What are you currently reading?

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I have a strange feeling that I may have said this before but I couldn't find anything when I searched: my excessive reading of Goethe has given me a perfect picture about where Wagner possibly gained influence to his prose style and stage directions and excessive use of superlatives. Of course, it is pretty obvious that such an important author and poet as Goethe was, would leave his mark to many, Wagner not being the only one.

It has been some time since I read Schiller. Is his writing style similar (which could imply that it was a common feature at the time in German literature)? Of course, he mainly wrote dramas, not much prose (IIRC).

[NikF]

Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio.

[asin]0143106740[/asin]

[aligreto]

JB Priestly: Margin Released....

[Florestan]

Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio.

[asin]0143106740[/asin]

How is it? Have you read The Flame of Life? I remember enjoying it a lot --- but then again I'm a huge fan of all novels set in Venice, my favoritest city on Earth. 

[NikF]

How is it? Have you read The Flame of Life? I remember enjoying it a lot --- but then again I'm a huge fan of all novels set in Venice, my favoritest city on Earth. 

I've only started it and so it's difficult to form a full impression. However I can say that while tame by current standards I can imagine it being considered hugely risque on publication.
No, I haven't read ' The Flame of Life', but I'll keep an eye open for it.

[Ken B]

How is it? Have you read The Flame of Life? I remember enjoying it a lot --- but then again I'm a huge fan of all novels set in Venice, my favoritest city on Earth. 

Ever read the Donna Leon novels? People recommend them to me but I have never actually made the effort to read one.

[NikF]

Watership Down by Richard Adams.

[asin]0141354968[/asin]

Time for a reread of an old favourite. I was first prompted to read and borrow this by a librarian in the local public library, but not before she enquired if my hands were clean ("...both sides?") and had elicited a promise to tell her what I thought about it when I finished reading it. I was just a little kid and took her request so seriously.

[aligreto]

Watership Down by Richard Adams.

[asin]0141354968[/asin]

Time for a reread of an old favourite. I was first prompted to read and borrow this by a librarian in the local public library, but not before she enquired if my hands were clean ("...both sides?") and had elicited a promise to tell her what I thought about it when I finished reading it. I was just a little kid and took her request so seriously.

A great read with dark and violent undertones.

[NikF]

A great read with dark and violent undertones.

Yeah, it is. And I was saying in another thread that only on the second time of reading did I become aware of the cool Joseph Campbell monomyth/Jung 'all stories are one story' stuff. Also, I liked the character of Hazel.

It's weird, because although books were important during my childhood the only other one I can really remember was 'The Black Cloud' - a science fiction novel by Fred Hoyle. You familiar with it?

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Watership Down by Richard Adams.

[asin]0141354968[/asin]

Time for a reread of an old favourite. I was first prompted to read and borrow this by a librarian in the local public library, but not before she enquired if my hands were clean ("...both sides?") and had elicited a promise to tell her what I thought about it when I finished reading it. I was just a little kid and took her request so seriously.

Read that few months ago. The writing style reminded me much of Tolkien's.

[aligreto]

Yeah, it is. And I was saying in another thread that only on the second time of reading did I become aware of the cool Joseph Campbell monomyth/Jung 'all stories are one story' stuff. Also, I liked the character of Hazel.

It's weird, because although books were important during my childhood the only other one I can really remember was 'The Black Cloud' - a science fiction novel by Fred Hoyle. You familiar with it?

Agreed on the Hazel character - strong, yet vulnerable.
I do not know 'The Black Cloud'.

[Drasko]

How is it? Have you read The Flame of Life? I remember enjoying it a lot --- but then again I'm a huge fan of all novels set in Venice, my favoritest city on Earth. 

And what are your favorite novels set in Venice?

[NikF]

Read that few months ago. The writing style reminded me much of Tolkien's.

I remember someone else saying the same thing. But I haven't read enough Tolkien to see if I agree. Still, it's an interesting comment.

[HIPster]

Yeah, it is. And I was saying in another thread that only on the second time of reading did I become aware of the cool Joseph Campbell monomyth/Jung 'all stories are one story' stuff. Also, I liked the character of Hazel.

Read that few months ago. The writing style reminded me much of Tolkien's.

I remember someone else saying the same thing. But I haven't read enough Tolkien to see if I agree. Still, it's an interesting comment.

Appropriate to the discussion, perhaps; a remembrance of John Hurt:

https://theringer.com/john-hurt-obituary-994414174f79?source=collection_home---4------0----------

. . .he was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Max, a drug-addicted prisoner in Midnight Express, before providing his voice in the animated adaptations of two essential British works of fiction: Watership Down, as Hazel, and The Lord of the Rings, as Aragorn. His voice, a secret weapon if he had one, communicated erudition, suspicion, and playfulness all at once. When he spoke, it sounded like tobacco burning.

RIP John Hurt

[NikF]

Appropriate to the discussion, perhaps, a remembrance of John Hurt:

https://theringer.com/john-hurt-obituary-994414174f79?source=collection_home---4------0----------

. . .he was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Max, a drug-addicted prisoner in Midnight Express, before providing his voice in the animated adaptations of two essential British works of fiction: Watership Down, as Hazel, and The Lord of the Rings, as Aragorn. His voice, a secret weapon if he had one, communicated erudition, suspicion, and playfulness all at once. When he spoke, it sounded like tobacco burning.

RIP John Hurt

Good stuff. Thanks.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

One reason for why it reminds me of Tolkien is possibly because the person who translated Watership Down in finnish, Kersti Juva, is also renowned for her translations of Tolkien's books. She has also translated Dickens and A.A.Milne, for example.

[Drasko]

Anton Chekhov - One act plays: The Road House, Swansong, The Bear, A Marriage Proposal, Tatiana Ryepina, A Tragedian in Spite of Himself, The Wedding, The Jubilee, On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

My first Collins novel. Extremely fascinating so far.

[NikF]

My first Collins novel. Extremely fascinating so far.

Cool. That's another on my 'to read' list. The only work of his that I've read is The Woman in White.
When you've finished reading The Moonstone let us know what you think?

[Ken B]

Cool. That's another on my 'to read' list. The only work of his that I've read is The Woman in White.
When you've finished reading The Moonstone let us know what you think?

I readthose back to back in a day and a half when I was young and foolish.