books, books, books
Speaking of the Beatles, just finished Bob Spitz's biography of the group. Very detailed, and great info I did not know about the early days, although having read the Van book and this book back to back I now know more about skiffle than I ever wished. Recommended.
Pompeii, The Living City, by Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence-- I love the Roman era, and this book is cat nip. Who knew that tanners, gold and silversmiths and dye makers (fullers) competed to get hold of the "golden liquid" (urine) for their trades. Latrines were stationed all over the cities to make sure no drop was wasted. See, that's why I love to read. And the next time some conservative fuddy-duddy complains about graffiti tell them it was standard communication procedure back when men were men and boys were, well, that's a different story.
Pompeii, The Living City, by Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence-- I love the Roman era, and this book is cat nip. Who knew that tanners, gold and silversmiths and dye makers (fullers) competed to get hold of the "golden liquid" (urine) for their trades. Latrines were stationed all over the cities to make sure no drop was wasted. See, that's why I love to read. And the next time some conservative fuddy-duddy complains about graffiti tell them it was standard communication procedure back when men were men and boys were, well, that's a different story.
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so lacklustre
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I've never read a gaphic novel nor any Shakespeare. I am killing two birds with one stone now by reading the graphic novel of King Lear.
http://www.amazon.com/King-Lear-William ... F8&s=books
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http://www.amazon.com/King-Lear-William ... F8&s=books
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It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think that you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt
- M. Twain
- M. Twain
"Mysteries of the Middle Ages" by Thomas Cahill--Been reading a lot about this period lately, and this book was a little disappointing. A little too glib for my taste. But it does have good summaries of Heloise, Abelard, Hildegard, and my favorite Middle Ages lass, the one and only Eleanor of Aquitaine. Speaking of Eleanor, and just to show how politically correct non-sense is out of control in the US, my daughter's 8th grade social studies book has a whole chapter on Eleanor, in which, among other things, she is credited with originating the troubador tradition!! She certainly had a lot to do with bringing it to the Parisian court, but come on, by the time she came around the tradition had already been in place for some time. I wanted my daughter to bring this up in class, and she told him to...
"The Producer" by Dunstan Trial--All about John Hammond, an all-around insufferable prig. In his defense, I was aware of his civil rights work, but this bio shows that he was tremendously active (in the trenches) in the civil rights movement going way back to the 30s and 40s. Still obnoxious, though.
"The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien"-- I am not a big fan, but picked this up because I love reading collected letters from literary folks. A terrific read. Beautifully written, poignant, and very funny. As an additional bonus, if you like LOR, these letters give you everything you ever wanted to know. Amazingly, Tolkien would answer fan letters, and provide excruciating details behind everything having to do with LOR. It's as if George Lucas received and bothered to respond, in detail, letters from Star Wars freaks wanting the scoop on his intent, motivation, mythological details, etc. Tolkien was clearly MAD, and sort of out of touch.
Here's a little flavor. He gets invited to a party by Robert Graves. JRRT on Graves: "A remarkable creature, entertaining, likable. odd, bonnet full of wild bees, half German, half Irish, very tall, must have looked like Siegfried/Siegurd in his youth, but an Ass). At the party he hits it off with "a pleasant young woman...well but quietly dressed, easy and agreeable, and we got on quite well". It was Ava Gardner. JRRT had no clue, causing Graves much merriment. JRRT thought the "herd of pressmen" outside had been there for RG.
"The Producer" by Dunstan Trial--All about John Hammond, an all-around insufferable prig. In his defense, I was aware of his civil rights work, but this bio shows that he was tremendously active (in the trenches) in the civil rights movement going way back to the 30s and 40s. Still obnoxious, though.
"The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien"-- I am not a big fan, but picked this up because I love reading collected letters from literary folks. A terrific read. Beautifully written, poignant, and very funny. As an additional bonus, if you like LOR, these letters give you everything you ever wanted to know. Amazingly, Tolkien would answer fan letters, and provide excruciating details behind everything having to do with LOR. It's as if George Lucas received and bothered to respond, in detail, letters from Star Wars freaks wanting the scoop on his intent, motivation, mythological details, etc. Tolkien was clearly MAD, and sort of out of touch.
Here's a little flavor. He gets invited to a party by Robert Graves. JRRT on Graves: "A remarkable creature, entertaining, likable. odd, bonnet full of wild bees, half German, half Irish, very tall, must have looked like Siegfried/Siegurd in his youth, but an Ass). At the party he hits it off with "a pleasant young woman...well but quietly dressed, easy and agreeable, and we got on quite well". It was Ava Gardner. JRRT had no clue, causing Graves much merriment. JRRT thought the "herd of pressmen" outside had been there for RG.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Great story! What a hoot. I used to walk past Tolkien's old school (King Edward's Grammar, I think) en route to eh university in Birmingham.
Was moved to investigate more about Heloise and Abelard:
http://classiclit.about.com/cs/articles ... belard.htm
My interest comes from the line in Scritti Politti's superb The World You Understand (Is Over + Over + Over):
'I'll tell you who we are
Heloise and Abelard
The world you understand
Is over, over over'
Typically you've read three books in the space of me reading 15 pages of my current Roth. When that's done I have over 1,000 densely typed pages of droolsome Thomas Pynchon's Against The Day (what a title!) to tackle. Three months minimum! Maybe more like six. And wristache. the only writer I buy in hardback - perhaps ill-advised at this length!
Was moved to investigate more about Heloise and Abelard:
http://classiclit.about.com/cs/articles ... belard.htm
My interest comes from the line in Scritti Politti's superb The World You Understand (Is Over + Over + Over):
'I'll tell you who we are
Heloise and Abelard
The world you understand
Is over, over over'
Typically you've read three books in the space of me reading 15 pages of my current Roth. When that's done I have over 1,000 densely typed pages of droolsome Thomas Pynchon's Against The Day (what a title!) to tackle. Three months minimum! Maybe more like six. And wristache. the only writer I buy in hardback - perhaps ill-advised at this length!
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
Otis, the letters are priceless. He was a narrow-minded bastard and genius (a lot like Larkin whose letters I also got a great kick out of), but very funny. Here's JRRT on his old home town, as he revisited in 1944. I know it's an ancient description, but I'm curious if any of it rings a bell:
"Except for one patch of ghastly wreckage (opp. my old school's site[Otis: he calls it King Edward's School, I assume it's the same as your King Edward's Grammar]) it does not look much damaged: not by the enemy. The chief damage has been the growth of great flat featureless modern buildings. The worst of all is the ghastly multiple-store erection (?) on the old site. I couldn't stand much of that or the ghosts that rose from the pavements; so I caught a tram from the same old corner at which I used to catch it to go out to the playing fieldds. Down the shabbby (much bomb-pocked) Bristol Road to Edgbaston Park Road at 12:15 (half an hour too soon). I won't weary you with impressions of the ghastly [there's that word again] utterly third-rate building better than most Oxford colleges being replaced by what looks like a girls' council school, you've got it and my feelings".
See, I think that "ghosts that rise from the pavements" riff sort of redeems the whole thing. Like Larkin, he rarely left England, and when he did nothing compared favorably. Even as his books were keeping his publishers alive, he and his wife lived in small, cluttered homes, while he slaved away at his teaching duties. Auden, nastily, told the New Yorker that "he (JRRT) lives in a hideous house--I can't tell you how awful it is-- with hideous pictures on the wall". They were friends, by the way. The letters are very sad, but you still sense his genius, his sense of humor (dry and black), and in the end he comes off as brave. He was orphaned early, and I think that played a huge role in his life. The letters are edited by his biographer, and, like Larkin's, they are leading me to the biography next.
Otis, you are embarking on Pynchon's newest!! I like him, but have to be in the right mood. Let me know what you think.
"Except for one patch of ghastly wreckage (opp. my old school's site[Otis: he calls it King Edward's School, I assume it's the same as your King Edward's Grammar]) it does not look much damaged: not by the enemy. The chief damage has been the growth of great flat featureless modern buildings. The worst of all is the ghastly multiple-store erection (?) on the old site. I couldn't stand much of that or the ghosts that rose from the pavements; so I caught a tram from the same old corner at which I used to catch it to go out to the playing fieldds. Down the shabbby (much bomb-pocked) Bristol Road to Edgbaston Park Road at 12:15 (half an hour too soon). I won't weary you with impressions of the ghastly [there's that word again] utterly third-rate building better than most Oxford colleges being replaced by what looks like a girls' council school, you've got it and my feelings".
See, I think that "ghosts that rise from the pavements" riff sort of redeems the whole thing. Like Larkin, he rarely left England, and when he did nothing compared favorably. Even as his books were keeping his publishers alive, he and his wife lived in small, cluttered homes, while he slaved away at his teaching duties. Auden, nastily, told the New Yorker that "he (JRRT) lives in a hideous house--I can't tell you how awful it is-- with hideous pictures on the wall". They were friends, by the way. The letters are very sad, but you still sense his genius, his sense of humor (dry and black), and in the end he comes off as brave. He was orphaned early, and I think that played a huge role in his life. The letters are edited by his biographer, and, like Larkin's, they are leading me to the biography next.
Otis, you are embarking on Pynchon's newest!! I like him, but have to be in the right mood. Let me know what you think.
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Otis Westinghouse
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ReadyToHearTheWorst
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Regarding Tolkien.
He can sometimes come across as a 'little Englander', but he's never parochial just for the sake of it, and neither a biggot, or (overtly) racist.
Being orphaned young prolly led to his regarding the short time with his mother as a 'golden age'. Certainly, the mills and fields he remembered so fondly were concreted over before he was 30.
I prefer to think that he just hated 'progress' and it's affect on a landscape he loved.
He can sometimes come across as a 'little Englander', but he's never parochial just for the sake of it, and neither a biggot, or (overtly) racist.
Being orphaned young prolly led to his regarding the short time with his mother as a 'golden age'. Certainly, the mills and fields he remembered so fondly were concreted over before he was 30.
I prefer to think that he just hated 'progress' and it's affect on a landscape he loved.
"I'm the Rock and Roll Scrabble champion"
ReadyToHear, although he reminds me on Larkin precisely because of that "little englander" style you mention, he clearly was not bigotted in the way Larkin was.
Example, in the late 30s, he was approached by German publishers for a blurb to be used in the German translation of LOR. The Germans wanted to know if he was of "arisch (aryan) origin". I can't resist quoting from his letters-- little works of art they are. Here are snippets from his response, first to his publishers about the question, and then his direct response. This is all from 1938, mind you.
JRRT to his publishers:
"Do I suffer this impertinence because of the possession fo a German name,or do their lunatic laws require a certificate of "arisch" origin from all persons of all countries? Personally I should be inclined to refuse to give any Bestatigung... and let a German translation go hang. In any case I should object strongly to any such declaration appearing in print. I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish blood as necessarily honorauble; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholy pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine".
JRRT to the German publishers:
"I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialect. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.... I cannot... forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort become the rule in the matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride."
Still, the dude was odd. Example, he loved, I mean really loved, trees.
Example, in the late 30s, he was approached by German publishers for a blurb to be used in the German translation of LOR. The Germans wanted to know if he was of "arisch (aryan) origin". I can't resist quoting from his letters-- little works of art they are. Here are snippets from his response, first to his publishers about the question, and then his direct response. This is all from 1938, mind you.
JRRT to his publishers:
"Do I suffer this impertinence because of the possession fo a German name,or do their lunatic laws require a certificate of "arisch" origin from all persons of all countries? Personally I should be inclined to refuse to give any Bestatigung... and let a German translation go hang. In any case I should object strongly to any such declaration appearing in print. I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish blood as necessarily honorauble; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholy pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine".
JRRT to the German publishers:
"I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialect. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.... I cannot... forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort become the rule in the matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride."
Still, the dude was odd. Example, he loved, I mean really loved, trees.
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ReadyToHearTheWorst
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!! Specialist Subject alert !!alexv wrote:... his letters-- little works of art they are.
There's narry a syllable in his published works (inc. the letters) that he didn't sweat blood over, redrafting many times 'till satisfied with every nuance. As a result, some of turns of phrase are quite majestic.
His world view is, of course, informed by his life long immersion in Medieval texts.
In fact, a simplistic reading of LotR might have 'good little England' pitted against the forces of evil Industrialisation (i.e. The Shire vs Mordor), where even the apparent victory comes at a price (The Scouring of the Shire meant that things could never be the same again).
"I'm the Rock and Roll Scrabble champion"
Specialist ReadyTo, is there a Tolkien biography you can recommend? I was going to look for the Humphrey Carpenter since he edited the letters, but if you know a better, more recent one let me know please.
I especially like T's humor in the letters. This is my final quote, I promise, and is my favorite. Puffin books wanted to do a paperback edition of The Hobbit. Here's Tolkien"s reaction:
"Unless the profit or advantage is clear, I would much rather leave him [The Hobbit] to amble along; and he still shows a good walking pace. And I am not fond of Puffins or Penguins or other soft-shelled fowl: they eat other birds' eggs, and are better left to vacated nests."
That last sentence is priceless.
I especially like T's humor in the letters. This is my final quote, I promise, and is my favorite. Puffin books wanted to do a paperback edition of The Hobbit. Here's Tolkien"s reaction:
"Unless the profit or advantage is clear, I would much rather leave him [The Hobbit] to amble along; and he still shows a good walking pace. And I am not fond of Puffins or Penguins or other soft-shelled fowl: they eat other birds' eggs, and are better left to vacated nests."
That last sentence is priceless.
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ReadyToHearTheWorst
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Humphrey Carpenter's is the authorised biography (giving him access to then unpublished family papers) and he does a fine job of laying out the details of an unusual, eventful and long life. Along the way there are plenty of insights into the methods and habits of the great man.alexv wrote:... is there a Tolkien biography you can recommend? I was going to look for the Humphrey Carpenter since he edited the letters ...
However, it's now 30 years old, and I don't think it's been seriously revised since.
There are a couple of more recent ones, but I haven't read them so I couldn't really comment. I'd be interested in your comments, whichever one you read.
BTW Mr Carpenter also wrote a 'biography' of The Inklings around the same time.
"I'm the Rock and Roll Scrabble champion"
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Otis Westinghouse
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Wow, didn't know he was a Tolkien specialist alongside all that boxing commentating!
Alex: please don't stop! More quotes! I'm tempted to go and get this myself, they are priceless. I read The Hobbit as a teen, I think, and didn't much care for it, but yes, what a turn of phrase.
Alex: please don't stop! More quotes! I'm tempted to go and get this myself, they are priceless. I read The Hobbit as a teen, I think, and didn't much care for it, but yes, what a turn of phrase.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
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Mechanical Grace
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AlexV-- I may have asked/recommended this before, but have you read Evelyn Waugh's letters, esp those between him and Nancy Mitford? Priceless.
I've just started Claire Messud's The Emperor's Children (gift from Dad). So far so good, but Jesus will I ever be relieved to read a contemporary novel that does NOT feature a famous male college professor, or even University life in general. *Snorrrrrrrrrrrre*
I've just started Claire Messud's The Emperor's Children (gift from Dad). So far so good, but Jesus will I ever be relieved to read a contemporary novel that does NOT feature a famous male college professor, or even University life in general. *Snorrrrrrrrrrrre*
Have not, MG, I've always thought of Evelyn as a bit of a pig (but hey I enjoyed Larkin's letters, so it must not matter), so have stayed away from him altogether. I will, on your recommendation (how's that for responsibility) get it from the bibliotheque and dig in. Will report back.
I love collected letters.
You know men love lists, don't you MG? Here's my list of great collected letters (that I've read, of course):
1. Byron's--my gold standard. I love this dude and his Princess of Parallelograms.
2. Proust-- Dear Mama...why does not one love me?
3. Larkin--Nasty, funny, narrow minded Brit (the best kind)
4. Flaubert-- for the sex
5. Joyce/Pound-- Kulchur with a capital K
6. Tolkien--I just read them so maybe a biased judgement
7. Party's starting, MG, and the red wine has already begun to dull my senses, so we'll take this up next year (Oh, wait, 7. how could I forget, should really be (2): Nabokov'sletters (general and to Wilson) --perfect (he's one of my literary heroes).
Feliz Ano(add the littel thingy over the "n" or else its obscene and I don't mean to be) Nuevo, MG!!
I love collected letters.
You know men love lists, don't you MG? Here's my list of great collected letters (that I've read, of course):
1. Byron's--my gold standard. I love this dude and his Princess of Parallelograms.
2. Proust-- Dear Mama...why does not one love me?
3. Larkin--Nasty, funny, narrow minded Brit (the best kind)
4. Flaubert-- for the sex
5. Joyce/Pound-- Kulchur with a capital K
6. Tolkien--I just read them so maybe a biased judgement
7. Party's starting, MG, and the red wine has already begun to dull my senses, so we'll take this up next year (Oh, wait, 7. how could I forget, should really be (2): Nabokov'sletters (general and to Wilson) --perfect (he's one of my literary heroes).
Feliz Ano(add the littel thingy over the "n" or else its obscene and I don't mean to be) Nuevo, MG!!
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Otis Westinghouse
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mood swung
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I got a Books-a-Million gift card for Christmas, so I went down to spend it a weekend or so ago. Nobody bought me a new date book (the bastards), so I got a nice Far Side one 1/2 price because it's 2007 already and I wandered around not really wanting to buy any more books because of The Piles, but not wanting to leave without one or some either. Anyway, I found a nice paperback of Slapstick and I borrowed Slaughterhouse-Five from the library. The Great Vonnegut Re-Read is on. I almost cried from happiness. Honestly, he is the bee's knees.
Like me, the "g" is silent.
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Mechanical Grace
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There's an ointment for that. (Come on, someone was gonna write it.)mood swung wrote: I wandered around not really wanting to buy any more books because of The Piles...
A belated thanks for your letters list, AlexV-- it will be used! Yes, Waugh's letters are a must. Yes, a pig, but fascinating, hilarious, and ultimately very human.
Haven't been reading much, possibly cause I never got a good foothold in Emperor's Children-- must remedy that!
I've spent a lot of time with this book, which was companion to an Exhib of the same name, which I saw in Chicago over Christmas. Fantastic, smart, dense with new ideas, and full of HOPE.
For more info about the sponsoring org, Institute Without Boundaries look here:
http://www.massivechange.com/iwb
"The Gospel of Judas" edited by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst.---Who knew that some early Christian-era believers thought Judas was the good guy!! I also picked up from the library the companion book that tells the story of how the manuscript was found. It turns out that the darn thing sat in a safety deposit box in Long Island for over a decade slowly disintegrating in NY area humidity while greedy folks looked for the best deal. Fascinating story. I've been reading a lot about the early Christian era and it's amazing how many competing versions of the Christ story were floating around, only to be shot down once the orthodox view was established. Recommended.
The Biography of JRR Tolkien, by Humphreys--Old fashioned biography, almost too respectful. AFter reading the letters, there's not much of interest here I did not already know.
The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill-- This is the same guy who wrote the book about how the Irish saved civilization. A little too glib for my taste but he ends up doing a pretty interesting analysis of the historical underpinnings behind the Old Testament.
The Biography of JRR Tolkien, by Humphreys--Old fashioned biography, almost too respectful. AFter reading the letters, there's not much of interest here I did not already know.
The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill-- This is the same guy who wrote the book about how the Irish saved civilization. A little too glib for my taste but he ends up doing a pretty interesting analysis of the historical underpinnings behind the Old Testament.
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Mechanical Grace
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Wait, you mean the particular words-- no more, no less-- in the King James Version (or whichever version you were made to memorize) were not breathed by God himself into just one historical writer, were never edited by leaders of church or state, and were imbued with manifest and unequivocal translations for every modern language?alexv wrote: I've been reading a lot about the early Christian era and it's amazing how many competing versions of the Christ story were floating around, only to be shot down once the orthodox view was established.
I suppose I shouldn't be so flip, but honestly, I think that a good chunk of Red State Christians (Blue State too) would find the ideological carpet had been pulled out from under them if they learned about the Nag Hammadi and other finds. Sadly, monolithic takes on Christianity are much more powerful if you want to galvanize people as easily and firmly as possible, which is to say via fear and hatred.I saw a Natl. Geo about that Judas discovery. Interesting. Did you every read Elaine Pagels? Her more liberal interpretive moments may bug you, but it's fascinating stuff, and she's an incredible scholar and writer. I've read Adam, Eve & The Serpent; Beyond Belief; The Gnostic Gospels; and The Origin of Satan; they're all very good (and entertaining, and quick!). And it looks like she's got a book on the Judas gospel issue as well, coming out in March.
The National Geographic thing is connected to one of the Judas books I read. I like Pagels: I've only read her book on the Gnostic Gospels and liked it. Agree with you on the impact thing. Knowledge can be a dangerous thing. As an unbeliever, I find all this comforting, and, lately, protective. In my town, my wife has drawn me into her orbit of friends who happen to be very active Catholics, and I use my knowledge as a shield, not a sword (which believe me I sometimes would prefer).
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so lacklustre
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finished this a little while ago. it's a great read but came across as very british so how well it will cross the pond i am not sure. it is essentially a fantastical political satire detective story about the bse crisis. the blurb quotes the whitbread judges thus: "a tour de force: funny, challenging, provocative, harrowing"pophead2k wrote:SLL - its on my reading list right now on the recommendation of a friend. Let me know if you like it as much as you have so far.so lacklustre wrote:i'm reading the end of my tether by neil astley
it's an excellent read so far. has anyone else read this?
enjoy.
now onto this:
started promisingly and as i thoroughly enjoyed vernon god little i think i'm in for a treat.
signed with love and vicious kisses