What are you currently reading?

[Karl Henning]

Reading (not for the first time) a novel in manuscript by @Cato :
The Seven Souls of Chaos — A Center of the Universe. Several children begin their loose skein of mutual association as they enter school in Dayton, Ohio.

During Roberta's last year at St Mary's the woman ["old Ellie"] had inadvertently caused her some anxiety. "Oh, Roberta, y'know what? You might knock here some day and I'll be dead! Heee-heeee, y'never know, y'never know! But it's nothin' to worry 'bout. All you do is call the police. That's all."
Roberta recalled mentioning this at the water fountain in the playground to Karen Schreiner, when James, standing behind them, decided to say that his grandparents' favorite topic was when and how they would die, and who would go first. "It drives my mom nuts. They'll even start arguing about it, all of it....

[Karl Henning]

Hi Karl!  Many thanks for revisiting this book!  A book about children, but not for children! 

It's long enough since last I read it, I had forgotten how many passages read almost like a personal recollection of my own.

[Spotted Horses]

Because I've read about it. 

One of my other favorite writers, Cormac McCarthy also lost me with his late books, The Road and the last two which were published last year. Sometimes a writer can go down a conceptual path that doesn't interest me.

Yes, we discussed that recently.

Yes, that was recently suggested to me by someone whose opinion I trust.  It takes place in New Orleans, which as a Louisianan is interesting right off the bat. But the rest of this year will be taken up with other books by him.  Maybe next year.

If you do read Mosquitos be sure to read the Library of America version, which restores cuts that were made to the original public edition because passages were considered indecent at the time.  The cuts compromised the continuity of the story. I made the mistake of reading the first edition, even though I had the LoA edition on my shelf.

[Cato]

It's long enough since last I read it, I had forgotten how many passages read almost like a personal recollection of my own.

I have been hoping that your sentiment would be echoed among editors at publishing companies.

But from various experiences I have concluded that they never read the excerpts or complete chapters: unless one has first married into their club, your book will not be considered.   

[San Antone]

If you do read Mosquitos be sure to read the Library of America version, which restores cuts that were made to the original public edition because passages were considered indecent at the time.  The cuts compromised the continuity of the story. I made the mistake of reading the first edition, even though I had the LoA edition on my shelf.

I have had the LoA editions for a while and usually those are the ones I read. 

[Florestan]

Engels' The Condition of the Working Class in England was a very informative study of just how low the living standards of workers can be driven by unscrupulous employers in an uncaring society. Appallingly low in fact, what we'd consider war crimes if carried out by an occupying foreign power. Well worth a read as a cautionary history lesson, there was no complicated political theorising.

Audiatur et altera pars.

For a completely different perspective, you and @Mandryka might want to read this as well:



It's free on archive.org (requires registration).

[DavidW]

After the recent posts I am starting to think maybe it wouldn't be too bad to have dedicated reading glasses for when I am reading.

Thanks, @vers la flamme and @AnotherSpin.  I have obtained prescription reading glasses and they make as much improvement for long-form reading as bifocals did from single vision glasses.  I can comfortably read at any font size now.  And that was without my prescription changing.  While reading something at a glance was never a problem, positioning my eyes at the right sweet spot when reading a novel was more taxing and difficult than I realized.

Also, the blue light filter is subtle enough that it is not distracting, but is easier on the eyes.

[San Antone]

You may be reacting to the feelings of Twain himself, who famously put it down and stopped writing two-thirds through because he realized that his subject matter was too tragic for his usual cheery ending. I think it was years before he picked it up again (to add the ambivalent but somewhat cheery ending).

IMO the greatest moment in American literature is the scene where Huck has to decide if he is going to turn Jim in, and chose to reject what he'd been taught his whole life, with ""All right, then, I'll go to hell".

This for me is the proper ending of the book.  I consider it "THE great American novel."

[Brian]

IMO the greatest moment in American literature is the scene where Huck has to decide if he is going to turn Jim in, and chose to reject what he'd been taught his whole life, with ""All right, then, I'll go to hell".

This for me is the proper ending of the book.  I consider it "THE great American novel."

Agreed - I wrote a whole paper about that sentence in high school 

[vers la flamme]

IMO the greatest moment in American literature is the scene where Huck has to decide if he is going to turn Jim in, and chose to reject what he'd been taught his whole life, with ""All right, then, I'll go to hell".

This for me is the proper ending of the book.  I consider it "THE great American novel."

Hemingway famously agreed with you on both counts. I really liked the whole book leading up to that bit too, and hated what came next. I hated Tom Sawyer and his stupid actions at the end of the book, though as I read Huck Finn immediately after finishing The Count of Monte Cristo I found it funny that his quixotic "prison break" of Jim was clearly inspired by his reading of that book. I don't believe in a "Great American Novel" but it certainly is a very good American novel.

[vers la flamme]

Thanks, @vers la flamme and @AnotherSpin.  I have obtained prescription reading glasses and they make as much improvement for long-form reading as bifocals did from single vision glasses.  I can comfortably read at any font size now.  And that was without my prescription changing.  While reading something at a glance was never a problem, positioning my eyes at the right sweet spot when reading a novel was more taxing and difficult than I realized.

Also, the blue light filter is subtle enough that it is not distracting, but is easier on the eyes.

Excellent to hear, I'm glad it helped! I know there is the added step of having to change glasses when you sit down to read a book, but the reduction in eye strain hopefully makes up for that.

[SimonNZ]

Started:



and considering also dipping in and out of this oral history of the Soviet/Afghan war to compliment it:

[DavidW]

Diversion removed.  I'm sorry, it started as an organic and on-topic branch... however, it ended up moving completely away from the topic at hand and was on US politics by the last post.  Please let us focus on just what we are reading.

For me it is The Brothers Karamazov, Avsey translation:

[vers la flamme]

For me it is The Brothers Karamazov, Avsey translation:

Thoughts? I have the P&V translation but the copy is beat up and needs to be replaced before a hopefully near-future reread.

[Brian]

Hemingway famously agreed with you on both counts. I really liked the whole book leading up to that bit too, and hated what came next. I hated Tom Sawyer and his stupid actions at the end of the book, though as I read Huck Finn immediately after finishing The Count of Monte Cristo I found it funny that his quixotic "prison break" of Jim was clearly inspired by his reading of that book. I don't believe in a "Great American Novel" but it certainly is a very good American novel.

We will probably all enjoy the new Percival Everett novel, James, which retells the story from Jim's perspective and apparently significantly rewrites that unsatisfying ending. Reviews have been great. I just haven't purchased a copy yet.

[DavidW]

Thoughts? I have the P&V translation but the copy is beat up and needs to be replaced before a hopefully near-future reread.

Smooth, easy-to-read, poetic translation.  I haven't read P&V in Brothers K, but I have read them in another Dostoevsky work.  They lean into his harder, choppy writing style.  P&V is more authentic but slightly harder to read.  Either would serve well and are a big step up from Constance Garnett.

[vers la flamme]

Smooth, easy-to-read, poetic translation.  I haven't read P&V in Brothers K, but I have read them in another Dostoevsky work.  They lean into his harder, choppy writing style.  P&V is more authentic but slightly harder to read.  Either would serve well and are a big step up from Constance Garnett.

Interesting, thanks. I read Constance Garnett's Crime and Punishment translation in the wintertime. I liked it a good bit, though it seemed a bit lacking in personality compared to the P&V which I'd read two or three times in the past. Going to sample a few Brothers translations before I decide which one to replace it with.

[DavidW]

Interesting, thanks. I read Constance Garnett's Crime and Punishment translation in the wintertime. I liked it a good bit, though it seemed a bit lacking in personality compared to the P&V which I'd read two or three times in the past. Going to sample a few Brothers translations before I decide which one to replace it with.

Michael Katz just came out with a new translation as well.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Michael Katz just came out with a new translation as well.

That's been my question. Which do you gents prefer, Katz or P&V?

[vers la flamme]

Michael Katz just came out with a new translation as well.

I was just looking at a copy of it at Kinokuniya in New York this morning but ultimately put it back on the shelf. It appeared to be very good.

The book I did end up getting this morning was a copy of Henry David Thoreau's Walden, which I've never yet read. Any fans here?