Eliz_M contemplates Life, the Universe, and Everything

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Eliz_M contemplates Life, the Universe, and Everything

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1ELiz_M
Modifié : Avr 1, 2017, 2:21 pm

In real life I generally go by Liz. I am still a relative new member of Club Read; this will be my third year. I keep up with all your threads, although I rarely comment and I am delighted to have found so many individuals with wide-ranging reading habits and writers of thoughtful reviews!

I currently live in Brooklyn -- been there long enough to call myself a New Yorker -- but I grew up and attended college in MN and still consider myself a Midwesterner at heart. I moved out East for grad school and now I work at a performing arts venue in a logistics/management capacity. Sundays are usually reserved for cooking a week's worth of food and I also bake cookies as a way to relax and so may occasionally post a recipe or two in Club Cucina. Lately I have been spending a fair amount of free time at the Met Museum (I'm trying to visit every room -- there are 492 of them), and will post images of the favorite object from each room.



Hortensia by Fernand Khnopff

Obviously, I love reading. I have been working my way through the 1001 list for many years but also, thanks to Club Read and my book club, read quite a few other classics and contemporary literary novels as well. I don't particularly enjoy writing and am perpetually behind on reviews in my thread, but I appreciate having a space and a reason to contemplate a little about what I've read rather than mindlessly moving on to the next book.

2ELiz_M
Modifié : Juil 8, 2017, 8:03 am

Currently Reading:
The Fruits of the Earth

LT adds to the TBR:
The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt (recommended by The_Hibernator )
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit (recommended by RidgewayGirl )
Shrill by Lindy West (recommended by Bragan )

3ELiz_M
Modifié : Avr 17, 2017, 8:26 am

2016 stats:

Books read/listened: 82
paper/ebook: 76
total pages read: 24,871
ave. # pages: 327
audio: 6

1001-list-books: 38 (46.3%)
Female Authors: 24 (29.2%)
In Translation: 30 (36.6%)
Non-fiction: 12!

Pre-1800: 11 (13.4%)
1800s: 11 (13.4%)
1900-1949: 11 (13.4%)
1950-1999: 28 (34.1%)
2000s: 21 (25.6%)

Libe books: 30 (37%)
Owned-pre-2016: 37 (45%)
Bought & read: 15 (18%)

Bought-2016: 80

4ELiz_M
Modifié : Avr 17, 2017, 8:27 am

2017 goals & projects:

Read more books from the owned-tbr than from other sources

At least 70% of books written by non white, straight men

At least 50% of 1001 list books

Read at least 10 non-fiction books

GR International Reading: Under the Yoke, Promise at Dawn, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, The Return of Philip Latinowicz, An African in Greenland, Men of Maize, Beka Lamb

KJV - chronological reading plan (picking up from where I left off in 2015....)
Maybe one of the books recommended by dchaikin

The Teaching Company, Great Courses: The Old Testament / Professor Amy-Jill Levine
The Teaching Company, Great Courses: The New Testament / Professor Bart D. Ehrman

5ELiz_M
Modifié : Mar 9, 2017, 8:35 pm

First Quarter Reading Ideas:

Extreme Reading:
Big Books: The First Circle* (580), Eline Vere* (523), At Swim, Two Boys* (562), Your Face Tomorrow, Volume 3: Poison, Shadow, and Farewell* (546)
Baby Books: Limassol (165), The Invention of Morel* (103), Hill* (112), A Month in the Country* (135), Matigari (148), The Member of the Wedding* (163), Nausea* (178), The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born* (183), The Garden of the Finzi-Continis* (200), Tyrant Banderas* (200), All Souls (210), Young Törless* (217), Back (218), Spring Torrents* (239), The Last World* (246), Eugenie Grandet* (248)

LT Reading Globally (Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg): The Lion of Flanders, Pallieter, Memoirs of Hadrian*, The Deadbeats, The Sorrow of Belgium, Camera Obscura, Max Havelaar, The Quest, Eline Vere*, The Garden Where the Brass Band Played, Back to Oegstgeest, Gimmick!, The Laws, The Discovery of Heaven*, All Souls Day

January:
Real-life book club: Hillbilly Elegy
GR Classic Door-stop: Dombey and Son
GR AE (Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland): The Ice Palace, The Red Room, Gösta Berling’s Saga, The Christmas Oratorio, The Book about Blanche and Marie, Growth of the Soil*, The Birds*, The Unknown Soldier, The Manila Rope
LT 1001 Book: Cranford

February:
Real-life book club: Too Much Happiness
GR Non-fiction: The Secret History of Wonder Woman, Dark Money
GR AE (UK, Ireland, Channel Islands): Under the Net*, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page*, The Golden Notebook*, To the North, Indigo, Quartet in Autumn, At Swim, Two Boys*
LT 1001 Book: All Quiet on the Western Front

March:
Real-life book club: Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem
GR Themed:
GR AE (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein): Dog Years*, The Magic Mountain*, The Afternoon of a Writer, Doctor Faustus*, Young Törless*, The Last World*
LT 1001 Book: The Feast of the Goat

Key:
strike through book linked - A book I read this year
strike through - A book I have read before and don't plan to reread
book linked - A book I am thinking of reading for the relevant group/challenge/theme
book title - A book that I haven't read and currently don't plan to read
* - A book I own (paper copy)

6ELiz_M
Modifié : Juin 25, 2017, 8:21 am

Second Quarter Reading Ideas:

RT Challenge: Matigari, Judas, The Fruits of the Earth, The Birds, The Vegetarian, Heartbreak Tango, Fifth Business, Mohawk Trail, The Devil's Highway

Extreme Reading:
Big Books: The First Circle* (580), Eline Vere* (523), At Swim, Two Boys* (562), Your Face Tomorrow, Volume 3: Poison, Shadow, and Farewell* (546), Doctor Faustus*
Baby Books: The Left-Handed Woman (49), Limassol (165), The Invention of Morel* (103), Hill* (112), A Month in the Country* (135), Matigari (148), The Member of the Wedding* (163), Nausea* (178), The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born* (183), The Garden of the Finzi-Continis* (200), Tyrant Banderas* (200), Young Törless* (217), Back (218), Spring Torrents* (239), The Last World* (246), Eugenie Grandet* (248)

April:
Real-life book club: Monument Road by Charlie Quimby
GR Classic Victorian: Jude the Obscure
GR AE (Russia): Spring Torrents*, The Artamonov Business, The Life of Insects
LT 1001 Book: The Good Soldier Svejk*

May:
Real-life book club: The Arcanum by Janet Gleeson
GR Literary Prize: Homegoing
GR AE (Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova): Insatiability, Ashes and Diamonds*
LT 1001 Book: Spring Torrents*

June:
Real-life book club: Crime and Punishment
GR Non-Fiction: The Devil's Highway
GR AE (Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia): Iza's Ballad*, Under the Yoke, The Castle, Celestial Harmonies
LT 1001 Book: Memoirs of Hadrian*

----------------

July:
Real-life book club: n/a
GR Classic: Paradise Lost
GR AE (France, Monaco, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxumboug): Nausea*
LT 1001 Book: Charterhouse of Parma*

Key:
strike through book linked - A book I read this year
strike through - A book I have read before and don't plan to reread
book linked - A book I am thinking of reading for the relevant group/challenge/theme
book title - A book that I haven't read and currently don't plan to read
* - A book I own (paper copy)

7NanaCC
Déc 28, 2016, 2:32 pm

I always look forward to your museum pictures, Liz. You are very lucky to go so often.

8ELiz_M
Déc 28, 2016, 3:42 pm

>7 NanaCC: Thanks for stopping by! The easy access to museum-going makes up for only being able to afford to live in a shoebox. ;)

9dchaikin
Déc 28, 2016, 4:30 pm

If I had to live in shoe-box, I wouldn't mind it in NYC. You're always reading terrific books - notable books on the 1001 list that I have never previously heard of. Look forward to following you path this year.

10ELiz_M
Modifié : Déc 29, 2016, 6:26 pm

>9 dchaikin: Thanks! I hope continue enjoying reading from the 1001 list in 2017 -- hopefully better than the last quarter of 2016, where I didn't like my choices much.

11ELiz_M
Modifié : Jan 1, 2017, 12:47 pm



A quick stop between NYE part 2 and part 3. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

12NanaCC
Jan 1, 2017, 10:19 am

Great picture! Happy New Year!

13Simone2
Jan 1, 2017, 10:36 am

Happy New Year Liz! I am looking forward to your sharp reviews again (especially regarding the 1001 list of which you have read so many that you have almost always read the ones I start, so I often find out what you thought about it before starting it myself), and your posts about the Met. I find them very inspiring. Last but not leest, thanks for all your tips about NYC; I had a great holiday there last November!

14ELiz_M
Jan 1, 2017, 1:09 pm

>12 NanaCC: Thanks for stopping by!

>13 Simone2: I am so glad you had a good NYC holiday! If I ever get to go on a work trip or vacation to Amsterdam, I will definitely be asking your advice. ;)

15ursula
Jan 1, 2017, 2:12 pm

Ah I see that being from MN originally, you know snow!

It got easier for me to post about the books I read when I quit thinking of them as reviews and more as "thoughts" about the book. I don't feel pressured to try to be all things to all people, which is what I felt like a "real" review should be. Not that I don't still get behind! :)

Love that photo of the bridge and fireworks.

16AlisonY
Jan 1, 2017, 3:46 pm

Look forward to your 2017 reads!

17PaulCranswick
Jan 1, 2017, 8:19 pm

>11 ELiz_M: That is very eye-catching, Liz.

I have starred your thread and am looking forward to keep up with your reading. I have a tendency over at the 75ers to get carried away and post a little, erm, overly (250 posts on my thread there already in 2017!) but I want the Club Read group thread to be a little bit more reflective.

Happy new year. xx

18The_Hibernator
Jan 1, 2017, 9:15 pm

19ELiz_M
Jan 2, 2017, 10:09 pm

I wish I could take credit for the photo, but it is a from google image search.

>15 ursula: My usual comment about snow/cold is that I have had my lifetime allotment and I don't want to be cold ever again.

>16 AlisonY:, >17 PaulCranswick:, >18 The_Hibernator: Thanks for stopping by!

20arubabookwoman
Jan 3, 2017, 1:43 pm

Hi Elizabeth--I'm looking forward to following your reading again this year, especially your 1001 books. I am going to try to be more mindful of the 1001 list this year when I choose books to read.

21DieFledermaus
Jan 7, 2017, 6:24 pm

Love the El Greco! Looking forward to your reading and museum reports.

I loved In the First Circle, but I read it in 2008; I think there is a new, more complete translation now.

22janemarieprice
Jan 13, 2017, 1:50 pm

Just stopping by to say hi and leave my star. That El Greco is one of my favorite all time paintings.

23ELiz_M
Jan 14, 2017, 7:17 am

>20 arubabookwoman: Thanks for stopping by!

>21 DieFledermaus: yes, the two versions and the difference between them has generated some discussion over in the 1001 group.

>22 janemarieprice: ~waves hello~ It is a wonderful painting -- difficult to walk past without stopping to drink it in.

24ELiz_M
Modifié : Jan 21, 2017, 8:21 am

I made my first Met Museum visit of the year last week, as I had something to sort out with the membership desk. When home for Christmas, I was telling Mum about various museum visits and how much I enjoyed the Met membership and wished I could afford a MoMA membership. Mum, wanting do a little something extra nice for me mis-remembered the conversation and bought me a membership to the Met. So I had to stop by to ensure they extended my current membership rather than the two running concurrently; apparently this happens all the time. And since I won't need to extend the Met membership later this year and MoMA was having a sale on memberships, I treated myself to one there as well. :)

The first stop was a gallery in the Greek-Roman wing, tucked away behind a staircase. The jewelry was exquisite, but I was completely charmed with "Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer". Every once in a while, it boggles the mind that 2250 years ago artisans were able to create stunning works out of bronze/marble/precious metals. I am most drawn to modern art -- impressionism and forward, so I typically pop into that wing if I go by it. I love the colors and the "fuzziness" (not the word I want, but it will have to do) of Chagall's "Lovers among Lilacs".
. .
Then on my way to the next gallery, I walked right by the Met's Christmas tree. I knew they had one and did a tree lighting ceremony, but I hadn't realized how huge it is and that it is decorated with gorgeous baroque ornaments. A pleasant surprise. :)

I've said this before and will probably say it every time I visit one of these rooms, but I am astonished at the craftsmanship involved in dismantling and reassembling entire rooms from foreign locales into a Met gallery. The photo is deceptive -- visitors enter through the door visible in the picture so I did not get quite as good a look at the stove and spent more time gazing at the extremely ornate carving.
.
And finally I popped up to the American Wing, to the gallery featuring works by John Singleton Copley. I loved the poise of this young sailor about to embark on his first commission and learning a little about who he was -- I enjoy the Met App which allows free access to the various clips in the Met's audio guide. This particular narrator was having a bit of fun and kept reminding the viewers to watch out for other visitors as the gallery is on the crossroads between different wings/exit. And I appreciated the nudge as I did almost walk backwards into a gentleman with a cane.


ETA: I will, eventually, review books. I started the year reading multiple books and am STILL reading In the First Circle. But I have finished another book! And will post about it soon, I hope.

25RidgewayGirl
Jan 14, 2017, 8:32 am

How wonderful to have memberships to both museums! I had memberships to the Pinotheken (all of the large art museums) in Munich, as well as the Lenbachhaus and the Haus der Kunst and what ended up happening was that I spent 90% of my time keeping up with the special exhibitions that looked interesting. I don't regret those choices, but I definitely left rooms unexplored.

26DieFledermaus
Jan 14, 2017, 6:28 pm

Loved the museum pics! Certainly an impressive statue. Glad you were able to solve the museum membership mixup.

27ELiz_M
Modifié : Jan 19, 2017, 7:58 am

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance, pub 2016
Finished 1/10/2017



J.D. grew up in Middleton, Ohio, once a bustling factory town, identifying as a grandson of two "hillbillies" that moved there from Kentucky's Appalachia mountains. His memoir, and his life, has three stages -- childhood in Ohio, young adulthood in the marines, and adulthood adapting to the dominant "elite" society.

The New Yorker review of this piece states that his memoir is really an immigrant story, the story of changing the customs of the parents "foreign" culture for that of American norms. And many of the questions raised are the age-old questions of assimilation -- how does one balance retaining connections to their customs while changing their speech and their cultural outlook to the ones acceptable in the mainstream, successful culture. Vance raises many good questions -- how much of poverty is exacerbated by the poor and how much is structural? How do you help those that won't accept help? I did find myself arguing with his presentation of hillbillies, and uncomfortable about it. It's a reasonably well-written book and it does hit upon many facets of the complexity of rural poverty. But it is not the book so highly touted in the press as the answer to the current political climate. For me, the biggest problem of the book is the place of perception. Vance is reporting from a middle distance -- not close enough for the reader to feel what he felt, to be there in his upbringing, and not far enough to provide "the big picture", the context of how his upbringing fits into societal trends.

28ELiz_M
Jan 15, 2017, 8:59 am

>25 RidgewayGirl: Hopefully paying for the memberships will encourage me to make visits all year long. I do miss your museum reviews from Munich.

>26 DieFledermaus: Thanks!

29kidzdoc
Jan 18, 2017, 6:29 pm

Great review of Hillbilly Elegy, Liz. I'll read it later this year, along with several other LTers.

30ELiz_M
Jan 20, 2017, 7:39 am

>29 kidzdoc: I look forward to reading your review!

31RidgewayGirl
Jan 20, 2017, 8:02 am

>28 ELiz_M: I miss my museum reviews from Munich. Basically, I miss Munich. Enjoy the freedom to stop by for short visits whenever you have time.

And excellent review of Hillbilly Elegy. I'll probably get around to reading it someday, but not soon.

32ELiz_M
Modifié : Jan 20, 2017, 10:41 am

My college has a fairly robust alumni program and presence in NYC, considering it is a small Minnesotan liberal arts college. One of the alumni is a curator at MoMA and she hosted an a private tour of her most recent exhibit a few weeks ago. Since it was only an hour and the exhibit is huge, I took advantage of the museum's early member hours to go through it more thoroughly.

Francis Picabia (1879-1953) was an astonishing artist. His wikipedia page reads like a who's who of the art world. He never settled into a singular style, instead charging to the forefront of each new trend in art. His work encompasses impressionism, cubism, dada, surrealism, and more. There was SO MUCH to see, I had trouble choosing favorites:

.
. .
. .
.

33Simone2
Modifié : Jan 20, 2017, 9:01 am

This is all Picabia? So many different styles! I hadn't heard from him before (how can't I?) but he seems to have rather an oeuvre! Beautiful works!

34ELiz_M
Modifié : Jan 20, 2017, 10:44 am

>33 Simone2: He was astonishing! The curator hypothesized that he never became as famous as Picasso or Duchamp because he didn't settle into an iconic style and instaed was always moving to the vanguard and pushing the boundaries of art.

ETA: I replaced the duplicate image with the one that I meant to add. I can't find images for one other set of paintings, so I will be adding another picture when I've had a moment to upload my photo somewhere.

35ELiz_M
Jan 20, 2017, 10:46 am

>31 RidgewayGirl: Thanks! I do recommend the New Yorker review of Hillbilly in addition to the book, when/if you get to it.

36DieFledermaus
Jan 20, 2017, 5:48 pm

>Sounds like an impressive exhibit! It's always nice to have someone familiar with the work give a tour.

37Simone2
Jan 21, 2017, 1:32 am

>34 ELiz_M: Really interesting. I have looked up whether he is on show around here somewhere and although most of his works seem to be in North America, there are some in the Netherlands as well. Thanks for bringing him to my attention, I got really interested.

38ELiz_M
Modifié : Jan 21, 2017, 12:55 pm

>36 DieFledermaus: It really was fortunate and so amazing to be admitted to the museum after closing hours.

>37 Simone2: If I remember correctly, the curator said the museum with the largest holding of his works (or maybe it was the museum that made the largest contribution to this exhibit) is Centre Georges Pompidou. And who knows, maybe the exhibit will travel to Eruope in the near future, as so many works were borrowed from other museums.

39ELiz_M
Modifié : Jan 21, 2017, 12:55 pm

I (FINALLY) finished another book!

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



In the First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, pub. 1968 (self-censored)/1978 (restored, Russian)/2009 (restored, English translation)
Finished 1/16/2017

I read this book wrong -- at the wrong time (busy holiday season), with the wrong approach (reading it blind, rather than understanding the structure ahead of time), and at the wrong pace (only a few chapters a day for several weeks, rather than larger sections in a shorter time period).

40ELiz_M
Jan 24, 2017, 8:53 pm

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Eline Vere by Louis Couperus, pub. 1889
Finished 1/23/2017

In a way, this novel feels like an expanded Pride and Prejudice, but it is not so smooth and charming and not all the characters have a happily ever after.

41dchaikin
Jan 24, 2017, 9:24 pm

>27 ELiz_M: interesting om Hillbilly Elegy. Does anything make more sense to you now?

Regarding "the middle distance - a great description. I see him as sort of an accidental turist. He lived it without thinking about it until he has moved omn.

42dchaikin
Jan 24, 2017, 9:29 pm

Too bad The First Circle didn't work for you...but it does sound like, well, work. Enjoyed your review of Eline Vere.

43ELiz_M
Fév 18, 2017, 11:32 am

>41 dchaikin: Ooops, I read these posts a while back (at work) and neglected to respond. I don't think anything makes much sense these days :/ but I have found myself referring to Hillbilly during lunchtime conversations.

>42 dchaikin: Thanks!

44ELiz_M
Modifié : Fév 18, 2017, 11:39 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Gösta Berling's Saga by Selma Lagerlöf, pub. 1891
Finished 2/2/2017

I still do not know what to make of this novel -- the whole thing has a dreamy unreal quality leaving me with some vivid impressions, but little memory of the plot.

45ELiz_M
Modifié : Fév 18, 2017, 12:38 pm

I visited the Met mid-day Saturday and so had to choose rooms a little more off the beaten path (some of the rooms selected by the random generator were far too crowded). The first stop was the patio from the castle at Vélez Blanco, which is a beautiful setting for the display of Italian Renaissance style sculptures, including the only work by Gian Lorenzo Bernini currently on display, Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children.

. .

.

The two sculptures by Pedro de Mena, Ecce Homo & Mater Dolorosa are stunning, just beautifully crafted works. Although this may not be a typical painting displaying exactly what is meant by "a Rubenesque figure", I was captivated by his Portrait of a Woman, Probably Susanna Lunden. And yet again, the American Wing was included in the random numbers. The room I wanted wasn't open, so I ended up in another portraiture gallery, where I was struck by Gilbert Stuart's painting of Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes. Mostly due to the gorgeously rendered fabrics/costume.

. .
.

The first image isan Architectural Ensemble from a Jain Meeting Hall, which is installed above the landing of a stairway between two different gallerys. I am amused because the Met website says it is "not on view"; how they managed to un-display a fairly permanent part of the architecture I will have to see to believe. The photo does not do justice to the scope and elaborateness of the carvings. It is an installation where I really, really, really want to lie on the floor & take a photo looking straight up, but don't quite have the nerve to attempt. My last stop was in the Islamic Art section. I was initially directed to a room in which I had already spent considerable time and apparently neglected to cross off my list. So, I fouund the quietest room nearby, The Art of the Loom.

.
These four rugs were among a series hanging along one wall and made just a lovely composition:
. . .

46ELiz_M
Modifié : Fév 18, 2017, 11:36 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Under the Net by Iris Murdoch, pub. 1954
Finished 2/4/2017

The story is highly entertaining and a quick read, but it lacks the depth and the wondrous strangeness of her later works.

47ELiz_M
Modifié : Fév 18, 2017, 12:55 pm

I've also updated the images in the first post, from yet another museum visit. Next month, perhaps, I will tip the balance to have more book-reading and less art. Or at least read shorter books so more reviews are posted in-between the art.

ETA: If anyone has suggestions on where to eat, snorkel, or buy books in the Florida Keys, please let me know! :)

48dchaikin
Fév 20, 2017, 9:29 pm

Sadly I don't know much about the keys. Haven't been in a long long time. But enjoy!

Regarding your reviews, that was interesting, about Gösta Berling's Saga. And also, about this Murdoch.

49PaulCranswick
Fév 27, 2017, 11:25 pm

>46 ELiz_M: I love that slight little novel but I am caught by your comment on the "wondrous strangeness" of Murdoch's later works. Very insightful.

50ELiz_M
Mar 3, 2017, 12:13 pm

>49 PaulCranswick: I would have loved it more had i not read two better works first! And thank you.

51ELiz_M
Mar 5, 2017, 9:00 am

My last Met visit (>45 ELiz_M:) I had wanted to see a Max Beckmann exhibit, but it was too crowded. So, I had to find another day to go back:

. .
.
.

I love the colors, the vibrancy of his work.

Again, the Met assembles bautiful rooms that are difficult to capture in a photograph, like this one from the Hôtel de Cabris, Grasse (France, ca. 1775-8). And then there is a wing devoted to the Lehman Collection, which I thought was mostly modern art, but many of the tucked away rooms include older European art and lots of plateware. This portrait of Princesse de Broglie by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres is gorgeous.

.

52ELiz_M
Mar 5, 2017, 9:29 am

At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill, pub 2001
Finished 2/18/2017



Set in 1915-6 Ireland, this novel is a multi-layered coming-of-age novel. Jim is the youngest son of a struggling, bumbling widowed shop-owner, a proud British sympathizer, who is determined that his son will have the education and better life than he had. Doyler is the eldest son of a poverty-stricken family, his mother a washer-woman, his stepfather an end-stage alcoholic. He has dropped out of school in order to work and to engage in the socialist struggle. The unlikely pair, of course, renew a childhood friendship, with Doyler promising to teach Jim how to swim with their goal to swim out to Muglins rock the following Easter. But overlaying Jim's growth into adulthood is the growing pains of a country chafing at the restraints of British rule. And while the story is primarily about Jim coming to terms with religion, politics, and his homosexuality, the story is also told through the eyes of many, many more characters. We see Jim's father, Mr. Mack, and his attempts to do right going awry; Eveline MacMurrough the old-maid daughter of the local gentry upholding the family's honor by supporting the nationalist cause; her nephew Anthony MacMurrough whom she takes in after his release from an English prison, sentenced for gross indecency; we see glimpses from many other minor characters as well -- the priests, Jim's aunt, and several others.

The story is generally well-told, but some characters threads are more compelling than others. I suspect Mr. Mack's purpose was comic relief, but I missed the humor and found myself skimming those sections. It is a wonderful and explicit portrait of Jim's world -- the confusion of religion and homosexuality, Mr. Mack's contradictions between admiring the British and wanting to belong to the parish, Ms. MacMurrough's outlandish, futile gutsyness in the Nationalist cause, Doyler's rough socialism, and young MacMurrough's attempts at a cool distance. And, of course, any Irish novel focused on young men that culminates in Easter 1916 is not going to end well.

53ELiz_M
Mar 5, 2017, 12:39 pm

And now for the vacation mystery mentions:

The Torso by Helene Tursten, pub 1999
Finished 2/24/2017



#3 in the Inspector Huss series. A torso washes up on the beach and the police force must first discover the identity of the body before they can begin to solve the murder. A connection is found to a cold case in Denmark and when Irene and a co-worker are dispatched to follow up, events heat up. I enjoy these Swedish detective stories quite a bit. It is refreshing to have a protagonist with a normal life -- a chef husband, two teenage daughters, and a dog -- that isn't used as pressure point by the bad guys and still provide an eventful, tension-filled story.

.

Penguin Lost by Andrey Kurkov, pub 1996
Finished 2/27/2017



I was charmed by the fist novel, Death and the Penguin, which ended with Viktor Zolotaryov fleeing the country. Feeling guilty over his abandonment of the penguin Misha, Viktor sneaks back into the country under an alias and searches for the missing Misha in order to make amends. It is an absurd story that cannot be summarized with odd adventures and odder minor characters. However, it was not as charming as the first, mostly likely due to the absence of the penguin.

.

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbøl, pub 2008
Finished 3/1/2017



The first in the Nina Borg series. Nina is a medical care worker with a penchant of dashing off to war zones to work in dire situations. Struggling to maintain normalcy as a wife and mother in Denmark, she is forced into a dangerous situation when she agrees to collect a suitcase, unbeknownst to her containing a three-year-old boy, for a former friend. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, so weirdly there didn't seem to be much of a mystery -- the reader knows where the boy is from and all the players while Nina careens around Denmark looking for answers -- but the real purpose of his transport is not revealed until the final chapters. A vvery well-plotted story with intriguing characters.

.

The Fallen by Jassy Mackenzie, pub 2011
Finished 3/2/2017



The third in the Jade de Jong series. Jade is a private investigator whose methods are sometimes unorthodox. In this book, she has invited her boyfriend on a scuba vacation in a coastal town where an unexpected murder (and unlucky personal problem) halts any attempt at romance. The murder and subsequent investigation sets off a chain of events exposing a much bigger crime. I found it to be a decently paced mystery, although perhaps relying too much on an unrealistic coincidence. It ends in a true The Lady Or The Tiger? fashion.

.

Limassol by Yishai Sarid, pub 2000
Finished 3/2/2017



A workaholic Israeli interrogator is losing his equanimity and after an unfortunate incident, is asked to take a break from his usual duties and focus on an undercover endeavor. Posing as an aspiring mid-life writer, he befriends Dauphna, a formerly famous writer, in order to unobtrusively approach her Palestinian friend, and more importantly, his terrorist son. Not a typical spy story, the intense focus on the narrator reveals a little bit about the beseiged mindset of the security services personnel. An interesting, unique story but not compelling enough for a four-hour flight delay.

.

Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem van de Wetering, pub 1975
Finished 3/4/2017



A founder of a religious society is found hanged, but Detective-Adjutant Gripstra and Sergeant de Gier suspect he was murdered. It turns out the victim was not a likeable man and may have dabbled in drugs. As the weeks drag on, the police investigate the beautiful wife that left him, the idealist young people working for slave labor, the Paupan immigrant finding cheap housing in the society, and the crazy drug-addicted mother. After 160 plodding pages, the story culminates in an almost exciting chase over land and sea. If I didn't know the later stories are much better, I would never continue the series based on this first book.

54dchaikin
Mar 5, 2017, 1:26 pm

Welcome home. Looks like you got some reading done. Limassol caught my attention, hopefully a slight benefit to unexpected airport time.

55ELiz_M
Mar 18, 2017, 9:51 am

>54 dchaikin: You might enjoy it; not a typically mystery and there is probably more story than I was able to absorb in a less than ideal setting.

56ELiz_M
Mar 18, 2017, 10:14 am

Your Face Tomorrow: Poison, Shadow, and Farewell by Javier Marías, pub 2007
Finished 2/27/2017



The third volume of the novel. Jaime Deza left Spain after his marriage began to fall apart to work in London. He is recruited by a shady organization in the intelligence community for his sharpened perceptions, his ability to discern how an individual will react in proposed situations, to see the face they might show the world in the future. This final volume sees Jaime shaken as a result of witnessing/participating in a terrifying event orchestrated by his boss. Jaime, unsettled about his work has taken a few weeks to visit family in Spain.

The novelist is often compared to Proust due to the intense inner monologues and memory-based structure. But Marías has made the novel all his own, with the blending of a spy story and the personal, philosophical struggle with the morality of power and violence. The work is brilliant. Unfortunately, I did not read it as a single novel, but spread out over many months and found the third volume somewhat lacking the momentum and punch of the second.

57Simone2
Mar 19, 2017, 1:27 am

>56 ELiz_M: I couldn't finish it, after struggling through two installments and still not being drawn into his story. After your review I regret that I gave up but I don't know if I'll ever dare try again!

58ELiz_M
Mar 19, 2017, 7:51 am

>57 Simone2: If the second volume didn't draw you in, there is no point in struggling through the third. I suspect that reading Proust around the time I was reading this helped -- the Proust trained me to read long looping sentences and to have patience with a "plot" that is really an inner monologue full of digressions.

59Simone2
Mar 19, 2017, 1:40 pm

>58 ELiz_M: I am reading Proust now and do have the patience to read it the way it asks for. I guess Your Face Tomorrow just came too early in life!

60ELiz_M
Mar 22, 2017, 6:59 am

>59 Simone2: Or it's just not your cup of tea. :)

61baswood
Mar 22, 2017, 12:44 pm

I enjoyed Limassol well worth a read.

62ELiz_M
Avr 1, 2017, 2:24 pm

~Sigh~ I'm not sure if LT had a glitch or if I am going senile, but I swear I updated my first post a few weeks ago with the new picture (Hortensia) only to find this morning that it still showed MoMA paintings. I hope I didn't lose other information that I thought I already posted.

63ELiz_M
Modifié : Avr 2, 2017, 9:07 am

The Book of Ebenezer Le Page by G. B. Edwards, pub 1981
Finished 3/08/2017



This is a book where the back story is more interesting the novel itself. G. B. Edwards grew up on Guernsey until leaving to attend university in England. Although he didn't complete his studies, he became part of London literary circles where he became known as a writer of great promise -- the next D. H. Lawrence. But he never manages to publish a book in his lifetime. There is a wife and four children, abandoned a few years into the marriage and a somewhat intermittent life as teacher or civil working sinking into obscurity until he is "discovered" by a young art student. The student is bequeathed the novel and all all papers and records of Edwards' life are destroyed. Many, many publishers turn down the novel and it is not printed until three years after the author's death.

The novel begins with a framing device: Ebenezer Le Page, now the oldest inhabitant of Guernsey Island, on impulse has bought a blank book in which to write down the history of the island. What follows is a rambling, digressive account of this cranky old man's life. It is mostly chronological with occasional, unidentified leaps into another time/story. There are some wonderfully drawn characters and beautiful anecdotes heavily borrowed from his own life. Then there is a seemingly endless middle section where Ebenezer goes on a relative-visiting binge trying to find an agreeable heir (none are suitable, of course). And finally, there is the overly sentimental ending.

The introduction and professional reviews all praise this as a brilliant work, comparable to Proust, where life is revealed through the accumulation of details. I thought it needed an editor.


64ELiz_M
Modifié : Avr 2, 2017, 9:54 am

Another random selection of rooms at the Met Museum:

On a previous visit, I had wandered into a room that I didn't realize was a special exhibit of Korean Art. There were so many objects that I needed two visits to see everything. So many works of art, from "boring" early undecorated objects to gorgeously embellished clothing boxes to bronze statues to exquisite porcelain:

.

Then off to a Velazquez exhibit, which I found...dull. I was more taken by other Spanish Seventeenth-Century Paintings in the room, such as Jusepe de Ribera's "The Holy Family with Saints Anne and Catherine of Alexandria" (left). In a gallery of recent acquisitons in the European Paintings department, I was also enthralled by "The Lamentation" by Luis de Morales (right). For an early 16th Century painting, the colors were hyper-real and the shadows so deeply black it looked almost, graphic in a modern computerized way not captured in the image below.

.

Of course, I had to make a stop in a more modern gallery. I have known Georges Braque as a mentor and pre-cursor of Picasso, cubism in dull browns and greys. I had no idea he want through a fauvism phase (left). I was also taken by the Derain's version of Monet painting (right)
.

And no Met visit would be complete without visiting a complete room, even though unintended. I found I could not simply walk through the Louis XIV bedroom on may way out the door.

. . .

65ELiz_M
Modifié : Avr 9, 2017, 9:40 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



The Singapore Grip by J. G. Farrell, pub. 1978
Finished 3/31/2017

There is a wonderful 320 page novel hidden somewhere in this very long portrayal of British society in Singapore on the eve of the Japanese invasion during WWII.

66ELiz_M
Modifié : Juil 8, 2017, 1:32 pm

First Quarter stats:
Books read/listened: 15
paper/ebook: 15
audio: 0 (I follow too many podcasts)

1001-list-books: 7 (47%)
Non Straight-White-Male: 8 (53%)
In Translation: 9 (60%)
Non-fiction: 1

Owned Books read: 11 (73%)!
Libe Books read: 4
Books Acquired: 13

Goal Check:

1. Read more books from the owned-tbr than from other sources:
Yes!

2. At least 70% of books written by non white, straight men:
Well, more than 1/2...

3. At least 50% of 1001 list books:
Almost

4. Read at least 10 non-fiction books:
On track

67ELiz_M
Modifié : Juin 19, 2017, 3:51 pm

Second Quarter Reading Ideas:

>6 ELiz_M:

68dchaikin
Avr 3, 2017, 2:44 pm

>63 ELiz_M: it is a good back story. But your last paragraph made me smile. Don't think I'll rush off to go read it.

69ELiz_M
Avr 9, 2017, 9:42 am

>68 dchaikin: Many people do love it. I was just impatient to be reading something else.

70ELiz_M
Avr 22, 2017, 8:28 am

I read two novellas to break up a very long read of a difficult novel. They are reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Spring Torrents by Ivan Turgenev, pub. 1872
Finished 4/11/2017

A lovely novella of first love, framed by a bittersweet looking-back.

.



The Left-Handed Woman by Peter Handke, pub. 1976
Finished 4/16/2017

An alluring, elusive novella showing glimpses of a woman's disintegration and reformation.

71ELiz_M
Modifié : Avr 22, 2017, 9:13 am

I visited a friend in Princeton over Easter weekend and she took me to the odd, entertaining
Grounds for Sculpture.

Visitors are allowed to interact with and touch many of the sculptures. There are hundreds of original works and there is one artist, the founder of the park, that created dozens of "reproductions" of famous impressionist/post-impressionist paintings:

. . .

It is a beautiful park and sculptures are placed creatively to surprise visitors as they turn corners or walk over an incline. I was especially taken by many of the metal sculptures that gleamed in the spring sunshine.

. .
Dorion by Bruce Beasley
The Caged Bird Dances II by Meryl Taradash
Sagg Portal by Hans Van de Bovenkamp

.
Resting Place by Roy Wilson
Carmelita by Autin Wright

72AlisonY
Mai 10, 2017, 12:30 pm

Looks interesting!

73Simone2
Mai 12, 2017, 8:21 am

>71 ELiz_M: Really surprising and beautiful.

74ELiz_M
Mai 21, 2017, 11:05 pm

At long last, after a month of procrastinating, I have posted about



Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann, pub. 1947
Finished 4/16/2017

75thorold
Mai 22, 2017, 4:37 am

>74 ELiz_M: Great review!
There should be a special word for that sensation of "I've just finished Doktor Faustus" - there's nothing else quite like it. It's a little bit like the way you feel when you've just handed in your last exam paper and you know there's absolutely no point in doing any more revision...

76ELiz_M
Modifié : Mai 22, 2017, 9:20 pm

>75 thorold: Whaaat...? German does not already have such a word? Inconceivable!

77ELiz_M
Mai 29, 2017, 8:58 am

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, pub 2016
Finished 5/5/2017



Ultimately, I wanted this to be a different book. Homegoing is a novel of linked episodes, each chapter focus on one individual of one generation of a family, alternating between the branch of the family that remained in Africa swept up in colonization and the tribal conflict that ensued, and the branch that was enslaved in America. Each chapter was a snapshot of a moment in a character's life. And while I understand the history and the cruelty of what happened to African and African-American slaves meant their history was denied them and the characters did not know their past, their connection, the author did. The writing was compelling at times (Akua's story is vivid and not something I will soon forget), but I wanted more -- more characterization, more plot, more interconnections. 300 pages was just not enough for seven generations and the large themes of inherited pain/ancestral memory and returning to one's origin. Plus I read it badly -- one chapter before bed, spread out over two weeks. The weak connections were non-existent for me and I probably missed the point of the novel.

I usually like unorthodox novels -- ones with creative structures, but this felt a little too formulaic and I really wished the author had spent more time with the characters she was interested in rather than a scant few pages and then being required to plug in an uninteresting character because the structure required a person of that generation in that place. I hope her next novel is freer, allowing her to write at her best.

78ELiz_M
Modifié : Mai 29, 2017, 3:36 pm

The Arcanum by Janet Gleeson, pub 1998
Finished 5/10/2017



The 18th Century was a tumultuous time of shifting politics and scientific discoveries. The hunt for the philosopher's stone, the substance required to turn base metals into stone gold, seemed to be nearing completion. Meanwhile trade with the east has brought beautiful ceramic and porcelain objects to Europe creating a market where royalty is spending actual fortunes to acquire these works of art. Coupled with territorial wars, many Kings are in desperate need of cash. In this time, alchemists are highly prized government resources and guarded carefully. Augustus II, fed up with Johann Böttger's failure to create gold has also tasked him to discover the secret of porcelain, heretofore only known in China . The Arcanum details the systematic efforts and brilliance of Böttger's discovery. But the story of fine porcelain is more than just creating the shapes, it is also the art with which it is decorated and the creativity necessary to imagine new forms it could take.

I read this for book club and it can adequately be summed up as an extraordinary, fascinating story written badly. It should have been an incredible read, but the writing was so pedestrian, and the author with a heavy-hand tells the reader how to feel about each individual and development. It was the least discussed book I can recall in my ten-year history with this bookclub.

79thorold
Mai 29, 2017, 12:07 pm

>78 ELiz_M: philosopher's stone, the substance required to turn base metals into stone

That sounds like the sort of stone most of the philosophers I've met would come up with :-)

A pity the book was a washout - that's a topic that would really interest me otherwise. And be a great excuse for another trip to Dresden...

80ELiz_M
Mai 29, 2017, 3:43 pm

>79 thorold: Hahaha whoops! The good thing about those odd typos/mistakes is it does make one aware that other people do actually read the posts!

Yes, it was a disappointment; we could all see that there was the makings of an excellent, thrilling story (maybe not quite The Da Vinci code, but lots of twists and rivalry and espionage are involved). I'm glad to know the story, but wish it had been better told.

81VivienneR
Juin 6, 2017, 2:17 pm

>77 ELiz_M: Nice review.

>78 ELiz_M: The typo made your review more fun than the book!

82baswood
Juin 6, 2017, 4:53 pm

Just caught up with your thread and enjoyed your excellent review of Doctor Faustus, Thomas Mann. I will get to it one day.

83ELiz_M
Juin 18, 2017, 8:46 am

>81 VivienneR: Thanks!

>82 baswood: I hope you read and review it someday soon -- I'd love to hear your thoughts on this behemoth!

84ELiz_M
Modifié : Juin 18, 2017, 8:51 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Giorgio Bassani, pub. 1963
Finished 5/17/2017

A dreamy portrait of the rising fascism in 1930s & 1940s Ferrara, Italy through the lens of an unrequited first love.

85ELiz_M
Juin 18, 2017, 8:55 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Ashes and Diamonds by Jerzy Andrzejewski, pub. 1948
Finished 5/27/2017

A complex snapshot of the upheaval political/social identities, told through the various perspectives of a handful of characters in a Polish town during a few momentous days in early May 1945.

86thorold
Juin 20, 2017, 3:25 am

>84 ELiz_M: The garden of the Finzi-Continis didn't seem to make a very big impact on me at the time I read it, but it's really stuck in my mind, as has The gold-rimmed spectacles, which is also excellent. All that stuff about how small the distance is between respectable bourgeois society and fascist hate, and how easy it is to cross it without noticing, doesn't go out of date, unfortunately...

87ELiz_M
Modifié : Juin 20, 2017, 11:10 am

>86 thorold: Unfortunate how history repeats (with variations) and we never seem to be able to avoid it.

88ELiz_M
Modifié : Juin 20, 2017, 11:10 am

In trying to get caught up with podcasts, I had to pay another visit to the Met Museum -- I had several Memory Palace Met residency episodes to listen to. So, once again in the American Wing:

.

Portrait of William Duguid by Prince Demah Barnes
Mrs. Francis Brinley and Her Son Francis by John Smibert

The former has the more interesting story -- it was painted by a slave, but the latter is, to me, more aesthically pleasing. The colors were so vibrant and I was amused by the visual reference to Madonna and child used for this American Colonial painting.

There was an exhibit of Seurat's Circus Sideshow that was closing soon. While a fascinating and well put-together exhibit, it was not quite what I was expecting. For some reason I thought there would be several works by Seurat, but it was really focused on the one painting and its contemporary context; it was more of a "textbook" on display rather than an "art gallery" display. extremely informative, but I had wanted to be stunned by visual beauty. There were a couple of paintings that I loved:

.

Next I wandered through a room of 17th Century painting that did not interest me at all. But there was a gorgeous Pietra dura table in the center:


The last stop was a photography exhibition. There was something about Lois Conner's Da Fu, Le Shan, Sichuan, China that intrigued me.

89ELiz_M
Juin 20, 2017, 11:17 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Cataract by Mykhaylo Osadchy, pub. 1971
Finished 5/31/2017

A prison memoir/novel that while informative about the time and obviously influential, is not not a genre I enjoy.

90ELiz_M
Juin 20, 2017, 11:22 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



The Magus by John Fowles, pub. 1966
Finished 6/04/2017

A well-written confounding novel that is almost phenomenal, but the narrator/narration doesn't quite capture the imagination as fully as is necessary for the layers of plot twists.

91ELiz_M
Modifié : Juil 1, 2017, 2:10 pm

Mythology by Edith Hamilton, pub 1942
Finished 6/15/2017

. .

I had solicited recommendations for Greek mythology before my vacation, borrowed several from the library, but only managed to read one. Luckily, Hamilton is an excellent overview. I loved the structure of the book -- brief anecdotes/dictionary entries, roughly in chronological order from the oldest gods (the titans) through the Trojan War and onto famous Greek families (House of Atreus, Thebes) that are the subject of so many stories and plays. Each chapter begins with an explanation of what source material was used. I appreciated the inclusion of the gods' roman names as well. There is even a chapter on Norse Mythology.

I had a misconception that this was a dry academic text, but that was oh so very wrong. It is a fabulous introduction that help me locate and organize all the stories with which I was already familiar. I must purchase a pretty copy for reference because I have already wanted to look up a god.

92ELiz_M
Modifié : Juil 1, 2017, 7:56 am

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and read by Frazer Douglas, pub 2011
Finished 6/16/2017

. .

I am, of course, vaguely familiar with the stories legends of the Trojan War. I may even have read parts (or all?) of the Illiad. But I must admit I did not know Patroclus. This delightful novel rectifies that oversight. Narrated by Patroclus, this is an imaginative retelling of the life of Achilles from their meeting as young boys in the palace of Peleus, to their training with the centaur Chiron, to the painful decision to go to war, to their fated end. More than that, it is a love story -- not that of a romance novel that ends when the couple gets together, but a grand, life-long love story (with enough intimate details to make me blush when listening to it in public). A lovely book to listen to while staring out the windows on public transportation.

93kidzdoc
Juil 1, 2017, 2:07 pm

Nice review of The Song of Achilles, Liz. I enjoyed it as well.

94ELiz_M
Juil 2, 2017, 9:18 am

>93 kidzdoc: Thanks!

95ELiz_M
Juil 2, 2017, 9:22 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar, pub. 1951
Finished 6/25/2017

A brilliantly written novel that strikes just the right tone for the Emperor's philosophical musings written in a letter to the young man chosen as his successor.

96ELiz_M
Juil 2, 2017, 9:24 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas, pub. 1957
Finished 6/27/2017

Told from the perspective of "simple-minded" Mattis, this is a heartbreaking portrayal of the destabilization of his relationship with his sister Hege.

97ELiz_M
Modifié : Juil 8, 2017, 7:57 am

I have a tiny studio apartment with no AC, so when it is excessively hot I spend the day somewhere air-conditioned, usually a museum.

There were many striking statues in the Chinese Buddhist Sculpture room, but this Luohan (from the Liao Dynasty, about 1000 A.D.) was compelling because he is realistic and not so idealized. In an intentional tie-in to The Birds, I visited an exhibit of works by the Norwegian Peter Balke, Painter of Northern Lights. I found many of his seascapes stunning.
.

In the Italian Renaissance Bronze Sculpture room, I was amused by Tiziano Aspetti's statue of Mars as a Contemporary Warrior (that helmet! the facial hair!). If one wanders through the modern art area, one has to admire Picasso's portrait of Gertrude Stein, but I was more taken with Marsden Hartley's painting of The Virgin of Guadalupe.
. .

And finally, because it is summer and the rooftop bar is open, I went up for a drink, to admire the view, and oh yeah, look at the installation by Adrián Villar Rojas.
.

98ELiz_M
Juil 8, 2017, 8:02 am

Reviewed in my 1001-books thread (click the picture to read the full review):



Matigari by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, pub. 1986
Finished 6/30/2017

This allegorical novel is a delightful tale of the titular character's search for truth and justice in an unnamed African country.

99ELiz_M
Juil 8, 2017, 8:32 am

Second Quarter stats:
Books read/listened: 15
paper/ebook: 14
audio: 1 (I still follow too many podcasts)

1001-list-books: 11 (73%)
Non Straight-White-Male: 7 (47%)
In Translation: 10 (66.6%)
Non-fiction: 3

Owned Books read: 9 (60%)
Libe Books read: 6
Books Acquired: 17

Half-point goal check:

1. Read more books from the owned-tbr than from other sources:
Yes - 18/30 books read were bought prior to 2017

2. At least 70% of books written by non white, straight men:
Nope -- 15/30 (50%) books were by SWM

3. At least 50% of 1001 list books:
Yes - 18/30 (60%) books were from the 1001 list!

4. Read at least 10 non-fiction books:
Behind schedule on this -- only 4 non-fiction books so far

100NanaCC
Juil 8, 2017, 12:39 pm

>97 ELiz_M: what was your impression of the rooftop installation?

My daughter was there last Sunday with my granddaughter. Her comment after giving me a lengthy description was.." it's like night at the museum if everyone got very, very drunk".

101ELiz_M
Juil 8, 2017, 1:49 pm

>100 NanaCC: That is a good description! I cant think of anything better, perhaps Ionesco banquets with Dali and Duchamp?

102ELiz_M
Modifié : Juil 8, 2017, 1:51 pm

I do not have enough posts to automatically continue in a new topic. Here is the link to the second half of 2017:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/264799