TonyH's 50(ish) 08/09

I'm starting a new challenge from 1 March 2008 until the end of February 2009. This will be my second challenge year, having read 31 of my 50 target last year. Its a challenge I really enjoyed. I'll make my target 50 again.

Last year's thread is here!

1. The Curtain: an essay in seven parts by Milan Kundera

Finished my first book of my new reading year (only read the first part in the old year).

This was a really excellent read -- a series of essays on the novel. It was informative and thoughtful. Like some of his other works I have read it was made up of small parts that came together as a whole. He has a rigorous idea of the novel, without limiting it at all by his analysis -- the writing made his ideas and the idea of the novel for me come more to life and it has certainly inspired me to read several of the classics mentioned to know better how far I agree with all of his points. Edit - he has a deceptively light touch, which makes his writing thoroughly enjoyable.

There was one point I did not agree with -- he claims that people for whom life is wholly and unrestrictedly sacred find any joke an affront to that sacredness. I might be able to agree partially with this, for some people. But the point seems to fall down if I consider the example of some Buddhists.

This is a small point though in a wholly enjoyable book.

2. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

This was extremely enjoyable. It brought back memories of 1982 and in a way put me in touch with what its like to grow up which, seems to be a theme of some of my recent reads (and I'm halfway through Huck Finn at the moment too). Enjoyable though and not a mid life crisis! I went out and bought Cloud Atlas when I was 100 pages in, and I reckon I'll be reading his other work now, too. Its made me think a lot about choices in life (and in fiction). I'm also wondering, if as a counsellor its possible to have a parallel process with a client then maybe it is also possible with good fiction and maybe I'm tackling some hidden steps and staircases - inspired by Jace amongst others.

I have Black Swan Green on my shelf, unread, but I've read Mitchell's other three novels. Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite novels of all time, and is far superior to Ghostwritten and Number9Dream, I think.

Re #1: Makes me think of that lame one-liner that I actually giggled at: "A Buddhist walks up to a hot dog vendor and says, 'Make me one with everything.' "

Hey Medellia, glad to have you post on my new thread :)

I'll bear that in mind about Mitchell's earlier work -- though right now am in the frame of mind where I'll have to check them out myself, BSG being so good. It may have done so well in my opinion as I was almost the same age in 1982 and also in the UK, that made many of its references very powerful -- be interesting to see how it reads to someone that isn't from the UK, my guess is it will still work well.

I know that joke, very amusing it is too, even though I know it -- and as I know it well I find it works best now when I imagine specific people I know going up to the vendor and saying it.
I'm very surprised Kundera didn't see this flaw in what he said, and wonder if I'd understood him -- but my guess is he was coming from a very western point of view, though even then I wonder if he was right and also, now I think of it, realise his book on the novel never once mentioned Eco or The Name of the Rose which also tackled humour and the sacred of course.

Glad to be here! :) I'll be stealing book ideas off your new thread now...

I wouldn't even say that I'm discouraging you from reading Mitchell's earlier work--as talented of an author as he is, anything that comes from his pen is wonderful. I just tend to measure everything of his against Cloud Atlas.

It's funny how often blanket statements about religious/spiritual systems have to be qualified with, "Well, except for Buddhism/Buddhists." (I've been noticing this more lately while reading Happy Heathens threads.) That's an astute point about Eco.

Medellia12 - I have my moments ;)

3. The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

I really enjoyed this - lovely turns of phrase throughout the book. An interesting plot and some of exactly what I need from the hardboiled detective genre, including a nice twist to that.

Its been a while since I posted - I have been reading but not finishing anything, so there's a few I will finish and post at some point. I've also been reading a lot of poetry but flitting from book to book, maybe I will finish some of them entirely too and be able to add them some time.

Hey, welcome back. Once again, you have impeccable taste. The Yiddish Policeman's Union came highly recommended to me by a friend who has never steered me wrong. It's on my shelf now.

Have fun finishing some books!

Thanks Medellia.

4. The miracle of mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

This is a book I've read slowly and one that I'll read and reread I think. I found it excellent about practicing being mindful with some very interesting exercises most of which I haven't tried yet (and are one reason I'll have to reread) - its an interesting addition to some of the standard meditation practices I have come across, this really stimulates a somehow less rigid approach. I need my own copy, borrowed this from a friend and am passing it on with his blessing to another friend, its that sort of book - at least if you're interested in such things and excellent writing about Buddhism and meditation.

5. Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut REREAD

A book I took on some recent travelling (just got back last night) - I'd leant it to a friend recently and when I got it back glanced at it and it grabbed me again. I read it first about 10 years ago and didn't really remember it well, though some of the ideas in it, about time for example, seem to have sunk in quite deeply although I wouldn't have remembered where to attribute them I think. I also think I got more out of it in some ways this time, just got it better perhaps at least in parts - I seem to remember I read it when travelling last time too and had other things on my mind. Rereading is always interesting, though there are so many books I have never touched that I am drawn to that I often forgo a proper reread for a quick dip in and out old reads.

I have still been reading despite my slow progress on this list - still several that may be finished soon and again a lot of poetry.

Hope you enjoyed your travels. I read Slaughterhouse 5 for the first time when I was in high school, and I remember reacting badly against it; then I reread it about a year back, and I loved it. If I do any rereads this year, it will probably be on the list. I've been in the same situation as you for the past few years, drawn to many new things, with proper rereading falling by the wayside.

It's odd, because I used to be a compulsive rereader--I could reread the same books a dozen times, and get something new from them each time. Just thinking about it now, I may have convinced myself into setting aside some time for rereading at the end of the year.

Travels were great thanks, my brother got married in Sweden - whole trip was superb, a beautiful country.

I used to reread more than I have been too -- lifes too short!

6. Felicia's Journey by William Trevor

I loved the story of lucy gault last year so wanted to read another Trevor -- this one was very different. I found it very hard going at times - a nasty predator is involved (made me think of Thomas Harris), and I did not enjoy his small world at all, however even he, with the understanding that emerges of him, changed, as he became understandable. Like Lucy Gault, Felicia's story is heartbreaking and yet also like Lucy there was a strong sense of something that goes beyond that - grace, I guess. I like Trevor's writing very much.

7. twenty love poems and a song of despair by Pablo Neruda

I've written above that I've been reading lots of poetry, and I have. I usually skip from book to book and author to author, but this book I have read in its entirety. I enjoyed his language and at times it was like bathing in a hot bath, lovely. At others though I was soem distance away from feelign it perhaps as it was meant. Having read it once I will be reading and rereading it I am sure, as when it did soak in it was great - and so many terrific lines. His use of language and somehow his ease of expression reminded me of an idea I read in Douglas Adams when he talked of creative playfulness being the height of what we can achieve, the poems are light like that but also deep and seemed to me to always develop (though a few I am not sure I followed all the way). My edition is bilingual but I have no spanish - I can only wonder at how powerful and beautiful they might be in the original!

Other poets I have been reading, though I am not sure I can claim to have read any of their books entirely yet, but just for my own interest, to log some recent reading include:
Thom Gunn
Sylvia Plath (also her journals)
Emily Dickinson
Ted Hughes
R. S. Thomas
Dylan Thomas
e. e. cummings
and assorted collections.

I've rediscovered how much it helps me to read them aloud and have also been trying recording myself reading them into the PC, which has been a really interesting and enlightening experience in many ways.

8. The Gospel in Brief by Tolstoy

This is a sort of condensation of the gospels, leaving out much of the story told in them but concentrating on what Tolstoy saw as the teachings of Jesus. It was very interesting and powerful, giving me much food for thought. I started it ages ago but with this reading began again and got through very quickly, I guess it was just the right time to do so. It formed part of a larger, series of works by Tolstoy that began with his Confession which had quite an effect on me a few years ago (and still leaves me with a plan to read more confessional writing though I've made no other progress really) - the larger work examines the Gospels and Christian teaching more deeply than in this brief condensation. Its also well known as a work that sustained Wittgenstein during WW1 who felt it '...virtually kept me alive...' and that is hard to argue with - I am sure I am going to be thinking about it for a long time and guess I should now look at the Gospels themselves to judge better how it compares to them. I find much to sympathise with in this perspective, though of course have several of my own stumbling blocks to the way outlined.

9. A Time to Keep Silence by Patrick Leigh Fermor

I've read several of Fermor's books and enjoyed them all - though he tests me with new words all the time (as well as untranslated Latin and French). This one is short, though I started it last year and only just got round to the final two parts this week. Its the story of three visits to monasteries, the Benedictine St Wandrille, which makes up the longer first part, the Cisterican Grande Trappe and finally the now deserted rock monasteries of Urgub, Cappadocia. In the process I learned a lot more about monastic life and history. I find him hardest to follow when he waxes lyrical about architecture but overall it was a very interesting read. He gave a real flavour of what it is like to stay and sample the monastic atmosphere - the adjustment he went through and then the adjustment to secular life too. Its a hint as to what may look severe from the outside but on the inside may in fact bring joy - though he was very clear he didn't feel even with a vocation that he'd be able to live the strict Cistercian life. New words to me, or ones I had forgotten since last reading Fermor quite a long time ago incuded Paraclete and Thebaid, when will I ever get to use them though?

Ah, Murakami. The benefit of reading chronologically, IMHO, is that your second read will be Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, my personal Murakami fave. It was probably the first book that really got me thinking hard on the mysterious workings of the mind, memory, perception, and the lot. (I'm assuming here that you're not going to start with Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973, though perhaps I'm wrong. They're not without their value, but they're not the way I'd begin my Murakami voyage.)

My other favorites are The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore. I prefer his longer novels and his short story collections (though I haven't read The Elephant Vanishes yet) to his shorter novels.

I see -- tips noted, thanks! I thought I'd read that Norwegian Wood was the first so was going to try that (when I have read enough of my to be read shelf to justify book buying!) -- I'll have to check Wikipaedia to verify chronology I suppose.

Edit -- checked and you're right, of course. But the blurb at the front of my copy of 'blind willow, sleeping woman' says "The massive success of his first novel 'Norwegian Wood' made hima national celebrity" - publishers eh?

11. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Reread

I enjoyed this though I made hard work of it - the sort of episodic nature of it about half way through and the characters of the King and the Duke made me put it down for a while. We read it at school and I didn't enjoy the King and Duke parts then either. But the ending picked up a lot, very enjoyable. He writes the accents out so that even though I have little idea of how they sound they somehow seem to come across and lots of the description really appealed to me as well - an account of a storm and the description of arriving at Uncle Silas and Aunt Sally's place for example.

12. The Garden of Eden by Hemingway

I never managed to get passed the first chapter before but something made me start this the other day and I was half way through before I knew it. As the blurb from the Washington Post says on the back cover of mine - ". . . No one else writes like this and when they do they are imitating him" - what a book! Great Hemingway style, and a story that covers a vast emotional territory from joy to despair, hatred, madness, stoicism, creativity - I could go on - it is different from others of his I have read and yet like them. The madness was edgy and haunting and convincing - as was the reaction of the others to it, which perhaps teaches me even more.

Edit - I wrote above of madness, which may or may not be true of a character, at least in part -- but there are also issues of sexuality and gender and perhaps what seemed to be mad was temporary, a person under great emotional strain. It is written with a great knowingness of such a situation, it made sense to me, and the book is unfinished. I am wondering about the ending though which is quite clear cut - but I won't spoil it for anyone by saying too much. Its ages since I read Hemingway having tackled most of them soem time ago - this one had a range that I did not expect even though I am a fan.

You've got some good books on the list so far. I really enjoyed Slaughterhouse 5; it is actually on of the entries on my 50 book challenge this year. As for Huck Finn, great book, but I think there are so many books and stories by Twain that people don't even know about but are really good. (I posted a list of some good ones here.)

I've been wanting to read The Yiddish Policemen's Union for some time, but haven't gotten around to it. I'll have to check it out.

Hi Whicker -- thanks for your comments, I'l bear them in mind if I ever read any more Twain (i have a feelign I should read a few more C19th Brits first). I enjoyed your blog entry.

Hope you enjoy the Chabon -- have you read any others by him?

I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay last year, and I absolutely loved it. If you haven't, I highly suggest reading it.

I have Kavalier and Clay just not tried it yet, sometiems I am a bit put off as its about comics which I was never that into really. I got it as I read wonder boys which is fantastic imho as is the movie.

I was never a comic book person either, and had the same worries about it. The book is more about the authors than their material. I really think you should try it. Now I'm just sounding like a broken record.

13. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

A thoroughly enjoyable book - it made me laugh, it made me cry. Great stuff, I'll look forward to more by him, this was my first.

14. Dream Work by Mary Oliver

A friend leant me this and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I like her style - its approachable but lacks no depth of meaning. I like the process of her poems and her awareness of the process of experiencing what she describes -- and both of their invitations to my process.

I mentioned her on a forum I visit and someone said they liked her but didn't love her - at first I thought I agreed -- but reading this over a week I think I have found I love these poems (not one I didn't like and many I do love). I will be reading it at least once more before returning the book -- and ordering my own copy along with others of her work.

I recommend it, especially if you like to listen with your heart.

I started recording last years challenge on here a year ago tomorrow. I should finish the second of two plays by Arthur Miller tomrrow and so will have finished book 15 -- whatever -- this puts me about 5 ahead of last years pace which would mean reading just over 40 for the year -- but the way my reading can vary, who knows what mark I'll reach. Posting does keep me more focussed - and I've enjoyed the replies I've had too.

15. What I talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami

This arrived in the post yesterday and I have steamed through it. Its not a novel so I still see myself reading his novels chronologically. I really enjoyed it - its about him and its about running and its about writing (all of which interest me), in many ways its about how he lives his life through those things -- its about personal process in these things. I found it fascinating. I've never been a distance runner really (furthest gone being about 10 miles)but as I'm starting to run again it is very interesting to me as supposedly shorter distance runners move out to longer distances - and whatever, generally I need to get a lot of miles under my belt. I hesitate to say it inspires, perhaps I shouldn't - its hearing from someone who has run a lot be very honest about their process. I wonder what he'd be like to meet - but I do enjoy his writing, and its equally interesting about that and how running relates to his experience of writing.

Edit -- and yet I also don't wonder what he'd be like to meet, this seems to give a good idea of him. I guess I was wondering how accurate or complete that view of him is. But then what is accurate and complete about the wholeness of a person.

16. American Primitive by Mary Oliver

Really enjoyed this volume as well - though maybe a bit less than Dream Work. Got another volume already lined up and her next publication pre-ordered. I am a fan.

17. Gestalt Counselling in Action by Petruska Clarkson

I'd read some of this before but reading the whole thing was very interesting (a complete Gestalt of course) -- both the theory and the case examples she gives of counselling processes. A really enjoyable and powerful book - I now want to read a lot more about this approach, its practice, theory and philosophy, guess I'll start with Perls' main book. It's the first counselling book I have wholly read in ages and decided to start adding them to this as there will be more again now and they're going to cut into the rest of my reading.

18. Life after God by Douglas Coupland

I started this as I thought it might be a light, quick read. I've had it and some other's of his for years on the strength of having read Generation X and Microserfs both of which I kind of enjoyed as I remember it (though remember Microserfs as harder work). I thought it might be light as it is made up of short stories written in short episodes each with a sketch drawn by the author, a picture book in some ways and the episodes aren't long.

But I soon realised I should have paid more attention to the title (kind of serious!) and should have remembered him better - there is a reason he's associated with the 90's and kind of with grunge in my mind, maybe because he's from the NW, but there's a kind of flatness or mild depression I associate with him (this might not be fair on him and might refect my experience of the 90's). I didn't really enjoy the first two stories much -- but then to my surprise when I pressed on I did enjoy the rest of it. He writes well about individual experiences - I follow these least when his narrators make generalisations for their generation, but then I am far removed from where he's from. I went to see him speak/read (?) once and am now annoyed that I cannot remember a word he said, though I am sure I enjoyed it.

19. Thirst by Mary Oliver

I'm so glad a friend introduced me to Oliver's work. This was such an engaging book - nature, grief (and life) and faith being its themes, again from the heart. Wonderful.

20. "Work on Oneself": Wittgenstein's Philosophical Psychology by Fergus Kerr

I enjoyed this book. Lots was not new to me but was a good reminder and the new parts to me were of great interest: his argument about Wittgenstein and Catholicism and his presentation of the work of three philosophers who have continued thinking about Wittgenstein's later philosophy, and who do so in some ways that do not fit some of the usual understandings of W, especially Eldridge. I'm in danger, in fact I am sure it's already happened, of having read much more about Wittgenstein than I have read from him himself, hopefully I can put that right but it will not be easy! My only criticism would be the way in which the later chapter had so quickly to precis such arguments and came less from the author himself.

#33: You're right, it won't be easy. :) Wittgenstein stuff makes a good companion to David Foster Wallace, methinks--at least it would with Broom of the System. Not sure about Infinite Jest.

Thanks Medellia, interesting tip. Am just over 100 pages into IJ and have not seen it as particularly Wittgensteiny. It has depth, I love it so far, but I find it accesssible too, unlike some big works, easier than Gravity's Rainbow for example (which I also love). Sadly not done much reading for nearly two weeks though. You have piqued my interest about Broom of the System. I have a lot of W's stuff to read, have read some -- I just don't have enough time for everything I want to do.

I haven't read very much Wittgenstein myself (I'm afraid I'm altogether too impatient with philosophers, not great given that I'm living in academia). Wittgenstein was overtly mentioned in The Broom, so it was no brilliant deduction on my part. There are some interesting articles & book chapters out there on DFW & Wittgenstein, though, a lot of them in relation to Broom.

Like what you said above, for me the nice thing about DFW is that his work is crazy brilliant, but still fun to read, and surprisingly comprehensible, if you give it some time and effort.

21. Red Bird by Mary Oliver

Oliver's latest publication. It seemed to have a darker side to it at times than I remember from other books. I still like it a lot (loved much of it), have only read it once so far and will have to read it and Thirst again to see better how they compare. I will also be reading the rest of her backcatalog asap as I really love what I have read so far.

One poem that stood out as I remember now was 'Invitation' -- it came at a time I was thinking along such lines myself, about how I am being and the ability to be in the world in a poetic way, and its closing line from Rilke really connected.

#36 Thanks Medellia, when I come to Broom I will remember what you said about those articles. I read somewhere that he wrote it as a dissertation and it became a novel - he did a joint degree I think in philosophy and literature, so i'm not sure if he had two dissertations to write and this was meant to be a more fun lit diss or whether it counted for both parts. Anyway it might help explain Wittgenstein being part of it.

I like reading philosophy but I find a little goes a long way with me, kind of sets me off on my own thinking on similar pathways. Thats my excuse anyway.

22. First Love and Other Novellas by Samuel Beckett

These were amazing. As the Pinter quote on the back of my copy says, remorseless yet beautiful. I liked them all but especially 'The Calmative' and 'First Love' they more consistently to touched me. Beautiful prose, often poetic (and if its only 'often' then thats probably my ear).

I've not managed to read a lot recently - am no further on with Infinite Jest which I've enjoyed so far. Neither have I totally stopped as I did round about this time last year. But I am going to have less time to read in soon.

23. Everything Else in the World by Stephen Dunn

The spirit of unplanned exploration led me to pick this up in the bookshop knowing nothing of him or his work. I want to read more contemporary poets was enough reason. The cover said he'd won the pullitzer prize, I hope that didn't influence me too much. though since seeing 'Elegy' and Dennis Hopper as a pullitzer winning poet (fictional!) I'm not sure its image is the same for me. Anyway that image of the Hopper character was with me as I read this book - which may be unfair on Dunn.

Like I say I picked it up blind. Really I'm interested at the moment in poetry as the music of words, its something I want to explore - maybe a bit Dylan Thomas, kind of a sense of sense not mattering so much as much as a sort of washing over of words. I don't know if theres a word for this or even if thats quite what i am interested in (if anyone has any clue of other poets this might suggest to them then please let me know). But Dunn does not do this. He does use verse to make points - and I might be interested in the opposite as its what I am hoping to gain a bit of freedom from - sense that is. But despite all this I still quite liked this - there were many moments I liked and which I would go back to and he escaped the Hopper image and took on his own in my mind. Though I still want to get more of the letting go type of thing.

I have been reading, but much less due to a new job. Be lucky to get to 30 this year I think, at least of non-work reading.

24. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon

This was really enjoyable and a quick read but was also well written with interesting depths. Its very good about being young, but about a lot more - some a journey I was not expecting. An enjoyable book, as I have found all I've read of his.

25. House of Light by Mary Oliver

You'll have noticed, if you read this thread, I have read quite a bit of Oliver this year. A friend introduced me to her and since then I've worked my way through several - have another to start soon, more to purchase and also have her books on reading and writing poetry.

I love the way she writes - accessible and yet with depth - and of course her sensibility, to nature and the spiritual. I took some time to read this though - after so many poems about nature I was losing track of which was which and slowing down helped with that; but I might still have to write out my own catalogue of my favourites with a few notes to keep things straight in my head. This is a beautiful book.

I took a class a couple of years ago, a master's level liberal studies course, called "The Meaning of Life." No lie. The first thing that we read in there was a volume of Mary Oliver's poems (New and Selected Poems, Volume 1). I didn't keep it (poetry's not usually my thing), but I still have a warm fuzzy feeling thinking about that book (and all the others that we read in that class--best course I ever took, really).

Sounds a great class! Courses that give warm fuzzy feelings should be encouraged I think. Having taken one that did that big time over several years (the title of yours makes perfect sense!) I am currently doing one that doesn't do that - the less said the better, not a literature or meaning of life one though and short, which is good. Need to find one more in line with those interests next.

Oliver though amply satisfies such needs and keeps me going in a way.

Good to see you again.

26. Lyrical Ballads 1798 edition by Wordsworth and Coleridge

I've come across some of these poems before, many are a bit famous of course (e.g. 'The rime of the ancyent marinere', 'Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey') - but what a book. I wish I'd read this years ago -- but then maybe it is just that now its a right book at a right time, I love it. Now I need to get a copy of the later edition/s with the longer preface and more poems -- also will be moving The Prelude up on my reading list and both of these poets will gain more of my attention.

27. Dubliners by James Joyce

This was very enjoyable. It's suffered a bit in that I read it at the same time as the poetry above, but has many moments I loved. I'll go on to the Portrait of the Artist now before I ever try Ullyses. Its funny the manners were often old fashioned and yet something of the drinking culture of Dublin then seemed very modern.

28. Living with 'The Gloria Films' by Pamela J Burry

In 1964 a woman named Gloria was filmed in three therapeutic interviews with leading psychotherapists - Fritz Perls, Albert Ellis and carl Rogers. These films have been used in many therapist's training since, and cannot fail to arouse curiosity about Gloria (and many rumours). The films were also broadcast at one time, though that has stopped and I believe they should not be available outside of educational use. This book is Gloria's daughter's account of this experience drawing on many notes and much correspondence from Gloria herself. Its often a very moving book, it has many very eleoquent passages - I found it at times uneven but in being so I found it to have much value as a vivid personal account of experience, to have the charm of personal recollection. I also feel its of great value to put Gloria's story into a wider context and the view of her as a person, a remarkable person, who was not frozen in the moments of those interviews.

29. V. by Tony Harrison

V. is a poem -- written in response to the poet finding the grave of his parents desecrated by vandals in England in the early 80's (I'm not sure but perhaps during the miner's strike in '84). Obscenities were scrawled over graves and also 'united' (as in Leeds united footie team) and 'V' (for versus, as football fixtures are written). The poem describes the desecration and his reaction, horror, outrage and then an imagined conversation with a 'skin' that might have written the grafitti - all including the language that had been sprayed over the cemetary -- and it also addressed the context of Britain at the time where as remember it there seemed to be plenty of conflict (the cemetary itself was on top of a disused mine). I like the poem, it seems very good to me.
Then the second half of this book is made up of newpaper footage of the debate caused by a television screening of the poet reading the poem. That also brought back those times to me as the usual candidates expressed outrage, at his use of the language of the grafitti and with the vandal, being broadcast. I fall squarely into the camp that feels this poem totally deserved to be broadcast and that arguments against tended to show inability to recognise what was said in the poem and/or inability to recognise what was happening socially and if not that then wishing to do no less than suppress what they did not want nor understand.

30. Something to Tell You by Hanif Kureishi.

I found this very enjoyable, some really interesting writing and the narrators thoughts on psyhotherapy were very interesting. I thought in the third part it seemed to hurry, the style changed and the plot twisted and twisted again and it seemed less finished somehow to the earlier parts -- can't say I am right, this may just be an invention in my mind. Then the fourth part wrapped things up. It didn't seem quite like other books I have read by him. But was very enjoyable and it gave me quite a bit to think about - including why I should read and know better the analytic tradition.