What are you currently reading?

[Florestan]

Hesse was probably the one author that led me to serious literature (from Hesse to Thomas Mann and so forth) but I've admittedly neglected him for the past few years.

He's one of my favourite authors, not only for "The Glass Bead Game", but also --- and even more --- for "Narcissus and Goldmund", "Steppenwolf" and "Journey to the East".

[Kullervo]

He's one of my favourite authors, not only for "The Glass Bead Game", but also --- and even more --- for "Narcissus and Goldmund", "Steppenwolf" and "Journey to the East".

Yes, those (excepting Steppenwolf... still haven't got to it) and Siddhartha were a huge influence on my interest in literature.

[Florestan]

Yes, those (excepting Steppenwolf... still haven't got to it) and Siddhartha were a huge influence on my interest in literature.

As far as I'm concerned, he certainly deserves his Nobel Prize. 

[SonicMan46]

A History of Western Music, 8th Ed. (2010) by Burkholder, Grout, & Palisca (latter two deceased) - this is basically a 'college text' that I've been buying intermittently - this is my third purchase (last one was the 4th edition from 1988) - looks like a FUN update; of course, a lot more 'online' sources and 'listening' options as one reads the text - just arrived today, so will report later; unfortunately, I went to the Norton site for this book (includes outlines, quizzes, listening options) but will not be ready until May!   

[Benji]

As far as I'm concerned, he certainly deserves his Nobel Prize. 

I was looking at his volume of modern fairy tales that was recently released, but the reviews have mostly focussed on the poor translations. Do you know anything of this?

[Lethevich]

Perhaps too lightweight - even for Thames & Hudson it is quite brief in the face of its scope. However, it is highly informative, which is why I keep buying things from this great publisher. Due to the (relative) age of the text as well as its brevity, it demands to be read alongside more specific books, but as an introduction to a longer path of reading it is ideal.

[Diletante]

Hey, what a coincidence!

You guys are talking about Hesse and a couple of days ago I picked up his "Unterm Rad" from my local German/French library.

I have had only limited experience with Hesse, having only read "Siddharta" in a Spanish translation.

I'm now reading "Unterm Rad" in German, trying not to use a dictionary (even so, it's slow, though). I'm halfway through the second chapter.

[Florestan]

I was looking at his volume of modern fairy tales that was recently released, but the reviews have mostly focussed on the poor translations. Do you know anything of this?

I'm afraid I can't be of any help. I have that volume in Romanian since this is my mother tongue, but haven't read it yet. I can comment neither on the fairy tales themselves, nor on the English translation. 

[Kullervo]

Joseph Roth's 1002nd Night was excellent. He portrays a broad cross-section of the old Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy (Musil's Kakania ), and all the beauty, decay, delight and corruption that was the beginning of the 20th Century. The scope of time and the fleshing out of characters is remarkably achieved in such a small space. I look forward to reading more of him.

Starting now:

[Florestan]

Joseph Roth's 1002nd Night was excellent. He portrays a broad cross-section of old the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy (Musil's Kakania ), and all the beauty, decay, delight and corruption that was the beginning of the 20th Century. The scope of time and the fleshing out of characters is remarkably achieved in such a small space. I look forward to reading more of him.

You might try "The Radetzky March". It's in the same vein.

[Kullervo]

You might try "The Radetzky March". It's in the same vein.

Oh definitely, I intend to. In fact I was looking for that in particular but my library doesn't seem to have it.

[Benji]

I'm afraid I can't be of any help. I have that volume in Romanian since this is my mother tongue, but haven't read it yet. I can comment neither on the fairy tales themselves, nor on the English translation. 

Then in the spirit of adventure, i'll just have to read it myself. Darn it. 

[Kullervo]

Starting now:

Had to stop reading this. Just can't keep my interest.

Starting this instead:

[Dr. Dread]

[Dr. Dread]

Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews - Edited by Jonathan Cott

Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

And both of these were great reads.

[Bu]

[Dr. Dread]

Awesome. Have you read Pop. 1280 and The Killer Inside Me?

[bhodges]

The basis for one of my favorite films, directed by Stephen Frears!  Not to digress from the thread topic, but I just saw it again recently and found it hugely entertaining, yet again.  The three leads--Anjelica Huston, John Cusack and Annette Bening--all have a magnificently nasty good time outfoxing each other.

--Bruce

[Bu]

Awesome. Have you read Pop. 1280 and The Killer Inside Me?

Indeedie.  Haven't read the former, but saw a great film noir adaptation renamed "Coup de Torchon" by the French director Tavernier.  After watching him praise Thompson in a special feature commentary on the dvd, I went out and found the only book of Thompson's I could find at a local bookstore, and that was The Killer Inside Me--which is easily among my favorite pulp novels.  Lou Ford, what a guy, huh?  

The Grifters has been gripping so far; hope to find and read more Thompson.  

And Bruce, would love to see the movie version of The Grifters, too!   

[bhodges]

And Bruce, would love to see the movie version of The Grifters, too!   

It's well worth a viewing (or two, since when it's over you sort of want to see it again, knowing what you now know).  The three leads have great chemistry together, and the scams they pull (which I assume are taken from the book)...   

--Bruce