doc benway Posted December 7, 2024 I'm in a bit of a reading frenzy lately, mostly fiction. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami was very sweet and well written, his only foray into "normal" fiction, nothing surreal or fantastical just a Murakami style love story. Erasure by Percival Everett was interesting. It was the inspiration for the film American Fiction. The book within the book was a bit of a sickening slog, by design, and almost put me off but I'm glad I finished it. The ending was perfect. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr was an engaging and clever story about a story and how it stretches across millennia, impacting the lives of multiple characters. The Vegetarian by Han Kang was unique and unpredictable, she won the Nobel in Literature this year - highly recommended. In the middle of listening to Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kamerer right now - beautiful book of indigenous and botanical wisdom. It's nice to hear it narrated by the author, it gives a feeling of intimacy which works well with the subject matter. Also in the middle of Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor - a brutally poetic, stream of consciousness tale about the death of a bruja in a fictional, impoverished town in Veracruz, Mexico told from 4 different perspectives. Reminiscent of Rashomon by way of Faulkner or Joyce. Nearly at the end of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, the slow read that began on 1/1/24 - a chapter a day for a year. It's been a wonderful experience overall though the book certainly has its ups and downs. The repetitive, pedantic criticism of historians gets a little tiresome but Tolstoy's craft is undeniably brilliant. I only wish I could read the original Russian. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc benway Posted December 18, 2024 I decided not to finish Hurricane Season, I've learned that life is too short to read books I'm not enjoying. Currently in the middle of There, There by Tommy Orange and really impressed by his writing. I would like to read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Burgakov. I cannot read Russian and trying to decide which English translation to buy. Leaning towards the one by Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O'Connor. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Darius the Clairvoyent Posted December 21, 2024 Read the alchemist as a child, enjoyed it. Planing on reading it again, an see if I can get a deeper understanding Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc benway Posted December 30, 2024 Finished the last chapter of War and Peace today after a year long slow read hosted on Substack by Simon Haisell with Footnoteds and Tangents, recommended by @liminal_luke. Thanks Luke! It was a wonderful experience and will be starting again (for the final time) on January 1, 2025. I liked it so much that I will be doing one or two slow reads in the coming year (thinking about The Divine Comedy and possibly adding Homer - The Iliad and The Odyssey). Just started reading James by Percival Everett, a retelling of Twain's Huck Finn through the eyes of Jim. I loved his book Erasure which was made into the film American Fiction. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith108 Posted December 30, 2024 My books live in my kindle, which I use on my iPad, which gets charged on my nightstand. Relevant to this forum, I've been re-reading Yang JW's book translation and commentary on the Dao De Jing, in which he also interprets with a Qigong viewpoint. Up to chapter 45 now; enjoying the read. _/|\_ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
