February 2025: What are you reading?

What 1001 books are you reading in this short month of short, dark days (well, in the northern hemisphere)?

Reading In Search of Klingsor now, the group read on which I may be the only reader. It's... tough. But good. After that I'm on to Decline and Fall which I read long, long ago before I was deliberately doing 1001. Looking forward to that. On audio, The Adventures of Augie March which is entertaining.

>2 annamorphic: I liked the physicist portions of Klingsor* (long ago I took a class on the Scientific Revolution and so understood just enough to vaguely follow along) but was largely bored by the "spy-thriller" aspects.

*I also enjoyed Copenhagen and When We Cease to Understand the World

I've finished The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas by Joachim Machado de Assis. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I especially enjoyed his writing style and am looking forward to getting to his other book from the list, Dom Casmurro.

I'm currently avoiding reading The Thinking Reed. Is there ever going to be a point? Or a reason to care about the spoiled rich peoples' mundane daily life?

I'm starting on the second volume of the 2500 page A Dream of Red Mansions, my last of the four Chinese Classics on the 1001 list. This is an easy enough read so far, though its endless series of domestic scenes and poetry writing contests amongst the nobility in 18th century China might outstay its welcome if it continues for another 1000+ pages.

I was amused to read one passage where the parents of a feverish child were reassured by the doctor "I am happy to inform Her Ladyship... that the little girl's fever is simply due to smallpox". Phew, time to break out the tea and cakes again!

>4 staci426:
Oo, that's a good one. I also have Don Casmurro to look forward to.

>6 puckers:
It does indeed continue this way for 1000 pages but suddenly you'll realize that you've been observing a decline in their situation in as natural a state as the characters have. Personally, I actually loved all the poetry writing contests. But I know I would have become an alcoholic lush with all the drinking contests they constantly are having!