What are you reading now?

[Chris Newman]

Have reached the half way mark of my trawl through John Tyrrell's monster two volume biog of Leos Janacek. I thought I might rest my arms before continuing with Volume Two and found in my local Oxfam a copy of Alex by Conrad Wilson. A much lighter read it is a biog of the life of Sir Alexander Gibson, the conductor, until the early nineties shortly before he died. It is not terribly well written; something of a shopping list, though the subject is very interesting.

[amateur51]

This thread is becoming every bit as expensive as the Bargains thread

Keep 'em coming, you lovely well-read people

[verismissimo]

Henry Handel Richardson's Myself When Young, which is enjoyable and moves on apace. Then I'm going to have a second go at her Leipzig Conservatorium-based novel, Maurice Guest.

Anyone read Ms Richardson?

[eighthobstruction]

I've just had a couple of years off regularly reading fiction and non fiction....but immobility has forced me back....I have been very lucky to pick up 2 or 3 crackers at charity shops :

William Dalrymple : Nine Lives....detailing nine people who are on the margins as India changes rapidly and religion gets polarised....very well writen....rec'\just about any Dalrymple book if you have an interest in Indian History or religions.

Gita Mehta : A River Sutra.... again about India....set in modern day....a story is woven around the people and history of the River Narmada....using this to lift the spirits while questioning realities....lovely read, wished it was longer....[8hr read]

Maarion Meade : Eleanor of Aquitaine....a remarkable life in a very dangerous and complicated period in Euro History....well written

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm reading a fascinating account of the Boer War by a family member who took part - I'm working on family history and came across a mention of this book by googling his name, and bought it "printed to order" via Abebooks - only the second time I've used this facility, which I can recommend. The book goes under the snappy title of "The Record of the Mounted Infantry of the City Imperial Volunteers" but in spite of that is a cracking account of everything from the raising and training of the regiment in London, the voyage out and their part in the fighting (they took part in 44 actions). It's strung together from diaries and reminiscences, excellently told by Guy HG Scott and Geoffrey L McDonell (my ancestor) - all for £10.47 - for a first hand account (if they teach such things as the Boer War any more ) it is hard to beat.

GLMcD went on to have a career straight from the pages of John Buchan. He was working in the Stock Exchange when he volunteered (he was a Colour Sergeant in the regiment, and had a tiger tattooed on his forearm). His co-author was a barrister in the Inner Temple but was a farrier-sergeant in the regiment . GL emigrated to Canada but was back in Europe with a Canadian regiment for World War One - his recruitment papers describe him as "pioneer and fur trapper". He was decorated for heroism. He then transferred to a Canadian unit that fought with the White Russians against the Red Army in Siberia, but in the 1920s moved to Hollywood, became a US citizen and appeared in silent movies. He's buried in Hollywood. My next challenge is to find out which films he appeared in! In fact if anyone knows of a relevant database, I'd be very grateful.

[Richard Tarleton]

Oh that was very odd Petrushka. i was just about to post almost the same message. Am reading TTSS for the umpteenth time and don't know that I want to see the new film, having videod seven hours of the BBC production. If people have different personalities in the film it may change my view of the original.

Watched the film last night on Sky Box Office. If I hadn't been paying for it I might well have turned it off It was odd - If you hadn't read the book I think you'd struggle to know what was going on (this was Mrs T's experience). I just found it very disappointing, and shall have no difficulty forgetting it. The characters of Bill Haydon and the other suspects were so underdeveloped that I found myself really not caring greatly. The've rather shot themselves in the foot if they ever decide to film The Honourable Schoolboy, by conflating Sam Collins and Jerry Westerby, and by making Jerry Westerby a scouser . Still it was nice to see the middle Downton sister in a brief cameo, and wasn't that Le Carré himself making a Hitchcock-type appearance at the Xmas party - split second, right of shot, just before that Santa figure climbed onstage?

[Petrushka]

Watched the film last night on Sky Box Office. If I hadn't been paying for it I might well have turned it off It was odd - If you hadn't read the book I think you'd struggle to know what was going on (this was Mrs T's experience). I just found it very disappointing, and shall have no difficulty forgetting it. The characters of Bill Haydon and the other suspects were so underdeveloped that I found myself really not caring greatly. The've rather shot themselves in the foot if they ever decide to film The Honourable Schoolboy, by conflating Sam Collins and Jerry Westerby, and by making Jerry Westerby a scouser . Still it was nice to see the middle Downton sister in a brief cameo, and wasn't that Le Carré himself making a Hitchcock-type appearance at the Xmas party - split second, right of shot, just before that Santa figure climbed onstage?

I haven't seen this film and this doesn't make me want to do so either. I usually end up detesting all TV/film adaptations of books I love but there are one or two exceptions to this. The first is the BBC Alec Guinness Tinker, Tailor... and another is the Sergei Bondarchuk film of War and Peace .

Recently re-read The Honourable Schoolboy and currently re-reading Smiley's People.

[aeolium]

Currently reading Giles Cooper's Six Plays for Radio which I recently found at a reasonable second-hand price. Reading this reminded me what a great loss to radio drama Cooper's early death - falling from a train - was in 1966. He remains for me the finest exponent of the craft of radio drama there has been, and an inspiration to the generation of playwrights that succeeded him.

[Anna]

I've just read Dickens' Night Walks, a slim volume about .... walking around London at night! Now just started on John Buchan's Greenmantle. An odd choice perhaps but local charity shop had three books for £1.25 offer, the other two I bought were short stories by Stella Gibbons (I have only ever read her Cold Comfort Farm) and a Michael Dibden Aurelio Zen detective story

[aeolium]

I like Greenmantle, however old-fashioned and unpleasant some of Buchan's attitudes are. The plotting, the characterisation, the pace are all impressive and it is one of the better thrillers: that work and The Three Hostages are imo the best of the Hannay stories.

You can't not read works because you dislike the author's outlook, otherwise your reading choices would be very much cut back - in my case, most of Evelyn Waugh, whose work I admire a lot. For me, style is the most important quality.

[Richard Tarleton]

I like Greenmantle, however old-fashioned and unpleasant some of Buchan's attitudes are. The plotting, the characterisation, the pace are all impressive and it is one of the better thrillers: that work and The Three Hostages are imo the best of the Hannay stories.

You can't not read works because you dislike the author's outlook, otherwise your reading choices would be very much cut back - in my case, most of Evelyn Waugh, whose work I admire a lot. For me, style is the most important quality.

I'm an admirer of Buchan - Prester John also bears a re-read. I think Buchan's attitudes were about par for the course at the time, and unlike Waugh there's no malice in them.

I've at last finished The Prague Cemetery - I seem to have been reading it rather slowly. Eco provides an explanation at the end of the relationship between the plot and the story, as he delicately puts it "for the benerfit of the overly meticulous reader or of one who is not so quick on the uptake". I suppose I must be in the latter category. Nothing like insulting your readers after they've slogged through 430 pages

I'd never thought of cooking with Chateau d'Yquem before, but for the benefit of vinteuil, Anna and possibly others there's a recipe for salade Francilion on p 401. You'll also need mussels and thin slices of truffle cooked in champagne, everything else should be in your store cupboard.

[vinteuil]

I
there's a recipe for salade Francilion on p 401. You'll also need mussels and thin slices of truffle cooked in champagne, everything else should be in your store cupboard.

"The potatoes are cooked in stock,cut into slices and, while still warm, dressed with salt, pepper, olive oil and Orléans vinegar, plus half a glass of white wine (château d'yquem if possible) and chopped fines herbes. At the same time, some very large mussels are cooked in a court-bouillon with a stick of celery. It is then all lightly tossed together and covered with thin slices of truffle cooked in champagne. This should be done two hours before serving, so that the dish has cooled to just the right temperature when it arrives at table."

hmm... seems to me to be a waste of château d'yquem, of champagne, and of truffles...

I'm glad to hear you got to the end of the Eco. I have to confess I got very bored with it all about half way through, and stuck at page 233. I am currently absorbed in Sam: Beckett, and am not much tempted to go back to the Eco...

[Anna]

I'd never thought of cooking with Chateau d'Yquem before, but for the benefit of vinteuil, Anna and possibly others there's a recipe for salade Francilion on p 401. You'll also need mussels and thin slices of truffle cooked in champagne, everything else should be in your store cupboard.

I am allergic to mussels. Thank The Lord!! Otherwise, what a waste of good wine that would be!!!

[amateur51]

I am allergic to mussels. Thank The Lord!! Otherwise, what a waste of good wine that would be!!!

Sorry to hear of your allergy, Anna - I have no such problems, so pass yours over!

Reading vint's comments about Eco and Beckett, I was reminded of a review of Colm Tóibín's new book New Ways To Kill Your Mother in today's Guardian - a title that might well mislead potential reraders into thinking it is a thriller, I'd say

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/17/colm-toibin-how-i-killed-my-mother

[Pianorak]

Re-reading one of my favourite books: Gerald Moore: Am I too loud?