All I've read of Jane Gardam has been great--haven't read anything she's done for years, though
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Wednesday, 2 September 2015 03:07 (eight years ago) link
Ursula K Le Guin: The Wind's Twelve Quarters -- early story collection. not everything in here is doing it for me, but the ones that do are amazing (esp. the one about Winter, later setting of Left Hand of Darkness)
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Wednesday, 2 September 2015 03:08 (eight years ago) link
Started The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, put it down 60 pages in - didn't get appeal of superhero don juan main character, not sure what parts of the plot are not terribly cliche, prose seemed p old school too, didn't enjoy random poetry references (actually I rarely enjoy main characters who think about literature all the time, it gets a bit meta icky for me - like, it's not very believable that all these main characters care so much for lit, writer is just projecting stuff)
Now reading The edge of Europe by Pentti Saarikoski which is a g r e a t read so far, strong poetic energy, lots of non sequituring stream of consciousness thoughts from cats to Stalin, I dunno what to say, unlike most stuff I've ever come across - reading a Danish translation
― niels, Wednesday, 2 September 2015 10:26 (eight years ago) link
xxxpost
I forgot about Cookie Mueller, her autobiographical pieces in the East Village Eye and elsewhere were heartfelt and often hilarious. I just finished Brad Gooch's memoir of the period, Smash Cut: A Memoir of Howard & Art & the 70s and the 80s. Reading his account of the tragic, tortuous and all too typical decline and death due to AIDS of his partner Howard Brookner was so vivid and moving I'm at a rare loss for words.
― got the club going UP on a tuesday (m coleman), Wednesday, 2 September 2015 10:44 (eight years ago) link
It's been a while,mbut i remember keith haring's autobiography being good in that vein. Never liked his art at all, but he lived in an interesting time and place and mileu
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Wednesday, 2 September 2015 11:36 (eight years ago) link
"All I've read of Jane Gardam has been great--haven't read anything she's done for years, though"
i naturally thought of you as the person here who had probably read her stuff. maybe the recent u.s. press will get some sort of stateside reissue series going.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 2 September 2015 12:31 (eight years ago) link
(and her publisher is little, brown in the u.k. so it wouldn't be hard for them to reprint stuff for the u.s.)
― scott seward, Wednesday, 2 September 2015 12:36 (eight years ago) link
enjoying calvin trillin 'travels w/ alice' rn, its v charming
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 2 September 2015 12:59 (eight years ago) link
I forgot about Cookie Mueller, her autobiographical pieces in the East Village Eye and elsewhere were heartfelt and often hilarious. I just finished Brad Gooch's memoir of the period, Smash Cut: A Memoir of Howard & Art & the 70s and the 80s. Reading his account of the tragic, tortuous and all too typical decline and death due to AIDS of his partner Howard Brookner was so vivid and moving I'm at a rare loss for words.― got the club going UP on a tuesday (m coleman), Wednesday, September 2, 2015 5:44 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I'll look at Gooch's memoir sometime, m coleman: I like his piece in Up is Up, "TV," and I remember his O'Hara biography as being solid, but I don't think I've read anything by him that sounds as intense as that.
― one way street, Wednesday, 2 September 2015 17:34 (eight years ago) link
Got three xpost Gardams from the library shop: Old Filth, The People On Privilege Hill, and The Queen of The Tambourine---read any of those, James M? They're trade PBs, from Europa Editions, Ferrante's US publisher. Gave Old Filth to my aunt, haven't heard back about it. Haven't read any yet myself.
― dow, Wednesday, 2 September 2015 17:36 (eight years ago) link
I haven't read those, though everyone who has seems to think the Old Filth books are the culmination of her career, for what it's worth. All the ones I've read are tatty old second-hand Abacus paperbacks from the 1980s I got when I worked next door to a used bookshop.
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Thursday, 3 September 2015 00:20 (eight years ago) link
i got purity today and started reading that too
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 3 September 2015 01:11 (eight years ago) link
my condolences
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Thursday, 3 September 2015 01:24 (eight years ago) link
orson-welles-clap.gif
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Thursday, 3 September 2015 03:53 (eight years ago) link
By chance I just happened to read Wolf in White Van close on the heels of Steppenwolf. Open for suggestions on how to continue this accidental series of transcendental lupine outcast literature.
― ledge, Saturday, 5 September 2015 21:08 (eight years ago) link
wolf hall, i suppose
― mookieproof, Saturday, 5 September 2015 21:11 (eight years ago) link
I believe you have sworn off that one Damon Knight protégé so...
― Bon Iver Meets G.I. Joe (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 5 September 2015 21:15 (eight years ago) link
Well the title is the most dispensable part of the connection. I suppose one shouldn't try to force these things, anyway.
― ledge, Saturday, 5 September 2015 21:29 (eight years ago) link
Speculative searches lead towards Musil, maybe it's time.
― ledge, Saturday, 5 September 2015 21:35 (eight years ago) link
Naomi Wolf's "Vagina" also suggested.
― ledge, Saturday, 5 September 2015 21:39 (eight years ago) link
Werewolf Problem in Central Russia by v. Pelevin
― Οὖτις, Saturday, 5 September 2015 22:18 (eight years ago) link
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4177pt2OTEL._SX339_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
― no lime tangier, Saturday, 5 September 2015 23:46 (eight years ago) link
I am reading Jessica Mitford's memoir, Hons and Rebels. It promises to be quite strange and enthralling.
― Aimless, Sunday, 6 September 2015 01:21 (eight years ago) link
wolf solent for the win!
― scott seward, Sunday, 6 September 2015 02:00 (eight years ago) link
Wolf In White Van is astonishing.
― dow, Sunday, 6 September 2015 03:11 (eight years ago) link
Using that particular word in partial tribute to ancient, dust-dust-of-far-suns pulp fuel for the narrator, the author, and this reader.
― dow, Sunday, 6 September 2015 03:14 (eight years ago) link
Only one "dust" intended, though.
― dow, Sunday, 6 September 2015 03:15 (eight years ago) link
Wolf of Wall Street is my bus book at the moment. Pretty trashy.
― Stevolende, Sunday, 6 September 2015 07:21 (eight years ago) link
Wolf solent takes the prize! Hadn't heard of it, have not investigated too closely.
― ledge, Sunday, 6 September 2015 09:54 (eight years ago) link
after ShariVari mentioned Agata Pyzik's Poor But Sexy I read it and recommend it also; Eastern European politics, communism, gender, film, post-punk; I learned a ton and want to go deeper.
― droit au butt (Euler), Sunday, 6 September 2015 13:50 (eight years ago) link
― Bon Iver Meets G.I. Joe (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 6 September 2015 14:36 (eight years ago) link
Surely you will only get full closure when I've read and reported back. Will try not to keep you all on tenterhooks too long.
― ledge, Sunday, 6 September 2015 18:18 (eight years ago) link
Sadly I've given up. Couldn't get behind the odd combination of florid mysticism and the everyday tales of cheerful child-abusing townfolk. Found Wolf an absurd man-child, oblivious to the feelings of others, besotted with a girl half his age before even exchanging a single word with her.
― ledge, Tuesday, 8 September 2015 08:11 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKuJDc-Wmrk
― scott seward, Tuesday, 8 September 2015 14:56 (eight years ago) link
otm
― ledge, Tuesday, 8 September 2015 15:25 (eight years ago) link
Ian McEwan, SWEET TOOTH (2012)
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 8 September 2015 19:42 (eight years ago) link
sadly his weakest book since amsterdam
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Wednesday, 9 September 2015 01:26 (eight years ago) link
i'm back to the sci-fi.
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11987039_10154213186167137_3409655425967590269_n.jpg?oh=2acaf9bbe0c86e84f082f556341f809a&oe=56788AA1
― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 September 2015 12:59 (eight years ago) link
I finished the Jessica Mitford memoir. It was, as I expected, quite amazing. Her authorial voice has an understated, but wicked, humor and she uses just enough exaggeration to heighten the amusement, but the details of her life were extraordinary without any exaggeration necessary. I would definitely recommend it.
Now I've started into Gore Vidal's Creation, which is different kettle of fish entirely.
― Aimless, Wednesday, 9 September 2015 17:10 (eight years ago) link
between library books so dippin back into Narayan's Malgudi Days
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 9 September 2015 17:15 (eight years ago) link
I've only read a couple budrys shorts - how is that, scott?
the cover is quite beautiful, whatever the contents are like
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Wednesday, 9 September 2015 17:17 (eight years ago) link
i've only read his short stories as well. this is pretty funny so far. in this book, Pluto is for losers.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 September 2015 17:47 (eight years ago) link
i don't think i've ever read any jessica mitford. i know i've never read an american way of death. i would definitely like to read the memoir though. i'm definitely a nancy fan. loved pursuit of love/love in a cold climate so much. in my american way.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 September 2015 17:52 (eight years ago) link
The Memoir, american way of death and her essay collection 'Poison Penmanship' are all well worth reading: the memoir's probably the best, as her family and life were so interesting and odd as aimless says
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Thursday, 10 September 2015 00:17 (eight years ago) link
Balzac - The Wild Ass' SkinMargaret Leech - In the Days of McKinleySarah Vowell - Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 10 September 2015 00:22 (eight years ago) link
little did ms. leech know her book would be rechristened in the days of denali
― mookieproof, Thursday, 10 September 2015 01:09 (eight years ago) link
not sure if SWEET TOOTH is good but it is incredibly readable!
I think it is actually quite interesting and unusual in being such a meta-commentary on the author's own early work. And (less unusual) in inhabiting a genre, with advice from Le Carré. Whatever else about IM, he can produce a page-turner.
― the pinefox, Thursday, 10 September 2015 10:44 (eight years ago) link
quiet at work this week so got through 3 books
Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper I enjoyed a lot and the elements that I didn't really 'get'(etta's journey) were compensated for by the quality of the writing.
Alice and the Fly by James Rice which was p bleak tbh.
Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun which has a terrific premise (the world succumbs to insomnia and almost everyone can't sleep which leads to madness, hallucinations etc the few who can still sleep must be careful because if caught napping they are subject to attack from the sleepless) The first half is excellently realised but it trails off badly imo.
― pandemic, Friday, 11 September 2015 15:41 (eight years ago) link