moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Feb 12, 2021 22:45:48 GMT -5
Update 5: I have completed Girls Against God by Jenny Hval for "Wait"
Well...that was a book.
I wouldn't call it 'experimental horror' so much as a poetic stream-of-consciousness monologue outlining several interesting ideas for music videos. It's not really a "a novel" as it lacks a discernable plot and there are no characters, per se. Much like another 'experimental' work, If On a Winter's Night A Traveler, this starts out intriguing, but quickly lapses into tedium once you realize you're never going to get to the fireworks factory. It's interesting, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was good.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Who knew it would be so difficult to get excited about a new release these last 6 months? I'm interested in Jenny Hval's music and I did find her thoughts on black metal edifying. I just wonder if the pandemic has had the same effect on publishing that it has on music, resulting in somewhat mediocre releases.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? not at all
What's Next? I'm reading Workers On Arrival for my labor book club and I'll try to finish Mad Love during Valentines week before taking on my next calendar mini-challenge book, the Chicago-focused "windy" book There Goes the Neighborhood by William Julius Wilson.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Feb 22, 2021 11:33:44 GMT -5
Update 6: I have completed Mad Love by Andre Breton for "Raconte-Moi une Histoire"
<3<3<3 I love Breton and I LOVED this book. It actually made me tear up at the end. Breton's writing style, which teeters between nonsensical and profound, is perfectly suited to talking about love - specifically his romance with his second wife, the painter Jacqueline Lamba and the daughter it produced. Without this book, you'd have no Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I was introduced to Breton by my first college lit professor, who was big into Surrealism and assigned us Nadja. I had never read anything like it and it made a huge impression on me. It's one of a handful of college books that I've kept. This new translation of Amour Fou is going to be a nice addition to my library.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? I would have read this for sure, but I'm glad I picked this particular week to read it, since my birthday is coming up.
What's Next? I'm still reading Workers On Arrival for my labor book club and I've started my mini-challenge "windy" book There Goes the Neighborhood by William Julius Wilson. So until I finish one of those, I'm on hiatus from the main challenge. Not a huge concern, since I'm 25% complete seven weeks in.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Mar 14, 2021 17:04:16 GMT -5
Ventôse Mettre à jour: I have completed There Goes the Neighborhood by William Julius Wilson for the sixth month of the French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge This was a landmark anthropological study of Chicago - "City of Neighborhoods" - when it came out in 2006. I do think some things have changed, but a lot of the basic tenets still stand. To whit: - the weaker the social organization of a neighborhood, the more rapid the ethnic transformation
- neighborhood strength and stability hinge on residents' loyalty and voice
- neighborhood cohesion is a double-edged sword in that it can discourage integration and growth
- coalition-building around common causes is the best chance for racial and ethnic cooperation in cities
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: This is an urban studies classic that I was never assigned, so it has always been on my list. Since I interpreted "windy" as pertaining to the Windy City and changes within it, I think this fit the theme very well. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? I probably needed the challenge to read this. What's Next? I'll take on a gardening book called Root, Nurture, and Grow for month Germinal next week.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Mar 16, 2021 15:15:57 GMT -5
Update 7: I have completed The City & The City by China Mieville for "Last Train to Pluton"
The blurb on the cover says Philip K. Dick crossed with Raymond Chandler and Kafka. I mean...I guess I see that, but I don't think this comes anywhere near surpassing the sum of those parts. The premise for this book, a murder investigation between two co-located political/economic rival states is super interesting and there is so much Mieville could have done with this setting. There's also a lot more he could have done with the characters, which were pretty much stock detective story: obedient female assistant, grudging partner, uncaring higher ups, etc. The only thing interesting about the main character is that he's shagging two women (who barely get any characterization). The few bits of action - the 'set pieces' - were good, but the pacing for the first 2/3rds of the book was sooo slooow. Plus the prose and dialogue were kinda bad. At one point, it reminded me of the Star Wars prequals, where you take a super-intriguing premise and write the most boring exposition imaginable for it.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I don't do sci-fi, but multiple friends suggested I might like Mieville because of his political themes. It was alright, but I'm not dying to read more.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Not at all. Still not into sci-fi/fantasy as a whole.
What's Next? I've started The Inspector General for the eponymous "Claudia Lewis" and my bedside reading will be 700 pages (!) of P.G. Wodehouse nonsense.
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Post by moimoi on Mar 28, 2021 11:38:26 GMT -5
Update 8: I have completed The Inspector General by Nicolai Gogol for "Claudia Lewis"
Gogol's most famous work is one of his few plays - possibly because of the satirical subject matter which resonated with everyday Russians. Despite the impression that he was being paid by the scene (since a new "scene" starts every time someone enters or exits the stage for some reason) this was an enjoyable and genuinely funny read.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: OK, I kind of messed up the theme because - without spoiling it - the protagonist is not the Inspector. I picked it because I've been on a Gogol kick since reading Dead Souls and I assumed this was a novella. Also I work for the government, so I'm always down for some good satire.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Likely, and I probably should have read something else for this prompt, but it was time well spent nonetheless.
What's Next? I'm a few pages into this month's French Republican calendar selection and nearly 200 pages into P.G. Wodehouse for "This Bright Flash". Feeling pretty good about my progress on both challenges :-)
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Post by moimoi on Apr 5, 2021 23:02:20 GMT -5
Germinal Mettre à jour: I have completed Root Nurture Grow: The Essential Guide to Propagating and Sharing Houseplants by Caro Langton & Rose Ray for the seventh month of the French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge
Amateur botanist and scientician that I am, I had some criticisms with this indoor gardening handbook. For example, the back cover states that "the secret" about houseplant propagation is that "it's really, really easy" yet the first pages emphasize the need for: 1. a sterile environment, 2. a light touch, 3. special tools, and 4. weeks of patience. Nothing in this book sounds easy, and the way it's organized makes it even more complicated. Multi-step procedures are listed in 8 pt. font next to giant, multi-page photo spreads. There's a lot of skipping ahead and skipping back because the chapters aren't laid out well. Whatever good information or tips included are hard to locate and somewhat cursory. The table of plants and propagation methods (on pg. 96 instead of say, pg. 5) is organized by scientific name in one column and suggested propagation method and time in the second column. That's it: no picture; only some common names; and no other classification (i.e. tropical, epiphyte, bromeliad, fern, etc.) that might help you work with similar plants. I might copy some pages and then pass this on to a newer gardener.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I knew I wanted to do a gardening book for the "germinate" prompt, and I figured the sooner I read this, the sooner I can start making cuttings.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Likely, but it was taking me a while.
What's Next? I'm still reading Wodehouse at bedtime and in the meantime, I'm reading my CHIRP music book club selection: Babbling Corpse: Vaporwave & the Commodification of Ghosts. I also can't wait to read a super guilty pleasure I got on loan from the Oak Park Library: The Hoods, the book on which Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America is based.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Apr 18, 2021 11:20:11 GMT -5
Update 9: I have completed The Most of P.G. Wodehouse by, um, Wodehouse for "This Bright Flash" At 700 pages, this compendium of Wodehouse short stories, excerpts, and one short novel, lives up to its title in the sense that it's not necessarily the best, but...pretty enjoyable nonetheless. It starts with seven stories about The Drones Club, that conglomeration of upper-class twits from which so many Wodehouse protagonists are drawn. All of these are pretty charming (and thankfully the whole volume is free of the casual racism I came across in Runyon) and many are laugh-out-loud funny. I think my favorite single story in the collection is "Goodbye To All Cats" which engages Freddie Widgeon in all manner of cat-based violence, both intentional and unintentional. My second favorite is "Uncle Fred Flits By" starring Pongo Twisleton. The next section is the Mulliner stories, told by a Mr. Mulliner about his remarkable relatives. All of these are good, but since they're only tied together by the narrator, probably best enjoyed in a serialized format. My favorite of these is "The Reverent Wooing of Archibald" (also starring a member of The Drones) and "Strychnine in the Soup". I'm not sure why I had such a distaste for the Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge stories, since I usually enjoy an unlikeable protagonist, but something about this conman, mooch, thief, and all around POS turned me off. I got through two and half of his five stories before skimming/skipping the rest. We only get one story about Lord Emsworth and Blandings Castle - the de rigueur "Pig A-hooey" that features in every film/tv adaptation. The Golf stories are probably great if you're into golf - just ok if you aren't. The only one that really stands out to me is "The Coming of Gowf" which includes a ridiculous prologue and epilogue. We get five Jeeves stories, including the familiar "Purity of the Turf" and "Jeeves and the Song of Songs" and the utterly hilarious, but probably un-filmable "Jeeves and the Impending Doom". Finally, we have a charming novel, "Quick Service" that probably could have/should have been adapted into a screenplay for a romcom vehicle for Fox or MGM stars willing to work on a small Anglo-American production during the interwar period. Wodehouse has an interesting upper class transatlantic sensibility you don't see much of anymore, which was a benefit to reading these stories rather than just watching adaptations. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I've seen about every Wodehouse adaptation you can think of, from the 30s films starring David Niven (!) and Arthur Treacher, to the definitive Fry/Laurie version, to O'Toole's delightful Lord Emsworth in Heavy Weather, to Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders fun, but less reverent Blandings. Pretty much all his stories involve rich people and there is a satirical undercurrent to his stories, if not direct criticism of the class system. It should be noted that the servant Jeeves is the smartest and most capable person in Wodehouse's world and consistently acknowledged by his social superiors as such. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Wodehouse is a lodestone of British comedy (of which it may be said I am an admirer), so I've always wanted to read his stuff, but it really isn't easy to come by in the U.S. I had to special order this book from the U of C Seminary Co-Op bookstore even though it's a trade paperback. It's a keeper, though, and I'm keeping an eye out for more, should I ever get back to the U.K. Every time I came across a classic Wodehouse character name, like Barmy Fotheringay-Phipps or Boko Fittleworth, I would internally "woo!". What's Next? I have a a couple days to finish my book club reading before I start The Orchid and the Dandelion by W. Thomas Boyce for the mini-challenge month Floréal.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on May 6, 2021 10:10:30 GMT -5
Floréal Mettre à jour: I have completed The Orchid & The Dandelion by W. Thomas Boyce for the eight month of the French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge This is a classic text in the field of child development that describes two temperaments that can affect a person's entire life course. 'Orchids' aka Highly Sensitive People are more reactive physiologically and psychologically to their environment than average, which can cause very positive or very negative outcomes in health, education, relationships, career, etc. 'Dandelions' are not particularly reactive to their environment, which is often interpreted as strength or resilience, though the author points out that most children demonstrate these tendencies and the goal should be to reduce environmental stress for the benefit of all children. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Therapy has demonstrated that I'm probably an HSP and I think my brother is too. However, despite growing up in the same house, our life outcomes have been very different; this book goes a long way toward explaining why. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? It was on my list, but I was kind of putting it off because thinking about my childhood makes me sad. The timing actually turned out pretty good, though, because my brother recently made a breakthrough in therapy and we had a nice discussion about it. What's Next? I'm 1/3 finished with Empire of the Sun and I'll work on White Teeth as well for the next few weeks before starting Derek Jarman's Modern Nature for month Prairial.
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Post by moimoi on May 24, 2021 11:48:44 GMT -5
Update 10: I have completed Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard for "When Will You Come Home?" Described as a 'fairly straightforward' war story or a "coming-of-age tale" of Ballard's expat youth in Shanghai during WWII, I was not expecting grim existentialism, but having read (and admired) Ballard's other work, I should not have been surprised. This is one of the saddest, grimmest books I've ever read. It's right up there with Grave of the Fireflies and Elie Weisel's Night in illustrating the horrific effects of war on children and adolescents. I found myself wondering if Ballard's writing style developed from the deep psychosis his fictionalized stand-in Jaime Graham experiences while fending for himself in an unspeakably cruel world. There are no heroes in this book - least of all the British - and I'm guessing its divergence from a clear West = good / East = bad dichotomy, along with the graphic violence, would make it a hard sell for assigned social studies reading. A shame, though, because it's beautifully written. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I knew it would be a challenge finding a soldier's story that I wanted to read and in truth, this isn't that. Contrary to Spielberg's film adaptation, soldiers do not figure prominently as characters in the story. It does remind me of a different Spielberg work, though: AI. Like that film, it has some interesting things to say about how adolescent boys cope with an absence of nurturing. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Not likely, unless I was teaching social studies. What's Next? Because this was such an intense read and I'm struggling with White Teeth (more on that to come), I am starting my next French Revolutionary Calendar selection: Derek Jarman's Modern Nature four days behind schedule.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Jun 3, 2021 14:24:53 GMT -5
Update 11: I have completed White Teeth by Zadie Smith for "Soon, My Friend" Per Goodreads: At the center of this invigorating novel are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. Hapless veterans of World War II, Archie and Samad and their families become agents of England’s irrevocable transformation. A second marriage to Clara Bowden, a beautiful, albeit tooth-challenged, Jamaican half his age, quite literally gives Archie a second lease on life, and produces Irie, a knowing child whose personality doesn’t quite match her name (Jamaican for “no problem”). Samad’s late-in-life arranged marriage (he had to wait for his bride to be born), produces twin sons whose separate paths confound Iqbal’s every effort to direct them, and a renewed, if selective, submission to his Islamic faith. Set against London’s racial and cultural tapestry, venturing across the former empire and into the past as it barrels toward the future, White Teeth revels in the ecstatic hodgepodge of modern life, flirting with disaster, confounding expectations, and embracing the comedy of daily existence." I enjoyed the first hundred pages, pg. 194, and pg. 391. My complete thoughts are here. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: This is a book Zadie Smith wrote about friendship. It's not the book she could have written, or should have written, but it is the book she wrote. I didn't read this when it came out because it seemed like every basic Borders bitch in DC was reading it on the Metro one summer, and I assumed it was some Oprah's Book Club chick lit. When I learned what it was actually about in a review of the British miniseries, I added it to my reading list because it sounded right up my alley. Boy, was that a mistake. This was a pointless, enraging slog. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Again, based on the subject matter, I probably would have read it and been as disappointed as ever. What's Next? I'm rewarding myself for finishing this with a book about organized crime. Then I'll start The Sibling Effect for "Mirror"
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Post by Desert Dweller on Jun 6, 2021 0:42:43 GMT -5
I also did not enjoy "White Teeth".
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Jun 6, 2021 20:59:05 GMT -5
I also did not enjoy "White Teeth". Did I miss anything in my review?
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Post by Desert Dweller on Jun 7, 2021 23:27:17 GMT -5
I also did not enjoy "White Teeth". Did I miss anything in my review? Your review caught more than I did! I don't know anything about South Asian culture. So, I didn't pick up any of the inaccuracies you caught. However, I do know a fair amount more of Muslim culture, due to having a couple Muslim friends, several secular friends from the Middle East, and a white friend who lived in Cairo for 5 years who married an Egyptian man. I did catch a lot of stuff wrong with her depictions of Muslim culture.
Mostly, I agree that the characters all felt a bit caricatured to me. And I also greatly disliked the last third. The whole thing felt very shallow to me.
Also, clicking over to read your review on Goodreads showed me that I never moved "White Teeth" off my "Currently Reading" list, even though I finished it years ago. LOL. I also sent a Goodreads Friend request to you.
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Post by Roy Batty's Pet Dove on Jun 8, 2021 9:59:15 GMT -5
Update 11: I have completed White Teeth by Zadie Smith for "Soon, My Friend" Per Goodreads: At the center of this invigorating novel are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. Hapless veterans of World War II, Archie and Samad and their families become agents of England’s irrevocable transformation. A second marriage to Clara Bowden, a beautiful, albeit tooth-challenged, Jamaican half his age, quite literally gives Archie a second lease on life, and produces Irie, a knowing child whose personality doesn’t quite match her name (Jamaican for “no problem”). Samad’s late-in-life arranged marriage (he had to wait for his bride to be born), produces twin sons whose separate paths confound Iqbal’s every effort to direct them, and a renewed, if selective, submission to his Islamic faith. Set against London’s racial and cultural tapestry, venturing across the former empire and into the past as it barrels toward the future, White Teeth revels in the ecstatic hodgepodge of modern life, flirting with disaster, confounding expectations, and embracing the comedy of daily existence." I enjoyed the first hundred pages, pg. 194, and pg. 391. My complete thoughts are here. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: This is a book Zadie Smith wrote about friendship. It's not the book she could have written, or should have written, but it is the book she wrote. I didn't read this when it came out because it seemed like every basic Borders bitch in DC was reading it on the Metro one summer, and I assumed it was some Oprah's Book Club chick lit. When I learned what it was actually about in a review of the British miniseries, I added it to my reading list because it sounded right up my alley. Boy, was that a mistake. This was a pointless, enraging slog. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Again, based on the subject matter, I probably would have read it and been as disappointed as ever. What's Next? I'm rewarding myself for finishing this with a book about organized crime. Then I'll start The Sibling Effect for "Mirror" A few years back, when this forum still had enough people to make halfhearted stabs at a book club, this was the book that was chosen one month. I enjoyed it quite a bit at the time, but whenever I thought back on it over the past couple of years, I had this nagging suspicion that I was in my early 20s and taken in by "this is one of the new Great Books" rather than actually putting a whole lot of thought into it. I certainly didn't much enjoy only other Smith novel I've read, Swing Time, which I think I read in like five or six chunks over the course of a year or so, because my digital library copy kept returning before I could be bothered to finish it. And yeah, from what you said, I suspect that its reputation is owed primarily to people singing its praises who don't actually know shit about South Asian culture or history. Which certainly included me in ca. 2014/2015 or whenever (and lamentably probably includes me now). So yeah, I won't be returning to it, but I have definitely seriously reevaluated my opinion of this novel. Solely in respect to Smith as a writer, what is your opinion of her? Like I said, I enjoyed the book at the time (quite a bit more than I probably should have), and I think there probably are still a couple of nice moments. But there's something about her writing style that I can't quite put into words that doesn't work for me. Like, it's very literary, but in a way that feels almost clinical, like Smith is sort of dispassionately calculating what kind of characters she needs to create so that she can tick off a bunch of boxes of issues that she needs to address to write a Great Novel, and dispassionately deploying symbolism and crafting her sentences. Like, it's technically quite well written in a lot of ways, but at the same time, almost everything about her writing that sticks with me kind I kind of sour on over time. Like, take Archie's ultra-consistent track cycling times, which serves as a metaphor for like I guess the sort of idea of the solid dependable member of the English working class or whatever. Like, I certainly don't think there's anything remotely offensive about it, but I also just can't help but rolling my eyes at this bit of characterization now. Some of this is probably due to the fact that this novel was written when Smith was in her early 20s, but on the other hand, Swing Time was an absolute slog, and that was written at a time when she had multiple novels under her belt Anyway, great review, moimoi, wish some people who were similarly familiar with South Asian culture and history had gotten paid to write actual professional reviews of this at the time of the novel's release.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Jun 8, 2021 14:35:58 GMT -5
Solely in respect to Smith as a writer, what is your opinion of her? Like I said, I enjoyed the book at the time (quite a bit more than I probably should have), and I think there probably are still a couple of nice moments. But there's something about her writing style that I can't quite put into words that doesn't work for me. Like, it's very literary, but in a way that feels almost clinical, like Smith is sort of dispassionately calculating what kind of characters she needs to create so that she can tick off a bunch of boxes of issues that she needs to address to write a Great Novel, and dispassionately deploying symbolism and crafting her sentences. Like, it's technically quite well written in a lot of ways, but at the same time, almost everything about her writing that sticks with me kind I kind of sour on over time. Like, take Archie's ultra-consistent track cycling times, which serves as a metaphor for like I guess the sort of idea of the solid dependable member of the English working class or whatever. Like, I certainly don't think there's anything remotely offensive about it, but I also just can't help but rolling my eyes at this bit of characterization now. Some of this is probably due to the fact that this novel was written when Smith was in her early 20s, but on the other hand, Swing Time was an absolute slog, and that was written at a time when she had multiple novels under her belt Anyway, great review, moimoi, wish some people who were similarly familiar with South Asian culture and history had gotten paid to write actual professional reviews of this at the time of the novel's release. Thanks! I haven't come across any South Asian criticism of this book and I wonder if it's because nobody wants to be a 'hater'. I don't particularly want to be a hater either - I also enjoyed parts of this book and thought parts were quite funny/smart. There is something about her writing style, as you say, that isn't exactly endearing though. Her most prominent critic, James Wood, seems to be on to something when he notes, "As realism, it is incredible; as satire, it is cartoonish; as cartoon, it is too realistic" and "one reason it disappoints has partly to do with the fact that it becomes clear that over the length of the book Smith’s stories will develop, and develop wildly, but her characters will not develop at all." The writer she most reminded me of is Martin Amis, only Amis makes it clear who you're supposed to sympathize with by writing sympathetic characters sympathetically and unsympathetic characters more as caricature. I really wish she had just cut out everything about the Chalfens and Futuremouse- maybe just had them appear at the parents' meeting as a one-off joke and moved on. We also didn't need a whole section on the Iqbals if it was going to be Apu & Manjula-level caricature. That whole bit should be re-written to give Samad a realistic and sympathetic back story, instead of a comedic subplot about masturbation. The last third of the book should have been devoted to developing Irie, Millat, and Magid as characters - Magid is 100% one-dimensional and unrealistic - and focused on family dynamics. Archie and Hortense get some decent character development, but Clara (Irie's mother - so kind of important) almost disappears after the first section of the book. On the Iqbal side, I'm glad she developed Neena (whose name should be Mina), but there should be a whole ensemble of extended family in the UK and Bangladesh. For example, who took care of Magid from the age of 10 to 17? Did he miss his mom and talk to her? There were some really obvious storytelling bases that Smith did not bother to cover. I don't accept the 'it's satire' defense, because if it's satire, it needs to be much more focused and have a point. The stuff about religious fundamentalism goes nowhere - it's mostly just played for a joke; the stuff about colonialism and integration is clumsily shoehorned in; and the stuff about family/friendship gets lost in all the plot machinations. It's really a mess - and extra disappointing coming from an author I want to root for.
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moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Jun 8, 2021 23:02:54 GMT -5
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Post by moimoi on Jun 22, 2021 21:08:34 GMT -5
Prairial Mettre à jour: I have completed Modern Nature by Derek Jarman for the ninth month of the French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge Derek Jarman's journal documenting his development of a garden at Prospect Cottage on the beach at Dungeness is also a moving account of his struggles living with HIV in the late 80s and early 90s, which was seen as a death sentence at the time. His detailed descriptions of local flora and fauna are interspersed with thoughts and reminisces about film, music, fine art, and famous friends such as Tilda Swinton, The Pet Shop Boys, and Ian McKellan. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: It does have a meadow on the cover and wild flowers are mentioned on nearly every page (along with a lot of gay stuff). Derek Jarman's aesthetic was very influential in the 80s/90s so I had a feeling this would be good. It was really inspiring and I'm glad I read it this summer in particular, when life seems to have slowed down and I'm spending so much time in the garden. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge: Likely. I enjoy gardening books and I'm a fan of Jarman's work - particularly for the Smiths and Pet Shop Boys. What's Next? I started TI favorite Red Harvest a couple days ago for month Messidor (harvest). I'm also a few pages into The Sibling Effect for "Mirror".
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Post by moimoi on Jun 29, 2021 14:04:00 GMT -5
Messidor Mettre à jour: I have completed Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett for the tenth month of the French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge Perhaps the apotheosis of 'hard-boiled' fiction, this story of murder and mayhem in a Prohibition-era mining town was a fun read - particularly the set-piece at the end that adds bombs to the mix. My only minor criticisms are that the main character The Continental Op is a little too opaque. His influential "blood simple" speech comes out of nowhere and he's too on top of things to be a real person. I had similar issues with Sam Spade, how he only seems to start caring about his partner getting killed right at the end. Also, there are too many names to keep track of. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I was intrigued by Jimmy James' writeup for the London Calling reading challenge and it has "harvest" in the title, so it was kind of a no-brainer. I'll read anything gangster-adjacent. Though I haven't been reading any regularly since high school, I think I'm into mystery/crime the way others are into fantasy/sci-fi. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge: Without this challenge, likely, but it wouldn't have occurred to me to track this book down if not for the London Calling challenge :-) What's Next? I'm 1/3 finished with T he Sibling Effect for "Mirror", after which I'll start Ghosts of My Life by Mark Fisher. I'm also starting The Road to Oxiana as bedtime reading, as it feels more appropriate.
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Post by moimoi on Jul 6, 2021 10:43:01 GMT -5
Update 12: I have completed The Sibling Effect: What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us by Jeffrey Kluger for "Mirror"
So, this is basically a roundup of research on siblings that is geared toward parents to reassure them that what they are seeing is normal. It's pretty lightweight, like a series of magazine articles with anecdotes thrown in. I didn't really learn anything new except that one researcher has established a spectrum for adult sibling relationships ranging from intimate to hostile. That was interesting. The rest, less so.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I picked this up used because my relationship with my brother is the most difficult relationship in my life. I cannot say this offered any insight, aside from affirming that it's okay to not get along with your siblings.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? I got it because it's one of the few self-help areas that resonates with me. I just wish it had been worth my time. This one's going in my neighbor's little free library.
What's Next? The Road to Oxiana is definitely daytime recreational reading, so Ghosts of My Life will have to be my bedtime reading.
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Post by Desert Dweller on Jul 6, 2021 13:47:33 GMT -5
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I picked this up used because my relationship with my brother is the most difficult relationship in my life. I cannot say this offered any insight, aside from affirming that it's okay to not get along with your siblings.
Sometimes I feel very happy that I was adopted. This allows me to chalk up any issues in family relationships to the fact that I am not genetically related to any of these people. Sure, this might not be the real cause of the problem. But at least it provides a solid excuse and allows me to not stress over these issues as much as I would otherwise.
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Post by moimoi on Jul 6, 2021 17:14:46 GMT -5
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I picked this up used because my relationship with my brother is the most difficult relationship in my life. I cannot say this offered any insight, aside from affirming that it's okay to not get along with your siblings.
Sometimes I feel very happy that I was adopted. This allows me to chalk up any issues in family relationships to the fact that I am not genetically related to any of these people. Sure, this might not be the real cause of the problem. But at least it provides a solid excuse and allows me to not stress over these issues as much as I would otherwise.
As an example of how little depth this book has, there is no chapter on adoption.
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Post by moimoi on Jul 11, 2021 19:47:35 GMT -5
Update 12: I have completed Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology, and Lost Futures by Mark Fisher for "My Tears are Becoming a Sea" Mark Fisher, influential leftwing cultural theorist and music writer, compiled his writings on the topic of hauntology for this volume, released on the Zero Books imprint that he co-founded. Although the essays skew heavily toward British popular culture (particularly of the 70s), he also had a lot of fresh insights about electronic music and its evolution/devolution. The high points of this collection, IMO, are his essays on Joy Division, Jimmy Savile , The Shining, 'party hauntology' (Drake, James Blake, Kanye West), Junior Boys, and Inception. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: This wasn't a sad book, per se, except in the context of knowing the writer committed suicide. It's not a terribly optimistic book either, since the idea of "lost futures" resonates so strongly with what many have experienced over the past few years. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Mark Fisher has been on my list since Simon Reynolds, one of my favorite music writers, credited him with developing the idea of hauntology as it applies to popular culture. This was also on my music book club reading list after reading another Zero book: Babbling Corpse: Vaporwave and the Commodification of Ghosts.What's Next? I'm 1/3 through the Road to Oxiana and looks like it's time to start A Series of Unfortunate Events for "OK Pal"
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Post by moimoi on Jul 20, 2021 10:59:20 GMT -5
Update 13 (how appropriate!): I have completed A Series of Unfortunate Events (Books 1-3) by Daniel Handler* (aka Lemony Snicket) for "OK Pal"
The adventures of the Baudelaire orphans are now childhood staples, with big-budget film and TV adaptations and wide cultural cache. I wonder if adults realize how dark and violent these books are, though. This isn't exactly a criticism, since I think Handler/Snicket strikes a compassionate tone that balances some of the more macabre and ridiculous elements, but I'm sure there are parents who would be turned off by the premise of a serial killer (which Count Olaf certainly is) stalking and terrorizing two adolescents and a baby. RIYL: Edward Gorey, Roald Dahl, The Addams Family, Pushing Daisies
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I first came across these books when I was a youth counselor back in 2001 - when only the first few books of the series had been published. They were a particular favorite of my mentoree Ymi (who I'm proud to report has grown into an outstanding young lady - an ICU nurse). I had to help her pronounce Baudelaire as she tried to explain the plots to me and I was intrigued - even more so when I learned that they were written by a member of the Magnetic Fields.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Likely, but who makes time to read 13 kids' books with 13 chapters each? Now that I know that they only take 2-3 days to read, I'll probably finish the series. 13 is my lucky number.
What's Next? I continue along The Road to Oxiana and right on schedule, I'm starting Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat for the penultimate mini-challenge month Thermidor (summer heat).
NOTE: For anyone bothered by Handler's very straight-cis-white-male tendency to say dumb things, I'm getting all these books used. I'm also editing certain transphobic language in The Wide Window before donating it to the Little Free Library down the street.
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Post by Roy Batty's Pet Dove on Jul 20, 2021 13:54:28 GMT -5
Update 13 (how appropriate!): I have completed A Series of Unfortunate Events (Books 1-3) by Daniel Handler* (aka Lemony Snicket) for "OK Pal" The adventures of the Baudelaire orphans are now childhood staples, with big-budget film and TV adaptations and wide cultural cache. I wonder if adults realize how dark and violent these books are, though. This isn't exactly a criticism, since I think Handler/Snicket strikes a compassionate tone that balances some of the more macabre and ridiculous elements, but I'm sure there are parents who would be turned off by the premise of a serial killer (which Count Olaf certainly is) stalking and terrorizing two adolescents and a baby. RIYL: Edward Gorey, Roald Dahl, The Addams Family, Pushing DaisiesHow Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I first came across these books when I was a youth counselor back in 2001 - when only the first few books of the series had been published. They were a particular favorite of my mentoree Ymi (who I'm proud to report has grown into an outstanding young lady - an ICU nurse). I had to help her pronounce Baudelaire as she tried to explain the plots to me and I was intrigued - even more so when I learned that they were written by a member of the Magnetic Fields. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Likely, but who makes time to read 13 kids' books with 13 chapters each? Now that I know that they only take 2-3 days to read, I'll probably finish the series. 13 is my lucky number. What's Next? I continue along The Road to Oxiana and right on schedule, I'm starting S alt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat for the penultimate mini-challenge month Thermidor (summer heat). NOTE: For anyone bothered by Handler's very straight-cis-white-male tendency to say dumb things, I'm getting all these books used. I'm also editing certain transphobic language in The Wide Window before donating it to the Little Free Library down the street. As far as "dark and violent books that I read as a child go", ASOUE never really bothered me. I suppose the books are probably a little bit more difficult for younger readers, but I always found the Dementors from Harry Potter far more unsettling, although just typing the word "Dementor" for the first time in about a decade makes the entire premise of a soul-sucking monster very hard to take seriously, (on top of Rowling being a horrible person, obviously). But mainly that's because these books are nowhere near as genuinely fucked up and horrifying as K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series, where, to give just one arguably somewhat tame example, a major character transforms into a dolphin, gets bit in half by a shark and nearly bleeds to death in one early book. I think ASOUE was ultimately pretty good at balancing the darkness with an absurdist sense of humor. I first read these as a kid, then reread them in college when I was able to check out an ebook omnibus edition from my local library. I thought they mostly held up, and I'd certainly recommend finishing the series if you can do so without financially benefitting Handler, who has certainly outed himself as an odious human being over the past few years. The first few books are really more of an absurdist parody of formulaic children's literature, but the series ends up essentially becoming a children's version of Pynchon without being overly pretentious. What the books are very good at, I think, is fostering in its young readers a healthy sort of skepticism about the world. As you said though, there definitely is some transphobia in those books. I'm assuming the language you were referring to in book 3 was regarding Olaf's one henchman whom the kids can never tell what their gender is? Because while that was definitely the sort of bullshit that most people didn't really bat an eye at back in the aughts (including the child version of myself, although I never did find the bit to actually be amusing), it has aged extremely poorly. Iirc, Olaf's disguises in Books 4 and 5 are also not great in regards to men dressing up as a woman and then a guy from a different country (who is implied to not be white). As with the Olaf's henchman stuff, the problematic elements are never exactly central to these books, but at the same time, it's kind of astounding how poorly some of the material has aged in just a couple of decades.
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Post by moimoi on Aug 4, 2021 21:46:59 GMT -5
Thermidor Mettre à jour: I have completed Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat for the eleventh month of the French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge
This cookbook, which breaks down virtually all cookery into the manipulation of the aforementioned elements, has already become a classic. It's good for beginners and more experienced cooks alike - I would estimate that a third was stuff I already knew; a third was new, useful info; and a third was info I probably won't use, like how to spatchcock or make stuff with pork.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Thermidor is "summer heat" and...it's a cookbook...with heat in the title...so...pretty sure I nailed it. As part of my current health kick (pandemic weight lost in 2 months with the Noom app) I need motivation to cook more.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge: Likely, since it is kind of essential reading. I think some of the illustrations are really useful. My only big complaint is with the font - I think the whole bulky hardcover book is written in a gray 9 pt. sans serif font, which gave me a headache.
What's Next? I have plenty of time before tackling the final mini-challenge book selection: A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde, which should take a day to read. I'm also close to finishing The Road to Oxiana, so that leaves me with about 4 months to finish 8 books - very doable, I think.
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Post by moimoi on Aug 7, 2021 15:00:12 GMT -5
Update 15 (because I refuse to correct my two 12s): I have completed The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron for "New Map" Oh yeah, this has to be one of the best travel memoirs ever written - waaay better than The Snow Leopard. Writer/artist/posh boy Byron travels from Venice, through Cyprus, Palestine (this was 1933), Syria, and Iraq to get to Persia (Iran) and Afghanistan, where he surveys architecture, gets mistaken(?) for a spy, has many rough nights, and enjoys much local hospitality. This book made me miss being a diplomat, because it is clear that Byron is trained in the art of noblesse oblige. It's so refreshing to see a Western writer (in the 30s, no less!) write about non-Western people in the same way he'd write about anyone else - with names and personalities and interesting lives of their own. The one time he gets into a quarrel with a local and lands in jail, he admits it was his fault and curses himself for endangering his trip. He's also funny, sincere, and very knowledgeable about the language and history of the places he visits. I'm actually keeping this one for reference, since I'll probably never get to Isfahan with an American passport... How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I've seen this on a bunch of reading lists for travel writing and writing about the Middle East/Afghanistan. Considering the all the ground Byron covers, by boat, car, truck, horse, and on foot, I think this fits the theme to a T. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? It was on my list, but realistically, I don't know if I'd ever have gotten to it without the challenge. What's Next? I'm struggling a bit with Rage Becomes Her, but at least I can offset it with Bertrand Russell's Conquest of Happiness?
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Post by moimoi on Aug 11, 2021 12:08:45 GMT -5
Mini update: I gave Rage Becomes Her a chance, but I need to swap it out. I selected this for "Another Wave from You" because I'm trying to read more feminist works and I was hoping it would be more intersectional than other offerings on the topic of female rage (something I know...a bit about). While Chemaly does take pains to cap all her grievances with 'and for black, Latina, and LGBT women it's worse' (the incorrect additive model of intersectionality unpacked by Mary Maxfield here), the first 50 pages of the book and the rest that I skimmed are just that: a scattershot litany of 'studies show women are mistreated in X way', interspersed with personal anecdotes about ways the author has felt disrespected, and then a final chapter with tips (?) on how to deal with female rage, such as "1. develop self-awareness...3. be brave...9. trust other women..." I don't really know who this book is for, since, as a woman, I don't really need a bunch of studies to convince me I'm mistreated; I have my everyday experiences of being a women. Younger women might not know all this stuff, but I'm not sure how receptive they would be to the writing style, which is mostly detached and journalistic when she's not making mommy blog observations (I admit, a big turn-off was her indignation at another mother for telling her to cover up her 6 and 4 year old daughter's tops when they were out at the beach wearing only the bottom half of their bathing suits with the argument that boys and girls are "physically indistinguishable" at that age. Not only is that not true for the covered bottom half, but I have to agree with the other mother that you shouldn't let your children be half naked in public - those bathing suits came with tops for a reason. A few pages later, she even gives a bikini as an example of sexualized clothing, so why would she put her kids in them in the first place?). I suppose men might be surprised by these studies and findings, but also, why would men want to read a whole book about how how comprehensively awful they are, without any consideration of root causes or constructive actions they could take to improve gender relations? This is the kind of book that's sprinkled with quotes by Sia, Zadie Smith, and Lorde. I'mma need something with a little more substance, so I ordered Angela Y. Davis's Women, Race, and Class from Semicolon.
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Post by moimoi on Aug 22, 2021 11:10:20 GMT -5
Update 16: I have completed Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis for "Another Wave From You" Given her revolutionary background, I was expecting a Marxist polemic. What I got was very well-researched and nuanced top-drawer American history. Davis is technically a 2nd wave feminist, but her intersectional discussion of how feminism has evolved, from abolitionism to the birth control debate, is probably more relevant to today than any of her 2nd wave contemporaries like Friedan or Steinham. She doesn't criticize her contemporaries directly, but by pointing out the racism of figureheads like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony (while praising lesser-known activists like the Grimke sisters) she does suggest a need for reform and re-examination within the movement. My only criticism is that the book ends rather abruptly, without a concrete plan for how to further women's rights through socialism. For example, her last essay rejects the movement to pay housewives for their domestic labor, but she doesn't explain how socializing childcare or housework would work. I'm still keeping this book for reference though, should I ever realize my dream of teaching Advanced Placement U.S. History or Government. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Like everybody else, I'm trying to read more women and POC. This checks both of those boxes while also being kind of essential reading for anyone interested in intersectional feminism with a Marxist bent. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Well, originally I wasn't going to read it for this challenge, so unlikely, I suppose. What's Next? I'm starting my final French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge book a few days late because I forgot when Fructidor started. By the end of the month, I should easily finish Oscar Wilde's collection A House of Pomegranates, and Bertrand Russell's Conquest of Happiness, leaving me 4 months to finish 6 books - entirely doable.
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Post by moimoi on Aug 24, 2021 21:32:17 GMT -5
j'ai fini
Fructidor Mettre à jour: I have completed A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde for the 12th and final month of the French Revolutionary Calendar mini-challenge
Wilde demonstrates once again why he is one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language: he could do novels, plays, poems, prose, short stories, and children's literature, to say nothing of his bon mots. In this sequel to The Happy Prince we get four fairy tales, richly and elaborately told, with strong moral undercurrents.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Pomegranates are fruits? I'm also a big Wilde fan.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge: I've read a lot of Wilde, but I'm not sure I would have ever read Wilde's children's stories. I'm glad I did.
What's Next? I'll go back to reading N.K. Jemison and Rem Koolhaas, since I started those books previously. Chugging along on this challenge.
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Post by moimoi on Aug 28, 2021 14:28:16 GMT -5
Update 17: I have completed The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell for "Splendor"
Bertie Russell was a smart dude, and this treatise on how to conquer the ennui of modern living resonates as much today as when it was written (though without the touches of casual chauvinism and racial stereotyping). Unlike most self-help books rooted in psychotherapy, Russell's approach is philosophical, breaking down the causes of unhappiness (aside from actual tragic circumstances) as follows: Byronic unhappiness (ie. Romantic fatalism), competition, excessive boredom/excitement, fatigue, envy, the sense of sin, persecution mania, and fear of public opinion. He then examines various sources of potential happiness, such as "zest" (or lust for life), affection, family, work, impersonal interests, and balancing effort with resignation. It all makes a lot of sense and I agree.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: It's not a happy story, per se, but it is very much concerned with how to be happy and I think the advice is quite practical. I picked this because I've always wanted to read Russell and this seemed most accessible.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? I probably would have read it if I could track down a copy, but Russell isn't widely read in the U.S. I think.
What's Next? I'm making good progress on N.K. Jemison and Rem Koolhaas. My goal is to finish this year's challenge by Halloween.
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