1Django6924
What books, if any, are you planning to read over the holidays?
I plan to revisit a book I haven't read in over 40 years: The Sketch Book by Washington Irving. I have a beautiful Heritage Club original edition (Sandglass 4C), illustrated by Gordon Ross. I have never read all the stories, just the famous ones--"Rip Van Winkle," "The Stage Coach," "The Spectre Bridegroom," and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," but there are four stories set at Christmas I'm looking forward to reading now.
The stories introduce the character of Squire Bracebridge, who throws a famous "Christmas Dinner," the title of the last of the four stories, and Irving wrote a later book (also by "Geoffrey Crayon") called Bracebridge Hall, which was unfortunately not published by Macy.
I became fascinated with these stories because of a colleague who told me about a fabulous event taking place at the historical Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley, The Bracebridge Dinner, a Christmas pageant in the hotel's Dining Room, which recreates the manor hall of “Squire Bracebridge.” With entertainment and an elaborate menu reminiscent of some of the events Macy threw, it is something I always wanted to experience, but it was so popular attendance was by lottery, and though I tried four times to go, never won (typical of me and lotteries). Attendance is no longer by lottery, but now in my fourth year of retirement, both the cost (and probably the menu) are too rich for my blood.
For those who aren't similarly challenged, here is a link, which is fun to look at anyway, and which may pique your interest, as it did mine, in reading some stories by one of our first major writers:
https://www.bracebridgedinners.com
I plan to revisit a book I haven't read in over 40 years: The Sketch Book by Washington Irving. I have a beautiful Heritage Club original edition (Sandglass 4C), illustrated by Gordon Ross. I have never read all the stories, just the famous ones--"Rip Van Winkle," "The Stage Coach," "The Spectre Bridegroom," and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," but there are four stories set at Christmas I'm looking forward to reading now.
The stories introduce the character of Squire Bracebridge, who throws a famous "Christmas Dinner," the title of the last of the four stories, and Irving wrote a later book (also by "Geoffrey Crayon") called Bracebridge Hall, which was unfortunately not published by Macy.
I became fascinated with these stories because of a colleague who told me about a fabulous event taking place at the historical Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley, The Bracebridge Dinner, a Christmas pageant in the hotel's Dining Room, which recreates the manor hall of “Squire Bracebridge.” With entertainment and an elaborate menu reminiscent of some of the events Macy threw, it is something I always wanted to experience, but it was so popular attendance was by lottery, and though I tried four times to go, never won (typical of me and lotteries). Attendance is no longer by lottery, but now in my fourth year of retirement, both the cost (and probably the menu) are too rich for my blood.
For those who aren't similarly challenged, here is a link, which is fun to look at anyway, and which may pique your interest, as it did mine, in reading some stories by one of our first major writers:
https://www.bracebridgedinners.com
2cartographer144
>1 Django6924: Thanks for sharing! I have fond memories of staying at the Ahwahnee for a couple nights many years ago and its easy to imagine it as the perfect setting for such a feast. I am just finishing up 'The Flowering of New England' which has piqued my interest in Washington Irving (though he is not one of the central figures of the book) along with many other American authors of that period. I will have to track down a copy of The Sketch Book.
Dickens is always a too obvious suggestion for this topic, but I did read The Chimes for the first time just last night, out of a 1976 Oxford University Press edition of 'A Charles Dickens Christmas' which my wife puts out as holiday coffee table decor. I am planning to track down the full collection of Heritage Press editions of Charles Dickens, but first need to address the perennial problem of shelf space.
I also read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight a couple weeks ago which has another famous Christmas feast. I did not attempt to labor through all of the Middle English included in the LEC, but dipping in and out of it was a pleasant experience that adds to the likelihood of me returning to this one again.
Dickens is always a too obvious suggestion for this topic, but I did read The Chimes for the first time just last night, out of a 1976 Oxford University Press edition of 'A Charles Dickens Christmas' which my wife puts out as holiday coffee table decor. I am planning to track down the full collection of Heritage Press editions of Charles Dickens, but first need to address the perennial problem of shelf space.
I also read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight a couple weeks ago which has another famous Christmas feast. I did not attempt to labor through all of the Middle English included in the LEC, but dipping in and out of it was a pleasant experience that adds to the likelihood of me returning to this one again.
3Django6924
>2 cartographer144: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Great choice! I studied this poem extensively (in Middle English) as a grad student, and there is so much subtext related to the pagan religions which Christianity was slowly replacing. The Green Knight himself is a symbol of the vegetation religions, which saw how dismembering part of a plant--beheading, in this case--does not destroy life, but is capable of regeneration. The Gawain poet (also known as the "Pearl" poet for the other poem attributed to him), was obviously a person of vast learning and aware of the lure of the old paganism.
Great choice! I studied this poem extensively (in Middle English) as a grad student, and there is so much subtext related to the pagan religions which Christianity was slowly replacing. The Green Knight himself is a symbol of the vegetation religions, which saw how dismembering part of a plant--beheading, in this case--does not destroy life, but is capable of regeneration. The Gawain poet (also known as the "Pearl" poet for the other poem attributed to him), was obviously a person of vast learning and aware of the lure of the old paganism.
4Glacierman
Two books to read: (1) Ramsey Campbell's The Decorations, a Christmas horror short and (2) A Christmas Carol (every year).
5cartographer144
>1 Django6924: I just received my copy of The Sketch Book today. I paid a little extra for the only copy, of the many I’ve seen listed, without a heavily faded spine. The fully intact glassine cover must have helped considerably, though there still is some very light fading. A little late for Christmas reading, but nice to have it on the shelf for next year!
I read The Dead from Dubliners this morning, a favorite post-Christmas holiday read. I’ve read it several other times but this was my first time reading from the massive LEC. I read the even larger ‘sibling’ LEC Diary of a Country Priest earlier this month which has the same paper and a similar binding. If I could make a swap between the two, I think I would have preferred illustrations in Dubliners and photogravures more in Diary of a Country Priest.
I read The Dead from Dubliners this morning, a favorite post-Christmas holiday read. I’ve read it several other times but this was my first time reading from the massive LEC. I read the even larger ‘sibling’ LEC Diary of a Country Priest earlier this month which has the same paper and a similar binding. If I could make a swap between the two, I think I would have preferred illustrations in Dubliners and photogravures more in Diary of a Country Priest.
6Django6924
>5 cartographer144:
I'm sure you will enjoy The Sketch Book, which is one of the best early Heritage Club exclusives. "The Dead" is my favorite of Joyce's short stories--and ranks with "Heart of Darkness" as my vote for one of the greatest stories in English written in the 20th century.
Who would you have chosen as illustrator for Dubliners? I've always greatly respected Eichenberg's work, but I feel he was not the person to do Diary of a Country Priest. I agree with your preference for photogravures for the work, probably because the imagery from Bresson's film version are permanently associated in my mind with the story.
I'm sure you will enjoy The Sketch Book, which is one of the best early Heritage Club exclusives. "The Dead" is my favorite of Joyce's short stories--and ranks with "Heart of Darkness" as my vote for one of the greatest stories in English written in the 20th century.
Who would you have chosen as illustrator for Dubliners? I've always greatly respected Eichenberg's work, but I feel he was not the person to do Diary of a Country Priest. I agree with your preference for photogravures for the work, probably because the imagery from Bresson's film version are permanently associated in my mind with the story.
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