All About Books discussion

The Playground by Jane Shemilt

Greg wrote: "How is the Stephenson by the way? I liked Snow Crash back when I read it. ..."

Snow Crash is the only other Stephenson book I have read before. I would say Cryptonomicon is less fun but more complex. Being a math/science kind of person, I enjoy the details of the code breaking and how some of the main characters (including Alan Turing!) think but I can see that these sections might be boring for others.

As for the last day of last month and the first days of this month:

Finished The 39 Steps a few days ago and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would - it was a lot of fun!

Then, I read Electra (translated by Anne Carson). A really superb translation, though as far as the source material, I think some of Sophocles' other plays (such as the Oedipus Cycle) are much better.

Finally, this morning, I read a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. It was strange but quite interesting; I liked it better than I expected as Dostoevsky and I don't always get along.

Now, I'm in the middle of Rubyfruit Jungle (Rita Mae Brown) and Parable of the Sower (Octavia E. Butler).

Glad you liked The 39 Steps Greg! And I am intrigued by your experience with Carson's translation - I have been meaning to reread Electra. I am not sure whether I have read the Sophocles play or the one by Euripides, it has been so long!

Leslie wrote: "Glad you liked The 39 Steps Greg! And I am intrigued by your experience with Carson's translation - I have been meaning to reread Electra. I am not sure whether I have r..."

Her translation is quite an easy read as it's rendered directly without awkwardness. You could almost read it in a single setting. And though the source material doesn't have the grand resonance or huge emotional impact of some other Greek plays, it's a fascinating read. Each of the characters' arguments are very persuasive from their own perspectives. I do recommend it!

But all the other translations I've seen are pretty awkward or clunky and therefore a bit unnecessarily hard to read without adding anything aesthetically. Carson's is both the most straightforward I've seen and the most beautiful/affecting/vivid. That can be hard to do so I give her a lot of credit! Apparently she's also translated some plays by Aeschylus and Euripides - I'm curious to read more of her translations someday.

Leslie wrote: "Greg wrote: "How is the Stephenson by the way? I liked Snow Crash back when I read it. ..."

Snow Crash is the only other Stephenson book I have read before. I would..."

Never heard of it! I'll have to give a look then!

I finished my book called Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

I finished my book called The Playground by Jane Shemilt

It was ages that I wanted to read Poldark saga, remembering when I was a kid! Now I've started listening to the first: Ross Poldark

LauraT wrote: "It was ages that I wanted to read Poldark saga, remembering when I was a kid! Now I've started listening to the first: Ross Poldark"

That's great Laura! It's been a long time on my to-read list too!

Greg wrote: "LauraT wrote: "It was ages that I wanted to read Poldark saga, remembering when I was a kid! Now I've started listening to the first: Ross Poldark"

That's great Laura! It's been a ..."

Join in then!!!

LauraT wrote: "Join in then!!!."

I would love that Laura! :)

But I want to get started on The Vanishing Half first as the month has already half vanished somehow. I have my copy ready and don't want to miss out on the group discussion.

I finished my book called Forever on the Bay by Lee Tobin McClain

Greg wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Join in then!!!."

I would love that Laura! :)

But I want to get started on The Vanishing Half first as the month has already half vanished somehow. I have my copy r..."

Yes, you're right! Where has half of March gone???

LauraT wrote: "Yes, you're right! Where has half of March gone???"

I don't know how it happened so fast!!

I finished my book called Winter Heat by Larissa Emerald

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

I finished my book called More Than A Wish: My Life and Stories from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. by Cory Metz

Christine wrote: "I finished my book called More Than A Wish: My Life and Stories from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. by Cory Metz"

How did you like it Christine?

I'm finishing up The Vanishing Half today and about to start Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

I will finish Innocent Blood, A Master of Djinn and Indigo Ridge today and will start The Thursday Murder Club

I finished my book called I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

Greg wrote: "I'm finishing up The Vanishing Half today and about to start Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather"

I hope to finish The Vanishing Half today too.

Esther wrote: "I hope to finish The Vanishing Half today too."

I loved it Esther! I thought it was beautifully done!

Greg wrote: "Esther wrote: "I hope to finish The Vanishing Half today too."

I loved it Esther! I thought it was beautifully done!"

I really enjoyed this book, too

Kati wrote: "I really enjoyed this book, too"

Great Kati! I'm really glad it was chosen for the group read - I don't know if I would have ever gotten around to reading it otherwise.

I finished my book called Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard

Currently I am reading (very slowly for me) Extinction: A Novel by Austrian author Thomas Bernhard in hardcover. In audiobook I am also progressing slowly with The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - in this case more due to dread about what is going to be revealed than anything else! And on my Kindle, I have 2 books going - a satire, A Time to Be Born by Dawn Powell, and a mystery, The Case of the Headless Jesuit by George Bellairs.

I'm in the second half of the space horror Dead Silence, and I'm about a quarter way through Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. It would be hard to imagine two books more different, but I'm enjoying both.

The Cather book is just lovely - in the writing, the characters, and in the sentiments. It's touching me deeply, and I love it.

It's hard not to think that the history of the missions in America's West is being whitewashed a bit here though. For sure there were some men like Latour, both kind and intellectually humble. But there were other leaders of the effort who did not have either of these qualities, and there's a darker side of some of the mission work with the Native Americans and some of the Western missions that is not portrayed here at all so far. By coincidence, I just finished a book by a Native American (White Horse) that touched on the other side of some of the missions, with forced labor and family separations. The difference in depictions could not be more stark!

None of this prevents me for enjoying Cather's story for what it is, but those other depictions are looming in the back of my mind.

So glad to hear you are enjoying Death Comes for the Archbishop Greg! My parents gave me a copy for my 11th birthday and though many years have passed and I have reread it since, I still recall falling in love with Cather's writing then.

I know what you mean about the history being bleaker than she depicts. I'm not sure whether Cather would have been as aware of that aspect in 1927 as we are today, especially when she was living in New York City far from seeing and talking to people who might have given her a different perspective.

On another note, the other book my parents gave me that birthday was The King Must Die by Mary Renault. The titles of these 2 made me wonder for a while whether one of my parents was dying! Luckily not so!!

Leslie wrote: "So glad to hear you are enjoying Death Comes for the Archbishop Greg! My parents gave me a copy for my 11th birthday and though many years have passed and I have reread it since, I st..."

It's funny the way a child's mind works - thank goodness you were wrong!! - but wow, your parents gave you a pair of wonderful books! I wish my parents had been readers. It must have been wonderful to have that to share with them growing up.

As I'm getting further, Cather does touch just slightly upon some of the bad behavior of other priests in the area, though Latour still seems mystified as to why the Indians would revolt or rebel and thinks of those rebelling as "savage." So, it seems he hasn't put the two things together and hasn't connected them somehow.

But I'm very willing to overlook this.

Latour is such a compelling character - his humility, intelligence and grace feel so genuine; the depiction touches my heart! And I love all the various episodes of his interactions with the "simple" people in his huge parish and his respect for all of their various local traditions. It's an extraordinary book!

I'm about 1/3 of the way through now. The book is somewhat episodic and not very tightly plotted, but I'm enjoying it so much that I'm moving through it quickly anyway. I expect I will be done soon.

Leslie wrote: "Currently I am reading (very slowly for me) Extinction: A Novel by Austrian author Thomas Bernhard in hardcover..."

That I don't know, but I have t admit Bernhard is not one of my favourite author

At the moment I'm reading
Richard Osman The Man Who Died Twice
and
Josephine Winslow Johnson Now in November
while listening to Winston Graham Ross Poldark

LauraT wrote: "At the moment I'm reading
Richard Osman The Man Who Died Twice
and
Josephine Winslow Johnson Now in November
while listening to Winston Graham "

Are you enjoying Ross Poldark so far Laura?

Yes quite! My piece of cake

LauraT wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Currently I am reading (very slowly for me) Extinction: A Novel by Austrian author Thomas Bernhard in hardcover..."

That I don't know, but I have t admit Bernhard is n..."

This is my first time reading Bernhard. The book is in two parts, each one gigantic paragraph! The writing is stream of consciousness; that is a style with which I have a love-hate relationship. This time it is fairly accessible so I am not hating it but I am not loving it either. Right now I would say that I would read something else by him but I won't be rushing to do so.

Leslie wrote: "This is my first time reading Bernhard. The book is in two parts, each one gigantic paragraph! The writing is stream of consciousness; that is a style with which I have a love-hate relationship...."

I do remember it well!!! Saame here!

Leslie, I'm more than 3/4 done with Death Comes for the Archbishop now, and I do really love it! The writing is exquisite, and I love all of the stories of the people he encounters in his ministry. It's a lovely book!

I also feel the depiction is much more balanced as I've gotten further. Cather has definitely shown some of the darker side as well, though Latour is the sort of priest anyone would wish for. He is such a good man!

Greg wrote: "Leslie, I'm more than 3/4 done with Death Comes for the Archbishop now, and I do really love it! The writing is exquisite, and I love all of the stories of the people he encounters in..."

Really a good book! I didn't expect it this way, but loved it

LauraT wrote: "Greg wrote: "Leslie, I'm more than 3/4 done with Death Comes for the Archbishop now, and I do really love it! The writing is exquisite, and I love all of the stories of the people he ..."

Good to hear Laura! :)

I finished my book called The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Lie To Her by Melinda Leigh

I finished my book called The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder

I have just started The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I know nothing about this book except for 2 things:
A) it is on a whole lot of 'must read' lists and
B) it is about soldiers in war time, though until I started I didn't know which war.

I am only about 5 pages in so can't judge but I like the writing style so far.

I am reading Sexy But Psycho: How the Patriarchy Uses Women’s Trauma Against Them and listening to The Woman in White.
It is a coincidental but apposite combination.

I just finished Good Girl, Bad Girl, which I can recommend to all thriller fans, and finally (at least a decade too late...) started The Last Wish. All I know about The Witcher is that everyone has read it and that Henry Cavill seems to have been a great cast, or so the internet says.

I'm reading Alice Munro right now, a short collection titled: the view from castle rock. My word - what a stylist, and how Alice manages mood and passages of time, stunning stuff.

Tumbleweed Words wrote: "I'm reading Alice Munro right now, a short collection titled: the view from castle rock. My word - what a stylist, and how Alice manages mood and passages of time, stunning stuff."

You can see why she won the Nobel Prize for literature!