thanks! and thanks for the gracious invitation to hop over to je déteste tout, but really my french is too dire to speak of, let alone speak (or write) with, and my reading is just about tolerable. even allowing for that as i say, i *pored* over that paragraph for some time with a biro and pad on one side, and a french-english dictionary on the other.
― Fizzles, Sunday, 22 March 2020 20:22 (four years ago) link
Are you familiar with Pascal Quignard? I think it's fair to say that he's one of the finest living French writers, with a proclivity for historical and linguistic leaps, from fragment to fragment, especially in his ongoing Last Kingdom series. He's very fond of collating and methodically, poetically glossing 'secondhand chronicles' such as the one you quoted.
― coco vide (pomenitul), Sunday, 22 March 2020 20:33 (four years ago) link
i am not - thanks for the recommendation. sounds v much up my street.
― Fizzles, Sunday, 22 March 2020 20:35 (four years ago) link
it reminded me of a paragraph i've read a number of times - i'll quote it in the excellent translation's english What is this from?
― dow, Monday, 23 March 2020 01:03 (four years ago) link
It's from Pierre Michon's Abbés / Abbots.
― coco vide (pomenitul), Monday, 23 March 2020 01:07 (four years ago) link
I'm not feeling up to any truly adventurous reading these days. I will probably read less and pull out some old favorites as "comfort" reading for a while.
― A is for (Aimless), Monday, 23 March 2020 01:52 (four years ago) link
rereading a couple of things this weekend: wodehouse's joy in the morning and vidal's 1876. both are bringing me some much-needed cheer.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 23 March 2020 02:40 (four years ago) link
Love Joy in the Morning
― Robbie Shakespeare’s Sister Lovers (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 23 March 2020 03:07 (four years ago) link
I have never heard of JE DETESTE TOUT.
― the pinefox, Monday, 23 March 2020 11:55 (four years ago) link
Tbf il ne veut pas être trouvé; il vous trouvera.
Great post up here Fizzles! And thank you Pom for recommending Quignard. I need to get on that.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 23 March 2020 12:35 (four years ago) link
Joy in the Morning is my favourite Wodehouse, which, I guess, makes it one of my favourite things ever. Very glad there’s a copy in the house right now.
I’m just reading Psmith Journalist, which is terrific and features very un-Wodehousian things like the acknowledgment of working-class poverty, a vivid sense of place, and actual dramatic stakes. The jokes are the weakest part, but it’s up there with his best IMO.
For some reason I’m also reading Franzen’s Strong Motion, which started well then puttered off drastically, but I’m halfway through now and resigned to finishing.
― Chuck_Tatum, Tuesday, 24 March 2020 00:49 (four years ago) link
50 pages into NOSTROMO. Not especially easy going. A long way to go - about 400 pages in fact.
I'd probably be doing better with Thomas Hardy.
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 24 March 2020 11:32 (four years ago) link
Conrad pumps away at his obscurities like an organist in a cathedral. Nostromo's worth the trouble, though. When finished, pinefox, find Edward Said's work on that novel and Conrad generally.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 11:37 (four years ago) link
Last night I started in reading Parting the Waters, the history of the civil rights movement by Taylor Branch covering the years 1954-63. It is well-written and engaging so far, but just holding this behemoth of a book will challenge my wrists. (And yes, I am aware of e-readers. Don't @ me.)
― A is for (Aimless), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 17:04 (four years ago) link
nearing the end of Marcus Grey's Clash bio "Last Gang in Town" (he is not a good writer) and Joanna Russ's short fiction collection "The Zanzibar Cat" (she is an incredible writer).
unfortunately after that I'm fresh out of new things to read, being almost entirely dependent on the local library, which is now closed. Bookstores aren't really filling orders (though I have placed several), so looks like I'm going to have to resort to re-reading things in my personal library. The collected works of Naguib Mahfouz? Or Italo Calvino? Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 24 March 2020 17:12 (four years ago) link
All of them!
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 17:35 (four years ago) link
That Clash bio is interminable. I tried twice to get through it and failed.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 17:36 (four years ago) link
Came across this brief, fervent thread: Obit: Larry Brown What should I read by him? Also by Harry Crews? Still hoping for some help!
― dow, Tuesday, 24 March 2020 18:07 (four years ago) link
trying to finish 'bring up the bodies' so i am only bringing 'the mirror and the light' on the plane
― the ghost of tom, choad (thomp), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 20:01 (four years ago) link
Harry Crews' A Childhood: The Biography of a Place is his best book. Of his novels, I'd start with A Feast of Snakes.
― Brad C., Tuesday, 24 March 2020 20:24 (four years ago) link
feast of snakes seconded
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 24 March 2020 22:07 (four years ago) link
i have a soft spot for body
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 05:46 (four years ago) link
Are we ready for a Spring thread...?
― handsome boy modelling software (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:03 (four years ago) link
Yes. Tradition must be served.
― A is for (Aimless), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 15:38 (four years ago) link
Done and done!
"And sport no more seen / On the darkening green" -- What are you reading SPRING 2020?
― handsome boy modelling software (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 16:24 (four years ago) link
Started reading William Golding's Adventures in the Screen Tradea fter having it sitting on my shelf way too long.Very interesting. Not sure what I've read by him outsid eof this, did read princess bride a couple of years back and Lord fo the Flies way back but not sure what else.Oh he gave lovelock the name Gaia.But this is a great look into various aspects of the film making scene
The Philosopher's Stone:A Quest for the Secrets of Alchemy by Peter MarshallPicked this up in a sale an age ago have started reading it a couple of times then moved over onto something else. I think its an interesting subject so hopefully going to stick with it this time.He's currently talking about early Chinese Alchemy at the moment around 10th century and especially the significance of sex. Tantric like rites and things.
― Stevolende, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 16:46 (four years ago) link
All-new, exciting 'Springtime Collection' thread is linked right above your post. Try it on for size!
― A is for (Aimless), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 16:48 (four years ago) link
Adventures in the screen trade, princess bride = William GoldmanLord of the flies = William Golding
― felt jute gyte delete later (wins), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 16:50 (four years ago) link