What are you currently reading?

[aligreto]

Keegan: Small Things Like These





This is a novel set in 1985. It is about a very typical Irish family, their concerns and their everyday life and thoughts on how to get through it. There is nothing that is earth-shatteringly profound revealed in the depiction of these people and yet the novel contains a lot of Universal Truths. It has quite a good insight into the psyche of the people of that time.

[aligreto]

A recent discussion in this thread (with its very diverse reactions to the book) spurred me to watch a BBC Arena documentary this week about James Joyce's Ulysses.

Here is the link to the BBC page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001bvp2/arena-james-joyces-ulysses

and a version currently available on Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8dkscn

(warning: there are rude bits  )

It ended up being a gripping watch, so much so that I read a few pages of Ulysses and Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man on the Gutenberg website and actually got quickly drawn into the style of it (that continuous flow is not dissimilar to Damon Galgut's The Promise which I mentioned earlier this year). I ordered a used copy of both books. I also have an unread Odyssey on my shelves, so I might throw its relevant chapters in the mix as I go along.

I am sure there's an irony somewhere that, for someone who doesn't read novels, I end up being drawn by Ulysses  Either it will be a very short-lived project or I'll come back to you on this in a few years...  :laugh

Shock! 
You reading two books in one year! Enjoy your odyssey. 
I would recommend you begin with Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man.

[geralmar]

2011

One of those dispiriting political/social problem books that recounts in detail the genesis and development of a vexing issue, then concludes with the obligatory and hopelessly naive chapter on how we extricate ourselves out of the mess: organize, vote, blah, blah.  (This book obviously predates Trump).  If I had written the book the final chapter in its entirety would consist of the simple advice, "Kill 'em all."

[SimonNZ]

Started:




Also found a volume I was missing in this series and have been picking away at it:

[aligreto]

Goethe: Letters from Italy





This is a series of letters written by Goethe that describes his first impressions of the people and places in Italy on a trip that he made from Trento all the way down to Roma. It is interesting to read his joyful delight and wonder at most of what he encountered on his journey. The fact that he did not edit or rewrite his initial impressions makes for interesting and revealing reading.

[Florestan]

Goethe: Letters from Italy





This is a series of letters written by Goethe that describes his first impressions of the people and places in Italy on a trip that he made from Trento all the way down to Roma. It is interesting to read his joyful delight and wonder at most of what he encountered on his journey. The fact that he did not edit or rewrite his initial impressions makes for interesting and revealing reading.

Well, how did he find Italy and the Italians?

[ritter]

Well, how did he find Italy and the Italians?

IIRC, full of lemon trees blossoming, golden oranges glowing among dark leaves, marble statues standing and gazing at him, and so on... 

Buona sera, mio signore!

[Florestan]

Buona sera, mio signore!

Buona sera, buona sera!

)Maledetto seccatore, presto presto via di qua!)

Umil servidor vostro, Vossignoria Illustrissima! 

[Ganondorf]

Started recently reading Ronald Hayman's massive Thomas Mann biography. First complete Mann biography for me. Very interesting although Hayman seems to miss a lot of the inherent ambiguity and elusiveness of his works. This biography however paints a powerful portrait of this deeply flawed genius, his coldness towards his family etc. So many great artists seem to be rather awful human beings. I wonder whether it is only because of historical reasons of harsher upbringing etc. or is being a bad person inseparable from artistic brilliance? I know Tolkien for ex. Is widely considered to have been a nice person but I wouldnt be surprised If there are some huge skeletons in his closets too. I shall always love Thomas Mann the artist but Thomas Mann the man seems reprehensible.

[aligreto]

Well, how did he find Italy and the Italians?

He basically loved the place with its art and architecture if a little frustrated by the customs and attitudes of the natives [even though he admired a lot of these traits too.
His main revelation was the graceful proportions of the architecture of Palladio in particular. 

[Florestan]

He basically loved the place with its art and architecture if a little frustrated by the customs and attitudes of the natives

Why, yes, a Protestant could not be but frustrated by the customs and attitudes of a Catholic people. That Goethe was frustrated only a little is to his credit. 

Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There's always laughter and good red wine.
At least I've always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!

[aligreto]

I also suspect that he was more temperate because of the environment he was in i.e. a living museum. He was very much in awe of it all which his first impressions readily depict.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

The Lost World of Byzantium, Jonathan Harris.

[Florestan]

The Lost World of Byzantium, Jonathan Harris.

Most interesting,  but.. Why lost, anyway? Lost for whom?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Most interesting... Why lost, anyway?

Conquered by Ottoman Turk eventually.

[Florestan]

Conquered by Ottoman Turk eventually.

https://ia803206.us.archive.org/28/items/nicolae-iorga-byzance-apres-byzance-1935/Nicolae%20Iorga%20-%20Byzance%20apres%20Byzance%20-%201935.pdf

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

https://ia803206.us.archive.org/28/items/nicolae-iorga-byzance-apres-byzance-1935/Nicolae%20Iorga%20-%20Byzance%20apres%20Byzance%20-%201935.pdf

Interesting theme/hypothesis. I ordered the English edition!

[San Antone]

Just finished this, and then watched the movie which was very loyal to the book.

Louis L'Amour - Hondo



Then started this one, a continuation of the Duane Moore series by Larry McMurtry, and the Last Picture Show characters.

[SimonNZ]

Goethe: Letters from Italy





This is a series of letters written by Goethe that describes his first impressions of the people and places in Italy on a trip that he made from Trento all the way down to Roma. It is interesting to read his joyful delight and wonder at most of what he encountered on his journey. The fact that he did not edit or rewrite his initial impressions makes for interesting and revealing reading.

Does it say inside on the copyright page if that slim Penguin 60s selection is taken from the larger Italian Journey? Or are the letters something separate?

[Artem]

Jon Fosse's Trilogy. It was good, but very bleak and depressing.