What 📔book are you reading right now?

[EdenDelacroix]

The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty, delightful collection of short stories taking place in the American South during (likely) the Great Depression. When I say delightful, I mean odd and allusively supernatural, yet homely all the same. 5 stars for a diverse cast, well-developed Black characters, and really lovely diction and linguistic choices that create accurate setting and dialogue.

 

[Deimos]

I'd also recommend checking out the books and essays by Charles Rosen, author of one of my favorite quotes on music:

"Opera is trash -- but it's really great trash".

Sir Thomas Beecham ---English conductor best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras--- on opera:

"If an opera cannot be played by an organ grinder, it's not going to achieve immortality."

A soprano in Massenet's Don Quixote complained that she had missed her entry in the aria, "because Mr. Challiapin always dies too soon."
"Madam, you must be profoundly in error," said Sir Thomas, "No operatic star has yet died half soon enough for me."

Go HERE for more Beecham comments:

 

[Starbrow]

Sea Change by T’Gracie and Joe Reese

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

Beasts, Men, and Gods by Ferdinand Ossendowski

 

[Vorondil]

I finally managed to find a copy of The War Of The Worlds by H. G. Wells, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Try The Time Machine next.

 

[Eldacar]

The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers. I just started it today, and I am only some 50 Pages in, but I am already captured by how charmingly the author uses language. It is more playfully written than what I normally read and the fact that there are lots of sketches in it, which I haven't seen in a Book since I was an early teenager (except luxury versions of LotR and the Silmarillion), makes it an unusual reading experience so far, but one to enjoy.

 

[Vorondil]

Try The Time Machine next.

I'll do that. If I can find a copy that is.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

There have been several anthology volumes over the years. You may find one in a library or used bookstore.

 

[Olorgando]

Just finished reading Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
Which struck me, as written, as being even far more unfilmable than LotR.
What goaded me into re-reading my 1968 paperback reprint (I was surprised I still had it) was Kenneth Branagh's 1994 directed version, which he pointedly titled "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein", starring himself as Victor Frankenstein and Robert De Niro as the monster, of which I saw perhaps the last ten minutes. Apparently the film version most faithful to the book, but certainly stll very much adapted to film, and containing not in the books.
I case you have not read the book itself, here's the link to the Wikipedia article on it:

Frankenstein - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[TrackerOrc]

I always have a fiction/non-fiction book on the go so its 'Sparta and Lakonia' by Paul Cartledge and 'The Revenant' by Michael Punke, which has been made into a decent film.

 

[Deimos]

Just finished reading Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
Which struck me, as written, as being even far more unfilmable than LotR.
What goaded me into re-reading my 1968 paperback reprint (I was surprised I still had it) was Kenneth Branagh's 1994 directed version, which he pointedly titled "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein", starring himself as Victor Frankenstein and Robert De Niro as the monster, of which I saw perhaps the last ten minutes. Apparently the film version most faithful to the book, but certainly stll very much adapted to film, and containing not in the books.
I case you have not read the book itself, here's the link to the Wikipedia article on it:

Frankenstein - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That book is on my "still have to read" list... I think I'll bump it to the top, or nearly so.

 

[Olorgando]

That book is on my "still have to read" list... I think I'll bump it to the top, or nearly so.

As it is approximately 206 years old, I'm guessing you won't be surprised that it is not written in the highly degraded 21'st century version of TTF's default language.

 

[Deimos]

As it is approximately 206 years old, I'm guessing you won't be surprised that it is not written in the highly degraded 21'st century version of TTF's default language.

Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors.
And I had no trouble at all reading "The Mysteries of Udolpho", not to mention (but I will ) routinely reading Shakespeare.
So, not to worry; I seriously doubt that Regency period English will stymie me in the least. 😄

 

[TrackerOrc]

'The Jewel in the Crown', the first book in the 'Raj Quartet' by Paul Scott. Beautifully written.

 

[Ent]

So, not to worry; I seriously doubt that Regency period English will stymie me in the least.

it is good for folks to routinely indulge in such exercises (in my personal opinion) as not to do so leaves behind a great wealth of greatness.
yes I know, for some it's almost as difficult as learning a foreign language... but it's still worth the time and effort. (again, imho.)

I was thrilled to find copies of The Battle of Maldon (the 327 verses actually remaining available to us) available in both the old and middle English.

Now I just need to get to them..!

(My current reads by the way are all focused on the early Middle Ages, Crusades, etc. specifically the years aroudn 600 - 1400, with an extra sidestep on the Battle of Maldon just to see what we know, and how what we know has been rendered in those verses, and ultimately rendered by Tolkien. But the whole period under study is fascinating, and fascinatingly misunderstood.)

 

[Deimos]

it is good for folks to routinely indulge in such exercises (in my personal opinion) as not to do so leaves behind a great wealth of greatness.
yes I know, for some it's almost as difficult as learning a foreign language... but it's still worth the time and effort. (again, imho.)

I was thrilled to find copies of The Battle of Maldon (the 327 verses actually remaining available to us) available in both the old and middle English.

Now I just need to get to them..!

(My current reads by the way are all focused on the early Middle Ages, Crusades, etc. specifically the years aroudn 600 - 1400, with an extra sidestep on the Battle of Maldon just to see what we know, and how what we know has been rendered in those verses, and ultimately rendered by Tolkien. But the whole period under study is fascinating, and fascinatingly misunderstood.)

I did my senior thesis (BA History, ASU) on the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204... the one made famous, or rather infamous, because of its detour to sack Constantinople, which was still a Christian city in Byzantium)
I was able to find copies of the original documents issued by Pope Innocent III authorizing the Crusade, but also delineating its scope (found them in a monastery in Indiana and had them send me copies...this was pre-internet).
I wanted to read what the Pope was allowing (and not allowing) in the original language (Latin) so there would no question in my mind of what the Crusade was actually permitted to do. What I DIDN'T want to read was someone else's interpretation of the document which also would have already been translated into English.
. . . . . . . .

To appreciate how important it can be to read a literary work in it's original language, let me use the example of the Catholic Church's current teaching on the Death Penalty. Everything you read / hear about it says Francis has absolutely forbidden it, made it impermissible in all cases.
The media typically getting things like that wrong I looked up the official statement put out by Rome, the official one being in Latin and the one used in the Catechism (albeit in English). And having 4 years of Latin at university I felt pretty confident in being able to understand the original teaching.
And--no surprise ---it doesn't quite say what the media and most people think it says**.

** I post this NOT to get into a discussion of the Death Penalty. I post this as an example of how a translation can miss a nuance or even introduce errors.
That is why it is desirable to read something in its original language if that is possible.

 

[Ent]

** I post this NOT to get into a discussion of the Death Penalty. I post this as an example of how a translation can miss a nuance or even introduce errors.
That is why it is desirable to read something in its original language if that is possible.

And if it's NOT possible to read and understand in the original, to be very diligent in seeking out those who can, and many alternative sources.
We must not err in thinking we're 'researching' when our source base is limited in any possible way.

 

[Deimos]

Reading:
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrrell by Susanna Clarke
also
Apologia pro Vita Sua by John Henry Newman

 

[Ugluk]

Just finished The left hand of darkness (LeGuin, and one of my favourite novels that I had not re-read for years) and have just started The demolished man (Bester) for the first time, and enjoying it.