but to reduce this to a personal thing, moments of Ulysses intrude on my life every week in the same way that moments of The Simpsons do
― Uptown Top Scamping (Noodle Vague), Friday, 4 December 2020 19:38 (three years ago) link
but also one day i need to have a proper swim in Proust
― Uptown Top Scamping (Noodle Vague), Friday, 4 December 2020 19:39 (three years ago) link
One day I'll reread Ulysses and will likely get far more out of it than I did at the ripe old age of 21.
― pomenitul, Friday, 4 December 2020 20:53 (three years ago) link
Been a long time since I read it for a class---minus Bloomsday, also assigned, but I did alright on the test---I'd like to go back and try it with some commentaries now, but my take at the time was of X-Y axis: X being what vertical layers of classical reference and fluent phrasing brought to Y horizontal storyline, proceeding through day and night around town, axis itself the power of association, music and notation on a grid of how the mind works, mind of the author and characters, connective tissue: so, to me, it's multi-d social realism, proceeding from and via Dubliners and Portrait. Classical bits to an extent provided mainly an initial grid, points of departure, not really amounting to a major preoccupation. Not to say that commentaries couldn't point out something about this that I've missed---but if you have to have it pointed out to you, is it really part of the book, if you have to read something else to get it?? Well maybe, if it then settles into the way you re-read it, but see I wanted more of a cold reading, a blindfold test, always do.
― dow, Friday, 4 December 2020 21:54 (three years ago) link
Also supposedly he contacted people still in Dublin, had them check details, even measure, to make sure he was putting it all in accurately. So even if he got carried away sometimes, "language writing beyond him," there was that kind of grounding attempted.
― dow, Friday, 4 December 2020 22:00 (three years ago) link
So that was the appeal to young me: you can have it all! "Yes I will yes."
― dow, Friday, 4 December 2020 22:01 (three years ago) link
I think I've just voted in one of these for the first time.
― the pinefox, Saturday, 5 December 2020 11:41 (three years ago) link
Nailed on AA Milne vote there.
― Fizzles, Saturday, 5 December 2020 19:29 (three years ago) link
fwiw i did vote ulysses because i think it's wonderful. it's one of those books which whenever i dip back into it i get *feels*... of place, language, thought, people, thinking and socialising, history. what a glorious exuberance of literature, thought and spirits.
― Fizzles, Saturday, 5 December 2020 19:30 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Sunday, 6 December 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
Oh yes I read The Secret Adversary this year. It is quite a funny curio. The concept of Russian communism as basically a one man job that could be defeated. Thinking there must've been a ton of these red scare type books.
It is not better than The Prisoner or Ulysses though.
― xyzzzz__, Sunday, 6 December 2020 08:47 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Monday, 7 December 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 1923
― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 7 December 2020 12:02 (three years ago) link
The Enchanted April is v good. Quite fantastical - not in terms of elves or unicorns, just what happens to the characters. It's not entirely lightweight, there is good, if implicit, anti patriarchy stuff, and some strong character work, but if you fancy some pure feelgood escapism I'd recommend it.
― organ doner (ledge), Monday, 13 November 2023 09:39 (five months ago) link
I had fun making these.
Missing pom and LBI.
― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 13 November 2023 10:24 (five months ago) link
yes
― no gap tree for old men (Noodle Vague), Monday, 13 November 2023 10:37 (five months ago) link
These polls were so great. I was hoping someone would take the winners of each year and do decade ones but...
I looked at the 1929 recently as I'm reading Red Harvest. Goddamn there are too many books and not enough days.
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Monday, 13 November 2023 22:04 (five months ago) link
Oh all right.
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 14 November 2023 10:16 (five months ago) link
That's the spirit!
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Tuesday, 14 November 2023 10:36 (five months ago) link