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Livros aleatórios da biblioteca de polutropos

The Bostonians (Modern Classics) por Henry James

In the Cage and Other Stories (Penguin Modern Classics) por Henry James

Idiots First por Bernard Malamud

Burmese Days por George Orwell

The Cider House Rules por John Irving

The Storied Land: Theories Of American Literature From Whitman to Edmund Wilson por Richard Ruland

Young Torless por Robert Musil

Membros com livros de polutropos

Ligações a outros membros

amigos: alaskabookworm, aluvalibri, A_musing, bobmcconnaughey, chrisharpe, cocoafiend, DavidX, EnriqueFreeque, Existanai, geneg, HarvReviewer, Hera, jargoneer, jotoyo, keren7, kidzdoc, Kplatypus, lilisin, LolaWalser, Macumbeira, PandorasRequiem, Pennie, Porius, PrincessPaulina, RidgewayGirl, Sandydog1, solla, Talbin, tomcatMurr, urania1, WilfGehlen

bibliotecas interessantes: akeela, almigwin, aluvalibri, avaland, A_musing, Booksloth, clamairy, cocoafiend, deebee1, depressaholic, dylanwolf, Existanai, HarvReviewer, hemlokgang, Irisheyz77, jargoneer, kidzdoc, kiwidoc, laytonwoman3rd, lilisin, LolaWalser, lriley, Macumbeira, mcna217, merry10, MichaelMenche, msf59, Nickelini, obsessedbybooks, oldmanriver1951, PandorasRequiem, Porius, quillmenow, rebeccanyc, RidgewayGirl, Sandydog1, solla, Talbin, tomcatMurr, urania1, WilfGehlen, zenomax

Autores LibraryThing: David Herter (davidherter), Jacqueline Deval (jacquelined), Richard Price (rixsal)

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Resenhas dos livros de polutropos não incluindo resenhas do próprio

 

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Membro: polutropos

ColecçõesA sua biblioteca (1,210)

Resenhas46 resenhas

Etiquetas1001 list (141), signed (82), literary criticism (74), Czech (56), Russia (46), thrillers (46), France (44), poetry (20), YA (20), mystery (10) — ver todas as etiquetas

Nuvensnuvem de etiquetas, nuvem de autores

Grupos1001 Books to read before you die, Audiobooks, Author Theme Reads, Book Nudgers, Club Read 2009, Crime, Thriller & Mystery, Group Reads - Literature, Homer, the Trojan war, and pre-classical Greece, I Lock My Door Upon Myself: Fans of Joyce Carol Oates, Klub knihomolů — mostrar todos os grupos

Autores favoritosJane Austen, Albert Camus, Karel Čapek, Joseph Conrad, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Gustave Flaubert, E. M. Forster, Jaroslav Hašek, Homer, Alistair MacLeod, Cormac McCarthy, George Orwell, E. Annie Proulx, Salman Rushdie, J. D. Salinger, William Saroyan, Leo Tolstoy (Favoritos partilhados)

Livrarias favoritasBook City (Annex)

Sobre mim“The purpose of art is the lifelong construction of a state of wonder.” Glenn Gould

----------------------------------------...

Polutropos, my LT name, is the key characterization of Odysseus by Homer. Some of its meanings: the man of many journeys, of many turns of mind, of many turns of language, of many figures of speech, of many twists and turns. We see through this word Odysseus’s lies but also his wisdom, his wanderings and his resourcefulness.

Sobre a minha bibliotecaEclectic. In constant flux. Only a fraction currently on LT.

Adesão LibraryThing Primeiros Resenhistas/Ofertas de Membros

Tipo de contapública, vitalícia

Novidades das LigaçõesNovidades das Ligações

URL http://www.librarything.com/profile/polutropos (perfil)
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/polutropos (biblioteca)

Conhecimento ComumSéries (100), Prémios (369), Personagens (2969), Lugares (587)

Membro desdeMar 28, 2008

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I was just foolin around. If meaning there is it is: I fart on your house and on your family.

publicado por Porius às 2:21 pm (EST) em Dec 18, 2009

Travesty by Joh Hawkes. Experimental American fiction from the mid-70s, one of his more accessible works.

publicado por EnriqueFreeque às 12:49 pm (EST) em Dec 17, 2009

It's not a technical term, it says that if the American writer Thomas Wolfe, the one from Asheville NC is a putter-inner then Flaubert, forever seeker of JUST the right word, was a taker-outer. His was a more, as you know, precise art. Thomas Wolfe used to drop off crates of manuscript to the office at Scribners and Maxwell Perkins had to do the merciless work of striking out the superfluous verbiage. The old Johnsonian approach, and I quote from a fawlty memory here, "when you get it just right, strike it out." Or something to that effect.
Flaubert would not think much of, say, Trollopes novels. He would call Trollope a photographer. One who doesn't crop out the unnecessary. Take it out as it were.
I hope that helps.
And BTW you didn't answer my question of whether or not you are familiar with Stanford's ULYSSES THEME. W B Stanford.

Have a good holidays

publicado por Porius às 1:30 pm (EST) em Dec 12, 2009

I was wondering if you are familiar with WB Stanford's ULYSSES THEME 1954. A look at the 'character' , etc. of Odysseus over the centuries. How he was viewed by the 18th Century, the Victorians, that sort of thing. How his stock went up and down, how he was loved and hated, how he was trusted or mistrusted, according to the weltsmerz of the times?
Of course you are.
Have a good holidays.

publicado por Porius às 3:43 pm (EST) em Dec 5, 2009

Andrew,

Just finally responding to your response to me about the reviewing. I understand your frustration not knowing if anyone is reading them, but I can tell you that when I look at a book page on LT, I appreciate seeing a few real reviews to help me decide whether I am likely to like the book. I am not an avid reviewer, but I keep that in mind when I have read a book that does not have many or any reviews attached to it and try to do a useful review. Since your reviews are so thoughtful, I imagine that they are much appreciated by many readers.

Thanks for the info about Pamhuk. I have My Name is Red on the wishlist in anticipation of reading it in February. I am hoping to finish Les Miserables before then! :-)

Lisa

publicado por LisaCurcio às 9:51 am (EST) em Dec 1, 2009

I wil get on it right now. I was under the impression another story was being submitted for the story contest.

publicado por urania1 às 12:50 pm (EST) em Nov 30, 2009

Polutropos is an adjective ? An epitheton ornans for Ulysses ?

publicado por Macumbeira às 2:24 pm (EST) em Nov 27, 2009

LOL, reviewing ? ofcourse, it will be a pleasure.

I seem to miss the Illiad in my book collection. What is the best translation or best edition according to you ? I have the Odyssey in the Fagle translation. I loved it

publicado por Macumbeira às 2:21 pm (EST) em Nov 27, 2009

Check out the new Umberto Eco : it is about Lists !!

publicado por Macumbeira às 1:31 pm (EST) em Nov 27, 2009

hahaha! great! Good old Gore. Long may he live!

publicado por tomcatMurr às 7:39 pm (EST) em Nov 23, 2009

Yeah, the audio files should be easy to burn onto CDs. Just grab yrself a program like iTunes, open it, drag the audio files/folders into it, create a play-list to drag each disc-worth of audio into by looking at the + button on the bottom left corner of the program, pop a CD-R into your computer's disc-tray (assuming your computer was built after 1997 when disc-burning properties became the standard for computers), and, looking at the play-list, click "Burn Disc" in the bottom right, and it should go. I'm not very good at explaining things with so many steps, so that probably sounds really confusing.

If you Google "how to burn discs on iTunes" you'll find plenty of step-by-step guides that are much easier to follow, like this one: http://www.wellesley.edu/Computing/Idocs...

If nothing works, I wouldn't mind burning them for you and mailing them out. We have more than enough time to get it settled. Would cost about $5 in CDs and $2 in shipping.

publicado por RSHabroptilus às 5:51 pm (EST) em Nov 21, 2009

Great review of Bridge of the Golden Horn for Belletrista. You have contributed to the wishlist, for sure.

As to Pamhuk, I have "Snow" and am looking for others. Do you think it matters in what order one reads his books? In your opinion, is one (or more) better than the others?

Lisa

publicado por LisaCurcio às 10:33 pm (EST) em Nov 19, 2009

Lovely play, polutropical!

Luigi Pirandello. I need that book of his w/the multiple identites. Sybil is so yesterday.

Thanks for thinking of me and crafting an exquisite piece of work around 'lil 'ol me.

Tada

publicado por EnriqueFreeque às 7:19 pm (EST) em Nov 11, 2009

Not so scary, really. Isn't Sallis great? I love his allusions; Thompson, etc.
Have you read Blaugast by Leppin? Really wild! You're probably a Meyrink, Perutz fan
too? I've got a pretty good collection of hard boiled noir; Goodis, Chase, McCoy,
Whittington, etc. Any faves?

publicado por tros às 9:37 am (EST) em Nov 11, 2009

I Loved " Un long dimanche de fiançailles "

publicado por Macumbeira às 5:07 am (EST) em Nov 1, 2009

Great one yourself !!! LOL : )

Yes I know the Dardennes brothers, but honestly they are not realy my cup of tea with their depictions of sordid social problems and all that. I like more beautiful images and people... Have you seen " Cheri" with beautiful Michelle ? or Coco ( Chanel ) ?

Cheers Mac

publicado por Macumbeira às 12:21 am (EST) em Oct 31, 2009

Uh-oh (I glanced below)

Is, um, you-know-who okay?

Thanks for thinking of me, I think. How does Le Cirque Litteraire sound as a new group name?

publicado por EnriqueFreeque às 8:29 pm (EST) em Oct 30, 2009

Why thank you polutropos. Is Slovak your native language?

publicado por PekoeTheCat às 3:25 am (EST) em Oct 29, 2009

Argh! I have a half-written reply to you. Now you've changed everything.

I may make you suffer through it, if I finish it.

Tim

publicado por timspalding às 6:01 pm (EST) em Oct 27, 2009

Hi,

Sorry you couldn't access the BBC site. I quickly transcribed the Nabokov's answer to the first set of questions re: authors. Of course, the real delight is in hearing his dramatic and often snearing delivery, but this should give you an idea.

Teresa

"I dislike intensely the Karamozov Brothers and the ghastly Crime and Punishment rigmarole. I do not object to soul searching and certain relations(?), but in those books the soul and the sameness and the sentimentality and the journaling hardly warrant the tedious and muddled search."

question

"I go by books not by authors. I consider Anna Karenina the supreme masterpiece of 19th cent literature. It is closely followed by the Death of Ivan Ilyich, but I detest Resurrection. I detest The Kreutzer Sonata. Tollstoys xxxx forays are unreadable. War and Peace, though a little too long is a rollicking historical novel written for that amorphic (amorphous?) and limp creature known as the general reader and more specifically for the young. In terms of artistic structure it does not satisfy me. I derive no pleasure from its cumbersome message, from the didactic interludes, from its artificial coincidences with cool, handsome Prince Andrei turning up to witness this or that historical moment, this or that footnote in the sources used often uncritically by the author."

question

"Ah, the word genius is passed around rather generously, isn’t it? At least in English, because its Russian counterpart, xxxx, is a term brimming with a sort of throaty awe and is used only in the case of a very small number of writers—Shakespeare, Milton, Pushkin, Tolstoy. To such deeply beloved authors as Turgenev and Chekov. Russians assign the thinner term, xxxx talent, not genius. It is a bizarre example of semantic discrepancy, the same word being more substantial in one language than in another. Although my Russian and English are practically coeval, I still feel appalled and puzzled at seeing genius applied to any important storyteller such as Maupasant or xxxx. Genius still means to me, in my Russian fastidiousness and pride of phrase, a unique dazzling gift—the gift of James Joyce and not the talent of Henry James."

publicado por theaelizabet às 8:57 pm (EST) em Oct 19, 2009

Polutropos! (Nice name.) It's been a few years, so I won't get into too much detail, but initially and foremost, I love the basic concept--having sunk a lot of important and irreplaceable hours of my life into climbing up mountains, buildings, and yes, the occasional tree, this books starts out by making me very, very positively disposed to the Baron with what is essentially, I suppose, a gimmick. I love the way the story maintains a fairy-tale quality while being totally entangled in its historical moment, both in terms of the philosophical positions that Cosimo inhabits and moves between, the 18th-century wrangling with Rousseau and Voltaire, and then the Tolstoy-echoing Bolkonsky stuff later on. I love that pastiche element. I love the fullness of Cosimo's biography--Cosimo the Lover, "there can be no love if one does not remain oneself with all one's strength", Cosimo the lover of nature, and Cosimo the social idealist--indeed, isn't that balance between the lone self, away in whatever bower one finds in life, the lover of humanity and the committed lover of one person in particular--isn't that the fundamental balancing act of life that the Baron carries out with such aplomb, never falling down? I like how gravity never catches up with him, and how the narrative reflects that lightness, with scenes like the one with Viola's suitors played for laughter and delight instead of trying to be real or darkly psychosexual. I love that lightness and willingness to let everything float forever, and the reminder how tenuous it is with the war in the second half. Everyone is decent, almost nobody meets a bad end, and even the torture of Gian dei Brughi is touching, not ugly. It's a fable of the Enlightenment, a could-almost-be-true-but-not-quite little legend that invites you to suspend your worser nature and take to the trees and live out your own romance while still rendering up your responsibility to your fellow man. Ultimately I like it because I think Cosimo lives the good life in the good world (and one that's fantastical--all the places he gets going tree by tree!--but not fantasy, not full of dragonslaying and junk), and this book is one of the better manuals I've seen for living.

Hey, thanks for reminding me how rad this book is!

publicado por booksfallapart às 3:58 am (EST) em Oct 19, 2009

Hi Andrew,

I finally made it to the post office today, and the two books, "The Glass Room" by Simon Mawer and "Words Without Borders", should be on the way to you today. I sent it via First Class Mail, which should take 5-10 business days to arrive. Please let me know when you receive them.

Cheers,
Darryl

publicado por kidzdoc às 3:02 pm (EST) em Oct 5, 2009

It was what they call a tactical vote. The Czech/Slovak thing would be great, but has a few fans out there (hopefully), so I wanted to do some of the more obscure ones. If there is no Czech/Slovak read this this 6 months, I will definitely throw in my vote for the second half of the year. After our Skvorecky conversations I have acquired 'The Bass Saxophone', and I still have the Alois Jirasek unread. I'm on your side, really..

publicado por depressaholic às 1:24 pm (EST) em Oct 1, 2009

Pol, thanks for your comment. I guess I see the period from Austen through James as the high water mark of the literary (whatever that means) novel, with a little tail trailing across into the twenties and thirties in America. I enjoy most things prior to the rise of POMO fiction.

I find American authors working at the turn of the 20th century get short shrift among us bibliophiles, but I suspect some of it has to do with the subject matter: America isn't as sexy as Europe. We Americans get a thrill from watching the decline of European manners while ignoring the messiness of our own rise. I would like to see more turn of the 20th century Americans included in the readings. Being new to the group, I'll just keep putting my 2 cents in from time to time and recommending books, when appropriate.

Once again, thanks for the comment.

publicado por geneg às 5:17 pm (EST) em Sep 29, 2009

Thanks for your kind comment !

publicado por Macumbeira às 1:02 am (EST) em Sep 27, 2009

Andrew,

Thanks for that poem; I had not read it or heard of the author. Needless to say, I have mixed feelings about it, as motherhood is (of course) a great joy, but one that should be experienced primarily by married, financially and emotionally stable, adult women, IMO.

I finally received a copy of The Glass Room from The Book Depository last week, and will send it and the Words Without Borders book to you next week, after I return to Atlanta.

Will you be following the Giller Prize this year? I noticed that the longlist comes out on Sep 21. I'll probably read some of the books on the longlist, but I doubt that I'll read all of them unless it's a "short" longlist. Are there any books you think are especially prize worthy?

Cheers,
Darryl

publicado por kidzdoc às 8:35 am (EST) em Sep 6, 2009

Andrew,
You pointed me towards your new Club Read thread ages ago but I've only just made it there (personal upheavals of my own having kept me away) - what wonderful poems. I've never been much of a poetry fan but you and Wyslawa Szymborska are changing that. I'm serious!

R

publicado por rachbxl às 11:27 am (EST) em Aug 31, 2009

You are right. The czech rep and Slovakia are more in the center of europe than Belgium. I travel there regularly and I remember that I saw once ( can't remmber where ) that there was a monument mentioning the central point of Europe.

publicado por Macumbeira às 11:03 am (EST) em Aug 29, 2009

LOL

I am scanning the world from behind my pc in Belgium !
Indeed the heart of Europe.

Cheers

publicado por Macumbeira às 9:24 am (EST) em Aug 29, 2009

Thanks! As you can probably tell, I'm Forster-mad of late. So exciting to dig into all his works for the first time (and see myself still rereading them many years down the road). I don't usually do audiobooks, but the idea of listening to Forster is really appealing. Do you know who the reader is on your Room With a View? Have you listened to any other Forster works?

Glad you like my heroes and heroines--I remember you reading Straight Man earlier this year, so I know that reference wasn't too obscure for you. (Semester starts up soon for me, I better get ready for a reread. :)

publicado por Medellia às 9:24 am (EST) em Aug 28, 2009

We both have excellent taste, I think.
Updike is grossly overrated (and soooooooooooo boring.....) (but don't tell anyone I said so.)

I tried to read the Jhumpa Lahiri book you were kind enough to send to me, but I couldn't get on with it at all. There was nothing there. Or am I missing something?

publicado por tomcatMurr às 11:20 pm (EST) em Aug 27, 2009

Thanks, House of Day, House of Night has arrived safely.
Would you be kind enough to also let Tracey know as I don't have her details.
Thanks.

publicado por DubaiReader às 3:43 pm (EST) em Aug 26, 2009

Hello there ! How is thucydides going ?

I think this will interest you too :

http://macumbeira-macumbeira.blogspot.co...

publicado por Macumbeira às 1:41 am (EST) em Aug 22, 2009

It looks indeed as the same book. I think that if they mention strassler it is ok.
My Free press edition is about 700 pages

cheers

publicado por Macumbeira às 11:27 pm (EST) em Aug 15, 2009

No, not yet.

publicado por DubaiReader às 4:25 pm (EST) em Aug 14, 2009

your wife is right....as a very general and very often broken rule - in the northern hemisphere. But wind direction/weather patterns are "controlled" by many factors, differences in air pressure, temperature and humidity between large air masses (frontal systems) being one of the prime movers of local weather phenomena. Like other "systems" air tends to flow from areas of higher density to lower density - but because the earth spins, the large scale weather systems are usually associated w/ a rotational direction as well. (Far more obvious in very strong events like hurricanes or tornadoes.)

If you go to a beach you'll often notice a pleasant, cooling breeze coming off the ocean onto the land during the day. The water is an efficient heat sink and takes much longer to heat up than the beach. The air over the land warms up, becomes less dense and the relatively slight temperature difference between the air over the sea (denser) and land ("lighter") is enough to create a sea breeze.

On more dramatic scale, you just have to watch the life cycle of Atlantic hurricanes which start somewhere off the coast of Africa and then move eastward across the ocean, generally picking up "strength" as they veer SWest over warmer waters that are a source of energy for the systems. Then after hitting the Caribbean (often), they'll shift direction and start moving north by north east and wallop NOrleans or NCarolina or (rarely) even the Maritimes.

BUT as a general rule, w/ a host of exceptions, your wife is right.

publicado por bobmcconnaughey às 10:28 am (EST) em Aug 11, 2009

Andrew -
forgive what's surely an obtuse question - but i really was assuming that the apple/foolish woman/Eden set was one of the things going on in that poem? Or did i totally misread?
thanks
bob

publicado por bobmcconnaughey às 7:51 am (EST) em Aug 9, 2009

Hi Andrew,

Just catching up after a week with friends in Tuscany doing not very much at all...

I found out about the World Literature Weekend from FlossieT, who works for the LRB bookshop; she's your woman to ask, really, but I'll try. It was the first event of its kind that they've run but I understand they may be planning to repeat it in view of its success. Not sure about an issue of LRB, but there's some info about it on the website: http://www.lrbshop.co.uk/pages.php?pagei...

The talk I really wanted to go to was sold out by the time I got organised - round table of literary translators discussing their profession. However, charbutton went and could tell you more about it. I went to 3 sessions - French/Algerian writer Faiza Guène together with her translator Sarah Ardizzone (the latter laying to rest any doubts anyone might have had about translators being shy and retiring - what a character! They both were, in fact), very interesting discussion about translating slang. Then Croatian writer Dubravka Ugresic - I had only discovered her a couple of weeks before, pure coincidence, and now I want to read more - talking to the head of English PEN. And finally Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti (I've read his memoir, I Saw Ramallah, but not his poetry) - he read some of his work in both Arabic and English (his translator is his wife (for his poetry; Adhaf Soueif translated his memoir); she wasn't there, but he had a lot to say about how he doesn't think anyone who doesn't know him well could translate his poems). I can give you more details about any of these if you're interested, and if I can remember - but the strange thing, quite unexpected, was how moving I found it all. I'm not sure I can explain, but to sit there feet away from Ugresic and Barghouti and hear them talking about things I'd only been able to read thanks to a translator...and then to realise that that's what I do for people on a daily basis (albeit rather more prosaic stuff, I'm afraid!); it's given me back much of my old enthusiasm and passion for cross-cultural communication - I see the point again.

As I said, I'm just back from hols and am still catching up, but I shall certainly be checking out your latest translations as soon as I can, and your new thread too.

All the best,
Rachel

publicado por rachbxl às 3:41 pm (EST) em Aug 2, 2009

I, too, have urged Ghosh's books on every and all; with the [Glass Palace] perhaps being his finest, but i've very much enjoyed everything i've read that he's written. I'm one of the few who didn't like [A suitable boy] nor [an equal music] (and i probably know enough about music to get by).

Ghosh changes style and subject w/ great ease. I first noticed him years ago through a medical/sf/alternate history of medicine [the Calcutta chromosome] The [Glass Palace] is an elegant and moving history of Burma vis vis both Brit colonialism and Indian power.

[In an antique land] is a memoir/travelogue of his experiences as a grad student anthopologist doing field work in rural Egypt. Fascinating-the Muslim villagers are both intrigued and appalled by this educated Indian whom they keep trying to convert.

[The Hungry Tide] about the dying mangrove swamps of the Sundbaren (sp) region of India - the folk customs, the natural history (esp. of the disappearing river dolphins and the tigers), families torn between tradition and modernity. Maybe not quite as well written as his others, but still v. good.

publicado por bobmcconnaughey às 4:37 pm (EST) em Jul 29, 2009

Andrushka, I know you are a big fan of Glenn Gould, and he is truly wondrous. But have you heard Murray Perahia play the Goldberg Variations? He makes GG sound like a stenographer.

Rush out and listen to it now.

publicado por tomcatMurr às 4:20 am (EST) em Jul 29, 2009

Hi Andrew,
Hope you liked Born Yesterday, which we also saw a few weeks ago.

Didn't want to get off topic on Murr's thread, but there will also be a group read of Master and Margarita in Brent's Le Salon group in September. And now it looks like there will still be a Le Salon group in September. I most likely will chime in there too. M&M is one of my favorites.

publicado por WilfGehlen às 11:18 am (EST) em Jul 27, 2009

Hi Andrew - What a kind thought that was. I'm very tempted to take you up on it but I've had a good think about what signed copies mean to me and I'm going to decline but with real thanks for thinking of me. I do have several signed copies but they are all by people I either know, or have met, and the inscriptions and signatures mean more to me as a reminder of those people or the events at which we met than they do intrinsically. I also treat my books appallingly. I'm not one of those people who sees books as artefacts to be treasured, to me they are great wadges (wodges? neither looks right) of information, thoughts, ideas, to be consumed fervently. I bend back the covers, turn down the pages, underline or make notes in the margins, shove a book in the back pocket of my jeans etc - not the kind of treatment that is deserved by a signed work. So, while I still envy you the chance to meet and talk with one of my favourite authors, I think your books would be greatly appreciated by someone who has more respect for them than I do. Signed or not, they would still be 'reading' copies to me! Very many thanks, though, for the offer - if I were a different kind of reader I'd be snatching your arm off!

Lyn

publicado por Booksloth às 5:05 am (EST) em Jul 27, 2009

Andrew,
If you have a chance, check out Restaurant deLuca. It's relatively new and relatively and absolutely wonderful. Wine pairings are excellent and reasonably priced.

publicado por WilfGehlen às 10:46 pm (EST) em Jul 21, 2009

Andrew -

Book arrived over the weekend. I am just back from vacation, finishing several reads in progress, so timing is perfect. Thanks a million, Tracy Fox

publicado por tracyfox às 6:30 am (EST) em Jul 2, 2009

Hi Andrew,

I thought I was public, as my firends used to be able to find me, but I checked and it was private. Now it is back to public. Thanks and sorry for making you look so much. I do like your library and your 1001 list is intriguing as well. I can't agree with some of your entries, but then that is what makes it interesting.

publicado por jotoyo às 10:22 am (EST) em Jun 29, 2009

Oh good, I'm glad you've only just finished "House of Day..." and that there's the prospect of a discussion to come. I'm in Warsaw right now for a 2-day meeting and even before I read your post I was planning to go off this afternoon and get myself a copy - I promise to start reading it right away so I may even be in time to join in. Thanks too for the spoilers which I'm sure will be invaluable in checking that I've understood...!

Hope all's well?

Rachel

publicado por rachbxl às 6:30 am (EST) em Jun 24, 2009

Hi Polutropos,

I just wanted to compliment you on your Hot Review of Sheila Watson's The Double Hook, featured on today's Home Page! I love The Double Hook, but it is so seldom that anyone reads it, so it was great to read your review. In case you are interested, Watson also wrote a few short stories, my favourite of which is "Antigone".

Happy Reading!

Cait

publicado por Cait86 às 2:31 pm (EST) em Jun 18, 2009

Thanks for the update. Hope your health and other issues are resolved. Wishing you well, Tracy Fox

publicado por tracyfox às 3:36 pm (EST) em Jun 17, 2009

See what I mean?:-)

publicado por avaland às 9:33 pm (EST) em Jun 15, 2009

Thanks, the book is on its way.

I'm afraid I haven't journalled my Dubai experience - it's as much as I can do to keep up with my book reviews. I'd rather read than write any day :)

Hope you enjoy Girl Nobody, please let me know when it arrives.

publicado por DubaiReader às 9:04 am (EST) em Jun 7, 2009

That's fine. I will send it on to Dubaireader by July 1. You willingness to include me in this exchange is appreciated. It should work out about the same as purchasing a used copy off Amazon ... but since I've sworn off Amazon purchases for the year, this will be perfect!

Tracy

publicado por tracyfox às 8:03 am (EST) em Jun 3, 2009

Hi Andrew,

publicado por DubaiReader às 4:15 pm (EST) em Jun 2, 2009

OK, that's cool.
Can we email via this site or will I put my e mail address on here?
Unless you're a member of BookMooch??
I've just finished and I can post it immediately. Happy to wait for yours whenever you're ready.
It's in excellent condition as I've taken to covering my books before reading which seems to prevent spine creasing :)
Definately a strange read, I'd certainly like to hear how you get on with it. A male author writing about teenage girls is pretty unusual I think.

We've been here since 1984, minus 9 yrs in UK after the first Gulf War. It's home really, although a bit of a crazy place these days. My hubby does huge scale interior planting, offices, malls, palaces, hotels etc and I'm a childminder. That allows me to read when they are sleeping!

I see you're in a lot of groups - have you been with Reading Globally for long?
It's so great to have a genre title for my favourite books. No doubt living in Dubai has coloured my reading :)
I'll be interested to read House of Day and see if the style of my book is similar, perhaps it's a Polish thing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

publicado por DubaiReader às 6:20 pm (EST) em May 25, 2009

Hi Andrew

Identity has finally arrived in cloudy London! Thanks so much for your gift - I'm looking forward to reading it.

Char

publicado por charbutton às 8:42 am (EST) em May 21, 2009

Andrew
I'm in awe of your erudition - used for the powers of "good." Out of curiosity, are you similarly up on Polish poetry? Two of my favorites are Anna Swir and Czeslaw Milosz - but that may just be because there's a vast amount out there that I haven't read. Unread either because it hasn't yet been translated or because i'm just clueless.

Suggestions welcome!
thanks
bob

publicado por bobmcconnaughey às 1:23 pm (EST) em Apr 30, 2009

Thanks for stopping by, Andrew. Memory (and everything else not related to my studies) is on my list for this summer. Two more weeks and I'm a much freer agent.

I've been on LT much less lately, but I have been keeping up with your thread. I agree with you re: the superiority of Verdi/Puccini/et al over Strauss/Wagner/et al. And I admire your poetry translations. Keep translating and writing--you certainly have a gift.

publicado por Medellia às 8:56 am (EST) em Apr 26, 2009

Oh Andrew, you are so funny. I will leave the decision in your hands:-) - L

publicado por avaland às 5:07 pm (EST) em Apr 14, 2009

I love it! As others have said, all the versions have their merit and they each have a special feel, but they're all so...well, different! To me personally it's fascinating to see how different they are, actually - in fact it makes me shudder in horrified recognition. The thing is that, where necessary, we do actually work like that - eg if my colleagues and I in the English booth don't work from Slovak, say, then we'll take it "on relay" from someone who does, someone working into French, for example. So the message goes Slovak - French - English, and elsewhere in the same room it'll be going Slovak - German - Greek, etc etc ... hopefully with end results which are more similar than those we have here, but you do wonder. I'm really sorry that I haven't managed to come up with the promised translations of the poems from Polish; I'd like to say I'll have a bash over Easter, but I doubt it - new-ish house and garden are eating up all my free time!

I'm interested in what you say about the lack of authenticity of Central European voices in translation. My limited contact with translated literature from that part of the world didn't make me want to read on, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the Polish literature I've been able to read direct - there's a sense of humour there, for goodness sake! That's come as a real revelation to me. And now the good news is that you'll be able to show me that Slovaks are real people, too! (Maybe I'll leave Slovakia to the very end of my round-the-world read to give you time to produce something?) So where are you starting out?

All the best for your new venture; I'm really looking forward to reading the fruits.

Rachel

publicado por rachbxl às 4:39 am (EST) em Apr 8, 2009

Hello

I'm really looking forward to receiving and reading Identity. I haven't read any Kundera but have heard good things about him.

Char

publicado por charbutton às 2:50 am (EST) em Apr 8, 2009

I will. How are you?

publicado por aluvalibri às 6:08 am (EST) em Apr 6, 2009

Hi~
I did get your long email just yesterday actually. School has this tendency to take over my life, and I hadn't checked library thing or that email account for a while. Thank you very much for you thoughts and you honesty. No worries about the delay at all, while I admit that my original motivation for asking was related to an essay, I think that your story is very valuable just for the ideas and challenges that it calls to attention as I start to think about my future patients and how I hope to relate to them. I really appreciate it.

I hope all is well with you.

Thanks!
Maggie

publicado por pursuitofsanity às 9:59 pm (EST) em Apr 5, 2009

I didn't really make an argument - instead (i had the idea while driving home in the rain last night) i thought about how poetry could encapsulate time and place perfectly, thinking of the WWI poets, so posted a sequence of WWI poetry written over the course of the war. Of course it then turns out the OP admits to teaching the WWI poets, but having thought of the idea as an argument by example i stuck it in there anyway. Basically if she doesn't like post Donne poetry - i mean wtf, great poetry doesn't need help from me in re defense - i really just post poetry that:1. i like a lot; 2. might not be all that well known to many readers.

publicado por bobmcconnaughey às 9:39 am (EST) em Apr 3, 2009

Hi there.

Some time back you spoke about Kafka being laugh out loud funny.

Have you ever read Zamyatin - I put him in the same class.What others read as straight text I see as the most amusing thing in the world.

My belief (warning some see this as crackpot!) is that it is down to personality type (jungian, Myers Briggs etc.)

Certain types write and read about the world in a different way, and are constantly amused when the world is depicted in this way.

publicado por zenomax às 6:56 am (EST) em Apr 3, 2009

eeek - that's totally silly - when i get home this evening i'll write something up.

note in re Tulip Poplars - they grow v. quickly - we transplanted one from a friends yard - w/in a decade it had gotten > 25' (up from 4' sprig) and we'd made the mistake of planting it too close to a power line - so the when the tree pruners for the power company came through we were left w/ a very lopsided tulip poplar.

publicado por bobmcconnaughey às 1:03 pm (EST) em Apr 2, 2009

Tulip trees are completely different from tulip poplars. Most people do not even realize that tulip poplars bloom although the flowers are absolutely gorgeous: leafy, spring green, with a deep orange throat, multiple yellow stamens rich in pollen, and a shape like a single tulip. The leafy spring green color camouflages the blossoms.

publicado por urania1 às 2:41 pm (EST) em Mar 25, 2009

Your latest comment has crushed me. I feel a fit of languid, Victorian melancholy coming on. *urania sinks to her fainting couch, handkerchief and smelling salts in hand*

publicado por urania1 às 2:00 pm (EST) em Mar 25, 2009

Okay, books entered, back to 2666... Now, you understand that what follows is completely subjective, I am no more a critic than those guys you quoted, and I'm afraid I can't help being rambling and incomplete, I haven't tried to systematise my reactions in any way so far. First, I wouldn't say that I "loved" it, but whatever, perhaps my response corresponds to other people "loving" a book--what is damn sure is that it completely captivated me. Bolano is to me a real page-turner--I was pacing myself because I was reading with a friend and we tried to stay "together", otherwise I'd have inhaled it.

It opens up with a mystery, and a quest (the critics setting off to find this German, that is-- European enigma, Archimboldi) which to me resonated immediately and powerfully with my own need to understand Europe, its history, its being, how it can go on living (how can I, as a European, go on living). As readers of Bolano we are doubly removed from Archimboldi--from his person AND his books--all we have to go on is the need these four people have to find him, they are like the finger pointing at something--and who can resist the pointing finger, the upturned gaze? If the secret hooks you, you follow--and I think the call is powerful because almost all of us sense a myriad secrets in the world.

There is a thread that connects all the parts of Bolano's complex edifice, yes, but like Ariadne's, it traces a labyrinth, a structure folding back upon itself, offering false exits, and an exit that is a false resolution. As in a labyrinth, we may be closest to grasping a solution when it seems most distant. Any one of Bolano's mysteries--and the book abounds with them just like life--it is the most "lifelike" of books--can trigger in us an enlightenment, understanding, concerning another, but there is no one single puzzle to put together. The book aims at a veracity greater than the veracity of books.

A word about the many mysteries it addresses: the mystery of love (the four critics entangled by both eros and philia, any which way; Fate and Rosa Amalfitano; Archimboldi and Ingeborg), of WWII, of the conquest of the New World, the mystery of the future (the beating of the Pakistani cabbie in London), the mystery of hatred, of the Juarez murders, of the discordant twining of the human being. The last point brings me to the great moral centre of the book, the recital of murders of women in Juarez, those most "insignificant" of victims. This is a tour de force, this merciless hammering in cold outrage at the beastliness the world hardly acknowledges: commemorating their names, the length of their hair, their clothes, the ghastly stigmata of their squalid deaths, the indifference that feeds the stream of crimes. Have you seen the Vietnam memorial, those black blocks of names of the dead? That's what Bolano created in section four with his litany of crimes. He is completely alone in this in Latin American literature (as far as I know it), whose representatives, men especially, disdain women even as they pity them. Bolano is outraged because of the crime against humanity this represents, finally SOMEBODY is outraged because it is a crime against humanity. Just like the crime against the Jews is a crime against humanity.

This writer doesn't look the other way. He rubs our faces in it. In my book he'd be great for doing that if he'd done nothing else.

Look, I could go on for days--have to go--please accept these remarks "as is" and remember, I simply tried to verbalise some of my reactions, individual and insignificant as they are.

publicado por LolaWalser às 3:36 pm (EST) em Mar 24, 2009

Hi Andrew,

you need to upload your pics to an online picture site--http://www.photobucket.com and flickr.com are two I know that offer free accounts (only need to sign up). It's very easy.

Am trying to make the Bolano reply short and "wieldy"--in a sec... have some books to enter...

Uh... "Bookgod"? Why am I having visions of the King of the Carneval?

publicado por LolaWalser às 2:12 pm (EST) em Mar 24, 2009

Yay - the few, the brave, the haters....I feel like i've given him a good faith effort and the big "meh." It's not like he's a total disaster but i can't get away from the sense that he's writing to show off how clever and smart he is - not for the pleasure of the reader.

I'll read Lola's link, since i do respect her opinions, even when i disagree; but i'll be pretty astounded if i find my mind changed. It's not like finding out - having disliked some authors/books more or less on principle in high school (the principle being maintaining my position as the class smart-asshle - not an esp. noble role) and then rereading them soon afterwards in college or just because, and realizing i WAS just being a jerk. Conrad being the most notable writer i can recall about whose works i wrote v. snarky and relatively uninformed essays in HS. I really should have apologized to my 12th grade Eng. teacher as he was really v. good - he had the misfortune of being obviously gay in a public school system in the mid 1960s which was a pretty damn hard position fill. I kept up my occasional jerkiness through undergrad - titled one of our weekly essays on the book of the week..."Wuthering Heights re-Wuthered" - w/out bothering to look up the actual meaning of "wuthering." I was a little surprised my prof. didn't call me out on that but somehow was given (i hesitate to say "earned") an A on that one. Reading a book and writing an essay about it, each week for a year was actually v. good for me.

publicado por bobmcconnaughey às 12:48 pm (EST) em Mar 24, 2009

Andrew,

I wouldn't bother replying to that--they were bored, and I can't persuade them that they weren't bored.

For my part, I was bored by that "criticism"--a lot of yapping about the tediousness of 2666, and no critical "meat" to speak of. Utterly uninteresting.

Yours,

LW

publicado por LolaWalser às 12:38 pm (EST) em Mar 24, 2009

Outstanding!

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 8:13 am (EST) em Mar 24, 2009

Hello again!

Chris has already got The Savage Detectives, so it's yours. PM with your address and I'll send it on its merry way.

Char

publicado por charbutton às 2:55 pm (EST) em Mar 20, 2009

Hi Andrew

I've messaged Chris about the Bolano - if he doesn't want it you are definitely next in line!

Char

publicado por charbutton às 2:44 pm (EST) em Mar 20, 2009

Sorry for the shameless self-promotion, but I thought you might like to know that my new novel, Dirty Little Angels, is now available. Thought you might be interested since people have compared it to Flannery O'Connor, who I noticed was on your shelf. Here's a summary in case you're interested:

Set in the slums of New Orleans, among clusters of crack houses and abandoned buildings, Dirty Little Angels is the story of sixteen year old Hailey Trosclair. When the Trosclair family suffers a string of financial hardships and a miscarriage, Hailey finds herself looking to God to save her family. When her prayers go unanswered, Hailey puts her faith in Moses Watkins, a failed preacher and ex-con. Fascinated by Moses's lopsided view of religion, Hailey, and her brother Cyrus, begin spending time down at an abandoned bank that Moses plans to convert into a drive-through church. Gradually, though, Moses's twisted religious beliefs become increasingly more violent, and Hailey and Cyrus soon find themselves trapped in a world of danger and fear from which there may be no escape.

If you'd like to read the first chapter, you can read it here:
http://christophertusa.com/blog/?page_id...

Take care,

Chris

publicado por cmtusa às 10:43 pm (EST) em Mar 16, 2009

Hello, yes, stop over at Art is Life or contact me here at LT. What do you want to talk about? I am game. I have been busy with teaching and have been working on my writing, too, and it has taken some strange, new, exciting directions the last month or so. So I'm feeling good about things just now.

publicado por TheresaWilliams às 12:43 am (EST) em Mar 11, 2009

No problem!

marketing@picadorusa.com

Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 12:14 pm (EST) em Mar 6, 2009

oh, and I forgot tell you how much your version of the Brendel poem made me howl!

publicado por tomcatMurr às 9:16 am (EST) em Mar 1, 2009

Hey There,

Sorry to hear that you haven't received the book. Although the publishers seem inordinately slow in general, maybe it has been a long enough wait. I wish I knew something definitive, but I don't.

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 2:13 pm (EST) em Feb 28, 2009

PS -- yes! Have read My Name is Aram. Which others by him would you recommend?

publicado por Fullmoonblue às 1:33 am (EST) em Feb 25, 2009

Thanks for your note! Your list of favorites is lovely too. So I'm off to figure out whether I've read any William Saroyan but don't own anything by him yet... (is he Armenian? sounds familar... must google, hah...)

Best wishes!

publicado por Fullmoonblue às 1:32 am (EST) em Feb 25, 2009

I am curious about your copy of FAULKNER AT WEST POINT, wonder if yours is signed by the editor(s).

publicado por bonermcb às 1:33 pm (EST) em Feb 24, 2009

Hi Andrew - I am returned and will fly off to the library asap to release the lark from the library cage! Then I will be able to join in the song, a little late, but better late than never. Julie

publicado por juliette07 às 1:05 am (EST) em Feb 24, 2009

Thank you, Andrew! I am flattered!

I hope I don’t disappoint on the way forward :)

publicado por akeela às 12:51 pm (EST) em Feb 21, 2009

Are you home yet?

publicado por urania1 às 8:34 pm (EST) em Feb 15, 2009

Hello again,

Rereading my post, I realized I imply that Janacek, Kafka, Brod, and Masaryk died along with the Republic. That's what I get for not proofing! (Unlike the Capeks, Haas and Klein, they died before, or after, respectively).

Also, I meant to put in paragraph breaks. Sorry for the large block of type!

david

publicado por davidherter às 7:42 pm (EST) em Feb 15, 2009

Hello Andrew,

Sorry for the slow reply. I'm still getting used to Librarything.
Wonderful to meet a Czech/Slovak! I loved the month I spent in Prague/Brno in 2004. Actually, just now, typing this, I realized that it's been five years. I can't believe it. I had hoped to return by now.
Yes -- I'm a huge Karel Capek fan. I'm a fan of his brother Josef as well. What a marvelous age they lived in. Writing my trilogy, I was amazed how interwoven the Brothers' lives were with all the other wonderful artists of the Czechoslovak Republic, before most (variously) died along with their country. Janacek, the Capeks, Kafka, Brod, composers like Pavel Haas and Gideon Klein, and great men like Tomas Masaryk. So I interpolated all of them into my plot, and changed history somewhat.
The first book, On the Overgrown Path, is mostly about Janacek (and takes place in the hinterlands of Slovakia); the second, The Luminous Depths, features the Brothers Capek, Kakfa and Brod, and Janacek's student Pavel Haas; and the third, One Who Disappeared (due in August, and as long as first two put together) features all of the above plus Masaryk and others. The three form a single novel which I hope to get published here in the States.
Regarding obtaining my books and having them inscribed -- Overgrown Path and Luminous Depths are available from PS Publishing in England (pspublishing.co.uk) or on Abebooks.com. You could order them, then at some point mail them to me for signing? Or, if you ever get down to the Seattle area, I could sign them in person.

Where in Czechoslovakia did you live?

david
(www.davidherter.blogspot.com)

publicado por davidherter às 7:37 pm (EST) em Feb 15, 2009

Well you forgot to mention the hanging of the housemaids in the Odyssey. "Their little feet danced but not for long." There's also Cuchulain (pronounced in South as chu-chu lane). His manic battle episodes are pretty awesome. Some of the Icelandic sagas are too bad on that count either.

publicado por urania1 às 9:11 am (EST) em Feb 13, 2009

HAVE FUN!!!!

publicado por urania1 às 11:14 pm (EST) em Feb 12, 2009

Good morning!

publicado por urania1 às 10:22 am (EST) em Feb 12, 2009

Andrew - Thanks for the friend request! I really enjoyed looking through your Club Read thread, and look forward to keeping up with your reading this year. --Tracy

publicado por Talbin às 9:21 pm (EST) em Feb 10, 2009

I am relatively fine, thanks. How about you? The leg? Any better?
I love Alexander McCall Smith, and I have several of his books, even though I have not read them all. I greatly enjoyed Portuguese Irregular Verbs, even if nobody read it to me. I am amazed at the amount of books he produces, and all the series he creates. I have read somewhere that he is also a very pleasant person to deal with.

publicado por aluvalibri às 4:56 pm (EST) em Feb 7, 2009

Hi,

I just finished "The Bad Girl". No can swap. It was way to wonderful! I hope the publisher sends you the free copy, because it is a wonderful story!

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 8:10 pm (EST) em Jan 31, 2009

Of course. Silly me.

publicado por urania1 às 2:47 pm (EST) em Jan 31, 2009

Kafka?

publicado por urania1 às 2:29 pm (EST) em Jan 31, 2009

Andrew,
I am glad you are approaching Calvino.
I am very partial to the trilogy composed of The Baron in the Trees, The Cloven Viscount and The Nonexistent Knight. You might also like The Castle of Crossed Destinies and, in a completely different style, The Path to the Spider Nests.
I was introduced to Calvino in middle school, and have loved him ever since.
Let me know your impressions after you have read something else.
I am trying to organize myself and get an Italian translation of Esenin. I might be able to find a copy to purchase from Italy, as I know he is translated and read there. I am amazed and impressed at the wealth and breadth of knowledge and culture among so many of our fellow Thingamabrarians (you included). It certainly humbles one but oh! How many things to learn!!
:-))

publicado por aluvalibri às 10:02 am (EST) em Jan 30, 2009

Dear Andrew

I would have been very happy to, but I listed it on bookmooch and it was requested almost immediately, so I've already sent it off. I'm sorry.

Margaret

publicado por wandering_star às 8:02 pm (EST) em Jan 29, 2009

Hi,

I double checked about "The Bad Girl", and the note refers to there being no charge. So, I sent Picador Press your address. Let me know when you get the book. I am curious about this whole free book thing myself!

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 1:54 pm (EST) em Jan 25, 2009

Hey There,

In my copy of "The Bad Girl" is a notecard from the publisher, Picador, indicating that they will send a free copy of the book to anyone whose mailing address I send them. If you are comfortable giving me your address, we are in business!

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 11:21 am (EST) em Jan 23, 2009

Wellllllllllll,

It is starting off pretty well. However, I am often open to a trade. When I am done, let's talk. Don't worry.....I won't forget.

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 8:18 pm (EST) em Jan 22, 2009

Thanks for the info, Andrew.
I will look it up, because I am very interested in Esenin.
You flatter me! I doubt my translating ability extends to poetry, but it would be fun to try.
Unfortunately, I have absolutely no knowledge of Russian.
I will let you know what happens.

Paola :-))

publicado por aluvalibri às 12:12 pm (EST) em Jan 22, 2009

Hi,

I will be perfectly frank with you. I am just starting the book and won't know if it is a keeper until I finish it. These days I only keep books which are 5 star reads by my rating system. I will definitely let you know either way when I finish. I would certainly be open to a trade.

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 4:35 pm (EST) em Jan 20, 2009

I do what I can Andrew. It's not all my fault. I get this kind of help from others too. They pass along their ideas on what they're reading and I get excited (at least sometimes) and off I go. I'm probably spending too much money too--especially considering two kids who are going to be entering college in the next couple years--so I have some guilty moments as well. Think of it this way--we can't let the North American publishing industry go down the tubes or else we'll have to find some other thing to keep ourselves occupied--and as for that I don't have a clue what could fill that void.

publicado por lriley às 1:42 pm (EST) em Jan 20, 2009

Purchased!

publicado por urania1 às 10:41 pm (EST) em Jan 17, 2009

My fingers shall do the walking back to Abebooks.

publicado por urania1 às 10:36 pm (EST) em Jan 17, 2009

I love the joke.

publicado por urania1 às 10:25 pm (EST) em Jan 17, 2009

Bookseller Photo
Hey, tons of people have published this book, but I found an Anson-Cartwright edition on AbeBooks. It has a red cover. Info is listed below. Is this the one you have.

THE BASS SAXOPHONE (Emoke & The Bass Saxophone) (ISBN: 0919974031 / 0-919974-03-1)
Skvorecky, Josef
Bookseller: Augustine Funnell Books
(Fredericton, NB, Canada)
Bookseller Rating: 5-star rating
Price: US$ 6.00
[Convert Currency]
Quantity: 1 Shipping within Canada:
US$ 10.00
[Rates & Speeds] Add Book to Shopping Basket

Book Description: Anson-Cartwright Editions, Toronto, 1977. Stiff Card Wraps. Book Condition: Very Good. 1st Anson-Cartwright edition. Duodecimo -- from 6.75" to 7.75" tall. Two stories originally published in Czechoslovakia, and here translated by Kaca Polackova-Henley. 186 pages. Light edgewear, mild fading to upper left edge of front cover, partial crease to right edge of front cover, impressions. Internally tight and clean. Bookseller Inventory # 016201

publicado por urania1 às 10:24 pm (EST) em Jan 17, 2009

Cool! Thanks very much, its really kind of you. I'll approach it with an unjaundiced, non-Slovak mind, and see how it goes for me. Like you say though, none of my three Slovak reads have to be the one that ends up on my big list, so if you think of anything else in the meantime, please let me know.
Thanks again,
Andy

publicado por depressaholic às 1:14 pm (EST) em Jan 15, 2009

YES!

publicado por urania1 às 9:17 pm (EST) em Jan 8, 2009

Whoops! You are correct. I have edited the post. Check out the Underground :-)

publicado por urania1 às 9:43 pm (EST) em Jan 3, 2009

Andrew, I sent the Plath dissertation on Dostoevsky. If you did not receive it, please let me know. Cheers!

publicado por cocoafiend às 8:44 am (EST) em Dec 29, 2008

Hello Andrew, Pressures on, I hope Roddy Doyle lives up to my Fanfare, I'd be surprised if he didn't. I am living in Burma now (otherwise known as Myanmar) with my wife and daughter. It is an adventure; One of the reasons we excepted the position is that the experience was likely to be totally different to anything we'd ever encountered. I teach Math at the International School Yangon, my wife teaches Art at the 'Network' school and our daughter is a student at ISY. I have a colleague who brought his whole personal library in with him (on an Official passport so it was spared the customs censorship) so there is a 1000 plus books in his apartment. Some younger Burmese (who are not students at the school) visit discreetly and borrow works that could get them prison time or they just sleep on his couch untill they have finished a book. You don't try to publically read anything that could be interpreted as non-friendly to the Government as your likely to be asked to leave! Having said that the School it's self is sponsored by the US Embassy and is left alone by the government; the students and staff (Burmese, Korean, Indian, Chinese, French, US) have a good library where they can borrow anything including George Orwell. The locals will say (privately) that George Orwell wrote a triology about Burma: Burmese Days, Animal Farm, and 1984. It is a fairly common joke.

Right now I am on Christmas break visiting my Dad in England so I have moved from the heat of Yangon and Banana trees outside my window to the cold wind of the English Fenlands and cauliflowers in the next field over. Now that's another adventure.

publicado por BeesleSR às 4:53 pm (EST) em Dec 25, 2008

Helene Berr, not HA@IA. I don't know why this damned machine isn't entering my accents correctly tonight.

publicado por urania1 às 10:37 pm (EST) em Dec 18, 2008

Answers to the your questions: Hélène Berr? Kept a diary, died young in a concentration camp days before it was liberated. Charles Davis? Early Reviewer Book. I've skimmed it. I don't think it's a keeper. My crystal ball tells me there's a recycle pile in its future. Me? I'm okay. I had a two-day case of the pre-holiday blues brought on by endless days with no sunshine. But I'm feeling cheery now . . . or will as soon as I find some nails (the kind one hammers) on which to chew.

publicado por urania1 às 10:36 pm (EST) em Dec 18, 2008

Thanks for adding me to your interesting libraries. As to your question about my mini Central Europe reading, it was pretty mini! The books I mentioned are the main ones I read: in addition to "Beware of Pity," I was much more impressed by "The Radetzky March" by Joseph Roth and "The Bridge on the Drina" by Ivo Andric. I also read some more peripherally related books (both in space and time): Ismail Kadare's "The Successor" about a dictator in more or less contemporary Albania, and the brilliant Victor Serge's "Unforgiving Years" about the Stalinist era (I earlier read his "The Case of Comrade Tulayev." Hope this is the kind of info you were looking for. Rebecca

publicado por rebeccanyc às 10:14 am (EST) em Dec 17, 2008

I am REALLY glad you joined. I am sure it will be a lot of fun!

Paola :-))

publicado por aluvalibri às 7:25 pm (EST) em Dec 16, 2008

"'Oh Frabjous day Kaloo Kalay!'" he chortled in her joy.

publicado por urania1 às 2:49 pm (EST) em Dec 8, 2008

I was not worried about the time involved. In fact, I was having fun.

publicado por urania1 às 2:42 pm (EST) em Dec 8, 2008

Have you started receiving e-mail yet?

publicado por urania1 às 2:20 pm (EST) em Dec 8, 2008

A.--it's here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/10641

publicado por lriley às 3:29 pm (EST) em Dec 7, 2008

Hi, Andrew,

Here's the scoop on the two Renaissance books I have listed on BookMooch:

The Renaissance: Its Nature and Origins by George Clarke Sellery. Paperback; used but almost like new condition. "Here is the Renaissance at a glance, from the 12th centruy to the 15th. Here are Dante and Chaucer, Machiavelli and Louis XI, the Medici, Villon, Pecock, Gutenberg, Columbus, Innocnet III, Aquinas, Froissart, and other great names of the Renaissance and late Middle Ages." Includes chapters on economics, politics, writers, language, history, philosophy, fine arts, discoveries & inventions. 296 pp.

Renaissance Profiles by Garrett Mattingly et al; ed. J.H. Plumb. Used; a little age staining on the edges but clean inside. Esssays on Petrarch, Machiavelli, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Pope Pius II, Foscari, Montefeltro, and Beatrice & Isabella d'Este.

Deborah

publicado por Cariola às 1:19 pm (EST) em Dec 5, 2008

P.S. How did you know the exact moment I logged on to LT this morning?

publicado por urania1 às 10:38 am (EST) em Dec 4, 2008

But we have made so many concessions to the turtle. The level of discourse has become so elevated that our eyebrows have risen to stratispheric (not to mention metaphysic) heights. The turtle just needs to come out and play. I've invited him several times now.

publicado por urania1 às 10:37 am (EST) em Dec 4, 2008

No, no, no! Most emphatically no! In his mind, it is always Psmith. Every self-respecting Psmith immediately hears the difference. It like tomato and tomato to a Psmith. Smiths, on the other hand . . . well I shall be charitable and say nothing about the Smiths.

publicado por urania1 às 3:54 pm (EST) em Dec 3, 2008

Psmith, please. The Vermont Mucuses are related to the Pennsylvania Psmiths who came over with the Mayflower, but under a pseudonym.

publicado por urania1 às 3:43 pm (EST) em Dec 3, 2008

Hello Friend!

Thanks for the Poor Folk link - that will help out from both a time and money perspective! Yes, I know what you mean about grad school. I feel that I've squandered my thirties at school while others have had rewarding careers, families, world travels... On the other hand, I'm not enormously disciplined so it has helped me learn a lot about literature that I might not otherwise. On the whole, I'm still glad I did it, but I too sometimes wonder "what if?" ;)

cocoafiend

publicado por cocoafiend às 1:32 pm (EST) em Dec 3, 2008

An awesome article Andrew. Thanks for sharing it with me.

Mary

publicado por urania1 às 12:44 pm (EST) em Dec 3, 2008

Andrew, the books are in my office, but I will check on them for you tomorrow and send you some info. Sure, I will send books to Canada, no problem.

~Deborah

publicado por Cariola às 1:17 am (EST) em Dec 3, 2008

Ah, I have finished [On the Overgrown Path] and enjoyed it immensely. I had to 'read up' a bit on Janacek as a precaution before I began though. He is an intriguing character to plop into the middle of a odd little town. The setting and atmosphere felt decidedly folklorish, despite being set in the early 1920s. And there he is scribbling away in his little notebook the bits of music in the everyday (someone's voice, the church bell, the chicken under the table...etc). Great fun.

Best, Lois

publicado por avaland às 12:21 pm (EST) em Dec 1, 2008

Feel free to drop by with any amusing comments of which you can think. I am desperately looking for distractions from my reading.

publicado por urania1 às 3:54 pm (EST) em Nov 29, 2008

I did leave a bathroom suggestion: one's collection of the Marquis de Sade or all those lovely little Victorian novels by Anonymous with titles like Spanking the Maid. What more do you want? As for me sainted family, I just got rid of the last of them late last night, with the exception of me sainted husband and the wee blessed Welsh Terrorists. Right now, I'm alternately drudging and laughing my way through CK Chestertons The Ball and the Cross for a reading group tomorrow. The reading me Catholic friends inflict on me is somethin; 'orrible. Our wee Catholic hero has just met WOMAN and doesn't know "on what his throbbing happiness hangs." Even I know the answer to that one, and I'm not Catholic.

publicado por urania1 às 3:52 pm (EST) em Nov 29, 2008

Thanks - I will find it, now that I've started looking. Boston is book rich, so it's just a question of when I get to some of the used or academic book stores, where the selection tends to be more interesting. And if I don't find it by then, I'll be in Toronto in February and we always spend a little time in Montreal (on our way to the Laurentians) in the summer, and I suspect Canadian bookstores are more likely to carry it. I'm glad you are enjoying Transposed Heads.

publicado por A_musing às 11:39 am (EST) em Nov 29, 2008

It's a mad world my masters full of sound and fury signifying . . . monkeys?

publicado por urania1 às 4:08 pm (EST) em Nov 22, 2008

Don't feel so grrrish. Just think of Teddy's cheeks.

publicado por urania1 às 4:00 pm (EST) em Nov 22, 2008

P.S. Decency is such a bore. And Teddy's cheeks are so winsome and inviting . . . and rigorous.

publicado por urania1 às 3:56 pm (EST) em Nov 22, 2008

Yes. All we need is a name. I had originally thought of calling us The Underground: Some Notes; however, then I remembered that Fyodor is the Russian version of Theodor (aka Teddy). So . . . I thought we might become Teddy and the Throes. It works nicely since Fyodor/Theodore/Feddy/Teddy's characters are always in the throes of something. If we were Teddy and the Throes, we could be an reading group that meets in the same apartment in which Cornikins and Teddy live. We alternately read Dostoesky and play angst-ridden existentialist Russian folk goth music. What do you think? Other suggestions?

publicado por urania1 às 3:34 pm (EST) em Nov 22, 2008

I'll try and put something together for you. Watch this space!
Cheers, Kevin.

publicado por dylanwolf às 7:54 pm (EST) em Nov 19, 2008

I'm glad you found it funny: sometimes I think people think I'm just mad. I say these things and there is a stunned silence while all the housewives look at each other....
Anyway, nice to find a kindred spirit. I love the humming of Gould as well. Keith Jarrett does it too, when he is in the zone. In many ways they are quite similar artists in the value they place on the recording process.
What are you reading at the moment?

publicado por tomcatMurr às 5:33 am (EST) em Nov 19, 2008

I am fine. The Closed Sign was an attempt at humor. What I meant to say was that I now have all the recommendations I intend to take at this time and am performing complex calculations to determine, which book I will read. Actually, the final choice was based on which if any of my top six choices might actually be in the library. The Man with No Qualities won the day with no competition. None of the others were in.

publicado por urania1 às 3:12 pm (EST) em Nov 18, 2008

Forgot to say, nice Glenn Gould quote BTW. I also have that double CD or the two recordings he made of the Goldberg Variations. I much prefer the later, more mature recording, but in my view the best performance of the Goldberg I have heard is Andras Fisch. Controversial?

publicado por tomcatMurr às 5:02 am (EST) em Nov 18, 2008

So are we going to have a Dostoevsky group? *panting with excitement*

publicado por tomcatMurr às 5:00 am (EST) em Nov 18, 2008

Andrew,

Thanks for the birthday wishes. And thanks for complimenting me when I'm humorous. I enjoy making people laugh. You know, we could start our own on-line Dostoevsky forum. Since I have to read him anyway, we could read a book a month or something like that. Shall I start a forum?

publicado por urania1 às 6:51 pm (EST) em Nov 16, 2008

I forgort to add the P.S. I'm repeating the party at 8:00 pm for all those who can't make the first party. So dance mentally at the first party or even dance with your mother and then dance again at 8:00.

publicado por urania1 às 12:36 pm (EST) em Nov 15, 2008

World Dance Party Today at 3:00 p.m. est. (Set your world clocks)

Andrew,

It's my birthday and I want to celebrate. I've already got an impromptu dance party going on at the Moss-Freestate maison right now. But why stop there? Let's get the world dancing, dancing for peace, for justice, for gentleness, for love and human kindness. So here's the deal. At exactly 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, I'm going to put on my current favorite dance song "Life in Technicolor" from the Vida la Vida cd by Coldplay. If you have a copy of this song, at exactly 3:00 p.m. est (whatever time that is by your clock), hit the play button and dance away. If you don't have this song, turn on your favorite dance song and dance. Even if you can't stand, dance. Dance in chair, in your bed, if all you can do is wiggle your fingers, dance with them. The song is 2:29 minutes so it won't take much time. At the end, shout YAY for everything that's good in the world. Pass the message on to friends if you like. They don't have to know me; I'd just like to think of millions of people all over the world dancing at the same time for all that is good. It would be the best birthday present ever!!! I hope this doesn't count as a soliciting e-mail.

publicado por urania1 às 12:10 pm (EST) em Nov 15, 2008

Regarding the Dostoevesky reading group. We meet in the flesh (properly covered with clothes of course) on the first Sunday of each month (with occasional slips to the second Sunday). We are not a university group. Our members include one wealthy socialite (who never reads but has plenty of opinions), an investment banker, an engineer, a retired school teacher, a retired computer analyst, a nonprofit type, an artist, a landscaper, several of my former students, and some random people who showed up and never left. The Dosteveskiites (formerly the Prousters) started quite accidentally. I was at the local farmers' market one Sunday chatting up the local farmers. I was dressed in my best Bloomsbury immitation, complete with early twentieth century shopping basket a la E.F. Benson. After all, what's the point of outdoor shopping, if the aesthetic picture is not complete with all forms of local color (of which I am one). At some point (I have no recollection when), the fatal word "Proust" escaped my lips, obviously followed by a lively exchange on the subject. I am still trying to figure out with which farmer I might have been discussing Proust. Well one thing led to another as it usually does; local Saturday morning farmers' markets tend to encourage considerably more freedom to strike up conversations with random "in-the-flesh" strangers. The next thing I know, this tiny little lady (tinier than I, which says a lot) brazenly accosts me at the market, confesses to eavesdropping on my conversation, and asks if I would be interested in directing a reading group of Proust. Although I avoid committee meetings like the plague, I'm always agreeing to leading reading groups, marching in protests, etc. I said yes (figuring such a group would never take in East Tennessee). Our local bookseller, who turned out to be a mutual friend/pusher, posted a sign-up sheet and a group was born. Originally we numbered about 20, but we're now down to a reliable 12. We finished Proust, asked ourselves who could possibly depress us more, and came up with Dostoevsky. We have just started. Last Sunday was our first official Big D meeting since I was in New York the first Sunday of the month. We're reading D., in roughly chronological order (boring I know, but it does give one a sense of how an author did or did not develop). Does that answer your question?

publicado por urania1 às 10:00 am (EST) em Nov 15, 2008

Thank you. I try (said with her best magnolia breath accent).

publicado por urania1 às 3:32 pm (EST) em Nov 14, 2008

Hi Andrew - thanks for your comments.

I agree those people who talk about two groups of people are a real drag. You may have noted I chose to talk about three groups of people - a much more robust way to generalise I believe (that 3rd group almost always get overlooked - and may usually be said to be in the majority!)

Anyway, more seriously, I am glad you have an interest in Balzac. I had not read on the subject before, nor have read any of his works, and my reasons for doing so now - while interesting to me - are a little obscure. And given that my first subject in my 50 book challenge project, the one which was supposed to be an undemanding start to the project, has taken 3 and 1/2 months so far - you may be justified in thinking the Balzac piece of writing may still be some way off.

Having said that, I do have 5 'Balzac books' sitting a few feet from me. I have started dipping into them, so keep dropping by and I will have something ready before the end of the year. Really!

Dennis.

publicado por zenomax às 11:53 am (EST) em Nov 14, 2008

I was downtown today, and had to go into a large bookstore anyway, so I checked their English book department. I came home with two books myself. (Last week's Time magazine was sold out, though. Drat!)

One is 'The Dedalus book of Austrian Fantasy 1890 - 2000' Mike Mitchell editor and translator. (9781903517130) It looks like a fascinating collection of stories, and includes many of the big names in Austrian literature. (Including Kafka, of course, but starting with Schnitzler.)

The second is 'Vienna' by Eva Menasse. I can't give you an ISBN, because I had enough self-respect to find a German edition. It is a long family epic of a Viennese family in the 20th century. The Grandfather is a Viennese Jew, and the grandmother a Catholic from 'Maehren'(now Eastern Czech Republic).

The other authors they had there in English editions were:

Thomas Bernhard (He and Vienna have a long-standing love-hate relationship.)

Elfriede Jelinek She won the Nobelpreis for Literature in 2004. Her books are supposed to be very good for you.

Hochgatterer. This book was a thriller.

Daniel Kehlmann. I really ought to read 'Measuring the Earth'. Maybe I'll see if I can get it at the library.

Joseph Roth
Stefan Zweig These are both considered to be literature. Both had to leave Austria in the 30s because they were from Jewish families.

publicado por MarthaJeanne às 11:48 am (EST) em Nov 12, 2008

I have to admit that I haven't read a lot of recent Austrian fiction. I hate reading translations, but my fiction reading is supposed to be relaxing. I am fluent in German, but slow, and I find it frustrating.

Older authors you might want to try are Arthur Schnitzler and Johann Nestroy. Schnitzler (1862 - 1931) wrote about a century ago, and his portrayals of the upper classes at the end of the Austro-Hungarian empire were considered scandalous. He is well known as a dramatist, but also wrote novels and short stories. 'Reigen' has been filmed several times. It is a play about 7 love pairs, always just two people on the stage, but the next scene has one of them with someone else... until the seventh scene brings back the other person from the first pair. I saw it on the stage in the 70s here, and it was still a scandal. 'Lieutenant Gustl' is his best known short story. There seem to be several translated works.

In contrast, Nestroy (1801 - 1862) has always been well loved. I think he only wrote plays, but most of his characters are from the lower end of society. You won't find a lot directly translated into English, but there have been some adaptions. Thornton Wilder adaptation of 'A Jux will er sich machen' was itself adapted as a musical, and became a big hit as 'Hallo, Dolly'. There is also a Stoppard adaptation of the same work - 'On the Razzle'.

publicado por MarthaJeanne às 3:23 pm (EST) em Nov 11, 2008

Not a problem. There are a lot of people out there who don't always 'get' my (admittedly slightly strange) sense of humour. Always nice to find one that does!

publicado por Booksloth às 11:44 am (EST) em Nov 6, 2008

Thanks Andrew.

I've really enjoyed my month with Homer. Do you have favourite translations?

publicado por merry10 às 8:07 pm (EST) em Nov 3, 2008

Andrew,
I'd put up a picture of my tbr stack on my profile page but since doing that the much better idea of putting a picture at the head of a new thread (or topic) in the nudgers group was suggested and taken up by kiwidoc, cmt, christiguc and citizenkelly.

So, having already been nudged heavily to Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda anyway - I took the tbr stack picture down. I'm soon going to start a new thread with an entirely new stack of 20 tbrs but I haven't done it yet!
Kevin.

publicado por dylanwolf às 1:08 pm (EST) em Nov 3, 2008

Andrew--you can never tell with signatures. Mark Z. Danielewski signs his covering the page with a big Z. Some look very ordinary--Philip Roth and Samuel Beckett. Some are quite unusual and you wonder. I once bought a signed Soyinka online--and thought it odd looking and had some doubts but later got to see another which made a believer. It's funny you mentioned Hage as one of my pals here at LT is sending me one of his books. Laxness is good. IMO maybe the most deserving of all Nobel literature laureates. His epics are written with much verve, humor and insight into the human condition. His better characters will have moments where they may do something truly atrocious whereas there are moments also when the worse do something that redeems them at least a little. One has to give him a little time though to get going.

publicado por lriley às 4:04 pm (EST) em Oct 28, 2008

One further comment--I read today where his Wandering Star which came out just a few years ago in trade paperback form and was very well received by reviewers only ever sold 1500 copies. The publisher expects now to start printing them once again.

publicado por lriley às 10:28 pm (EST) em Oct 10, 2008

I think you really hit the point of the group. It is a social way to have a bit of a lark. So if I were you I would claim 4 separate numbers. 1) Unique English, B) Unique Czech, ii) Unique Slav and -Total Unique books. I would then make some silly and outlandish claim that since I have four separate list I can multiple the result of each list together for a total. But, that would be pushing the limit of the silliness of the group and would be for you to decide whether to do or not.
I started the group for fun. Thinking the point of Library Thing is to join people through books they have in common. I thought it would be fun and funny to try and join people though book they don't have in common. So far it is working pretty well. I mean today I have learned Polutropos - the man of many journeys, of many turns of mind, of many turns of language, of many figures of speech, of many twists and turns.

So please join and have fun.

publicado por misericordia às 12:05 pm (EST) em Sep 29, 2008

That is the same Charlie Huston. The vampire series is about a private-eye vampire, very tough, old-school stuff! I love that series! And I hope you will too! Mark

publicado por msf59 às 8:59 pm (EST) em Sep 28, 2008

Hey, Andrew! I'm still adding books to my library from a reading log I've kept, so a lot of those books have been read over 25 years ago. That was probably the last time I read Jack Higgins, although I was always a big fan of "The Eagle has Landed". Did you ever read Ken Follett from the 80's? He was one of my favorites. As far as "Dog Soldiers", it's been too long to really discuss it. He's a terrific writer and you should seek out some of his other books. A footnote: Dog Soldiers was made into a pretty good film, with Nick Nolte, called "Who'll Stop the Rain". I don't read much Grisham anymore but if you like tough crime novels, check out Charlie Huston, a very cool young writer! It was great hearing from you, take care! Mark

publicado por msf59 às 7:54 am (EST) em Sep 28, 2008

Hey,there! I see you've added me to your interesting libraries. Any particular reason? I see we do have similar tastes. I also love Cormac McCarthy,crime novels and of course the classics [which I've neglected the past couple years!] I see you are Eclectic, I try to be too!

publicado por msf59 às 9:09 pm (EST) em Sep 17, 2008

Hi Andrew,
I received America, America today. Thanks for sending it to me.
Rebecca

publicado por RMSacks às 8:42 pm (EST) em Sep 15, 2008

Hello Andrew,
I also strive to live by the "do unto others" creed and the "pay it forward" concept. I love it when I hear stories of kind deeds by others as it is always inspiring and often gives me ideas of some things that I may someday be able to do for someone.
All of the books that you have sound just perfect for her and I think that she will be thrilled. When I visited her in mid-August, I took her 20 - 25 books and she was ecstatic! I hadn't seen her so happy in many years and it was so fun to surprise and thrill her. I had gathered them from bookmooch, half.com, ebay and amazon sellers. I can't wait to do it again. I would love for you to list one or more of them and reserve them for me (mariahj) and I'll mooch them. Thanks again so very much.

publicado por janmpb às 4:35 pm (EST) em Sep 14, 2008

Andrew,
Allow me to thank you so much for the mooch. We really do appreciate each and every one. I am so pleased that I have a lovely book for you.
You can't imagine how your kind note and offer have warmed my heart and soul. You are so sweet to give of yourself to a total stranger. It would be so much more of a wonderful world if there were more folds like you. I couldn't possibly accept your generosity without doing something for you. If you have books that my Mom would like to read, I would expect to give you points for them! My Mom seems to enjoy mostly mysteries, maybe some of them would be called "cozies". She particularly likes books set in the past, often in England or Scotland. She enjoys mysteries that are also somewhat humorous. Some of her favorite authors that I can think of are: Angela Thirkell, Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Daly, SS Van Dine, Rosamonde Piltcher and Jan Karon. The only television show that I have ever seen her watch was Perry Mason, except she is quite a sports fan and watches hockey, college basketball and football and baseball. She likes the classics and will often watch specials of that type. She has read all or most of those author's (that I mentioned) books already, but that may give you an idea of the type of books that she enjoys. I am still searching for some books by Elizabeth Daly for her: The Book of the Crime and The Book of the Dead and some by SS Van Dine: The Kennel Murder Case, The Greene Murder Case, The Garden Murder Case and The Kidnap Murder Case.
Again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm also partial to you because I named one of my sons Andrew and he is a jewel!

publicado por janmpb às 1:16 pm (EST) em Sep 14, 2008

Hi

"End of East" arrived today.

Thanks so much

Beth

publicado por mcna217 às 8:17 pm (EST) em Sep 12, 2008

Hi-I received Tomorrow. Thank you. Hope you got the Lopate book.
Pat

publicado por pdebolt às 6:50 pm (EST) em Sep 6, 2008

I mailed it today. Enjoy!

Beth

publicado por mcna217 às 4:51 pm (EST) em Sep 2, 2008

Hi

I'd love to read the "End of East." I can trade "When We Were Romans" which I have completed and am ready to give away. If you're not interested in that book, I can trade "Nation" by Terry Pratchett or "Monique and the Mango Rains" which are next on my ARC TBR stack. I will finish those in the next couple of weeks. Let me know.

Beth

publicado por mcna217 às 2:44 pm (EST) em Sep 1, 2008

Yes, I agreed to swap with you, so will send Lopate on its way early this week. Take care, Pat

publicado por pdebolt às 8:58 pm (EST) em Aug 24, 2008

not to worry...we are all in the midst of a grand journey...I myself am preparing for a week in the blue ridge mtns of virginia with my guitar, dulcimer and new telescope, and all the rest of things that life throws at us....

all in due time...

namaste'

publicado por oldmanriver1951 às 3:04 pm (EST) em Jul 14, 2008

Hi Andrew, I e-mailed you my list earlier in the week. Have a wonderful trip! Erin

publicado por Rarcar1 às 10:56 am (EST) em Jun 30, 2008

Hi,

"Fathers and Sons". I liked it. It dealt with the universal theme of individuation and the parent child conflicts which arise during that time. It addressed the perspectives of older and younger generations well, particularly in the humorous sense of each believing the other to be inflexible and ridiculous. Some of the plot was predictable, yet there are a couple of nice twists and turns. I love Russian literature, so I think I had automatically created a soft spot for this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed "Torrents of Spring"....such melodrama! That's my take.

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 9:03 am (EST) em Jun 21, 2008

Thank you for the kind note. I do so love LT's way of threading together and connecting like minded individuals, giving them a point of contact. I was in the monastery, but not a Franciscan order, the De La Salle's, a teaching order. Sort of Monastic Lite!..lol I had considered the possibility of hard core, like the Jesuits but was not quite militaristic enough for them...

I would enjoy conversing back and forth, and would welcome the spirit of conversation and cameraderie. Feel free to contact me at my gmail addy oldmanriver1951@gmail.com My myspace page is also under the same name.

I have yet to look at your library, so I will ask at this point, what is your favorite type of reading? Mine is all over the place. But then, so am I. Kind of hard to put me in just one little nook or cranny. In fact, I had an aquaintence tell me in no uncertain terms that he could pinpoint "me" by perusing my shelves. Given the space of 3-4 hours one evening during a gathering at the house that I used to own, he finally came up to me and said..."I'm at a loss, it certainly isn't a matter or logic or sequential thinking...I can't quite 'place' you!?"...I like that about myself.

Your friend from Quebec, you have lost all contact with him? Well, who knows, perhaps one day he will run across your listing and contact YOU?!

Well, feel free to email, would enjoy the conversations, they are going to be wide, varied, enigmatic...from my side of things...

Take care.....

Track

"Hold fast to whatever fragments of love that exist, for sometimes a mosaic is more beautiful than an unbroken pattern." Dawn Powell American authoress

publicado por oldmanriver1951 às 9:38 am (EST) em Jun 16, 2008

Hi Andrew

My computer knowledge is pretty basic but I perservered with Librivox and finally was able to download their audio books. So if can do it you can. I did work off Librivox help notes "About Listening to LibriVox" and "How to Listen". The first thing you need to do is subscribe to iTunes (free) go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/ and install it (my kids had already done this).

Next step is go to the book you want on Librivox and before the chapter listing the last line says "subscribe in iTunes" click on this on. Itunes automatically comes up. Have a look on the right hand side iTunes menu for Podcast (it's on the upper left hand side) Click on this You should see "LibriVox: Age of Innocence. There is a black triangle to the left of the title click on this. All the chapters appear with a "GET" next to them. Click on all the "Gets". I do this in order - Chapter1, then 2 etc

Next have a look at the iTunes menu on the left of screen. Further down the list after things like 'party playlist' 'Tv shows' you will see podcast again. Then I click and drag each chapter in order into this 'podcast'section. When you have done this click on the podcast heading where you have put the chapters and the screen will show all the Age of Innocence chapters. At the bottome right hand corner is a burn CD button. Click on this. The computer will then tell you it will take multi CDs click ok and put in a blank CD. Computer will tell you what chapters it is burning and when to put in another CD.

There's probably a more correct way of doing it, but this method works for me. I hope it makes sense. Good luck let me know if you hit any snags along the way. Age of Innocence took about 12 cds.

publicado por socialpages às 6:07 pm (EST) em Jun 8, 2008

Thanks for the e-mail. I was just looking at that. No it has not made it here yet. I'm patient.

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 9:05 am (EST) em Jun 8, 2008

I haven't received Njal's Saga yet. And I've never traded books with anybody. But your book sounds interesting. After I review NS, I'll 'comment' again and we can discuss it!

I haven't been paying much attention to the ER threads because I just finished my April ER book I need to write the review) and didn't get a May book.

Thanks for writing to me.

Karen

publicado por karenmarie às 6:15 am (EST) em Jun 2, 2008

Sounds good to me!

Ferris

publicado por hemlokgang às 9:41 pm (EST) em May 28, 2008

Thanks Andrew; watch your mailbox!

publicado por TheresaWilliams às 9:28 pm (EST) em May 28, 2008

Hey there. :]

First off, let me say that I'm sorry that I took so long to reply. *sigh* It has been a really difficult year for me, so I'm with you on the "eternal flux" part in your profile. Thank you for the kind message you left me, it is things like that which make me smile ...and there are times when it is only the little things that do that. If that makes any sense whatsoever. LOL.

As per your comment:

"We have much in common. I, too, spend much time In My Head, and am very familiar with hundreds of books in boxes, tucked away."

~I love that we have that in common! That right there signifies a true understanding of that which is me... well, US. LOL> Thank you very much for the Friends invitation. I accepted and returned it gladly. I have added you to my Interesting Libraries and sent you a Friends invitation as well.

"Let's talk books! I see that you are currently reading Kafka. I am, too, along with my usual five other books at the same time. I am trying to spend quality time with him, making notes, and will go to critical materials, and then hope to write a lengthier critical study."

~Which of Kafka have you read/are reading at the moment? I am so far behind on my TBR pile I still haven't even gotten around to updating my profile. :] I loved "The Castle", it being the second time around I understood the layering of it and appreciated it thoroughly. You only read 5 books at a time?? I admire your self-restraint! I usually am in complete abandonment with about 20 or so reading relationships going at a time... not counting Library Books of course, those go in a different compartment altogether. *grin*

Well, Polutropos, it has been quite lovely making your acquaintenance and I look forward to "talking books" again soon.

Much Bliss,
Pandora

publicado por PandorasRequiem às 6:25 am (EST) em May 27, 2008

Ahhhh... my username has a lovely story. Way back in the early days of Internet, mid-90s, we were hosting a Slovak exchange student. We had just gotten Internet access and I was searching for a unique username. Since my husband (who is now ex) worked in the ice cream distribution business, we always had a ton of ice cream in the house. Our student suggested "zmrzlina" as my username and I liked the sound. I can't pronounce it very well as I can't roll that "r" when it has so many consonants, but I say it well enough to be understood. My license plate on my car is "Zmrzka" (the full word would not fit).

I've been to Slovakia a few times and have probably seen more of the country than many Slovaks. Love it there, but never could get the hang of the language.

publicado por Zmrzlina às 9:01 pm (EST) em May 19, 2008

hi andrew. i picked up "blood meridian" at the public library. thats where i pick up most of my audiobooks from. thats why i end up trying things just for the sake of trying them. you might want to check in your public library. good luck! luis

publicado por mejix às 5:59 pm (EST) em May 17, 2008

I need to think about what I want to let go for the moment. I have just mooched a lot of books and am putting a hold on new mooches (and releases) for a while because of money and space issues. When I need to re-stock I will get back in touch and let you know. I will definitely be letting some of my more obscure stuff go. Hope this is okay.
Andy

publicado por depressaholic às 3:09 pm (EST) em May 17, 2008

Thanks for the compliment, I'm still enjoying my round the world trip immensely, though I'm getting less done this year than I had planned.

I will definitely let you know if I release stuff on Bookmooch. I have decided not to for the moment because I don't currently need the points, have a big TBR pile and, perhaps most importantly, am not feeling very rich at the moment. Sorry. I am sure I will be putting books up when things pick up (I have to, my house is too small for them). However, let me know what specifically has attracted your attention, and I'll make sure it goes on at some point.
Cheers,
Andy

publicado por depressaholic às 5:12 am (EST) em May 14, 2008

Hey, Andrew -- thanks for the note. I feel a little less like a boob now. As for [Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures], I didn't realize that my review was so lukewarm, but you're right. It was probably the space I was in at the time when I read it--my mom had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The book actually helped me deal with it, as it really showed how human doctors are and that there is no way they can possibly know everything. I actually enjoyed the book a lot, and I've recommended it to others. I thought the first two stories were the weakest, but it got stronger as it went on. My book club read it a couple of months ago and everyone there liked it too.

Joyce (Nickelini)

publicado por Nickelini às 2:43 pm (EST) em May 13, 2008

Thanks for thinking of me as a trading partner. Most of my audiobooks are from the library or rentals from Recorded Books (cassettes) or Kitabe (MP3.)I do own a limited supply of audios, some in new condition and others used or very used from sales at libraries. I'll have to go through my collection in order to see if there is anything I'd like to trade when there is time to do so. I'll let you know once things are more organized to see if your interested in what is available.

Happy listening
Mary aka Audiocat

publicado por audiocat às 1:52 pm (EST) em May 6, 2008

Hi! Many thanks for considering my library 'interesting' - it's a nice feeling! I see you're still fairly new to LT so best wishes - hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us!

publicado por Booksloth às 2:56 pm (EST) em May 3, 2008

Thank you for the compliment and for the honor of being noted as having an interesting library. I'm not an intellectual but I love to talk about books and always have an opinion these days (and I'm always learning!). How has your first month of LT been? Best, Lois

publicado por avaland às 1:21 pm (EST) em May 3, 2008

Indeed, patience is the answer! In fact, the March books are still trickling in -- I'm not worried about the April ones yet! They really can take over a month to show up, since it depends on when the publisher ends up shipping them, and how they're sent. Sorry!

Best,
Abby

publicado por ablachly às 3:16 pm (EST) em Apr 23, 2008

Thanks for the comment! I'm always so glad when someone else finds my lists interesting. I'd definitely be interested if you start a Rushdie group. I read most of his books back in college and have been planning to reread them for a while now, esp since spending time in India. Let me know if you start something up and I'll be sure to swing by!

publicado por Kplatypus às 11:56 am (EST) em Apr 20, 2008

Let me know if you dig those Baum books out of storage... I have a copy of The Grave en route to me from another bookmoocher...I'm going to remove it from my wishlist when it shows up in my hand. I haven't read the first set of Pullman books, so I'm not sure if I want more yet. And, I only want that one book by Gross.
But thanks for the offers, I really appreciate it.
~Emily

publicado por lilyfyrestorm às 11:31 am (EST) em Apr 18, 2008

Welcome to Library Thing! I can already guess you're going to LOVE it! LT empowers obsessive readers and book buyers. (Not necessary a good thing; in my case, anyway.)

Thanks for writing, and yes, I'm ALWAYS happy to talk about books. And thanks for the book recommendation; I have to admit, I'm a little scared of poetry. I may get it though, because of the subject matter. That may be a good fit and a gentle way of getting more poetry exposure.

I had to chuckle when you mentioned sneaking books into the house. I do the same thing. Its crazy. Just today I got another one that I'd ordered off abebooks.com. Last night I bought the first four in a series of eight by Eric Kraft that Nancy Pearl recommended in "Booklust". Somewhere out in postal-land is a box from Barnes & Noble, and a couple more from abebooks vendors. I also have an order of youth books on order for my kids from Powells in Portland. Last Monday I spent $60 on used books at a thriftstore. Then, the next day, despite some degree of abashedness, bought one at Costco. I seriously spend hundreds of dollars every month on books. It's got to slow down! (Never say "stop", though.) Especially with gas prices getting so crazy and camping and fishing season coming up (the Suburban uses a lot of gas hauling the travel trailer!) I am trying (*gasp*) not to read so much. With four young kids, the husband, and what appears to be an "outside world", I really can't read as much as I might otherwise. But, I'm sure what constitutes "cutting down" for me is still a fair amount of reading to other people.

Right now I'm reading Jack Finney's "Time and Again" for book club. What about you?

publicado por alaskabookworm às 3:57 pm (EST) em Apr 17, 2008

Hi there

Don't be afraid of the playground bullies :) Especially Existani - did you see how fast he backed down. This is an internet site and I doubt that Tim would try and block people from posting. The best way to stop Existani was to ignore him - until he got so obnoxious that I yelled at him and then he stoped.

Don't be afraid to post on this site or any site for that matter - many times its the bullies who are really afraid and try to oppress other people by drowning out their comments.

So, welcome to LT and post away :)

publicado por keren7 às 3:38 pm (EST) em Apr 17, 2008

No, I can't read Czech, but after seven years in Germany, I find myself fascinated with that bit of Europe to the east, that huge, unknown chunk between Germany and Russia. My sister-in-law is Polish, so she passes along books to illuminate Polish culture and I have added your suggestions to my BookMooch wishlist (although I may buy the Good Soldier if it doesn't come up soon).

I have visited Prague a half dozen times (is there anywhere more beautiful?) and have found that a few Czech phrases make one very popular!

Thank you for the book suggestions!

RidgewayGirl
BookMooch userid: kayhardtmann

publicado por RidgewayGirl às 4:28 pm (EST) em Apr 12, 2008

I'm not sure if you can look up wishlisted books in general (that is a good question for the rest of the LT group) but if you look up an author name in the search bar, then click the 'show all' button, you can see which books aren't curently listed, then click the 'show details' button and one of the details they show is a list of members that have wishlisted that book. Not the best way to do things, but it can help.

publicado por megkrahl às 10:10 pm (EST) em Apr 11, 2008

Here is a link to my wishlist. http://bookmooch.com/m/wishlist/lilyfyre...
Let me know if you post anything! Thanks!!!

publicado por lilyfyrestorm às 11:22 am (EST) em Apr 11, 2008

Thank you, I'll take a look at this book.

~Deborah

publicado por Cariola às 1:52 pm (EST) em Apr 9, 2008

I've added you to my interesting libraries too - you have such good authors.

I really enjoy Anne Tyler as well ("Searching for Caleb" and "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" are my favorites) and she has always made me picture Baltimore as a beautiful, imaginative place.

Can you read Czech? I'm not such a fan of Annie Proulx, but we do both enjoy Vikram Seth. Have you read "A Suitable Boy"? Which is your favorite Salman Rushdie? I read "Shame", and must confess I did not enjoy it, but would like to give him another go.

RidgewayGirl

publicado por RidgewayGirl às 3:25 pm (EST) em Apr 4, 2008

How wonderful - a month in Tours. When will you be going and where are you staying I wonder. As you may see from my profile I am a francophile and love most things French. I hope you are relishing LT.

publicado por juliette07 às 5:15 pm (EST) em Apr 1, 2008

It's me. I thought if we live in a made up world (we make our own reality according to our leaders) I would try to find my own reality.

publicado por geneg às 9:02 pm (EST) em Mar 30, 2008

Welcome Polutropos - saw you on the Group Read thread and thought I would drop by! If you click on my name you will then get taken to my profile! This is a great site and has been a wonderful way to extend my love of reading. Any question - never hesitate to ask =)

publicado por juliette07 às 12:21 pm (EST) em Mar 29, 2008

Anything I can do to help, just let me know.

publicado por geneg às 12:11 pm (EST) em Mar 29, 2008

This is how you leave a comment for someone. If you wish to make it private, check the box below.

This msg will be seen by all who check out your profile.

publicado por geneg às 11:35 am (EST) em Mar 29, 2008

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