What are you currently reading?

[Mandryka]

A sort of cross between Tristram Shandy and Gargantua.

[vers la flamme]

I'm somewhere in the middle of Great Expectations. Paused to start GGM's Of Love and Other Demons. Dark and decadent as all hell, it seems like GGM's attempt to give Joris-Karl Huysmans a run for his money.

[vers la flamme]

Continuing my GGM binge with a reread of One Hundred Years of Solitude. I was in high school when I first read this, ten years ago or so. It's a great book, though my youthful enthusiasm may have waned somewhat. I definitely don't agree with William Kennedy's ridiculous assertion which adorns the back cover:

One Hundred Years of Solitude is the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race... Mr. García Márquez has done nothing less than to create in the reader a sense of all that is powerful, meaningful, and meaningless in life.

... but maybe that's due to my aversion to the concept of "required reading". Anyway, I'm only a quarter of the way into it and we'll see how my opinion changes throughout the rest of the book.

[Florestan]

One Hundred Years of Solitude is the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race...

A strong contender for the stupidest hyperbole ever. 

[vers la flamme]

I started yesterday William L. Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I must say I am pretty ignorant on the subject, though it is one I have always had a morbid fascination with. However, it's such a massive book that I have no idea whether I'll ever finish it.

[LKB]

I started yesterday William L. Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I must say I am pretty ignorant on the subject, though it is one I have always had a morbid fascination with. However, it's such a massive book that I have no idea whether I'll ever finish it.

What l do with such imposing works is find the " tasty bits ", and read those first. That will usually generate enough motivation to finish the entire edifice, particularly if taken in " bite-sized " portions. 

[SimonNZ]

I started yesterday William L. Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I must say I am pretty ignorant on the subject, though it is one I have always had a morbid fascination with. However, it's such a massive book that I have no idea whether I'll ever finish it.

Shirer is such a great writer I'll wager it goes faster than you expect. I read his equally fat book on the fall of the French Third republic fairly recently, and it might well have been the best book I read that year, and imo deserves to be as well known as his Third Reich work (which I read in my 20s and am now planning a reread).

I'd also highly recommend Richard Evens recent 3-volume series on the subject.

[BWV 1080]

I started yesterday William L. Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I must say I am pretty ignorant on the subject, though it is one I have always had a morbid fascination with. However, it's such a massive book that I have no idea whether I'll ever finish it.

Although it's a bit dated, for one being written before the Goebbels diaries were found. Volker Ulrich's 2 volume Hitler bio or Adam Tooze's analysis of the Nazi Economy are the gold standard on the topic

[SimonNZ]

Although it's a bit dated, for one being written before the Goebbels diaries were found.

I'd push back on that a little. Average history books by average historians become dusty and disposable pretty quickly, but the best retain a unique voice with unique perspectives that remain timeless. And further evidence tends to reinforce them rather than contradict or show them lacking.

Shirer also has the unique perspective of being both the first and most voracious reseacher let into the Reich archives, and of personally knowing most of the main actors in his role as reporter (that later informs the clarity and readability you might not expect from the former.)

I can also attest that his fall of France book still betters anything written recently. The use of the most testimony and sources to create a granular near minute by minute you-are-there narrative next to high academic standards was and is an astonishing achievement. And, again, it weaves in firsthand experience.

[vers la flamme]

Although it's a bit dated, for one being written before the Goebbels diaries were found. Volker Ulrich's 2 volume Hitler bio or Adam Tooze's analysis of the Nazi Economy are the gold standard on the topic

I'll stick it out with Shirer for a bit (so far in my reading I've noticed that he does quote a certain Goebbels diary quite extensively, covering the late '20s; I take it you are referring to his diaries of a later period?)—but you've piqued my interest in the Volker Ullrich bio. It looks great.

I'm about ~150 pages in. My inclination is to disagree with Shirer's thesis that Hitler and the rise of the Nazi Party represent a logical continuation of German history and thought up to that point. (I'm paraphrasing, but what he said was something quite close to that.) But I am enjoying the writing; it's a page turner, especially for an old history book.

[BWV 1080]

I'll stick it out with Shirer for a bit (so far in my reading I've noticed that he does quote a certain Goebbels diary quite extensively, covering the late '20s; I take it you are referring to his diaries of a later period?)—but you've piqued my interest in the Volker Ullrich bio. It looks great.

I'm about ~150 pages in. My inclination is to disagree with Shirer's thesis that Hitler and the rise of the Nazi Party represent a logical continuation of German history and thought up to that point. (I'm paraphrasing, but what he said was something quite close to that.) But I am enjoying the writing; it's a page turner, especially for an old history book.

My understanding is that some of the diaries were available earlier, but the bulk was discovered by David Irving (yes that David Irving)  in a Soviet archive in 1992

[Florestan]

My inclination is to disagree with Shirer's thesis that Hitler and the rise of the Nazi Party represent a logical continuation of German history and thought up to that point. (I'm paraphrasing, but what he said was something quite close to that.)

Well, with respect to anti-semitism, Luther and Hitler share much more than the final letters of their name...

[Mandryka]

Well, with respect to anti-semitism, Luther and Hitler share much more than the final letters of their name...

Yes that's true but anti semitism at the time was quite widespread in Europe - not a German specific thing, and not confined to countries with a strong Lutheran tendency either.

Anyway, you'll be pleased to know I am reading the following

[Florestan]

I am reading the following

Magnifique, mon cher!

[Florestan]

Any Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013) fans in the house? 

Clash of the Titans (1981) - partial cast below w/ Olivier as Zeus (check link for much more) - loved this stop-action film for years (esp. when Judi Bowker emerges from her bath toward the end -  ) - below is an IMDB listing of Ray's films ranked by their system - I've seen most of these movies and own about 8 or so - comments and favorites?  Dave

 

Wrong thread, Dave. 

[SonicMan46]

Wrong thread, Dave. 

Thanks Andrei - will repost in the right place!  Dave

[LKB]

Magnifique, mon cher!

Yes that's true but anti semitism at the time was quite widespread in Europe - not a German specific thing, and not confined to countries with a strong Lutheran tendency either.

Anyway, you'll be pleased to know I am reading the following

The Spleen of Paris...

Hard pass!

[Florestan]

The Spleen of Paris...

Hard pass!

Why?

[LKB]

Why?

It's a joke... and not.

The joke is obvious:

" The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes from Ancient Greek σπλήν. " ( From Wikipedia )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spleen

The non-joke: My only visit to France in 1983 was not fun, and l was unable to escape for seven days.

[Florestan]

My only visit to France in 1983 was not fun, and l was unable to escape for seven days.

I'm truly sorry to hear that. I lived in France for almost two years and I have very fond memories of that extended sojourn. Great country history-, art- and landscape-wise, beautiful language which I speak fluently, exquisite cuisine, excellent wines and beers, joie de vivre and on top of them all I was young and madly in love --- I greatly relished the whole experience and I will jump at the next opportunity to visit France again, especially Grenoble, where I was based.