Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
Legend83 said:
Blatter said:
Just finished 
A really good read.
Really? Perhaps I didn't get it, but I found it very dull.A really good read.
I guess it's all subjective. Cormac McCarthy's The Road was raved about on this thread and after I'd read it, I thought; what was that all about? Dull as dishwater.
If you frequent this thread you may have seen me referring to 'The Moon is Down', a novella by John Steinbeck that I have thus far been unable to find. I managed to have a copy transferred to my local library and so will begin reading it immediately. Given that it is a relatively obscure piece of Steinbeck's writing, it isn't a surprise this is quite an old copy: published in 1993 by Mandarin Paperbacks.
Does anyone know anything about Mandarin? The closest result I can find is Random House, who I can only assume must have absorbed Mandarin at a time. The cover art is nice, but I can't find it on Google or Bing so I'll have to take a photograph before I return it. I suspect this copy has sat on shelves for much of its life. The stamps inside suggest it was checked out in 2000, 2009, 2011 and 2012 - if that's completely accurate then, apparently, very few people know 'The Moon is Down' exists.
As for 'Stoner', the last novel I read: I understand its appeal. The first 100 pages didn't grip me but by the final chapter I had come to appreciate the story Williams had written. Certainly worthy of being described as 'underrated' when one considers its meagre sales when first published.
Does anyone know anything about Mandarin? The closest result I can find is Random House, who I can only assume must have absorbed Mandarin at a time. The cover art is nice, but I can't find it on Google or Bing so I'll have to take a photograph before I return it. I suspect this copy has sat on shelves for much of its life. The stamps inside suggest it was checked out in 2000, 2009, 2011 and 2012 - if that's completely accurate then, apparently, very few people know 'The Moon is Down' exists.
As for 'Stoner', the last novel I read: I understand its appeal. The first 100 pages didn't grip me but by the final chapter I had come to appreciate the story Williams had written. Certainly worthy of being described as 'underrated' when one considers its meagre sales when first published.
davepoth said:
It seems The Moon is Down is quite a popular set text in US schools - I guess it being quite brief is helpful there, it must be among the shortest things Steinbeck published.
Is it? I've always assumed 'Of Mice and Men' to be the standard gateway text to Steinbeck's writing, but I am glad there is a market for the book as it's one book shops never really seem to have on the shelves. Standard supply and demand, I suppose, as 'Tortilla Flats' and 'To a God Unknown' also never seem to be in abundance either.Hopefully a few Americans have published thoughts on the book, so that I may read a few other perspectives about it when I have finished my run through it.
'The Moon is Down'. 1942 first edition hardback published by William Heinemann and printed "in complete conformity with the authorized [war] economy standards" in Great Britain by The Windmill Press, Kingston, Surrey.
Having cost me the princely sum of £6.95 and in very decent condition.
Having cost me the princely sum of £6.95 and in very decent condition.
Edited by Goaty Bill 2 on Wednesday 21st March 00:47
Levin said:
davepoth said:
It seems The Moon is Down is quite a popular set text in US schools - I guess it being quite brief is helpful there, it must be among the shortest things Steinbeck published.
Is it? I've always assumed 'Of Mice and Men' to be the standard gateway text to Steinbeck's writing, but I am glad there is a market for the book as it's one book shops never really seem to have on the shelves. Standard supply and demand, I suppose, as 'Tortilla Flats' and 'To a God Unknown' also never seem to be in abundance either.Hopefully a few Americans have published thoughts on the book, so that I may read a few other perspectives about it when I have finished my run through it.
Halmyre said:
Levin said:
davepoth said:
It seems The Moon is Down is quite a popular set text in US schools - I guess it being quite brief is helpful there, it must be among the shortest things Steinbeck published.
Is it? I've always assumed 'Of Mice and Men' to be the standard gateway text to Steinbeck's writing, but I am glad there is a market for the book as it's one book shops never really seem to have on the shelves. Standard supply and demand, I suppose, as 'Tortilla Flats' and 'To a God Unknown' also never seem to be in abundance either.Hopefully a few Americans have published thoughts on the book, so that I may read a few other perspectives about it when I have finished my run through it.
Frankly, 'Of Mice and Men' was no party either. Direct and to the point, he wasted no time in reaching the inevitable tragic conclusion.
Few authors can write with such power without becoming personally involved. For me, although he is very different, he is up there with Dostoevsky as one of the great existentialists.
Goaty Bill 2 said:
'The Grapes of Wrath' is indeed a tough read, made all the harder for knowing it was true to life; that the story had been enacted thousands of times across America during that period.
Frankly, 'Of Mice and Men' was no party either. Direct and to the point, he wasted no time in reaching the inevitable tragic conclusion.
Few authors can write with such power without becoming personally involved. For me, although he is very different, he is up there with Dostoevsky as one of the great existentialists.
Frankly, 'Of Mice and Men' was no party either. Direct and to the point, he wasted no time in reaching the inevitable tragic conclusion.
Few authors can write with such power without becoming personally involved. For me, although he is very different, he is up there with Dostoevsky as one of the great existentialists.
I was just about to agree with your assessment of 'Grapes' when I realised I was actually thinking about East of Eden (well it's been around 40 years since I read either), one of the first truly great books I read and one which has stuck with me ever since.
Blatter said:
It's available widely on Amazon
I suppose that is true, and I have no argument against that. I simply never bothered to order it online despite having ordered many other things.Goaty Bill 2 said:
'The Moon is Down'. 1942 first edition hardback published by William Heinemann and printed "in complete conformity with the authorized [war] economy standards" in Great Britain by The Windmill Press, Kingston, Surrey.
Having cost me the princely sum of £6.95 and in very decent condition.
You bought a copy as well? Excellent! I'm curious what you'll make of it given how frequently I seem to have mentioned it. I'm very surprised a WWII-era copy was so cheap. Collecting older books is an idea I have always liked but I doubt my storage methods would benefit them: stick the book on a bookshelf in a bedroom near electronic dust magnets. Having cost me the princely sum of £6.95 and in very decent condition.
I am excited to find out how good quality war economy standards would have been in 1942 and would be not at all surprised to find out the book still feels high quality by modern standards.Levin said:
Goaty Bill 2 said:
'The Moon is Down'. 1942 first edition hardback published by William Heinemann and printed "in complete conformity with the authorized [war] economy standards" in Great Britain by The Windmill Press, Kingston, Surrey.
Having cost me the princely sum of £6.95 and in very decent condition.
You bought a copy as well? Excellent! I'm curious what you'll make of it given how frequently I seem to have mentioned it. I'm very surprised a WWII-era copy was so cheap. Collecting older books is an idea I have always liked but I doubt my storage methods would benefit them: stick the book on a bookshelf in a bedroom near electronic dust magnets. Having cost me the princely sum of £6.95 and in very decent condition.
I am excited to find out how good quality war economy standards would have been in 1942 and would be not at all surprised to find out the book still feels high quality by modern standards.I wouldn't exactly call it 'high quality'
. 'Of its age and time' would be more accurate I think.The cover is very basic cloth covered boards in 5" x 7.5" format. The paper is the heavy unbleached paper, much like the lightweight 'kraft' paper they gave us in school in the 60s. It is quite sturdy stuff.
I have a strong preference for older editions so it suits me.
Interesting reflections on books you were forced to read at school and whether they scarred you for life or remained a favourite.
We read "Cider with Rosie" and I loved it, choosing to find the follow up for myself.
However, we also did "The Mayor of Casterbridge" for O Level (It was just published at the time
) and I've never read anything by Hardy again and probably never will.
As a teenager I read quite a lot and did so into my 20s, but as life got busier I tended to read less books and more magazines and, while I've usually had a book 'on the go', some have taken months to finish.
It was only the arrival of e-Books that got me reading more again, as having the opportunity to read on my phone meant I could fill those moments on the train, in a restaurant (while away on business) or simply waiting to be collected from reception with a chapter of a book or two.
M
We read "Cider with Rosie" and I loved it, choosing to find the follow up for myself.
However, we also did "The Mayor of Casterbridge" for O Level (It was just published at the time
) and I've never read anything by Hardy again and probably never will.As a teenager I read quite a lot and did so into my 20s, but as life got busier I tended to read less books and more magazines and, while I've usually had a book 'on the go', some have taken months to finish.
It was only the arrival of e-Books that got me reading more again, as having the opportunity to read on my phone meant I could fill those moments on the train, in a restaurant (while away on business) or simply waiting to be collected from reception with a chapter of a book or two.
M
Goaty Bill 2 said:
Well...
I wouldn't exactly call it 'high quality'. 'Of its age and time' would be more accurate I think.
The cover is very basic cloth covered boards in 5" x 7.5" format. The paper is the heavy unbleached paper, much like the lightweight 'kraft' paper they gave us in school in the 60s. It is quite sturdy stuff.
I have a strong preference for older editions so it suits me.
Is there any particular reason you favour older editions, if not for superior quality to modern copies? The oldest book I have is either a pre-decimalisation Penguin Classics copy of 'The Canterbury Tales' or a similarly pre-decimalisation copy of 'On Britain and Germany' by Tacitus. Both are in my 'to-read' pile, awaiting their chance to reach the top of my priority list.I wouldn't exactly call it 'high quality'
. 'Of its age and time' would be more accurate I think.The cover is very basic cloth covered boards in 5" x 7.5" format. The paper is the heavy unbleached paper, much like the lightweight 'kraft' paper they gave us in school in the 60s. It is quite sturdy stuff.
I have a strong preference for older editions so it suits me.
marcosgt said:
Interesting reflections on books you were forced to read at school and whether they scarred you for life or remained a favourite. We read "Cider with Rosie" and I loved it, choosing to find the follow up for myself.
I think I did very well out of my school's required reading; 'Of Mice and Men', 'The Pardoner's Tale' and 'The Great Gatsby' were all stories required during my studies. Gatsby is my favourite piece of Fitzgerald's writing thus far. When you're stretching for allusions and symbolism to score marks in an exam, Gatsby is just about the most fertile ground you could hope to farm. 'The Pardoner's Tale' is the only part of the 'Canterbury Tales' I have read yet, but I was immensely lucky to have an English teacher who knew Chaucer's work intimately. The level of detail with which we covered the Pardoner makes me want to invest time in attaining similar knowledge of the other surviving tales.
Finally, Steinbeck. 'Of Mice and Men' is not my favourite of his works (on reflection it must surely be 'The Grapes of Wrath') but it's a fantastic introduction to the author and the Salinas valley that reappears in his other work. The timing of this post coincides perfectly with my completion of 'The Moon is Down', too. Steinbeck really had a gift for portraying people; in 130 pages you come to admire the oftentimes nameless inhabitants of the invaded Norwegian town and their acts of rebellion. Even the German troops are nuanced people instead of mindless killing machines and tyrants keen to impose the Führer's will. An impressive little story, all in all. I'll tell you one thing, though, the Mandarin Paperbacks has some rather iffy proofreading. At least five times the name Joseph is written as Jospeh and occasionally letters are omitted from words.
Next is a tricky decision - 'The Phantom of the Opera' by Gaston Leroux or 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' by Alfred Döblin? I'm inclined towards the latter, but then, of course I am.
I've just finished "Funeral Notes", a Quintin Jardine Bob Skinner novel, though it's written from various different points of view. It was quite handy, as each time he starts a new chapter from a different persons viewpoint, we get a bit of a potted history of how they link with the other characters, and as it's a while since I've read one of these, it was a useful reminder.
It ends on a cliffhanger, though, so now I've got to find the next one in the series and actually break with tradition and read them in order.
It ends on a cliffhanger, though, so now I've got to find the next one in the series and actually break with tradition and read them in order.
Levin said:
Goaty Bill 2 said:
Well...
I wouldn't exactly call it 'high quality'. 'Of its age and time' would be more accurate I think.
The cover is very basic cloth covered boards in 5" x 7.5" format. The paper is the heavy unbleached paper, much like the lightweight 'kraft' paper they gave us in school in the 60s. It is quite sturdy stuff.
I have a strong preference for older editions so it suits me.
Is there any particular reason you favour older editions, if not for superior quality to modern copies? The oldest book I have is either a pre-decimalisation Penguin Classics copy of 'The Canterbury Tales' or a similarly pre-decimalisation copy of 'On Britain and Germany' by Tacitus. Both are in my 'to-read' pile, awaiting their chance to reach the top of my priority list.I wouldn't exactly call it 'high quality'
. 'Of its age and time' would be more accurate I think.The cover is very basic cloth covered boards in 5" x 7.5" format. The paper is the heavy unbleached paper, much like the lightweight 'kraft' paper they gave us in school in the 60s. It is quite sturdy stuff.
I have a strong preference for older editions so it suits me.
marcosgt said:
Interesting reflections on books you were forced to read at school and whether they scarred you for life or remained a favourite. We read "Cider with Rosie" and I loved it, choosing to find the follow up for myself.
I think I did very well out of my school's required reading; 'Of Mice and Men', 'The Pardoner's Tale' and 'The Great Gatsby' were all stories required during my studies. Gatsby is my favourite piece of Fitzgerald's writing thus far. When you're stretching for allusions and symbolism to score marks in an exam, Gatsby is just about the most fertile ground you could hope to farm. 'The Pardoner's Tale' is the only part of the 'Canterbury Tales' I have read yet, but I was immensely lucky to have an English teacher who knew Chaucer's work intimately. The level of detail with which we covered the Pardoner makes me want to invest time in attaining similar knowledge of the other surviving tales.
Finally, Steinbeck. 'Of Mice and Men' is not my favourite of his works (on reflection it must surely be 'The Grapes of Wrath') but it's a fantastic introduction to the author and the Salinas valley that reappears in his other work. The timing of this post coincides perfectly with my completion of 'The Moon is Down', too. Steinbeck really had a gift for portraying people; in 130 pages you come to admire the oftentimes nameless inhabitants of the invaded Norwegian town and their acts of rebellion. Even the German troops are nuanced people instead of mindless killing machines and tyrants keen to impose the Führer's will. An impressive little story, all in all. I'll tell you one thing, though, the Mandarin Paperbacks has some rather iffy proofreading. At least five times the name Joseph is written as Jospeh and occasionally letters are omitted from words.
Next is a tricky decision - 'The Phantom of the Opera' by Gaston Leroux or 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' by Alfred Döblin? I'm inclined towards the latter, but then, of course I am.
Of course much of this may have been originally derived from scouring the used book shops (especially near universities and colleges) for cheap books, where very often one could be purchasing something that had already been through the hands of twenty odd students who swapped their books in yearly.
Locating specific books has become much easier with the internet rather than relying upon picking up whatever happens to be laying on a back shelf in an old shop. It was a great start to reading the classics but eventually you find yourself looking for specific authors and books of course.
Sweeping up a complete collection of first edition Solzhenitsyn (mostly out of print when I started) would have been impossible without huge expenditure in pre-internet days.
To me there will always be something a little special about owning a first edition, even if of a later printing, knowing that when it was printed there was as yet no guarantee of its future success.
My oldest book, previously mentioned, is an 1895 first edition (as far as I can determine) Constance Garnet translation of Ivan Turgenev's 'Fathers and Children'. I was decidedly unhappy with the translation I had read, and bought the other more because it was the only Garnet translation I could locate, than anything else.
Rough though it is, it also remains a beautiful thing to own for its own sake.
Which takes us nicely to 'Berlin Alexanderplatz', with which I admit I am not familiar.
I had a quick peruse of the wiki - Berlin Alexanderplatz and translation of the dialogue seems to have been considered an obstacle to enjoying that work properly as well.
Having read that (wiki), it may well end up on my 'should read' list.
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