Books

[Nearly Sane]

On a lighter note, read Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, great fun if a little busy plotwise. Clever idea.

Apparently Spielberg has bought up the rights so spent some time thinking about the casting of the main characters who are all over 75. 

[Nearly Sane]

Just bought this biography of the great but flawed John Martyn - looking forward to reading it

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/12/small-hours-the-long-night-of-john-martyn-by-graeme-thomson-review

[Anchorman]

 Started reading "The Silmarillion" - yet again, then onto LOTR for the umpteenth time. On a serious note, I'm also going through Aidan Dodson's latest work, "Nefertiti, queen of Egypt", which is afollow on to his two excellent Amarna books "Sunrise" and "Sunset". I was looking for a book on a specific Egyptian topic the other day and ransacked my shelves....I now have a horrifying 179 books on all things AE ....and that's after giving five boxes of them to a local Library in February.......

[SteveH]

Currently reading 'Darwin', a biography by Adrian Desmond and James Moore, and have decided to collect all four of his books that are available from the Folio Society. They aren't cheap (£50 new), but are very handsome. I've got 'The Voyage of HMS Beagle' on the way from AbeBooks (because it isn't currently in print), and have just ordered 'On the Origin of Species' from Folio, so I've now got 'The Descent of Man' and 'The expression of the Emotions...' to go. I read 'Origin' a few years ago, in an ordinary edition I've got which also contains 'Voyage', but I love Folio books, and have before now bought their version of something I've got in an ordinary version (usually second-hand, which is a lot cheaper).
When I searched on AbeBooks for 'Voyage', as well as the recently-published Darwin version, it came up with a Folio version of Captain FitzRoy's account, published in 1977, so I ordered that as well, as they seemed a natural selection. That arrived yesterday. I'm now waiting for 'Voyage', from another Abe Books seller, and 'Origin' from Folio. When I've got all four, I will read them all (including 'Origin' again) in succession.
The second edition, 1979. of the Folio FitzRoy account, which arrived yesterday.
The Folio 'Origin', which I've just ordered. Photo from Folio's website.

[Nearly Sane]

Because of the Book Link thread I was reminded of the book Flanagan's Run which I had a copy of many years ago. Going to Amazon, there is no Kindle edition and a paperback reprint from 2014 but it's 77 quid (see link). I see this with books I want to rebuy every few months but just cannot get my head round why this happens.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flanagans-Run-Publisher-Sandstone-Paperback/dp/B00SLVXZ7K/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Flanagan%27s+run&qid=1618565560&sr=8-3

[Udayana]

Because of the Book Link thread I was reminded of the book Flanagan's Run which I had a copy of many years ago. Going to Amazon, there is no Kindle edition and a paperback reprint from 2014 but it's 77 quid (see link). I see this with books I want to rebuy every few months but just cannot get my head round why this happens.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flanagans-Run-Publisher-Sandstone-Paperback/dp/B00SLVXZ7K/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Flanagan%27s+run&qid=1618565560&sr=8-3

Crap Amazon software ... try a seller on Abebooks directly? Used from 73p +pp (WorldOfBooks):

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&kn=Flanagan%27s+Run+tom+mcnab&n=200000169

[Nearly Sane]

Crap Amazon software ... try a seller on Abebooks directly? Used from 73p +pp (World Books):

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&kn=Flanagan%27s+Run+tom+mcnab&n=200000169

It's the why the crap software, I can't get my head arpund.

[Udayana]

It's the why the crap software, I can't get my head arpund.

Algorithmic pricing, used by Amazon and often by the sellers. Quite often the seller does not even have a copy of the book. 

[Nearly Sane]

Algorithmic pricing, used by Amazon and often by the sellers. Quite often the seller does not even have a copy of the book.

Surely this just reduces sales?

[SteveH]

Bought today, from Jordans Antiques, Hemel Hempstead, to add to my Folio Society collection. I might even get round to reading them one day.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVnRq6H

[SteveH]

This arrived yesterday, from the Oxfam bookshop, Wanstead (London) - a facsimile Shakespeare first folio. It cost me nearly £75 (including the courier charge), but it's worth every penny: in fact, I think I may have got a bargain, as it is in pretty much as-new condition.
I owned a FFF once before - I bought it from a second-hand bookshop in St Albans about 20 years ago. it was reduced in size by 20%, and was published in the 50s. A few years ago, I gave it to my niece, who is an actress. This one is full-size, and is consequently ENORMOUS - 14 1/4" x 9 3/4". It is from various first folios in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, which contains by far the world's largest collection of FFs: 82, of 235 known survivors.
The odd thing about the first folio is that, although copies go for seven-figure sums on the rare occasions that they come on to the market, they are not rare - 235 copies of an early 17th-century book is quite a lot - and neither is it a particularly outstanding example of the printer's craft, nor the Droeshout engraving of the engraver's art. It is valuable for its supreme importance: without it, we might have lost a number of WS''s most important plays, including Macbeth and Measure for Measure, which first appeared in it.
Sorry the photos are a bit blurry - I think the camera lens may have been dirty. I'll clean it up and take some more.
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzEf1M

[jeremyp]

The odd thing about the first folio is that, although copies go for seven-figure sums on the rare occasions that they come on to the market, they are not rare - 235 copies of an early 17th-century book is quite a lot - and neither is it a particularly outstanding example of the printer's craft, nor the Droeshout engraving of the engraver's art.

I don't think it's odd at all. After all there can't be many books that practically everybody with an interest in literature wants to own.

It is valuable for its supreme importance: without it, we might have lost a number of WS''s most important plays, including Macbeth and Measure for Measure, which first appeared in it.

Don't let Anchorman hear you say things like that about Macbeth. He can't quite get his head around the fact that it is fiction.

[Nearly Sane]

I
Don't let Anchorman hear you say things like that about Macbeth. He can't quite get his head around the fact that it is fiction.

One of my favourite fictions of all time, and for me, Shakespeare's best play.

[Anchorman]

One of my favourite fictions of all time, and for me, Shakespeare's best play.

   



I prefer Dorothy Dunnet's 'King Hereafter'; equally fiction, but with a rather interesting twist regarding Macbeth's identity.

[Aruntraveller]

On a lighter note, read Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, great fun if a little busy plotwise. Clever idea.

I read this. Also enjoyed it, but you are right a bit too much going on.

I've read a similar style book by Robert Thorogood (best known as the creator of "Death in Paradise") called "The Marlow Murder Club" which again features an older central character. To my mind, it is the more satisfying of the two books precisely because it isn't quite as busy & convoluted. And the whisky-drinking, 77-year-old female busybody is my kind of detective. Also great fun. Except for the murders obviously.

[Udayana]

The Enid Blyton thread started me thinking about my reading recently .. over the last few years I have read only factual books - no fiction - not deliberately, just felt that needed to understand more physics, economics, history, psychology and so on

But in the past I have enjoyed a huge range of fiction and now I felt inclined to pick up a novel - my inclination was to reread Solzhenitsyn - Cancer Ward or First Circle say, but not wanting to restrict my reading decided to pick a book at random from my bookshelf - ended up picking nunquam (L Durrell), that I have started (can't remember reading it before - though I must have).

Does anyone belong to a reading club/group - are there online groups? It might be worthwhile reading books at a similar pace, with others - and discussing as you go along?
   

[Nearly Sane]

I read fiction when I'm on a proper holiday. Tends to fairly light crime. And it's usually 1 fiction, 1 non fiction. So my weekend in Barcelona last week, I read Playmates by Robert B Parker (I've been rereading his Spenser books), Mary Beard's Twelve Caesars - which I found very interesting, and relevant about representations of the Caesars given the Queen's death, The Art of Dying - Ambrose Parry (penname of Christopher Brookmyre, a long term favourite, and his wife Dr Marisa Haetzman), A Cry From the Far Middle - collection of the last columns and articles by P J O'Rourke,  and Scottish Widows a series of monologues by Grae Cleugh, an old friend, very influenced here by Alan Bennett.


I'm always a bit dubious about reading clubs, not entirely sure why. I think we discussed the possibility of one on here once. Not sure we have the critical mass for it now.

[Udayana]

I read fiction when I'm on a proper holiday. Tends to fairly light crime. And it's usually 1 fiction, 1 non fiction. So my weekend in Barcelona last week, I read Playmates by Robert B Parker (I've been rereading his Spenser books), Mary Beard's Twelve Caesars - which I found very interesting, and relevant about representations of the Caesars given the Queen's death, The Art of Dying - Ambrose Parry (penname of Christopher Brookmyre, a long term favourite, and his wife Dr Marisa Haetzman), A Cry From the Far Middle - collection of the last columns and articles by P J O'Rourke,  and Scottish Widows a series of monologues by Grae Cleugh, an old friend, very influenced here by Alan Bennett.


I'm always a bit dubious about reading clubs, not entirely sure why. I think we discussed the possibility of one on here once. Not sure we have the critical mass for it now.

Tried to reply on my tablet .. had to give up after too many errors and interruptions.. .will reply when home.

[Udayana]

Quote from nunquam - the 1970 Durrell book:

"Has anyone seen Johnson lately? I wonder where he's gone. I last heard he'd been locked up in Virginia Water for making love to a tree."

Durrell, his protagonist and the story are all quite mad.

[Nearly Sane]

Tried to reply on my tablet .. had to give up after too many errors and interruptions.. .will reply when home.

hurrah

[Dicky Underpants]

That is a great one

Certainly is.

[Dicky Underpants]

Quote from nunquam - the 1970 Durrell book:

"Has anyone seen Johnson lately? I wonder where he's gone. I last heard he'd been locked up in Virginia Water for making love to a tree."

Durrell, his protagonist and the story are all quite mad.

I remember a quote from that (or maybe Tunc), which is appropriate for a 'religious' forum:

"One God distorted neophyte
Cut off his cods to see the light.
Now, though the impulse does not die,
he greets erections with a sigh"

[Dicky Underpants]

Have read a lot of thrillers and crime fiction over the last few years: Lisa Jewell, Erin Kelly - that sort of thing. Very fond of Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks books, partly because of all the musical references.
On a philosophical tak, I've started reading John Gray again. Just finished Black Mass, and have ordered Heresies and Seven Kinds of Atheism.
I have to say his 'anti-progress' outlook does seem more and more relevant in the present world situation. Though NS has said here that his views are not at all consistent.

[Udayana]

I read fiction when I'm on a proper holiday. Tends to fairly light crime. And it's usually 1 fiction, 1 non fiction. So my weekend in Barcelona last week, I read Playmates by Robert B Parker (I've been rereading his Spenser books), Mary Beard's Twelve Caesars - which I found very interesting, and relevant about representations of the Caesars given the Queen's death, The Art of Dying - Ambrose Parry (penname of Christopher Brookmyre, a long term favourite, and his wife Dr Marisa Haetzman), A Cry From the Far Middle - collection of the last columns and articles by P J O'Rourke,  and Scottish Widows a series of monologues by Grae Cleugh, an old friend, very influenced here by Alan Bennett.

I'm always a bit dubious about reading clubs, not entirely sure why. I think we discussed the possibility of one on here once. Not sure we have the critical mass for it now.

That is a lot of reading! I just can't keep up with my own list these days. Having books on an tablet does help a lot though. Beard's, Twelve Caesars is on my list but I will probably never get round to it (as I never managed to get to SPQR). 

[Udayana]

I remember a quote from that (or maybe Tunc), which is appropriate for a 'religious' forum:

"One God distorted neophyte
Cut off his cods to see the light.
Now, though the impulse does not die,
he greets erections with a sigh"

That is from Tunc. Both books have sexual mutilation and exploitation, both physical and psychological, as a running theme. *

Somewhat regretting sticking to to my random choice even though Tunc was right next to it on the shelf - re-reading it first would have made nunquam much easier going.

*The description of the search for the cure for Koro (or "Shook Yong") is quite amusing.