kidzdoc: 75 and Beyond, Take 2

Hopefully this thread, unlike the first one, will have more book reviews than music reviews! I'm not ready to say goodbye to my construction worker, so he stays for now. This is still a work in progress, as I continue to work on books I plan to read for my personal 1010 challenge.







Take 1

Books Read in 2010:



Books Purchased in 2010:



Currently reading:
Light in August by William Faulkner
The Good Doctors: The Medical Committee for Human Rights and the Struggle for Social Justice in Health Care by John Dittmer
The Idea of Justice by Amartya Sen
The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni

Completed books:

January:
10. Moscardino by Enrico Pea (Italy)
9. Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia)
8. Small Island by Andrea Levy (UK)
7. Amok and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig (Austria)
6. The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria by Randall M. Packard
5. The Word Book by Kanai Mieko (Japan)
4. Tormented Hope: Nine Hypochondriac Lives by Brian Dillon
3. Matigari by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Kenya)
2. Monsieur Pain by Roberto Bolaño (Chile)
1. Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by Robin D.G. Kelley

Categories and completed books in my 1010 challenge:

A. 2009-10 Archipelago Books
1. Moscardino by Enrico Pea (Italy)

B. 2010 Booker Prize longlist

C. Orange Prize longlists and winners
1. Small Island by Andrea Levy (UK)

D. Medicine, public health and science
1. Tormented Hope: Nine Hypochondriac Lives by Brian Dillon
2. The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria by Randall M. Packard

E. African-American/African literature
1. Matigari by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Kenya)
2. Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia)

F. Author Theme Reads 2010 author (Stefan Zweig)
1. Amok and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig

G. Southern US literature (Le Salon du Faulkner group, Flannery O'Connor, Carson McCullers)

H. Asian/Asian-American literature
1. The Word Book by Kanai Mieko (Japan)

I. Biography
1. Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by Robin D.G. Kelley

J. Latin-American & Caribbean literature
1. Monsieur Pain by Roberto Bolaño (Chile)

Not last but first on Doc's new thread!!

For goodness sake, its the 9th day of the year and you're already onto thread 2. I told you once and I'll tell you again, will you CONTROL yourself.

ahhh there you are!

Starred of course! I just spent an hour getting caught up on your last thread, and am determined to keep it that way!

How was Matigari? I have never read anything by Ngugi wa Thiong'o before, but I would like to start this year - Wizard of the Crow maybe?

Cait, I'd recommend starting with Wizard of the Crow, which remains one of the top 10 books I read in the last decade, and one of the few that I want to re-read in the near future. Matigari was very good, as was A Grain of Wheat, which I read last year. What do you think, Rebecca?

Kath, I think Ms. Smiley needs some snow boots and mittens.

Jenny, the fault lies mainly with my dear friends (including you, of course) that post messages on my thread!

Berly, you get a prize, not sure what yet.

Okay, a review of Matigari...

Pfffffffffft, shoving the blame onto others. At least stand up and admit it!

Wizard of the Crow was the book that got me into reading Ngugi wa Thiong'o and I agree that it's one of the best books I've read recently. As for other Ngugi, I haven't read either Matigari or A Grain of Wheat (although I own the latter). I consider Petals of Blood the next best of his novels that I've read, and The River Between, one of his earliest works, weaker. The nonfiction Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature was also fascinating, Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance less so.

Book #3: Matigari by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Kenya)







My rating:

Purchased at: London Review Bookshop
Category: 1010 Challenge, African/African American literature (1/10)

In the preface to this novel, Ngũgĩ informs us that Matigari was written in 1983, while he was living in exile in London. It was published in the Gĩkũyũ language in 1986, and translated into English the following year. He also tells us that copies of this book were removed from bookshops by the Kenyan police that year, due to the controversy that its release caused there.

Matigari ma Njirũũngi, which means 'the patriots who survived the bullets' in the Gĩkũyũ language, is an old man in an unnamed postcolonial African country who, after years of struggle, has finally killed his lifelong tormentor and oppressor Settler Williams and his assistant John Boy. He leaves the forest which had been his home for many years, to return to his home village. He intends to gather up his family and people that he left behind during the struggle for independence, in order to move into the spacious home that he built, which was stolen from him by Settler Williams.

Upon his arrival to the village, he finds a shocking amount of poverty and corruption: orphaned children live in abandoned cars, and obtain scraps of food and clothing from a dump; workers toil in factories and the fields, and do not make enough money to feed their families; a group of women prostitute themselves to survive. The country is now run by His Excellency Ole Excellence and his assistant The Minister of Truth and Justice, and a fragile peace is maintained by fear, violence and the ever present Voice of Truth radio broadcast, which informs the public of the punishment meted out to those who oppose the one party government.

Matigari finds the home that he has built, with the help of a young boy, who has rescued him from a mob of stone throwing youth, and a prostitute who he has rescued from two policemen. However, it is now occupied by the son of John Boy; he has obtained a Western education and, along with the son of Settler Williams, runs a major factory and plantation in the village. They are more corrupt and oppressive taskmasters than their hated fathers. Matigari attempts to claim his house, but he is beaten and jailed. However, he is not defeated, and soon escapes from prison. He travels throughout the village, a mysterious Christ-like figure who becomes a legend amongst the villagers, and a feared opponent of John Boy, Jr. and the government. All efforts to discredit or capture Matigari prove fruitless, as the villagers become less fearful of the government and more willing to stand up for their rights. A final and inevitable confrontation with John Boy, Jr. at the plantation home occurs, as the stability of the government hangs in the balance.

This was a tingling and fast-paced novel, which I read in one sitting this morning, and is based in part on an African folk story. The ending was especially good, and unpredictable despite the confrontation that was obviously going to take place. It was banned by the Kenyan government, as Matigari teaches its readers that only armed struggle would result in freedom from corrupt and oppressive African dictatorships. Highly recommended!

I was reading a borrowed copy of Wizard of the Crow and liked it so much I decided to buy myself a copy for Christmas. Haven't started back in yet, but looking forward to it.

book #3 seems interesting -- will take note of this one. i read A Grain of Wheat last year and liked it.

Thanks for the recs Darryl and Rebecca - I'll try to read Wizard of the Crow next month!

Beee-uuu-teee-fulll! I'm lucky #13. Gotcha starred again Darryl:)

I'll forgive you for snaking out of giving me my prize for being the 250th message on your first thread, Darryl only because this is such a good review.

Wait, why am I forgiving you? You've gone and made me add yet another book to my wish list! I think I shall resume sulking......

Uh oh. Let's see...what would be a worthy prize? A copy of Murakami's 1Q84 once it is translated into English? I know...how about a week of above freezing temperatures and no snow?

Oh, somehow I missed Jenny's raspberry in message 7. I'd better send the same gifts to her.

Got ya starred, sir! I have Small Island sitting high in my tbr, due to much praise from my LT pals. Will you be the one to push it through? We'll see!

I've been meaning to read more by Ngugi after enjoying Wizard of the Crow last year - Matigari is definitely going on my TBR list!

Since I read Wizard of the Crow last year and loved it - it was on my 'memorable reads' list for the year - I will definitely be looking for Matigari. Thanks again for such a wonderful review, Darryl.

Album review: Monk's Dream by the Thelonious Monk Quartet (1962)



My rating:

This is probably my favorite recording by Thelonious Monk, as the music is the most joyous and bright of any of his preceding or subsequent albums. All of the musicians, which include Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), John Ore (bass), and Frankie Dunlop (drums), are in top form. More importantly, they perform as a tightly cohesive unit, with superb solos by Rouse and Monk that are enhanced by a supportive but not obtrusive rhythm section. Practically every song is outstanding, but my favorites are the title track, "Bye-Ya", "Blues Five Spot" and "Sweet and Lovely". I would recommend this album as a starting point for the listener who is new to Monk, as it is the most accessible and lyrical of all of his recordings, IMO.

Here's a YouTube audio recording of "Bye-Ya" from the album:

Bye-Ya

#19: I liked that! Thanks for posting the link to Bye-Ya, Darryl.

Book #4: Tormented Hope: Nine Hypochondriac Lives by Brian Dillon





My rating:

Purchased at: The Book Depository (online)
Category: 1010 Challenge, Medicine and Science (1/10)

Tormented Hope, which was on the shortlist for the 2009 Wellcome Trust Book Prize, is a history of hypochondria, as told through the lives of nine noted people who were diagnosed with the disorder in their lifetimes: James Boswell, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale, Alice James, Daniel Paul Schreber, Marcel Proust, Glenn Gould and Andy Warhol. The author uses written personal accounts of these individuals and biographies about them, along with past and current medical literature on hypochondria and the effect of the mind on illness, to elucidate the disease process in the person, and how their illnesses were perceived by themselves and those close to them. The nine people were chosen by the author because they had written extensively about their illnesses.

Although this concept of this book was interesting to me, I did not enjoy it, and stopped reading it about halfway through. I found the discussions tedious and drawn out, and the lives of the people as portrayed by Dillon had little or no interest to me. I think that this book would be much more interesting to readers who have a strong interest in these individuals, rather than someone looking for a medical history of hypochondria.

The premise of the book sounds good, Darryl. I am sorry the execution was so poor. I hope your next read is better for you.

Stasia, IMO Tormented Hope was a well written book, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I think that most other 75ers would like it much more than I did, and I would recommend it for readers interested in the lives of the individuals portrayed in the book. I listed their names, in case anyone wanted to take a look at it.

BTW, Tormented Hope was published in the UK this past September, and hasn't been published in the US yet.

OK, thanks for the additional comments.

I am too much of a hypochondriac (or at least am highly suggestible) to go anywhere near Tormented Hope!

The Word Book is going to the wrong touchstone, but it looks very interesting - looking forward to hearing more about it.

Darryl...

I would be interested in Tormented Hope for the reason that Charlotte Bronte is one of my favorite authors. Living in the moors, cold, damp, secluded...ugh. I can imagine that would lead to a lot of introspection.

Oops. The touchstone for The Word Book is now fixed. I'll probably finish it this afternoon. Thanks for the heads up, wandering_star.

Rebecca, Tormented Hope should have a disclaimer on the inside front cover, to warn people with hypochondriacal tendencies from buying this book.

Darryl, I've gotten old enough to know what I should avoid . . . On the other hand, as a teenager I read a lot of the medical "detective stories" by Berton Roueché and they had no lasting effect on me (except for avoiding presliced pieces of watermelon, because of a story about people who got some disease -- I forget which -- because the knife used to cut the watermelon was contaminated).

I loved Roueché's books, which helped me to decide to switch my undergraduate major from Chemical Engineering to Microbiology. I also avoided certain foods and restaurants after reading some of his stories!

It's a common phenomenon among second year medical students to imagine that they have a certain illness, after learning about it in class. I had a case of viral labyrinthitis, an inner ear infection that leads to vertigo, with associated nausea, vomiting and horizontal nystagmus (rhythmic beating of the eyes back and forth). When I told my classmates about my illness, several of them suspected that I had an acoustic neuroma, a tumor within the brain that can cause these symptoms. Naturally, I was less than comforted by their thoughts. I left class during our first lecture on a Monday, after having these symptoms all weekend, and went to the dean of students' office, so that an internist at the medical school could examine me. One of the dean's secretaries mentioned that my symptoms sounded like a viral infection that her nephew had, which eventually went away. Of course, my two friends that went with me dismissed this possiblity, as they were sure that I had an acoustic neuroma. Well, the "uneducated" (but more sensible) secretary was spot on, to my great relief!

I just read the Art of Fiction interview of Ha Jin in the current (Winter 2009) edition of The Paris Review, which was very good. He didn't mention his latest book, A Good Fall, which was one of the last books I read last year. He did talk about his experiences growing up in Communist China, and how his life was shaped by the Cultural Revolution. He was in graduate school at Brandeis when the Tienanmen Square massacre occurred, and he was so traumatized by it that he decided to stay in the US and become a writer. He initially intended to become a poet, but later submitted some poems that he had written in prose form, which led him to become a short story writer, and then a novelist. His last novel, A Free Life, is the only book of his that is set in the US. It is heavily influenced on his experiences as a graduate student and struggling writer in the US, but it is not autobiographical. He also discusses the influences for several of his other books, including Waiting, which won the National Book Award for Fiction, and The Crazed, which was inspired by his experience taking care of a mentally disturbed professor when he was a student in China. The full text of the article isn't available online, but an excerpt from the interview is available here.

I can imagine that that was indeed a great relief, Darryl. I am very interested in the ability of our minds to make us believe something's wrong with us when in reality nothing is, and I once read a very interesting article that helped me a lot because it was by a doctor who suffered from the very problem of thinking he had some disease he didn't and worrying obsessively about it despite evidence to the contrary. When I learned that even doctors could have this problem, I found it immensely reassuring.

On the other hand, ever a glutton for punishment, I bought a book that sounds like it's sort of a contemporary Roueché after reading a good review of it in the New York Review of Books, The Deadly Dinner Party; it's on the TBR.

Ooh, The Deadly Dinner Party sounds good! You'll have to let me/us know how it is.

Thanks for the heads up, Darryl ... I think I will keep away from Tormented Hope.

I am adding Matigari to the wishNotebook. I might pick up Tormented Hope at the library, if possible, when it's published here. I can pick and choose what parts to read. I'm also going to look for The Deadly Dinner Party, thanks Rebecca.

A number of the people you listed who are included in Tormented Hope are of interest to me. I may consider adding it to the wishlist.

#15

I am unbribable and you are still in BIG trouble

Anyone is bribable, if the bribe is large enough.

Give me a year of summer starting from now and you won't be in trouble

Deal. *Booking flight for Jenny to Hawaii. Accomodations and food not included.*

#39

I wish!!!!!!! I'd be on that flight in a second right now.

>30 kidzdoc: I loved Ha Jin's Waiting so the question is why have I not been able to squeeze in some of his other books? I guess it has something to do with so many books, so little time. I'm going to try to get to The Crazed this year.

you don't go on the internet for 2 days cause it's down and the doc gets a second thread!

Hi Hi!

Bonnie, I loved The Crazed; of the three Jin novels I've read (the others being Waiting and War Trash), I think it's my favorite. I'll read A Free Life soon, probably in the next month or two.

Hi BBGirl55! Hopefully this thread will have a longer shelf life than the first one.

>43 kidzdoc:: I agree with you on The Crazed, Darryl. Those bedside scenes will stay in my memory forever. Well, on consideration, "forever" is a long time so I'll just say the book was memorable.

Forty-four posts in, what, 30min that I'm gone? Sheez. "kidzdoc" is Man for "Stasia."

xoxo

Brussels sprouts don't roast themselves, gotta make dinner now.

Ha! So much for this thread lasting longer than the first.

I bow humbly in your comparison of me to Stasia. However, I've only read four five books, so I'm way behind her.

Mmm, Brussels sprouts: my favorite vegetable! When will they be ready?

*searches Delta web site for flights from ATL to JFK*

I finished The Word Book, a wonderful dreamlike collection of short stories by Kanai Mieko, an acclaimed Japanese author, which was published in Japanese in 1979 and released in English translation by Dalkey Archive Press last fall. My review will appear in issue 4 of Belletrista.

This is more like an instant messaging thread than anything else. I am impressed.
Great reviews as always, Darryl. I went out and bought a bargain CD of Thelonius after your last review, so taken was I!!

You're right, Karen; this is closer to an IM thread! I go back to work tomorrow, though, so my LT time will be severely curtailed.

Which Monk CD did you get?

What an interesting book, Darryl. I like the 2 reviews you posted as well .... but where's yours? Are you holding out on us here? C'mon..... review it, review it, review it! *please?*

I think it is a compilation CD - 17 songs in 'The Jazz Biography' series. I got it for $2! I'm listening to it right now.

Sorry Caroline; you'll have to wait for a bit. I will say that it was a wonderful read, definitely recommended, and I think you'd enjoy it.

I found info about that CD on the Barnes & Noble web site, Karen. It looks as though it contains songs from the "Genius of Modern Music" series, which were some of his earliest recordings, from 1947-1952. Good choice!

passing through and reading...... careful out there in all that Atlana cold, Darryl~

Thanks, kath. It will finally get above freezing tomorrow, with a projected high of 43 degrees. It will get back to the 50s by mid-week, but I think the temps will drop again this coming weekend. How is it there?

Wow, it's going to be positively balmy where you are, Darryl. We're going to warm up a little too but hitting no higher than 39 degrees by mid week. Then everything drops again to the 20s.

It's supposed to be in the 50s here, Caroline. So it's relatively colder here than in the Northeast.

I hope that all of us get into a warmer weather pattern soon! I'd like to visit my friends in Wisconsin in the next month or two, but I'll probably postpone my trip if the weather stays like this. It's too easy to get stuck up there, which has almost happened to me twice.

But they have good frozen custard in Wisconsin ... good enough consolation if you do get stuck up there.

And better Chinese food than in Atlanta, too!

Okay, I am multitasking to my maximum capacity! Reading and posting on LT, having an IM conversation with my brother, cooking dinner, watching ESPN, and sipping vodka. If I do any more, my brain will melt.

mmmm....what kind of vodka? What's for dinner? I'm watching ESPN too. We missed the Cardinals game today so thank goodness for highlights

Vodka: Stoli Blackberi, my favorite! Umm, actually not cooking, heating up Mac & Cheese and string beans plus ham from Honey Baked Ham. It's just me here, so I don't cook too much anymore. I'll meet Ms. Right one of these days...but that's a LONG story.

Packers-Cardinals set a new record for points in a playoff game; final score was Arizona 51-45 in OT, after Aaron Rodgers (GB QB) was stripped of the ball, and the Cardinals LB (Dansby?) ran it in for a TD in OT. Neither defense could stop the other, so whoever had the ball last was going to win.

ETA: Ack! Keeping up with LT posts is like playing Whack-A-Mole!

My favorite vodka is Ketel One. Love that a little dirty with 2 olives. Move to MA, Darryl and be my neighbor. You can eat dinner with us any time and we'll help you find Ms Right ... or even Ms Right-Now. ;-)

Wish I'd seen the game, just from the highlights it looked like a barnburner. I was happy the Jets won yesterday but bummed the Pats lost today, although I wasn't expecting them to win against Baltimore.

No Ms Right-Nows, please! There's plenty of them here in the ATL. I can tell you stories of my experiences here that would make you cry with laughter (including the mother of a hospitalized patient who grabbed my butt, with both hands, when I was an intern). ATL has more gold diggers than Carter's has pills.

I thought that NE would put up a better fight against BAL. That was disappointing. Now that PHL, PIT and the football NYG are all out, I no longer have a dog in the hunt, as they say down here. BAL's Ray Rice starred for Rutgers, one of my alma maters, and he had a great game today. So, BAL is my team for now. But, basically, it's ABC: Anybody But the Cowboys!

You HAVE to write a book, Darryl. Just that one gem had me chortling. It could be an expose to the hazards single eligible doctors face in the line of duty.

huh.. my husband's in your camp now too. He'd love it if the Jets won, but that's highly unlikely, so he's ABC too.

Caroline, that one is my best story; the others are tame in comparison. But I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to ask my male colleagues for more stories.

Yes, as long as the Cowboys don't win, I don't care too much.

It's now time to focus on Big East basketball. Rutgers, as usual, isn't worth mentioning. Pitt, on the other hand (where I went to med school), has a surprisingly good team this year, with their last wins coming over #5 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome and at Cincinnati. They are 13-2 and in first place in the Big East conference, and, barring a collapse, they should make it to the NCAA tournament.

#63: My hubby, on the other hand, is a huge Cowboys fan. I, personally, am rooting for the Saints to at least make it to the Super Bowl, but the way they played at the end of the season makes me fear that it is a false hope.

Saints, Jtts...? "Super" Bowl? Is this some sport with which I am unfamiliar? It's not baseball, the only *interesting* team sport.

The roasted brussels sprouts with green apples were, as always, delicious...the steaks pan-fried rare, marinated in Shiraz, Worcestersistersoostersheer sauce, and a plain baby-greens salad with EVOO and balsamic dressing...you know, plain ol' dinner.

cold~ it was 9F here today..

my cars teeth were chattering.. in time with mine.

chinese food in Atl. Adam said there is a place that delivers and has chinese and Mexican.. lol!

It is to warm up to the high thirties here this week, but not for a couple of days. I used to like winter a decade or so ago, now not so much.

I know that you work today too... take care~

rd
` my mouth is watering...

#19 - That's going back a bit I know, but I'm playing catch-up here :)

I agree that Thelonious Monk's 1962 Monk's Dream is one of his more accessible albums. The fact that it is also his biggest seller is ample testament to that. My favourite tracks from that album are "Blues Five Spot", and the only song he hadn't previously recorded prior to this album, namely "Bright Mississippi"; in which Monk's improvisation based on the timeless melody "Sweet Georgia Brown" is an inspiration.

However, my favourite Monk album, and possibly all-time favourite jazz album, is Misterioso, recorded live on August 7th, 1958, at the Five Spot. The other album taken from the same session, Thelonious in Action, is unfortunately a tad less enthralling. My only lament is that this is the last album in which we will hear this quartet perform together - i.e. Monk (piano), Johnny Griffin (tenor sax), Roy Haynes (drums), and Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass).

I'm listening to "In Walked Bud" as I write this - a homage to Bud Powell, and based on Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies". There are solos by each of the quartet in this 11 minute masterpiece, but Griffin's solo! Wow! Frenetic, interrupted by deep blasts of the tenor sax, periodically greeted with cries of approval from Monk. It's enough to send a shiver down your spine!

The CD reissue, to which I'm listening to, has two bonus tracks by the same quartet, at the same venue, which are recorded on July 9th, 1958. These are "'Round Midnight", and the brilliant, thank-you-for-including-it, "Evidence".

#65: I like baseball, but I love football, especially this time of year. The Packers-Cardinals playoff game last night was unbelievable! At least with baseball, one loss doesn't end your season, unlike football or college basketball during March Madness; that's one of the aspects that make those two sports more appealing than baseball or pro basketball.

Damn, I'll take that "plain ol' dinner" anyday over what I usually have!

#66: Brr! Hopefully it's warmer there today. It is much warmer here today, currently 38F at 8 pm; this time yesterday it was at least 5-10+ degrees colder.

Chinese and Mexican? In the same restaurant??? Ick. IMO, any place that tries to prepare more than one time of ethnic food, especially something as disparate as Chinese and Mexican food, can't be authentic. I've become very spoiled in my preferences for Chinese food, as most of my friends from medical school (who remain my best friends today) are Chinese American, most of whome speak at least one or two Chinese dialects. In Pittsburgh and in the Bay Area, we would frequently go to places that were frequented solely or almost entirely by Mandarin-speaking customers, and we would usually order family style, from the menu in Chinese. Several times I asked Anlin, Sunny or Yvonne (Shi-Chin) what a certain dish was, and they would say that it isn't translatable or available in English. And, with my frequent trips to San Francisco, I've become very picky, and prefer places where I'm the only or one of a very few non-Chinese customers, if I'm eating by myself.

There is one reasonably good dim sum restaurant in the Atlanta area, but it's off of Buford Highway, east of the city proper; Adam will probably know the area, although he may not have been to any restaurants in the area.

The only good Chinese restaurant that we went to, dozens and dozens of times, in Pittsburgh was a place in South Oakland, a hole in the wall that catered mainly to Chinese graduate students. I don't know the name or what street it was on, though.

Peter, I realized that I have "Mysterioso"; but, I'm not sure that I've ever listened to it! It's on my iPod, and I'm listening to it now. Thanks for the comment about it.

My favorite album on which Johnny Griffin appears is the album Full House by Wes Montgomery, a live album recorded at Tsubo in Berkeley, CA in 1962. It's one of my favorite live recordings, possibly only exceeded by Herbie Mann's devastating 1961 album "Live at the Village Gate". Here's a YouTube audio of "Cariba" from the "Full House" album:

Cariba

What a thrill - I have both of those superb recordings you mentioned, as well as Herbie Mann's follow-up LP Herbie Mann Returns to the Village Gate (1963), featuring the bassist, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, from Monk's Misterioso. I will have to renew my acquaintance with all three albums this evening.

Hope you're enjoying Misterioso :)

By the way, have you read the books by Gary Giddins? I have his Weather Bird: Jazz at the Dawn of Its Second Century, and plan on getting his recent hardcover Jazz which he co-authored with Scott Knowles DeVeaux.

Yes, I definitely like "Misterioso"; why didn't I listen to this before?

I have Giddins' Weather Bird, but haven't read it yet. I haven't heard of the latter book, but I'll look for your comments (and those of cwc790411 (Christopher Collins); he is over on Club Read and is an avid jazz fan, and I see that he has a copy of this book.

Just had to pop back and say thanks for making me dig out Herbie Mann's At the Village Gate. I'd forgotten just how cool and chilled out this album is! "Comin' Home Baby" had me smiling like a goofy school boy discovering jazz-flute for the first time, and I'm currently grooving out on the sharp and perfectly executed Middle Eastern accents in Side B's 20-minute "It Ain't Necessarily So". This album feels as fresh today as it must have done back in 1961.

On Giddins' Weather Bird - A little while back I put together a compilation of the tracks listed in Chapter 118, "Postwar Jazz: An Arbitrary Roadmap (1945–2001)" (pp. 465-488, originally published in Village Voice, 11 June 2002). A fascinating and thought-provoking journey.

Isn't it funny how the mind works?

Despite the fact I have no interest in jazz music and I don't really find it my cup of tea, and therefore have only been skim reading the talk on it, I have found said talk very calming and today I realised why.

Its because my dad was a huge jazz, blues, ragtime etc afficianado, and used to play and listen to a lot of it. He hasn't passed that onto me, but I associate it with him, and he was a very calm, quietly spoken and gentle man and those are the emotions I feel when I flick over the talk, even though I'm not taking any of it in.

Therefore, sitting in this thread is a tremendous comfort to me, in the strangest of ways.

Isn't that odd? I must sound like a complete lunatic now, but the reasons behind my feelings only hit me today.

Argh! I leave your thread alone for just four days and 105 posts pop up! :)

Thanks to all for comments on my snow pic (yes, that was the other thread). Darryl's pic was much more like proper snow though!!

Having a bit of a browse on lastfm for Thelonius Monk at the moment - very relaxing.

A shame Tormented Hope was a bit disappointing - it sounds like such a promising idea. The Kanai Mieko on the other hand sounds right up my street and is going straight on the Wishlist.

Darryl, I am finishing up When Harlem Nearly Killed King, which you recommended last year. Very good book and I appreciate the recommendation.

>73 lunacat: I know exactly what you mean. I seek out books that affect me the same way...Anya Seton books, R. F. Delderfield books, Angela Thirkell books...because my long-gone mother liked them, and their type of quiet storytelling. I feel closer to the parts of her that I loved when I'm in the throes of To Serve Them All My Days, which I otherwise would avoid like it had bedbugs in the binding.

#72: Peter, "Live at the Village Gate" is one of my favorite pick me up recordings, one guaranteed to lift my spirits. I'm glad that you're enjoying it.

#73: Jenny, your lovely comment makes perfect sense to me, and I'm very happy that the jazz discussion has provided some comfort to you. Certain albums and songs are, and will remain, favorites of mine, as they remind me of my parents and grandparents; these were albums that I heard as a young child. I sometimes wonder if one of the reasons I love jazz from the late 50s and early 60s is that it reminds me of my young childhood.

#74: Hi, Fliss! You can blame Jenny and Caroline for the activity on my threads; they've probably contributed 80 or 90 of those 105 posts. Glad to hear that you're also enjoying Monk's music. Tormented Hope was not for me; I'd love to see a review from another LTer who has a better literary background than I do (which is probably 90% or more of the people here).

#75: I'm glad that you're enjoying When Harlem Killed King, Stasia. It was a surprisingly good book.

#76: Hmm...I can't think of any comfort books that remind me of late beloved relatives. I'll have to think about that one, but it makes perfect sense to me.

It's just before 10 pm, and I'm just now finishing up at work. If this keeps up I probably won't do much reading until the weekend, or participate on LT much, although I'll look at my thread once or twice a day.

I'm like flissp, I missed a couple days and you started a new thread and have a ton of new messages. I can't keep up! And I've added, I think, 3 books to the abyss. Umm, could you stop being so popular, kidzdoc? :)

Hey Darryl, just read one I think you'll really like: Beasts of No Nation

Wow. Just, wow.

>80 richardderus: I guess you really think everyone should read that book Richard?

Geez Louise, I thought I was doing well, 14 messages to read for kidzdoc then it takes me to a new thread with 81 messages! You are quite the conversationalist!

I'm watching the coverage of the Haiti earthquake on CNN. The videos and reports are beyond belief, as I'm sure you've seen. I've just made a donation to Doctors Without Borders, and I would encourage anyone who is able to give money to also participate, to the organization(s) of your choice.

Thanks for your post about Doctors Without Borders. I donated to them as well, and I'm so happy to see people are encouraging others to do so!

Wow! I finally caught up on your old thread, and then I had to catch up on this one...

I keep vacillating back and forth about Tormented Hope. The premise sounds interesting, and I do enjoy some of the people mentioned, so I might like it more than you... We'll see when it comes out in the US, I guess, if I ever get around to picking it up.

Thanks for the Doctors Without Borders link! I will try and donate when I have a little extra.

I just picked up a biography of Lena Horne from the new books shelf at the library, Stormy Weather. Hopefully it will be good!

>83 kidzdoc: good for you, Darryl. I sent mine off through the Red Cross. I worked out what I spend on books for a three month period and donated that. Now I just have to read from the TBR shelves for 3 months and not backslide.

Re >21 kidzdoc:: I think Glenn Gould was much more complex than merely being a hypochondriac. There is some speculation that he has Aspberger's...likely on the autism spectrum somewhere...but he said he would die at 50 and Presto, he did. So a genius, autistic, fey? It seemed to me that his hypochrondria was a symptom not a condition per se. Anyway, it doesn't sound like a very friendly little book.

Darryl...Both you and Stasia have two threads. I like the fact that there is such a comfort level and affinity and that we are drawn to your posts.

I'm escaping without adding anything right now.. But, I'll be back and I'm sure I'll be placing some more of your reads on the huge pile.

>81 FAMeulstee: Absolutely, Anita, just that Darryl's too darn busy doing his doctor thing to cruise over to my thread and see my review.

YOU have no such excuse. Off to my "Homeless Reviews" thread in Club Read 2010! Quick sticks!

#77 Well, I can safely say that I'm not one of the 90% either ;) Anyway, I thought your comments for Tormented Hope to the point and gave me a feel of the book, which is all I really want from a review!

...and here's a link for the Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Appeal to join the Doctors Without Borders one... Both extremely impressive organisations.

#77

Hang on................I'm now being blamed for the number of posts??? Pfffffffffffft to you! I am the epitome of innocence and indignation. How on earth can it possibly be my fault.

For that, I am plotting a cunning and magnificent comeback.

The Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders are both excellent organizations. We have Convoy of Hope based here in Springfield, MO that is also one of the first responders. They already have a presence in Haiti with a warehouse, etc. What a nightmare those people are going through.

This op-ed article in today's New York Times mentions an organization, Partners in Health, that sounds excellent in that it operates by "a model where only a handful of Americans are involved in day-to-day operations, and Haitians run the show." I had never heard of it but I am going to look into it further.

Mountains Beyond Mountains is a biography of Dr. Paul Farmer who founded Partners in Health. He worked fighting tuberculosis in remote mountain areas of Haiti. Excellent book! Amazing man!

It's been 31 posts since I last posted on this thread ... I am therefore absolved of any blame towards the explosion of posts here, Darryl.

The pictures of Haiti are heart-wrenching and yet another reminder of how blessed most of us are, and how petty our daily gripes are when we realize that others face far far worse troubles than we do. Doctors Without Borders has been my charity of choice for a long time, and it's also one of the charities that my company makes annual donations to. We set up 4 locked boxes for certain charities in our pantry every 6 months, and the employees can make whatever donations they want to one or all of the 4. At the end of the 6 months, our Controller opens up the boxes, counts up the donations for each of the charities and our company matches what we've put in. We had a special Haiti Earthquake relief box out on the table yesterday and I've seen a steady stream of people putting money in the box which again, will be matched by our company tomorrow, and the funds sent to the World Food Program for the Haitian victims.

I've always been proud of my baby brother for the regularity with which he gives blood; I have never been eligible, but he goes every few months (whatever their limit is).

The text donation numbers have been flying around Facebook, but I don't know whether or not to trust them. I did find out this morning, however, that Red Cross allows you to use your Amazon information to make donations. I thought that was pretty handy. :)

There have been a lot of warnings, sadly, about phony/fraudulent fundraising for Haiti. Both the New York Times and WNYC, our local public radio station have lists of reputable organizations, including some that you can text to, etc.

Agree that the Haiti horror is heart breaking. I can't stop thinking about all of those poor poor people. They had so little, lost so much and so many loved ones.

It makes me very sad..

To return to books, the biography of Toussaint L'Ouverture by Madison Smartt Bell, gives good background on Haiti as the world's first free black republic. As a result of their defeating the French, Napoleon needed money and hence we (the US) got the Louisiana Purchase. Haiti also served as the inspiration for other freedom-seekers in the Americas, including Simon Bolivar, whose biography by John Lynch is a little tedious but interesting in parts.

I didn't have a chance to read it a second time, so I returned Night of Fire: The Black Napoleon to the liberry before reviewing it, but it was really fascinating!

Wow...16 new messages since my last post? I'll catch up with the older posts first; it's past midnight, and I'm just now getting home after a long and stressful day.

Sorry that I didn't comment on your excellent review of Beasts of No Nation yesterday, Richard. I was so stunned by the Haiti coverage on CNN that I couldn't process anything last night. I'll definitely add this one to my wish list.

Back to Haiti: one of the members of our support staff is from Port-au-Prince, a lovely young woman who recently received her bachelor's degree. She told us yesterday that her family is all in the US, but she had a number of friends there that she had not heard from. When I asked her today if she had received any news from them, she said that she did hear from one friend, who is safe; unfortunately her friend's father was crushed beneath the rubble of their home. She hasn't heard from her other friends yet.

Paul Farmer is an incredible man, a Harvard physician who has dedicated his life and career to the people of Haiti. I've read two of his books, which were both excellent: Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor and Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues. I have Mountains Beyond Mountains, but haven't read it yet; I see it on my shelf, and I think I'll put aside the book on malaria that I had barely started, and read this one instead.

I thought I had a biography of L'Overture, but it doesn't appear to be the same one that you have, Rebecca. I don't see any books about him in my library, either. I'll have to look for it this weekend.

I don't think there is any punishment too great for those who would post fraudulent information to steal money from people wanting to donate to Haiti.

Time for bed; I have to be up in 5-1/2 hours. TGIF.

Sleep the sleep of the just, Darryl.

There is a special circle in Hell reserved for those scammers. I don't know how they can live with themselves!

I would also strongly advocate for donations to Doctors without Borders or MSF in Canada. It is a wonderful organization and they lost several hospitals in the quake. They have a large presence in Haiti and I have chosen to donate to them, too.

MSF got my entire 2010 book-buying budget. It's too horrific to think of people *without water food medicine* while I blithely flip the pages of some new bagatelle.

I don't say this to aggrandize myself. I say this to encourage others to think of the same sacrifice. And yes, it is a very big sacrifice for me. And no, I don't think it's enough money to do much good...but it's more than they had before.

Darryl, those Paul Farmer books sound fascinating and I will look for them.

>100 kidzdoc: - I read Mountains Beyond Mountains a few years ago, right after I saw Paul Farmer speak at the Univ of Notre Dame. That is an amazing book. But I didn't know about his other books. Thanks, Darryl!

Okay, I'm nearly done with work. Time to catch up on posts...including mine.

I saw a story on CNN about relief organizations that would be the best ones to donate to. The story emphasized, at the present time, that it is better to donate to large organizations that already have personnel on the ground, such as UNICEF, Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. The reporter interviewed a UNICEF worker, who demonstrated how little money ($10-200) it took to help a tremendous amount of people. This may be the proper link to the story, but I'm not certain, as I'm still at work and the hospital's network blocks streaming media.

The story also emphasized that the donations for immediate relief should be given within the first week. After that, more help is needed, obviously, but at that point the smaller organizations, especially those managed and staffed by local citizens, become more important.

I have become discouraged with the superficial coverage on CNN in years past, but IMO the network has done an excellent job this week, similar to the CNN of old.

A literary tidbit: Jean-Christophe Rufin, one of the founders of Médecins Sans Frontières, is a physician and an award-winning author. His novel Brazil Red, which "which recounts the unsuccessful French attempt to conquer Brazil in the 16th century, against a background of wars of religion and a rite-of-passage discovery of the charms and secrets of the Amerindian world", won the Prix Goncourt in 2001. I keep forgetting to look for it, but I'm formally adding it to my wish list.

>107 kidzdoc: Thank you for the info on how best to donate. Everyone can make a difference.

I don't think there is any punishment too great for those who would post fraudulent information to steal money from people wanting to donate to Haiti. - I couldn't agree more.

Hope yesterday was less stressful than the day before!

Yes, it was less busy and stressful. Plus, it was the last day of the work week.

I received a copy of Amok and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig from The Book Depository yesterday, which I'll start shortly. I'm participating in the Author Theme Read, and we'll be reading Zweig throughout the year.

>107 kidzdoc: I understand the bit about large organizations with folks on the ground. However, some of the "big name" groups have very high overhead and low efficiency ratings regarding how much of folk's donatins go to help people, and how much goes to fat executive salaries.

I chose to contribute through my church denomintion's disaster relief agency because 1) they are rated one of the most efficient charities in the world, and 2) I learned that their offices in Haiti survived the quake and they are already mobilized.

Darryl

What a popular person you are. I check your thread regularly and found 20 more messages since yesterday.

I hope you are having a good day.

That's a good point, Terri. Thanks for mentioning that.

I just sent an online donation to UNICEF, and I'll send a donation to Save the Children, my mother's favorite charity, soon.

Yes, today is a much better day, Linda; I'm off this weekend! This week was a bit too busy and stressful to be a pleasant one. Hopefully next week will be better.

I, too am contributing through my church who will send donations on via Catholic Relief Services which is a big presence in Haiti in normal times too.

I thought I'd share a link to a YouTube audio recording of one of my favorite jazz recordings, one that I've listened to a half dozen or more times today, "Oliloqui Valley" from the 1964 album Empyrean Isles by Herbie Hancock. The album is superb, and "Oliloqui Valley" is the best cut from it. "Empyrean Isles" features Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass (whose brief solo is simply brilliant), and Tony Williams on drums.





Oliloqui Valley

Herbie Hancock is a genius! I've not heard this album, so thanks for the YouTube link. I have to look for the CD when I'm next at B&N.

You should be able to find it there, Caroline. My local Borders has it in stock.

You may have heard this song from the same album if you're familiar with HH, "Cantaloupe Island", which is also fantastic.

Cantaloupe Island

LOL ..... will you believe that Cantaloupe Island was my friend's wedding march as she walked down the aisle a few years ago? She and her husband are jazz mad, and they had the coolest jazz band during their reception.

Nice! I've never heard of that before, and certainly never been to a wedding like that.

Do you like Eric Dolphy? I will review his album "Live at The Five Spot, Volume 1" tomorrow, and I'll read his biography in the very near future.

You would have liked her wedding. The music was fantastic, the reception was held in a museum, the jazz band had an awesome singer and the food area was in a different room so that there were no annoying plate meet cutlery clangs to spoil the music.

Yes, I do like Eric Dolphy. I've got a few of his albums, I think my favorite song is Out There from the album of the same name. I've got "Live at the Five Spot" on my iPod and it's one of my favorite albums to work out to.

Wow, Caroline! I'm impressed that you have "Live at the Five Spot" and other albums by Dolphy (jazz god). We'll have to compare iPod lists one of these days.

I definitely would have liked your friend's wedding.

Darryl et al, enter your time machine to skip back to >77 kidzdoc:, a propos of which may I remind you that rebeccanyc's current passion Hilary Mantel reviewed Tormented Hope in the pages of the LRB? I think she liked it a tad more than you did... I was particularly fond of: "(Hypochondria) exists on a continuum, with fraud at one end, delusion in the middle and medical incompetence at the other end; he is a benefits cheat, you are a hypochondriac, I am as yet undiagnosed." Wow, that woman can write. She's not "another LTer", but I think she perhaps has some claim to having a "literary background".

And also on Haiti: Kath/mckait has put this on her thread, but it is worth bearing in mind that text donations can take up to 90 days to clear because of the bill processing cycle. The charities say they are spending the money anyway, but it relieves the uncertainty to give online. To repeat what I posted on Kath's thread, in the UK, you can donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee, who are distributing funds to a group of charities with operations on the ground. The credit-card companies have agreed to waive their fees for donation to DEC and the money should go where it is most needed; donating online is quickest and most straightforward for them. Darryl, MSF is not listed in their umbrella group, which surprised me. I'll have to head over there separately.

I went out to our local warehouse sale this morning and spent just over £30 (UK) on books; then got home to the newspaper and felt extremely guilty. Have sent matched donation, will probably send more, also planning to take books I was going to post on BookMooch/ReadItSwapIt down to Save the Children & Red Cross.

Ah, I didn't see her review of Tormented Hope; thanks for that link, I'll check it out a bit later. I love that quote! I certainly wouldn't want to discourage anyone from reading the book; I was hoping for a more medically relevant discussion of hypochondria, probably unrealistically, and was disappointed when it didn't turned out as I had expected. I may go back and read the chapters on Andy Warhol and Glenn Gould, though, as I am interested in both of them.

Pittsburghers will know that Andy Warhol(a) is a native. I'd encourage anyone who visits the city to visit the Warhol Museum on the city's north side.

Thanks also for sharing that information about text donations. My partners & I were discussing donation options on Thursday, and several of them had already done that or were thinking of doing it. My donations have been online, so I'm glad to learn that this is the speediest method.

As the mayor of Crazytown, I applaud you both for your book purchases, and your matched donation.

Hi Darryl- I know you a bit of an expert on international authors. On the NYT Book Review podcast, they were reviewing a book, the last of a trilogy, by Javier Marías. I think the series was "The Face of Tomorrow" or something like that. It sounded very good! Are you familiar with him?
Also I finally found a copy of Monk's Dream. Hope to listen to it soon!

Mark, thanks for your compliment, but I don't think of myself as an expert on anything! I have the Sunday NYT, but I haven't read the article about Your Face Tomorrow, volume 3 yet. I've read two books by Javier Marías, A Heart So White, which was excellent, and All Souls, which was okay. I haven't read or bought any of his other books, though. Maybe deebee, arubabookwoman or kiwidoc, who also own at least a couple of his books, would be more helpful.

Darryl--Wow. Can't leave your site for a moment. So many comments in so little time....I love your thread! Thanks for your contributions, here and on my thread. You are a generous man.

Book #6: The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria by Randall M. Packard



My rating:

(A short review, due to the late hour. A longer review will be forthcoming.)

This was a superb and very readable historical and epidemiological overview of malaria, from the director of the Institute for the History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins. The author begins the book with his own experience with this disease, as he contracted malaria while working in a clinic in Uganda, and the heroic but often futile efforts of the clinic to curtail the disease in the community. The first half of the book discusses the origins of malaria in antiquity in Africa, and its subsequent spread to and remission in other continents. The second half discusses the efforts in the late 19th century to the present time to suppress or eradicate the disease, and the author makes a strong case for the importance of political and economic factors, such as agricultural development, poverty, population migration, and civil unrest, in explaining the persistence of this infection, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where it remains a major killer. Dr. Packard ends with an analysis and critique of Roll Back Malaria, the current international effort to reduce the incidence and prevalence of malaria, and makes suggestions, based on his extensive knowledge and research, that will have a greater likelihood of success in combating the disorder. This book can be appreciated by those without a medical or public health background, and should be of interest to anyone interested in malaria, public health, and global development, and is highly recommended.

Darryl- Thanks for the MSF link! I made my donation there. I was originally going to go with Red Cross but the less than positive comments about that organization, convinced me otherwise.
BTW, been jamming to and loving "Monk's Dream"! Great stuff!

I'm glad you're enjoying Monk's Dream, Mark. Nice...LT has a touchstone for the album!

I'm glad that Kath reminded us about the problems with the Red Cross. I've read and heard only good things about Médecins Sans Frontières, which will remain my first choice of organizations to donate to.

Wouldn't you know it? This weekend's weather was horrible, and today, my first day back to work, it's sunny and 60 degrees with nary a cloud in the sky. By the time I finish here it will be dark outside. :(

#128: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Darryl.

O_o

R--I don't get it...

#132: This is from an article in today's New York Times, on the success of text donations to Haiti:

The contributions come despite well-publicized controversies over the Red Cross’s performance and financial accountability after other major disasters.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, for example, representatives from the British, German, Colombian, Dutch and other international Red Cross organizations criticized their American counterpart for inadequate planning, poor management of supplies and faulty record-keeping and logistics. And after the Sept. 11 attacks the organization struggled to deploy some $1 billion in donations.

While no one has suggested that the organization has mishandled its response to the earthquake in Haiti, Red Cross officials said they were fully aware that all eyes were on them. Mr. Lowe said transparency and accountability were among the organization’s major priorities for this disaster. He noted that Gail J. McGovern, the new Red Cross president, has placed an emphasis on those aspects of its operations.

The Wikipedia page on the American Red Cross also discusses recent controversies and blunders.

I promised I would share information about special deals on flights from the US to London on Cariola's thread. So, British Airways is having a sale until Jan 28 on flights from WAS to LON from Feb 12 to Mar 28; the nonstop flights are $219 each way, which doesn't include government taxes of $165. More info here:

http://book.britishairways.com/r/R86MXM/4EH7O/X8S3E7/A7X7JE/HYOSV4/NR/h?a=BBBB4W...

Hmmm re #135, wonder how the Canadian Red Cross fares in that regard. That's who I put my donation through.

From what I can tell, the critques have been limited to the American branch of the Red Cross.

I just finished an excellent book of short stories, Amok and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig. I'll review it later this week.

#137 ...and the link I left above was for the British Red Cross...

#136 One of my mates flies for BA ;o) Don't suppose you noticed if there were any cheap flights to Chicago?

>134 Berly: Berly, it's the "keeping an eye peeled" emoticon. Looking askance, or focusing tightly, either interpretation of eye-peeling.

I'm following the developments. I want to go to London now. I need a vaca from the Holidays!

Aha! Merky buckets! (Think slaughtered French--my kids came up with it!)

Murky buckets...the mind flinches from the imagery of that...o_O

The eye! The Eye!

#139: I didn't notice if there were cheap fares to Chicago. I need to see if there are cheap fares between Atlanta and London, on British Airways, Air France or Delta; I don't know if KLM or any other carrier has direct flights between these cities.

#141 We used to say that when we were small! Great minds and all that...

#144 Thanks - ah, I should investigate myself really ;o)

I'm mainly posting a message so that I can find my own thread, as it is on the second page of my Talks section and sinking fast.

Tomorrow I should finish Small Island by Andrea Levy, my Orange January read. Next week I'll read Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste, for issue 4 of Belletrista, and maybe Tranquility by Attila Bartis, an Archipelago book. I also need to start reading Moby Dick for Stasia's group read, and Light in August by William Faulkner for the Le Salon du Faulkner group, but I'll won't finish the last two or three books until February.

Fliss, I looked at the British Airways US web site, and there are flights from Chicago to London for as low as $269 each way...and the San Francisco to London flights are $239! I don't know if the London to Chicago or San Francisco flights are as cheap.

So now all I have to do is find the time to take advantage of these lovely cheap flights to Europe so I can take, what I think, is a well deserved vacation. Sounds alot easier than it is. My calendar is starting to fill up shockingly again, and nary a European trip in sight.

>146 kidzdoc:: I'm mainly posting a message so that I can find my own thread, as it is on the second page of my Talks section and sinking fast.

Have you thought about "starring" your thread, Darryl? Or is your starred page outrageously long as well?

I have links to my threads on my profile page, so when I want to find them I go to my profile page and click on the links.

I'm with you, Caroline. We're working a lot more shifts this year than last year at this time, and one of my partners has suggested an idea that will add 2-3+ more shifts to our schedule every month. Since I came back from Philadelphia I've only had 3-4 days off at a time, not enough time for a decent trip anywhere, but I'm hoping that my March and April schedules are more travel friendly. I won't be able to take advantage of the British Airways sale, as tickets have to be purchased by Jan 28 and our March & April schedules won't be ready until Feb 1.

Laura: I have starred my thread, but I am following a lot of starred and unstarred threads, on Club Read, Reading Globally, Le Salon du Faulkner, Author Theme Read, and several other LT groups.

Oh, good idea, Rebecca! I think I'll do that, too. Problem solved.

Hi Darryl- Due to much praise, by my LT cohorts, I have a copy of Small Island sitting near the top of my MT. I hope you are enjoying it!

Yes, it's very good so far, Mark. I corrected my post, as I had originally said that I would finish it today. I should have said that I should finish it by tomorrow; it's over 400 pages in length, and I'm about a third of the way through.

>150 rebeccanyc:: That is indeed a good idea Rebecca! I have a link to my thread on my profile page but always thought of it as something others would use, not something I would use myself (duh!)

Just passing through to say hello :)
I have been reading a lot of light mysteries... nothing that you would like, I think?
Although Who wouldn't want to live in Three Pines? Anyway... hello Darryl and
I hope your schedule eases soon...

Hi Kath! You're right, light mysteries aren't for me, but they would suit my father.

I work Mon-Wed, off Thu-Sat, one night call on Sunday, which promises to be hideous, then a couple of days off afterward. I don't think February will be any better in terms of days worked, but I'm hoping that March and April will be better. Hopefully the bad headaches that I had last week—which amazingly disappeared after I left work Friday night—won't return tomorrow morning.

Hi Darryl- In the Chicago Trib yesterday, there was a list of recommended books about Haiti. The 1st and foremost was The Dew Breaker, which sounds great and also on the list was a book by Madison Smartt Bell, who wrote an acclaimed trilogy on Haiti. His latest is a novel that links Haiti and our Civil War, it's called Devil's Dream. Sounds interesting, huh? Have you heard of any of these?

Madison Smartt Bell also wrote a biography of Toussaint L'Ouverture, that was excellent. I would like to read his fiction, someday.

Jazz album of the week: Search for the New Land by Lee Morgan (1964)



My rating:

The brilliant jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan (1938-72) recorded his first session as a leader at the tender age of 18, after a brief stint in Dizzy Gillespie's band. He was one of the cornerstones of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the late 1950s to early 1960s before re-emerging as a leader. He is best known for his song "The Sidewinder" from the album of the same name, which was a crossover success in 1964. He recorded several classic albums on the Blue Note label in the mid 1960s, such as "Tom Cat", "Delightfulee", "Cornbread" and "The Gigolo", and was one of the most innovative composers of the modern jazz era. Unfortunately, he was plagued by drug addiction throughout much of his life, which likely played a role in his tragic demise at the age of 33, as he was shot to death by his common-law wife after an argument.

"Search for the New Land", IMO, is Morgan's best album, and one of the best jazz albums of the mid 1960s. It features an all-star lineup of Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Grant Green on guitar, Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums, who are all in top form. Although Grant Green put out some excellent sessions as a leader, this is his best performance on record.

The moody and introspective title track is my favorite Morgan composition. At nearly 16 minutes in length it is his longest recorded track, yet it maintains its intensity throughout, with wonderful and interconnected solos by Shorter, Hancock, Green and Hancock. "Mr. Kenyatta", named for the first president of post-independence Kenya, is notable for the probing solos of Morgan and Shorter, with fabulous backing by Hancock and Green. "Melancholee" is a contemplative ballad, and "Morgan the Pirate" is one of the most playful and joyous compositions I've heard, and is a great end to this incredible album.

Search for the New Land: unfortunately the first six minutes of this track are cut out, due to YouTube's time restriction, which eliminates the opening, Wayne Shorter's solo, and most of the Lee Morgan solo. It's still worth listening to, IMO.

Mr. Kenyatta: This YouTube audio recording has the song in its entirety.

I have read The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Ms Danticat is one of my favorite writers, and my favorite book by her is Brother, I'm Dying, an account of the tragic death of her beloved uncle, a priest in war-torn Haiti, while in the custody of U.S. immigration officials.

I thought that I had the biography of L'Ouverture that Rebecca mentions, but I don't see it in my LT library or on my bookshelves.

ok ..first you keep adding great books to my TBR and now you're starting to add CDs to my already busting CD racks. What next, Darryl? Are you going to add to my shoe collection as well? *grumbles as she lists 'Search for the New Land' on to my CD wishlist.*

Darryl

I enjoy all these posts regarding music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGhXEJ8ADCo

Don Shirley is one of my favorite Jazz artisits! His cd The Gospel According to Don Shirley is simply incredible.

I posted this in the Prizes group a bit earlier. I don't see an article associated with it, so I'll post it here, too.

The finalists for the 2009 National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced yesterday:

Autobiography:
Diana Athill, Somewhere Towards the End
Debra Gwartney, Live Through This: A Mother's Memoir of Runaway Daughters and Reclaimed Love
Mary Karr, Lit
Kati Marton, Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America
Edmund White, City Boy

Biography:
Blake Bailey, Cheever: A Life
Brad Gooch, Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor
Benjamin Moser, Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector
Stanislao G. Pugliese, Bitter Spring: A Life of Ignazio Silone
Martha A. Sandweiss, Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line

Criticism:
Eula Biss, Notes From No Man's Land: American Essays
Stephen Burt, Close Calls with Nonsense: Reading New Poetry
Morris Dickstein, Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression
David Hajdu, Heroes and Villains: Essays on Music, Movies, Comics, and Culture
Greg Milner, Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music

Fiction:
Bonnie Jo Campbell, American Salvage
Marlon James, The Book of Night Women
Michelle Huneven, Blame
Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
Jayne Anne Phillips, Lark and Termite

Nonfiction:
Wendy Doniger, The Hindus: An Alternative History
Greg Grandin, Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City
Richard Holmes, The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science
Tracy Kidder, Strength in What Remains
William T. Vollmann, Imperial

Poetry:
Rae Armantrout, Versed
Louise Glück, A Village Life
D.A. Powell, Chronic
Eleanor Ross Taylor, Captive Voices: New and Selected Poems, 1960–2008
Rachel Zucker, Museum of Accidents

National Book Critics Circle Announces Finalists

No no no no no.....arrrggghhhh..... you're killing me, Darryl! What a great list of finalists. I wish them all well .... and damn if I'm not tempted to add a number of these to my wishlist (with the exception of poetry).

Happy to oblige, Caroline. The next time you're in San Francisco, stop by the SKECHERS Outlet Store in the Mission District (Mission St between 22nd and 23rd Sts) for shoes. I went there last year and bought three pairs for less than $100. You can take BART to the 24th & Mission station, and walk 1-1/2 blocks north on Mission.

SKECHERS Outlet Store

Anything else I can help you with?

*rummaging around the basement looking for a large clunky boot to throw at Darryl*

Darryl- Yes, you seem to be running a multimedia wonderland here and I love it. Big fan of Lee Morgan and of Search for the New Land. Also love The Sidewinder too!

Hey! You should be thanking me, if all you have at home are large clunky boots.

Wow! Great list, and look at all those women, especially on the fiction list! I loved both American Salvage and, of course, Wolf Hall.

Oh, Linda, I love that selection by the Don Shirley Trio! I enjoying hearing the bass played with a fiddle, and this guy is especially good. I hadn't heard of him, but I'll definitely look for more of his recordings. Thanks!

Thanks for that list Darryl. I'm reading Blame right now and read two of the other fiction nominees. I think I'll read Lit after a reread of The Liar's Club.

To be fair, the boots are in the basement.......

I gave my mum's husband Somewhere Towards the End for Christmas. My mum has already read it, I don't know if he has but I think they've both read her others. She sounds like a very interesting woman from newspaper articles I've read, and I'd like to read all her memoirs. I have Instead of a Letter somewhere.

I just finished Small Island by Andrea Levy, the winner of the 2004 Orange Prize for Fiction, the 2004 Whitbread Prize, and the 2005 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Fiction. It's an important book, and one that requires a more thoughtful and proper review than I can do at this late hour. I'll give it 4-1/2 stars for now, and plan to review it later this week.

#174: That one, at least, I already have in the BlackHole!

*help*drowning*help*

Too many posts?

*blurble*

(That means "yes, and too many good books, and too much good music on YouTube, and too many good ideas")

I was completely captivated when I read Small Island a couple of years ago. It's such a compelling read and also one that is at times really bleak.

Loved, loved loved Small Island.

Just thought I'd pop by to say I miss you Darryl. Hope you're well :)

Miss ya too, Darryl...
take care...

I join the chorus, Darryl, just not as much fun to be had around here without your erudite voice in amongst the chatterers (like me).

Hello??

Echo . . echo . . . echo.

Nope, nobody here.

Hello. I've had another ugly work week, as it's just past 1:30 am and I'm now finishing up (I've been in the hospital since 8 am). Fortunately I'm off until Sunday night, so I'll catch up tomorrow...or, actually, later today.

Darryl, I hope you can sneak some rest in there somewhere!

NPR has just announced that J.D. Salinger died at his home in New Hampshire at the age of 91.

'Catcher In The Rye' Author J.D. Salinger Dies

Rest in peace. Thanks for the beautiful gifts.

Thanks for letting us all know, Darryl, now go back to bed and get some more sleep!

Zzzz...huh?

Jenny, Kath and Richard: Thank you for the very sweet thoughts. You too, Berly & Stasia.

I know that you are tired, but I am happy fora the kids that you took care of . I know how lucky they are to have a caring doctor. Such are sometimes very hard to find.

Hey Doc! Here's YOUR Rx: Get some well-earned R and R!!

I should never complain about my horrid workdays. They are nothing compared to the long hours you sometimes have to put in. The kiddies are lucky to have you as their doctor, Darryl. Get some well deserved rest .... we give you permission to sleep in tomorrow. ;-)

Thanks; I'll definitely catch up on sleep over the next three days.

I've just started reading Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste, a debut novel set in Ethiopia in 1974, at the end of the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. It received a glowing review in The New York Times last month, and I'm planning to review it for the next issue of Belletrista. I should finish it tomorrow or Saturday, and then I'll start Moving Parts by Magdalena Tulli, an Archipelago book that I received last year.

I'm planning to read these books next month (subject to change):

1. Light in August by William Faulkner (Le Salon du Faulkner)
2. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (Stasia's group read)
3. The Redundancy of Courage by Timothy Mo (Reading Globally February theme read)
4. The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov Enquist (Reading Globally January theme read)
5. Wondrak and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig (2010 Author Theme Read)
6. Georg Letham: Physician and Murderer by Ernst Weiss (Archipelago Books 2010 subscription)
7. Albert Camus, the Algerian: Colonialism, Terrorism, Justice by David Carroll (Biography)
8. The Good Doctors: The Medical Committee for Human Rights and the Struggle for Social Justice in Health Care by John Dittmer (Medicine/Black History Month)

#196: I will be interested in seeing what you think of The Good Doctors which I read last year and really liked.

All kinds of wonderful books there, Darryl! Sounds like you have a wonderful month of reading planned.

I see your lists, Darryl and am intrigued by Edmund White. I have seen his book in our store and wondered - have you read his work?

Have read most of Diane Athill's memoirs - knowing that her last work was written in her 90s has me very impressed. She seems to be one of those eternally optimistic, 'get-up and go' types. I think that might be the secret to longevity!

I haven't read anything by Edmund White; has anyone else?

I'll probably get the Athilll autobiography in the near future, I've had my eye on it for awhile.

The only book from the NBCC Awards list I've read is, of course, Wolf Hall. The only other book I own is The Age of Wonder, which I hope to get to this summer. I've wanted to read more poetry by Rae Armantrout, so I'll probably pick up Versed on my next bookstore trip. Several others look good, but I'll hold off for now.

I had meant to post the obituary in Wednesday's New York Times for the historian Howard Zinn, the author of A People's History of the United States. Thanks to Mark (msf59) for mentioning this.

Howard Zinn, Historian, Dies at 87

(Hmm...I thought I had this book, but my LT library says otherwise. Onto the wishlist it goes.)

Book #8: Small Island by Andrea Levy





My rating:

Purchased from: Borders Books & Music (Atlanta)
Category: Orange January/Orange Prize winners

This novel revolves around four primary characters: a Jamaican couple who moves to London in the first wave of postwar immigration from the West Indies in 1948, and an Anglo British woman who lives in a large house in Earls Court while her husband, a meek bank clerk, serves in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Hortense Roberts is the illegitimate daughter of a highly respected Jamaican government official and an illiterate country girl. She is blessed with the "warm honey(ed)" complexion of her father, and looks down upon her mother, with her "bitter chocolate hue" and simple ways. She is raised by her father's relatives, and graduates with distinction from a teacher's college. She desires to become a teacher for students of privilege in a private school in Kingston, but her mother's background eliminates her from consideration. Her good friend and former classmate, Celia Langley, helps her to obtain a teaching position in a local school. Celia is beloved by her students and fellow teachers, but Hortense is sickened by the "wretched black faces" that she encounters in her classroom.

Celia's beau is Gilbert Joseph, a handsome Jamaican man who joined the Royal Air Force during the war and was stationed in the UK. He seeks to return there, as job opportunities in postwar Jamaica are severely limited. When he proposes to Celia, Hortense sees Gilbert as her ticket out of Jamaica. She brazenly and deftly positions herself between the two lovers, and Gilbert agrees to marry her, in exchange for payment of his fare from Jamaica to the UK.

Gilbert has great difficulty in locating a place to rent, until he turns up unexpectedly at the door of Victoria "Queenie" Bligh, who cares for her ailing father-in-law in her husband's absence. The war is over, but it is 1948, and Bernard Bligh has yet to return home or contact his wife. Queenie rented rooms to Jamaican airmen during the war to make money, and agrees to let a room to Gilbert, despite the protests of her neighbors, who are dismayed by the influx of "wogs" into their neighborhood. His wife joins him after several months, but is appalled by the room he expects her to live in. Her spirit is ground down by the appalling racism that comes from Londoners, who she thought would be civilized and welcoming to her, and she slowly begins to understand the difficulties her husband and countrymen will have to overcome to survive there.

Shortly afterward, Bernard turns up, unannounced and quite unexpectedly. Due to his traumatic experiences during the war and his ingrained prejudices he is disgusted by the Jamaicans that have taken up residence in his home. Queenie refuses to allow him to kick out the intruders, and she will not allow him to share a bed with her. She does not give him a clear reason why she wants to remain distant from him, but all is made clear a few weeks later, after a shocking event that turns the Bligh house inside out.

Small Island, the winner of the 2004 Orange Prize for Fiction, the 2004 Whitbread Prize, and the 2005 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Fiction, is an unforgettable, humorous and painfully sad story of the experiences of whites and blacks in postwar Britain. Levy brilliantly captures the shock and despair of the first wave of West Indian immigrants to the UK in a passage that compares England to a distant and dear relative, who calls the visitor to come to her aid. Instead of the refined and welcoming Mother, our visitor is met by a haggardly, dirty woman who looks at him askance and asks, 'Who the bloody hell are you?' Levy does an excellent job in portraying both sides of the story, as Londoners are traumatized by repeated invasions during and after the war: immigrants from war-torn Europe, soldiers from America and elsewhere, citizens made homeless from the London Blitz, and the massive postwar influx of Poles and West Indians to the UK. The novel's end was a bit too tidy for me, but not enough to affect my rating of this highly recommended and important book.

Damn! *trudges wishlistward, to add book*

I hope you're happy.

As long as you don't threaten to throw a large clunky boot or other blunt object at me, I'm happy.

Don't count your chickens there, Tempter of Innocents.

La,la,la...not reading your rave review. Bought five books yesterday...can't afford anymore suggestions.

#201 Bother. Nearly picked that one up the other day and then decided not to - I'm going to have to go back to the bookshop, aren't I?

Hallo Darryl, hope you finally get an easy week next week!

#204: There are no innocents amongst this group.

#205: As Richard said in an earlier post, resistance is futile.

#206: Yes, another bookshop trip is called for. At least it will be an easy book to find in Cambridge.

I'll only have a 12 hour night shift between now and next Wednesday morning, so next week should be better. I'm off next weekend, so I'll be able to watch the Super Bowl. Geaux Saints!

Great review, Darryl! Small Island would be going on my wishlist if it weren't already there. Thanks for mentioning Good Doctors, too; it looks interesting, and with Stasia's rec, it's on the list!

Sorry to hear about your long hours. I've spent a lot of time in and out of doctors' offices and the hospital, as a child and an adult, so my heart is filled with gratitude for healers like you. :)

Oh Darryl I just loved, loved, loved Small Island and couldn't agree with your review more if I'd written it myself. Her use of language was especially good. I loved this line:

"I had dreams of attending a university, studying law and acquiring a degree. But my station was lowly-my ideas soared so high above it I could see them lamenting and waving good-bye."-Gilbert Joseph

Just beautiful. Thanks for reminding me of this wonderful book. Off to thumb your review.

Yes, I loved that line, too. Have you read anything else by her? I have Fruit of the Lemon, which also looks good.

Small Island is one of the books I've owned for too long without reading it. After reading your great review I really must try to read it this year.

I do have the Howard Zinn book and this has reminded me I'd like to read it, along with lots of others. It's a bit sad when reading of a writer's death reminds you of that book you really want to read...

I've read Andrea Levy's first 3 novels and bought Small Island as soon as it came out in paperback - at least I didn't get a hardback and then forget to read it - must get to it too.

Darryl- Another terrific review! And I have my copy waiting nearby! Just waiting for a gap to open up!

I've had Small Island on my shelf for 2-1/2 years, as I had originally intended to read it just before my first visit to London in the summer of '07. It would probably still be sitting there if it wasn't for mrstreme's Orange January group read. Thanks, Jill!

Darryl

I hope you can get some rest and reading this weekend. I gave a thumbs up to your excellent review of Small Island. I was the fifth person to do so.

All good wishes and hugs to you.

Linda

Interestingly enough, tomorrow's Guardian Review features a lengthy interview with Andrea Levy, including a discussion of Small Island and what it meant for her career, and a brief mention of her new book The Long Song, which will be released in the UK next week.

'I started to realise what fiction could be. And I thought, wow! You can take on the world'

According to Amazon US, The Long Song won't be published in the US until the end of April.

Thank you, Linda. You and your friend are in my prayers and thoughts.

Thanks Darryl. I have great respect for you and all you do to help little ones and their parents deal with difficult situations. You are quite a special person.

*blushes* Thank you again, Linda. I won't mention any details, but the mothers of three of my patients on Wednesday, one in particular, were faced with difficult situations. The hospital I work at has a strong and invaluable support staff for distressed and grieving families; fortunately I only have to give bad news to a family a few times a year, but even once a year is one time too many for me and the rest of us. Of course, what I experience is not worth mentioning, in comparison to the trauma that these children and families go through.

I already have Small Island in the BlackHole, so I am dodging a book bullet with that one. Of course, my local library does not have it . . .

ETA: PBS has a copy of Small Island. Yes!

That's a fantastic review, Darryl. Since I've already read that book, you are thus safe from my clunky boot and instead you get a floppy salute with my woolen glove.

Dear Caroline, you're not hiding a snow (or ice) ball in that glove, are you?

would i? really?

>223 cameling: I dooon't beeelieeeveee yooouuu

*lets loose an ice cube at richard's left ear*

OWWW

See?! SEE?! I was right not to trust her!!

Yeah, I thought so. My eye is still black and swollen shut from the boot she threw at me last weekend.

You asked for it, Darryl!

The Levy book gets a big nudge up my TBR list. Thanks for the really great review, yet again!

Book #9: Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste




My rating:

This is a gripping novel about a Ethiopian father and his two sons during the end of Emperor Haile Selassie's regime, and in the dark days that followed. I stayed up until after 4 am to finish it, as it was that good. I will review this for issue 4 of Belletrista, and will submit a link to the review when the next issue is published.

#230: Another one for me to put in the BlackHole. I am looking forward to your published review, Darryl.

Thanks, Stasia. I bought a half price Early Reviewer copy at Strand Bookstore in NYC at the beginning of this month. It was released a little over two weeks ago, and I saw copies of it when I went to one of my local Borders bookstores on Monday.

After reading that book, I am wide awake. So, I think I'll resume reading Moving Parts by Magdalena Tulli, until I get sleepy enough to call it a...night?

I never call it a night - when I climb into bed, I am calling it a morning :)

In the hospital I work at, at least, the nurses and doctors that work the day shift usually say good bye to those who work the night shift (7p-7a for nurses, 8p-8a for the doctors in my group) by saying "Have a good night", even though it's 7-8 am. "Night", I suppose, is defined by us as the time you leave work, regardless of what time that actually is!

Since I have to work Sunday night, staying up late tonight is good, provided that I do the same tomorrow night. I normally have a hard time sleeping during the day; however, it will be rainy and cold this morning, so that will make it easier. I'll still take a dose of Nyquil to help me stay asleep until early to mid afternoon, though...and no morning coffee!

As far as I am concerned it is not the next day until I get some sleep :) I have worked nights for a long time now, so I know exactly what the doctors and nurses mean.

I really should get a night shift job, I find it ridiculously easy to sleep during the day and stupidly hard to sleep at night. Odd, eh? Do you think there is a demand for people that look after horses at midnight??

Oh, and I'm not reading your review. Not cos I don't want to, just out of a teenage moodiness cos you abandoned us for your important lifesaving work. It's just not good enough :P. So not reading is my revenge.

Sorry, Jenny. What if I told you that most of the kids I saw last week were incredibly cute infants and toddlers, who weren't terribly sick? We almost always have a lot of fun at work, even when where seeing a ton of kids, as the majority of our patients are previously healthy young children with a limited illness that only requires 1-3 days in the hospital (asthma attack, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, urinary tract infection, viral meningitis, infectious gastroenteritis, etc.).

I should finish Moving Parts by Magdalena Tulli today, and I'll write a review of Amok and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig shortly.

Darryl

I tried to obtain Beneath the Lion's Gaze when I went to the hospital today. I noted that you added the book to your library and saw this before reading your comments Since it is newly published, I now understand why the library doesn't have it. Looks like I'll have to use my Christmas Amazon gift certificate and buy a copy.

#237

In that case you're not forgiven for even longer. I was willing to put a limit on the amount of moodiness and misery I inflicted, but not now I've learnt tha. I'm an incredibly cute person who needs time and fun as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear ICJ (Incredibly Cute Jenny),

Please accept my apologies for being neglectful this week. I submit to you this bribe peace offering, a 1.5 lb box of white chocolate (Manon Café & Manon Blanc Ballotin) from Leonidas Fresh Belgian Chocolates

mmmmmm Leonidas and white chocolate!
You are cruel Darryl, I gave up sugar 18 months ago :-(

Leonidas Chocolates are deadly, utterly delicious and they melt in your mouth. There was almost a homicide in my parents' house a few years ago, after my father offered guests some of the Leonidas chocolates I had purchased for my mother. The look on her face when she opened the nearly empty box was priceless...and scary!

Argh...I can't type today.

Err.... I can be cute too, Darryl .... did I tell you that I used to mainline Leonidas dark chocolate pralines when I lived in London?

Yes I know Darryl
In Rotterdam we had a Leonidas shop nearby. Before that we had to go to Antwerp to get some ;-)

#236 - They're called night watchmen! :) Foal watch counts too. Maybe we can start a stable for night owls, where the 'morning feed' is at 5 pm instead of 5 am. A lighted indoor would be a necessity, but we could skimp on the fly spray!

Dear CBIVC (Cute But Incredibly Violent Caroline),

I will send you weekly boxes of Leonidas Chocolates, if you agree to be nice to me.

Darryl, you are not the only one who cannot type today. I re-read my post (238) and meant to type "when I went to the library today."

rest, I need some rest!

Book #10: Moscardino by Enrico Pea





my rating:


Moscardino, the first novella of the Il romazo di Moscardino tetralogy, was published by the Italian writer Enrico Pea (1881-1958) in 1922. Pea's good friend, Ezra Pound, translated this work into English, and it was eventually published by New Directions Press in 1955. The Pound translation was re-released by Archipelago Books in 2005.

The story is narrated by Moscardino's grandson, toward the end of his grandfather's life. Moscardino lives an idyllic and privileged existence in Lunigiana in the mid-19th century. The boys are incredibly spoiled, and their parents are impossibly demanding, so much so that their servants stay only long enough to receive their monthly wages before quitting. Cleofe, a beautiful young woman from the hills overlooking the town, is hired to care for the household. Don Moscardino falls hopelessly in love with Cleofe, as he is mesmerized by her milky skin and "chestnut rind" colored eyes, as he views her nakedness through the keyhole of her room. He is savagely jealous of her, and tells her that the only way out of his misery will be to kill her. He pulls out a knife but cannot bring himself to take her life. Instead, he falls on the knife and disembowels himself. He is committed to a lunatic asylum, where he regains his sense of sanity, along with his tender love for Cleofe.

This was a beautifully written and translated novella. However, I found the story to be quite dull and aimless, with too many diversions. Several pages toward the end were spent discussing a neighbor's dog, with an additional lengthy description of Moscardino's pet rooster. Some may like this novella better than I did, so I will only marginally recommend it.

Liked the chocolate, not the book. You sound more well-rested already. Keep it up!

New thread here!

rofl @ CBIVC