Project Office

This is just a place to gather and lament the absence of both a coffee machine and a water cooler.

I'm Carolyn, and I got the idea for the project in a flash, as I realised just how many stunningly important books were written in 1929. Since the twenties (and in particular, 20's Germany) are of great interest to me, I wanted to form a more complete picture of the time.

Why not introduce yourself, and tell us why you're here?

And - if anyone has a special interest in the period and can offer extra information (movies? art?), that would be spiffing!

Welcome, all, to the literary world of 1929!!!

ETA: There is now a website containing an Excel list of the titles that we've come up with - http://project1929.jimdo.com. This is for information only, not for discussion.

I'm CaroLINE - there will be confusion, but we will live with it.

I'm really interested in reading up on the history between the WW1 & WW2, and this group will be a delightful companion to that.

Welcome, Caroline! I've been thinking that a "history" thread might be a good idea, both for posting non-fiction reading about the period, as well as for discussing finer points connected to certain novels...

Sadly I'm about to 'create' dinner now, but tomorrow I shall set up some nifty threads and conversation-starters!

Hello all, I'm Laura and up to now had not given any thought to reading from 1929, but the book list is too tempting!

Hello everybody. I am Paola, and find the list very interesting and exciting. I already have a few of the books listed, and will be happy to read them.

Welcome, Laura and Paola!
Remember, rigour is not de rigeur, perhaps just one or two will sweeten your 2009 and take your mind off banking crises and whatnot.

Er, then again...

Hello! I'm Rob, and I've stepped over from the Virago Modern Classics group at the kind invitation of Paola.

1929 was a special year for me. On June 29, 1929, my paternal grandparents were married. Their names were Robert and Clara. Exactly 60 years later, on June 29, 1989, my wife and I were married. Our names are Robert and Clara. So, I'm delighted to celebrate 1929 in the year of our twentieth anniversary!

Welcome, Rob!
What a wonderful story - we'll have to celebrate that one!

Hello all, I'm Christine! I've read a few of the books on the list already, but some are due a reread and I see others that call out to me. This should be a very interesting group.

What a great story, Rob!

Hi - I'm Cushla and I had the same reaction as Laura - what a great booklist! I haven't read many on it but have the Robert Graves waiting patiently. I've also been meaning to read All quiet on the Western Front for many years.

Rob that is a lovely story.

I just checked to see if Siegfried Sassoon wrote anything in 1929, because I loved his Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, but he was a year late! How inconsiderate of him! His first volume was published in 1928...

Hello -- I'm Jane -- Paolo lured me to look at the group, and the book list seems intriguing. I probably won't get to read too many until summer break, but I do remember reading a few on the list in the mists of time -- may go back and reread some too.

Lovely coincidence, Rob.

Welcome, Christine, Cushla and Jane!

Edited to remove reference to the original group image, which I shall re-post on June 29th!!

Hello. I'm Christina. I was tempted over to the group by the kind invitation of Paola and induced into staying by the list of excellent books and authors on the home page, including Stefan Zweig--one of my favorite authors discovered this year.

Hi I'm Louise. I'm stuck in a Persephone/Virago vortex at present. However, I am drawn to the idea of sub-categorising some of my TBR pile with the 1929 theme:

Armour Wherein He Trusted by Mary Webb
The Georgian Novel and Mr Robinson by Storm Jameson
Three Came Unarmed by E. Arnot Robertson
The Squire’s Daughter by F. M. Mayor
Taking Chances by M. J. Farrell (Molly Keane)
Riven by Jean Devanny
Brothers and Sisters by Ivy Compton-Burnett
A House is Built by M. Barnard Eldershaw
Another Part of the wood by Denis Mackail

oh dear, touchstones are useless

Welcome, Christina and Louise!

EXCELLENT list, Louise, I was hoping that one of you nice Virago collectors would come up with a few gems! I shall affix them to the main list tomorrow, when I will have the time and the nerves to engage the Touchstone Monster in combat.

Carolyn, didn't I do a good job with my invitations to join? AND not everyone has replied yet......:-))

Paola, I must acknowledge, and certainly not for the first time, that you are, not to put too fine a point on it, a phenomenon.

That made my day, Carolyn! Thank you, my dear, I just needed something like that.
:-))

I am Jane and I was invited by Paola too. I find I am reading more and more books from the early 20th century and I am delighted with the idea of celebrating one year's books in such excellent company.

I am Karen and I confess that I have read not one single book on the esteemed 1929 list. I hope I can get to a few of them!

I am excited to be in the company of such a great group - especially the wildly Phenomenally Popular Paola - who creates a social whirl where-ever she goes!!

A big thanks for setting up the group, Carolyn. What a stellar idea.

Hi, I'm Tui. This is feeling like old home week. Rob, love that coinkydink! Will have to wrack tiny brain for more titles.

**must make mental note to remember that I am a "social whirl creator"**

tiffin -- what's a coinkydink???

Paola invited me here too. She's been busy! Anyway, I like this time period, and I'm taking an English lit class on 20th century British literature to 1945 next term. None of the required reading is actually from 1929, but I'll still get lots of background info to share. I've read a few of the books mentioned so far.

Well, here I am, also invited by Paola, and I see a lot of familiar names here. (Hmm, how many Virago Modern Classics were first published in 1929, I wonder?) I'm Deborah, and I am happy to report that, having finished posting semester grades at exactly 12:37 today, I officially have some time to read! (That's "to read something I enjoy instead of student papers.") I've only read a few of the books on the list but have at least one in my TBR stacks. Sounds like an interesting prospect!

>23 janeajones:: jane, it's a funny sort of pronunciation of "coincidence". tiffin is Canadian, you know ... :-)

Hi, I'm Pam and have been interested for many years in the between-the-wars period: the Algonquin round table, the film industry, the emancipation of women, air travel, the last days of the British empire, quantum physics. Great idea, Carolyn.

So I did a little research (nowhere near exhaustive) on VMC authors' books--not necessarily republished by Virago, however--published in 1929:

Expiation by Elizabeth von Arnim
Harriet Hume by Rebeccaa West (I have that one in my TBR stacks)
Fame by May Sinclair
Women Are Like That by E. M. Delafield

Hi! I'm Jennifer, and I was actually invited by marise (thank you!). I've read a few of the books on the list, but they are all old favorites so I'm looking forward to re-reading them. This is one of my favorite literary periods, and I think this group is a fantastic idea.

>7 rbhardy3rd: Wow, that's great! Congratulations!

I have some interesting books published in 1929 in my library.

>1 citizenkelly: Depending on how much you want to delve into the non-book information, I may be able to help. I have lots of goodies from that time period, with a focus on fashion.

I hardly need another group . . . but then, how could I resist. I've read several of the books on the list; A High Wind in Jamaica, in particular, is one of my favorites. And, of course, I look forward to discovering others.

Thanks, Paola, too tempting to resist, but I AM also tearing out my hair. MY TBR pile is going to take over our whole house and perhaps I will get thrown out by my long-suffering wife! Thus is the fourth time I have come across Stefan Zweig in the last two days, so I must go order his books! He sounds terrific and I don't have him at all, and nothing on Bookmooch except in German.

I am also trying to read everything by and about 19th century Russians, so I guess I'd better stop wasting my time going in to work.

I also cannot find anything by Zweig in English. Maybe Citizenkelly could translate a copy??

Zweig's novel The Post-Office Girl is available in English from New York Review Books. Not 1929, but I've heard a lot of good buzz about it.

NY Review of Books actually has several of Zweig's novels.

Hello - I was kindly invited ... ahem ... tempted by Paola and recognise many friends. Looking forward to joining in. My mother, born May 1915 is now 93 and to think that she was 14 going on 15 in the 1929 year! The poetry of war and the novels, memoirs of both wars interest me. It will be good to reflect upon some of the 1929 titles put in context.

Finally, A Room of One's Own is of great interest to me and I would love to read it with such a wonderful group of friends!

Hallo -I'm Trish and I was kindly invited to join the challenge by Paola - thank you dear P. - I have some of the books on the list and can recommed The Lacquer Lady which I read earlier in the year.

In 1929 - Australia elected a new commonwealth government at about the time of the NY Stock Market Crash.

Welcome, Jane (FleurFisher), Karen, Tui, Nickelini, Deborah, Pam, Jennifer, vintage_books, rebeccanyc, polutropos, juliete07 and Trish!

>33 kiwidoc: The excellent Hesperus Press has also published a number of Stefan Zweig books, particularly novellas, including Buchmendel. I would love to have translated him, Karen, but some bagger got there before me!
(I'm hanging on like a vulture, waiting for the 70th anniversary of a certain writer's death, so that I can pounce first and translate his no-longer-under-copyright works... soon, soon! *rubs hands in evil glee*)

Hello - I am Valerie, and was invited here by the lovely Paola.
I have one or two books on the list, but I am sure I will end up with a lot more. It's great to see so many familiar 'faces' here.

Welcome, Valerie!

So many familiar names ... welcome everyone!

I'm delighted to see A Room of One's Own on the list. I haven't read it yet (*ducks*), and it's nice to have this group to nudge me in that direction. I'd also like to read Laughing Boy, since it won the Pulitzer in 1930.

Hello, I'm Cyrel and I recognize some of the books on the 1929 list - those read and those on my TBR list. I found the group while I was looking at the new groups list.

Welcome, Cyrel!
The more, the merrier.

#42 I think you know how much I love A Room of One's Own - the evidence is on my profile page! If you do read it Laura please let me know when you get going and perhaps we could start a thread ....

Hi, I'm Katherine, I wasn't invited, but may I please join? I'm very interested in this time period too. I've been reading books about WW1 and working my way into the time between the wars. I've read some books by some of the authors listed, but not many of these specific books. It sounds like a wonderful idea and will be great to be in on the discussions.

Katherine, I'm happy to have you join us, and I'm sure everyone else welcomes you as well.

Absolutely! Welcome Katherine! This group is open to any & all interested readers!

The more the merrier, Katherine!

Welcome Katherine!

Hullo everyone, I'm Becca. I find the idea behind this group to be very delightful and I'm hoping to incorporate some 1929 books into my 999 challenge list, starting with A Room of One's Own.

Delighted to have you here, Cyrel, Katherine and Becca!

>30 vintage_books: vintage_books, I've only now had a chance to look at your collection of 1929 publications, and it's very impressive! I think it's great to have a fashion boffin on board - perhaps it would be a good idea to have a fashion thread, in which we could collate and compare any mentions of 20's fashions we encounter in the books we happen to be reading?
(although I'll pass on that for the moment, since I'm currently on All Quiet on the Western Front, in which fashion is not abundant...)

> 42, 45 - I have that mug too!! I can't wait for the A Room of One's Own thread!

Hello everyone, I'm Murr, one of Phenomenal Social Whirler Paula's groupies. This is a fabulous idea for a group!!!!! Great books, interesting times, and of course.........Dorothy Parker!!!!!!!! Who could resist?
I'm going to mix myself a martini and listen to some Cole Porter now.

Okay, who let the cat out of the box? I put him in there in hopes of shipping him to Taiwan. And I don't want to hear any "I was checking out Schrödinger's cat theory" excuses. The cat was alive when I put him in that box with that special little flask. Murr, get back in that box. We all agreed no more social whirling for you. The last time was a disaster.

(Now imagine a neat transitional sentence. If you can't imagine one, that's probably because it's still in Schrödinger's box without the cat.). Hi all. I'm urania. Aluvalibri invited me, and since I''m her devoted slave of course I had to join. I'm also here to keep an eye on the cat.

And one more thing, Murrushka, you're supposed to be listening to balalaika music. I suppose you're going to say, Cole Porter was an excellent balalaika player. Hrrumph.

But I am drinking vodka martinis (gin is soooo lower class) and Cole Porter sounds fabulous on the balalaika.
If I promise to behave, can I stay?

Only if you read Russian novels published in 1929. And eat caviar . . . AND REFRAIN FROM WHIRLING. It's making me dizzy or maybe that's the vodka or the caviar. I'm so confused.

Whirling allowed. Cattiness too. Welcome, both!

We aren't going to start talking about bathroom / litter box reading again, are we?

1929 was the year the Great Depression started so somewhat eerily timely that we're looking at this era. Buddenbrooks got the Nobel that year...could we sneak it in under that aegis?

Thanks for the invite, Paola - looks like a great list! There are a couple (Woolf & Larsen) that I've been wanting to reread, plus a lot of enticing new books. And perhaps this is my chance to finally read Civilization & its Discontents the whole way through...

During my MA, I took a course on interwar British women's fiction with Liz Maslen (who has since published a critical book that is partly on this subject) and discovered a whole world of writers I had not previously known: Winifred Hotlby, Storm Jamison, Clemence Dane... It was a wonderful course!

Although I am insanely busy right now, I couldn't resist this group and the many familiar members - hi everyone! I will have to proceed slowly on this project, though. I already have a mountain of reading from 999, Reading Globally and The Undergound...

FYI, For anyone interested in UK women's fiction 1928-1968, Liz's book can be found at: http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?is=0333729536

Thanks for the link, Cocoa. That is just up my alley!
:-))

That sounds brilliant - did you download ? I would like that book but it is rather pricey!! What an excellent course, so very interesting. Thank you for the link Cocoa.

Thank you for the welcome citizenkelly! I can check and see if I have any military reference material from that time period.

I uploaded some more 1929 magazines tonight, but haven't yet added the covers.

I'm WATCHING this group, really, just WATCHING. Although it could give me an excuse to reread Letters to a Young Poet . . .

#64> WATCHING, just WATCHING.....HA!

avaland, I bet you're not buying any new books until you read the ones you already have, either!

#64 And I bet you're not going to start anymore groups this year.

>67 urania1: guffaw

>59 tiffin: The funny thing about Mann's Nobel Prize victory is that the committee was honouring him for both Buddenbrooks (1901) and The Magic Mountain (1926). However, since Fredrik Böök, the renowned Swedish literature professor and Academy member, had previously torn the latter book apart in his criticism, only Buddenbrooks was cited in order to save face. It's a wonderful read, but considerably more light-weight than The Magic Mountain... Böök later became a Nazi sympathiser and was fully discredited thereafter, but the bugger had done his damage by then.
As for sneaking Buddenbrooks in here under that aegis - why not? But only if you read The Magic Mountain too! *snigger*

>60 cocoafiend: Hallo cocoafiend, it's nice to have you on board - what a marvellous book you cited, I'll bet the course was great. I've downloaded the Introduction and will enjoy it with my Christmas pudding.

62, Yes, it IS pricey. After the library copy I was reading was suddenly recalled, I looked into buying the book and decided not to. My advice is to find a library copy. Or download and read the intro like citizenkelly...

52, I'm up for a Room of One's Own thread!

I've made a thread for A Room of One's Own.

(Hopefully I'll read this essays in 2009)

>67 urania1: I think I can hold out for 10 more days. . . ha!

Season's Greetings to one and all -- I wish you a happy and leisurely couple of days.

I'll return with my thoughts on All Quiet on the Western Front before the New Year.

Best wishes from Carolyn.

Kjell from Bodø, Norway
wish you all A MERRY CHRISTMAS,
hoping to meet you here in some days.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!

And a very Merry Christmas and super Happy New Year from me too, here in NY.
I hope to come to Norway some day, Kjell, so get the welcoming committee ready any time....;-))

And a Merry Christmas from Northfield, Minnesota, home of St. Olaf College—the closest to being in Norway you can get in the United States! Fram! Fram!

Happy Christmas Kjell from Oxfordshire (Lark Rise to Candleford fame plus a university) - I visited Norway 30 years ago and loved it. We ended up at Alesund via a lot of fjords. Majestic, powerful scenery along with delightful people are my main memories - oh and skinny dipping in a lake, very remote, very cold and very high up ...brrrrrr Where is Bodo ? (sorry about the lack of accent)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas to all...
I think Hawaii is Santa's last stop, he had fair flying weather here -- I wish for some snow and my skis right now, but its about 73F(23c) degrees at ten o'clock at night. I live on the most northern point in Hawaii, so it is colder here than most places in Hawaii.

I received several good book from Santa this Christmas Eve - I think I'll read on the beach all day tomorrow.
My tradition for Christmas day is to bake big soft pretzels with lots of salt on top, ice cold beer and sit under my beach umbrella.
ahhh I can't wait.

I'm moving to Hawaii immediately.

Just heard about this over on Group Reads: Literature, and it just sounded too much fun! I've got a few of the 1929 books on my TBR pile (and one or two on my wishlist) so I should be able to pop in every now and then with comments.

tomcatMurr, Xmas Day in Sydney yesterday was a rather cool mid-20s (Celsius, someone else can translate that to Fahrenheit), and I spent it at my sister's house near the beach having a BBQ (and cold turkey and ham). I've had white Xmases, but there's something to be said for Xmas in summer. :)

Welcome, wookiebender!

So, folks: Tomorrow is the official start of our Project 1929, and I'm very happy to be spending the coming year in your company. I wish us all a year filled with exciting, interesting and challenging reading experiences, as well as good health and happiness to all, naturally!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thanks Caroline and Best Wishes to you too. Love the dress.

What a stunning likeness Carolyn :-)

I used to want to be this woman. Now I think maybe only my pinky finger is that slim.

She's out of proportion anyway! Such looooong legs!

Quite right dear englishrose - 'hate her' lol

Hmmm . . . the only human I've seen who fits the mold is Kiera Knightley wearing that emerald green dress in Atonement.

Hi

I don't know if it's too late to jump in here--i just joined LT and just found thid group. I too didn't realize how many of the books we consider classics were published in 1929. I've read several of the books listed, and plan to read other books from the list this year, so I'm looking forward to interesting discussions.

I'm a married female in my late 50's, 5 kids, and a tax attorney (looking forward to retirement so that I can have more time to read). I live in the Seattle area, where I came via Aruba, London and New Orleans. Besides reading, my other passion is fiber arts.

Deborah

Hallo Deborah and welcome! It is never too late - we have a whole year, after all!
I hope you'll like it here.

Hi,
I'll start the reading of Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin in a few days. I hope some of you will read this novel, and you might participate in a sort of discussion on a new thread (topic):

http://www.librarything.com/topic/54244

How lovely to have a new person!!!!!
Welcome Deborah, I hope you will have as much fun on LT as we have.
:-))

90 AND 92
Thank you for the warm welcomes.

Of the original 1929 list, I've read the Last September, The Sound and the Fury, Living, A Farewell to Arms, A High Wind in Jamaica, Passing, Dodsworth, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Some Prefer Nettles.

I will probably begin my reading with Flowering Judas and 20 Thousand Streets Under the Sky, since both of these books are already in my library.

Also interested in Pather Panchali, Shesar Kobita, Sartoris, The Time of Indifference, No Enemy, Expiation, and Red Harvest.

>91 kjellika: Having just finished All Quiet on the Western Front I'm keen to leave Germany for a while (oh, how true that sentence is...), so I shan't be rereading Berlin Alexanderplatz for a few weeks - probably March. But I'm really looking forward to the discussion! I think I might have a fair bit of material on it... *walks away, scratching head*

I'm Liz, and I wandered vaguely into this group from somewhere else, but I'd love to stay. I looked at the list -- I've read about a dozen or so, mostly the mysteries and children's fiction (The Trumpeter of Krakow was one of my favorites as a teen) but I did sing in a production of Four Saints in Three Acts a few years ago. It was odd, but I came to like it, though not to completely understand it!

Hello and welcome dear Liz - there are some wondrous threads for you to peruse here along with a huge variety of books - so come in and enjoy! I have just collected The Trumpeter of Krakow from our library along with a couple of other Newbery Award books, Miss Hickory - a wonderful four star read and The Island of Blue Dolphins which I am starting later this evening (sorry it is not 1929). I will probably be reading Tumpeter later in the week.

Hallo Liz - you're very welcome!

As soon as you two get going, I'd be thrilled to see a Children's Fiction in 1929 thread!
(hint hint)
I'll jump in with Emil and the Detectives at some stage...

Oh yes! Children's Fiction.....one of my favourite kind of reading!
:-))

Bought The Fortunes of Richard Mahony and Irene Nemirovsky's David Golder today. Planning to start on the Henry Handel Richardson. Anyone else interested? It's a trilogy, with Ultima Thule, the last book, published in 1929. I'm starting with the first book, Australia Felix.

Pamela,
Yes, I'm interested (I should try to find something by a New Zealand author in 1929!). I just had a look at our library website, and it's there in the stacks.

I probably won't get to it for a month or two though. I need to keep track of what I want to read next - I usually just pick and read.

CK, I've finished All Quiet on the Western Front and LOVED it - and felt utterly depressed by it. I didn't read your review till I'd finished it but will try to add some thoughts in the next few days.

Pam, I have the trilogy, but have to read it yet. I will be very interested in hearing what you think of it.

OK, I am embarrassed to admit this here, but am I the only one not to know that Henry Handel Richardson (#99) was a woman? I had forgotten that I'd bought The Getting of Wisdom at last year's enormous charity bookfair, and found it today...

No Cushla, you are not the only one! Well done for spotting The Getting of Wisdom - I am looking forward to learning more of her from your reading.

Aluvalibri and cmt, hope to meet you on The Fortunes of Richard Mahony marathon. Juliette07? Howard, who runs the second-hand book shop where I bought it, told me that this was it, the geat Australian novel, no need to keep trying. He hugged it before handing it over.

Good to see you back, Pam!

I'm just back from a ten-day break myself and am still trying to settle back in to things, but I do hope to post my thoughts on Some Prefer Nettles and Margery Allingham before the week is out. That'll be three titles so far for me, which is fewer than I had planned, so I'll be upping the ante in February to (hopefully) include The Sound and the Fury, Goodbye to All That (a re-read), A High Wind in Jamaica and A Room of One's Own (another re-read). In March: Berlin Alexanderplatz again.

I would love to join in the Fortunes of Richard Mahony quest, but I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy yet... The great Australian novel, hmmm. Incidentally, I also didn't know that HHR was a woman. Serves me right for years ago sniggering at an American chap who SIMPLY DID NOT WANT TO BELIEVE that Evelyn Waugh was a man.

Cushla, glad that you were so impressed by AQWT, and I can fully understand the resulting depression. Such a powerful book.

Edited for various mundane reasons, too boring to outline. I shall go away and come back again tomorrow.

I've never heard of Fortunes of Richard Mahony, but now I must get it! I probably won't be able to join you for a read, but I will look forward to reading all your comments and perhaps making some of my own once I find it and start reading it.

>104 pamelad: He hugged it before handing it over.

Howard sounds like my kind of book seller! I looked on ABE and can't find a reasonably priced (for me) copy in the US. Think I will see what the library can do for me. Can't wait to see if you agree with Howard's assessment of it as the great Australian novel!

Australia Felix is available through Project Gutenburg, and also online through the University of Adelaide. I didn't check the other two volumes, but it's likely they are, too.

Thanks, aviddiva, I didn't think of that! Off to have a look...

Oooo! Aviddiva to the rescue!!

Wow! I love the multimedia Project 1929 website!

*blushing*
Thanks Rob! The music always makes me happy.

Theoretically I'm still working on it, but I've been swept aside by unexpected work this month (which is a Good Thing, especially if one is freelance), which means much less time. Sadly, my Project 1929 reading has taken a blow, but I'm hoping to post thoughts on The Sound and the Fury, The Crime at Black Dudley (and crime in general), Buchmendel and The Apple Cart before the end of the week...

I will be waiting with bated breath for your comments on Buchmendel. I was looking for it unsuccessfully over Christmas, and then picked up a copy of Beware of Pity instead, which is still on my tottering TBR pile, but it is Buchmendel which sounds particularly terrific to me.

I just wanted to say that a rather serious family illness is keeping me away from LT at the moment, but I'm eyeing my very substantial pile of 1929 books with pleasure and hoping to devote most of April to them. I love seeing all the activity on all the threads - KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!

So sorry to hear about family illness. Look forward to more of your comments in April. This is a very interesting project and I am hoping to read more of the books mentioned when time permits.

* bump *

What's everyone reading these days? I've just started The Lacquer Lady. I have a rather short attention span tonight so I probably won't get very far. But I've heard very good things about this book! Off to check the thread ...

Hi all, I'm a bit late to the party but looking forward to finding some 1929 gems.

I'm in the midst of a summer of African reading, does anyone have any recommendations for 1929 works by African writers? I see Olive Schreiner on the list, but it would be great to find others...I've just found a couple of lists of African writers with dates of birth which may aid my hunt.

Otherwise, I'll be making a proper start on my 1929 reading in the autumn.

I've got The Crime at Black Dudley lined up for this weekend. Laughing Boy is on the horizon.

Marise - Crime at Black Dudley is one of my current reads and the edition I have has a dedication in front to "The Gang" - (quite appropriate for a crime novel, I suppose!!) - does your copy have a similar dedication?

I had to run upstairs and look and yes, it does! Wonder who they where? I am hoping to read it all in one whollop this weekend - always an optimist.

It is a good read - once I reached chapter 3, I was hooked so I hope you enjoy it. It would be interesting to speculate who the gang members were!

Just found Mr Mulliner Speaking in the remainder shop. I'm in just the mood for Wodehouse today.

Thanks to two long plane trips, I have almost finished Berlin Alexanderplatz and look forward to contributing my thoughts about it. It is slow going but extremely rewarding.

And glad to see this thread/group revived -- I thought I was going to be the one to do it!

Glad to see some discussion here. I finished The Lacquer Lady and posted some thoughts on the thread ...

>118 marise:: will enjoy hearing your thoughts on Laughing Boy, marise.

Great -- I'll head over there to take a look. And I've also posted my thoughts on the Berlin Alexanderplatz thread.

>122 pamelad: Just found Mr Mulliner Speaking in the remainder shop. I'm in just the mood for Wodehouse today.

Enjoy! Wodehouse is brilliant :)

*nudge*

What's everyone been reading?

Just bought E. F. Benson's Paying Guests.

Recently read Tomás O'Crohan's The Islandman, which according to Wikipedia was published in 1929. Here's my summary:

The Islandman, originally published in Gaelic as An tOileánach in 1929, a memoir of life on Ireland's Great Blasket Island by Tomás O'Crohan (1856-1937). A fascinating narrative of a difficult life—fishing, cutting turf, hunting seals, scavenging shipwrecks, evading tax collectors—on the harsh edge of the Atlantic Ocean. O'Crohan's Irish voice, both rough and wry, sparkles through Robin Flower's translation.

Well, this book wasn't written in 1929, but it starts in 1929 in Czechoslovakia -- The Glass Room by Simon Mawer -- I'm afraid that's the closest I'll be coming to a 1929 book for a while.

Rebecca, I thought of that too (but didn't translate thought into action...) - am halfway through it!