Now reading...

[Bright Moments]

three men in a boat - Jerome

[jlhoots]

Anita O'Day: High Times, Hard Times

[BillF]

[paul secor]

Ross Macdonald: The Ferguson Affair

Pretty good, but attorney Bill Gunnarson is no replacement for Lew Archer.

[jlhoots]

Kate Atkinson: Life After Life

[A Lark Ascending]

Finally finished this - harrowing. I knew the story in outline but was unaware of the scale of 'ethnic cleansing' that went on, particularly in Poland.

Quite like this series but this one didn't engage me as much.

Currently struggling with this - West Coast sci-fi meets Ian Fleming meets Rudolf Hess meets Alistair Crowley... Not sure where it is going.

I only really know Reagan from having lived through the 80s and from having spent more time than is sensible with his part in the end of the Cold War. This was a nice, short account giving a rounder picture.

Edited January 4, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

First read it 40 years ago and went on a 4 year Lawrence binge. Bizarrely after I moved to Nottinghamshire I only read one ('The White Peacock') even when my parents moved to Eastwood - everything is named after him there.

Had quite forgotten what an amazing writer he was. The way he captures the sudden twists and turns in human relationships is uncanny. It's really interesting reading it this time having lived and worked in the sort of community he describes. Will follow this up with 'The Rainbow' and 'Women in Love' over the next few months (though I'll give 'Kangaroo' and 'The Plumed Serpent' a miss - remember reading those was like walking through treacle).

Edited January 7, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

A truly crazy book - but then I should have expected that! Anyone else got a view on this one?

[A Lark Ascending]

I read it back in 1976 when I was just getting interested in jazz - don't think I yet had a Mingus record. Found it fascinating if full of braggadocio and tall tales. I recall being struck by his love of Ellington - again I knew little of Ellington at the time.

[porcy62]

[paul secor]

I found that one disappointing. A lot of people like it, but I'll stick with my view.

[jlhoots]

I found that one disappointing. A lot of people like it, but I'll stick with my view.

Me too - I liked it.

[A Lark Ascending]

Read the first 100 pages of this yesterday.

You've got to hand it to the Kennedys - they really knew how to manipulate their public image. They sound really awful as a family in this telling.

Edited January 12, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[sidewinder]

A truly crazy book - but then I should have expected that! Anyone else got a view on this one?

My opinion from reading the UK paperback imprint back in 1975/76 - hope the sleezy bits were fiction and not for real ! Having said that - an amazing book.

Not one to leave around on your coffee table..

Edited January 12, 2014 by sidewinder

[porcy62]

I found that one disappointing. A lot of people like it, but I'll stick with my view.

Me too - I liked it.

I like it, not yet finished though

Edited January 12, 2014 by porcy62

[ejp626]

Am wrapping up Marilynne Robinson's Gilead. It's definitely a bit slower paced than I normally read, and about a type of person (rural pastor) who is not generally on my radar screen, but I do like the narrative voice (as I said, shades of Garrison Keillor) who is simply decent with a lot of insight into human motivations.

After this, Molly Keane's Full House. This makes the 4th of her novels I have read (I'm reading them roughly in the order of composition). I've enjoyed Taking Chances and Conversation Piece the most. This one doesn't strike me (initially) as quite as good, but we'll see.

Then I will turn to a darker novel set in Mumbai (or rather Bombay and Mumbai): Jeet Thayil's Narcopolis.

[Jerry_L]

Brother Shall not Lift Sword against Brother Paperback – March 10, 2008

by Tsvi Misinai (Author)

Well, I'm glad that's solved!

A remarkable and challenging book - both in its contents and in its research methods. This historic-demographic document presents a revolutionary and daring idea: After two thousand years of exile, the two parts of the People of Israel meet in the Promised Land, the part that was expelled but kept its religion and identity and the part that remained in the country but its religion and identity were converted. The two parts-brothers become bitter enemies. This thrilling thesis is presented in the book by Tsvi Misinai, a result of years of historic-demographic research supported by DNA findings. The study describes in detail the historical events that resulted with the situation where the majority of the Palestinian population living today in the country consists of descendants of forced converts to Islam that really belong to the People of Israel. That many ways were tried to reach understanding between Jews and Palestinians. The approach suggested here, if and when adopted, will help stop the bloodshed between the blood brothers-enemies.

Edited January 13, 2014 by Jerry_L

[ejp626]

Brother Shall not Lift Sword against Brother Paperback – March 10, 2008

by Tsvi Misinai (Author)

Well, I'm glad that's solved!

I think I'm gonna give this one a pass...

[jlhoots]

Donna Tartt: The Goldfinch

[Leeway]

Yours was the first post I saw when I opened up the thread to post my latest reading, Iris Murdoch's "Nuns and Soldiers." A Murdochian coincidence. I read Conradi's bio last year and generally liked it, although I thought it could have used some editing to slim it down. Plus I think he spends too much time on her pre-novel writing days, and too little on the period when she became a novelist. Still, I found it very informative and highly useful to understanding the novels. I've been on an extended traversal of all of Murdoch's novels. I've come to know most of her "moves" but I enjoy reading them quite a bit.

[BillF]

Yours was the first post I saw when I opened up the thread to post my latest reading, Iris Murdoch's "Nuns and Soldiers." A Murdochian coincidence. I read Conradi's bio last year and generally liked it, although I thought it could have used some editing to slim it down. Plus I think he spends too much time on her pre-novel writing days, and too little on the period when she became a novelist. Still, I found it very informative and highly useful to understanding the novels. I've been on an extended traversal of all of Murdoch's novels. I've come to know most of her "moves" but I enjoy reading them quite a bit.

I had read a few Murdoch novels in the 60s, but recently read or re-read the first eight. I definitely thought there was a falling off in quality/character in the last two, The Unicorn (1962) and The Italian Girl (1964), so decided at that stage to go no further. However, on reading Conradi's bio I find him agreeing with me, but also praising the novels of what he calls her maturity in the 70s. So I expect to be reading The Sea, The Sea, The Black Prince and A Fairly Honorable Defeat sometime soon.

Edited January 14, 2014 by BillF

[Leeway]

Yours was the first post I saw when I opened up the thread to post my latest reading, Iris Murdoch's "Nuns and Soldiers." A Murdochian coincidence. I read Conradi's bio last year and generally liked it, although I thought it could have used some editing to slim it down. Plus I think he spends too much time on her pre-novel writing days, and too little on the period when she became a novelist. Still, I found it very informative and highly useful to understanding the novels. I've been on an extended traversal of all of Murdoch's novels. I've come to know most of her "moves" but I enjoy reading them quite a bit.

I had read a few Murdoch novels in the 60s, but recently read or re-read the first eight. I definitely thought there was a falling off in quality/character in the last two, The Unicorn (1962) and The Italian Girl (1964), so decided at that stage to go no further. However, on reading Conradi's bio I find him agreeing with me, but also praising the novels of what he calls her maturity in the 70s. So I expect to be reading The Sea, The Sea, The Black Prince and A Fairly Honorable Defeat sometime soon.

Yes, those last three are quite good, although "The Black Prince" is rather grim (although not without humor); it's her Dostoyevskyan mood it seems. I agree on "The Italian Girl," rather stunted, almost like a novel that failed to develop. I would say my faves so far are "The Philosopher's Pupil," and "The Book and the Brotherhood" (these two late works), and then "A Severed Head," "The Nice and the Good," and "The Bell." I've still got a few left to go though, then maybe re-read some

[jazzbo]

[ejp626]

Yours was the first post I saw when I opened up the thread to post my latest reading, Iris Murdoch's "Nuns and Soldiers." A Murdochian coincidence. I read Conradi's bio last year and generally liked it, although I thought it could have used some editing to slim it down. Plus I think he spends too much time on her pre-novel writing days, and too little on the period when she became a novelist. Still, I found it very informative and highly useful to understanding the novels. I've been on an extended traversal of all of Murdoch's novels. I've come to know most of her "moves" but I enjoy reading them quite a bit.

I had read a few Murdoch novels in the 60s, but recently read or re-read the first eight. I definitely thought there was a falling off in quality/character in the last two, The Unicorn (1962) and The Italian Girl (1964), so decided at that stage to go no further. However, on reading Conradi's bio I find him agreeing with me, but also praising the novels of what he calls her maturity in the 70s. So I expect to be reading The Sea, The Sea, The Black Prince and A Fairly Honorable Defeat sometime soon.

Yes, those last three are quite good, although "The Black Prince" is rather grim (although not without humor); it's her Dostoyevskyan mood it seems. I agree on "The Italian Girl," rather stunted, almost like a novel that failed to develop. I would say my faves so far are "The Philosopher's Pupil," and "The Book and the Brotherhood" (these two late works), and then "A Severed Head," "The Nice and the Good," and "The Bell." I've still got a few left to go though, then maybe re-read some

Well, Bill's walk through her books has intrigued me. I decided to get Under the Net (her first) and The Sea, The Sea. I guess this will allow me to judge her early and then mid-career peak to decide if she is an author I wish to follow or not.

[BillF]

Yours was the first post I saw when I opened up the thread to post my latest reading, Iris Murdoch's "Nuns and Soldiers." A Murdochian coincidence. I read Conradi's bio last year and generally liked it, although I thought it could have used some editing to slim it down. Plus I think he spends too much time on her pre-novel writing days, and too little on the period when she became a novelist. Still, I found it very informative and highly useful to understanding the novels. I've been on an extended traversal of all of Murdoch's novels. I've come to know most of her "moves" but I enjoy reading them quite a bit.

I had read a few Murdoch novels in the 60s, but recently read or re-read the first eight. I definitely thought there was a falling off in quality/character in the last two, The Unicorn (1962) and The Italian Girl (1964), so decided at that stage to go no further. However, on reading Conradi's bio I find him agreeing with me, but also praising the novels of what he calls her maturity in the 70s. So I expect to be reading The Sea, The Sea, The Black Prince and A Fairly Honorable Defeat sometime soon.

Yes, those last three are quite good, although "The Black Prince" is rather grim (although not without humor); it's her Dostoyevskyan mood it seems. I agree on "The Italian Girl," rather stunted, almost like a novel that failed to develop. I would say my faves so far are "The Philosopher's Pupil," and "The Book and the Brotherhood" (these two late works), and then "A Severed Head," "The Nice and the Good," and "The Bell." I've still got a few left to go though, then maybe re-read some

Well, Bill's walk through her books has intrigued me. I decided to get Under the Net (her first) and The Sea, The Sea. I guess this will allow me to judge her early and then mid-career peak to decide if she is an author I wish to follow or not.

Under the Net is excellent - picaresque novel transferred to London of the 1950s. Expect to be reading your second choice in a week or two. BTW my favourite so far is The Bell, which Leeway also selects.

Edited January 15, 2014 by BillF