What are you currently reading?

[SimonNZ]

To anyone interested in Lawrence but not wanting currently to read any of his books I can heartily recommend Geoff Dyer's freewheeling Out Of Sheer Rage about his obsession with Lawrence. I especially liked that he was far more interested in the nonfiction and the letters (all 30 or 40 volumes of the latter which he describes reading in a headlong rush in their entirety).

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I'm almost reminded of a book I read this time last year and really loved: Hermann Hesse's Narcissus & Goldmund,

My favorite book since I read it first time when I was around 14 y/o.
The story is based on some contrasts such as Art vs. science, beauty vs. knowledge, pleasure vs. discipline, danger vs. stability, etc.
First time they met, Narcissus and what he represented appeared to be superior vis a vis Goldmund and what he embodied. However, when the latter was dying, the situation was inverse.
When Goldmund was dying, Narcissus, an epitome of rationality and intelligence, says "If I know what love is, it is because of you."
Goldmund's last words were "How are you going to die one day, Narcissus, since you have no mother? Without a mother one cannot love. Without a mother one cannot die."
This work has always been very special to me.

[SimonNZ]

Started:



on the "Indo-European" mother tongue and its traces in modern usage

[vers la flamme]

My favorite book since I read it first time when I was around 14 y/o.
The story is based on some contrasts such as Art vs. science, beauty vs. knowledge, pleasure vs. discipline, danger vs. stability, etc.
First time they met, Narcissus and what he represented appeared to be superior vis a vis Goldmund and what he embodied. However, when the latter was dying, the situation was inverse.
When Goldmund was dying, Narcissus, an epitome of rationality and intelligence, says "If I know what love is, it is because of you."
Goldmund's last words were "How are you going to die one day, Narcissus, since you have no mother? Without a mother one cannot love. Without a mother one cannot die."
This work has always been very special to me.

Yes, that last interaction hit me hard, especially because I lost my mother when I was a kid. I suspect I'll be rereading Narcissus & Goldmund at least a few more times throughout my life. There's a few more big Hesse works I still need to read for the first time, too: Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game being the big ones.

[aligreto]

Yes, that last interaction hit me hard, especially because I lost my mother when I was a kid. I suspect I'll be rereading Narcissus & Goldmund at least a few more times throughout my life. There's a few more big Hesse works I still need to read for the first time, too: Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game being the big ones.

I think that you might need to build up a lot of stamina reserves before tackling The Glass Bead Game. I found it to be a very fine read but tough going nonetheless.

[André]

When I was in the old part of Toulouse 2 years ago I went into a library (fantastic place covering different buildings and different floors with entries on 3 different streets, almost a labyrinth) and came out with 2 items: the complete Contes normands by Maupassant (almost 900 pages) and the complete novels by Hesse. All of them old friends, stuff I had read when I was much younger. I'm still only halfway through the Maupassant, so the Hesse is somewhere in the future. My reading is much slower than it was 40 years ago  . But I'll get there eventually.

[Florestan]

When I was in the old part of Toulouse 2 years ago I went into a library (fantastic place covering different buildings and different floors with entries on 3 different streets, almost a labyrinth) and came out with 2 items: the complete Contes normands by Maupassant (almost 900 pages) and the complete novels by Hesse. All of them old friends, stuff I had read when I was much younger. I'm still only halfway through the Maupassant, so the Hesse is somewhere in the future. My reading is much slower than it was 40 years ago  . But I'll get there eventually.

Must be the only library in the world which loans books by years, not by weeks. 

[ritter]

When I was in the old part of Toulouse 2 years ago I went into a library (fantastic place covering different buildings and different floors with entries on 3 different streets, almost a labyrinth) and came out with 2 items: the complete Contes normands by Maupassant (almost 900 pages) and the complete novels by Hesse. All of them old friends, stuff I had read when I was much younger. I'm still only halfway through the Maupassant, so the Hesse is somewhere in the future. My reading is much slower than it was 40 years ago  . But I'll get there eventually.

You mean the Ombres Blanches bookstore? Fantastic place indeed...

[André]

You mean the Ombres Blanches bookstore? Fantastic place indeed...

That's the one ! 

[vers la flamme]

I think that you might need to build up a lot of stamina reserves before tackling The Glass Bead Game. I found it to be a very fine read but tough going nonetheless.

Well, I did just read The Brothers Karamazov. I'd say my literary stamina is in pretty good shape. Might not be a bad idea to strike while the iron is hot 

[Artem]

Two books that I'd recently finished reading. Both were well written, but I didn't enjoy them as much as I expected.

[Florestan]

Well, I did just read The Brothers Karamazov. I'd say my literary stamina is in pretty good shape. Might not be a bad idea to strike while the iron is hot 

Good idea! 

[aligreto]

Well, I did just read The Brothers Karamazov. I'd say my literary stamina is in pretty good shape. Might not be a bad idea to strike while the iron is hot 

Go for it! Good luck if you do.

[Florestan]

Go for it! Good luck if you do.

Well, TBK is almost a fast-paced whodunit, while TGBG is much more abstract and philosophical. I'm very interested in vers la flamme's findings.

[Mandryka]

Well, I did just read The Brothers Karamazov.

Who dunnit?  -- I couldn't get to the end and I'm dying to know.

[Florestan]

Who dunnit?  -- I couldn't get to the end and I'm dying to know.

Smerdyakov.

[Mandryka]

Smerdyakov.

Noooooo. I was sure it was Alexei!

[Mandryka]

Here's a good book cover, which kind of gives away the secret

[Florestan]

Noooooo. I was sure it was Alexei!

Wrong. Alyosha murdered Zosima.

[Florestan]

Here's a good book cover, which kind of gives away the secret

Hah! Spoiler even before the first page is turned.