Currently Reading (Take 2) — Page 37

I'm looking forward to starting Franzen's Purity tonight. Say what you will about his personality -- he's one of the best writers alive.

Anyone else reading anything good these days?

Finally finished In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower. Beautiful stuff, though I miss Lydia Davis's translation skills.

Care to share some of your favorites? I'd love some recommendations.

Haven't read In Cold Blood, but I've seen the movie,

You have excellent taste, so I still really would like to know.

And I haven't read a single Jane Austen novel yet.

I'll be reading Persuasion for my AP Lit class this year. I'll have that be my introduction to her works, then I will certainly read Pride and Prejudice.

I've never been able to get past the first couple pages of anything by Jane Austen -- there, I said it. Dickens, Trollope, Tolstoy all read like the wind compared to the crushing agony of a couple paragraphs by Aunt Jane. Interesting, because there are films based on Austen that I like a great deal -- it's just that I find her writing simply unbearable.

Updated On: 9/2/15 at 09:00 AM

Reginald, yeah, I know we've had that chat. I liked Ang Lee's SENSE AND SENSIBILITY a good deal, and Joe Wright's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE even more. But those damned books, my God. There's just no way. And I've tried, believe me -- every few years I pick up P&P and put it right the hell back down. And that PERSUASION thing, hoo boy.

We'll see how I do with Franzen's PURITY. I seem to have really enjoyed THE CORRECTIONS but now I have next to no memory of it, and I found his novel FREEDOM to be just not all that interesting.

My Reading Plan for 2015 is to only read books I haven't read before, or in some cases have only started and never finished.

Updated On: 9/2/15 at 10:43 AM

Currently reading Carol by Patricia Highsmith, in anticipation of the upcoming Cate Blanchett movie. Also known as The Price Of Salt. I made the mistake of reading the introduction which more or less gave away the ending, though it's not her usual style of suspense/thriller so maybe it doesn't matter so much.

Just finished Longbourne- the servants in P & P stories. At 1st I was a little TO'd at the very socialistic tone @ the beginning, but got into the story more when we got into the "stink" for lack of better word of people's lives, how hard the servants worked to keep the perfect existance of the upper class. Nicely writtten, does not ry to be a pastiche of P & P, more of a different perspective.

Mister Matt said: "Silver Shoes sounds quite interesting. I'm planning on starting Was next week by Geoff Ryman. Anyone have any thoughts on it?"

I read Was a million years ago because I love all that is Wizard of Oz. It's an interesting take on the characters' backgrounds, but it's so dense. If you like a ton of description down to the teeniest detail of something arbitrary like a door knocker-you'll love it.

Oops. I just realized this is a super long thread and this entry was way old. Don't come to this forum much... So forget it. I'm not currently reading anything. Just started back to school. Hopefully I'll start something when things settle in. It's a little hectic right now.

Updated On: 9/2/15 at 09:38 PM

I'm currently re-reading Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton and will read Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, before I see the adaptation next month. History can be kewl at times.

The Chernow is on my nightstand (along with dozen others, but it's on top).