I'm re-reading 'The Virgin Soldiers', for the first time since I was thirteen; and, slowly, 'Pride And Predjudice'. Holiday reading will be Michael Connolly and Mark Timlin; possibly some Wodehouse.
I like reading certain passages of the Old Testament, re-read 'The Road to Wigan Pier' about once a year, Sherlock Holmes during the autumn and traditional English ghost stories at Christmas.
I once managed 'Ulysses'.
Trollope is also very good if you can find the peace and quiet.
I'm also a big fan of the ghost story at Christmas, and often dig out the MR James as the sky darkens and the mist begins to swirl. At the moment I'm reading Richard Dawkins' "The Greatest Show on Earth" - a beautifully lucid explaination of evolution and written with a good deal of wry humour.
Last edited by Kingstonian (2010-07-06 01:44:53)
The prestige records album cover book. well its not really reading as much as trawling over the amazing covers... type, graphics ,photography and paintings. pure modernism.
charles bukowski: south of no noth ,short stories. the inimitable bukowski..
I should have mentioned Richmal Crompton's 'William' books, which I understand much better as an adult than I did as a fever-ridden ten year old. All those sarcastic swipes at do-gooders, alleged Bolshevik plotters and wispy hand-loom weavers. Almost as good as Wodehouse.
They filmed some of the MR James stories in the 70s, there's one starring Micheael Horden 'Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad' (or some such) that really gave me the willies one Christmas. Will check out 'Thurnley Abbey'.
Benson is also worth reading, but his short stories are now rare and expensive.
^bibliophile.
I'm on Ulysses at the moment...pure modernism!
But when i don't have to think so hard i like a bit of Raymond Chandler... cant beat it; Ellery Queen, Elmore Leonard Western stories.
Favourite of all time though is Steinbeck Cannery Row is a must read, and Tortilla Flats. Haven't read Grapes of Wrath yet but that's next after Ulysses.
Steinbeck was a very effective, economical story-teller. I used to teach 'Of Mice And Men' year in year out, but never got tired of it - only the drudgery of preparing Year 11 students for their exams. A generation raised on video games and the goggle-box. The opening paragraph of 'The Long Goodbye' is one of the best things in modern fiction. Chandler liked Jane Austen, a great prose stylist.
'Brighton Rock' is also a novel I re-read frequently.
Jist finished "Lustrum" the second Thomas Harris book aboot Cicero.
Good stuff if yir interested in the Romans.
Last edited by Sammy Ambrose (2010-07-06 07:37:52)
Last edited by Sammy Ambrose (2010-07-06 07:54:41)
Just reread The Natural by Bernard Malamud after 40 years or so and enjoyed it. Started The Disenchanted by Budd Schulberg last night in bed but fell asleep. Again, a rereading after a long period.
As an aside there was a similar thread on AAAC a while back but dealing with Trad books, ensuring, I suppose, that members weren`t caught reading the wrong stuff. What didn`t emerge ,to my surprise, was any reference to the campus novel, an idiom not much touched upon by British authors other than K. Amis, David Lodge, Malcolm Bradbury and C.P.Snow (but who reads him these days?) However, in the US there is a rich tradition including the following;
Donna Tartt - The Secret History
Tobias Wolff - Old School
Geoffrey Wolff - The Final Club
Randall Jarrell - Pictures from an Institution
William Maxwell - The Folded Leaf
Louis Auchincloss - The Rector of Justin
Alison Lurie - Love and Friendship
Willa Cather - The Professor`s House ( not strictly a campus novel but uses a college as its background location
Bernard Malamud (again) - A New Life
Similarly, Saul Bellow with The Dean`s December and Philip Roth, Goodbye Columbus and The Human Stain, use academia as background.
Not an exhaustive list, I`m sure; any additions?
Last edited by aljazz (2010-07-06 11:08:20)
I'm 3/4s into Henning Mankells book, Italian Shoes.
I usually read Biogs/Auto Biogs, so this book has been a bit of an adventure for me, as far as books go...
Trad books? Chris Barber's autobiography maybe? I quite liked 'Lucky Jim' when I was a sprog.