Kiwidoc- reading in 2009

I have decided to graduate from the 50 Challenge group. My old thread is here

Thanks for having me!!

February 2009

37. Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham
36. Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Aboet
35. A Journey Round My Skull by Frigyes Karinthy
34. Tokyo Fiancee by Amelie Nothomb
33. The Magician's Book by Linda Miller
32. The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett
31. Blindness by Jose Saramago
30. Balshan and I by Thomas Mann
29. Yesterday Morning by Diana Athill
28. Stories and Legends by Stefan Zweig
27. A Sun For The Dying by Jean-Claude Izzo
26. A Mercy by Toni Morrison
25. Chess Story by Stefan Zweig
24. Poor People by Fyodor Dostovesky
23. Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Moore
22. Further Reflections on the Death of a Porcupine by Olive Moore
21. Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig

January 2009

20. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
19. Sorry by Gail Jones
18. The People on Privilege Hill by Kate Gardam
17. Kate's Klassics by Kate Camp
16. The Fall of Troy by Peter Ackroyd
15. Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby
14. The Invisible Collection and Buchmendel by Stefan Zweig
13. A Romance on Three Legs by Katie Hafner
12. Shakespeare on Toast by Ben Crystal
11. The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduard Agualusa
10. The Grass Arena by john Healy
09. Selkirk's Island by Diana Souhami
08. Inventing Japan by Ian Buruma
07. The House of the Dead by Dostoyevsky
06. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
05. Mercier and Camier by Samuel Beckett
04. The Boarding House by William Trevor
03. Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier
02. The Double by Dosteyovsky
01. The Life and Times of Michael K by J. M. Coetzee

Welcome kiwidoc!! Your 2009 thread is duly starred.

Welcome to the group!

Hi! Good to see your challenge here!

Thanks, Lindsacl, alcottacre and torontoc. I will enjoy watching your threads also. All starred and ready to go.

Your thread is starred as well! I have a plane ride and probably a wait and or cancelled flight ( always happens) on Friday -so that means much reading time.

So it is officially 2009, and although I am travelling (in New Zealand to see my parents) I thought I might post a few RESOLUTIONS!!

Planning to:

1. Read all of Dosteovsky (read Crime and Punishment already), especially The Brothers Karamazov

2. Read a good portion of Thomas Mann

3. Read and reread all of Charles Dodgson (AKA Lewis Carroll)

4. Read some Plato (gulp)

5. Read The Epic of Gilgamesh

6. Read The Story of Art by Ernst Gombrich

7. Read the poems of Ondra Lysohorsky

8. Put down a book that is rubbish!!!

Best of luck to everyone in 2009. I will start posting my reads in the near future!!

Great goals for the coming year, kiwidoc! I certainly wish you all success!

1. - Gulp
2. - Gulp
4. - Gulp
5. - Gulp
6 and 7 - off to search them now, but almost certainly gulp!

Hope you're having a good time while you're back here. Bet the weather's about the same as in Canada!

Wow, Karen - great goals. Good luck with them!

Hallo kiwidoc - I shall be watching you closely!!!

>9 cushlareads:: joins cmt in a chorus of gulps.
That's an amazing set of goals, kiwidoc!

This will be fun! I'm starring your thread.

Re: goal #3: Will you be reading his math treatises too? I've always wanted to, but never have. I'd be interested to see what you think of them.

Karen--are you in New Zealand right now? That means you were able to get down your hill! We had a whole pile of fresh snow on New Years Eve. I'm sure you're so sad to have missed it! Hope you're enjoying some nice weather. The snow will probably still be here when you return (even if you don't get back until July).

1. might join you with some of the Dostoyevsky as I haven't read him since my teens, which was shortly after The Flood
2. have a few gaps there too!
3. you're on your own there
4. nope, once was enough
5. it's wonderful
6 & 7. nope
8. yep

Good inspiration and aspirations, kiwi.

Great goals! I've got you "starred" so I'll enjoy watching you meet them.

>7 kiwidoc: Kiwi: Some ambitious (foolhardy!) goals for 2009. I have some meaty reads lined up for 2009 also, but I have decided to add a humour category to offset the heavier books. I have a Russian Writers category and a Kafka category - I think that's enough doom and gloom - actually they may not be all D & G, I hope!

Happy reading, I will look forward to seeing your progress.

- TT

My memory may be a bit entangled with so many "threads" but I seem to recall that some group is doing a group read of The Brothers Karamazov beginning in February. Does that ring anybody's bell? Reading Dosteovsky and Mann are two of my goals as well, although one of each will do for me. :-) Good luck to you.

A quick search shows there are a bunch of threads in the 999 Group talking about the group read, so it's probably there.

this is a really stupid question. what is a thread?

kaylinhope - of course it is not stupid. Example - THIS group of messages is a thread!

Thank you all for the above encouragement.

I would like to slyly add, these are goals only and I make NO promises to complete them. It is stupidly foolhardy, Tortoise, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I thrive on doom and gloom!

I also want to lose 10 pounds (and that has been a NY resolution for the past 10 years!!). I am sure there are some equally foolhardy resolutions amongst the lot of you, non??

Nickelini - yes I am in NZ. It is 25 degrees *teh hee*.
WHAT is going on in Vancouver - I have never known so much snow. Did it break the 1960s record!!!

>22 kiwidoc:: I'm assuming that's 25 Celsius? Sounds nice. We just came through a few days in the teens...Fahrenheit.

BTW, here's the thread you were looking for: Brothers Karamazov Group Read.

TadAD - that is very kind to post the link. I will start to read it when I get to the book - no promising when that will be.

Yes - 25 C is an ideal temperature for me!!

Karen--I haven't seen this much snow, either! I haven't heard that it's record-breaking though. There's just been so many snowfalls without much melting in between. Everyone is complaining about how much shovelling they're doing. And they're calling for another 5 cm tomorrow, and then a major rainstorm Sunday. Grrrr. You're soooooo lucky to be away. Enjoy your break, and maybe we'll be back to normal when you return.

You guys in Vancouver are getting Ottawa weather :). Just to make things more fun, we have a transit strike here.

Basking in warmth (and peace and quiet!), here are my first reads of the year.......

1. The Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee



I knew that I would not be disappointed with this book, as all the Coetzee reading done so far has been fantastic. This was also wonderful. Coetzee is one of my favourite authors, albeit not good for those needing antidepressants.

2. The Double by Dosteovsky


I thought I would start my Dosteovsky jag with a smaller book. This was very worthwhile, and my medic training makes me take a psychiatric angle to the protagonist's dilemma.

Wonderful gift for writing although not as 'perfect' as Crime and Punishment. My review is here for those interested.

3. Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier



What a sublime book. This French book (mine is translated by Davison) tells a magical tale of a time and place now lost - France countryside in the late 19th Century, and the idealism and romantic fervour of young men growing to adulthood.

Read this!!! I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying the wonderful narrative, descriptions of French country life, and most importantly the heartbreaking storyline.

Three whompers in a row, Kiwi. I think you'd better read something chirpy next...you know, like having a sorbet between courses.

Actually, Tiffin, the first two were doom and gloom, but The Grand Meaulnes was quite uplifting - so beautiful was the mind of the narrator.

I feel sad that Fournier was killed in 1914 - such talent lost at 27 years of age!! What a waste.

Have you read Elizabeth Costello by Coetzee? I tried it in Dec but couldn't get into it. What is your opinion on it? Maybe I'll give it another try. I did read Disgrace and liked it a lot.

>27 kiwidoc: I was blown away by Michael K last year and fully intended to read more by Coetzee. Any suggestions?

Karen -- You picked the BEST time to be away. We were supposed to get 3-5 cm of snow today, and so far we're at 10 cm and it's still snowing. There's so much snow I can't imagine it ever melting. It'll be like Narnia: always winter and never Christmas. Please tell me you're sitting under a shady tree reading a wonderful book. I can live vicariously through you.

The country has turned inside out, like a sock taken off badly. That's Ontario weather you're having and we're getting yours...well, we were a few days ago when it poured.

Winter rain can be nasty too, but at least we're used to it. My favourite is when we have a ton of snow and then it pours for two days. So much fun! That's what's forecast here for the next few days. It's supposed to be 9 degrees by mid-week, which will feel almost tropical. Isn't winter in Canada fun! (Sorry to hi-jack your book thread, Karen!).

Message 35 tiffin..What a great image...."like a sock taken off badly."

Message 29, Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier sounds fascinating. I'll add this to my tbr in 2009 list.

Thanks for the nice description.

I'm with Whisper on Le Grand Meaulnes. It does sound fascinating! Now the only question is, can I find it in English - my French is very rusty.

dhiba - I have not read Elizabeth Costello - but read Youth and Boyhood (both autobiographical) and Waiting for the Barbarians. All wonderful reads, but his prose style mesmerizes me.

Donna 828 - I agree wholeheartedly about Michael K - it is a book not to be missed.

Tui & Nickelini - tell me you're sitting under a shady tree reading a wonderful book. Well.... YES ..... actually - I have tanned arms and a beautiful garden to look out onto while I read and sip ginger beer!!! Here until the 12th January. Sorry to miss the white stuff - NOT.

Whisper and alcottacre - read Le Grand Meaulnes - there are lots on the internet to buy and several different translators. I enjoyed the quality of the Davison translation!!

#39: thanks for the info, kiwidoc! I found it and ordered the Davison translation.

I'm a Dosteyovesky fan too. By the way, did you know that The Brothers Karamzov has apparently been removed from the revised list of 1001 Books To Read Before You Die?

Make sure you get a good (and readable) version of The Epic of Gilgamesh! There's a new 'English Edition' that just came out that's fairly decent (blue cover); I also have in my own library the version most universities use in their Ancient Near Eastern Literature courses (can't recall the publisher, sorry, but a quick search in my library should pull it up). It's pretty good as well. If you don't already have a copy, it's worth comparing the two to see which style you prefer. It can be a terrible pain to get through with a poor translation!

aruba - that flabbergasts me as much as it can with the book unread as of yet!! I imagine they kept Crime and Punishment, but I have talked to many who feel The Brothers Karamzov is one of the finest books ever written. Looking forward to it.

dk-phoenix - thanks for the tip. I am planning to read the Epic around mid-year - so will research the translations.

4. Mercier and Camier by Samuel Beckett



My first incursion into the world of Beckett - a very 'Joycian' writer. He was Irish, but wrote this in French and then translated it! He was, indeed, a good friend of Joyce and the influence is very evident.

Honestly, I did not know what to think of this book. I know it would be picked to pieces by literary scholars, but it has a very unusual form.

By the last two chapters, I changed my reading approach and it was more fun, reading for his humour and parody and lingustic acrobatics. It is still to early to say how it all sits with me. I will likely reread it.

5. The Boarding House by William Trevor



Upon hearing that Trevor is due to publish two new books this year, I thought I should catch up with some of his older fiction.

The Boarding House (published 1965) was no disappointment. It tells of the eccentric and lonely occupants of the Boarding House and their escapades following the death of the owner, Mr. Bird. Great characterization, evocative atmosphere. Very much worth the read.

William Trevor was one of my new author discoveries in 2008 thanks to LT. I loved The Story of Lucy Gault (it made my list of memorable reads for the year), so I will definitely be looking out for more of his books. Thanks for the review on The Boarding House!

Dear kiwi, please stop reading brilliant books and then telling us about them. Thank you.

Just kidding. I'm terribly impressed by your reading so far, and you have tempted my copy of Le Grand Meaulnes down from my shelf for a re-read (I last read it twenty years ago, when I was *gulp* sixteen). I'm on page 90 and enjoying even more than the first time. Thank you!

citizen, she is doing the same thing with me vis Dostoyevsky. I read him at about the same age as you read Le Grand Meaulnes and suspect that he might have more to say to me now as well. Although I remember that The Idiot knocked my socks off back then...

Why thank you CK and tIffin. I'll take that as a compliment. My dad has a great bookshelf. On that note, another fantastic and wonderful read just completed. I cannot believe that I have missed this book for so long.

6. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro



Sublime. Such a heart-breaking story. The butler who preserves his dignity at all costs, even at the expense of his personal life.

It is a shame that I saw the film of this book first, because Anthony Hopkins kept coming to my mind's eye through-out. Having said that, I thought the movie was great, too.

Another MUST read for anyone as stupid as me to have missed it!!!

Next up, Tiffin, is The House of the Dead. I LOVE Dosteyovsky and have finally learned to write his name correctly (with or without the second 'y')

Hey kiwidoc,

The Remains of the Day is on my list for this year - have you read Never Let Me Go, also by Ishiguro? It was a very interesting work, a dystopia set in the '90s.

I haven't read The Boarding House but it's gone on my list.

Two books I've enjoyed with similar themes that are worthwhile reads are The Slaves of Solitude by Patrick Hamilton and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Brian Moore. Both are rather sad tales, however, which may not appeal--great character studies though.

Hi kiwidoc--I read the Remains of the Day in the past couple of months and, like you, couldn't believe that I had missed such a wonderful book. I saw the movie, but luckily could remember little of it, other than I had liked it!

Hi kiwidoc,

Gilgamesh was one of my favourite books of last year. I read a new English version (as opposed to translation) by Stephen Mitchell (version not translation because he based his work not on the original but on existing translations), and it was just wonderful. I couldn't believe that something so old could feel so immediate.

Le Grand Meaulnes - one of my all-time favourites! I first read it at school, and it's one of the few books that I've read several times. It never disappoints. You've made me want to read it yet again!

>50 kiwidoc:: I have to confess to having deliberately avoided the film thus far because I found the book just so perfect. I didn't want to overlay it with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson....

Wow, you are off to a running start! *duly starred* Great goals, and I myself am jumping into Dostoevsky soon, too.

The Remains of the Day my #1 read for 2008. And I saw the movie first, a few months ago; loved it. I thought Hopkins and Thompson were excellent.

Six books in five days. I think that's pretty amazing.
I can see that I must get myself a copy of Le Grand Meaulnes. I had never heard of it, and my acquaintance with French literature is virtually non-existent. Must remedy that. I read the Mitchell version of Gilgamesh not too long ago---I recommend it.

Boy, you are starting out the year with some great reading, kiwidoc! Remains of the Day is already on Continent TBR, but I am moving it up rapidly. I read Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro last year and definitely want to read more of his stuff.

Cait86 - thanks for the recommend of Never Let Me Go. A definite for sure!!!

Aruba - I have read the Moore book and really enjoyed it. Will have to source the Patrick Hamilton - I like sad stories! Thanks for the recommend.

FlossieT - I think you would not regret watching the movie of Remains of the Day. It is quite true to the book and very well acted.

theaelizabeth - luckily I also have a problem with movie amnesia - it makes the videos I own appealing cos I can watch them many times!!

Kathy - so glad you found me. I have sought your thread out too, and starred it.

rachbxl - I own the Stephen Mitchell copy of Gilgamesh so that is likely the one I will try. Thanks for the encouragement. You will not be disappointed reading Le Grand Meaulnes again, I am sure of that.

FlossieT - it is a good movie, but a perfect book is a perfect book that should take precedence for sure. Glad you liked it as much as me - a 5 star read for me.

dhiba - I agree wholeheartedly.

LW3rd - it goes to show how much time I have - I have been off-duty for the last week - no children, no work, no housework....... bliss!!! Things will change again after 12th, when life resumes.

alcottacre - please do move up Remains of the Day - the only problem is that is finishes too fast.

Karen, The Remains of the Day was on my top five list for 2008 - definitely agree with you on that one!

Seems I have to read Le Grand Meaulnes soon - with your "sublime" review and Rachel's added rec, I'll probably love it, too! Thank you!!

Yeah, wow! 5 books already on the list for kiwi :)

I was fortunate enough to read Remains of the Day before seeing the movie. Loved both though! I went on an Ishiguro binge in 2007/8 but Remains of the Day is my favourite, followed by A Pale View of Hills.

Oh Karen. You have some wonderful books here, and coming up. But 62 messages and it's only 6th January. If you continue at this rate you will have 3,759 messages by the end of the year!!!

akeela amd digifish - nice to see you here. I see I am one of the last to read Remains of the Day.

Amanda - another talent discovered, the maths wiz!!!! I am wondering where your thread is for this year??

No you aren't, it's sitting on Mount TBR here. It keeps getting shoved back in favour of other reads.

Tiffin - move it to the top - that is one I know you will really appreciate!

revving engine of backhoe....but I do have to finish that ARC first.

>64 kiwidoc:, 65. Me three. I don't even have a copy. Far as I can remember. *checks catalog* Right. I don't. If yours tumbles down this far after you disturb that pile, Tui, I'll snag it, read it, and put it on a northbound heifer or something to get it back to you!

After reading all these posts about Remains of the Day, I am taking it off my shelf and putting it on top of my TBR pile. *Hanging my head in shame,* I have to admit that I haven't read anything by Ishiguro, a situation that must be rectified immediately!

@68: But you've been told to read it. I'm just saying.

7. The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoyevsky



"Just how horrible that time was I have not the strength to tell you....."

Yet he does tell the reader, most effectively. Wow - this book is so powerful.

Dostoyevsky wrote this after he spent four years in a penal colony in Siberia. (He was convicted of treason, sentenced to death, and reprieved at the last moment).

Presented as a fictional account of a noble convicted of murder, I think this is a thinly disquised memoir of his time in the colony. It is not for the faint-hearted, but beautifully written in a controlled and almost journalistic style.

It reminds me of the Primo Levi book Survival in Auschwitz. It shares the same astounding personal control - maintaining detached evaluation and avoiding any anger or resentment in the face of great suffering. The essential feature of both seems to be the removal of personality with the lack of freedom and autonomy.

After the first shocking impact of entering the prison passes, the mood becomes more uplifting as he discovers friends and companions and is impressed by their vitality and resilience.

I admire Levi enormously - and now can add Dostoyevsky to that list. Some of the descriptions of flogging and cruelty may not appeal, but I am so glad to have read this book before tackling his later fiction.

This book has to get the full 5 stars.

Great review, kiwidoc. This is definitely going on my wish list, and this will be the year that I finally get to some of his other works.

Thanks kidzdoc - great to hear of others who are planning to read Dostoyevsky.

I wonder if you sometimes get our two names muddled. Sometimes I see your name and think it is me!! Lucky we seem to have a lot of reading similarities!

Powerful review, dear kiwi. Although I'm despairing, because you are seriously tempting me...

#71 kiwidoc: I have not read that one by Dostoyevsky, so on to Continent TBR it goes. Thanks for the wonderful review of what is obviously a powerful book!

CK - I am not sure if you are a Russian fan or not, but I am rather swept away with Dostoyevsky. (It all started after a read of C&P last year and now I am going through all his stuff ASAP.

Thanks alcottacre - it is powerful indeed.

I know some critics have found The House of the Dead a bit choppy and incoherently constructed as a novel, but I felt it reflected the distress and horror of the place and the author's severe stress. It reminds the reader of the great suffering of the writer.

When compared to the Elie Wiesel novel Night, it is, IMHO, much superior.

When compared to the Elie Wiesel novel Night, it is, IMHO, much superior.

I definitely have to read it then! I read Night a couple of years ago and still remember how powerful a book that was.

I am not a fan of the classical Russian authors with the exception of Tolstoy, and so far have managed to avoid Dostoyevky, but will definitely give this a try, since I am a huge fan of Primo Levi.

Excellent review!

> Excellent review of a powerful writer. Too powerful for some! I have several of his works on my 2009 reading list.

- TT

Thank you for the review of House of the Dead. I don't think I had heard of this Dostoevski work before. I'm intrigued that you believe it to be superior than Night. It will be my next Dostoevski read.

Oh dear - please don't hold me to the opinion wrt Night. I did think it was a very good book, also.

I tend to be rather obsessed with holocaust literature, perhaps in a futile attempt to understand why humans can behave in such abhorrent ways toward each other.

I have always used Primo Levi as my gold standard. I have not clear recollection of Wiesel's book, but remember thinking it did not match the genius that is Levi. However, all personal taste. Both are excellent.

My trip down-under is drawing to a close, so I am likely to significantly slow down the reading pace soon.

Now I needed a bit of non-fiction to cleanse the palate!

8. Inventing Japan by Ian Buruma



This is a fairly short and sweet look at Japan, from the time that it opened to the West with Perry's visit from America in 1853, until after WW2 when the American MacCarthy arrived to impose democracy and demilitarization, up until the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

I have gained a better understanding of Japan, from the Germophilia of the early 20th Century, to the military rule in the middle, to the legacy of the American restructuring, with its mistakes and its triumphs.

It blows many preconceptions out the window for me.

A worthwhile read for all those interested in understanding the nature of the Japanese and their society as they emerged from isolationism only 160 years ago.

I have my first Primo Levi book on deck for my next read. Actually it's two books, Survival in Auschwitz and The Reawakening.

Kiwidoc, I think the difference between Night and Survival in Auschwitz resides in the difference in age of the respective authors when they went through the Holocaust. Wiesel was only about 14, so naturally Night is more juvenile, but more emotional, since Wiesel's memories are those of a child. Levi was in his mid-twenties, so his book is more adult, more literary, as he is able to deal with his experiences through rationality, not emotion. I feel bad saying I like one over the other, since after all they are Holocaust memoirs - I mean, what do you say, that one author's experience was less drastic and moving than the other's? However, they are books, so we naturally rate them and compare them, and like you, I most appreciate Levi's work. Just my two cents :)

#73: I wonder if you sometimes get our two names muddled. Sometimes I see your name and think it is me!! Lucky we seem to have a lot of reading similarities!

Definitely, kiwidoc! However, I've used this nickname for online posts in different forums for a long time, so it's easier for me to see the differences between the two names.

It's great that there are several of us that have similar interests in books; I've received dozens of good recommendations from other LTers like yourself.

cal8769 - I think you will find Levi a very worthwhile read.

Cait86 - a very valid point, the maturity of the writers must be considered. The style and emotional tone of both these Holocaust books is very different and perhaps should not be directly compared. I am in awe of anyone who can revisit such experiences - they are both excellent.

I find it possible to read about these things through memoir - yet repeatedly fail when attempting non-fictional accounts.....and I definitely cannot watch anything on the subject visually.

kidzdoc - and long may it last!!

Interesting conversation about Holocaust memoirs. You're so right, how can we compare these? Or say "I enjoyed reading this"? That's obscene. I am torn over my feelings. I read for entertainment, but how can I be entertained by the Holocaust? And just to really make things complicated, another great memoir to throw into the comparison mix is Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl. What I really like about this one is his discussion of never letting others control your thoughts. I'm not going to compare these anymore, they're just all great must-reads. (Oh, and Karen, I'm adding House of the Dead to my TBR list. Thanks!

#87: I agree with everything you said. It sums up my thoughts exactly. I have read all of the memoirs listed as well as numerous books about the Holocaust, and certainly being entertained is not the issue with books of this nature. I think the reason I keep reading books about such an ugly time period in history comes down to one word - "Why?"

#88: For someone who is a flat-out pacifist as I am, it usually startles people to discover that I read as much as I do in the American Civil War. Since I am misanthropic most days of the week, for me, it serves to reinforce my conviction that Americans place entirely too much faith in the military and are entirely too war-prone (goes with all the other violence). I've given up on the "why" because I don't think there's any sort of "reason". It just seems to be that human beings will do terrible things even when they don't have the excuse of, say, war. There have been frightening studies done, several times (one just recently, I believe) about how Americans (don't know if similar studies have been done elsewhere) will go ahead and commit "torture"--deliberately obeying a command to send a very nasty jolt of electrical current through someone strapped to a chair) on the "orders" of someone in authority. Very few refused to do so.

#89: I am not sure what I am, to tell the truth, but I know that the only reason we have wars are because there are humans. Unfortunately, until all of us are gone, I think war is inevitable.

I have seen the same information about the torturing experiment. I do not think it would just be strictly Americans who would exhibit such behavior. Just witness ordinary Germans during WWII. I think it would be a universal tendency, humans being what they are.

That's just my opinion, though, and I have no empirical evidence with which to back it.

That's why I was careful to specify that the only studies I knew about were those with Americans. And I've learned never, ever to discount culture. But, given my dismal views of the human race, I'll go along with you on the probability of it being applicable to more than just Americans but there's no evidence.

Did you ever read Paul Rusesabagina's book An Ordinary Man? He talks about the way that the 'government' (and I use the term lightly) induced the Hutus to attack the Tutsis (or vice versa, I never can get it straight). They used radio - seemingly innocuous, until gradually they began introducing the idea of neighbor killing neighbor until it became a reality. Truly frightening.

No, I haven't read that. You know, a great many African nationalists blame the genocide that has gone on in many countries on the colonialists--but the fact remains that many of those tribes were at war with one another long before the British or French or Belgians or whoever showed up.

As I've remarked, I've stopped looking for any rationalist answer and have just put it down to human bloody-mindedness.

Even though it wasn't her best book, Barbara Tuchman made a stab at this question, looking a governmental policies that were sheer insanity from a national interest point if view in a book called The March of Folly. Worth reading.

I have read it, although it has been a long time.

Adding in to the "Why" discussion here, for the Holocaust, a great non-fiction read is Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning. Browning, a notable Holocaust historian, disagrees with the idea that everyday Germans agreed with Nazi ideals and thought that killing Jews was the right thing to do. Rather, he proposes the idea that a myriad of reasons led German soldiers to kill - but mstly peer pressure and the overall tendency to follow orders. For a totally contrary view, try Hitler's Willing Executioners by Daniel Goldhagen. These two historians have opposite views, and publicly criticize the other's work.

I've read some of Primo Levi's works too and find them hard to put down and somehow very beautiful despite the horrific content. I'm reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich at the moment and it's giving me a similar feeling. I've put off reading it for a long time, thinking it would be grim, but it isn't.

Have any of you read The Periodic Table? It's downstairs...

Cait, thanks for those recommendations. Antony Beevor's book Paris After the Liberation 1944-1949 was another really interesting one, on France and the occupation.

#96, It's been many years since I read The Periodic Table but I was incredibly moved by it.

#96: The Periodic Table is one of my favorite works. It's a memoir the titles of whose chapters are 20 of the elements. He does refer to the element involved but in a way that anyone can grasp.

Very OT but never mind...

#98 Joyce, the structure of the book indirectly led to heated discussion the other day after I'd been browsing through it - it made me remember the mnemonic for the first 20 elements of the periodic table that we learnt at school. (Harry he likes beer but cup not overflowing. Nelly Naber must always sing parts solo clearly and keep calm... hmm, I wonder if that's the US version? Probably the beer reference would be frowned upon!)

My husband went to a boys' school with no women teachers. His chemistry class was taught a very rude version for the transitional elements (I think...but I didn't get that far with chemistry!) It started off with Scantily and went downhill from there. (For non-scientists reading this, the next element is titanium...) This prompted an angry rant from me about attitudes to women and what I would be saying if our son ever gets taught such nasty rubbish.... anyway, DH replied that at least he could remember the elements and would I like to invent a better mnemonic? All offers welcome!

OK, I'll try to read The Periodic Table soon.

#99: I "came up" in a time when mnemonics like that were absolutely unheard of--and in the very proper college chemistry department whose chair was a man who never spoke above a whisper, best kept that way, too.

I hate to admit this, but I actually really only learned them after I was finally shown the beauty of the Periodic Table--in graduate school! after that, I found keeping track of the elements easy.

>99 cushlareads:: Is this the one with "Naked Mongols Always Slide Past Scantily Clad Argonauts"?

Or is there an even better one? :-)

It's worse than that. And I'm not posting it!

ETA: apparently that's the 3rd row. But Tim is interested!

Great discussion, ladies! Laughing about the mnenomics!

I have also read the Periodic Table and can heartily recommend it. I did quite an extensive review on LT, mostly for my own selfish benefit to clarify some of the chapters, so you may find it "Spoiler-ish". It is here.

I have just "Amazoned" the Browning Book, Cait86. Thanks!

>99 cushlareads:: Harry he likes beer but cup not overflowing. Nelly Naber must always sing parts solo clearly and keep calm ... cmt, where were you when my daughter was having to learn her elements a couple months ago? They aren't teaching the mnemonic 'round these parts. I didn't learn it in my schooldays either. From the subsequent messages, I can see I missed out on just the sort of thing that teenagers would find hilarious.

ETA: more periodic table mnemonics here. I love Google.

I have not read Periodic Table but obviously need to. I have read Levi's Survival in Auschwitz, but I think I will revisit it sometime this year.

I have read Hitler's Willing Executioners but not the contrarian point, so another one goes on Continent TBR!

9. Selkirk's Island by Diana Souhami



Another book off my Dad's shelves, this was a biography Whitbread Prize winner in 2002.

This is the story of the real Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk. It tells of the seafaring voyages before and after his marooning on The Island. It also tells of his time on the island and how Defoe came to write his famous book - the two most interesting parts to the tale.

Quite reminiscent of The Bounty by Caroline Alexander, this is well written, well researched and lively. I did get a bit fed up with the details of the ship's voyages, their incursions with the Spanish and the interminable squabbles. But that was me, not the book.

Actually, it goes a long way to reinforcing the violent and selfish nature of man, with the fighting, cruelty and mistreatment of the men at sea.

Recommended for those of you that like adventure and seafaring tales of yore. I rather struggled to finish this, mostly because my heart wasn't into reading it.

If I were your Dad, I'd be checking your luggage before you leave....

Totally right, Tui. However, as my stay is so short, I have come over with carry-on luggage only. Rather restricts any potential poaching!! I fly back tomorrow.

Have a safe trip, Karen. And welcome back to slush and huge frozen snow piles.

Message 87..Nickelini

I read Man's Search For Meaning many years ago. It is one of the books that was life changing.

I'm enjoying these conversations on your thread kiwidoc! I've added House of the Dead to my TBR in 2009 pile.

Message 95 .. Cait86

I've never heard of the two books your mentions and I'm very interested in learning more about them. I'll also recommend them to my husband as well.

These lively and intelligent conversations regarding books, topics, history, feelings, thoughts, are exactly why I am ever so glad I found LT and spend so much time each day reading the posts.

Thanks to all!

#106: I am into seafaring stories (currently reading The Incredible Voyage and just finished Adrift last week), so I would probably like Selkirk's Island. Thanks for the write up!

How have you managed to get 111 (112 now) messages on your thread and it's not even the middle of January!!?? I wish I could keep up with all this, it sounds interesting.

I've had a lot of spare time on my hands, Terri, but now it is about to end. I have also been lucky to have some truly wonderful visitors with great things to say!

alcottacre - you would probably really like Selkirk's Island if you like seafaring stories. It is very well written.

whisper - glad you have enjoyed the conversations here - I have too!!!!

Nickelini - thanks for the wishes, I am still crossing my toes that it has all melted away by Sunday!!

Fascinating discussions, all. Thanks for your comments on both Holocaust literature and Dostoevsky, kiwidoc. I loved Night because of its simplicity, which reveals a deep complexity, imho. I am feeling just the opposite about The Brothers Karamazov, which I am reading again after a 30-year interim. I loved it the first time, but this time I find I am impatient with the author's sidetracks into issues of the day about which he wishes to expound. This was common in literature of the period, but can still be annoying today. I do love a well-honed read in which every word has its purpose, even if it runs to 1000 pages (I also love long books). I must get my hands on House of the Dead, as well as Survival in Auschwitz.

As to discussions of the Holocaust, there is a brilliant little book, an extended essay really, about the nature of evil and forgiveness, based on South Africa but with comparisons to Nazi Germany, called A Human Being Died that Night, which provides a lot of food for thought on the idea of following orders, and a lot more besides. Although it is barely touched on there, the issue of the Y chromosome might also be worth considering.

Thanks for the information regarding A Human Being Died that Night I haven't heard of this book and thus I'm intrigued by it and have added this one to my ever growing to be read pile.

And, welcome to the 75 book challenge!

Oh, Whisper1, I'm just a little 50-Challenger poking my nose in! Hope you get to the book -- it offers a lot of food for thought. Sorry, kiwidoc, for taking up so much of your thread (oh, and I'm over my annoyance with The Brothers, now!)

Thanks so much for popping over, Kathi.

I have a goal to read all of Dostoyevsky this year - leading up to The Brothers Karamov last. I am sorry to hear you found it distracting. I cannot resist your suggestion - A Human Being Died that Night - which goes onto my TBRs, thank you.......

Well kiwidoc, I'm glad I got here before January 15th! LOL that's some thread. You've got me salivating for Dostoyevsky. Guess I'm going to have to find a way to get some. Thanks.

After re-reading your reviews here kiwi, I have added Le Grand Meaulnes to my TBR list!

suslyn - salivating for Dostoevsky!! Me too. I am going to move to The Brothers Karamov soon - just bought it in the Prevear translation. Crime and Punishment takes a lot of beating, though.

digifish - I enjoyed Le Grand Meaulnes a lot, but for a superlatively insightful review, check out Citizenkelly's take. It is a really great review. Look for message #15.

BTW - I am back after a horrible lurgy/flu/near death feeling. Now recovering and bringing myself up to speed again. Will post some of my readings in the next day.

10. The Grass Arena by John Healy



Published in 1988, this edition is republished as a Penguin Modern Classic. If you feel the need to try to understand alcoholism, living on the streets and the effects of abusive childhood experiences, this book lays it all out. John tells his autobiographical account of growing up poor, with an abusive father, his gradual decline into alcoholism, crime, violence and life on the streets of London. It is gritty, straight-speaking and frightening.

John eventually turns to chess as a way to leave behind his addiction, turning into national level player. This book is well worth the read, although depressing and ultimately offering no solutions for the disease. I understand that John still lives in London, in a one room flat in poverty - having not yet written any further published works. It is such a sad, sad story.

Karen --you're back! I was wondering when you'd have time to pop in again. I don't know about you, but coming home from holidays is always so hard for me. Especially if you come back to Narnia under the reign of the White Witch (where it's always winter and never Christmas). Welcome home.

Wow...The Grass Arena is definitely going on my wish list. Thanks, Karen!

These are great goals, and I am especially intrigued by The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich. I never studied art at school, and although I did Greek and Roman Art for a year at university, and was a regular visitor to the National Gallery in Melbourne (which has a *very* comprehensive collection) I really felt my ignorance keenly in the great art galleries of Vienna, London, and Paris on my first trip to Europe in 2001. I made a little resolution when I got back that I would redress this ignorance, and by the time of our trip in 2005 (London, Paris, Rome) ( http://hillfamilysoutherndivision.blogspot.com/ & use search to find relevant posts) I had read Gombrich. It made such a difference to have an overview of developments in art!
I know there are academics who are snooty about so-called sequential narratives in art, but for a beginner like me, The Story of Art was just what I needed to help me enjoy my travels more.
My latest little redress-an-ignorance project is to read How to Read Buildings: A Crash Course in Architecture by Carol Davidson Cragoe and then to take it into the city and see what I can find there. Melbourne has many fine 19th century and Art Deco buildings so I expect to have a good time - even if I do get a crick in the neck from looking up at things!
Lisa in Oz

Thanks Nickelini - still shaky on the feet but could not resist LT of course. Thank god the fog and snow have relented (although there is a snow warning for Monday night!!)

kidzdoc - I don't think I could say that I really enjoyed The Grass Arena, but more that is was an experience!. I did work for 5 years in a skidrow clinic in Vancouver, so the read (similar to the job) was really depressing. You start with the hope that something will change and you can improve people's lot - and end up feeling hopeless and helpless most of the time. I had to leave after 5 years. John is obviously very intelligent, although I think that healing from such a horrific past is probably not possible??

gunung - I have read about half of A Story of Art and it is a very good overview, but of course it does not cover the modernism movement, as it was published in about 1950. Your architectural foray sounds really interesting. I am also salivating at a new acquisition on my TBR by Gombrich - A Little History of the World - which I picked up recently. I am quite astounded at the output of Gombrich! Let me know if the Cragoe book is fulfilling - I am very interested in architecture but know almost nothing about it. Would like to be an architect in my next life (I am left handed so I think I might qualify)......

#126: Just to add a depressing confirmation at least from my viewpoint: I was interested to read of your experiences in your skidrow job and while I don't have any quite the same, I, too, have come to the conclusion that there is very little if anything that can be changed. There are problems to which there are no solutions.

>126 kiwidoc:
John is obviously very intelligent, although I think that healing from such a horrific past is probably not possible??

I sometimes think it is even more difficult to overcome an horrific past when you are intelligent...

Anita

joycepa - Hi Joyce and thanks for visiting! It is not a viewpoint that I hold willingly as a doctor - but it was the only one I could cling to as I emerged from that skidrow clinic. Otherwise, it was me and I was a huge failure and I don't think I am ready to accept that one!!!

anita - I agree, although ultimately it was his intelligence that pulled him out of the quagmire.

11. The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa



Translated from the Portuguese.

As the title of the book suggests, this book is about shifting identities. Felix Ventura has an interesting job – changing the past for people who have a history that does not fit with their aspirations.

Agualusa has a deceptively simple style, and his book is filled with reality testing images and tangled histories. We learn much about the characters from a gecko living in the crevices of Ventura’s apartment. But even this shape-shifting narrator seems to have identity issues and has ‘other’ lives as a human – maybe even being an alter ego of Ventura.

I enjoyed the elegance of the writing and the twists and bends in and out of reality. It reads as thoughts and ideas rather than a plotted novel, and is necessarily odd. Despite the simplicity and brevity of the content, it demands a reread to review. Recommended.

#129: Is Aqualusa Angolan? Can't seem to find out that easily.

Sounds like a fascinating book! Goes on the list.

ETA: Learning that lesson is a difficult one certainly for USers, probably Canadians and Australians as well; all 3 countries have similar temperaments and outlooks, I think, in terms of "can do". There are times you simply can't, no matter how much you would like to.

kiwidoc, glad u liked The Book of Chameleons, i too enjoyed the "twists and bends" and its "oddness."

>130 Joycepa:, yes he is Angolan with Portuguese ancestry

Well that makes sense, then. The book is actually set in Angola, but I was under the impression he was Portuguese.

12. Shakespeare on Toast by Ben Crystal



Ben Crystal is the son of renowed David Crystal, the English linguistic.

I read this book because my son is studying Romeo and Juliet and I was looking for an accessible book to excite the mind of a 14 year old. I think I found it here. Perhaps not a book for the serious Shakespeare scholar, it is well worth a read for the layman wanting to enjoy this genius’s plays.

This book is quite charming and despite the ‘non-academic’ appearance, it actually puts forth the important ideas needed to interpret Shakespeare – including a very sane explanation of the iambic pentameter, use of 'thou' and 'you', and much more, in a voice that ‘translates’ well and gives a modern sensibility to Shakespeare. Fascinating to understand how the pentameter rhythm was used to allow Shakespeare to direct from the writer's pen.

He compares Shakespeare to the modern soaps, Arnie, Rambo, etc in content and excitement. Quite delightful, Ben’s youthful enthusiasm is infectious. As a non-academic work, it was more immediately interesting than say, Bryson’s biography, because Ben focused on the plays, the meanings, the bawdiness and the entertainment value of Shakespeare, rather than the paltry information that we know about the man. It really helped my son and I enjoyed reading it too.

>132 kiwidoc: I care absolutely nothing about the subject, and you actually made me want to go out, buy the book and read it!

suslyn - it is good, for sure, but I know there are tons of Shakespeare experts lurking in LT shadows and I don't want to misrepresent the book as a rigorous academic tome.

13. A Romance on Three Legs by Katie Hafner



Glenn Gould was a fascinating character as well as a superlative pianist – his renditions of Bach are just divine.

This excellent book researches the life of Glenn Gould the pianist. Hafner creates the book’s structure around his quest to find the perfect piano. It documents much of his life, his quirks and foibles (of which there are many), the life of his favourite piano tuner and a brief history of the Steinway family and company.

It was really good. Hafner has an excellent journalistic and engaging style. I enjoyed this book and can heartily recommend it to others.

For the quick and "dirty" (but essential) elements of many Shakespearean classics, try Richard Armour's Twisted Tales from Shakespeare. You may have to hunt for his work, but he very neatly parses the plays to their bare bones, makes some very funny allusions and puns along the way, and then adds a brief questionnaire about the play--language, situation, etc. It's all tongue-in-cheek, but I've yet to find a better synopsis of any of the plays in the book, and the silliness of the questions made me remember some obscure passages and events that always show up on tests.

Prop2gether - thanks for the recommend. My internet shopping basket is duly filled. I have a score of interpretative books on Shakespeare - none yet read - but that one sounds very accessible. Thanks. (There are not many to buy - perhaps because it is out of print?)

Will dutifully seek out the Hafner book, Kiwi. Thanks. Did she discuss the possibility of him having Aspberger's at all? CBC did a brilliant special about him a few years ago.

Tiffin - surprisingly she did not talk about the possibility of Aspbergers.

She did note his eccentricities - his tics, and his obsessions and his love of inanimate objects (in this case the piano). I was surprised to learn that he did have a love affair with the wife of a composer, although it was overall a disaster. You will enjoy this book for sure, Tiffin, although it does not replace the more extensive and definitive biography by Kevin Bazzana.

Oh, and just to add, the filming of Gould that you mention is discussed in her book. It is interesting how long it took, and how some of it is rather staged because it occurred at the time that he lost his beloved Steinway. It was good - I remember being quite astounded at his verbal gymnastics and humour.

One of the quips in the book about his notoriously bad driving was:

"I have been pulled up for driving through several red lights but have had no credit for all the green lights that I have stopped at" or something like that (as the book has long since been returned to the library).

Karen--thanks for the recommendation of Shakespeare on Toast. My older daughter will be into the Shakespeare classes in a year or two, so I'll keep it in mind. I myself used Twisted Tales from Shakespeare last year when I did Shakespeare, and found the little silly bits helped, as Prop2gether describes. I picked it up at a Scholastic book sale for next to nothing about four years ago and it finally made itself useful!

The Glenn Gould book sounds like a great present for my husband (in the "no darling it's for you,really!" category). Tiffin, we saw a doco at the film festival here about 10 years ago - I wonder if it was the same one? I think it was "100 something somethings of Glenn Gould"... hmmm...nope, "32 short pieces about Glenn Gould".

We have the Beethoven sonatas and the Goldberg Variations played by him, but I can't listen to them because the humming drives me crazy!

Yes Cushla - I think the humming perhaps is the give-a-way wrt his autistic diagnosis.

I think the earlier 1955 Goldberg Variations has less humming in them, but I am not sure as I did not get his second recording done much later.

Nickelini - you are reinforcing the wisdom of my most recent internet book buy!!

I just picked up The Book of Chameleons to read as one of the Africa books for Reading Globally in February, so I'm glad to hear that you recommend it.

The Shakespeare on Toast sounds perfect for someone such as myself who has enjoyed seeing Shakespeare in the theater, but who has had great difficulty in reading him.

Thanks.

>134 kiwidoc:: I'm glad you enjoyed that book. I was thinking about doing the 999 Challenge this year and "Piano" was going to be a category. I bought A Romance on Three Legs along with several others and still hope to get them all read this year.

Cushla and Kiwi, I was actually thinking of a radio special which CBC did about him but yes, I did see a tv documentary a few years ago too. He was fascinating to watch while he was playing, nose almost on the keys, body swaying in somewhat elephantine fashion and yes, the ubiquitous humming.

Kiwi, I have decided your thread is very dangerous for my pocketbook! I have added all 3 of your most recent reads to my Continent - yikes!

Sorry - Alcottacre - I am also a similar victim, and I think your thread may be one of the offending poverty-inducers!!

Do read A Romance on Three Legs tadAD - you will not be sorry. (Cripes - I seem to be recommending everything I read these days!!)

Tiffin - Glenn Gould is such an interesting character. I do wish we had a dedicated Arts Channel for such things - in NZ there was a great Arts Cable channel on Skype.

14. The Invisible Collection and Buchmendel by Stefan Zweig



Two novellas in one appealing format by Pushkin Press – these are little jewels of beautiful prose. His two novellas are enchanting and sad. The Invisible Collection tells of a time in Germany when inflation was rampant and a family sells a blind man’s art treasure to eat. It is achingly beautiful.

The novella Buchmendel tells an equally tragic story of a intellectual bookworm with genius memory who remains oblivious to the outside world and events in Europe. As he tries to communicate with a publisher in England, he is accused of spying and spends two years in a concentration camp. Amazingly prescient, considering it was written in 1929 and the protagonist is Jewish.

Please read these little jewels – you will not be sorry. (The author left Germany in 1934 with the rise of Nazism, and eventually died in a double suicide with his wife in Brazil in the mid 1940s. I would love to read a biography about him).

....and of course, if you do read Buchmendel you can contribute to citizenkelly's Project 1929, as this qualifies.

Hmm- your last book sounds really interesting! I have written the title down for my list!

Kiwidoc
You are reading so many interesting books in 2009 that I'm having a hard time controlling my impulse to add all of them to my tbr pile.

For now, I'm adding:
The Grass Arena by John Healy

A Romance on Three Legs byKatie Hafner.

Where do you find such interesting books?

Thank you Whisper - I am a bookaholic and raided my father's shelves recently on a trip home (it is an inherited disorder).

Dad has great taste although perhaps more interest in magic realism etc. He was pushing me to read Thomas Pynchon but I am not yet ready.

I also live at the library and bookstore - they know my name in all places book related.

Torontoc - the Zweig book is quite tiny but well worth a look. I have another of his waiting for me, too.

#151: You, too, huh? I have the same problem - the librarians duck and cover when they see me coming, lol.

YEs alcottacre - I am so grateful for the anonymity of internet purchasing - although the postman probably hates his route because of me!!

15. Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby



This is a collection of essays submitted to 'The Believer' magazine - part of a US publishing unit, McSweeney publications.

I imagine that most people know Nick Hornby. He is likely scoffed at by some as being too light-hearted, but I generally have really enjoyed his stuff. The best for me was High Fidelity, and I also loved the movie. He has obsessive tendencies and is totally soccer and music mad. He can be quite funny.

These snippetts follow his reading over the course of 18 months or so. He started the chapter with books read and books bought - mostly two very different lists.

I was not as enthusiastic about this book as I had hoped. The humour was still there and there were quite a few funny comments and light-hearted jokes, but no real evaluation of books read. It was annoying that he did not criticize any of his reads (which seemed to be something the authors of the magazine insisted upon), so most of his reads were enthusiastic recommends.

I am not sure I can heartily endorse this one, particularly if you have to buy it, but would rather suggest sourcing High Fidelity instead. He has a very English style humour too, so it comes down to personal taste!!!

#153: I know that my postman has to be saying under his breath "Don't these people realize Christmas is over!"

My (rural) delivery people said to me recently "Boy, you sure must like books. The rate we're bringing them here, we figure your house must be full now". Oh no, there's still lots of room for more.

:) and if not, we'll add on a room or buy a shed or stack 'em in the car or ....

Ha - I see I am not the only one with a beleaguered postie!!

16. The Fall of Troy by Peter Ackroyd



I have read a few of Ackroyd's books, and really enjoyed them. But this one flew over the top of my head. I could not recommend it based on plot, so I feel certain that I missed something pivotal in the characters - likely it is a satirical take on an ancient character. I felt annoyed that I do not possess the knowledge of ancients to fully understand this one, but I am too lazy to research the missing link. Suffice to say - and I did finish it - some of the Homeric references I did understand, but otherwise, it perhaps should be left to the more well educated.

What a phenomenal reading month you are having! I am hoping that you can keep on turning up such interesting-sounding books for the whole of the rest of the year...

(I also hang out a lot of the time in bookshops etc., although I'm trying not to buy new books at the moment, so it's really exciting to read about books I've never heard of!)

I've read two novels now by Ackroyd, and enjoyed one and was overwhelmed by the other. This sounds interesting, but I'm going to check it out first!

Hi Prop2gether - I have read the biography of Poe by Ackroyd and can highly recommend it. I have also dipped in and out of his famous London biography. As I said, the fault must certainly lie with me wrt the Troy book. I was hoping that someone could enlighten me - as I am too lazy!!

17. Kate’s Klassics by Kate Camp



*Whew* – back on track again with this book.

I bought this for two reasons – firstly Kate Camp is a New Zealander (who comments monthly on the National Radio about books), and secondly, her selection of classical books here is excellent. (The Odyssey, Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice, Crime and Punishment, etc – you get my drift). The choices do not disappoint.

Kate provides ten essays, each devoted to a classic work. What sets her critique apart from the masses in this game is her unapologetic bias. She gives a contemporary slant to many of her observations, making her analyses accessible and often humorous. Aside from that, she is very intelligent and has obviously a great knowledge of her subject. The reader does not feel they are attending a dry University lecture, but rather being grandly entertained and amused. Knowing all the books does not lessen the enjoyment either.

Literary purists may not linger on this book and may even take offense at some of the apparent trivialising when explaining her gut reactions. But I thought it really worked – she did not bog the reader down with literary theory or devices, a really big turn off for the reader looking for an entertaining analysis. I really enjoyed her light-hearted, emotional reactions.

For example, when Elizabeth tells Lady Catherine De Bourgh to take a flying leap in Pride and Prejudice, Camp exclaims: “Ha! Take that you old bag!”

And when Helen dies in the orphanage, despite her goodness and her great friendship with Jane Eyre, Camp remarks, "I have to admit, I’m never sorry when Helen goes down with the disease; I’ve always found her calm self-sacrifice and Christian certainty rather irritating".

Ha!

The essays are peppered with such comments and yet she remains respectful to the literature through-out.

She reacts in an emotional intuitive and intellectual way to the texts, as a woman and an enthusiast. Here is her take on Heathcliff.

"Heathcliff is a rapist, a bully, a kidnapper, a wife-beater and quite possibly the world’s worst father. He is also, despite my best efforts to grow out of him, irresistibly sexy. I still want to marry Mr Darcy, and Middlemarch’s Will Ladislaw looks great in a long maroon coat, but I’d give them all up to be tearing Heathcliff’s hair out on one dark and stormy night."

So this one goes on the recommend pile. And I say that proudly, aligning myself with Kate as a fellow Kiwi!

#161: Can I be an adopted Kiwi? It sounds like Kate Camp and I could be best friends, lol, especialy with her thoughts on Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, a book I still cannot stand.

Thanks for the mention of the book - I am definitely going to find that one!

>121 kiwidoc:, 148 - YOU ARE TOO KIND!!!

Kiwi darling, your reading is just out of this world. What an inspiration! I'm loving this thread, and am suffering a serious attack of the WANT WANT WANT heebie-jeebies... Guess I'll just have to keep on acquiring, sigh.

Here's a funny thing: I picked up The Grass Arena in Ireland last week, and thought it might also interest you. And what do I find upon my return here? You've already read and reviewed it!! I've put it near the top of my pile.

Wow, Kiwi - you've been reading some great books this month. Interested in Shakespeare on Toast - think it may still be a bit grown-up for my 9YO but I'll keep an eye out for it for later.

#157: I'd not heard of this book before, but as a classicist, I'm definitely interested. Thanks for the review!

alcottacre - there is a new Masterpiece theatre dramatization of Wuthering Heights that I just finished watching on TV over two weeks. The Heathcliff in this one is quite yummy and they do not focus too much on the supernatural spirit part, so I did enjoy it. You should look it up - it might make you see the same way as Kate Camp about Heathcliff.

CK - Hello Carolyn - how nice you are!! And a big Whew......I was thinking you might get annoyed at me for splashing your creations around on my thread. Great minds think alike and all wrt The Grass Arena. No wonder we have the most of each others books on LT - it must be book fate!! (and thanks for visiting my thread - it is a privilege!)

FlossieT - Thanks flossie - I think a 9 yo would not find Shakespeare on Toast accessible. It would be good for 14 up perhaps. (Although this depends totally on the kid).

Scaifea - GULP - if you are a classicist, you may find the work a bit too shallow. I am not, and I have a need to be entertained and slightly shocked. Truthfully the book gained entry to my library because she raved about Moby Dick and that is one of my all time favs.

Kate's Klassics sounds great! Did you bring this back from NZ, or is this something I can find in Vancouver (I haven't checked Amazon/Abebooks yet).

I watched the new Wuthering Heights too--my 12 year old daughter is right into it and trying to read the book now. We also watched the Ralph Fiennes/Juliette Binoche version on the weekend as a comparison. We thought Tom Hardy was quite a good Heathcliff, though Ralph Fiennes brings out more of the psychopathic part of the character. I'd like to see Johnny Depp take a stab at the role. Apparently there's another version currently being filmed and Lindsay Lohan had tried out for Cathy. Luckily for viewers everywhere, she didn't get the role (don't know who did).

Hi Nickelini - I found the book in Indigo Books and was thrilled to see a NZer overseas. I did not have time to book shop in NZ.

Glad you have seen the latest Wuthering Heights - I agree that Johnny Depp would be a good Heathcliff. *Yuck* re the idea of Lindsay Lohan as Catherine though. Maybe Cate Blanchett as a brunette would work?

@ 167

IMDB has a Wuthering Heights listed as in preproduction, slated for release in 2010, and starring Michael Fassbender as Heathcliff and Abbie Cornish as Catherine Earnshaw. I liked Abbie Cornish in A Good Year, but as Cathy, I dunno.

Hi kiwi, I've just discovered your thread and am impressed by your book selections thus far. I'll have to review them again and jot them down for future reference. I've got you starred and I'll be back.

Hi Kiwidoc - I had to get a copy of Kate's Klassics after listening to podcasts of her talking about books with Kim Hill. Dracula, Mrs Dalloway & The Prime of Miss Brodie are all on my 999 challenge because she made them sound so interesting. The mp3s of some of her talks are available on the Radio New Zealand website if you search for them.

Kiwi, that thump you just heard was not only another book hitting the basket but also the sound of my credit card passing out on the floor (vis Kate's Klassics)

lycomayflower - many thanks for the link - I had a good look at the two prospective leads. Not knowing either I would say I prefer the look of the ones I just saw - but that is defo not fair.

Carmenere - glad you could drop by!

avatiakh - Thanks for the link to Kate's podcasts. I will definitely check her out there.

tiffin - really - you must make less noise. You are hilarious!!!

Perhaps my last book for January, unless I can get reading time tomorrow!

18. The People on Privilege Hill by Jane Gardam



A collection of loosely connected short stories by the writer of Old Filth. As some of you may remember a couple of years back I raved about Old Filth as I loved this book, despite its unappealing title.

The People of Privilege Hill is also very engaging. I have decided that she really is a writer of nostalgia, and that feeling of 'yes, I can identify with that scenario or smell or action', comes across strongly in her writing. She is very talented.

I really enjoyed these stories, but Old Filth remains at the top of the pile for me.

Definitely well worth the read.

Have you read Queen of Tambourine? I liked Old Filth a lot, but I liked Queen of the Tambourine more.

Re Nick Hornby: Have you read the first two collections of Hornby's Believer column, The Polysyllabic Spree and Housekeeping vs. the Dirt? I would recommend them even if you didn't like Shakespeare Wrote for Money very much. In the first two volumes he talks more about books, whereas it seemed like as the column went along he just talked more about his life in general. I don't know if he got tired of writing it or if the focus of the column got lost along the way, but the earlier stuff is a lot sharper and more entertaining and interesting.

abw - thanks for the recommend of Queen of the Tambourine. Will definitely check it out.

wk - I have read the first two of Hornby's column as you mention - I really enjoyed them. So I think that is why I felt let down by this, his third book of collections. He really can be very funny. I did enjoy reading Shakespeare Wrote for Money because he still have the basic same style - but the critiquing I needed to do made me take a cold hard look and I thought it was weaker. Thanks for your comment. I also want to read his latest book Slam. Anyone read it?

#174: I have never read any of Jane Gardam's work, but she is an author I evidently need to track down. Thanks for the review!

Absolutely, alcottacre - I think you would like her style.

She is quintessentially English and I thought initially that was the main reason that I identified so strongly with her writing. I don't know if non-English have the same reaction, so it would be good to hear what others think of her.

These little short stories of hers were actually quite delightful.

#179: I have already checked my local library and they do not have the volumes you mentioned, but they do have a couple of her children's books as well as Crusoe's Daughter and Faith Fox, so I am going to start with those.

I think that she is less well known in the US - some excellent authors struggle to get a more international audience. Maybe because she is so recognizably English?

Do you ever sleep, Alcottacre!?!?!?

Yes, I do sleep, just not often, and often not well.

I like recognizably English styles in books, so I will probably seek more of hers out after I have exhausted the library's supply. Are you familiar with either of the titles that they have? Is one better than the other?

I have both at home - but some were bought for my kids when younger and I don't think I have read either. LTer seem to prefer Crusoe's Daughter, though.

OK, I will start with that one then. Thanks for the input.

Sorry to hear you don't sleep well - I have a hubbie with the same problem and he can get quite frustrated when I fall asleep like a log.

Methinks insomnia is a sign of great intelligence - I seem to remember reading that somewhere and certainly my hubbie has a skull full of brains!

Tell him to hand some over - I can use all the brains I can get!

pffffff - I am sure not, reading your thread, alcottacre.

I am off to bed now - as I need massive amounts of brain down-time to regenerate the few remaining synapses I have left. Good-night; Sleep tight. Nice talking to you!!!

Same here, doc. Hope you get some rest!

#185 - Methinks insomnia is a sign of great intelligence- I seem to remember reading that somewhere
------

Really? I suffered from insomnia off and on since I was a wee child. And I've always wanted to be intelligent. Hmmm. I also heard last year that some university somewhere did a study that highly intelligent people are less happy than less bright people. I can definitely see that--smart people really see what a mess the world is, and recognize that idiots are running it! On that note, good night and sweet dreams!

I read Slam when it first came out, it's Hornby's first teen novel and takes a really good realistic look at teen pregnancy from the boy's point of view.

#176: Re Nick Hornby: Have you read the first two collections of Hornby's Believer column, The Polysyllabic Spree and Housekeeping vs. the Dirt? I would recommend them even if you didn't like Shakespeare Wrote for Money very much.

I completely agree; I enjoyed both of them, too.

Nickelini - I agree with your comments.

acatiakh - thanks for the recommend. As a parent of teens I will read it with bated breath!!

kidzdoc - glad you like Hornby too.

19. Sorry by Gail Jones



This is the last book for January - one that I did not want to end.

Jones is an Australian with a passionate, lyrical and poetic prose style - yet eminently readable and accessible. It is filled with such sadness at times, yet the story is ultimately a postive one, perhaps speaking to both the heightened sensitivity and resiliency of childhood. Quite beautiful - an emotional read.

Highly recommended.

I've heard great things about Sorry ... it was Orange shortlisted, wasn't it? If so, I'll get to it eventually as I'm working my way through the lists. I may want to read it sooner than later, anyway!

Sorry sounds wonderful. I'm adding it to my TBR pile.

Sorry was longlisted for the Booker and short listed for the prestigious Australian prize, the Miles Franklin award. I also read the winner of the Miles Franklin Award by Stephen Carroll The Time we have Taken and thought that honestly, Sorry was the better of the two.

on to the pile of tbr in 2009 goes your book #19..
book 19? I'm impressed!

Thanks Whisper!

Just to get a few more people hooked on Sorry, here is an excerpt (page 78 of the Europa edition)

"For those who do not read, for whom reading is not part of the texture of knowing, the gorgeous complication, the luxurious interiority, the thrilling extrapolation from black marks to alternative reals; for those who might not understand what it is to collaborate in making a world, or building a thought, or consolidating, line by line, the salvage of something long gone; for those bereft, that is, and booklessly broke, those word-deprived, craving, caught in dull time, it will seem odd that two girls, with not much to do, spend a few hours of each day hidden in the valleys of pages. Proxy lives, new imaginings, precious understandings.

(This an aside from the story, a reflection on the interior world of books and I thought it was a great description.)

Managed to squeeze one last book in for January.

20. The Arrival by Shaun Tan



A beautifully illustrated wordless book, this is wonderful.

Tan illustrates the immigrant experience, with the strangeness, fearfulness and isolation that goes with such a cultural change. Citizenkelly did a wonderful review that I could not possibly match here on thread #38

Another highly recommended book.

I would add books 19 & 20 to my Continent, but alas, they already reside there . . .

Wow...you and citizenkelly have sold me on this book. I'm getting it from Borders today!

>196 kiwidoc:: I did some homework and found Sorry was also longlisted for the 2008 Orange Prize.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I simply need to stop reading your thread...At this rate, I'll never, never complete the tbr pile because I continually add your books to the ever growing mountain. You have read some incredible books in January. I'm adding The Arrival to the pile... Thanks..I think. (I'm smiling)

I read The Arrival last year- it is terrific. Tan wrote and illustrated another book that I read in the fall- Tales from Outer Suburbia. It reads like a book of modern fables.

torontoc - it is very good.

I am not a great fan of the visual medium of storytelling, unless the drawings are wonderful and there are visual clues in the pages. This one filled the bill.

I thought that the idea of surrealist images to represent 'foreignness' was a good solution to creating a generalized view of the immigrant experience. I have immigrated twice so it was a poignant read.

I am reminded (inappropriately perhaps) of the genius that is Raymond Briggs with his wordless Father Christmas books which I adored 'reading' with my kids. I have to get over the ideas the books with pictures are only for children's entertainment.

I also have Tales from Outer Suburbia - but in this one he does use words. I liked The Arrival the best.

kiwidoc
I agree regarding your comment "I have to get over the ideas the books with pictures are only for children's entertainment." I am reading a lovely illustrated book of Tennyson's poem The Lady of Shalott, and thought the same thing!

oooh
She left the web, she left the loom
She made three paces through the room
...
She has a lovely face
God in his mercy lend her grace

Have you heard Loreena McKennit's sung version of it, whisper?

#205: it's a whole new world out there, isn't it, Kiwi! The lads read these things, so I'm getting an education here. Have you "read" Brigg's book about his parents? It is wonderful.

tiffin
Yes! Loreena McKennit does a stunningly beautiful rendition of the poem. In fact, it was through her music that I discovered Pre-Raphaelite art.

Here is a link of J.W. Waterhouse and his Painting of The Lady of Shalott.

http://www.jwwaterhouse.com/view.cfm?recordid=28

Whisper - thanks for the link. The picture is very evocative, although I wish she wouldn't spoil that lovely quilt in the water.

tiffin - I have read the Brigg's book about his parents. They are all great.

Here is the link so you can hear/see Loreena McKennit on u-tube singing The Lady of Shallot. Unfortunately her voice is out of synch, and the CD version is much better, but you get the idea.

205: Karen
I have to get over the ideas the books with pictures are only for children's entertainment.

My copy of Don Quixote has the beautiful illustrations of Gustave Doré, I wouldn't dare to think they were there for children's entertainment ;-)
Anita

Fameulstee - I agree - I have collected a few old Arthur Rackham illustrated books and they are a true delight.

I have decided to keep track of pages written, to get a better idea of my reading volume.

My first read for February:

21. Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig



I decided to read this after finishing his two novellas for the Project 1929 group, Invisible Collection and Buchmendel .

I loved this book, and suggest you all read it!! Here is my review.

Category - Fiction
Date of publication - 1939
Pages - 353

Kiwidoc.
I read your wonderfully written review of Beware of Pity and thus have added it to my pile. Thanks.

Thanks Whisper - you can visit me here any time. You are good for the ego!! I hope you like it - everyone's taste is a bit different.

#211: I picked up Invisible Collection and Buchmendel already, so I guess I better pick this one by Zweig up as well. Thanks for the review and recommendation!

This one came from the library - but the Pushkin Press editions of his work are quite lovely to hold, with well bound, luxurious paper. I went on their website, filled my shopping basket but managed to stop myself from pressing the BUY button when I saw the price in $$.

#215: I have done that before, too. Currently I am collecting the Dickens books in the reissued Nonesuch Press editions. I have been ordering them one at a time through The Book Depository and so have been saving at least on the shipping costs, but the books are still pricey.

Ah yes, stasia, there is more to a book than just the words. That is why I cannot warm to ebooks.

I especially like the small leather bound editions of classics - they are often very inexpensive, well worn, with a slightly musty smell and an inscription by someone back the 1920s or 30s in old fashioned writing. They have history!

#217: I read Lady Susan by Jane Austen last year, a book I checked out of the local college's library. The publication date on it was 1880 something, and I could have lived off the smell of that old book, I swear. I loved it.

Wow - 1880 is old! Wonderful, Stasia.

I know our library chucks books after only a few years - which is a problem with overfunded librarys perhaps. (Maybe this will bring some librarians out of the woodwork to comment). It makes me sad to see a forgotten author discarded, but I often pick up some good ones for a few cents.

A great pleasure of second hand stores is those old, old books.

A great pleasure of second hand stores is those old, old books.

Yes, it is. I love 'treasure' hunting in used book stores.

Terrific review of Beware of Pity, kiwi!

I just picked up The Postoffice Girl by Zweig which I will be reading soon. Looks like I'll have to get Beware of Pity too! Thanks for the review.

Thanks abw and Joyce. I am also looking to read more of Zweig - I am assuming that the The Postoffice Girl is a set of short stories too.

Actually it's a novel--just out from nyrb classics.

Well that is odd, abw, as the introduction to Beware of Pity stated that this was his only novel. Weird. Will have to check that out.

I think Beware of Pity is his only long novel. The Post-Office Girl and Chess Story are on the short side and could conceivably be considered novellas. A fine distinction, though.

My copy of The Post-Office Girl is 257 pp, which is short in comparison to Beware of Pity, but I think still too long to be a novella. Maybe it wasn't translated into English at the time?

Further Reflections on the Death of a Porcupine by Olive Moore

There are so many little gems lurking, forgotten, in second hand stores, never to be republished yet notable and worth the read. This is one of them.

I have a delightful original copy of this piece of prose, which looks like a hard backed exercise book, by the English writer Olive Moore. Essentially a prose poem eulogizing D. H. Lawrence, it was published two years after his death.

Moore addresses the circumstantial and controversial issues that were Lawrence the writer – his sexual references, death of his mother, his elevation of writing above the level of ‘a middle-class bedroom comedy’.

It is a memorial to the man:

“One sees in D.H. Lawrence the ill-effects of our tight-lipped Puritanism. One sees also proof of English’s easy-breathing freedom. ……….

”One knew so little about him then. Not even that he was ill; vaguely that he was married; only that he mattered. The literary body snatching had not begun.

Lovely creative use of words in a poetically satisfying format.

Published 1932
Literary commentary, prose poetry.
pgs 34

23. Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson



One of my goals for this years was to re-explore Lewis Carroll, his works and his biography, as one of my favourite of favourite books, is Alice in Wonderland.

This book reveals the man behind it all, and his contributions to maths, photography and teaching.

Charles Dodgson was a fascinating character, who lived in the nineteenth century as part of the academic celibate world that was required of Oxford Deacons at that time. He was a mathematical genius, with a wonderful imagination for combining the mathematical with the ridiculous. Alice in Wonderland is chocked full of mathematical clues and references, at often very sophisticated levels.

Here is an example:

Scene 3: Alice’s Examination.

When Alice finally reaches the Eighth Square on the looking-glass chessboard, she expects to become Queen – but first she must be interrogated by the Red Queen and the White Queen.

Red Queen (RQ): You can’n’t be a queen, you know, till you’ve passed the proper examination. And the sooner we begin it, the better.

White Queen (WQ): Can you do Addition? What’s one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?

Alice (A): I don’t know. I lost count.

RQ: She ca’n’t do Addition. Can you do Subtraction? Take nine from eight.

A: Nine from eight, I ca’n’t, you know, but –

WQ: She ca’n’t do Subtraction. Can you do Division? Divide a loaf by a knife.

What’s the answer to that?

A: I suppose –

RQ: Bread-and-butter of course. Try another Subtraction sum. Take a bone from a dog; what remains?

A: The bone wouldn’t remain, of course, if I took it – and the dog wouldn’t remain: it would come to bite me – and I’m sure I shouldn’t remain!

RQ: Then you think nothing would remain?

A: I think that’s the answer.

RQ: Wrong, as usual. The dog’s temper would remain.

A: But I don’t see how –

RQ: Why, look here! The dog would lose its temper, wouldn’t it?

A: Perhaps it would -

RQ: Then if the dog went away, its temper would remain!

Both Queens: She ca’n’t do sums a bit

This book would appeal to those of you who love maths logic. It outlines Dodgson’s life and his mathematical and literary exploits. He was a genius at photography also, and was considered one of the best nineteenth century photographers of children, excelling at natural informal poses, in a time of great formality.

There are considerable portions of the book devoted to his logic puzzles and mathematical discoveries, which I really enjoyed as they easy to understand at the level of the layman. However, if you do not enjoy maths, logic or puzzles, this book might contain too large a portion to hold your interest. I just loved it.

Published 2008
Category – Biography, Mathematics.
pgs 237

24. Chess Story by Stefan Zweig



Citizenkelly's Club 1929 got me onto this author, and I am SO glad to have discovered him.

A tight, absorbing study of a man subjected to solitary confinement as a method of torture, he uses chess as his mental escape. Enough said, because otherwise the story will be spoilt. Zweig gives another wonderful psychological portrait, combining the horrors of his time with a portrait of mental obsession.

This is another one to put on your TBR pile. There is an excellent forward by Peter Gay, but I would urge you to read this AFTER finishing the novella, as it contains too many spoilers.

Highly recommended.

Published posthumously ?date (Zweig died in 1942)
Category: Fiction
Pages: 84

25. Poor People by Fyodor Dostovesky



The first book by Dostoevsky, this is a short and satisfying read, a ‘sentimental epistolary novel’ about two cousins living close by in circumstances of extreme poverty. Their letters reveal the struggles of these two poor people - an elderly copying clerk (Devushkin) and a dishonored maiden (Varvara). Both characters are sensitive and fragile people, who hang onto the small joys of their companionship throughout their trials. However, both characters inevitably spiral towards a tragic ending, especially Devushkin who appears to disintegrate into grief and oblivion by the last pages.

From what I have read so far, Dostovesky seems to be the chronicler of the poor, oppressed, and humiliated. This is a study of poverty, and the injustices of social order. The female is young and provides a good contrast to the older man whose life disintegrates as the story progresses. There are some wonderful character portraits – for example the tragic-comic character of Old Pokrovsky, wonderfully portrayed in the scene when he runs behind the coffin of his beloved son:

“The old man seemed not to feel the cold and wet and ran wailing from one side of the cart to the other, the skirts of his old coat fluttering in the wind like wings. Books were sticking out from all his pockets; books kept falling out of his pockets into the mud. People stopped him and pointed to what he had lost, he picked them up and fell to racing after the coffin again.” So humorous and yet so heart-rending at the same time.

Glad to have read this book early on in my Dostovesky foray.

Highly recommended.

Published: 1846
pgs:134
Category: Fiction. Russian. Classic.

kiwidoc
Your two latest reads are added to my tbr list. I tremendously enjoy your writing style and reviews!

Great review of Poor Folk. I just finished it for my first Dostoevsky read of the year, and instead of writing something about it I'm just going to refer people to your review!

26. A Mercy - A Novel by Toni Morrison



This author is well-known to most, and the Nobel Prize winning author of Beloved - a book I confess I have not yet read.

Set in the 1680s, it tells intertwining stories of slaves and pioneers and purchased brides. It is poetic and lyrical, sad and yet uplifting.

I am not sure just HOW much I enjoyed this book. I think it needs a reread as I did lose threads of the story along the way, and, despite recognizing the beauty of her language, found my mind wandering at times.

I think it was very different from my expectations - my mind had to reset and readjust to her stylized prose and internal musings. Emotional, spare and weaved of several distinct voices, I can recommend this read, but it was not a 5 star one for me.

Published: 2008
Pages: 167
Category: Fiction. American.

....and thanks so much for your kind words, Whisper and abw.

Your reading list is posing a danger to my pocketbook, kiwidoc. I am adding them all to the Continent. Danger, danger, Will Robinson . . .

Poor People and A Chess Story on the TBB list!

Nice reviews, kiwidoc. Have you read The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig? It's on the shortlist for Three Percent's Best Translated Books of 2008.

I have The PostOffice Girl waiting for me, Kidzdoc. Hearing that it is on a Prize list does not surprise me - I had better check the translation.

Presently working through an old library book collection of short stories by Zweig, which are very good.

>228 kiwidoc: Is your copy of Porcupine published by Blue Moon Press? If so, it is one of only 99 copies published! I read Collected Writings: Olive Moore last year. What a brilliant, forgotten writer!

Marise - it is one of only 99 copies, and it has a wonderful tiny neat signature of the author. The pages are thick and almost the weight of linen. I think it was a real find!!! I don't see her work being reprinted at all?

Oh lucky you! I love finds like that.

My Collected Writings was published by Dalkey Archives in 1992. I have an old discarded copy from the District of Columbia Public Library. The cover art is a bust of Moore done by sculptor Sava Botzaris circa 1933. It also contains her three novels, as well as The Apple is Bitten Again, a collection of writings from her notebooks, including Further Reflections on the Death of a Porcupine. Moore (real name Constance Vaughn) was also a journalist, but was not heard from after 1934. Her biography is sketchy and she is thought to have died around 1970. Her writing can be intense and disturbing, but is always thought provoking and beautifully written.

marise, your collection of trivia and mental ephemera never ceases to astonish me.

ditto #244.

Thanks for your comments, Marise. You are a fund of knowledge!!

Her Porcupine reflections were quite shocking for the era she was writing. She takes on the sexual aspects of Lawrence's writings and makes the distinction between that and pornography and she does have some quite disturbing, blunt discussions around that topic.

However, her stylized prose is so beautiful. I had to check the date of publication - it really did not seem to belong to the 1930s. Maybe that is why her work slid from public view - it was too disturbingly raw for her time?

I'm so excited to hear about the existence of Lewis Carroll in Numberland! I think I may end up buying it within the week, even though it's still in hardcover (which is very unusual for me--I tend to wait patiently for paperbacks). I really enjoyed Four Colours Suffice by the same author.

Cripes - I don't usually find TBRs on my own thread, but Four Colours Suffice is a defo TBR. You will enjoy this Lewis Carroll biography for sure, if you are maths minded.

I looked at the LT reaction and was surprised at some of the reviews. I wish people would select books to suit their taste/interest, and not write negative reviews based on unsuitability rather than on lack of merit. If you don't like math or science, why persist with such books. (Gripe for the day now finished.)

I was also really surprised by some of the reviews! I honestly don't know what some of those people were thinking. At least they did write reviews, though, rather than just giving the book a bad rating and leaving it at that.

These both sound great - thanks Zoe and Kiwidoc! And yep, I agree about the reviews. Have you read The Code Book by Simon Singh? (just thinking of other maths books that I've liked).

Cushla - I have Singh's book on the Big Bang - well actually my son has read it as he is currently obsessed with this side of science (I am planning to read it).

The Code Book looks particularly interesting. ANOTHER TBR!!! and my resolution bites the dust!!

A particularly fine run of books (23 through 25).

I am currently reading Zweig's biography of Balzac - (which topic was apparently something of an obsession with him). The copy I have was published shortly after his death by his friend - the foreword describes his long battle to complete the book, the complications that arose (not least of which was the war), and the circumstances leading to his tragic demise.

On a separate thread I have just mentioned my thought that there must be rich pickings for anyone writing about the writers/artists who were caught in the whirlwind of WW2 - and here is another example.

I agree, zenomax. Thanks for visiting. The forward of Chess Story is written by the wonderful Peter Gay who is of the same generation and fled Germany to the US. He has written some fine books - the latest I read was his one on Art and Modernism.

The difficulty with reading good books is that others pale in comparison afterwards - I have started and stopped three books since. I will definitely pick up the Balzac book - Zweig is a very interesting writer, quite mysteriously hard to find in current library collections.

27. A Sun for the Dying by Jean-Claude Izzo



This Europa edition caught my eye in the library and I decided to read it for two reasons – I wanted to read more European fiction (this is French) and I was attracted by the reviews.

Credited with starting the Mediterranean ‘noir’ movement, this is an ‘on-the-road’ novel in the spirit of Bukowski and others. Gritty, terse, it is a very “Male’ book. Rico, a traveling salesman, sinks into vagrancy and homelessness on the streets of French cities and spirals into poverty and degradation. He takes a journey back to try to capture his youth, traveling from the cold North to Marseilles.

Rico has become lost to his wife, his son and his job – as events overtake him. He loses his sobriety, his dignity and descends into a hellish existence on the street. He makes poignant attachments to the people he meets on the margin of society, including a Bosnian refugee woman, forced to flee her country and resort to prostitution.

He recounts his past loves in a tender and sad voice – one that is striving to find solace and intimacy in a world that has betrayed him. This is an intense study of psychological stress and social degradation.

Very reminiscent of The Grass Arena, this book is bleak, sad and unsentimental. It examines the unraveling, the animalistic nature of survival and the tragedy that hits some people without good reason – and the doors of Rico's life close successively behind him as he sinks into his ultimately tragic end.

I almost abandoned this book after the first 70 pages; the gritty maleness of the book seemed too much for me. However, I was very glad to have read it – the character of Rico finally evoking enormous sympathy and ultimately admiration.

Category: 'Noir' fiction. French.
Pages:221

If you like ‘noir’ fiction, this is for you. I am glad to have read it. However, decide if this genre is to your liking before embarking upon it.

I do enjoy Noir fiction, so I will give this one a try. Thanks for the review!

I'm awed by the pace of your reading, kiwi. Am now trying to figure out whether I'd like A Sun for the Dying...

Yay, a book thats not for me. A big relief to my tbr pile. Nice review though.

Thanks for your comments. I was worried that I had not classified this book correctly as it is not a crime novel so I 'wikied' it:

"Mediterranean Noir refers to a literary style that employs elements of noir and hardboiled crime fiction in a Mediterranean setting. Sex, crime, and physical violence often figure prominently Mediterranean Noir narratives. Social and historical issues specific to the region – particularly governmental corruption and instability, war, and racial strife – are frequently underlying plot considerations.

The prevailing vision is a pessimistic one. Authors and their literary inventions look upon the cities of the Mediterranean and see places that have been broken, battered, and distorted by crime. There is always a kind of dualism that pervades these works. On one hand, there is the Mediterranean lifestyle-- fine wine and fine food, friendship, conviviality, solidarity, blue skies and limpid seas-- an art of living brought almost to perfection. On the other hand, violence, corruption, greed, and abuses of power".

Mediterranean noir?? My God why do they have to spoil books like that by creating new genres to fit them in all the time? :(

Good point, GunderG.

I thought, however, that for people wanting recommends, I would not lead them astray - this book does dwell heavily on crime, sex and physical violence. I know quite a few here who would rather avoid this genre.

"I thought, however, that for people wanting recommends, I would not lead them astray"
Yes, that's exactly the reason I like to include tags in my reviews of books - some people (I'm one of them) like to know what to expect. Well, at least I'm learning something with all these genres I've never heard of popping up all over the place. A few months ago I couldn't have told you the difference between regency romance and historical romance, now I can :) I have to say "lovely reviews!" just in case I've never said it - I tend to lurk on threads I enjoy ;)

Edit: by the way, I've heard GUG, but never GunderG!

>257 kiwidoc:: have you read Niccolo Ammaniti? This sounds very nearly his schtick, except his setting is not quite Mediterranean (no sea). I loved Steal You Away when I read it last year and have I'm Not Scared on the shelf.

#260 - I thought you might be a bit teed off with GUG so I added the under!!!! Great handle BTW and lurk away all you like!!

#261 I have read I'm Not Scared and it is defo NOT in the same style as Izzo. If I remember rightly, it was quite a bittersweet nostalgic read, but non of the violence, sex or crime of the Izzo book. I didn't know he had another one - I must read it, as I really enjoyed it.

>262 kiwidoc:: would have to admit violence, sex and crime are all present in Steal You Away, although they are not the main focus of the narrative. Mainly I enjoyed it because of the atmosphere it conjured, but also because it is one of those rare books that persuades you to sympathise with a character who, if the facts were written down baldly, you would find utterly repellent. It's not a happy story but it's a really interesting one.

Apparently his latest, The Crossroads, ups the violence quota by a significant factor, so I think I'll probs steer clear. I'm a total wimp about that kind of thing.

FlossieT - that is what finally sold me on the Izzo book - the protagonist became such a sympathetic character for me, I was quite 'heart-broken' in the end.

Flossie and kiwidoc...
I trust your judgment and I hope to read these two recommendations in 2009.

28. Stories and Legends by Stefan Zweig

Six stories to continue my binge of reading by this Austrian writer. No picture as I am the only one on LT with this book and am too lazy to photograph.

*Twenty-four Hours in a Woman's Life
*A Failing Heart
*Episode in the Early Life of Privy Councillor D.
*The Buried Candelabrum
*The Legend of the Third Dove
*The Dissimilar Doubles

Zweig has a very distinctive style - he focuses on telling a fable, usually suffused with obsessive behaviour and tinted with the tragic events of his life and times - the Jewish question, the rise of Nazism, shifting morals of the early 20th Century, emergence of psychological analysis.

My favourite was perhaps the first of these stories - about a gambling man overcome with his obsession. Not quite as chilling or effective as the The Chess Story, it retained all the ingredients of his tragic-comic style. I liked the narrator, a woman who fell for him, who quotes "I would rather understand people than judge them". Admirable idea, and one that requires a lot of forgiveness.

This is another recommend, although if you only want to pick one or two pieces by this author, I would pick my two former reads.

Published 1955 in this format (although the first 3 were also published in 1937)
Pages:343
Category: Short stories. Austrian.

I also learnt a few new words in this book:
triturated, sciolism, purlieus, quidnuncs, chiromancy, for example.

Oh you've probably triturated a few quidnuncs in your day without knowing it, Kiwi. Their sciolisms would cross the purlieu of good taste for you - it doesn't take a chiromancer to know that.

*cracking self up here* but I had to look up sciolism.

Ha!! Tui. You are such a smarty pants - only having to look up one!

It's because of my mother. She made me look everything up in the dictionary AND understand the Latin root. I started off as a fairly normal child, honest.

Bless your mother, Tui. She gave you a great gift!

29. Yesterday Morning by Diana Athill



This elderly publishing agent recently won the Costa Award for her memoir on aging - while standing firmly on the wrong side of 90. A review of that book is here. I decided to read her previous book on childhood first, in order to gauge her life from the start.

So why read yet another recounting of childhood memories? This book is quick to digest, and if you are English and not under 40, you will doubtless feel that some of the memories echo and coincide with yours, whichever side of the 'Class' fence you sat upon as a child.

She lays out the English upper class life of a 1920's household - together with nannies, servants, the freedom of the outdoors, daydreaming, class boundaries, boarding school and other rituals of an English upbringing now dead and passed.

Her recollections and interpretations are candid. It was worth the read, especially for myself as I am always trying to re-invent and understand my English childhood - which suffered the fragmentation of constant moves.

A recommended read. I have her prize-winner 'on hold' at the library so that will be next.

Category: Biography
Pages: 169
Published:2002

I like the title of your latest read.

Thanks for the great description

#270: Despite the fact that I am not English, I think I will give Yesterday Morning a try. I will also look for her other book as well. Thanks for the review.

>270 kiwidoc:, kiwidoc, Yesterday Morning sounds great & fits with the pre-1940s English slant I've got going on in my reading right now. Thanks for posting your thoughts.

I read one of Athill's earlier books and will look for this one! Thanks!

>270 kiwidoc:: have you read Stet? That's one I've had on my list for several years now but not yet acquired.

Flossie - I have not read Stet yet - although I plan to. I think this one talks mostly about her experiences in the publishing business.

Reading her interviews, she thought very highly of Molly Keane, whereas she had no time for V.S. Naipaul.

(That 'puts me in mind' of the fact that I really want to read the acclaimed biography about Naipaul - it was very well reviewed.)

>276 kiwidoc:: interesting - Molly Keane's Good Behaviour is on the shelf but not yet read.

30. Bashan and I by Thomas Mann



Calling all dog lovers!!

A delightful romp into the world of man and dog, this novel explores the essence of that bond. Mann describes his relationship with his German short-haired pointer and his interaction with nature as a result of his walks in the country.

It is a poignant read, and illustrates the ultimate loyalty and devotion of the canine breed that makes it such a wonderful companion. I had completely fallen in love with Balshan by the end of the book.

Highly recommended.
(and thanks to citizenkelly for the enthusiastic recommend on her thread).

Category: Biography, Nature
Pages. 247
Published: 1919

Mann is oneof my favorite authors, but I had no idea that he had written a book like this. I'll simply have to find it and read it. Thanks.

31. Blindness by Jose Saramago



Apocalyptic? Allegorical? Dystopian?

This is a book I have been meaning to get to for a long while. It describes the onset of ‘white blindness’ in a nameless community with nameless occupants. The epidemic spreads to include the entire population, save one, and the ensuing chaos, fear, selfishness, violence and disorder provide a frightening picture of the worst and the best of humanity.

How would the world cope with a spreading epidemic such as this? The community grinds to a halt, and the descriptions of confusion and disintegration and panic are laid in front of the reader in stark prosaic language. Day to day functionings such as bathroom visits and sourcing food are laboriously described in a crisp and un-emotive tone. His long run-on sentences and varying tenses take a tad of getting used to, but eventually I settled into the rhythm of his style, which somehow added to the weightiness of the subject.

This is one of those books that pulls on the synapses, and makes the reader question the basis of our societal functioning. The reader can ‘see’ different things as they choose – whether it be an allegorical take on revolution, or a dystopian view of epidemics such as AIDS or Avian flu. I am very glad to have read it – and would recommend it to all those who enjoy this genre.

Category: Fiction. Dystopian.
Published: 1995
Pages: 320

Oh, Karen, I looked at Blindness at the bookstore today yet again. Based on your review, next time I think I'm actually going to buy it.

abw - I promised myself that I would read all of Mann's works this year, but this is the only one I have managed so far.

nickelini - I have had Blindness on my TBR pile for the past 10 years, so it was slow in coming to the top.

Hmmm, I have a few of those around here myself. So if I buy Blindness it can move from the store to my TBR pile, where it may live for many years, chatting nicely with the other unread books.

message 278...
This book sounds delightful...I'll give it a try...my only hope is that the dog does not die at the end of the book....I hate it when that happens!

Kiwidoc--If you haven't read any other Mann, Buddenbrooks is a good place to start--it's long, but it's an engrossing and endearing family saga.

Nickelini - that TBR pile is daunting, n'est pas? It goes through daily revisions in priority.

Whisper - the dog does NOT die, and it is a delightful read. I really liked it. If you like dogs - it is worth it.

abw - thanks for the recommend - I have been tossing up between Buddenbrooks and Death in Venice.

ok, since the dog does not die, I'm adding the book to my tbr pile. Thanks!

Definitely Buddenbrooks. He won the Nobel primarily on the basis of Buddenbrooks--at least that's what they say. I liked it so much more than Death in Venice.

I am throwing my hands in the air. I give up! I will just copy your entire thread on to Continent TBR and have done with it, lol.

Nice review of Blindness, kiwidoc. As it happens, I'm reading it at the moment too, hopding to finish it today, and I'm finding it compelling. I expected it to take me quite a while, what with the dense text and almost complete lack of paragraph breaks and so on, but I can't put it down.

Great review, kiwidoc. Is this the first Saramago that you've read? IMO, it is his masterwork, and the best one to start out with. His novel Seeing is about the same characters, and picks up the story a few years later.

kiwidoc, Now I have to have Bashan and I. I'm several months into Joseph and His Brothers. I'm in the middle of book three. Not an admirable pace, but I'm enjoying the slow ride.

Looks like Blindness is the next Big Thing here in the challenge group...I've got it on reserve from the library and one or two others who haven't chimed in on this thread are either in the middle of it or about to start it. It's interesting how we seem to be reading in waves.

whisper - you will love this little romp in the country, it is not at all sad. (except for one tiny moment when he alludes to whipping his dog - but I don't think it was an actual event).

rachbxl - glad you are enjoying Blindness too - I kept putting it off due to content, and now cannot believe what I was missing.

abw - thanks for the tip re Buddenbrooks. I will read it ASAP.

VisibleGhost - thanks for visiting my thread. I have several of the 'Joseph' books found on a bargain bin for 10c - and they are the original first US editions - so it will be fun to read these musty originals.

kidzdoc - yes! it is the first Saramago. I did notice 'Seeing' in the library recently and will definitely get to that one. Blindness will be a hard act to follow.

drneutron - I had no idea that others were reading Blindness - it would be great to hear how other readers found it.

Stasia - at your pace of reading, any additions from here will just be a coffee break for you, so I don't think you need to despair!!!

Saramago's Blindness was an impulse buy and read a couple of years ago. The story was simple enough, but it took me a while to be involved. That said, it's a story that has stayed with me since I read it and I am curious as to how the movie version will compare. There are a couple of other books by Saramago which I have started and not completed, but, based on my experience with Blindness, I periodically try again because the mood may just be right to read his work. Very nice review.

I'm glad you enjoyed Blindness, it is one of the books that has had the most impact on me in the last few years. I was completely captivated by the story and by the way it was written. I recently read The Stone Raft and didn't like it nearly so much but if others have any further suggestions on works by him, I'd be happy to hear them.

I'm enjoying all these very pleasant conversations regarding Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family, Joseph and His Brothers, Blindness Saramago's Blindness and Bashan and I...
I'm hoping to read them all. But truly after 2008 and now two months into 2009, I've come to the realization that the fun of LT is learning about books and adding them to the tbr pile. I now know that I will never be able to read all the excellent recommendations, but I can dream and it is a lovely dream.

Thanks to all!

#297

I completely agree. It is the 'thought' of reading these books, its as good (in a different way) to actually reading them. Like christmas, when the preperation and the buildup is always better than the day itself.

>297 Whisper1: & 298, I know that I will never be able to read all the books on my list, but it's nice to be able to learn/list/buy and convince myself that someday it will happen!

Adding Blindness and Bashan and I to my list!

WHOA. You have read some very, very interesting books. I was reading through I am really impressed and loving your list. Like you, I am thinking of setting some reading goals for this year as concerns certain books/authors. I definitely want to read Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov and I am seriously considering rereading James Joyce's Portrait of the artist as a young man. But I am a bit unsure how to proceed, maybe one Saturday morning when I am bored, I will come up with a concise list.

I am yet to read Blindness though it is somewhere in the huge pile I call my TBR list. Gosh so much to read.

bored? What does that word mean? (I'm smiling of course.) Since childhood books have been my friend during boring times, hard times, good times, sad and happy times.

Thanks for all your comments - I appreciate your visits to my thread!!

32. The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett



This well known English playwright/BBC commentator wrote this fiction book before his more well known witticism about the Queen and her reading habits - that book was called The Uncommon Reader.

Fun, light, poignant, with an definite eccentric bent, it is written with the inevitable gentle 'Bennettian' comment on the psyche and human condition. It was good and, although not up to his later book, I appreciated a short sharp burst of something witty with his ascerbic, probing dialogue.

The story? Well, can you imagine what happens to a staid married couple when they get back from the opera to find everything in their house is stolen - even the kitchen sink?

Category: Fiction
Pages: 161
Published: 1996

I love visiting your thread, but my wishlist is growing out of control as a result!!! sighs and adds four more...

Gosh #302 sounds like fun and I still have to read The Uncommon Reader. So many books, so little tiiiiiiime (and I waste too much of it here but it's winter...)

I'm with Marise Kiwidoc. I so enjoy visiting your thread but my TBR pile is rapidly getting out of control I have added The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett. It sounds like a delightful read.

You are really on a roll! Great reads here.

Bashan and I just landed on my wishlist. You been reading some great books!

Kiwi, you almost need a second thread...this one is coming in on a wing and a prayer.

33. The Magician's Book by Laura Miller



Before considering this book, note that Miller takes an apostatic view of the Narnia Chronicles. She identifies early on that Lewis was a religious apologist for the Christian religion and declares herself a skeptic.

I LOVED this book. I thought Miller had an engaging, warm and ascessible writing style. Of course, I was a captive audience, as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was the absolute favourite read of my childhood. I remember, just as the ecstatic Miller does, the intense excitement of discovering this fantasy land and the intense disappointment (much later) upon learning of the religious agenda.

Miller frames it thus:

“Narnia and Aslan wanted me to be happy. Jesus wanted me to be miserable. … For me, Narnia was Christianity's antidote.”

This book is part literary criticism, part anecdotal chat, part biography (mainly about Lewis and Tolkien), and part memoir and reading log. It was all excellent, although the last few chapters on mythopoeia, medieval romance and middle English were not so interesting to me. She has anecdotal conversations with Phillip Pullman, Neil Gaiman and other with strong opinions on the Narnia series. Pullman points out the bullying, racism and sexism that lies near the surface of the books makes it irredeemable for him. Miller presents all sides of these arguments, and ultimately redeems the Chronicles, by rescuing it from the grip of religion, (unlike the movie, which develops and presents the religious aspect to, in my opinion, the detriment of the fantasy).

The book is divided into three parts: paradise, the fall from grace, salvation. Paradise is the discovery of the novels. The fall is precipitated by the realization that the Narnia stories are organized around Christian legends and ideals, with the lion Aslan representing Christ.

“If the Chronicles had worked according to Lewis’s plans, and in the way many of his Christian admirers believe them to, I would have reassessed my attitude toward my religion. I would have realized that Narnia and Aslan represented another face of Christianity, a better one than the Church had ever shown me, and that in turn would lead me back to the faith.”

Whether religious or not, I am sure readers would enjoy a romp into the world of C. S Lewis, his relationships and the Narnian world. I thought it was all excellent. As Miller describes, what often drives people is that childhood fantasy - “the desire to be carried away by something greater than ourselves — a love affair, a group, a movement, a nation, a faith. Or even a book.”

Category - Literary critcism
Pages - 311
Published - 2008

Thanks Kiwidoc..great review

>309 kiwidoc: Thanks, Kiwidoc. I watched the review with great interest when the book first came out--your review inspired me to go place a hold on it in our library system. I'm #10 in line!

Great review - I need to reread The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe I think. I loathed it, probably because I had to do an excerpt from it for a Grade 2 speech exam and it ruined it forever!

Great review - I need to reread The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe I think. I loathed it, probably because I had to do an excerpt from it for a Grade 2 speech exam and it ruined it forever!

This looks like a good book to follow up my recent reading of Surprised by Joy. I was also disappointed as an adult to find out about all the religion in the Narnia books. Loved The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe when I was a child, didn't find out there were more Narnia books till I was 18, got them, read them, loved them all.

Cripes, what school English teachers can do to reading enjoyment, cmt!! That is too bad.

I would like to read Surprised by Joy too, avatiakh, and Miller makes quite a number of references to this work in her book.

Thinking back to my reading under 12 years - I can identify 5 major books that I just adored:

*The Narnia books
*Alice in Wonderland
*The Arthur Ransome adventures about sailing - most notably Swallows and Amazons
*The Borrowers
*The Pooh books and poetry

I detested Rupert (I thought he was such an ugly bear!). I also was introduced late to the Seuss books and disliked them (irritating), and I did read The Hobbit and enjoyed it somewhat but thought it was rather too pedantic to be much fun.

The truly wonderful thing about reading as a young child was being completely absorbed by the story and its magic. Reading those books now, I couldn't recreate the interior magic for myself!

I used to live inside books - and remember feeling very let down when 'the real world' came back into focus in boring and tedious detail!!!

I did not read critically or with great understanding, and I certainly find that some of the books I loved then were marginally written (especially the tween books) - but really, who cared. It was a wonderful world and is lost to me as a cynical adult.

Oh - to recreate that wild imaginative total submersion into the world of a magical book.....

>309 kiwidoc:: thanks for a nice thoughtful review. I definitely want to read this, even though I'm not one of the people that either finds the religion in the Narnia books 'difficult', or indeed was surprised by it later in life. The series was among the first books that I ever read independently and although I haven't revisited them for many years, it would be interesting to look at them more critically.

For those of you interested in learning more about C.S. Lewis, there is a very good (IMHO) movie.

http://www.amazon.com/Shadowlands-Anhony-Hopkins/dp/0783113315

>284 Whisper1: Linda, don't worry, Bashan is alive and well and about to celebrate his 100th birthday in the Old Dog's Home, where Mann visits him every weekend!

- TT

TT

Have no fear...Your book will be a best seller...
Your wit is incredible!

Kiwi - I loved the Chronicles of Narnia when I was young too! I think I must be the only child out there though that immediately got the religious references and actually liked them. Maybe that's because I read The Magician's Nephew first, and it's pretty obvious that if the Lion creates the world, then the Lion is God. By the time I discovered them, I had read too much really, really bad Christian fiction. I thought that it was refreshing to find an author that incorporated Christianity into a novel without preaching, and while being creative. I've reread Narnia many, many times (I own three different sets) but I think I have now finally grown out of them. The Magician's Book sounds really interesting--great review.

Nickelini, I had the opposite situation: read them as a youngish adult and knew (or was told) that they were Christian allegory. But I loved them just for themselves and the allegory never got in the way. Yes, Kiwi, a great review. Thanks!

I am working through two quite serious books - A Blinding Absence of Light and A Journey Round My Skull, so today I took a light interlude with this one.

34. Tokyo Fiancee by Amelie Nothomb

(Click on picture for link as touchstones do not work)



Another Europa edition publication, my foray into ‘foreign fiction’ continues with this autobiographical novel of youthful love and cross-cultural identities.

Nothomb, of Belgian descent, was born in Japan and lived there until aged 5. She is overcome with 'Japanophilia' upon her return as a language teacher.

This book is a charming, off centre study of cultural differences. It tells of the relationship between the ‘fictional’ Amelie and her Japanese amore – his eager love and her ‘koi’. She defines “Koi as less serious than love - “light, fluid, fresh . . . elegant, playful, funny.” There is no equivalent in European language.

This is a short, sharp, wacky yet nostalgic novel that examines young love, and the outsiders perceptions of a culture. One experience she describes is the exotic meals - eating seafood fresh, for example. As a vegetarian, the idea of eating something alive is particularly revolting. This is her experience with eating octopus live:

“.... (I) shoved it in my mouth and tried to plant my teeth into it. Then the most dreadful thing happened: the octopus’s nerves, still alive, commanded it to resist and the vengeful corpse fastened itself onto my tongue with all its tentacles and would not let go. I was screaming as loudly as you can when you are having your tongue swallowed whole by an octopus. “ (eeeww)

This is perhaps the only part of the book that made my stomach turn. The rest was well worth it. I can recommend this book to all those interested in Japan and cross-cultural relationships.

Category: Fiction, autobiographical
Published: 2007
Pages:152

I read This Blinding Absence of Light last year--it's good but quite bleak, so I understand the need for a break! A Journey Round My Skull looks interesting.

Yes - christiguc - A Journey Round my Skull is quite fascinating. It is about a writer who starts to have auditory hallucinations (he hears trains passing as his first symptoms). He undergoes brain surgery while awake - to remove a large benign tumour. It is very good so far but I will report back when finished. (Thanks to kidzdoc's thread for introducing me to this author).

Actually, the credit should go to arubabookwoman, as I had never heard of A Journey Round My Skull. My copy is a New York Review Books Classic, and I subscribe to The New York Review of Books, but somehow I missed this one.

Hallo there, Kidzdoc. Your thread is defo a place to check for great reads!!

I would quite like to get a subscription to receive NYBR books - as they are not seen commonly in our library or store.

(hint to hubbie re potential pressie, if only he would read my posts!!)

It seems their titles are unfailing good.

drat, just when I think I'll have a day without adding new books to the ever growing tbr pile, I check this thread and find more to add. I'm adding A Journey Round My Skull...

I loved the Narnia books as a child, in spite of their religious allegory, which really only bothered me in The Last Battle... I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read them all, but I was quite disappointed with a certain aspect of the ending, in particular. The Magician's Book is probably not something I would have picked up on my own, but I'm adding it to my list after reading your review! Also putting Tokyo Fiancee down.

I'm having such fun on your thread, kiwi - so many books read already!!!!! I'm in awe, truly.

Delighted you liked Bashan and I, I somehow knew you would!
I've read something by Amélie Nothomb, but I can't remember what it was... hm, mustn't have left much of an impression!
I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts on This Blinding Absence of Light - a harrowing read, indeed.
And A Journey Round My Skull sounds absolutely fascinating!!!

Thanks Whisper, atdb and ck. I have finished the Karinthy book and here is a synopsis:

35. A Journey Round My Skull by Frigyes Karinthy



I found this book on Kidzdoc’s thread, who has given an excellent review.

It is interesting to read this as a doctor, for it provides some startling insights into the style of medicine 70+ years ago. It is also interesting to see the symptoms progress and the patient’s reaction.

*POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT*
The bulk of the book is devoted to describing the gradual deterioration of Karinthy’s health. The last two chapters or so describe, in very gripping style, his surgery without anaesthetic and his recovery.

Karinthy was a Hungarian writer, well known in his day. He was sitting in a café, aged 47 years, when he heard a train pass by. It does not take him long to discover that he was suffering from auditory hallucinations. He proceeded to delineate his increasing symptoms, suffused with musings on possible brain control, the social reaction of his friends to his illness, his reluctance to seek medical attention at the start, and the gradual self-realization that he has a brain tumour.

He captured two very common experiences of the sick – initial denial in the face of overwhelming evidence of illness with reluctance to have the diagnosis confirmed. Also, the altered awkward attitude of acquaintances and friends to the bad news.

“When I put my questions I used medical terms, culled from my reading. I did not ask her what the cowering, terrified ‘Being’ that lurked somewhere behind my tumor was so plaintively asking me below the threshold of consciousness.”

Two aspects of his writing caught my attention as I was reading through this frank and unemotive memoir. Firstly, the entire lack of communication between doctor and patient, despite the patient’s obvious intelligence and interest. At first he is reassured that he has nicotine poisoning, then, when it is apparent that he has a brain tumour, he is treated with mercury ointment. Finally he ends up in the hands of a prominent surgeon, a pupil of Cushings.

The second surprise is the apparent lack of support from his wife (who was a medical doctor). I am not clear as to whether they was estranged as they were living apart at the time of his diagnosis, but he does not write with much fondness or enthusiasm for her.

Karinthy intersperses his recollections with dreams, hallucinations and time perceptions. He captures the increasing confusion and disorientation of a man who has distorted mental capacity.

He describes the multiple tests and doctors that he consults in Budapest, Vienna and finally Stockholm, where he travels to see the best neurosurgeon available. By the time he reaches Stockholm, he is increasingly nauseated, giddy and almost completely blind. He only learns that he is due for surgery the night before when a nurse appears to give him a sleeping draught. He gets no information about the surgery or what to expect beforehand.

The chapter on the surgery is very effective. He describes the operation in such a vivid and gripping manner, that I was quite worn down with tension by the end.
*END OF SPOILER*

I can enthusiastically recommend this book, part medical observation, part memoir. Although I became a little impatient with parts of his convoluted, distorted, personal experiences of his symptoms, clouded by dreams and hallucinations and musings on brain function, this was totally unrelated to the merit of the writing.

I think my intolerance stemmed from my medical training/history-taking, and my mental 'next question' I wanted answered - which as a format would, of course, made the book very dry and unpalatable for the reader. I wanted to make the fatal mistake of the impatient doctor, to interrupt, to probe and question, and to seek scientific facts rather than listen to his whole story and experience. If he were alive today, he would be a fascinating person to interview.

pages: 321
Category: Memoir, Medical history.
Published: 1936 (this edition 2008)

A Journey Round My Skull is definitely going on the pile! I had brain surgery last year, so the topic is endlessly interesting to me. Have you read I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse? I read that a couple years ago and really enjoyed it.

Sorry to hear you had brain surgery - atdb. I hope you are fully recovered.

I haven't read the book you mention. I enjoyed this book mainly because it was a really interesting time capsule wrt medical treatment - I think it is the first real account of brain surgery and it was written in installments for a journal or periodical (not sure exactly), so each chapter has a distinctive theme.

#332: one of my lads is reading "I Had Brain Surgery", allthese. I'm waiting for hs review. hehe

Is there a particular reason why your son is reading about brain surgery, Tiffin??

A couple of quick reads, to fill in the time between periods of the Canucks Hockey Game (which they won, for all you Canucks out there!!)

36. Aya of Yor City by Marguerite Abourt and Clement Ourrerie



A graphic novel set in the Ivory Coast, portraying the daily lives of several families and neighbours.

Beautiful colourful drawings, with animated expressive figures, the graphics were a delight. The ‘text’ was less engaging.

Although Maus is a graphic novel not to be missed, I have finally decided that this genre is not for me – I am glad to retreat back into the world of words.
Overall, four stars for the pictures (Obrerie), 2 stars for the writing (Abourt).

Category: Graphic novel
Pages: 106
Publication:2008

37. Up at the Villa by W.Somerset Maugham



As with his other writings, Maugham is a master at portraying the colonial, class-ridden, late Victorian society of the English.

His themes explore the dichotomy between appearances, obligations, lust, love and duty. Again, in this short novella the protagonist is faced with a moral dilemma that tantalizes the reader. The story dates to the period, with the woman relying on her beauty and youth, and the male racked/restrained with duty and responsibility and honour. All this is bound together by the fear of rejection from the strict and unforgiving rules of Victorian society.

Maugham seems to like to portray women as delicate, silly and rather vacuous creatures - which can get a tad tiresome. Also, there is always the cad and the admirable gentleman, so I am always fully prepared for his stories to proceed along the moral highway of the era.

I still love reading him, though. The weaknesses, errors and human failings in his stories make them charming.

An enjoyable four star read. (Although I considered a star off for the dated narrative but that is not fair).

Pages:120
Category: Fiction. English.
Publication:1941

A Maugham novel that I haven't read- I'll have to look for it!

I haven't read any Somerset Maugham novels. Is there one that could be recommended as the first to read?

I read Maugham many years ago- I liked The Moon and Sixpence ( inspired by the story of painter Paul Gauguin ) and the very long but great Of Human Bondage. I also liked his short stories.

Thanks Cyrel

Since Gauguin was such an interesting fellow and because I've seen his paintings at the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York, I'll start with The Moon and Sixpence.

>333 kiwidoc:, Thanks, kiwidoc. I'm just about fully recovered, although I still tire easily. Thankfully my surgeries were pretty non-invasive as far as neurosurgery goes, and I didn't have a brain tumor or anything life-threatening. I had been sick for about six years beforehand, so it was a blessing to finally be able to be diagnosed properly and "fixed!"

>334 tiffin:, tiffin, I hope he enjoys it! I liked it a lot, the author makes her experiences very relatable. Another good neuro book is Where is the Mango Princess? which is a memoir by a woman whose husband suffered massive brain damage. Sad, but beautifully written.

#335: kiwi, I haven't got a clue except that he reads in a wide-ranging scope of things. I think it was on sale too. ;)

Whisper:

Maugham's Of Human Bondage is my absolute favorite book of all time. Definately read it if you get a chance. It gets you in an emotional twist that is for sure.

I have read most of Maugham – but it was so long ago that I will have to revisit. Thanks for your comments.

My next two reads have gotten me very excited. They are, despite their divergent topics, in many ways quite similar. Both are spare is style and deal with despair, dehumanizing events and the face of death. Both voices bring out the barest aspect of the human inner soul. I think they are both must reads.

38. This Blinding Absence of Light 
by Tahar Ben Jelloun, translated by Linda Coverdale




Can anything so horrific, so dark, so degrading, yet actually be a joy to read? This Moroccan writer supplies the reader with gorgeous prose, imagery and mirrors the deepest parts of a human soul with this wonderful book.

Jelloun supplies the reader with a testament to human strength and survival with this fictionalized version of a true event – a man’s tormented 20 years in a black hole, in a prison in Morocco called Tazmamart (1971-1991).

The prison cell is without light, 10x5 feet, with a ventilation hole and a small hole for his excrement. Full of scorpions, cockroaches and subject to the heat and cold of the seasons, the occupant survives at the edge of death, half starved, without exercise and without light. When he finally emerges, he is a broken man, a foot shorter and riddled with medical problems. Most of the men did not survive.

For such an absolutely terrifying topic, the prose is crisp and forgiving and non-judgmental. Jelloun has a true gift for probing the depths of human character. He does not lecture, throw political arrows or in any way proselytize – he manages to convey the hopelessness, torment and human degradation in a way that is so much more effective than angry rhetoric can ever convey. Ultimately, the Islamic religion suffuses his life as his body begins to decay and wither away.

Highly recommended.

Category: Fiction, Moroccan.
Pages: 195pgs
Published: 2001, New Press

39. The Spare Room by Helen Garner



A short novel by Australian author, Garner, now in her 60s, this is a memorable read. I suspect there are biographical elements to this spare and tightly drawn novel, which focuses on end of life illness, denial, the desperation of the dying to source a cure whatever the cost, charlatan and exploitive fringe ‘medical care’ ,and the strain and anger that the pallative patient place on caregivers.

This little bit of the prose really jumped out at me, as Helen (the narrative voice) describes her reaction to her dying friend’s continuing denial of illness:
"huge wave of fatigue rinsed me from head to foot ... At the same time a chain of metallic thoughts went clanking through my mind, like the first dropping of an anchor. Death will not be denied. To try is grandiose. It drives madness into the soul. It leaches out virtue. It injects poison into friendship, and makes a mockery of love."

An exquisitely drawn novel of pain, denial and final acceptance, this is a MUST read.

Category: Fiction, Australian
Pages: 175
Publication: 2008

Kiwi, you read those two back to back? Yoicks! I would have needed therapy. Was The Spare Room autobiographical to a degree?

Are you going to start thread #2? You're loading slowly and I have high speed!

I agree with tiffin, those two books back to back, would have made me long for sunshine.
Alas, I am putting both on my tbr pile. But, I won't be reading them successively. Maybe I'll brighten the space between them with a Roald Dahl book or two.(I'm smiling.) Thanks for two excellent reviews!

The Moroccan book was the more difficult one to read and I needed to take breaks.

The Garner book is not hard at all - in terms of 'heavy'. It was a delight. I really suspect (though cannot say) that there was a strong autobiographical element - her experiences were so dead on. And there was the fringe medicine, feeding off the dying person's panic, giving Vit C injections and ozone therapy and cupping therapy, all while ignoring her pain and suffering - and at an exorbitant rate. It makes my blood boil. Very reminiscent of the Susan Sontag biography on her death, by her son David Rieff

....and the David Rieff book was called Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son's Memoir.

Such a profoundly intelligent woman, yet in the end she is unability to accept her fate and her end - maybe that is the way it should be?? It provides so much anxiety for her loved ones, as David Rieff explains.

....and Helen Garner is a new author to me, but she appears in The Modern Library: 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950 by Carmen Callil (Editor), Colm Toibin (Editor) with her novella The Children's Bach.

I might be forced to buy it. My library has only got one or two of her books Monkey Grip, and one other which I have ordered via interlibrary loan. There are no others in BC, Canada, if you can believe it.

Those both sound perfect for me! I've been on a real reading kick of dark and depressing literature lately (blame it on the weather - it's absolutely dreadful here). Adding both to the ever growing TBR pile!

Thanks for all your interesting comments. At Tiffin's insistence, I have started a second thread here

>337 Whisper1: Linda, I have read a fair bit of Maugham; 11 novels and most of his short stories. I do not recommend starting with Of Human Bondage. Save that for later. Try practically anything else, including his short stories. He is a master of the short story and his shorter novels are all worth reading. Let us know how you get on.

- TT

Thanks TT

I'll follow your suggestion.