Now reading...

[GA Russell]

 

Memo to Joe Medjuck:  Good plot, bad writing.  Reads like he was paid by the metaphor.

[Brad]

Incredible book. The author, who was born before the Spanish Civil War and brought up in the US, is the son of Spanish writer Ramon Sender, who would never discuss with him nor his sister (nor would his Spanish relatives) what happened to his mother. After his father died in 1982, he decided to find out and this book is about the search, his mother (who was executed by the fascists in the first few months of the War) and the War itself. It’s only 190 pages but a deeply moving book. 

[BillF]

[ejp626]

Just wrapping up Maugham's Cakes and Ale.  Very entertaining.  From the introduction, there is quite a bit on how Maugham himself was very thin-skinned and threatened another author (who was lampooning him) with legal action.  A bit sad, but it doesn't stop one from enjoying this novel.

Will be reading Waugh's Decline and Fall next and then for something completely different, Narayan's The Man-Eater of Malgudi.

[jlhoots]

Isabel Allende: The Wind Knows My Name

[BillF]

2 hours ago, ejp626 said:

 

 

👍

[GA Russell]

[GA Russell]

I thought his earlier works were better.

[jlhoots]

James McBride: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

[BillF]

[GA Russell]

[jazzbo]

[Referentzhunter]

reading Dutch reissue ofcourse

[BillF]

[Rabshakeh]

2 hours ago, BillF said:

I read this in primary school and again three years ago. It's one of those books that just gets better.

[felser]

Just finished Matt Haig 'The Midnight Library', getting ready to start Richard Powers 'The Time of Our Singing' (anyone hear read it?  Greil Marcus raves about it, and his description drew me in).  Still re-reading Judith Herman 'Trauma and Recovery' in chunks.

[ejp626]

Almost halfway into Narayan's The Man-Eater of Malgudi.  Just not feeling it, though it is short, so I'll finish it.  The main character is a total wimp who lets other push him around all the time.  And the storyline isn't that appealing either.

Maybe a third of the way into Malraux's Man's Fate, which is more interesting for sure.  This is about the rise of the Communist Party in China, specifically Shanghai, mostly told from the point of view of the revolutionaries.  

This would be a good pairing with J.G. Farrell's The Singapore Grip, which is almost entirely told from the point of view of European ex-pats.  I liked but didn't love this novel, mostly because I thought the ending didn't live up to the rest of the book.

[sgcim]

I'm reading "Yellow Dog" by Martin Amis. I'm finding myself to be devolving like Xan Meo. Since I started the book, I find myself appreciating rap music more and more, and throwing away my jazz and classical collection. When will this stop?
 

[mjazzg]

14 hours ago, felser said:

Just finished Matt Haig 'The Midnight Library', getting ready to start Richard Powers 'The Time of Our Singing' (anyone hear read it?  Greil Marcus raves about it, and his description drew me in).  Still re-reading Judith Herman 'Trauma and Recovery' in chunks.

I read it when it was published and it left a very strong positive impact at the time.  That impact is a bit hazy 20 years on, now just a positive glow 

I finished Overstory before realising it was the same author

[Referentzhunter]

[BillF]

[ejp626]

Fontane's Effi Briest (with Madame Bovary to follow shortly thereafter)...

[BillF]

[ghost of miles]

[BillF]

4 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

👍