READIN

Wednesday, June 25th, 2003

It often seemed to her that if she knew exactly what her financial position was down to the last three farthings, ... she would not have the courage to carry on for another day.

Penelope Fitzgerald, The Book Shop

The book is engrossing and funny. Very warm, sympathetic characterization of Mrs. Green and of Christine. The other characters seem thus far (halfway) mainly foils to Mrs. Green.

posted morning of June 25th, 2003: Respond
➳ More posts about The Book Shop

Tuesday, June 24th, 2003

Kieran Healy has a post up now looking for reading recommendations; and the Invisible Adjunct recommended to him the work of Penelope Fitzgerald, in language ("a rare combination of irony plus compassion") that made it sound too good to pass up. So this afternoon, I stopped in at Coliseum books and after looking over her œuvre, settled on The Book Shop as a good intro. I read the first 2 ½ chapters on the train coming home and I'm hooked.

posted evening of June 24th, 2003: Respond
➳ More posts about Penelope Fitzgerald

On-the-train reading today is 60 Stories by Donald Barthelme. I found this book last fall in the train station, where somebody had left a box full of old paperbacks. The stories are great -- well about a quarter of them seem to be what John Updike would have written if he had been into experimental prose, not quite my cup of tea -- and about a quarter are just too wordy for me to find a foothole -- but the remaining half are excellent, and moving, and funny. And the occasional odd phrase that makes me grin for a few minutes.

posted morning of June 24th, 2003: Respond
➳ More posts about 60 Stories

Thursday, June 12th, 2003

More Chandler on the train this morning -- his prose is so comfortable, reading it feels like swimming in a warm pool. The funny Hollywood idiom sounds totally natural in Marlowe's narration. (And I have no idea whether anyone ever actually talked that way!)

posted morning of June 12th, 2003: Respond
➳ More posts about The Little Sister

Wednesday, June 11th, 2003

I'm reading Raymond Chandler's The Little Sister now and loving it -- I had forgotten how much fun his prose is.

posted afternoon of June 11th, 2003: Respond
➳ More posts about Raymond Chandler

Thursday, May 15th, 2003

Further along in Killing Time -- it seems like the best way to read it is quickly. The story is really engaging, I just get bogged down if I try to process the absurdly pretentious prose. Seems like nearly every page contains a howler passage of over-constructed, useless language -- I'm just ignoring these as much as I can and reading for the action.

posted morning of May 15th, 2003: Respond
➳ More posts about Killing Time

Tuesday, May 13th, 2003

I've been reading Killing Time by Caleb Carr, which Janice lent me, and having a problem with it which I have had wih other science fiction -- it seems like a really good kernel of a story, but told terribly. The characters are flat, the dialogue and interactions not believable, every incident is preceded and followed by reams of exposition. I am giving the book some more of a chance because I trust Janice's word (and also Gary's, who recommended The Alienist a few years back) -- and also because the story-line is quite gripping.

posted evening of May 13th, 2003: Respond
➳ More posts about Caleb Carr