What are you currently reading?

[JBS]

I listened not long ago a bit, in fragments, to Venedikt Erofeev's book Moscow-Petushki in a reading by the author. It was interesting. Although, listening to this book, which I first read about 30 years ago, was no longer exciting. That is, audio books may have an additional appeal, as in this case, but I never developed a habit for them. And the sound quality is often poor, far from audiophile

There's also the question of whether the person reading is able to convey the book onto tape. Erofeeov is totally unknown to me, but I'm reminded of how sometimes composers are not the best conductors of their own works: despite the apparent authority of the performance, perhaps another person might do better.

[Mandryka]

I read Portrait some months ago. A magnificent book though a trifle unbalanced. I enjoyed the latter half more.

Speaking of James, I started to read The Wings of The Dove recently while visiting a library. Blown away by the very first chapter already.

The first chapter with Lionel Croy is very good I agree. For me, I just report this in case you read it, I first detected that there was something very very very special going on in  the book in Volume I, Book V, Chapter II.   

Any thoughts about what Lionel's terrible deed could have been? 

[AnotherSpin]

There's also the question of whether the person reading is able to convey the book onto tape. Erofeeov is totally unknown to me, but I'm reminded of how sometimes composers are not the best conductors of their own works: despite the apparent authority of the performance, perhaps another person might do better.

You haven't missed anything, unless you're a heavy drinker or particularly interested in the Brezhnev-era Soviet cultural underground. Erofeev's reading is more than congenial.