constantly recommending to people.)

Introduction to French Literature of the 17th century. (This was in French and I bought it to give to a French friend of mine. He was most appreciative.)

How much did I spend?

Well, on Thursday evening I paid my 3 euros entrance fee and the two books cost me a further 3 euros.

On Friday the eight books cost me the massive sum of 12 euros. The De Valera book was a whole 4 euros. I even had to pay 50c for the Elizabeth Jane Howard.

Yes, a good start to the weekend.

Now to get reading my Night Film. Only 114 pages left. It is keeping me well engaged.

I am jealous of your du Maurier find!!! {turns green}

I think we need a review of Syntax: A Linguistic Introduction to Sentence Structure right after The Martian.

>198 Bookmarque: The Glass-Blowers is a novel she wrote based on the history of her own ancestors in France. I already have a copy but when I saw the earlier edition, in hardback, with its intact dustcover: I mean, what was I to do? I couldn't just leave it there.

>199 suitable1: , you are obviously still part of that conspiracy that is determined to influence my reading material. @jillmwo, I suspect, is the ring-leader. She is trying to push me into Middlemarch. Having read the first page I am less inclined to read it than I was before. As for The Martian: well, let us say that could be an easier sell than Middlemarch.

By the way, did I mention that the books not sold at the book sale...are pulped. Argh! :-( It makes me weep.

Pulped books - major bummer.

Like going to the animal shelter when you already have a cat - another version can't hurt!

>202 Bookmarque: I see we think along the same lines.

:-)

I'm relieved that you got some books! When I saw the picture of the queue, I was afraid they would be all gone before you got inside.

It's always distressing when you know the leftover books will be destroyed.

I find these sorts of sales (or library culling sales) very hard to leave books at, knowing they will be destroyed. Especially if I know it is a good book. I want to find a home for it with someone who will care for it and cherish it as it deserves. I have been known to buy many a Ernie Pyle book, or some of my other favorite authors, even though I already have a copy or two of their works.

Oh, really >200 pgmcc:, you gave up after the FIRST PAGE? Of Middlemarch, a book that begins with a PROLOGUE that is commentary rather than plot? Hardly sporting. At least get into the first 4 chapters before you reject it. That's not even 50 pages in!!

And this from a man who appreciates fine wine, cheese and sports cars. (As my son would put it, this is why I drink...)

>206 jillmwo: ah, the bait worked.

I read the Prologue and the first page of Book I to see how it started. What struck me was the language and the irony that you suggested Henry James writing was a chore to read but you are enthusiastically urging one to read Middlemarch.

;-)

By the way, do not think I have not seen your reverse psychological challenge. I know you are playing with my mind. Having just finished Night Film all is clear. I can see what you are doing.

Having mentioned Night Film I must say I enjoyed it.

I found this book entertaining and enjoyed its pace. It is a psychological thriller that attempts to play with the reader’s mind. It is difficult to say much about this book without spoilers so I will invoke the “spoiler cloak of invisibility” for most of my comments.

If you have not read this book and like investigative mysteries, then this might be for you. It does attempt to scare the reader as it is supposed to also have a degree of horror, so it is not necessarily a cosy crime novel, but it is not that drastic. The investigation is triggered by an apparent suicide and the story does skirt around areas of the supernatural and magic. If that does not put you off then sit back and enjoy the ride.

As I read this book I felt it would make a good film. I have since discovered that the film is being made.


Pessl was trying to create a film within a book, even trying to make it a film within a film within a book.

My wife uses the concept that life is about getting from A to B, A being birth and B death. Cordova’s philosophy in this book and Ashley’s too, was about that. In their cases they wanted to live life to the full, in the moment, unconstrained, while they had it.

The blurring of reality and fiction/fantasy is a constant theme in the book and Pessl tries to drag the reader into experiencing this through Scott McGrath. What happens when one does not know what is real and what is not.

I knew the book had a final twist left in it when McGrath had spoken to Gallo as there were too many pages left for the apparent winding up and tying up of loose strings to be all that was left. The story had reached a natural conclusion and the number of pages remaining indicated either another twist or a long-winded, superfluous, dragged out ending. As it happens, Cordova would have liked the ending, only the book ending was not as horrific as one of his films would have been.

I liked the way the book presented support material, e.g. the medical report presented within the text; screen dumps of news web pages; replication of McGrath’s investigation notes; etc… I think this worked well.

I see Pessl has set up an on-line experience to complement the book. It involves interactive media for those interested. I do not think I was that taken by the book that I will explore those aspects of the experience. This is a feature I have seen with other books (J J Abram’s “S”) and television programmes (Dr Who; Sherlock). I am sure it is something we will see more of in the future as the boundaries between different forms of media are blurred.

The mixed media approach is not surprising coming from someone who worked in PWC. I am sure Pessl is well versed in social media marketing and multi-media presentation. On her website she says she worked on her first novel while working at her cubicle in PWC. I wonder if PWC will follow up with litigation for the theft of time that she has confessed to on the website.


An enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns. I will be digging up her other novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, in the near future.

>208 pgmcc: I'm sure I saw this one in the library audio section the other day... I feel temptation luring me in (although I've not uncovered your spoilers to reveal further details). It may be that if it's still on the shelf when I next go looking for something to listen to that I succumb.

>209 Peace2: I would suggest it might be better to read the physical copy rather than a narration. The book uses embedded documents to great effect. I suppose the narration will read them out but the effect of reading text and then coming across the medical record of a person is very strong.

>210 pgmcc: Thank you for the warning - I shall ignore the audio copy in that case and will await a time when I can request a paper copy (a quick look online shows that it's not available at the library I use, but is available at a branch). It will take me longer to get to it, but eventually....

>211 Peace2: I found the use of embedded documents fresh and different. It added to my experience of the book and I would not like to miss that experience if I were to come to it fresh.

>139 Meredy: I have just spotted the mistake I made in >138 pgmcc:. I meant to write "Venus" in the first sentence.

On 20th February I was looking at Venus in the evening and noticed a small point of light beside it. I learnt later that it was Mars. Venus, Mars and the Moon were right beside others on that evening. It is the first time I have noticed Mars while it appears so small. I was accustomed to seeing it much larger. It is amazing we can pick up signals from the equipment on a planet so far away.

Yesterday evening I finished reading the 1927 published "Selected Stories" of Guy De Maupassant, translator, "J. Lewis May". There is an introduction, entitled, "The Art of Guy De Maupassant", which was written by Holbrook Jackson. The introduction is well worth reading and is the type of introduction that should be an introduction: it introduces Maupassant's life history, his introduction into the world of writing, and his rise to fame as France's master of the short story form and in no way spoils the experience of reading the body of the book. So many introductions should be an afterword or left out entirely.

Apparently Maupassant benefitted from the tutelage of Gustave Flaubert, who was a friend of Maupassant's mother.

There are fourteen stories in the collection which is a nice sample from the author's over 300 short stories. The book I have is a first edition (the image above is one I took of the book) which was published in 1927, 34 years after Maupassant's death. Reading this rather delicate book added to the experience of reading stories from the nineteenth century, stories that deal with real life and, one can sense, real people.

The stories demonstrate the writer's skill at capturing the essence of real life situations. His stories are about ordinary people and the life they had. Having been a French soldier in the Franco-Prussian war of the 1870s his stories about the experiences of people during that episode are brought to life with real feeling and a sense of authenticity. His stories do not shy from portraying the horror of war or the hatred felt by the characters caught up in conflict.

These stories are of their era and do not contain the clever switches of plot or viewpoint that today's readers often want. This strengthens the stories in my mind. They show the short story at a particular stage in its evolution, and, in the case of Maupassant's stories, give us a glimpse into life in 1800s France. It is interesting to see what has changed and what has not. His stories also show what is the same in France and other parts of the world: prejudice; snobbery; caddish behaviour; ill treatment of women; brutality in war.

Humour is also a strong point in his stories. His word selection when describing characters is excellent and very pointed. *"Boule de Suif" (Ball of Fat) is regarded by Holbrook as Maupassant's best story and it is a wonderful example of the writer's skill at humour, and irony, in his characterisation. It also demonstrates his attitude to the hypocrisy of the aristocracy, upper and middle classes, and the holier-than-thou religious.

I always enjoy reading a story by Maupassant. There are many of his stories on-line and I would strongly recommend that people dip into his work and step back in time to enjoy life at a different pace.

Lest you be left in any doubt, yes, I enjoyed this book and the whole reading experience I had with it.

*An on-line English version of the story is available if you click the story title.

Maupassant is at his best in the short form, I agree. But I had been unaware of the personal influence of Flaubert. Visiting your thread is always interesting. That 1927 binding is also quite beautiful. Some book sales are more worthwhile than others in that finding type of treasure

By the way, I look forward to hearing your views on North and South by Gaskell. I have one or two copies hidden away on my shelves here.

>215 jillmwo: I had been unaware of the personal influence of Flaubert.

Holbrook made the point that there was no blood relationship between Flaubert and Maupassant. Apparently people were adding two to two and getting five in relation to Flaubert's "friendship" with Maupassant's mother. Holbrook dismisses this out of hand, however, Flaubert did take a very strong interest in Maupassant's development as a writer.

As it happens, I had agreed to buy this Maupassant collection from my friend who runs Swan River Press and our mutual attendance at the Book Fair was a convenient moment for us to conclude the agreed transaction.

North and South is sitting beside me. I sense a movement in The Force, as if someone were trying to influence my reading. ;-)

On the basis of having read the Maupassant collection and learnt of the Flaubert connection I have started Madame Bovary, a book I have been intending to read for some time. North and South could easily follow that. I have intended to explore Gaskell's work for some time.

>215 jillmwo: Visiting your thread is always interesting.

Thank you!

I can say the same about yours. I also love the directions you point me in relation to the homework you set for me and other reading exercises.

>214 pgmcc: This is one of those authors whose work I have in a collection of lovely books, but I'm very slow to start reading them. Working through the Shakespeare one right now, but Maupassant may very well be the next. Although, other's here have also praised Chekov and made me want to read his stories next, so we shall see.

>217 MrsLee: I would suggest Chekov's stories would be a bit more heavy than Maupassant's.

>218 pgmcc: That will certainly be taken into consideration, thanks!

This thread has over 200 posts, several with photographs. Some people may be finding it a little slow to load so I think I will start 2015 Volume ii. I know it is only mid-March (see what I did there @jillmwo?) but I have been using this thread like a general blog so it is growing rapidly.

I hope I will see you over at 2015 Volume ii.