What are you currently reading?

[mozartsneighbor]

I have read quite a few books on China, and have taken 2 graduate level classes on East Asian politics -- this is a very good introduction to the subject. But it is more than a simple introduction, since Starr manages to cram a lot of substance in just 320 pages. So, it is a book that will do nicely for the beginner but it will also have a lot for someone who is already fairly knowledgeable. I found myself enthralled at some of the connections Starr makes between China's past, present, and future, which a lot of other authors I have read on the subject are unable to make. I am not sure about all of his mostly pessimistic conclusions about China's future, but on practically every other page there is something thought-provoking. To cap it off the style is clear and exemplary.
The book is from 2001, so it doesn't take into account some more recent events, particularly the transition from Jiang Zemin to Hu Jintao, but this doesn't much affect the substance of Starr's insights.

[tr. pianist]

Thank you : mozartsneighbor for your post about China. It is very popular topic now.

There is a book by Gumilev called From Rus to Russia. There is something there about China. The author thinks that Chinese thinking is characterized by thinking that the best golden years of China is in the past. This book is an old book of course and looks back into history and not into our time.
This book by the son of poets Gumilev and Achmatova probably was not translated. It is very popular and interesting book. I am trying to find out if it is available in English.

A friend gave me an audio version of this book in Russian. There are many things about Russian history that I didn't know. For example, Russians were so to say created by Slavic tribes and German tribe that was very aggressive and tried to conquer slaves. They were at the head of most Russians ancient cities. . Also there is a mixture of Mongolian blood in many Russians. May be author thinks that this is why Russians were more so to say aggressive than other Slavic nations because of that mixture of blood.  But I don't really know. I wish I could read this book and not only listen to it.
Also I did not know that Jews participated in silk trade with China. I learned that Jews lived together with other tribes in Caspian Sea. They did not mix with tribe that is called Chasars in Russian because Chasars considered the offspring to be Chassar by father's line and Jews only accepted children as they own based on the mother's nationality. Jews were military leaders in that Caspian Sea region and they also dominated in trade with China.

I have not finished listening to this book, but I recommend to people who are interested in history and unorthodox view of it this book by Gumilev.

Also I just finished Victor Pelevin's book called Chapaev and Emptiness. I read it in Russian. Many of Pelevin's books have been translated, but this is his new book. He got Small Booker Prize for a novel Omon Ra and Life of insects in 1994.
I liked this book very much. With time the reader understands that the hero is in asylum. The book is influenced by Dostoevsky of course. Also there are many similarities between times of New Economic Politic in the 1920s in Russia and period after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I hope they will translate this book too.
Chapaev is a well known civil war hero (a commissar). But people really don't know much about him. He was a cartoon character created by communist for propaganda purposes. All people know about him is that he was a commissar and then he was running away from some White soldiers and drowned while swimming across the river.

[mn dave]

Ian Fleming - DR. NO

[Kullervo]

Hope it's more interesting than the movie. 

[Drasko]

Also I just finished Victor Pelevin's book called Chapaev and Emptiness. I read it in Russian. Many of Pelevin's books have been translated, but this is his new book. He got Small Booker Prize for a novel Omon Ra and Life of insects in 1994.
I liked this book very much. With time the reader understands that the hero is in asylum. The book is influenced by Dostoevsky of course. Also there are many similarities between times of New Economic Politic in the 1920s in Russia and period after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I hope they will translate this book too.

It has been translated into English (among other languages) and even more than once. Only the English translators didn't stick with original title, didn't even stick with one title - you can find it either as Buddha's Little Finger or The Clay Machine-gun.

[mn dave]

Hope it's more interesting than the movie. 

I'm reading the Bonds in order. So far, they've all been more interesting than the movies.

I don't think you go for this stuff anyway, do you? 

[Kullervo]

I'm reading the Bonds in order. So far, they've all been more interesting than the movies.

I don't think you go for this stuff anyway, do you? 

Not really, but I've seen nearly all the Bonds. I just happened to watch Dr. No a few days ago. 

[ezodisy]

Victor Pelevin's Life of insects

I've read this

[orbital]

Toole is funny, almost at the level of Gaddis with his oddball characters.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Toole is funny, almost at the level of Gaddis with his oddball characters.

Read it in the 1980s, when the dead author's mother had finally interested a publisher. My cousin often compared me to Ignatius J. Reilly, as I was as unfit for ordinary life as he is.

[karlhenning]

Read it in the 1980s, when the dead author's mother had finally interested a publisher. My cousin often compared me to Ignatius J. Reilly, as I was as unfit for ordinary life as he is.

Speaking of "unfit for ordinary life" . . . did you have a chance to revisit Out in the Sun? 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Speaking of "unfit for ordinary life" . . . did you have a chance to revisit Out in the Sun? 

Erm... no. And I'll tell you why. New member Living_Stradivarius lured me to a video chat on CMG, with a British violin historian. It lasted 1.5 hours. He played several '78 records of, to me, unknown violinists from the first half of the last century, telling us all kinds of interesting things about the musicians, the piece et cetera.... It was fascinating.

So Out in the Sun will get a belated outing tomorrow, Karl.

[tr. pianist]

Thank you, Drasko for giving me Pelevin's titles of Chapaev and emptiness. I would never guess.

ezodisy, I only read one Pelevin's book. I did not read Life of insects.

The clay machine gun was good (I read it in Russian). Russians would recognize a lot from the Soviet ideology and comparison between 1920s and now. May be it is not as interesting for people in the West. I don't really know.

Thank you for your replies.


Does anyone knows if Gumilev's Rus and Russians was granslated. They tell me that he has theory how the light moves to different region and people there become more active and even agressive. How the light moves from place to place and humans develop. I don't understand that theory, but I would like to read about it.

I am still trying to listen to the book, but I prefer to read it rather than listen. My Russian friends tell me that Gumilev has a unique approach to human history.

[orbital]

Read it in the 1980s, when the dead author's mother had finally interested a publisher. My cousin often compared me to Ignatius J. Reilly, as I was as unfit for ordinary life as he is.

Now that you are -assumingly- not anymore  , have you read Gaddis at all? His (way too few  ) books generally contain similar characters whereas the situations are a bit more complicated.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Now that you are -assumingly- not anymore  , have you read Gaddis at all? His (way too few  ) books generally contain similar characters whereas the situations are a bit more complicated.

Of course I have - JR. Fascinating technique (only dialogue through hundreds of pages),.

[orbital]

Of course I have - JR. Fascinating technique (only dialogue through hundreds of pages),.

That has to be the single funniest book I've read (A Frolic of His Own being a close second). Too bad he did not live to write more

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

That has to be the single funniest book I've read (A Frolic of His Own being a close second). Too bad he did not live to write more

Well, the books he did manage to write are mostly huge and very ambitious. Gaddis is an uncompromising writer. What I find almost magical about his way of writing is the fact that you can see so much purely through dialogue. He really erects a theatre on the page. He does everything through voices. Very musical, too.

[mn dave]

GRIMUS - Salman Rushdie

[mn dave]

That has to be the single funniest book I've read (A Frolic of His Own being a close second). Too bad he did not live to write more

Have you read Vonnegut?

[SonicMan46]

The Discovery of Mankind: Atlantic Encounters in the Age of Columbus (2008) by David Abulafia - just getting back to this book after a few weeks of diversions w/ others, including the one discussed in the Vincent d'Indy thread - the emphasis of this writing is the 'interaction' of these different cultures - if interested in this history & era, check out the short but concise review HERE -