What are you reading now?

[bluestateprommer]

Currently juggling 2 books:
(a) Henry Mayhew: London Labour and the London Poor (got this on trade at a used bookstore, in the informal designated Penguin Classics section)
(b) George Grove's voiume on the Beethoven symphonies

[gradus]

The Tobacconist by Robert Seethaler. Drily humorous, engaging story and enjoyable. All for 1p thanks to s/h copies from ... you know who.

ps Having now finished it, I am struck by it's originality, emotional complexity and brevity. Memorable and a stimulus to read more from Mr Seethaler.

[eighthobstruction]

or have they read any Laszlo Krasznahorkai [not a good name for a dyslexic brain]

Well I will not waste words here....Oh joy you say....mr l Kras za nah or kai....Hmmmm ....single sentences that sometimes cover two pages....he seems to have a savage wish never to come to the point....knobhead....

[LeMartinPecheur]

Tomi Makela: Jean Sibelius. A heavy tome in two senses. A heavy read on Finnish cultural and social history, European cultural history & philosophy tetc. Not so far very much about the music, except pointers towards what the author thinks it isn't. For anyone interested, please note that it needs very careful handling. Literally, or the pages fall out

It's printed on heavy paper because photos occur in the run of the text, but they aren't put into folios, just glued in by the edges. I'm very gentle with books but just a few pages in I wondered why there was a printed leaflet at my feet. Not a leaflet, merely pp3-14, and despite extreme care, quickly followed by 99-110

[un barbu]

'Ravilious & Co' by Andy Friend. A group biography, never easy to bring off but good so far (half way through). Beautifully illustrated and on very attractive paper in a good type. A lovely object in itself.

[groovydavidii]

“Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead (Fleet), winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2017. Into the opening chapters of this harrowing epic/adventure tale of America’s slave trade, and paraphrasing one reviewer’s comments: ‘provides an insight into why America is still a troubled country.’

[DracoM]

Reading 'Hagseed' by Margaret Atwood. Funny, quirky, insightful modern take on The Tempest etc.

[richardfinegold]

Finished Vol 1 Of Robert Music “A Man Without Qualities “. Need a break before Vol.2. Having seen “Darkest Hour” now 3 times I am in the mood for a Churchill biography. Any suggestions?

[Petrushka]

I am in the mood for a Churchill biography. Any suggestions?

There are fine single volume biographies from Martin Gilbert https://www.amazon.co.uk/Churchill-L...hill+biography and Roy Jenkins https://www.amazon.co.uk/Churchill-L...hill+biography both of which I've read.

[Conchis]

Yesterday, I finished Doctor Zhivago. Not the hard slog some sources had led me to expect. I read the Hayward/Harari translation which seems to be held in greater esteem than the more recent Pevear/Volkhonsky effort.

I came away with an even higher regard for Robert Bolt's film script, as he incorporates the essence of the book. The film is essentiallly faithful to its source, the big difference being in the closing chapters - I can understand why Bolt/Lean chose to compress them and omit details.

[richardfinegold]

There are fine single volume biographies from Martin Gilbert https://www.amazon.co.uk/Churchill-L...hill+biography and Roy Jenkins https://www.amazon.co.uk/Churchill-L...hill+biography both of which I've read.

Thanks. I was thumbing through the Jenkins at a bookstore yesterday. Any preference between the two?

[richardfinegold]

Yesterday, I finished Doctor Zhivago. Not the hard slog some sources had led me to expect. I read the Hayward/Harari translation which seems to be held in greater esteem than the more recent Pevear/Volkhonsky effort.

I came away with an even higher regard for Robert Bolt's film script, as he incorporates the essence of the book. The film is essentiallly faithful to its source, the big difference being in the closing chapters - I can understand why Bolt/Lean chose to compress them and omit details.

That’s interesting because I have really enjoyed Pevear/Volkhonsky work in Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. I tried their translation in Zhivago but didn’t get much further than with any other translation

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks. I was thumbing through the Jenkins at a bookstore yesterday. Any preference between the two?

I think it's fair to say the Jenkins is largely from secondary sources, relying heavily inter alia on Gilbert. It's a tremendous read - I first encountered his political biographies when I was an undergraduate 50 years ago (Dilke, Mr Balfour's Poodle, Asquith) and in recent years I greatly enjoyed his Gladstone. I haven't read the Gilbert, I confess.

[LMcD]

I think it's fair to say the Jenkins is largely from secondary sources, relying heavily inter alia on Gilbert. It's a tremendous read - I first encountered his political biographies when I was an undergraduate 50 years ago (Dilke, Mr Balfour's Poodle, Asquith) and in recent years I greatly enjoyed his Gladstone. I haven't read the Gilbert, I confess.

Currently reading 'Dead Lions' by Mick Herron

[Petrushka]

Thanks. I was thumbing through the Jenkins at a bookstore yesterday. Any preference between the two?

As Richard Tarleton has said, the Jenkins is a tremendous read and if you want just one Churchill biography I'd choose that one.