2018 Reading Thread - Jill's Conversations Re Books Part II
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1jillmwo
Okay. Starting a new thread for what reading may be managed amidst the busyness of work, etc. I keep inhaling the great smell of the Folio Society mailing. It positively soothes one to inhale the combination of high gloss paper and ink. Of course, it's just too easy to contemplate buying books rather than baby gifts for one's pregnant relatives. I don't think a new baby would properly enjoy Josephine Tey or William Morris. (Both of which are up for grabs...)
I'm currently reading a lovely short book entitled Reading and the Making of Time in the Eighteenth Century by Christina Lupton. I snagged a review copy from the Strand Bookstore in New York. It's a more than a bit academic in scope and tone, but if I read it in the morning when my brain is fresh, I find it quite fun. I will repeat the quote that closed out the previous thread:
Reading was something one might conceivably do instead of going to church -- an activity, like walking, that might be used on Sundays to prevent drinking and debauchery.
Lupton looks at bluestockings Catherine Talbot and Elizabeth Carter, both of whom struggled to find time to read. And both of whom complained about the daily crap that tended to take one away from the more important time spent with books.
Otherwise, I did read a few Ngaio Marsh mysteries. Fun, but not particularly noteworthy.
I'm currently reading a lovely short book entitled Reading and the Making of Time in the Eighteenth Century by Christina Lupton. I snagged a review copy from the Strand Bookstore in New York. It's a more than a bit academic in scope and tone, but if I read it in the morning when my brain is fresh, I find it quite fun. I will repeat the quote that closed out the previous thread:
Reading was something one might conceivably do instead of going to church -- an activity, like walking, that might be used on Sundays to prevent drinking and debauchery.
Lupton looks at bluestockings Catherine Talbot and Elizabeth Carter, both of whom struggled to find time to read. And both of whom complained about the daily crap that tended to take one away from the more important time spent with books.
Otherwise, I did read a few Ngaio Marsh mysteries. Fun, but not particularly noteworthy.
2jillmwo
Okay. Starting a new thread for what reading may be managed amidst the busyness of work, etc. I keep inhaling the great smell of the Folio Society mailing. It positively soothes one to inhale the combination of high gloss paper and ink. Of course, it's just too easy to contemplate buying books rather than baby gifts for one's pregnant relatives. I don't think a new baby would properly enjoy Josephine Tey or William Morris. (Both of which are up for grabs...)
I'm currently reading a lovely short book entitled Reading and the Making of Time in the Eighteenth Century by Christina Lupton. I snagged a review copy from the Strand Bookstore in New York. It's a more than a bit academic in scope and tone, but if I read it in the morning when my brain is fresh, I find it quite fun. I will repeat the quote that closed out the previous thread:
Reading was something one might conceivably do instead of going to church -- an activity, like walking, that might be used on Sundays to prevent drinking and debauchery.
Lupton looks at bluestockings Catherine Talbot and Elizabeth Carter, both of whom struggled to find time to read. And both of whom complained about the daily crap that tended to take one away from the more important time spent with books.
Otherwise, I did read a few Ngaio Marsh mysteries. Fun, but not particularly noteworthy.
I'm currently reading a lovely short book entitled Reading and the Making of Time in the Eighteenth Century by Christina Lupton. I snagged a review copy from the Strand Bookstore in New York. It's a more than a bit academic in scope and tone, but if I read it in the morning when my brain is fresh, I find it quite fun. I will repeat the quote that closed out the previous thread:
Reading was something one might conceivably do instead of going to church -- an activity, like walking, that might be used on Sundays to prevent drinking and debauchery.
Lupton looks at bluestockings Catherine Talbot and Elizabeth Carter, both of whom struggled to find time to read. And both of whom complained about the daily crap that tended to take one away from the more important time spent with books.
Otherwise, I did read a few Ngaio Marsh mysteries. Fun, but not particularly noteworthy.
3Meredy
>1 jillmwo: Lovely quote. I never even realized that going to church was meant to prevent drinking and debauchery, but I guess it does have that much going for it.
I'm trying to overcome my own distractions and get back here more frequently. It's so nice to know this place remains warm, comfortable, and welcoming even to us delinquents.
I'm trying to overcome my own distractions and get back here more frequently. It's so nice to know this place remains warm, comfortable, and welcoming even to us delinquents.
4pgmcc
>1 jillmwo: Surely the natural way to read is sitting with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Surely that does not prevent drinking?
If one is sitting with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other then I suppose you could argue it prevents debauchery.
One out of two ain't bad.
If one is sitting with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other then I suppose you could argue it prevents debauchery.
One out of two ain't bad.
5MrsLee
>4 pgmcc: I fall asleep if I try to read after a drink.
I must say that I am a bit disappointed with the lack of drinking and debauchery going on in this pub though. ;)
Joining the crowd of those who have set aside reading to Get Stuff Done. Sigh. I remember a time when I seemed to be able to do stuff and read copious amounts of books. Not any more.
I must say that I am a bit disappointed with the lack of drinking and debauchery going on in this pub though. ;)
Joining the crowd of those who have set aside reading to Get Stuff Done. Sigh. I remember a time when I seemed to be able to do stuff and read copious amounts of books. Not any more.
6jillmwo
What I find most intriguing about this is the concept of deliberately setting aside one particular day of the week to devote to reading -- and in most of the instances under discussion, serious, "methodical" reading. Some of it is due to the idea at the time of there being a duty to improve oneself, but I wonder whether we think about our reading in quite this way. I could be wrong but I don't ever recall hearing a friend talk about reserving a certain time-span on the weekend for reading. (Whether for purposes of edification OR entertainment...)
Most of the time those I know read for entertainment or diversion and if they consciously set aside a particular time for that, it's during their commute. I don't know of anyone who sets aside a particular day of the week for a particular kind of reading. I will read real research reports during the week during a work-day because it's a one-time settling in to consume information and significance. But outside of working hours, I may try to sneak in an early half-hour of a mystery before time demands that I get out of the damn bed and prepare to do battle with the information community at large.
I am taken by this idea that I could set aside one day a week for the purpose of reading. We all have noted that getting to have a DNBR day is harder than we'd like to admit. But why shouldn't we be like our 18th century forebearers and insist upon a weekly 3 hour block on a Sunday to encourage our brains to take in meaning from the printed page.
P.S. I do realize that for the most part the scholarship here is talking about those in the privileged classes. To clarify the point, I will note that Lupton does include two or three from the manual labor pool who pursued reading on their Sundays as being important to their happiness.
NOTE: As an aside to pgmcc up there in #4, I think that holding a book in one hand and a drink in the other prevents debauchery in the sense that it slows down the two-fisted drinking style. Those with any degree of sense have a table near by so that they can put the glass down briefly and flip the page of the book as needed.
Most of the time those I know read for entertainment or diversion and if they consciously set aside a particular time for that, it's during their commute. I don't know of anyone who sets aside a particular day of the week for a particular kind of reading. I will read real research reports during the week during a work-day because it's a one-time settling in to consume information and significance. But outside of working hours, I may try to sneak in an early half-hour of a mystery before time demands that I get out of the damn bed and prepare to do battle with the information community at large.
I am taken by this idea that I could set aside one day a week for the purpose of reading. We all have noted that getting to have a DNBR day is harder than we'd like to admit. But why shouldn't we be like our 18th century forebearers and insist upon a weekly 3 hour block on a Sunday to encourage our brains to take in meaning from the printed page.
P.S. I do realize that for the most part the scholarship here is talking about those in the privileged classes. To clarify the point, I will note that Lupton does include two or three from the manual labor pool who pursued reading on their Sundays as being important to their happiness.
NOTE: As an aside to pgmcc up there in #4, I think that holding a book in one hand and a drink in the other prevents debauchery in the sense that it slows down the two-fisted drinking style. Those with any degree of sense have a table near by so that they can put the glass down briefly and flip the page of the book as needed.
7YouKneeK
>6 jillmwo: Interesting. Would they read the entire day, or just for several hours during that day? Even when I’m completely hooked on a book that I’m reading for entertainment, it’s very rare that I spend a full day reading, even if it’s a day when I could get away with it. If nothing else, I get restless sitting still that long. Even when I'm reading a great book, maybe especially when I'm reading a great book, sometimes I feel compelled to put it down and let what I’ve read soak in for a little while and mull things over in the back of my head before I take in more.
I do set aside a small chunk of time each night for reading. I try to have my nightly bedtime routine complete at least an hour before I actually need to go to sleep so that I can spend that last hour reading in bed. That definitely isn’t the only time I read, but it’s the most consistent and deliberate time.
That time is spent reading for entertainment, though. Actually, now that I think about it, when I was taking university classes while working full time, I did set aside Saturday as my main day for doing the week’s assigned reading. However, I didn’t read all day, nor did I read the assignments straight through. Inevitably I would find my attention wandering. Once I started to feel like I wasn’t making any forward progress anymore, I’d get up and do something else for a little bit so I could come back to the reading with better focus. I would set time limits for myself though, to ensure I didn't fritter away too much time and fail to get my reading done.
I do set aside a small chunk of time each night for reading. I try to have my nightly bedtime routine complete at least an hour before I actually need to go to sleep so that I can spend that last hour reading in bed. That definitely isn’t the only time I read, but it’s the most consistent and deliberate time.
That time is spent reading for entertainment, though. Actually, now that I think about it, when I was taking university classes while working full time, I did set aside Saturday as my main day for doing the week’s assigned reading. However, I didn’t read all day, nor did I read the assignments straight through. Inevitably I would find my attention wandering. Once I started to feel like I wasn’t making any forward progress anymore, I’d get up and do something else for a little bit so I could come back to the reading with better focus. I would set time limits for myself though, to ensure I didn't fritter away too much time and fail to get my reading done.
8jillmwo
YouKneek, that's a valid question. I gather that it was setting aside a set number of hours rather than the ENTIRE day. But it would be Sunday that they'd give over to their reading. And it would be more along the lines of a serious "project" kind of reading. Someone wants to pursue a love of botany or languages and does so. They are consciously improving their minds, hence the methodical aspect.
I am about to pick up my next book which had significant buzz the year it came out -- The Social Life of Books -- because it is about a different (more entertainment-style) sort of reading during what would have been their leisure hours in the 18th century home.
I am about to pick up my next book which had significant buzz the year it came out -- The Social Life of Books -- because it is about a different (more entertainment-style) sort of reading during what would have been their leisure hours in the 18th century home.
9jillmwo
I have just one word for you. Circe. Thoroughly enjoying this novel and eagerly going to hear the author speak at the local library this evening!
Man, I hope she's not a disappointment in person...
Edited the following day to note that she wasn't
Man, I hope she's not a disappointment in person...
Edited the following day to note that she wasn't
10jillmwo
That moment on a Monday when you discover that it's a three day weekend! (See what happens when you work from home? I completely lose track of holidays, Federal or otherwise.)
But it means I can post my Notes on Recent Reading from September and thus far in October.
The Woman in Cabin 10 - This 2016 best seller owes a good deal to the Alfred Hitchcock move, The Lady Vanishes. A young woman with a history of anxiety and self-medication through drugs and alcohol meets a fellow passenger on a boat; the passenger disappears and suddenly no one on board has any recollection of her presence. I did this one with the township library and the women weren’t particularly impressed with either the “heroine” or the editing of the novel in terms of watching for inconsistencies.
Final Curtain - Ngaio Marsh A theatrical (in every sense) family is celebrating Grandfather’s birthday. It goes badly and Inspector Rory Alleyn and his wife are forced to deal with all sorts of histrionics in identifying the perpetrator. With the exception of the detecting couple, there’s not a particularly likeable character in the bunch so one reads on rather hoping that some of the more unpleasant ones will be found as dead bodies in subsequent chapters. (Rather less luck on that than I’d hoped.) OTOH, I did keep reading and had no notion of the killer’s identity.
Circe - My great treat in recent weeks. Far more than a coming of age story, the novel re-presents stories told by Ovid and Homer from the perspective of a minor deity, Circe, the goddess of transformation and the first witch in Western literature. The author provides Circe with a powerful voice and life experiences that speak to the perspectives of women outside of the conventional role of helpmeet. Miller’s style is reminiscent of Ursula K. LeGuin. Sparse in its use of vocabulary and sentence structure. This was the sort of re-telling that leads one back to the original source material. I’m toying w/ the purchase of Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey. Many excellent quotes so I will have to revisit this one again before really wrapping it up.
Other reading (or at least referencing) included four or five books on the history of newspapers while writing a white paper on the development of newspapers in the United States. This kind of research project always turns up new and curious things. For example, I’d never heard of the Swill Milk scandal in New York that was uncovered by journalists associated with Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. (Google it. It’s a fascinating (and also repugnant) story about the adulteration of food products.) Nor was I all that aware of the first African-American newspaper in the U.S. (Freedom’s Journal, 1827) or the story of Elijah Lovejoy, the first journalist to die in the U.S. in defense of the freedom of the press.
But it means I can post my Notes on Recent Reading from September and thus far in October.
The Woman in Cabin 10 - This 2016 best seller owes a good deal to the Alfred Hitchcock move, The Lady Vanishes. A young woman with a history of anxiety and self-medication through drugs and alcohol meets a fellow passenger on a boat; the passenger disappears and suddenly no one on board has any recollection of her presence. I did this one with the township library and the women weren’t particularly impressed with either the “heroine” or the editing of the novel in terms of watching for inconsistencies.
Final Curtain - Ngaio Marsh A theatrical (in every sense) family is celebrating Grandfather’s birthday. It goes badly and Inspector Rory Alleyn and his wife are forced to deal with all sorts of histrionics in identifying the perpetrator. With the exception of the detecting couple, there’s not a particularly likeable character in the bunch so one reads on rather hoping that some of the more unpleasant ones will be found as dead bodies in subsequent chapters. (Rather less luck on that than I’d hoped.) OTOH, I did keep reading and had no notion of the killer’s identity.
Circe - My great treat in recent weeks. Far more than a coming of age story, the novel re-presents stories told by Ovid and Homer from the perspective of a minor deity, Circe, the goddess of transformation and the first witch in Western literature. The author provides Circe with a powerful voice and life experiences that speak to the perspectives of women outside of the conventional role of helpmeet. Miller’s style is reminiscent of Ursula K. LeGuin. Sparse in its use of vocabulary and sentence structure. This was the sort of re-telling that leads one back to the original source material. I’m toying w/ the purchase of Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey. Many excellent quotes so I will have to revisit this one again before really wrapping it up.
Other reading (or at least referencing) included four or five books on the history of newspapers while writing a white paper on the development of newspapers in the United States. This kind of research project always turns up new and curious things. For example, I’d never heard of the Swill Milk scandal in New York that was uncovered by journalists associated with Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. (Google it. It’s a fascinating (and also repugnant) story about the adulteration of food products.) Nor was I all that aware of the first African-American newspaper in the U.S. (Freedom’s Journal, 1827) or the story of Elijah Lovejoy, the first journalist to die in the U.S. in defense of the freedom of the press.
12jillmwo
Great phrase I encountered in Reading and The Making of Time -- "the contemplative life of the re-reader." There I am.
13clamairy
>9 jillmwo: I think I took a bullet there. But I really feel like I need to read the one of hers that I actually own (The Song of Achilles) first! *sigh*
14jillmwo
>13 clamairy: I promise that you will love Circe. It's definitely a great read -- the kind where you finish it and your first impulse is start all over again. I also think it would be your taste in terms of literary style.
16jillmwo
Sharing this spreadsheet found at that very fun blog, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. It's for tracking your reading. Many sheets are included--well, okay 3 sheets, but pretty graphs and potential insights for those who use the formulas. See the entry at: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2018/04/tracking-reading-habits-download-ter...
17jillmwo
Okay, this arrived today: http://www.muddycolors.com/2017/10/earthsea-cover-process/ and it's just as gorgeous as one might hope.
18Sakerfalcon
>17 jillmwo: I've ordered my copy and am eagerly awaiting its arrival! It's lovely to see Vess's sketches and how the illustrations developed in that post - thanks for sharing.
19jillmwo
I did read one ordinary book in October, The Amber Shadows by Lucy Ribchester. You've got a sweet young thing (think early Joan Fontaine) working in Bletchly during World War II. She's decidedly young and naive, uncertain how to navigate her way in the emotionally charged, highly confidential environment. The key themes (as one might anticipate) have to do with trust and identity. The latter theme is specifically tied to Honey Deschamps' relationship to her brother, mother and father. The theme of trust has to do with her relationship to just about everyone with whom she has encounters every day.
I might be a party of one in liking this book. The library book group found it to be interesting but "muddled". They felt the author crammed tried to cram too much into the tale. (I disagreed. I thought themes were well woven, the specific cultural references meaningful in underscoring the theme and the point of view well handled.) I actually find things to look up in this one, things that I might have encountered before like the Amber Room in Moscow, but which I needed to revisit and like the Flemish artist Van Dael. Brush up on references to the Russian story of the Firebird while you're at it. Should you find cryptology to be of interest, there's a good bit of material here..
There were a couple of good quotes as well:
"She was candid, she was intelligent, and she was vulgar, but she alone decided what secrets she told."
"No matter what secrets you have to carry, keep your head."
I will admit that there's a slow build to this one but I thought the pay-off was adequate. Not great literature but I'm certainly tempted to go out and find her other book, The Hourglass Factory.
I might be a party of one in liking this book. The library book group found it to be interesting but "muddled". They felt the author crammed tried to cram too much into the tale. (I disagreed. I thought themes were well woven, the specific cultural references meaningful in underscoring the theme and the point of view well handled.) I actually find things to look up in this one, things that I might have encountered before like the Amber Room in Moscow, but which I needed to revisit and like the Flemish artist Van Dael. Brush up on references to the Russian story of the Firebird while you're at it. Should you find cryptology to be of interest, there's a good bit of material here..
There were a couple of good quotes as well:
"She was candid, she was intelligent, and she was vulgar, but she alone decided what secrets she told."
"No matter what secrets you have to carry, keep your head."
I will admit that there's a slow build to this one but I thought the pay-off was adequate. Not great literature but I'm certainly tempted to go out and find her other book, The Hourglass Factory.
20jillmwo
Melmoth by Sarah Perry
This is not so much a gothic novel as it is a novel of horror. And the horror does not lie necessarily with your conventional monster, neglected Victorian manse or dark night. Instead novelist Perry is writing about the tension that arises when we are caught between an internal awareness of what is right (from a moral standpoint) and a survival instinct driving us to do what is expedient. The resulting emotions of guilt and loneliness from failing to do what is right and the protective secrecy that cautions us to keep our failings hidden are the substance of Melmoth.
Perry writes tales within tales. We learn about Helena who learns about Karel who learns about Josef. Consequently the action is rather slow moving and there is no absolute resolution to the unfolding narrative. How can there be? It takes decades -- perhaps even centuries -- to grapple with an understanding of how inhumane behaviors can be tolerated, even encouraged. Perry touches on military invasions, genocide, even the dearth of medical care. This is a modern tale of horror. The figure, Melmoth, is simply a manifestation of internal torment.
It’s not a happy book, but I recognize that it is a worthy one. I can’t decide if I recommend it, either, whether I’m keeping this one or passing it along to Goodwill. How much room is there on my shelf and really what’s the likelihood that I will ever WANT to revisit the themes that are part of this book. The writing is sound; the thinking is clear. I just don’t want to think about the point of the work itself.
I’d gotten this because I usually like a good ghost story, but this isn’t that. Maybe it is a Gothic novel after all -- there is the restless spirit, the awareness of something or someone abandoned to their fate, and the requisite sense of darkness. But you’ll have to be in the right mood for something like this. It’s not going to be a good choice if you’re seeking something that reassures you of the sentiment of the holiday -- peace on earth, goodwill towards all.
This is not so much a gothic novel as it is a novel of horror. And the horror does not lie necessarily with your conventional monster, neglected Victorian manse or dark night. Instead novelist Perry is writing about the tension that arises when we are caught between an internal awareness of what is right (from a moral standpoint) and a survival instinct driving us to do what is expedient. The resulting emotions of guilt and loneliness from failing to do what is right and the protective secrecy that cautions us to keep our failings hidden are the substance of Melmoth.
Perry writes tales within tales. We learn about Helena who learns about Karel who learns about Josef. Consequently the action is rather slow moving and there is no absolute resolution to the unfolding narrative. How can there be? It takes decades -- perhaps even centuries -- to grapple with an understanding of how inhumane behaviors can be tolerated, even encouraged. Perry touches on military invasions, genocide, even the dearth of medical care. This is a modern tale of horror. The figure, Melmoth, is simply a manifestation of internal torment.
It’s not a happy book, but I recognize that it is a worthy one. I can’t decide if I recommend it, either, whether I’m keeping this one or passing it along to Goodwill. How much room is there on my shelf and really what’s the likelihood that I will ever WANT to revisit the themes that are part of this book. The writing is sound; the thinking is clear. I just don’t want to think about the point of the work itself.
I’d gotten this because I usually like a good ghost story, but this isn’t that. Maybe it is a Gothic novel after all -- there is the restless spirit, the awareness of something or someone abandoned to their fate, and the requisite sense of darkness. But you’ll have to be in the right mood for something like this. It’s not going to be a good choice if you’re seeking something that reassures you of the sentiment of the holiday -- peace on earth, goodwill towards all.
21clamairy
>20 jillmwo: I'm glad you enjoyed this one. Is it a modern retelling of the book Peter just finished?
22jillmwo
>21 clamairy: I gather that the two start from a similar point in terms of the folklore, but Perry's is very much a 21st century re-telling. (So, the answer to your question is yes.) What I can't quite get away from is the idea that this isn't (for me, at least) a Gothic novel in the traditional sense. Or at least I waffle over it a lot. I certainly pick up on the sense of horror. But whereas Gothic is something you might read when you're alone in the house on a moonless night in order to feel that sense of delicious thrill, the horror of Perry's work is such that you don't get any "delicious thrill" but rather just the horror. I'm not explaining very well, I'm afraid, but this one will give you the willies AND make you give everyone around you a suspicious eye to see if they're as evil as you might not otherwise have suspected.
23clamairy
>22 jillmwo: Ack. I think I'll take a pass for now. This time of year is rough enough already.
24Jim53
>22 jillmwo: I'm not sure what the opposite of a book bullet is, but I think I just took one.
25pgmcc
Sarah Perry wrote the introduction to a new edition of Melmoth the Wanderer. I think she did that to give her some legitimacy for writing the 21st century re-telling. I am tempted to read her novel purely out of curiousity to see how she treated the original.
26clamairy
>24 Jim53: Yes. That!
27jillmwo
Books Purchased but Currently Residing on the Unread Pile
The Secrets of Wishtide
Reading Jane Austen
The Genius of Jane Austen
That Yew Tree's Shade
Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England
The Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies
These Truths: A History of the United States
Death at the Bar
The Social Life of Books
A Train of Powder
Sense and Sensibility, that is the one by Joanne Trollope
Pandemic 1918
The Dead Shall Be Raised and Murder of A Quack
Weekend at Thrackley
The Annotated Big Sleep
Gotham Rising: New York in the 1930s
Those are all the unread books that I purchased since mid-year 2018. Those are not the only unread titles in the house that I bought in a previous year but left untouched. There's one that predates the current First Lady (but which includes Michelle Obama entitled First Women as well as two by Francine Prose that haven't been touched. There's the book about the Plantagents -- The Demon's Brood. And The Man Booker Prize Finalist from 2016, His Bloody Project.
So what this really says is that life became infinitely more complex in July of this year and I am hoping that I can get at least one more book review in before we see the entrance of the New Year as well as another full book read. I'm going to take my four consecutive days and see if I can fit one final title in before the end of the year. It might be the bestseller, The Library Book by Susan Orlean which was a Christmas gift or perhaps I will tell you about another Christmas book Literary Landscapes by John Sutherland. This year, I tried very hard to go by the Icelandic tradition of giving everyone a book for Christmas in the hopes that this would encourage everyone sitting in bed reading.
Also please note that I've not yet listed the cheap Kindle editions that I was inveigled into purchasing, thinking that I'd get to one of those in my leisure moments.
The Secrets of Wishtide
Reading Jane Austen
The Genius of Jane Austen
That Yew Tree's Shade
Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England
The Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies
These Truths: A History of the United States
Death at the Bar
The Social Life of Books
A Train of Powder
Sense and Sensibility, that is the one by Joanne Trollope
Pandemic 1918
The Dead Shall Be Raised and Murder of A Quack
Weekend at Thrackley
The Annotated Big Sleep
Gotham Rising: New York in the 1930s
Those are all the unread books that I purchased since mid-year 2018. Those are not the only unread titles in the house that I bought in a previous year but left untouched. There's one that predates the current First Lady (but which includes Michelle Obama entitled First Women as well as two by Francine Prose that haven't been touched. There's the book about the Plantagents -- The Demon's Brood. And The Man Booker Prize Finalist from 2016, His Bloody Project.
So what this really says is that life became infinitely more complex in July of this year and I am hoping that I can get at least one more book review in before we see the entrance of the New Year as well as another full book read. I'm going to take my four consecutive days and see if I can fit one final title in before the end of the year. It might be the bestseller, The Library Book by Susan Orlean which was a Christmas gift or perhaps I will tell you about another Christmas book Literary Landscapes by John Sutherland. This year, I tried very hard to go by the Icelandic tradition of giving everyone a book for Christmas in the hopes that this would encourage everyone sitting in bed reading.
Also please note that I've not yet listed the cheap Kindle editions that I was inveigled into purchasing, thinking that I'd get to one of those in my leisure moments.
28jillmwo
Did a discussion of The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller today at the township library. This one was a great success and I can indeed recommend it to those of you looking for an interesting mystery. The book takes place in the early '20's in England and there is a terrific labyrinth to be navigated in terms of the individual death as well as the familial relationships. In fact, the murder victim is not the central reason for the story. The pacing is sedate but builds well. One woman said she'd not left sufficient time in her schedule to read the book, thought she'd only get through the first third in time, but kept on reading well into the night because she found she really wanted to know what happened to each of the various parties in the end. This is a woman in her seventies so you know she might well have enjoyed a good night's rest, but the book was more compelling than a comfy pillow.
The overview is that Laurence Bartram visits the country house, Easton Deadall, to offer some expert insights into portions of a church that is being restored as a memorial to those who died in World War I. The family whose hospitality he is enjoying seems somewhat paralyzed by the loss of a child some years before and by the losses sustained during the Great War. How that paralysis is finally ended and the nature of the release represents the meat of the story. There is a subtext having to do with the construction of mazes and labyrinths. Very well done.
The overview is that Laurence Bartram visits the country house, Easton Deadall, to offer some expert insights into portions of a church that is being restored as a memorial to those who died in World War I. The family whose hospitality he is enjoying seems somewhat paralyzed by the loss of a child some years before and by the losses sustained during the Great War. How that paralysis is finally ended and the nature of the release represents the meat of the story. There is a subtext having to do with the construction of mazes and labyrinths. Very well done.
30jillmwo
>29 MrsLee: Happy New Year to you as well and to all in the Pub this year! I"m not good at making and keeping resolutions, but I'm trying to get back here more frequently. But reading has been difficult. Some of it has to do with that re-wiring of the brain that we hear that screens cause but it's also due to trying to find the RIGHT thing for particular moods.
For my last book of 2018, I'm reading Susan Orlean's The Library Book. It was something that my husband had plucked from my Amazon wish list. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read this bestseller, as I'm already on the edge of becoming a bit jaded about libraries and their challenges. We abuse libraries through financial neglect and we abuse the hard work that so many librarians put into serving their patrons' needs. Orlean outlines the challenges that public libraries face; we expect them to be responsible for the homeless, for the mentally ill, those living in poverty. She spends days with John Szabo of the Los Angeles Public Library and witnesses the full spectrum of community services that are well beyond the conventional idea of libraries being repositories of books. On the other hand, I did feel a certain sense of pride myself in the work I do with libraries as I read this book.
I give the author full credit. The book covers the history of the library itself, the staff who were responsible in developing that library over the century, and the horrifying devastation that the 1986 fire represented. It's kind of a scattered telling in some respects, but it still works in terms of drawing the reader in. I confess that I was disturbed by the description she provided of that fire and not just because of the specific details as to what was lost. She interviewed the firefighters themselves as well as some of the librarians who witnessed the fire. She talks about the human chain of volunteers who served as the bucket brigade in moving the books not destroyed in that fire. But there is so much more to the story. We need the libraries. We need them to bring us together as human beings living in community. (Not everyone has the collection of circumstances that allows them to find themselves an online community center like the Green Dragon Pub here on LT.)
I could go on about the physical artifact actually delivered by the publishers of The Library Book and tell you about the printed pocket and circulation card that appears in the inner back cover. It's one of those cutesy things that book designers probably think is appropriate to the subject matter; fortunately Orlean doesn't go completely sappy in writing about libraries. She makes it clear that libraries are not what they were and that is a recognition that all of us might benefit from embracing. Go to your ballot box and support your library!
For my last book of 2018, I'm reading Susan Orlean's The Library Book. It was something that my husband had plucked from my Amazon wish list. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read this bestseller, as I'm already on the edge of becoming a bit jaded about libraries and their challenges. We abuse libraries through financial neglect and we abuse the hard work that so many librarians put into serving their patrons' needs. Orlean outlines the challenges that public libraries face; we expect them to be responsible for the homeless, for the mentally ill, those living in poverty. She spends days with John Szabo of the Los Angeles Public Library and witnesses the full spectrum of community services that are well beyond the conventional idea of libraries being repositories of books. On the other hand, I did feel a certain sense of pride myself in the work I do with libraries as I read this book.
I give the author full credit. The book covers the history of the library itself, the staff who were responsible in developing that library over the century, and the horrifying devastation that the 1986 fire represented. It's kind of a scattered telling in some respects, but it still works in terms of drawing the reader in. I confess that I was disturbed by the description she provided of that fire and not just because of the specific details as to what was lost. She interviewed the firefighters themselves as well as some of the librarians who witnessed the fire. She talks about the human chain of volunteers who served as the bucket brigade in moving the books not destroyed in that fire. But there is so much more to the story. We need the libraries. We need them to bring us together as human beings living in community. (Not everyone has the collection of circumstances that allows them to find themselves an online community center like the Green Dragon Pub here on LT.)
I could go on about the physical artifact actually delivered by the publishers of The Library Book and tell you about the printed pocket and circulation card that appears in the inner back cover. It's one of those cutesy things that book designers probably think is appropriate to the subject matter; fortunately Orlean doesn't go completely sappy in writing about libraries. She makes it clear that libraries are not what they were and that is a recognition that all of us might benefit from embracing. Go to your ballot box and support your library!
31jillmwo
Interesting reading challenge from the NYPL for 2019: https://www.nypl.org/blog/2018/12/28/read-harder-2019
32jillmwo
Four Reasons to Read:
(1) Read to gather information or facts. (purpose driven, verification)
(2) Read to shift one's perception
(3) Read for language, rhythm
(4) Read for story
This is just a note that I'm putting here while I work out whatever it is my brain is wrestling with.
(1) Read to gather information or facts. (purpose driven, verification)
(2) Read to shift one's perception
(3) Read for language, rhythm
(4) Read for story
This is just a note that I'm putting here while I work out whatever it is my brain is wrestling with.
33MrsLee
>32 jillmwo: Are you listing only positive reasons to read? Because I can think of two which may not be all together healthy.
1. Escape from reality
2. Procrastinating
1. Escape from reality
2. Procrastinating
34jillmwo
>33 MrsLee: I don't deny the reality of human behavior. Of course, the activity of reading can serve both of those objectives. But the why behind the reading usually falls into the list I posted. Besides it only works as a means of avoiding reality or procrastination if the book really grabs you one way or another, right?
35MrsLee
>34 jillmwo: I don't know about you, but I've read some pretty awful books in my time avoiding housework or some task that wasn't pleasant. :)
36jillmwo
*laughing* But then *rueful sigh of recognition*
Meanwhile, I've got City of Brass as my weekend novel. Will take down Christmas decorations (such as they were this year) on Sunday, which is Epiphany. So at least some traditions get observed...
*yet another rueful sigh*
Meanwhile, I've got City of Brass as my weekend novel. Will take down Christmas decorations (such as they were this year) on Sunday, which is Epiphany. So at least some traditions get observed...
*yet another rueful sigh*
37MrsLee
>36 jillmwo: Our decorations come down Saturday, early, because I want the rest of the weekend to work on my reading statistics from last year. My family has been warned.
38pgmcc
>36 jillmwo: & >37 MrsLee:
I have been taking great fun from complaining to work colleagues who are taking down the decorations before the 6th. I even complained to the company secretary that the three wise men are not here yet and that the removal of decorations has already begun. They will feel unwanted when they get here.
I have been taking great fun from complaining to work colleagues who are taking down the decorations before the 6th. I even complained to the company secretary that the three wise men are not here yet and that the removal of decorations has already begun. They will feel unwanted when they get here.
39jillmwo
So yes, I took the holiday decorations down on January 6 as one is supposed to do. Sadly, however, I did not get more than halfway through The City of Brass this weekend. I think that's because it's more than 500 pages in length and I thought it was more like 300. I think it's pretty well-paced and it has nicely spaced (and unexpected) plot twists. The speed bump for me has been tracking some of the unpronounceable names of individual characters as well as the various tribal names. I'm keeping notes tucked inside the book jacket so I can keep things straight. To be fair, at some point, I noticed that the author's website provides some useful aids and clarifications, not to mention an extensive bibliography of referenced research materials.
This year's reading statistics are a bit woebegone. I'm going to sink to counting pages rather than just counting the number of book titles. Of the 41 titles I read, I only felt 31 were worth commenting on here. I did manage to read more "new to me" authors than repeat authors. As another upside, I read more female authors than male. The average number of pages hovered right around 300-325.
This year's reading statistics are a bit woebegone. I'm going to sink to counting pages rather than just counting the number of book titles. Of the 41 titles I read, I only felt 31 were worth commenting on here. I did manage to read more "new to me" authors than repeat authors. As another upside, I read more female authors than male. The average number of pages hovered right around 300-325.
40jillmwo
Frivolous inquiry: pgmcc, did you mean to leave your copy of a secret training model lying around? Someone found it, I think... https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/political-assassination-history/
41pgmcc
>40 jillmwo: That belongs to the opposition. Their security is rubbish. It was a journalist that hacked their systems. What sort of security is that?
42clamairy
Where's your new thread, woman? Also, how are you planning to celebrate 'our birthday' next week?
43pgmcc
>42 clamairy: Jill’s thread does not have enough piffle to generate a new thread automatically. It will take a lot of piffle to get her there.
44jillmwo
pgmcc and clamairy -- you two need to work at creating the high-quality piffle needed to support the start of a new thread for me in 2019. I'm doing my best to spend my bits of free time in reading, but I've been tripped by tomes all of which seem to be more than I can finish in a weekend. I am working at it, but my brain is a bit spongy.
Alternatively, I should just see this as the new tradition. I seem to recall that 2018 required the support of @Younique and BookStoogeLT to get me to the magic number of 150 posts. So this is 44 I need another 106 bits of piffle to legitimately launch a 2019 thread.
So here's the challenge. Who can generate the highest quality piffle on this thread? I'm looking for wit, bad puns, charming lies and melodrama of the most sensational kind....
Alternatively, I should just see this as the new tradition. I seem to recall that 2018 required the support of @Younique and BookStoogeLT to get me to the magic number of 150 posts. So this is 44 I need another 106 bits of piffle to legitimately launch a 2019 thread.
So here's the challenge. Who can generate the highest quality piffle on this thread? I'm looking for wit, bad puns, charming lies and melodrama of the most sensational kind....
45pgmcc
>44 jillmwo: Now that is a great challenge. I shall sleep on it.
By the way, how do you define a “bad” pun?
By the way, how do you define a “bad” pun?
46ScoLgo
>45 pgmcc: Truly, 'Bad Pun' is an oxymoron of the highest order, landing in the upper ranks alongside Military Intelligence, Jumbo Shrimp, Clean Dirt, and Gentleman.
47jillmwo
>45 pgmcc: Well, from my perspective, a bad pun is one that makes me groan aloud. Now, in some circles, that would be considered to be a pun of the very best quality. Does one immediately want to repeat the pun to share the pain? That too may be viewed as an indicator of quality. It's all in one's perspective, as ScoLgo realizes in referencing oxymorons.
It is a challenge and I know that a gentleman of your literary background will be able to meet that challenge. I am sure there's likely some hidden talents to be found here in this Pub who will emerge, reveling in the concept of "bad pun" and the challenge of creating the very worst or best kind to be had.
It is a challenge and I know that a gentleman of your literary background will be able to meet that challenge. I am sure there's likely some hidden talents to be found here in this Pub who will emerge, reveling in the concept of "bad pun" and the challenge of creating the very worst or best kind to be had.
48jillmwo
Put here as a reference:
Jan 27 The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders
Feb 24 Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
March 31 Force of Nature by Jane Harper
April 28 The Devil’s Half Mile by Paddy Hirsch
May 26 Beloved Poison by E.S, Thompson
Sept 29 The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes
Oct 27 The Plague of Thieves Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini
Nov 24 The Winter Station by Jody Shields
Dec 29 The Last Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
Jan 27 The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders
Feb 24 Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
March 31 Force of Nature by Jane Harper
April 28 The Devil’s Half Mile by Paddy Hirsch
May 26 Beloved Poison by E.S, Thompson
Sept 29 The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes
Oct 27 The Plague of Thieves Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini
Nov 24 The Winter Station by Jody Shields
Dec 29 The Last Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
50MrsLee
There is a vendor who comes to our dealership every Thursday who always has a bad joke for us. This week it was: What do you call a dog who is a magician?
51MrsLee
>50 MrsLee: A labracadabrador.
52MrsLee
Huh. Urban dictionary says the definition of Piffle is "To lightly dab/pat concealer makeup under the eyes."
This may be the first definition from the Urban Dictionary that I could repeat in public.
This may be the first definition from the Urban Dictionary that I could repeat in public.
53MrsLee
I think a quote is in order for those members who may not be well versed in the Sayers mysteries.
"If anybody does marry you, Peter, it will be for the pleasure of hearing you talk Piffle."
"If anybody does marry you, Peter, it will be for the pleasure of hearing you talk Piffle."
55haydninvienna
>53 MrsLee: As we say in another place on the net that I frequent (http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/), Good Show Sir!
56haydninvienna
Or ma’am, in this case. (How are we doing getting the count of posts going?)
82jillmwo
I am laughing out loud! A piffle party is the best thing to happen to me this week! We're up to 81 and the system requires that we get up to 150 to trigger a new thread. My math skills are horrendous but Google assures me that we only need another 69 piffle posts to succeed. (68, once I post this one.)
I can quote poetry if you like...
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
Twas the 18th of April in '75
Hardly a man is now alive who remembers
that famous day and year
Who can do the next stanza? (Failing that, we can begin quoting the Owl and the Pussycat.)
The owl and the pussycat went to sea
in a beautiful pea green boat
they took some honey and plenty of money
wrapped up in a five-pound note.
What bits of poetry and/or doggerel do you know by heart?
I can quote poetry if you like...
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
Twas the 18th of April in '75
Hardly a man is now alive who remembers
that famous day and year
Who can do the next stanza? (Failing that, we can begin quoting the Owl and the Pussycat.)
The owl and the pussycat went to sea
in a beautiful pea green boat
they took some honey and plenty of money
wrapped up in a five-pound note.
What bits of poetry and/or doggerel do you know by heart?
84pgmcc
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I heard a cry,
.
.
.
.
“Get off my f——-g daffodils!”
That floats o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I heard a cry,
.
.
.
.
“Get off my f——-g daffodils!”
86hfglen
The lion is the king of beasts
And husband of the lioness.
Gazelles and others on whom he feasts
Address him as "Your Hioness".
And husband of the lioness.
Gazelles and others on whom he feasts
Address him as "Your Hioness".
87jillmwo
Gentlemen, I am reminded of a quote from Eifelheim by Michael Flynn. "What I mean, my lord, is that I think...I think they may not know poetry" (*ladylike snort may be heard as she refers them to this blog entry: http://individualtake.blogspot.com/2009/03/eifelheim-review.html*)
Eifelheim was a wonderful science fiction novel that lost its chance for a Hugo award to Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge.
Eifelheim was a wonderful science fiction novel that lost its chance for a Hugo award to Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge.
94MrsLee
And that's all I remember. My grandmother used to say that to me a lot. Now I say it to my cats, with modification.
96MrsLee
I read an article today which quoted a study done that showed that people who read for 30 minutes were not as likely to have their mood lifted as someone who gardens for 30 minutes. Well, duh! If you stopped me reading after 30 minutes I'd be in a foul mood too, but gardening is hard work, so stopping after 30 minutes is a relief.
97MrsLee
I'm going to bake a sponge cake with lemon curd filling. Wish I could share it with you all as we piffle along today.
101jillmwo
I want to hear how well the sponge cake came out. I have a fondness for sponge cake. Has anyone a favorite recipe? We've only another 48 posts to go.
Cat pictures? A parade through the pub with marching bands and hot air balloons? We've not had one of those in ever so long.
Cat pictures? A parade through the pub with marching bands and hot air balloons? We've not had one of those in ever so long.
102haydninvienna
Late last night upon the stair
103haydninvienna
I met a man who wsn't there.
104haydninvienna
He wasn't there again today--
105haydninvienna
Oh how I wish he'd go away!
106MrsLee
>101 jillmwo: The sponge cake came out incredibly thin. Either my baking soda has died, or the fact that I didn't have a mixer made for a very thin layer cake. I still plan to slather it with lemon curd and enjoy it. The pan crumbs tasted fine.
107haydninvienna
This one is genuine: "Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night;
God said Let Newton Be! and all was light".
Pope's epitaph for Sir Isaac Newton.
God said Let Newton Be! and all was light".
Pope's epitaph for Sir Isaac Newton.
108haydninvienna
But you knew there had to be more:
"Twas not to last! The Devil howling 'Ho! Let Einstein be!'
Restored the status quo."
(Sir John Squire's answer. I quote from memory, so not sure about the line breaks.)
"Twas not to last! The Devil howling 'Ho! Let Einstein be!'
Restored the status quo."
(Sir John Squire's answer. I quote from memory, so not sure about the line breaks.)
109MrsLee
A quote you may enjoy, jillmwo.
From W. Somerset Maugham's story, "Mr. Harrington's Washing"
man has always found it easier to sacrifice his life than to learn the multiplication table."
From W. Somerset Maugham's story, "Mr. Harrington's Washing"
man has always found it easier to sacrifice his life than to learn the multiplication table."
110haydninvienna
And:
There once was a man who said "God
There once was a man who said "God
111haydninvienna
Must think it exceedingly odd
112jillmwo
>109 MrsLee: You are reminding me of the horrors of having to memorize the multiplication tables in third grade. It was HARD. My mother worked with me using flash cards. I still have to think very hard about times 12, times 9, and on very rough days, times 7. It's amazing that I'm gainfully employed.
>108 haydninvienna: I really rather like the rhythms set up in that set. (And don't worry about the line breaks. I'm not sure I did Longfellow justice in that regard either.)
>108 haydninvienna: I really rather like the rhythms set up in that set. (And don't worry about the line breaks. I'm not sure I did Longfellow justice in that regard either.)
113haydninvienna
If he finds that this tree
114haydninvienna
Continues to be
115haydninvienna
When there's no-one about in the quad!"
116haydninvienna
But:
"Dear Sir, your astonishment's odd.
"Dear Sir, your astonishment's odd.
117haydninvienna
I am always about in the quad.
118haydninvienna
And therefore this tree
119haydninvienna
Continues to be
Since observed by
Yours faithfully, God.
Since observed by
Yours faithfully, God.
124YouKneeK
>101 jillmwo: Did somebody say cat pictures?
125haydninvienna
Someone else can do some limericks now. I'm going to bed.
129YouKneeK
Ok, maybe two. “You don’t need knick-knacks when you have me!” (This shelf is empty because he kept knocking off everything I put there.)
130jillmwo
>125 haydninvienna: Sleep well. You've added to the joy of all the participating piffle peeps!
>129 YouKneeK: Which leads me to believe that the cat understood that the essential purpose of the shelf was for resting, not for storage...
>129 YouKneeK: Which leads me to believe that the cat understood that the essential purpose of the shelf was for resting, not for storage...
132jillmwo
Squirrel!
(Actually, it's a squirrel giving me a LOOK. I'm feeling a bit awkward as a result. Can someone say whether there is spinach in my teeth or something equally gauche?)
(Actually, it's a squirrel giving me a LOOK. I'm feeling a bit awkward as a result. Can someone say whether there is spinach in my teeth or something equally gauche?)
133pgmcc
>132 jillmwo:
I cannot see. Look this way and smile .
I cannot see. Look this way and smile .
134MrsLee
Cake is delicious! A bit dense, but nice texture, and a great holder of lemon curd. Wish I could share it. Forgot to take a picture before I cut it, but this way you can imagine a lovely cake rather than what my mother-in-law would call a "loving hands at home" cake.
135MrsLee
Back to Maugham. This story is tortuous as usual. Man is stuck in a train cabin for10 days with an incessant talker.
137jillmwo
>135 MrsLee: Not sure anything could induce me to read Somerset Maugham.
I only need something like a dozen more posts. *bangs on bar* You've all been so very helpful so far. Just a few more comments.
Best quote you've memorized about reading.
I only need something like a dozen more posts. *bangs on bar* You've all been so very helpful so far. Just a few more comments.
Best quote you've memorized about reading.
138suitable1
Today is Jack London's birthday - 1876
139suitable1
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
-
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
-
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
-
---Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
-
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
-
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
-
---Macbeth by William Shakespeare
140MrsLee
>137 jillmwo: Actually, this story is my favorite so far. Dark humor! Also it went well against the background of A Gentleman in Moscow.
The only quote I have at the top of my brain is, "I'm reading a book, I'm reading a book. Don't you evva interrupt me when I'm reading a book!"
The only quote I have at the top of my brain is, "I'm reading a book, I'm reading a book. Don't you evva interrupt me when I'm reading a book!"
141YouKneeK
>136 Narilka: Thanks! :)
143pgmcc
"Once upon a time God was the story we told to make sense of our terror in the light of existence. Storytelling has that same fundamentally religious function - it fuses the disparate, gives us shape, and in doing so instills in us quiet.
It could be that brings us closer to God, to a sexual partner, to appropriate behaviours, or to better mental health. In the end, we simply can't know. But the journey into the woods, the finding of the missing part, its retrieval and the making of something whole, is integral. That something can be us, a puzzle, a mystery or any number of corruptions. As in scenes, so in story, a ridiculously simple process defines them all: two opposites are assimilated and a conflict is stilled. That is why we crave stories like a drug - for it is only through story that we are able to bring our inner selves into line with the external world. In that process some kind of sense is made, and if we're lucky, some kind of truth discovered.
Stories appear to be both as simple - and complex - as that."
Into the Woods: How stories work and why we tell them by John Yorke
It could be that brings us closer to God, to a sexual partner, to appropriate behaviours, or to better mental health. In the end, we simply can't know. But the journey into the woods, the finding of the missing part, its retrieval and the making of something whole, is integral. That something can be us, a puzzle, a mystery or any number of corruptions. As in scenes, so in story, a ridiculously simple process defines them all: two opposites are assimilated and a conflict is stilled. That is why we crave stories like a drug - for it is only through story that we are able to bring our inner selves into line with the external world. In that process some kind of sense is made, and if we're lucky, some kind of truth discovered.
Stories appear to be both as simple - and complex - as that."
Into the Woods: How stories work and why we tell them by John Yorke
145YouKneeK
>144 pgmcc: Aww, cute... is that yours, or just a random photo?
147pgmcc
>145 YouKneeK:
That is Smokey. She was one of five kittens we found in our garden. Unfortunately she met with a tragic road accident shortly after this photo was taken, about four years ago. This is my favourite picture of her.
Her two brothers are still with us.
That is Smokey. She was one of five kittens we found in our garden. Unfortunately she met with a tragic road accident shortly after this photo was taken, about four years ago. This is my favourite picture of her.
Her two brothers are still with us.
148YouKneeK
>147 pgmcc: Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. It is a great picture!
149europhile
>143 pgmcc: Lovely quote.
150pgmcc
“Oh, they never lie. They dissemble, evade, prevaricate, confound, confuse, distract, obscure, subtly misrepresent and wilfully misunderstand with what often appears to be a positively gleeful relish and are generally perfectly capable of contriving to give one an utterly unambiguous impression of their future course of action while in fact intending to do exactly the opposite, but they never lie. Perish the thought.”
Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks
Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks
155pgmcc
>154 YouKneeK: Perhaps she is on vacation.
156MrsLee
>155 pgmcc: She probably deserted us for a book!
158pgmcc
>157 suitable1:
Thanks. I always thought it made her look like a pirate up a mast on look-out duty.
>156 MrsLee:
If that were the case we could possibly finding it in our hours to forgive her her tardiness.
Thanks. I always thought it made her look like a pirate up a mast on look-out duty.
>156 MrsLee:
If that were the case we could possibly finding it in our hours to forgive her her tardiness.
Ce sujet est poursuivi sur 2019 Reading Thread - Book by Book, Jill Natters On.
