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Post by Lt. Broccoli on Dec 14, 2013 4:34:34 GMT -5
I can't remember the last time I read a novel - probably at least 5 years ago. Before that? Who knows! I just don't like novels I guess.
But there are some random books at work, including The Orenda by Joseph Boyden. It's about 17th-century New France and contact between the Huron, Iroquois, and French. I love that stuff...if I didn't study medieval history in school, I would have studied New France. I even got accepted in a program that gave me a bursary and a teaching position, and I gave it all up because I just love medieval history more even though the medieval program didn't give me any of that. Stupid! So stupid! Oh well.
Anyway, as for the book...it's going pretty slowly because I can only read a few pages at a time at work, but it's great so far.
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Post by Douay-Rheims-Challoner on Dec 14, 2013 6:12:35 GMT -5
The Aeneid in translation? Which one? I've found that every translation I've tried is essentially terrible. Harsh words for poet laureate John Dryden. |
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Post by MyNameIsNoneOfYourGoddamnBusin on Dec 14, 2013 7:20:28 GMT -5
Does it counter the legend that JFK was largely responsibility for the declining popularity of hats? Actually it argues the hat was on the decline long before JFK became president. The JFK thing is kind of a ridiculous myth, but it's the only thing I've ever heard connected to the decline of men's hats. The explanation is that he broke tradition and didn't wear a hat to his inauguration and his influence among Americans drove down the popularity of hats. It's likely not true mostly because JFK actually did wear a hat to his inauguration. |
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Post by Lt. Broccoli on Dec 14, 2013 7:31:27 GMT -5
The Aeneid in translation? Which one? I've found that every translation I've tried is essentially terrible. Harsh words for poet laureate John Dryden. Well, that's the other problem, at what point is an English version a translation rather than a different poem based on the Aeneid? Translating it directly makes it boring in English, but useful if you want to actually know what Virgil wrote. Making a whole new poem like Dryden did makes it easier to read, but is it really the same poem? |
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Post by usernametoolong on Dec 14, 2013 8:25:12 GMT -5
Currently reading a couple of short story collections, Meet Mr. Mulliner by Wodehouse, not quite my first non-Jeeves and Wooster, but the first one I find really enjoyable; and stories by Singer, strictly speaking Gimpel the Fool at the moment but I have the Library of America edition and am about to start The Spinoza of Market Street.
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Dellarigg
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Post by Dellarigg on Dec 14, 2013 9:25:12 GMT -5
300 pages to go on a reread of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. It's a charming book, I suppose, a good yarn, and I'm enjoying it more than I did the first time round, but it's pretty baggy, doesn't offer you much more than light entertainment for the hours you have to put into it.
And just started Michael Crick's biography of Jeffrey Archer, which should be hilarious and sickening in equal measure.
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Post by Judkins Moaner on Dec 14, 2013 10:21:29 GMT -5
I'm currently reading The Compass Rose by Ursula K. LeGuin. It's a collection of short stories, like Orsinian Tales, but much weirder--so far, at least, there's been a lot more magical-realism than "science fiction." Actually I seem to remember reading an essay of hers once decrying that as a false dichotomy, so maybe that's not fair of me to say. Is that the one with "Intracom"? She wrote a sidesplitting Star Trek parody years before those became a thing, and I think it might have been in Compass Rose. Working my way through Alan Palmer's The Baltic, and it's starting to drag more than a little due to its unrelenting and near exclusive focus on political history, not to mention Palmer's endemic need to shoehorn British observations and connections into every historical development. I only started reading this after playing Denmark in Crusader Kings 2, so not really too attached. Still haven't made a dent in my "to-read" pile, really, and just found out Gary Shteyngart has a new book coming out next month (thanks, PersonMan!). |
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Post by MrsLangdonAlger on Dec 14, 2013 11:37:29 GMT -5
I'm currently reading The Compass Rose by Ursula K. LeGuin. It's a collection of short stories, like Orsinian Tales, but much weirder--so far, at least, there's been a lot more magical-realism than "science fiction." Actually I seem to remember reading an essay of hers once decrying that as a false dichotomy, so maybe that's not fair of me to say. Oooh, that one is on my pile of books to be read as I love LeGuin. Have you read "Lavinia"? It might be my favorite of her relatively recent books, along with the Annals of the Western Shore series. |
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eldan
TI Forumite
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Post by eldan on Dec 14, 2013 12:33:36 GMT -5
I'm reading Chuck Klosterman's new book I Wear the Black Hat. I think I've just outgrown Klosterman, all of his arguments are "OBVIOUSLY we all think this, but what if we though this...?" Except I don't think like he does on the original point so I don't really identify with his writing the way I used to. I'll still finish the book, it's not bad by any means, but I don't see myself re-reading it until the cover falls off like I did with Sex, Drugs, & Cocoa Puffs.
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Post by Roy Batty's Pet Dove on Dec 14, 2013 13:25:16 GMT -5
I'm halfway through Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and now that finals week is over, I have plenty of time to finally finish it up.
And I've just started on Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find, of which I've only ever read the titular story, and rereading said story, it's just as fantastic as I remembered it being.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2013 15:02:57 GMT -5
I am 85% done with The Goldfinch. It's a good read so far. Should be finished tonight.
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Post-Lupin
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Immanentizing the Eschaton
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Post by Post-Lupin on Dec 14, 2013 16:45:32 GMT -5
The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner. Sadly, spoiler for the nature of the book is on the front fucking cover - but if you somehow avoid that, I'll say it starts as a mystery tale and then... shifts.
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Post by PersonMan on Dec 14, 2013 16:51:28 GMT -5
I'm about 290 pages into Life After Life. Loving it to death so far.
****SPOILERS BELOW****
Just finished the chapter (section?) with Ursula marrying Derek. Oy vey.
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Post by Yuri Petrovitch on Dec 14, 2013 20:52:56 GMT -5
Hyperbole and a Half, by Alie Brosh. Quite enjoying it. 
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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Dec 14, 2013 22:22:29 GMT -5
Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel, really liking it. One criticism I've heard of Mantel's writing is that the way speakers are identified is at times unclear (lots of "he spoke "xyz""), but I haven't found it too much of an issue.
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Post by Mrs David Tennant on Dec 14, 2013 22:51:47 GMT -5
I just finished the latest by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, White Fire, which I liked a lot. It wasn't as convoluted as some of their previous Pendergast books have been and in fact focused more on Corrie Swanson, and also threw in Sherlock Holmes & Oscar Wilde which was interesting. I also read Joyland by Stephen King which I liked quite a bit. It was mostly just a really nice story (the mystery wasn't particularly engaging or difficult for most people to figure out) but the way it was told was very evocative.
I don't think I'm going to finish Anarchy by James Treadwell - it's just not holding my interest. I'm about halfway through The Bones of Paris by Laurie King, which is not one of her series books; it's set in 1920s Paris and is more interesting.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2013 23:57:30 GMT -5
I'm currently reading "Hatless Jack" by Neil Steinberg--it's about the fall of the Men's hat industry in America--and The Aeneid. The Aeneid in translation? Which one? Robert Fagles. I enjoyed his translation of Sophocles. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2013 1:01:10 GMT -5
I'm about 290 pages into Life After Life. Loving it to death so far. ****SPOILERS BELOW**** Just finished the chapter (section?) with Ursula marrying Derek. Oy vey. Took me a few chapters to get into that one, but I ended up adoring it. Even eased my death anxiety a bit. Right now I am reading (for the third or fourth time) an ancient paperback of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues which I got for fifty cents at a flea market. Everyone cross their fingers that I get a Kindle for Christmas! |
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Post by Desert Dweller on Dec 15, 2013 2:35:18 GMT -5
Well, I am still reading "Lonesome Dove". I took a second job this month. Between that and performing w/the Symphony, I haven't had enough time to finish it. Hoping to finish next week. So far I am loving it.
Still trying to decide between "Disgrace" by Coetzee and "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for my next novel.
The nonfiction I just started is "Lawrence in Arabia" by Scott Anderson. Sure, I've already read a lot of books on Lawrence. But, this one got great reviews and seems to take a somewhat broader look. So, I'm looking forward to it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2013 9:16:18 GMT -5
Currently reading Tenth of December, by George Saunders. I largely picked this one up because it was on the old country's "Best Of 2013" list, and I'm about halfway through. So far, so good. It's a book of short stories, and each story has drawn me in very easily. (I'm fond of short story books, though, and one has to be pretty awful for me to not make it through.)
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Post by SensitiveSethPutnam on Dec 15, 2013 9:28:10 GMT -5
The Plum In The Golden Vase Volume 3. The Plum In The Golden Vase is a newly completed 5 volume translation of Jin Ping Mei, an early 17th century Chinese novel.
I finally finished both A Dance With Dragons and House of Leaves earlier this month. Finally.
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Post-Lupin
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Immanentizing the Eschaton
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Post by Post-Lupin on Dec 15, 2013 12:46:01 GMT -5
The Plum In The Golden Vase Volume 3. The Plum In The Golden Vase is a newly completed 5 volume translation of Jin Ping Mei, an early 17th century Chinese novel. I finally finished both A Dance With Dragons and House of Leaves earlier this month. Finally. And how did those leave you feeling? |
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Post by Roy Batty's Pet Dove on Dec 15, 2013 14:47:56 GMT -5
Currently reading Tenth of December, by George Saunders. I largely picked this one up because it was on the old country's "Best Of 2013" list, and I'm about halfway through. So far, so good. It's a book of short stories, and each story has drawn me in very easily. (I'm fond of short story books, though, and one has to be pretty awful for me to not make it through.) Did you just refer to the AV Club as "the old country"? Because if so, that's hilarious. |
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Post by Douay-Rheims-Challoner on Dec 15, 2013 14:52:25 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2013 15:42:35 GMT -5
Currently reading Tenth of December, by George Saunders. I largely picked this one up because it was on the old country's "Best Of 2013" list, and I'm about halfway through. So far, so good. It's a book of short stories, and each story has drawn me in very easily. (I'm fond of short story books, though, and one has to be pretty awful for me to not make it through.) Did you just refer to the AV Club as "the old country"? Because if so, that's hilarious. See Douay-Rheims-Challoner's comment above - I attribute this saying to Albert Fish Taco as well. Now enough! People are trying to talk about what they are reading! |
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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Dec 15, 2013 16:35:01 GMT -5
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Post by Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sartorius on Dec 15, 2013 18:04:05 GMT -5
After far too long, I finally finished The Red and the Black by Stendhal. I should've given up some time ago, but I'm such a sucker for the sunk cost fallacy when it comes to books. Perhaps this one will help disabuse me of that. Not even close to worth it. I would like to have a few choice words with various reviews I've read that make it sound so great.
Continuing with my inadvertent French history lesson, I've started the Buss translation of The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm already a hundred pages in without trying, so I'd say it has my attention. I think I like Dumas' sense of humor far more than I like Stendhal's.
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Dec 15, 2013 21:43:34 GMT -5
I finished A Clash of Kings on Friday. Now I have picked up a used copy of My Year of Flops and begun reading it.
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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Dec 15, 2013 21:46:30 GMT -5
After far too long, I finally finished The Red and the Black by Stendhal. I should've given up some time ago, but I'm such a sucker for the sunk cost fallacy when it comes to books. Perhaps this one will help disabuse me of that. Not even close to worth it. I would like to have a few choice words with various reviews I've read that make it sound so great. Continuing with my inadvertent French history lesson, I've started the Buss translation of The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm already a hundred pages in without trying, so I'd say it has my attention. I think I like Dumas' sense of humor far more than I like Stendhal's. Yeah I had the same problem with The Red & The Black. Couldn't maintain an interest in it and just bailed on it. Also the Blue Oyster Cult song has nothing to do with it either. |
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Post by usernametoolong on Dec 16, 2013 5:25:54 GMT -5
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