What are you currently reading?

[Jo498]

As opposed to Kant, who only failed in German.

His first academic language was Latin although he was among the first German academics to write all of his major works in German (there are a bunch of rather early academic dissertations in Latin). Leibniz around 1700 wrote only Latin and French. (Academic papers in many subjects were still mostly in Latin until decades later (e.g. Gauss), in Classics and related subjects until the early 20th century.)
There are some oddities in grammar which I suspect to stem from this factor but these are probably not the main problems. It's not so bad once one gets used to it (Hegel is much worse, also because his ideas are harder to understand).

Germany was almost 100 years behind e.g. Britain in this respect. I am not exactly sure why (because Luther's bible translation that brought he German language "to the people" is almost 100 years before King James) but the first great German language drama and poetry appears also only around Kant's time in the mid-late 18th century.

[Drasko]

Satantango was great and I look forward to reading more books by this writer.

I'm planning to start reading The Melancholy of Resistance. Haven't read Satantango but I've seen the film, and Werckmeister Harmonies as well.

[Karl Henning]

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[Bogey]

Started this one this morning right at dawn.  As you know, I could not have chosen a better time of the day to start this one, Miloš, and it was just by chance.

About a quarter of the way through and absolutely glued to the pages Kindle while sometimes re-reading lines as I go.  A couple that stood out so far:

"For all her chic thinness, she had an almost breakfast-cereal air of health, a soap-and-lemon cleanness, a rough pink darkening of the cheeks."

"A disquieting loneliness came into my life, but it induced no hunger for friends of longer acquaintance: they seemed now like a salt-free, sugarless diet."

[Wakefield]

I have used that same Audrey's picture as wallpaper for my Mac. 

[Karl Henning]

I don't know if I can ever bring myself to watch the movie;  but I can certainly appreciate the merits of that still 

[Bogey]

I don't know if I can ever bring myself to watch the movie;  but I can certainly appreciate the merits of that still 

By all means, feel free to judge this book by its cover.

[Karl Henning]

By all means, feel free to judge this book by its cover.

Hah!

[Bogey]

From 1940:

[Drasko]

Started this one this morning right at dawn.  As you know, I could not have chosen a better time of the day to start this one, Miloš, and it was just by chance.

About a quarter of the way through and absolutely glued to the pages Kindle while sometimes re-reading lines as I go.  A couple that stood out so far:

“For all her chic thinness, she had an almost breakfast-cereal air of health, a soap-and-lemon cleanness, a rough pink darkening of the cheeks.”

"A disquieting loneliness came into my life, but it induced no hunger for friends of longer acquaintance: they seemed now like a salt-free, sugarless diet."

I knew you'd gonna like it. Great novel, beautiful writing. Harder hitting that the movie version.

Haven't had much reading time myself last few weeks, currently at about 2/3 through Right Ho, Jeeves and maybe 1/6 through Braudel's Mediterranean, but that one is huge and I was planning to go slowly.

[Bogey]

I knew you'd gonna like it. Great novel, beautiful writing. Harder hitting that the movie version.

Haven't had much reading time myself last few weeks, currently at about 2/3 through Right Ho, Jeeves and maybe 1/6 through Braudel's Mediterranean, but that one is huge and I was planning to go slowly.

At only 110 pages, I was able to finish it in one day as I had the day off.  Agree with you on it being a bit more harder hitting.  In fact, the movie should have just followed the book.  I was sure that this would have been one of those instances where I was going to like the movie more, but after a day of reflection the book is superior IMO.

[Karl Henning]

Dreaming of Babylon

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[Wakefield]

At only 110 pages, I was able to finish it in one day as I had the day off.  Agree with you on it being a bit more harder hitting.  In fact, the movie should have just followed the book.  I was sure that this would have been one of those instances where I was going to like the movie more, but after a day of reflection the book is superior IMO.

In this case I prefer to say the same of my signature. 

Seriously, I think some changes were necessary to do a commercial movie. For instance, to hide and soften the professional activities of Holly. Additionally, her Southern origins don't fit very well with Audrey's persona.

To follow more faithfully the book, Holly should have been performed by Marilyn, as Truman Capote originally wanted. Probably had been a wonderful choice, too. 

[Bogey]

In this case I prefer to say the same of my signature. 

Seriously, I think some changes were necessary to do a commercial movie. For instance, to hide and soften the professional activities of Holly. Additionally, her Southern origins don't fit very well with Audrey's persona.

To follow more faithfully the book, Holly should have been performed by Marilyn, as Truman Capote originally wanted. Probably had been a wonderful choice, too. 

I believe the start of the book about her being photographed in Africa and the ending of the book would have played well in the movie.  But then again, I am a sucker for not so perfect endings.

[Wakefield]

I believe the start of the book about her being photographed in Africa and the ending of the book would have played well in the movie.  But then again, I am a sucker for not so perfect endings.

This recalls me Capote's unfinished novel Answered Prayers, a true page-turner... and yes, the perfectly closed romantic ending of the movie is a bit artificial.

[Karl Henning]

I think we exchanged comments on Brautigan a little while back when I reconnected with this sweet spot from my past.

The artful simplicity always draws me in.

[North Star]

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That snippet at FB certainly made me add that to my wishlist.

Thread duty: My portable holiday library.

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[Drasko]

At only 110 pages, I was able to finish it in one day as I had the day off.  Agree with you on it being a bit more harder hitting.  In fact, the movie should have just followed the book.  I was sure that this would have been one of those instances where I was going to like the movie more, but after a day of reflection the book is superior IMO.

I agree that the novel is superior, but I like the movie as well.

Seriously, I think some changes were necessary to do a commercial movie. For instance, to hide and soften the professional activities of Holly. Additionally, her Southern origins don't fit very well with Audrey's persona.

Agreed, doubt that more closer to the book movie could have happened. The Hays Code was still in place and some of novel's themes would never have flied unless massively toned down. Also some aspects of novel's structure, like the narrator as mere observer as written by Capote would have never worked on screen. I think hey did a good job by turning him into protagonist and foil for Holy. Even though it's heavily romanticized and lots of the actual story altered the movie works for me, the new romantic story is well plotted, if bit sentimental at the end, Audrey Hepburn is incandescent and most of Capote's finest dialogue has been picked up verbatim. 

[Wakefield]

Agreed, doubt that more closer to the book movie could have happened. The Hays Code was still in place and some of novel's themes would never have flied unless massively toned down. Also some aspects of novel's structure, like the narrator as mere observer as written by Capote would have never worked on screen. I think hey did a good job by turning him into protagonist and foil for Holy. Even though it's heavily romanticized and lots of the actual story altered the movie works for me, the new romantic story is well plotted, if bit sentimental at the end, Audrey Hepburn is incandescent and most of Capote's finest dialogue has been picked up verbatim.

Full agreement.

I always wonder if, for instance, 40 or 50 years ahead, some cinephiles will love some actresses of the present as much as we love people like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman and so, or if the 50s and 60s were simply a "golden age." I'm quite inclined to accept the last response as true.

[Bogey]

Full agreement.

I always wonder if, for instance, 40 or 50 years ahead, some cinephiles will love some actresses of the present as much as we love people like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman and so, or if the 50s and 60s were simply a "golden age." I'm quite inclined to accept the last response as true.

That might have been special.  Here is a shot of her that may have been for the later part of the movie:



And do not get me started on Mancini's brilliant score for the film.