What are you currently reading?

Started by facehugger, April 07, 2007, 12:36:10 AM

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ritter

Quote from: SimonNZ on March 25, 2024, 04:51:45 PMStarting: yet another from last year's Baille Gifford longlist, and the last to do from the shortlist:

That looks interesting, Simon. I've read a lot on (and by) Balanchine's "partner in crime", the fascinating Lincoln Kirstein. I should complement that with Homan's book.

ritter

#13141
Starting Harvey Sachs' Music in Fascist Italy.



Reasonably priced copies (or copies with reasonable shipping costs) are surprisingly  difficult to find. Very strange. I could order this from AbeBooks in the UK and have it delivered to Scotland, where my partner was spending some days visiting his mother.

The book is well written and readable. I'm well into the first chapter, "The Terrain", in which Mussolini's rise to power, and the musical politics of his regime, are described.

Mr. Sachs (best known for his biography of Toscanini) mentions —in laudatory terms— the other major book on the subject, Fiamma Nicolodi's Musica e musicisti nel ventennio fascista. I was not that enthusiastic about that book. It certainly contains some valuable information, but it read like a disjointed collection of anecdotes, with no clear narrative to it.




San Antone

After watching an excellent two-part dramatized documentary (made by Ric Burns on PBS) about Dante Alighieri I began re-reading the Divine Comedy translated by John Ciardi.


SimonNZ

Quote from: San Antone on March 26, 2024, 02:48:36 PMAfter watching an excellent two-part dramatized documentary (made by Ric Burns on PBS) about Dante Alighieri I began re-reading the Divine Comedy translated by John Ciardi.



Where/how did you see this?

San Antone

Quote from: SimonNZ on March 26, 2024, 02:58:46 PMWhere/how did you see this?

Here's the link to my PBS network (yours may be different) - https://www.pbs.org/show/dante-inferno-to-paradise/

DANTE: Inferno to Paradise is a two-part, four-hour documentary film chronicling the life, work and legacy of the great 14th century Florentine poet, Dante Alighieri, and his epic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, one of the greatest achievements in the history of Western Literature.

SimonNZ

Quote from: San Antone on March 26, 2024, 04:29:23 PMHere's the link to my PBS network (yours may be different) - https://www.pbs.org/show/dante-inferno-to-paradise/


QuoteWhile over-the-air broadcasts reach beyond U.S. borders, online video is subject to geo-filtering, which restricts the areas that can view PBS content. PBS is legally obligated to ensure each show does not exceed its granted rights, which unfortunately eliminates international streaming ability for some PBS shows outside the U.S.

We regret not being able to offer our supporters all of our online content.

 :(

Mandryka

Quote from: San Antone on March 26, 2024, 02:48:36 PMAfter watching an excellent two-part dramatized documentary (made by Ric Burns on PBS) about Dante Alighieri I began re-reading the Divine Comedy translated by John Ciardi.



One of Samuel Beckett's favourites. I think he liked all the torture in Inferno.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Florestan

#13147


The amount of bullshit contained in this book regarding historical and contemporary Spain would certainly make @ritter 's brain explode. I wonder whether the authors have ever seen a map of Spain, let alone read anything at all about its history. Dan Brown's level, maybe even below.  ;D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Crudblud

Zola - Au Bonheur des Dames ("The Ladies' Paradise", trans. Nelson, Oxford Classics)

Hume - An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

Peter Smith - Introduction to Formal Logic (university "fun" :-\)

Ganondorf

Quote from: Crudblud on March 28, 2024, 01:12:12 AMZola - Au Bonheur des Dames ("The Ladies' Paradise", trans. Nelson, Oxford Classics)

I read that Zola work some time ago. Zola is a magnificent evocative writer to be sure but I must also say that his male protagonists tend to be swines. If Zola even half-heartedly agrees with the kind of treatment his female characters receive in his books, then he must be the ultimate sexist.

DavidW

Quote from: Florestan on March 27, 2024, 11:59:57 PM

The amount of bullshit contained in this book regarding historical and contemporary Spain would certainly make @ritter 's brain explode. I wonder whether the authors have ever seen a map of Spain, let alone read anything at all about its history. Dan Brown's level, maybe even below.  ;D

My mind is blown that you would even want to read that, and where did you find it? ;D

Since you mentioned Dan Brown, I didn't want to hurt the feelings of whoever posted about on this thread, but check out this hilarious parody of him, complete with a great imitation of his terrible prose! ;D

https://onehundredpages.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/dont-make-fun-of-renowned-dan-brown/

As for me, something funny, quirky, strange and naughty:

Florestan

Quote from: DavidW on March 28, 2024, 05:20:23 AMMy mind is blown that you would even want to read that,

I thought that I could use something light --- and I stumbled upon something stupid.  :)

Quoteand where did you find it? ;D

In my own library, but as an inheritance, not a purchase.  :D

QuoteSince you mentioned Dan Brown, I didn't want to hurt the feelings of whoever posted about on this thread, but check out this hilarious parody of him, complete with a great imitation of his terrible prose! ;D

https://onehundredpages.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/dont-make-fun-of-renowned-dan-brown/

Hilarious indeed! Thanks a lot for that.  8)

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Brian

Don't know what "Big Swiss" is but that cover design is attention-getting!

LKB

Quote from: Brian on March 28, 2024, 06:20:14 AMDon't know what "Big Swiss" is but that cover design is attention-getting!

Indeed. Dunno if I'm interested in the book, but that cover is downright inspiring.  :laugh:
Mit Flügeln, die ich mir errungen...

Iota

Quote from: DavidW on March 28, 2024, 05:20:23 AMSince you mentioned Dan Brown, I didn't want to hurt the feelings of whoever posted about on this thread, but check out this hilarious parody of him, complete with a great imitation of his terrible prose! ;D

https://onehundredpages.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/dont-make-fun-of-renowned-dan-brown/

Excellent!

AnotherSpin

Arthur Koestler's book on India and Japan.


Crudblud

Quote from: Ganondorf on March 28, 2024, 03:40:00 AMI read that Zola work some time ago. Zola is a magnificent evocative writer to be sure but I must also say that his male protagonists tend to be swines. If Zola even half-heartedly agrees with the kind of treatment his female characters receive in his books, then he must be the ultimate sexist.
Entirely possible. I would only counter by saying that my impression of the four or five Zola novels I've read is that he tends to give his men enough rope to hang themselves. Without attempting to psychoanalyse someone long dead, it seems to me that Zola doesn't depict characters like Mouret as noble, only as having the cunning to succeed in a society which generally is shown to be rotten and inhospitable.

hopefullytrusting

Have a cache of pulp arriving soon:

Crichton: Congo
Cussler: Spartan Gold
McDermott: The Hunt for Atlantis
McDevitt: Ancient Shores & Polaris
Preston/Child: The Relic
Reilly: Seven Deadly Wonders
Rollins: Excavation
Stevenson: Treasure Island