What are you currently reading?

[DavidW]

I recently re-watched the BBC production of Bleak House (a gift some time ago from Bogey) and as a result, I've begun reading it.

That is the only Dickens novel I've had difficulty reading imo.

[DavidW]

Awhile ago I read The Malazan Book of the Fallen which is imho the greatest fantasy ever written BY FAR (I think Steve, i.e. bwv 1080 originally rec'd it).


And now I'm reading the followup, which intelligently allows the characters to be closer to normal since all of the op characters are dead or gone:



The publisher wanted a Karsa Orlong trilogy, Erikson wrote something brilliant but thumbed his nose at his masters by not having Karsa show up at all.

[Mandryka]

That is the only Dickens novel I've had difficulty reading imo.

The best bit is when some guy spontaneously combusts and someone else gets to find out because he can smell burning human fat in his flat.

[DavidW]

The best bit is when some guy spontaneously combusts and someone else gets to find out because he can smell burning human fat in his flat.

Yeah I remember that!

[aligreto]

Matthews: The Atlas of Natural Wonders





This is a book that I picked up just to have on the shelf and to occasionally browse and dip into. Unfortunately I have only visited 5 of the 52 wonders listed in the book.

[Artem]

5 out of 52 is a good start. What were the places?

[aligreto]

5 out of 52 is a good start. What were the places?

Sognefjord in Norway
Mount Vesuvius, Italy
Pamukkale Springs, Turkey
Grand Canyon, USA
Niagara Falls, USA/Canada

[Artem]

Yes, the Niagara Falls is a great place to visit. Were you on the US or the Canadian side? Did you go on a boat?

[ritter]

Many years ago, I started reading Ezra Pound's The Cantos, and was initially bowled over by the richness of the imagery and the poetic language .....but, several pages in, I found myself at a loss, as the poetry became increasingly obscure, to the point of unintelligibility.

This summer in Foyles in London I bought Carroll F Terrell's mammoth (816 pages!) A Companion to The Cantos of Ezra Pound, and hopefully it'll help me settle this old score  :



The edition of The Cantos I have is that of Faber & Faber printed in 1986, which I understand is "ultra-complete". Surprisingly, I cannot find a picture of it online (it's in the traditional Faber & Faber livery, in light grey).

[aligreto]

Yes, the Niagara Falls is a great place to visit. Were you on the US or the Canadian side? Did you go on a boat?

I was on the US side and I did not go on a boat. I am not too comfortable on the water, particularly in a turbulent situation like that.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

[SimonNZ]

Many years ago, I started reading Ezra Pound's The Cantos, and was initially bowled over by the richness of the imagery and the poetic language .....but, several pages in, I found myself at a loss, as the poetry became increasingly obscure, to the point of unintelligibility.

This summer in Foyles in London I bought Carroll F Terrell's mammoth (816 pages!) A Companion to The Cantos of Ezra Pound, and hopefully it'll help me settle this old score  :



The edition of The Cantos I have is that of Faber & Faber printed in 1986, which I understand is "ultra-complete". Surprisingly, I cannot find a picture of it online (it's in the traditional Faber & Faber livery, in light grey).

I tried with the Cantos and had the companion volume you picture and some other secondary Pound stuff. But with the near standstill headway I was making I had to admit to myself I already had enough difficult authors in my life to knock my head against. I gave all my Pound stuff away to someone more enthusiastic.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Far too many books currently on the go at the moment, depending on my mood at any given hour:


Pleasantly surprised at how non 80s jargon and readable Said's Orientalism is.

Also finished another smart and fun novel of Christopher Brookmyre's:

The orientalism book looks very interesting!

[Artem]

Superb book. Totally engrossing and very enjoyable to read. I saw random famously controversial Sally Mann's photographs before, but I was not aware of her as a photographer in a general sense. Besides photography, this book is a very interesting tale of family, art, south in the US history and nature, American history, race and mortality. A very strong recommendation.

[Mandryka]

Many years ago, I started reading Ezra Pound's The Cantos, and was initially bowled over by the richness of the imagery and the poetic language .....but, several pages in, I found myself at a loss, as the poetry became increasingly obscure, to the point of unintelligibility.

This summer in Foyles in London I bought Carroll F Terrell's mammoth (816 pages!) A Companion to The Cantos of Ezra Pound, and hopefully it'll help me settle this old score  :



The edition of The Cantos I have is that of Faber & Faber printed in 1986, which I understand is "ultra-complete". Surprisingly, I cannot find a picture of it online (it's in the traditional Faber & Faber livery, in light grey).

I have the book and have used it, I think it's pretty essential if you want to make sense of the cantos - which is a big project - you'll find yourself getting involved in all sorts of byways of American and Italian history.

(Do you have Hugh Kenner's book The Pound Era?) 

[Mandryka]

[Florestan]

I read this very recently and liked it very much.

[SonicMan46]

I was on the US side and I did not go on a boat. I am not too comfortable on the water, particularly in a turbulent situation like that.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Hi Fergus - our last out of the USA trip was to Ontario, Canada in July 2017 (stayed at Lake Simcoe, then Toronto w/ an all day trip to Niagara Falls, out third visit there) - I write travelogues on the iPad Forums - link to our falls day-trip HERE, if interested (post #20 or look at the entire trip, plenty of great pics; I'm "Giradman" there).

Below are just 5 pics from my travelogue - the top 2 from the web; we took the helicopter rider (our 3rd tour copter, others Grand Canyon & Juneau Glacier - but this was in a new quiet copter that did not require ear muffs); last 3 our mine w/ two from our Hornblower boat ride (which leaves from the Canadian side; Maid of the Mist from the American side).  Boats were packed that day - not dangerous and fairly smooth sailing.  Dave (click on images to enlarge).

 

 

[ritter]

I have the book and have used it, I think it's pretty essential if you want to make sense of the cantos - which is a big project - you'll find yourself getting involved in all sorts of byways of American and Italian history.

(Do you have Hugh Kenner's book The Pound Era?)

Thanks for the comment, Mandryka. No, I don't know Kenner's book. Noted!

[Mandryka]

I read this very recently and liked it very much.

In French the tone of voice is extraordinary - ton mat. No judgement, no irony, he's like: this is how it is. Quite a far cry from Mme Bovary. I've just finished Part 1.

[aligreto]

Hi Fergus - our last out of the USA trip was to Ontario, Canada in July 2017 (stayed at Lake Simcoe, then Toronto w/ an all day trip to Niagara Falls, out third visit there) - I write travelogues on the iPad Forums - link to our falls day-trip HERE, if interested (post #20 or look at the entire trip, plenty of great pics; I'm "Giradman" there).

Below are just 5 pics from my travelogue - the top 2 from the web; we took the helicopter rider (our 3rd tour copter, others Grand Canyon & Juneau Glacier - but this was in a new quiet copter that did not require ear muffs); last 3 our mine w/ two from our Hornblower boat ride (which leaves from the Canadian side; Maid of the Mist from the American side).  Boats were packed that day - not dangerous and fairly smooth sailing.  Dave (click on images to enlarge).

 

 

Thank you for your great photos Dave. They capture the atmosphere well. Brought back memories of the place