Reading the 20th Century discussion

WndyJW wrote: "I loved Palace Walk too, but for some reason never got the 2nd and 3rd in the trilogy."

We read Palace Walk here as a group read a few years back if anyone would like to read our comments. I liked it so much that I went straight on to read the other books in the trilogy. It gave marvellous insight into a culture, a historical moment and a method of storytelling that are satisfyingly non-Western.

Delighted to see such enthusiasm for up-coming buddies! This is what I love about this group, that we are as keen on reading The Godfather as we are The Makioka Sisters 😃📚

I don’t think I stopped at Palace Walk for any reason other than TBR and timing, but I loved it and other Naguib Mahfouz novels. I agree with your opinion of the character mentioned, Brian, the whole book introduced me to women whose lives are radically different from mine.

Roman Clodia wrote: "... we are as keen on reading The Godfather as we are The Makioka Sisters 😃📚"

...because we are keen about family sagas whatever type of Family it may be.

👆🏻👏🏻👍🏻

And we're not snobby about the books we read 😉

Brian and I are planning a buddy read of The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy, around October or certainly the last part of the year. Who else would like to join us and do you have a preference for timing?

I've read this before, don't recall details, but do remember there's lots to discuss!

I hope to join in.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Brian and I are planning a buddy read of The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy, around October or certainly the last part of the year...I've read this before, don't recall details, but do remember there's lots to discuss! "

There's something to discuss just with the cover. One reason I wanted to settle the Buddy Read status of this book so I could hide it among the others in my planned multi-book mail order, which includes All Passion Spent, my second "Passion" titled book of this spring. How Easterly!

Ok, so as no-one has objected, I'll schedule this for October - Brian, yes, we can certainly discuss the cover!

Hmm. . . From the book title and the book cover, it seems like the story will be about a group of young nymphs who are constantly swimming; specifically the one nymph that is most constant in her swimming

So, is this close to the plot, RC?? -
(However, I really don't want to know much about the book. I prefer to enter into reading the book in the same condition as the nymphs will be in when they exit the water - cold.)

Hahaha! All I will say as to plot at this stage is that the book surprised me...

Picking up from the other thread, it sounds like there's interest in a buddy read of The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay. I read this 10-15 years ago, but my memory of it is hazy, so I'd love to read it again with anyone who's interested.

Any thoughts on the timing? We can start in the middle of a month to stagger with the group reads.

Here's the blurb for The Towers of Trebizond:

"'Take my camel, dear,' said my aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass." So begins The Towers of Trebizond, the greatest novel by Rose Macaulay, one of the eccentric geniuses of English literature. In this fine and funny adventure set in the backlands of modern Turkey, a group of highly unusual travel companions makes its way from Istanbul to legendary Trebizond, encountering potion-dealing sorcerers, recalcitrant policemen, and Billy Graham on tour with a busload of Southern evangelists. But though the dominant note of the novel is humorous, its pages are shadowed by heartbreak as the narrator confronts the specters of ancient empires, religious turmoil, and painful memories of lost love.

Enticing, no?

In the autumn would be good for me as we're busy as usual through the summer - but I can be flexible of anyone is desperate to fit it in earlier.

I'd read it. Autumn is fine for me.

Any month this autumn would work for me. Is December too late to work this in? It looks like December is open on our calendar of upcoming reads.

I'll join in for any autumn month, including that very late autumn month of December. If we do choose December, I consider that it's religious themes make it an appropriate Christmas time read. However, as I expect it to lack a seasonally-appropriate reverential religious tone, I think I'll characterize the book as having a seasonally-appropriate 'celebratory' religious tone instead.
December works well for me but, even with its Christmas-appropriate status, I suggest we start the book's discussion thread at the beginning of the month and not set it up to start mid-month right before Christmas.

I’m in for The Constant Nymph and The Towers of Trebizond.

Good points Brian. I think the book's Anglo-Catholicism, with its rather robust calendar of sacramental celebration, would allow us to safely read it in any season.

December works for me and yes, I agree we should have the 1st as the start date. I'll set up the thread either later or tomorrow.

Looks great. I am definitely keen to read more by Macaulay. It is due to be re-released on kindle in the UK too - must be a sign :)

It's on our forthcoming reads list now

Susan wrote: "Looks great. I am definitely keen to read more by Macaulay. It is due to be re-released on kindle in the UK too - must be a sign :)"

Check out her Told By An Idiot as a possible future buddy - I want to try Trebizond first but it looks interesting.

I want to read her biography too, RC. I enjoy biographies of authors.

We now have discussion threads for our two June Mick Herron buddy reads, or rereads

Susan wrote: "I want to read her biography too, RC. I enjoy biographies of authors."

I'm thinking of rereading Love Charm of Bombs as I don't think I paid much attention to Macaulay first time, I was too taken by Elizabeth Bowen's story.

Ooh, count me in, RC. I agree, we know more of the authors now, although I have one read one book by Henry Green, and that years ago. I definitely want to read more by him.

Susan wrote: "Ooh, count me in, RC. I agree, we know more of the authors now, although I have one read one book by Henry Green, and that years ago. I definitely want to read more by him."

Me too. I like Henry Green. I also like reading about his younger days with the Mitfords, Powell and Waugh and their going-on with the Bright Young Things; their crazy parties, drinking, drugs and generally irresponsible antics. Those were some days.

Yet I won't be Caught looking Back on my own Party Going days of continuous Blindness to any responsibilities.

No, I like the present. I'm just Loving Living in this Concluding life stage, where there's Nothing more fun than time spent Doting on my granddaughter.

Susan wrote: "Ooh, count me in, RC. I agree, we know more of the authors now, although I have one read one book by Henry Green, and that years ago. I definitely want to read more by him."

Oh, lovely! How about September for Love Charm, Susan? Or October?

Anyone else like to join us? Here's the blurb:

The nightly routine of sirens, barrage, the probing raider, the unmistakable engine ... the bomb-bursts moving nearer and then moving away, hold one like a love-charm' --Graham Greene

When the first bombs fell on London in August 1940, the city was transformed overnight into a strange kind of battlefield. For most Londoners, the sirens, guns, planes, and bombs brought sleepless nights, fear and loss. But for a group of writers, the war became an incomparably vivid source of inspiration, the blazing streets scenes of exhilaration in which fear could transmute into love. In this powerful chronicle of literary life under the Blitz, Lara Feigel vividly conjures the lives of five prominent writers: Elizabeth Bowen, Graham Greene, Rose Macaulay, Hilde Spiel and the novelist Henry Green. Starting with a sparklingly detailed recreation of a single night of September 1940, the narrative traces the tempestuous experiences of these five figures through five years in London and Ireland, followed by postwar Vienna and Berlin.

Volunteering to drive ambulances, patrol the streets and fight fires, the protagonists all exhibited a unified spirit of a nation under siege, but as individuals their emotions were more volatile. As the sky whistled and the ground shook, nerves were tested, loyalties examined and torrid affairs undertaken. Literary historian and journalist Feigel brilliantly and beautifully interweaves the letters, diaries, journalism and fiction of her writers with official records to chart the history of a burning world, experienced through the eyes of extraordinary individuals.

Clever, Brian!😄

I haven't read Henry Green, have heard he's a quirky stylist. As this is my year of reading women, maybe next year?

I might join that one, bought several Henry Green novels after I read it the first time, and never got round to them so might be the impetus I need.

I’d be in for the Love Charm read, September or October would work for me too.

I’d also like to read Henry Green, another author I’ve had on the radar for some time.

Love Charm either September or October would be good. Why not Henry Green in January then, RC? It's a while off, but hopefully he will be worth the wait.

The question is, which one?

I’ve wanted to read Henry Green and Patrick Hamilton for awhile.

Oh, Patrick Hamilton is wonderful. Nigeyb runs a Patrick Hamilton group if you are interested?

I do

Fab, Susan - I'll check out Henry Green titles later and also relook at dates for Love-Charm

It's been a while since we have had a Patrick Hamilton read. I still haven't read all his books, so I must really go back and read those I have missed.

I think the group has read Hangover Square, The Slaves of Solitude and Craven House. So what Patrick Hamilton to do next?

My suggestion is to read the three books of Patrick Hamilton's Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky AND the three books of Henry Green's Loving / Living / Party Going in 2024. I suggest we rotate the reads in the same manner the Group did with Chandler and Herron in 2022/2023. So, it would be as follows: (EDITED to correct the years)

JANUARY - Hamilton - The Midnight Bell
FEBRUARY - Green - Loving
MARCH - Hamilton - The Siege of Pleasure
APRIL - Green - Living
MAY - Hamilton - The Plains of Cement
JUNE - Green - Party Going

A person reading all 6 books would likely be buying only 2 books; the combined trilogies. In most U.S bookstores the only Green you can find is Loving / Living / Party Going. With Hamilton it's the same way. This way, even if you bought a trilogy just to read one of the novels, the existence of the group read and one's natural abhorrence of waste, should motivate you to read the other two.

My motive in suggesting these two trilogies as a Buddy Read is completely altruistic - I'm only thinking of what's best for the group. The fact that I already own both of these trilogies had no influence over my suggestion.

I have both trilogies too, so am totally on board with this suggestion.

The Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky trilogy is superb


I would dip a tentative foot into the world of Green. I have that trilogy too but suspect it might not be to my taste.

I'd be keen for us to read both trilogies and would relish a chance to discuss them

🫶🏻

My library has both trilogies so I'm in! (I was going to suggest Green's loving as well). I haven't read either Green or Hamilton before.

Next year is already looking exciting!

Just looking on Amazon and Craven House is currently 99p if anyone fancies any more Hamilton. The Slaves of Solitude is my favourite so far.

I have the Green already so as I only need to get hold of the Hamilton and it’s not till next year….Yes!

I’m terrible at participation here but have all of these and will try and join in.

Using Brian's suggested timescale, I've added the Hamilton and Green books to our schedule and logged them on the RTTC bookshelf. I have not created discussion threads.

I have also added The Love-charm of Bombs as a buddy read in September. That's on the RTTC bookshelf but I have not created a discussion thread.

Here's to more great books and interesting discussions

Wonderful, thanks Nigey - I'll set up the Love Charms thread now.

Btw, I don't think I knew that Hamilton was the source of our very own Midnight Bell pub!

👌🏻🤠