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[Leeway]

A strong novel.

[BillF]

1 hour ago, Leeway said:

A strong novel.

Can't go wrong with Greene. Must do some re-reading soon. I read The Quiet American every twenty years or so.

[paul secor]

Alberto Manguel: The Library at Night

[Matthew]

G. K. Chesterton: A Biography by Ian Ker.  As always with Ian Ker, a well done, professional biography; this one on Chesterton makes a good companion to Ker's bio of John Henry Cardinal Newman. Though, I do find myself getting annoyed with Chesterton's worship of "common sense" -- not everything is quite clear, and obviously true as he makes out at times.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Matthew

[ejp626]

Slowly making progress with Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!  It's a fairly straight-forward story told in an incredibly convoluted fashion...

Also, dipping into Alfred Doblin's Bright Magic (NYRB Classics), which is apparently the first time that Doblin's short stories have been collected in English.  I have to admit they aren't doing a lot for me.  The cover is nice, however.

 

 

[jlhoots]

Bill Beverly: Dodgers

[BillF]

On 1/7/2017 at 0:56 AM, ejp626 said:

I agree.  I read his novels in chronological order, and they really started to sound about the same -- an uncle that cheated the narrator out of some large amount of money, one (or two) nagging ex-wives, generally some poking fun at the liberal sacred cow of the moment, etc.  I believe Ravelstein, his final novel, does break the mold, though I never got around to reading that one.  Of the late Bellow novels, the only one I really liked was The Dean's December.

Well, I've just finished Ravelstein which was going fine until the end, when it moved in a direction that was out of character with the novel to that point. As usual with Bellow, though, plenty of  food for thought in this one.

[ejp626]

On 3/6/2017 at 7:42 PM, ejp626 said:

Slowly making progress with Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!  It's a fairly straight-forward story told in an incredibly convoluted fashion...

Also, dipping into Alfred Doblin's Bright Magic (NYRB Classics), which is apparently the first time that Doblin's short stories have been collected in English.  I have to admit they aren't doing a lot for me.  The cover is nice, however.

 

I finally finished Absalom, Absalom!  To be honest, it didn't seem worth the effort this time around.  I like The Sound and the Fury considerably more, though my favorite Faulkner remains The Reivers.

Definitely underwhelmed by Bright Magic, though I did like "Materialism: A Fable."

Just wrapped up Juan Rulfo Pedro Páramo, which all seems to take place in a City of the Dead somewhere in Mexico.

Tomorrow I launch into Rohinton Mistry's Family Matters.

[alankin]

Graham Greene - This Gun For Hire (aka A Gun For Sale)

Edited March 14, 2017 by alankin

[jlhoots]

Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Refugees

[ejp626]

10 hours ago, jlhoots said:

Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Refugees

How is this?  It looks promising, and I have it in my library queue.

[jlhoots]

2 hours ago, ejp626 said:

How is this?  It looks promising, and I have it in my library queue.

It's excellent as was The Sympathizer (which was much longer & won the Pulitzer prize).

[EKE BBB]

Dolores Redondo - Todo Esto Te Daré (Planeta 2016)

[Matthew]

The Stories of J. F. Powers

[rostasi]

[paul secor]

Michael Ondaatje: In the Skin of a Lion

[Chuck Nessa]

I stopped reading when I discovered anyone can write. 

My chances for something good are slim.

[jlhoots]

Atticus Lish: Preparation For The Next Life

[ejp626]

For all the praise they got, I am finding the stories in Malamud's The Magic Barrel to be incredibly sour and often disappointing.  I suppose the focus on people whose lives were circumscribed by poverty and prejudice (particularly against Jews) was a necessary corrective during the self-congratulatory Eisenhower years, but I am finding them depressing.

Minstry's Family Matters is also depressing, though I was expecting that.

I seem to be on a bit of a short story kick at the moment.  I'm going to be working my way through Juan Rulfo's The Plain in Flames, Natasha by David Bezmozgis and Guy Vanderhaeghe's Daddy Lenin.  I probably ought to read at least a few William Trevor and T.C. Boyle stories, but I'll hold off on them for a bit longer.

[BillF]

On 3/14/2017 at 0:05 PM, alankin said:

Graham Greene - This Gun For Hire (aka A Gun For Sale)

A favourite. 

[rostasi]

[paul secor]

1 hour ago, rostasi said:

Recently published - what's your take?

[rostasi]

21 hours ago, paul secor said:

Recently published - what's your take?

Well, I just started it last night, but even with cat in lap while eating mandarin oranges,
I had various interruptions. It's gonna be that way until I'm on an airplane Wednesday
to the Big Ears Festival I'm afraid.

...but, so far, I like Steinbeck's approach to a book about these guys who were an
integral part of my life growing up. Generally 6 of the 9 chapters deal nicely with
their social importance during the 60s & 70s linked with analysis of their music and
performance practices. The three other chapters deal with what he considers three
important performances and their social influences: A Jackson in Your House;
Live at Mandel Hall; and Live From the Jazz Showcase. For me, it nicely covers
the era of the late 60s thru the 70s, but some people might balk at the fact that
not much is explored when it comes to the 80s onward. I was surprised to see
that Chuck's name is only mentioned twice - and in very minor ways. Maybe
it's because he's not a book-reader. 

(only interrupted 5 times during the typing of this...)

[paul secor]

Thanks for your thoughtful response.

[ghost of miles]