Labfs39 wanders the world of words in 2022 (pt. 4)
Esto es una continuación del tema Labfs39 wanders the world of words in 2022 (pt. 3).
Este tema fue continuado por Labfs39 wanders the world of words in 2022 (pt. 5).
CharlasClub Read 2022
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2labfs39
Books read in 2022:
January
1. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı (GNF, 4.5*)
2. Miyazaki's Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, translated from the Japanese (TGN, 3.5*)
3. Snow by Orhan Pamuk, translated from the Turkish by Maureen Freely (TF, 3*)
4. I have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson (NF, 4.5*)
5. The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (F, 3.5*)
6. A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw (F, 2.5*)
7. Hyperbole and a half : unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, mayhem, and other things that happened by Allie Brosh (GNF, 4*)
8. Twenty Stories by Turkish Women Writers translated by Nilüfer Mizanoğlu Reddy (TF, 3.5*)
9. In. by Will McPhail (GNF, 4*)
February
10. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (F, 4*)
11. Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman (GNF, 4.5*)
12. Second Generation: Things I Didn't Tell My Father by Michel Kichka, translated from the French by Montana Kane (TGNF, 4.5*)
13. I Will Never See the World Again by Ahmet Altan, translated from the Turkish by Yasemin Çongar (TNF, 5*)
14. Jerusalem: A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi (GN, 3.5*)
15. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (F, 3*)
16. Palestine by Joe Sacco (GNF, 4*)
March
17. The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction by Martin Bunton (NF, T16, 4*)
18. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (F, T9, 4.5*)
19. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (F, T12, 3*)
20. The Property by Rutu Modan, translated from the Hebrew by Jessica Cohen (TGN, T3, 4*)
21. A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T11, 4*)
22. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine (F, T17, 4.5*)
23. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (GN, T16, 4*)
24. Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab World by Elsa Marston (YA, T6, 3.5*)
April
25. Passport by Sophia Glock (GN, T10, 3.5*)
26. In this Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T1, 3*)
27. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (NF, T14, 3.5*)
28. The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, translated from the Persian by Tom Patterdale (TF, T17, 4.5*)
29. They Called Us Enemy: the Expanded Edition by George Takei (GNF, T15, 4*)
30. My grandmother's braid by Alina Bronsky, translated from the German by Tim Mohr (TF, T3, 4*)
__ The Caiman by by María Eugenia Manrique, illustrated by Ramón París, and translated by Amy Brill (Kids, T11, 3.5*)
January
1. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı (GNF, 4.5*)
2. Miyazaki's Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, translated from the Japanese (TGN, 3.5*)
3. Snow by Orhan Pamuk, translated from the Turkish by Maureen Freely (TF, 3*)
4. I have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson (NF, 4.5*)
5. The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (F, 3.5*)
6. A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw (F, 2.5*)
7. Hyperbole and a half : unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, mayhem, and other things that happened by Allie Brosh (GNF, 4*)
8. Twenty Stories by Turkish Women Writers translated by Nilüfer Mizanoğlu Reddy (TF, 3.5*)
9. In. by Will McPhail (GNF, 4*)
February
10. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (F, 4*)
11. Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman (GNF, 4.5*)
12. Second Generation: Things I Didn't Tell My Father by Michel Kichka, translated from the French by Montana Kane (TGNF, 4.5*)
13. I Will Never See the World Again by Ahmet Altan, translated from the Turkish by Yasemin Çongar (TNF, 5*)
14. Jerusalem: A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi (GN, 3.5*)
15. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (F, 3*)
16. Palestine by Joe Sacco (GNF, 4*)
March
17. The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction by Martin Bunton (NF, T16, 4*)
18. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (F, T9, 4.5*)
19. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (F, T12, 3*)
20. The Property by Rutu Modan, translated from the Hebrew by Jessica Cohen (TGN, T3, 4*)
21. A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T11, 4*)
22. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine (F, T17, 4.5*)
23. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (GN, T16, 4*)
24. Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab World by Elsa Marston (YA, T6, 3.5*)
April
25. Passport by Sophia Glock (GN, T10, 3.5*)
26. In this Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T1, 3*)
27. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (NF, T14, 3.5*)
28. The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, translated from the Persian by Tom Patterdale (TF, T17, 4.5*)
29. They Called Us Enemy: the Expanded Edition by George Takei (GNF, T15, 4*)
30. My grandmother's braid by Alina Bronsky, translated from the German by Tim Mohr (TF, T3, 4*)
__ The Caiman by by María Eugenia Manrique, illustrated by Ramón París, and translated by Amy Brill (Kids, T11, 3.5*)
3labfs39
Books read in 2022:
May
31. Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between by Laila El-Haddad (NF, 3.5*)
__999 Tadpoles by Ken Kimura, illustrations by Yasunari Murakami, translated from the Japanese (Kids, 4.5*)
32. The Bad Immigrant by Sefi Atta (F, T3, 4.5*)
33. The Corpse Washer by Sinan Antoon, translated from the Arabic by the author (TF, T9, 4*)
34. Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T3, 4*)
35. To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T7, 3.5*)
36. The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear (F, 3.5*)
37. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (F, T3, 4.5*)
38. The patience stone: sang-e saboor by Atiq Rahimi, translated from the French by Polly McLean (F, T13, 3.5*)
39. Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach (NF, T6, 4*)
40. The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T3, 3*)
41. The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra, translated from the French by John Cullen (TF, 3*)
June
42. A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T13, 3*)
43. A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear by Atiq Rahimi, translated from the Dari by Sarah Maguire and Yama Yari (TF, T17, 3*)
44. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, translated from the Swedish by Neil Smith (TF, T12, 4.5*)
45. Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi, translated from the Dari by Erdağ M. Göknar (TF, T12, 4*)
46. The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard (F, T4, 3*)
July
47. Celestine by Kevin St. Jarre (F, T16, 4*)
48. Daughters of the Occupation by Shelly Sanders (F, T10, 3*)
49. A Visit to Moscow by Anna Olswanger, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg (GN, T17, 4*)
50. Monastery by Eduardo Halfon, translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman and Daniel Hahn (TF, T3, 3.5*)
51. Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather by Gao Xingjian, translated from the Chinese by Mabel Lee (TF, T9, 3*)
52. Born a crime: stories from a South African childhood by Trevor Noah (NF, T7, 4.5*)
August
53. Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata, translated from the Japanese by Edward G. Seidensticker (TF, T13, 3.5*)
54. The Crazy Iris and Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath edited by Kenzaburō Ōe (TF, T18, 4*)
55. A Riot of Goldfish by Kanoko Okamoto, translated from the Japanese by J. Keith Vincent (TF, T5, 3*) Note: I only read the first of two stories.
56. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami, translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel (TF, T4, 4.5*)
57. The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura, translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters Carpenter (TF, T14, 3.5*)
58. Moon in Full: A Modern-Day Coming-of-Age Story by Marpheen Chann (NF, T2, 4.5*)
May
31. Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between by Laila El-Haddad (NF, 3.5*)
__999 Tadpoles by Ken Kimura, illustrations by Yasunari Murakami, translated from the Japanese (Kids, 4.5*)
32. The Bad Immigrant by Sefi Atta (F, T3, 4.5*)
33. The Corpse Washer by Sinan Antoon, translated from the Arabic by the author (TF, T9, 4*)
34. Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T3, 4*)
35. To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T7, 3.5*)
36. The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear (F, 3.5*)
37. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (F, T3, 4.5*)
38. The patience stone: sang-e saboor by Atiq Rahimi, translated from the French by Polly McLean (F, T13, 3.5*)
39. Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach (NF, T6, 4*)
40. The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T3, 3*)
41. The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra, translated from the French by John Cullen (TF, 3*)
June
42. A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear (F, T13, 3*)
43. A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear by Atiq Rahimi, translated from the Dari by Sarah Maguire and Yama Yari (TF, T17, 3*)
44. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, translated from the Swedish by Neil Smith (TF, T12, 4.5*)
45. Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi, translated from the Dari by Erdağ M. Göknar (TF, T12, 4*)
46. The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard (F, T4, 3*)
July
47. Celestine by Kevin St. Jarre (F, T16, 4*)
48. Daughters of the Occupation by Shelly Sanders (F, T10, 3*)
49. A Visit to Moscow by Anna Olswanger, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg (GN, T17, 4*)
50. Monastery by Eduardo Halfon, translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman and Daniel Hahn (TF, T3, 3.5*)
51. Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather by Gao Xingjian, translated from the Chinese by Mabel Lee (TF, T9, 3*)
52. Born a crime: stories from a South African childhood by Trevor Noah (NF, T7, 4.5*)
August
53. Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata, translated from the Japanese by Edward G. Seidensticker (TF, T13, 3.5*)
54. The Crazy Iris and Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath edited by Kenzaburō Ōe (TF, T18, 4*)
55. A Riot of Goldfish by Kanoko Okamoto, translated from the Japanese by J. Keith Vincent (TF, T5, 3*) Note: I only read the first of two stories.
56. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami, translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel (TF, T4, 4.5*)
57. The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura, translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters Carpenter (TF, T14, 3.5*)
58. Moon in Full: A Modern-Day Coming-of-Age Story by Marpheen Chann (NF, T2, 4.5*)
4labfs39
Books read in 2022:
September:
59. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated from the Korean by Janet Hong (TF, T11, 4*)
60. Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin, translated from the Korean by Chi-young Kim (TF, T11, 3.5*)
61. The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated from the Korean by Janet Hong (TF, T11, 3.5*)
62. Tara Bulba by Nikolai Gogol, translated from the Russian by Peter Constantine (TF, T16, 3.5*)
63. Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel by Ruta Sepetys, adapted by Andrew Donkin, art by Dave Kopka (GN, T13, 3.5*)
64. By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño, translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews (TF, T8, 4*)
65. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot (TF, T9, 3.5*)
66. Canción by Eduardo Halfon, translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman and Danial Hahn (TF, T17, 4*)
October:
67. Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong translated from the Vietnamese by Phan Huy Duong and Nina McPherson (TF, T12, 4*)
68. The Blue Sky by Galsang Tschinag, translated from the German by Katharina Rout (TF, T3, 4.5*)
69. The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein (NF, T13, 4*)
70. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva (F, T2, 2.5*)
71. From the Land of Green Ghosts by Pascal Khoo Thwe (NF, T11, 4*)
September:
59. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated from the Korean by Janet Hong (TF, T11, 4*)
60. Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin, translated from the Korean by Chi-young Kim (TF, T11, 3.5*)
61. The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated from the Korean by Janet Hong (TF, T11, 3.5*)
62. Tara Bulba by Nikolai Gogol, translated from the Russian by Peter Constantine (TF, T16, 3.5*)
63. Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel by Ruta Sepetys, adapted by Andrew Donkin, art by Dave Kopka (GN, T13, 3.5*)
64. By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño, translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews (TF, T8, 4*)
65. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot (TF, T9, 3.5*)
66. Canción by Eduardo Halfon, translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman and Danial Hahn (TF, T17, 4*)
October:
67. Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong translated from the Vietnamese by Phan Huy Duong and Nina McPherson (TF, T12, 4*)
68. The Blue Sky by Galsang Tschinag, translated from the German by Katharina Rout (TF, T3, 4.5*)
69. The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein (NF, T13, 4*)
70. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva (F, T2, 2.5*)
71. From the Land of Green Ghosts by Pascal Khoo Thwe (NF, T11, 4*)
5labfs39
Reading Globally
Books I've read in 2022 by nationality of author (a tricky business):
Afghani: 3
Algerian: 1
American: 12
Australian: 1
Belgian Israeli: 1
Burmese: 1
Cambodian American: 1
Canadian: 2
Chilean: 1
Chinese: 1
Chinese American: 1
English: 8
German (Russian): 1
Guatemalan: 2
Indian: 1
Iranian: 2
Iraqi: 1
Israeli: 2
Japanese: 7
Japanese American: 1
Korean: 3
Lebanese: 1
Maltese American: 1
Mongolian (Tuvan): 1
Nigerian American: 1
Pakistani: 1
Palestinian: 1
Russian: 1
Scottish (English): 2
Slovakian: 1
South African: 1
Swedish: 1
Turkish: 5
Vietnamese: 1
Check out my Global Challenge thread, labfs39 reads around the world, for a look at a cumulative list since around 2010. And I've broken out the US by state in my Labfs39 tackles the states thread.
Books I've read in 2022 by nationality of author (a tricky business):
Afghani: 3
Algerian: 1
American: 12
Australian: 1
Belgian Israeli: 1
Burmese: 1
Cambodian American: 1
Canadian: 2
Chilean: 1
Chinese: 1
Chinese American: 1
English: 8
German (Russian): 1
Guatemalan: 2
Indian: 1
Iranian: 2
Iraqi: 1
Israeli: 2
Japanese: 7
Japanese American: 1
Korean: 3
Lebanese: 1
Maltese American: 1
Mongolian (Tuvan): 1
Nigerian American: 1
Pakistani: 1
Palestinian: 1
Russian: 1
Scottish (English): 2
Slovakian: 1
South African: 1
Swedish: 1
Turkish: 5
Vietnamese: 1
Check out my Global Challenge thread, labfs39 reads around the world, for a look at a cumulative list since around 2010. And I've broken out the US by state in my Labfs39 tackles the states thread.
6labfs39
Asian Book Challenge
January: Turkey
1. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı
2. Snow by Orhan Pamuk
3. The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
4. Twenty Stories by Turkish Women Writers
5. I Will Never See the World Again by Ahmet Altan
February: Israel & Palestine
1. Jerusalem: A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin
2. The Property by Rutu Modan
3. Gaza Mom by Laila El-Haddad
Also: Palestine by Joe Sacco
The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict by Martin Bunton
March: Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait
1. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine (Lebanon)
2. The Corpse Washer by Sinan Antoon (Iraq)
Also: Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab World by Elsa Marston (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon)
April: Iran
1. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
2. The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi
May: the Stans
1. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan)
2. The patience stone: sang-e saboor by Atiq Rahimi (Afghanistan)
3. A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear by Atiq Rahimi (Afghanistan)
4. Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi (Afghanistan)
Also: The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra
June: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
1. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (India)
2. "Nosh Daru" by Naiyer Masud (India)
July: China
1. Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather by Gao Xingjian
August: Japan
1. Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
2. The Crazy Iris and Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath edited by Kenzaburō Ōe
3. A Riot of Goldfish by Kanoko Okamoto
4. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
5. The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura
6. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
September: Korea
1. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
2. Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin
3. The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
October: Mongolia, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand
1. Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong (Vietnam)
2. The Blue Sky by Galsang Tschinag (Mongolia)
3. From the Land of Green Ghosts by Pascal Khoo Thwe (Burma/Myanmar)
November: Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia
December: The Asian Diaspora
January: Turkey
1. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı
2. Snow by Orhan Pamuk
3. The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
4. Twenty Stories by Turkish Women Writers
5. I Will Never See the World Again by Ahmet Altan
February: Israel & Palestine
1. Jerusalem: A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin
2. The Property by Rutu Modan
3. Gaza Mom by Laila El-Haddad
Also: Palestine by Joe Sacco
The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict by Martin Bunton
March: Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait
1. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine (Lebanon)
2. The Corpse Washer by Sinan Antoon (Iraq)
Also: Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab World by Elsa Marston (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon)
April: Iran
1. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
2. The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi
May: the Stans
1. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan)
2. The patience stone: sang-e saboor by Atiq Rahimi (Afghanistan)
3. A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear by Atiq Rahimi (Afghanistan)
4. Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi (Afghanistan)
Also: The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra
June: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
1. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (India)
2. "Nosh Daru" by Naiyer Masud (India)
July: China
1. Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather by Gao Xingjian
August: Japan
1. Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
2. The Crazy Iris and Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath edited by Kenzaburō Ōe
3. A Riot of Goldfish by Kanoko Okamoto
4. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
5. The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura
6. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
September: Korea
1. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
2. Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin
3. The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
October: Mongolia, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand
1. Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong (Vietnam)
2. The Blue Sky by Galsang Tschinag (Mongolia)
3. From the Land of Green Ghosts by Pascal Khoo Thwe (Burma/Myanmar)
November: Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia
December: The Asian Diaspora
7labfs39
Reading Globally Theme Reads
Jan - March 2022: Around the Indian Ocean
1. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (the Sundarbans, India/Bangladesh)
April - June: Outcasts and Castaways
1. My grandmother's braid by Alina Bronsky (Russian immigrants to Germany)
2. Gaza Mom by Laila El-Haddad (occupied Palestine)
3. The Bad Immigrant by Sefi Atta (Nigerian immigrant to US)
4. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
July - Sept: "When alphabets collide" - books written in the Slavic languages
1. Tara Bulba by Nikolai Gogol
Oct - Dec: Prize winners in their own language
Jan - March 2022: Around the Indian Ocean
1. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (the Sundarbans, India/Bangladesh)
April - June: Outcasts and Castaways
1. My grandmother's braid by Alina Bronsky (Russian immigrants to Germany)
2. Gaza Mom by Laila El-Haddad (occupied Palestine)
3. The Bad Immigrant by Sefi Atta (Nigerian immigrant to US)
4. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
July - Sept: "When alphabets collide" - books written in the Slavic languages
1. Tara Bulba by Nikolai Gogol
Oct - Dec: Prize winners in their own language
8labfs39
Graphic Novels
1. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı
2. Miyazaki's Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki
3. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
4. In. by Will McPhail
5. Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
6. Second Generation: Things I Didn't Tell My Father by Michel Kichka
7. Jerusalem: A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi
8. Palestine by Joe Sacco
9. The Property by Rutu Modan
10. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
11. Passport by Sophia Glock
12. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
13. A Visit to Moscow by Anna Olswanger, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg
14. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
15. The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
16. Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel by Ruta Sepetys, adapted by Andrew Donkin
1. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı
2. Miyazaki's Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki
3. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
4. In. by Will McPhail
5. Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
6. Second Generation: Things I Didn't Tell My Father by Michel Kichka
7. Jerusalem: A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi
8. Palestine by Joe Sacco
9. The Property by Rutu Modan
10. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
11. Passport by Sophia Glock
12. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
13. A Visit to Moscow by Anna Olswanger, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg
14. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
15. The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
16. Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel by Ruta Sepetys, adapted by Andrew Donkin
9labfs39
Remembering Rebeccanyc
Monica (Trifolia) has set up a thread challenging us to honor Rebecca/Sybil by collectively reading the books she had on her "Hope to Read Soon" list when she passed. It is a robust list of over 600 books. Of these I have read
8. Agus, Milena. From the Land of the Moon
13. Akpan, Uwem. Say You're One of Them
44. Beevor, Antony. Stalingrad
63. Bronsky, Alina. The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine
97. Chekhov, Anton. Sakhalin Island
138. Dennys, Joyce. Henrietta's War: News from the Home Front 1939-1942
144. Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities
179. Ferrante, Elena. My Brilliant Friend
186. Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary
216. Gogol, Nikolai. The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol
234. Gruša, Jiří. The Questionnaire, or Prayer for a Town & a Friend
235. Grushin, Olga. The Dream Life of Sukhanov
238. Gurnah, Abdulrazak. Paradise
245. Hašek, Jaroslav. The Good Soldier Švejk: and his fortunes in the world war
255. Hrabal, Bohumil. Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age
256. Hrabal, Bohumil. I Served the King of England
286. Khoury, Elias. White Masks
296. Knausgård, Karl Ove. My Struggle: Book 1: A Death in the Family
347. Marai, Sandor. Embers
364. Mendelsund, Peter. What We See When We Read: A Phenomenology
375. Mo Yan. The Garlic Ballads
420. Poulin, Jacques. Mister Blue
433. Redniss, Lauren. Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout
436. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front
469. Sansal, Boualem. The German Mujahid
483. Schulz, Bruno. The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories (The Complete Fiction of Bruno Schultz
485. Schwarz-Bart, André. The Last of the Just
506. Singer, Isaac Bashevis. Love and Exile: An Autobiographical Trilogy
508. Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
516. Solzhenitsyn, Alexander. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
518. Soskice, Janet Martin. The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels
587. Vaculík, Ludvík. The Guinea Pigs
612. Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence
613. Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth
621. Willis, Connie. Blackout
I have the following ones on my physical shelves:
79. Camus, Albert. The Stranger
190. Foster, Thomas C. How To Read Literature Like a Professor
215. Gogol, Nikolai. Taras Bulba
373. Miłosz, Czesław. The Captive Mind
388. Myśliwski, Wiesław. Stone upon Stone
409. Pavić, Milorad. Dictionary of the Khazars
455. Rufin, Jean-Christophe. The Abyssinian
462. Rytkhėu, Yuri. The Chukchi Bible
472. Saramago, José. The Stone Raft
493. Serge, Victor. Memoirs of a Revolutionary
553. Teffi. Memories: From Moscow to the Black Sea
576. Tsypkin, Leonid. Summer in Baden-Baden
577. Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
I will also track books I read that I have marked as recommendations from rebeccanyc, i.e. books she had already read and reviewed. There are 36 of them.
1. The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi (recommended by rebeccanyc)
2. Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol (read from my shelf, off her list)
Monica (Trifolia) has set up a thread challenging us to honor Rebecca/Sybil by collectively reading the books she had on her "Hope to Read Soon" list when she passed. It is a robust list of over 600 books. Of these I have read
8. Agus, Milena. From the Land of the Moon
13. Akpan, Uwem. Say You're One of Them
44. Beevor, Antony. Stalingrad
63. Bronsky, Alina. The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine
97. Chekhov, Anton. Sakhalin Island
138. Dennys, Joyce. Henrietta's War: News from the Home Front 1939-1942
144. Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities
179. Ferrante, Elena. My Brilliant Friend
186. Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary
216. Gogol, Nikolai. The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol
234. Gruša, Jiří. The Questionnaire, or Prayer for a Town & a Friend
235. Grushin, Olga. The Dream Life of Sukhanov
238. Gurnah, Abdulrazak. Paradise
245. Hašek, Jaroslav. The Good Soldier Švejk: and his fortunes in the world war
255. Hrabal, Bohumil. Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age
256. Hrabal, Bohumil. I Served the King of England
286. Khoury, Elias. White Masks
296. Knausgård, Karl Ove. My Struggle: Book 1: A Death in the Family
347. Marai, Sandor. Embers
364. Mendelsund, Peter. What We See When We Read: A Phenomenology
375. Mo Yan. The Garlic Ballads
420. Poulin, Jacques. Mister Blue
433. Redniss, Lauren. Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout
436. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front
469. Sansal, Boualem. The German Mujahid
483. Schulz, Bruno. The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories (The Complete Fiction of Bruno Schultz
485. Schwarz-Bart, André. The Last of the Just
506. Singer, Isaac Bashevis. Love and Exile: An Autobiographical Trilogy
508. Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
516. Solzhenitsyn, Alexander. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
518. Soskice, Janet Martin. The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels
587. Vaculík, Ludvík. The Guinea Pigs
612. Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence
613. Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth
621. Willis, Connie. Blackout
I have the following ones on my physical shelves:
79. Camus, Albert. The Stranger
190. Foster, Thomas C. How To Read Literature Like a Professor
373. Miłosz, Czesław. The Captive Mind
388. Myśliwski, Wiesław. Stone upon Stone
409. Pavić, Milorad. Dictionary of the Khazars
455. Rufin, Jean-Christophe. The Abyssinian
462. Rytkhėu, Yuri. The Chukchi Bible
472. Saramago, José. The Stone Raft
493. Serge, Victor. Memoirs of a Revolutionary
553. Teffi. Memories: From Moscow to the Black Sea
576. Tsypkin, Leonid. Summer in Baden-Baden
577. Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
I will also track books I read that I have marked as recommendations from rebeccanyc, i.e. books she had already read and reviewed. There are 36 of them.
1. The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi (recommended by rebeccanyc)
2. Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol (read from my shelf, off her list)
10labfs39
Book stats for 2022:
I am trying to promote diversity in my reading and, for the lack of a more refined method, am tracking the following:
books total: 71
32 countries
29 (41%) translations
53 (75%) fiction
18 (25%) nonfiction
32 (46%) by women
37 (54%) by men
2 both (anthology)
42 (61%) nonwhite and/or non-European/North American
I am trying to promote diversity in my reading and, for the lack of a more refined method, am tracking the following:
books total: 71
32 countries
29 (41%) translations
53 (75%) fiction
18 (25%) nonfiction
32 (46%) by women
37 (54%) by men
2 both (anthology)
42 (61%) nonwhite and/or non-European/North American
11labfs39
And I am now open for business!
Can you believe fall is just around the corner? The hot weather has broken, rain has greened the landscape again, and my favorite season is upon us. I have always loved autumn the best. Back to school, the leaves turning brilliant colors, crisp sunny days, and APPLES! After two years in Florida, I especially appreciate the changing seasons. Anyone else a fall fanatic?
Can you believe fall is just around the corner? The hot weather has broken, rain has greened the landscape again, and my favorite season is upon us. I have always loved autumn the best. Back to school, the leaves turning brilliant colors, crisp sunny days, and APPLES! After two years in Florida, I especially appreciate the changing seasons. Anyone else a fall fanatic?
12kidzdoc
Hi, Lisa! I love fall, especially the cool mornings, comfortable evenings, and the autumn foliage. OTOH, now that I'm the de facto owner of a home with plenty of trees I won't look forward to getting rid of all of the fallen leaves!
I look forward to your thoughts about Moon in Full.
I look forward to your thoughts about Moon in Full.
13rocketjk
Fall, yes! Around here (Mendocino County, CA, USA) we are getting ready for the annual Mendocino County Apple Fair, held at the fairgrounds in Boonville, the small town in which my wife and I reside. My wife will be entering her wonderful tomato sauce. A few years back she won Best in Division for her blackberry-peach jam.
But, as sort of a last gasp of summer day, today we head down to a winery in Napa County for a full day of outdoor music, with a glorious lineup of New Orleans bands including Leo Nocentelli (the guitarist from the Meters) and the Rebirth Jazz Band. Laissez le bon temps rouler!
But, as sort of a last gasp of summer day, today we head down to a winery in Napa County for a full day of outdoor music, with a glorious lineup of New Orleans bands including Leo Nocentelli (the guitarist from the Meters) and the Rebirth Jazz Band. Laissez le bon temps rouler!
14dchaikin
>11 labfs39: nice new thread. As for fall, i’ll have to check back around November 1. 🙂 (although high is only 91° today)
16cindydavid4
>1 labfs39: looks like a good one FOR RTT Theme next month, harvest moon
17labfs39
>12 kidzdoc: This will be your first full fall back in the North Country, isn't it, Darryl? I hope you enjoy all the beauties of autumn. I commiserate with your leaf woes. I had started a leaf pile in the backyard when I bought my house two years ago, but it had become so large and unsightly that I've started bagging my leaves and taking them to the dump compost pile. That's a project! I have a fair number of oaks and maples, as well as conifers. The oaks in particular are irritating in their profligate leaf letdown.
So far Moon in Full has been an interesting read. The author had a very difficult childhood (home life, foster homes, etc.), in addition to being brown and gay in a very white state. His attitude is very upbeat and positive though, and he credits a lot of people for helping him become successful. I'm about halfway through the book.
>13 rocketjk: The apple fair sounds lovely, Jerry. There was an agricultural fair in a nearby town this weekend, but I came down with a stomach bug and so had to miss it. The big one for us is the Fryeburg Fair, held the first week of October. It's been going on since 1851! My grandmother came from Fryeburg, so it was always a little like a family reunion. Now that most of that generation has passed, it has taken on a different flavor for me, but is still a lot of fun.
Ah, outdoor music concerts in the summer. I do miss that. I hope you had a fantastic day today.
>14 dchaikin: Hi, Dan. It's still getting into the 80s here, but cools off nicely at night now (60s and even 50s). The closest I've been to Cypress is Galveston, and that was in the summer. Do you get much fall color there? We didn't on the panhandle. I missed it.
>15 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I've focused a lot of energy on international literature this year, thanks in part to the Asian Book Challenge. The structure has been good but sometimes stressful. I'm not sure if I'll do such a concerted effort in a single area next year. I might back off and make more room for serendipity.
>16 cindydavid4: RTT, Cindy? Is that Reading Through Time? That's one of the many challenges that I've never tried.
Edited to fix touchstone
So far Moon in Full has been an interesting read. The author had a very difficult childhood (home life, foster homes, etc.), in addition to being brown and gay in a very white state. His attitude is very upbeat and positive though, and he credits a lot of people for helping him become successful. I'm about halfway through the book.
>13 rocketjk: The apple fair sounds lovely, Jerry. There was an agricultural fair in a nearby town this weekend, but I came down with a stomach bug and so had to miss it. The big one for us is the Fryeburg Fair, held the first week of October. It's been going on since 1851! My grandmother came from Fryeburg, so it was always a little like a family reunion. Now that most of that generation has passed, it has taken on a different flavor for me, but is still a lot of fun.
Ah, outdoor music concerts in the summer. I do miss that. I hope you had a fantastic day today.
>14 dchaikin: Hi, Dan. It's still getting into the 80s here, but cools off nicely at night now (60s and even 50s). The closest I've been to Cypress is Galveston, and that was in the summer. Do you get much fall color there? We didn't on the panhandle. I missed it.
>15 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I've focused a lot of energy on international literature this year, thanks in part to the Asian Book Challenge. The structure has been good but sometimes stressful. I'm not sure if I'll do such a concerted effort in a single area next year. I might back off and make more room for serendipity.
>16 cindydavid4: RTT, Cindy? Is that Reading Through Time? That's one of the many challenges that I've never tried.
Edited to fix touchstone
18cindydavid4
>17 labfs39: your touchstone for moon is full is for a different book called once in a full moon
yes reading through time. Its the first group I joined when I started in LT and really enjoy the different themes and discussions. Speaking of moons, the theme this next month is Harvest Moon; about all things autumn . Come join us!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/343298#n7915820
yes reading through time. Its the first group I joined when I started in LT and really enjoy the different themes and discussions. Speaking of moons, the theme this next month is Harvest Moon; about all things autumn . Come join us!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/343298#n7915820
19labfs39
>18 cindydavid4: Thanks, Cindy, I fixed the touchstone. I'll check out the RTT group. So many interesting things happening on LT, no way to keep up with it all!
20labfs39
I'm disappointed. I was supposed to go with my sister and nieces to see James and the Giant Peach at the Ogunquit Playhouse this morning, but a bug of a different sort (gastroenteritis) is keeping me home.
21lisapeet
>20 labfs39: Ohh that stinks. Hope you're feeling better soon.
22rocketjk
>18 cindydavid4: Wow! How did I never know about the Reading Through Time group? I just joined. I may have to go back and contribute to some of the older threads, now. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
24MissBrangwen
>20 labfs39: Oh no, I hope you feel better soon!
Another autumn lover here!
I still collect chestnuts like a child each October and decorate my home with them. Reading curled up on the sofa, with a warm blanket and hot tea, having autumnal soup for lunch or dinner, watching the leaves turn read and orange and then fall, just all the cozy vibes! Yay!
Another autumn lover here!
I still collect chestnuts like a child each October and decorate my home with them. Reading curled up on the sofa, with a warm blanket and hot tea, having autumnal soup for lunch or dinner, watching the leaves turn read and orange and then fall, just all the cozy vibes! Yay!
25kidzdoc
I'm sorry to hear about your case of AGE (acute gastroenteritis), Lisa; I hope that you're feeling better today.
>17 labfs39: Yes, this will be my first full autumn since 1996, when I was in my last year of medical school at Pitt, and the first one in my parents' house since 1992, after I moved back home to save money after I was accepted into medical school.
I look forward to your thoughts about Moon in Full after you finish it.
>17 labfs39: Yes, this will be my first full autumn since 1996, when I was in my last year of medical school at Pitt, and the first one in my parents' house since 1992, after I moved back home to save money after I was accepted into medical school.
I look forward to your thoughts about Moon in Full after you finish it.
26labfs39
>21 lisapeet: Thanks, Lisa. I'm still running a low-grade fever, and have lost a few pounds, but am doing better today.
>22 rocketjk: >23 cindydavid4: Reading Through Time looks interesting. I like the discussions about what is historical fiction, something I ponder often. Thanks for bringing it up, Cindy.
>24 MissBrangwen: We don't have chestnuts here, but we do have lots of varieties of apples. I love crisp, fresh off the tree apples. I have my first bag of them in my fridge now, although I am holding off eating them until I feel a little less grumbly in my tummy.
>25 kidzdoc: I finished Moon in Full just now, Darryl, and enjoyed it very much. I learned a lot too. Although he grew up very near to my hometown, his experience is so different as to make it foreign. I will write the review soon.
>22 rocketjk: >23 cindydavid4: Reading Through Time looks interesting. I like the discussions about what is historical fiction, something I ponder often. Thanks for bringing it up, Cindy.
>24 MissBrangwen: We don't have chestnuts here, but we do have lots of varieties of apples. I love crisp, fresh off the tree apples. I have my first bag of them in my fridge now, although I am holding off eating them until I feel a little less grumbly in my tummy.
>25 kidzdoc: I finished Moon in Full just now, Darryl, and enjoyed it very much. I learned a lot too. Although he grew up very near to my hometown, his experience is so different as to make it foreign. I will write the review soon.
27msf59
Happy New Thread, Lisa. I hope those books are treating you well. I am nearly done with my reread of Angle of Repose. It is living up to my fond memory of it.
28labfs39
>27 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I'm having a good reading year. I'm glad that your reread was rewarding. I hate it when I reread a book and wonder what I ever saw in it.
I'm reading a graphic novel now that is extremely powerful. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim is about a Korean comfort woman. The artwork is simple with heavy brush stokes. Have you read anything by her?
I'm reading a graphic novel now that is extremely powerful. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim is about a Korean comfort woman. The artwork is simple with heavy brush stokes. Have you read anything by her?
29labfs39
Caveat: what follows is a long summary of this book, because I realize that many of you will never read the book, but might enjoy learning more about this person's experiences. I will post a shorter version on the work page.
Moon in Full: A Modern-Day Coming-of-Age Story by Marpheen Chann
Published 2022, 248 p.
Marpheen Chann was born in California in 1991. His mother was a teenage Cambodian refugee who had lived for ten years in a refugee camp before being allowed to immigrate. She had suffered physical and emotional traumas as a child during the terrors of the Pol Pot regime and was unable to provide a stable home for Marpheen. He spent much of his early years living with a Cambodian pastor and his family. When he was about six, his mother moved with him and his younger sister to Portland, Maine, where her mother and other family lived. But even having family nearby could not offset the series of abusive relationships and poor decisions that plagued his mother. One day in 2000, Marpheen returned home from school to find DHHS waiting. He and his sister were removed that day and would never live with their mother again.
Marpheen and his sister were placed with a very supportive and caring foster family in Acton, Maine. Slowly Marpheen began to heal, to express emotions, and to feel safe. Unfortunately, after about a year, the state of Maine began addressing the issues of race within the foster system, and removed Marpheen and Tanya from the white foster family and placed them in a group home. Although there are issues inherent in placing brown and black children in white homes, in a state like Maine, where the population is 94.6% white, few other options existed. Now better supports are being put in place to support parents retaining custody of their children, but at the time, children were being dumped into the foster system at alarming rates. Sadly, in an attempt to address an issue, the Chann children were removed from a loving home just as they were starting to feel secure.
Life in the group home wasn't bad, as Marpheen tells it, and after a year or so, one of the workers there decided to foster them. Unfortunately this single mom was unprepared for the demands of fostering two kids and became emotionally abusive. After another year, they were adopted by the family who had taken in Marpheen's two youngest siblings.
The Berrys were an evangelical Christian family who lived in rural Naples, Maine. They sought to reunite all four Chann siblings and eventually adopted them. Money was very tight, but the children had their basic needs met and were raised in a caring Church community. Because of their strong religious views, Pokémon and Harry Potter were now forbidden and worship groups and Christian school were in. Their friends, the books they read, and their behavior were carefully monitored. Although he and his adoptive mother fought, twelve-year-old Marpheen threw himself into this new religion with fervor. Things were very clear, black and white, good and bad. He became very adept at codeswitching and tried very hard to be good. And white.
The only problem was that Marpheen was gay. In his family and community, being homosexual was a sin, and he was terrified someone would learn his secret. As he navigated high school and then college, Marpheen struggled to accept himself and then to come out to his family and friends. Although his road to adulthood was not easy, Marpheen finally found a safe haven at the University of Southern Maine, where he helped start the Queer Straight Alliance. He also reunited with the Cambodian pastor and his family who had cared for Marpheen as a child and with his birth mother and family. Today he is the co-founder of the Cambodian Community Association of Maine and was recently elected to the Portland Charter Commission.
Despite the traumas of his childhood and his struggles for acceptance within his adoptive family, Moon in Full is an optimistic book replete with plaudits for the people who helped him succeed and understanding for the people who were unable to be supportive. I learned a lot about my home state and was encouraged by Marpheen's successes, even as I recognize the problems still inherent in our communities. I am very glad that I was able to read this book, and I hope that someday perhaps our paths will cross.
Moon in Full: A Modern-Day Coming-of-Age Story by Marpheen Chann
Published 2022, 248 p.
Marpheen Chann was born in California in 1991. His mother was a teenage Cambodian refugee who had lived for ten years in a refugee camp before being allowed to immigrate. She had suffered physical and emotional traumas as a child during the terrors of the Pol Pot regime and was unable to provide a stable home for Marpheen. He spent much of his early years living with a Cambodian pastor and his family. When he was about six, his mother moved with him and his younger sister to Portland, Maine, where her mother and other family lived. But even having family nearby could not offset the series of abusive relationships and poor decisions that plagued his mother. One day in 2000, Marpheen returned home from school to find DHHS waiting. He and his sister were removed that day and would never live with their mother again.
Marpheen and his sister were placed with a very supportive and caring foster family in Acton, Maine. Slowly Marpheen began to heal, to express emotions, and to feel safe. Unfortunately, after about a year, the state of Maine began addressing the issues of race within the foster system, and removed Marpheen and Tanya from the white foster family and placed them in a group home. Although there are issues inherent in placing brown and black children in white homes, in a state like Maine, where the population is 94.6% white, few other options existed. Now better supports are being put in place to support parents retaining custody of their children, but at the time, children were being dumped into the foster system at alarming rates. Sadly, in an attempt to address an issue, the Chann children were removed from a loving home just as they were starting to feel secure.
Life in the group home wasn't bad, as Marpheen tells it, and after a year or so, one of the workers there decided to foster them. Unfortunately this single mom was unprepared for the demands of fostering two kids and became emotionally abusive. After another year, they were adopted by the family who had taken in Marpheen's two youngest siblings.
The Berrys were an evangelical Christian family who lived in rural Naples, Maine. They sought to reunite all four Chann siblings and eventually adopted them. Money was very tight, but the children had their basic needs met and were raised in a caring Church community. Because of their strong religious views, Pokémon and Harry Potter were now forbidden and worship groups and Christian school were in. Their friends, the books they read, and their behavior were carefully monitored. Although he and his adoptive mother fought, twelve-year-old Marpheen threw himself into this new religion with fervor. Things were very clear, black and white, good and bad. He became very adept at codeswitching and tried very hard to be good. And white.
The only problem was that Marpheen was gay. In his family and community, being homosexual was a sin, and he was terrified someone would learn his secret. As he navigated high school and then college, Marpheen struggled to accept himself and then to come out to his family and friends. Although his road to adulthood was not easy, Marpheen finally found a safe haven at the University of Southern Maine, where he helped start the Queer Straight Alliance. He also reunited with the Cambodian pastor and his family who had cared for Marpheen as a child and with his birth mother and family. Today he is the co-founder of the Cambodian Community Association of Maine and was recently elected to the Portland Charter Commission.
Despite the traumas of his childhood and his struggles for acceptance within his adoptive family, Moon in Full is an optimistic book replete with plaudits for the people who helped him succeed and understanding for the people who were unable to be supportive. I learned a lot about my home state and was encouraged by Marpheen's successes, even as I recognize the problems still inherent in our communities. I am very glad that I was able to read this book, and I hope that someday perhaps our paths will cross.
30MissBrangwen
>29 labfs39: Great review! What an interesting life story, it sounds like at least three lives in one. I was happy to read that despite all that the author had to go through, the book has an optimistic outlook and that he has found his path.
31labfs39
>30 MissBrangwen: Thanks, Mirjam.
Before I shelf the book, there were a few passages I wanted to highlight, mainly for my own purposes:
Looking back now, I am cognizant of some of the privilege and advantage that rubbed off on us. It wasn't our own inherently, but rather what was granted to us because we were an acceptable exception to the rule. Although we were brown kids, people always knew we were the brown kids of white parents. Their privilege was akin to an umbrella policy—as long as those who saw us were aware of this fact, or as long as our parents were actually with us...
In rural Maine, this was easier-to-digest diversity. It meant that we weren't seen as much of a threat to their way of life, their concepts of what makes a good community and a good neighborhood. We weren't as much of a threat to their ideal of what makes up their small corner of America. p. 121
One thing I wasn't aware of is that cashiers at grocery stores can be penalized for not maintaining a high enough "ring rate," the speed at which they ring up items. Talking to customers can effect their rate, and thus they are coached to only say, "did you find everything okay" and "thank you for shopping at __."
Also of interest to me was when Marpheen went to India on a proselytizing mission. He was a brown 16-year-old telling other brown people to believe in a white god and the American way of life in order to be saved. He found it rather surreal. He also reflects on the white savior complex and poverty porn, then compares it to wealthy tourists who come to Maine and take pictures of themselves beside loggers or lobster fishermen as poor exotic people.
(Or there was this New York Post article by columnist Cindy Adams that infuriated Mainers recently. She seems to feel that Maine isn't even worth saving.)
Finally, I learned more about code-switching and the costs of maintaining separate identities. He talks about learning to talk and act white in order to survive and fit in, but then being stuck in white mode when he finally reconnected with his Cambodian family. He found it exhausting, especially as a gay man of color.
Before I shelf the book, there were a few passages I wanted to highlight, mainly for my own purposes:
Looking back now, I am cognizant of some of the privilege and advantage that rubbed off on us. It wasn't our own inherently, but rather what was granted to us because we were an acceptable exception to the rule. Although we were brown kids, people always knew we were the brown kids of white parents. Their privilege was akin to an umbrella policy—as long as those who saw us were aware of this fact, or as long as our parents were actually with us...
In rural Maine, this was easier-to-digest diversity. It meant that we weren't seen as much of a threat to their way of life, their concepts of what makes a good community and a good neighborhood. We weren't as much of a threat to their ideal of what makes up their small corner of America. p. 121
One thing I wasn't aware of is that cashiers at grocery stores can be penalized for not maintaining a high enough "ring rate," the speed at which they ring up items. Talking to customers can effect their rate, and thus they are coached to only say, "did you find everything okay" and "thank you for shopping at __."
Also of interest to me was when Marpheen went to India on a proselytizing mission. He was a brown 16-year-old telling other brown people to believe in a white god and the American way of life in order to be saved. He found it rather surreal. He also reflects on the white savior complex and poverty porn, then compares it to wealthy tourists who come to Maine and take pictures of themselves beside loggers or lobster fishermen as poor exotic people.
(Or there was this New York Post article by columnist Cindy Adams that infuriated Mainers recently. She seems to feel that Maine isn't even worth saving.)
Finally, I learned more about code-switching and the costs of maintaining separate identities. He talks about learning to talk and act white in order to survive and fit in, but then being stuck in white mode when he finally reconnected with his Cambodian family. He found it exhausting, especially as a gay man of color.
32rocketjk
>29 labfs39: & >31 labfs39: Wow, quite a story. Thanks for posting all that. I will keep an eye out for that book.
33labfs39
Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated from the Korean by Janet Hong
Published 2017, English translation 2019, 478 p.
Korean graphic novelist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim spent three years researching and writing Grass. Originally she wanted to write about social class during the Japanese occupation from a feminist perspective, but after meeting survivor Granny Lee Ok-sun, she decided to write her story instead.
Like many Korean farming families under Japanese occupation in the 1930s, Lee Ok-sun's family was starving. After her father was hurt at work, Ok-sun was basically sold to an udon restaurant owner in another city. She was told that she would finally get to go to school and would have plenty to eat. The reality was she was slave labor. Then in 1942 on her way back from running an errand, Ok-sun was abducted and taken to China to a "comfort station." These stations were brothels where sexual slaves, usually young Korean girls, were forced to service Japanese soldiers. At the time, Ok-sun was fifteen years old.
This is not an easy novel to read. Fortunately the narrative is broken up between the present, where the author is interviewing Lee Ok-sun, and her past. I think if it had been written in a chronological fashion, it would have been overwhelmingly dark. At least this way, the reader could escape to the present occasionally. It's a technique that I have often seen in graphic novels such as Maus and Second Generation.
The artwork alternates between frames with heavy brushstrokes, often nature scenes, and more traditional outlined characters. The soldiers are faceless, because Ok-sun says they were all the same. There is a heft to the book and to the drawings that suit the topic. The only color is on the cover. The author does some interesting things with overlays and fadeouts, but my favorite drawings were those of nature.
Although it was a difficult to read, I found the book compelling and the artwork interesting. I'm glad her books are being translated into English and reaching a wider audience.
34BLBera
>33 labfs39: Great comments on this one, Lisa. I thought it was very powerful, and, as you said, not easy to read.
35labfs39
>32 rocketjk: Thanks, Jerry. It's a book from a very small Maine publishing company, Islandport Press, but if you do run across it, I think it's worth a quick read. You living in a much more diverse area, I don't know if you'll feel the sort of connections to place that I did, but Chann's reflections are interesting.
>33 labfs39: Agreed. Have you read anything else by her, Beth? I have The Waiting on my end table, waiting.
>33 labfs39: Agreed. Have you read anything else by her, Beth? I have The Waiting on my end table, waiting.
36labfs39
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin, translated from the Korean by Chi-young Kim
Published 2008, English translation 2011, 237 p.
Kyung-sook Shin is a prolific and extremely popular South Korean author. Please Look After Mom was her first novel to be translated into English, and was the first novel by a South Korean and a woman to win the Man Asian Literary Prize. For these reasons, I was looking forward to reading the book, but I had a hard time getting into it. Fortunately I persevered, as I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.
The novel opens with a family trying to create a missing persons flyer for their mother/wife. In the process they realize that none of them truly knew her. In the months that follow, memories surface, relationships are reflected upon, and a myriad of feelings emerge. Although the book is narrated in the second person, each chapter is told from the perspective of a different person: the daughters, the oldest son, and the father. There is even a chapter by the mother, and it is only at this point that we learn the woman's name. As each perspective is layered atop the previous ones, the character of the woman they called Mom is developed further.
My initial difficultly in connecting with the book stems in large part from the second person narration. At first I had trouble tracking who "you" was, and it sounded forced to my inner ear. But as I became more engaged, I ceased to notice it as much, and when I finished, I realized why the author chose to use this technique. By inundated the reader with "you", the distinction between reader and character is less clear, and it's impossible not to reflect on one's own family relationships.
The life of the woman at the center of the story is a difficult one. Poor, illiterate, and ignored, she nonetheless sacrifices to ensure that her children succeed in life. Although in her children's eyes, her absence and their guilt combine to beatify her, even going so far as to invoke images of the Pieta, Park So-nyo is a multi-faceted character with some interesting secrets and dimensions.
Please Look After Mom can be read as a universal story of mother-child relationships, or as a South Korean one, with particular emphasis on the tension between the responsibility to care for one's parents and the desire to live independently, and the importance of birth order and gender in sibling relationships. After reading a short biography of the author, I wonder if there are autobiographical elements as well. Like the oldest daughter in the book, Kyung-sook Shin was born into a large family in a rural village but moved as a teenager to Seoul to live with her elder brother and became a successful author.
37dchaikin
>29 labfs39: this was a real nice review of Chann’s memoir and chaotic life.
>33 labfs39: whoa. Sounds very difficult and sad
>36 labfs39: great review of Please Look After Mom. I’m glad you made it through (although I fully and admit that a second person narrative designed to make the reader uncomfortable does not appeal to me right now. I’m not blaming Glory, the book I’m listening to now, but…it toys with the same trick.)
>33 labfs39: whoa. Sounds very difficult and sad
>36 labfs39: great review of Please Look After Mom. I’m glad you made it through (although I fully and admit that a second person narrative designed to make the reader uncomfortable does not appeal to me right now. I’m not blaming Glory, the book I’m listening to now, but…it toys with the same trick.)
38labfs39
>37 dchaikin: Thanks, Dan. Yes, I think Please Look After Mom would have been as effective even without the second person narration, and as innovative because of the multiple perspectives.
40labfs39
>39 BLBera: I read The Waiting by Gendry-Kim today, and it was good, but not as powerful as Grass, and it didn't have the nature scenes, which I particularly enjoyed in the latter.
41labfs39
I received an Early Reviewer copy of Canción in the mail today. It's by Eduardo Halfon, whose novel Monastery I read earlier this year. I will probably read it next, although I started Taras Bulba a couple of days ago and don't want to lose too much momentum on it.
42arubabookwoman
Are you enjoying Taras Bulba? It is one of the first books I entered into my LT library shortly after I joined in 2009. I tagged it "To Be Read Soonest". Unfortunately, I still haven't gotten to it....
43labfs39
>42 arubabookwoman: I haven't gotten that far into it, Deborah. I read the introduction by historian Robert Kaplan and the translation notes by Peter Constantine and only about ten pages of the text. Maybe later today I'll have time to sit with it. Soonest has a way of creeping up on us, doesn't it?
44labfs39
The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated from the Korean by Janet Hong
Published 2021, English translation 2021, 247 p.
After the Korean war, the peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel. Thousands of refugees who had fled the fighting in the north were now stranded south of the demilitarized zone. Since the 1980s, there have been periodic family reunification meetings, but they are subject to the vagaries of political will and manipulation. In South Korea, families are chosen by lottery. Although over 133,000 South Koreans have applied since 1988, over 60% have already passed away. 20,000 people have been able to participate in a family reunion meeting. The rest wait.
The author's mother is one of those waiting to be allowed to meet her sister. This book arose from the author's interviews with her mother and two other elderly Koreans who were separated from family during the war. The result is a novel based on the anguish of the original separation, the desperation of not knowing if your loved ones have survived, and the repeatedly dashed hopes of not being chosen for the sporadically arranged meetings.
Although I liked The Waiting, I felt it didn't have quite the power of her first graphic novel, Grass. I also missed the nature imagery that permeated Grass. Still a worthwhile read, however.
45labfs39
I went to two library book sales today and came away with three bags of books (one of children's books). Fun times!
I found six more of Alan Furst's Night Soldiers books (espionage novels set during WWII). I now own all but three. And one of the Maisie Dobbs books that I had read, but didn't own. Plus,
Nativity Poems by Joseph Brodsky
The Tunnels of Cu Chi by Tom Mangold and John Penycate (a book bullet from Deborah/arubabookwoman)
The Nutmeg's Curse by Amitav Ghosh
The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West (NYRB)
My Life in the Maine Woods: A Game Warden's Wife in the Allagash Country by Annette Jackson
Mussolini's War by John Gooch
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
And probably thirty children's books...
I found six more of Alan Furst's Night Soldiers books (espionage novels set during WWII). I now own all but three. And one of the Maisie Dobbs books that I had read, but didn't own. Plus,
Nativity Poems by Joseph Brodsky
The Tunnels of Cu Chi by Tom Mangold and John Penycate (a book bullet from Deborah/arubabookwoman)
The Nutmeg's Curse by Amitav Ghosh
The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West (NYRB)
My Life in the Maine Woods: A Game Warden's Wife in the Allagash Country by Annette Jackson
Mussolini's War by John Gooch
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
And probably thirty children's books...
46arubabookwoman
Surprised you found a copy of the Tunnels of Cuchi. It was an interesting read, but wasn't one I expected anyone to search for.
47labfs39
>46 arubabookwoman: I stumbled across it, and remembered you had read it. If I remember correctly, you weren't thrilled with it, but I know little on the topic, so brought it home.
48msf59
Happy Tuesday, Lisa. I have not read Keum Suk Gendry-Kim. I should remedy that. I already have The Waiting on my GN list.
49labfs39
>48 msf59: I think you would appreciate her books, Mark. IMO, Grass was even better than The Waiting, if you have a choice when you get to her.
50raton-liseur
At last, I’m starting catching up with your readings! I’m starting with this new thread, and will go back latter to your previous readings, so that my comments here are not too outdated!
>29 labfs39: Thanks for this interesting review. You’re right, I won’t read the book, but found your summary interesting. And I learned about this idea of “code-switching”. It sounds obvious when you read about it, but it is something I was not aware of, and it sounds like a relevant concept.
>33 labfs39: I have already commented about this review in the Asia book challenge thread. It’s not available at the library, so I’ll have to check the bookshop. In French, it is titled Les mauvaises herbes, literally Weeds.
>36 labfs39: Reiterating my comment from the Asia book challenge thread. I’m glad you liked this one. I really felt it was a powerful read. It manages to be at the same time universal and very rooted in the Korean culture.
>29 labfs39: Thanks for this interesting review. You’re right, I won’t read the book, but found your summary interesting. And I learned about this idea of “code-switching”. It sounds obvious when you read about it, but it is something I was not aware of, and it sounds like a relevant concept.
>33 labfs39: I have already commented about this review in the Asia book challenge thread. It’s not available at the library, so I’ll have to check the bookshop. In French, it is titled Les mauvaises herbes, literally Weeds.
>36 labfs39: Reiterating my comment from the Asia book challenge thread. I’m glad you liked this one. I really felt it was a powerful read. It manages to be at the same time universal and very rooted in the Korean culture.
51labfs39
>33 labfs39: I always find it interesting when book titles are presented differently in different countries. Sometimes even UK and American books will have different titles. In this case, grass and weeds have very different connotations. The Korean 풀 translates directly as grass. In the book, grass was resilient, and continued to grow despite adverse conditions. It was a positive trait.
52raton-liseur
>51 labfs39: I can't really comment on this before reading the book, but your explanation is interesting.
Weeds is not necessarily positive, but they have this quality of growing even in difficult conditions, so I can see the link between resilience and weeds.
I'll keep that in mind when/if I get to this book.
Weeds is not necessarily positive, but they have this quality of growing even in difficult conditions, so I can see the link between resilience and weeds.
I'll keep that in mind when/if I get to this book.
54labfs39
>52 raton-liseur: True, but when weeds are resilient, we gardeners curse them! Lol.
>53 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Always fun to add to Mt. TBR.
>53 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Always fun to add to Mt. TBR.
55labfs39
Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol, translated from the Russian by Peter Constantine
Published 1835 and revised 1842, this translation 2004, 141 p.
Taras Bulba is the epitome of a Cossack: brave, reckless, and passionate about upholding the dignity of the Russian Orthodox faith. His two sons have just returned from a seminary in Kiev, where a rudimentary education was beaten into them, and he is eager to initiate them into the violent comradeship that is the life of the Dnieper Cossacks. Leaving behind their weeping mother, they head for the Zaporozhian stronghold, where they join in a revolt against the Catholic Poles, who are trying to subjugate the Ukraine.
Written by Nikolai Gogol in the 1830s, Taras Bulba is the quintessential romance about the mythologized Ukrainian Cossacks. In it, Gogol attributes their violent emotions and selfless comradeship as the wellspring for the Russian soul. It is a classic war epic eulogizing the wildness of unfettered hatred for the Other.
As a piece of literature, it is exceptional writing, unlike anything else that Gogol wrote. Hemingway claimed it was one of the "ten greatest books of all time." I read it now, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, thinking to understand more about the region. Instead of a historical novel, however, I encountered an epic in prose glorifying the proto-Russian. I was startled by the vehement hatred of Muslims, Catholics, and, especially, Jews. Prior to this I had only read Gogol's short stories, full of magical realism and surreal absurdism.
The Modern Library Classics edition that I have includes an interesting introduction by Robert D. Kaplan. In it he writes that Americans have been too trusting in rationalism to move people toward individual rights and democracy. The reality is that humans have irrational romantic and heroic tendencies, but these are subverted by the "crude belief systems and symbolism that sustain what the national security analyst Ralph Peters has called 'euphorias of hatred.'" He quotes Elias Canetti as writing, "The crowd needs a direction... It's constant fear of disintegration means that it will accept any goal." Gogol's Cossacks capture both the violent hatred inherent in the crowd-pack and the heroism and romanticism of the individual. I found it an important, if disturbing, read.
Edited to correct "epic in verse" to "epic in prose."
56dchaikin
“There was Neruda reciting verses to the moon, addressing the minerals of the earth, and the stars, whose nature we can only know by intuition.” p13
I’ve started the Dantesque By Night in Chile. 🙂
>55 labfs39: terrific fascinating review!
I’ve started the Dantesque By Night in Chile. 🙂
>55 labfs39: terrific fascinating review!
57FlorenceArt
>55 labfs39: Interesting! The title is so familiar that I thought I might have read it, but apparently not. Maybe I should. Some day ;-)
58lisapeet
>57 FlorenceArt: Ditto, but I haven't. Thanks to that good review, though, it's definitely on my radar.
59BLBera
>55 labfs39: great comments, Lisa. I haven't read this one either. I'll add it to my list. Yes, it is great to add books to the WL. At this rate, I will have to live forever.
60baswood
I enjoyed your review of Taras Bulba. I didn't realise it was in verse. The translation must have been good enough to make it work for you. The version on Project Gutenberg has been translated as prose
61labfs39
>56 dchaikin: I haven't started yet, but I will. I have to pick my daughter up at the airport at midnight, so I should have some time later. Liking it so far?
>57 FlorenceArt: >58 lisapeet: >59 BLBera: Thanks, it's one of those titles that I've always meant to read. It was on rebeccanyc's TBR, so I planned to read it at some point this year during the group reading of her list. Not what I was expecting, but interesting nonetheless.
>60 baswood: How embarrassing, Barry. I meant epic in prose, but wrote verse because verse usually follows epic and my brain was on autopilot evidently. I corrected my review. Sorry for the confusion.
>57 FlorenceArt: >58 lisapeet: >59 BLBera: Thanks, it's one of those titles that I've always meant to read. It was on rebeccanyc's TBR, so I planned to read it at some point this year during the group reading of her list. Not what I was expecting, but interesting nonetheless.
>60 baswood: How embarrassing, Barry. I meant epic in prose, but wrote verse because verse usually follows epic and my brain was on autopilot evidently. I corrected my review. Sorry for the confusion.
62dchaikin
>61 labfs39: I really enjoyed the 1st 16 pages. I’ll withhold comment until you get going. 🙂
63labfs39
Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel original novel by Ruta Sepetys, adapted by Andrew Donkin, art by Dave Kopka
Published 2021
Ruta Sepetys' father was spirited out of Lithuania just ahead of the Soviet occupation in 1941. Members of her extended family were deported and imprisoned along with thousands of other Balts. Sent to Siberia to serve sentences of up to 25 years hard labor, they were labeled thieves and prostitutes. Even after they returned to Lithuania, they lived in fear of being persecuted or even killed if they spoke of their experiences. Sepetys wrote the novel Between Shades of Gray after interviewing survivors, historians, and government officials, as well as her own surviving family members. This book is a graphic novel adaptation of her novel, which is particularly apt as the protagonist is an artist.
Fifteen-year-old Lina Vilkas is taken by the NKVD one night in June 1941 along with her mother and younger brother. Her father had disappeared prior to their arrest and was assumed to have been imprisoned for an anti-Soviet attitude. They are packed into cattle cars with hundreds of other Lithuanian doctors, lawyers, teachers, librarians, and anyone else on the "lists" as suspected anti-Soviets, and their families. Lina and her family are first imprisoned on a kolkhoz in Siberia, where living conditions are horrific. Then they are sent north of the arctic circle in the first batch of Lithuanians and Finns sent to create the Trofimovsk gulag. Throughout everything, Lina continues drawing and documenting her experiences.
64labfs39
>62 dchaikin: I'm finally sitting down with By Night in Chile. Sorry I'm off to a slow start. Who translates your copy? My edition is translated by Chris Andrews (New Directions Press).
65dchaikin
>63 labfs39: such an insane inhumane world. Sounds powerful
>64 labfs39: I have the same translation. I got to page 49 this morning. I love the Dante overlays, but struggle with all the unfamiliar names and references. Be sure to Google, many of these named characters are based on real people.
>64 labfs39: I have the same translation. I got to page 49 this morning. I love the Dante overlays, but struggle with all the unfamiliar names and references. Be sure to Google, many of these named characters are based on real people.
66labfs39
>65 dchaikin: You'll have the advantage when it comes to the Dante references. It's been 30+ years since I read The Divine Comedy. I'll look forward to your comments regarding this.
67dchaikin
>66 labfs39: it’s been long enough I had to google Sordello. 🙂 But I have some references for you when you get there.
68dchaikin
“Dante uses Sordello's patriotism as a starting point for an aside that presents a breakdown of Italian politics to denounce Italy and its corrupted morals, violence, and lack of effective leadership (Purgatorio 6.76-151).In the narrative, Sordello also serves to teach Dante and Virgil about the workings of Ante-Purgatory, and he leads them out of it, until they all reach of the Valley of Rulers.4 Upon reaching the Valley of Rulers, Sordello points out the notable kings and princes surrounding the trio.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sordello
Purgatorio 6.76-151 : https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Italian/DantPurg1to7.php#anchor_Toc640...
Don Salvador Reyes : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Reyes_Figueroa
Ernst Jünger : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Jünger
70dchaikin
>69 labfs39: anytime. It’s not really a spoiler
71labfs39
September seems to be the month for library book sales. I went to another one this morning and came away with
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (a Norton Critical Edition to replace my previous unread edition)
Mrs. Tim Flies Home by D.E. Stevenson
and two WWII books:
Ravensbruck by Sarah Helm
Death and Love in the Holocaust: The Story of Sonja and Kurt Messerschmidt published by the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine
I also got a huge bag of kids books. Homeschooling my nieces is a great excuse to stock up on kids books of all sorts!
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (a Norton Critical Edition to replace my previous unread edition)
Mrs. Tim Flies Home by D.E. Stevenson
and two WWII books:
Ravensbruck by Sarah Helm
Death and Love in the Holocaust: The Story of Sonja and Kurt Messerschmidt published by the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine
I also got a huge bag of kids books. Homeschooling my nieces is a great excuse to stock up on kids books of all sorts!
72labfs39
Some lines from By Night in Chile that I enjoy:
...wearing a grey suit of fine English cloth, hand-made shoes, a silk tie, a white shirt as immaculate as my hopes, gold cufflinks, a tie-pin bearing insignia I did not wish to interpret but whose meaning by no means escaped me... p. 3
...never at a loss for the appropriate expression the sentence that fitted his thought like a glove... p.4
The young bard's laugh, by contrast, was slender as wire, nervous wire, and always followed Farewell's guffaw, like a dragonfly following a snake. p. 9
and his use of repetition is interesting. When he is sitting in the deserted square waiting for a ride to the critic's house, he hears birds. He describes each species in detail, but they all cry, quién, quién, quién.
I remember drinking his face down to the last drop trying to elucidate the character, the psychology of such an individual. And yet the only thing about him that has remained in my memory is his ugliness. He was ugly and his neck was extremely short. In fact they were all ugly. The women were ugly and their words were incoherent. The silent man was ugly and his stillness was incoherent. The men who were walking away were ugly and their zigzag paths were incoherent. God have mercy on me and on them. Lost souls in the desert. I turned my back on them and walked away. p. 21
...wearing a grey suit of fine English cloth, hand-made shoes, a silk tie, a white shirt as immaculate as my hopes, gold cufflinks, a tie-pin bearing insignia I did not wish to interpret but whose meaning by no means escaped me... p. 3
...never at a loss for the appropriate expression the sentence that fitted his thought like a glove... p.4
The young bard's laugh, by contrast, was slender as wire, nervous wire, and always followed Farewell's guffaw, like a dragonfly following a snake. p. 9
and his use of repetition is interesting. When he is sitting in the deserted square waiting for a ride to the critic's house, he hears birds. He describes each species in detail, but they all cry, quién, quién, quién.
I remember drinking his face down to the last drop trying to elucidate the character, the psychology of such an individual. And yet the only thing about him that has remained in my memory is his ugliness. He was ugly and his neck was extremely short. In fact they were all ugly. The women were ugly and their words were incoherent. The silent man was ugly and his stillness was incoherent. The men who were walking away were ugly and their zigzag paths were incoherent. God have mercy on me and on them. Lost souls in the desert. I turned my back on them and walked away. p. 21
73dchaikin
curiously I acquired By Night in Chile at a library book sale in 2010. (I went to two annual Houston Public Library sales, spent the $20 to go one day early. 2009 and 2010. But I have read so few of those books…)
I love those quotes. It’s such a constantly moving little book, i can’t dwell on anything and I lose track and forget stuff. Except for the birds and tie-pin, i had forgotten those wonderful lines.
Two lines I typed onto my phone notes app today:
“I could no longer bear the weird, or to be perhaps more precise, the alternatively pendular and circular oscillations of my conscience, and the phosphorescent mist, glowing dimly like a marsh at the vesperal hour, through which my lucidity had to make its way, dragging the rest of me along.” p96
“And I shrugged my shoulders, as people do in novels, but never in real life.” p97
I love those quotes. It’s such a constantly moving little book, i can’t dwell on anything and I lose track and forget stuff. Except for the birds and tie-pin, i had forgotten those wonderful lines.
Two lines I typed onto my phone notes app today:
“I could no longer bear the weird, or to be perhaps more precise, the alternatively pendular and circular oscillations of my conscience, and the phosphorescent mist, glowing dimly like a marsh at the vesperal hour, through which my lucidity had to make its way, dragging the rest of me along.” p96
“And I shrugged my shoulders, as people do in novels, but never in real life.” p97
74dchaikin
Not sure you or anyone needs to know this, but as I’m a blue-personality type, I’m still sharing. 🙂 Sorry Lisa… I went to that library book sale a lot more than I remember. It was the Friends of Houston Public Library annual sale event. I see in my catalog that I went every year from 2007-2012! (And yet I only remember being there twice.) I bought 241 catalogued books (maybe there were others). A lot were children’s books, but a lot were for me. I’ve only read 14. It looks like we still own 142. I have 92 on my TBR (out of a tbr pile of ~666)
Link:
https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?tag=%40from%20Friends%20of%20Houston%20...
Link:
https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?tag=%40from%20Friends%20of%20Houston%20...
75avaland
>41 labfs39: I'm looking forward to your thoughts. I've read his previous two and that that one on my list (soooo many books!)
76SassyLassy
>46 arubabookwoman: >47 labfs39: I read The Tunnels of Cu Chi years ago as a library book, and have been looking for it ever since to have as my own copy - good score!
>55 labfs39: Taras Bulba is a great example of creating national myths, and since it's so well written, it's easy to see how compelling it has been to its target readers over the years. Enjoyed your quotes from Kaplan and his quotes from Canetti.
>64 labfs39: >65 dchaikin: Looking forward to your comments on By Night in Chile. I read it in 2019, but may skim along with you.
>55 labfs39: Taras Bulba is a great example of creating national myths, and since it's so well written, it's easy to see how compelling it has been to its target readers over the years. Enjoyed your quotes from Kaplan and his quotes from Canetti.
>64 labfs39: >65 dchaikin: Looking forward to your comments on By Night in Chile. I read it in 2019, but may skim along with you.
77labfs39
>73 dchaikin: “And I shrugged my shoulders, as people do in novels, but never in real life.” That's another great line. His wordsmithing is impeccable. The plot is a little more uneven for me, and, at the halfway mark, his characters remain a bit hollow.
>74 dchaikin: Ha, that's funny, Dan. Now that your kiddos are on the verge of leaving the nest, what will you do with your children's books? Keep them for the grandkids? Deaccession them?
>75 avaland: I'm excited to read Cancion (weirdly A Christmas Carol by Dickens is the first touchstone). I'm not going to read any more Korean books in September, to leave time to read it and an ILL book that is due back, Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Kawaguchi. I had requested it for last month, but it took a while to ILL.
>76 SassyLassy: I love the serendipitous nature of book sales, Sassy. You never know what you will find!
Taras Bulba is a great example of creating national myths, and since it's so well written, it's easy to see how compelling it has been to its target readers over the years. Exactly. Who would you consider a national myth maker in Canada?
That would be wonderful. Dan and I have been texting, but I'll capture some of it in posts here as well. We've found so much to discuss, and I'm only halfway through (Dan finished last night).
>74 dchaikin: Ha, that's funny, Dan. Now that your kiddos are on the verge of leaving the nest, what will you do with your children's books? Keep them for the grandkids? Deaccession them?
>75 avaland: I'm excited to read Cancion (weirdly A Christmas Carol by Dickens is the first touchstone). I'm not going to read any more Korean books in September, to leave time to read it and an ILL book that is due back, Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Kawaguchi. I had requested it for last month, but it took a while to ILL.
>76 SassyLassy: I love the serendipitous nature of book sales, Sassy. You never know what you will find!
Taras Bulba is a great example of creating national myths, and since it's so well written, it's easy to see how compelling it has been to its target readers over the years. Exactly. Who would you consider a national myth maker in Canada?
That would be wonderful. Dan and I have been texting, but I'll capture some of it in posts here as well. We've found so much to discuss, and I'm only halfway through (Dan finished last night).
78labfs39
By Night in Chile Discussion Points:
-We both felt the first twenty pages whipped along, but then things slowed for a bit, before picking up again.
-Urrutia Lacroix's visit to Farewell's estate, a dante-esque visit to purgatory. "Sordello, which Sordello?" The socialist nature of Neruda's poetry and yet his personal behavior is of a pampered elite in an echo chamber of literary intellectuals.
-The scenes with Don Salvador Reyes (Chilean diplomat) and the German writer Ernst Junger, two real people, in Nazi-occupied Paris. What is the role of the Guatemalan painter? The impotence of art? The callousness of the Chilean government to those in hiding?
-The scenes with the shoemaker and Emperor and the Heldenberg Memorial: the impracticality of art? It's irrelevance in the face of history? The futility of the artist to make any real change? Chilean heroes and national mythology?
-Urrutia as a most un-empathetic priest: scene with villagers and dying child; in the cafe "...in some of those countenances I felt I could read signs of immense pain. Pigs suffer too, I said to myself."
-Page 60: the Catholic Church as "the well in which the sins of Chile sink without a trace."
-And now I have just arrived at the pigeons and falcon symbolism, the ruthlessness of the Catholic Church in defending itself.
-Looking for references to crying and the heart.
Please chime in Dan. I'm on page 76.
-We both felt the first twenty pages whipped along, but then things slowed for a bit, before picking up again.
-Urrutia Lacroix's visit to Farewell's estate, a dante-esque visit to purgatory. "Sordello, which Sordello?" The socialist nature of Neruda's poetry and yet his personal behavior is of a pampered elite in an echo chamber of literary intellectuals.
-The scenes with Don Salvador Reyes (Chilean diplomat) and the German writer Ernst Junger, two real people, in Nazi-occupied Paris. What is the role of the Guatemalan painter? The impotence of art? The callousness of the Chilean government to those in hiding?
-The scenes with the shoemaker and Emperor and the Heldenberg Memorial: the impracticality of art? It's irrelevance in the face of history? The futility of the artist to make any real change? Chilean heroes and national mythology?
-Urrutia as a most un-empathetic priest: scene with villagers and dying child; in the cafe "...in some of those countenances I felt I could read signs of immense pain. Pigs suffer too, I said to myself."
-Page 60: the Catholic Church as "the well in which the sins of Chile sink without a trace."
-And now I have just arrived at the pigeons and falcon symbolism, the ruthlessness of the Catholic Church in defending itself.
-Looking for references to crying and the heart.
Please chime in Dan. I'm on page 76.
79dchaikin
>77 labfs39: I don’t like to think about all children’s books have discarded. But I have some numbers, although there should be sizable error. I have 540 books catalogued as discarded by our kids, and 285 catalogued as still owned.
80dchaikin
>78 labfs39: on By Night in Chile
Great post and very astute about Neruda.
Collecting my thoughts…
Bolaño is having fun, keeping it a little surreal but also very bitter about Chile. The main character is a literary priest who writes poetry but doesn’t seem to be interested in connecting with any real people. He writes under a pen-name even though everyone knows who he is. He is a member of the Opus Dei, and extreme catholic group focused in purity. He prefers to stay in the purity of the mind, and to connect with literary demi-gods. It leads to some vey odd interactions.
He has morality and philosophical connections to Marx, but his closest colleagues, a literary critic, is a pseudo-openminded ultra-conservative estate owner.
Where Lisa is in the book is roughly pre-Allende. 1950’s. Allende was very controversial, socialist/communist and hated by landowners. He would nationalize the big estates. (I’m not an Allende expert and the guidance here is light)
So, practically every provable aspect of the book is historically real. It highlights a lot of real surreal stuff. Bolaño’s Heldenberg Memorial is a private effort dedicated to Austrian heroes, but it needed imperial financial support and never got it, leaving it an odd failed and, by the 1950’s in the book, pointless memorial to heroes no one probably thinks are heroic anymore and no one probably cares about anymore.
Think Chile, i imagine.
Oh, the whole book is told by our priest as he is dying, all in one breath. There are periods, but it’s all one paragraph. And very hard to put down because there are very few conclusive thoughts.
And our priest is haunted by a “wizened youth” who criticized him heavily at one point, and is the same age as Bolaño, born 1953.
Lisa - i’ll add more as you progress. I found it a fun book that can use more thought and rereading.
Great post and very astute about Neruda.
Collecting my thoughts…
Bolaño is having fun, keeping it a little surreal but also very bitter about Chile. The main character is a literary priest who writes poetry but doesn’t seem to be interested in connecting with any real people. He writes under a pen-name even though everyone knows who he is. He is a member of the Opus Dei, and extreme catholic group focused in purity. He prefers to stay in the purity of the mind, and to connect with literary demi-gods. It leads to some vey odd interactions.
He has morality and philosophical connections to Marx, but his closest colleagues, a literary critic, is a pseudo-openminded ultra-conservative estate owner.
Where Lisa is in the book is roughly pre-Allende. 1950’s. Allende was very controversial, socialist/communist and hated by landowners. He would nationalize the big estates. (I’m not an Allende expert and the guidance here is light)
So, practically every provable aspect of the book is historically real. It highlights a lot of real surreal stuff. Bolaño’s Heldenberg Memorial is a private effort dedicated to Austrian heroes, but it needed imperial financial support and never got it, leaving it an odd failed and, by the 1950’s in the book, pointless memorial to heroes no one probably thinks are heroic anymore and no one probably cares about anymore.
Think Chile, i imagine.
Oh, the whole book is told by our priest as he is dying, all in one breath. There are periods, but it’s all one paragraph. And very hard to put down because there are very few conclusive thoughts.
And our priest is haunted by a “wizened youth” who criticized him heavily at one point, and is the same age as Bolaño, born 1953.
Lisa - i’ll add more as you progress. I found it a fun book that can use more thought and rereading.
81labfs39
Phew! I just finished. Look forward to hearing more of your thoughts, Dan. I think the crying quotes may have been in p. 106 onward?
82dchaikin
>81 labfs39: at some point it’s hard to stop
83dchaikin
>81 labfs39: so Mary and Jimmy are real (of course). Wikipedia oddly starts Jimmy where they leave off in Mary
So 1st, María Canales is Marian Callejas
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Callejas
James Thompson is Michael Townley
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Townley
So 1st, María Canales is Marian Callejas
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Callejas
James Thompson is Michael Townley
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Townley
85dchaikin
I cheated and Googled:
“{A}nd the wizened youth trembles more and more violently, wrinkles his nose and then pounces on the story. But only I know the story, the real story. And it is simple and cruel and true and it should make us laugh, it should make us die laughing. But we only know how to cry, the only thing we do wholeheartedly is cry.”
“{A}nd the wizened youth trembles more and more violently, wrinkles his nose and then pounces on the story. But only I know the story, the real story. And it is simple and cruel and true and it should make us laugh, it should make us die laughing. But we only know how to cry, the only thing we do wholeheartedly is cry.”
86labfs39
So, what did you think? It's one of those intellectual books where I always feel like I'm missing something. There are layers on top of layers of names and allusions, plus satire is tricky for me, especially in a country where I don't know the history well. Thank goodness for Google.
87dchaikin
I tend to really enjoy these kind of games, even if I don’t get them. I like the pressing on things, the mixture of tones (satire and sincere, humor and serious, true and surreal, deep and ridiculous). I like how he (and other authors) balance these things and, when successful, make them both playful and interesting. So, first, I enjoyed the tone and the conflict between narrator (he is serious) and reader (who thinks he’s a nut, but an interesting nut).
On the flip side, I did not get it. I can’t say what he was getting at. I don’t know why he approached this stuff from this angle. I don’t know if he is the wizened youth - Bolaño. I suspect he is, but I might be miles away.
So I have insecurity of my understanding, and yet I enjoyed the sense of play and purpose.
On the flip side, I did not get it. I can’t say what he was getting at. I don’t know why he approached this stuff from this angle. I don’t know if he is the wizened youth - Bolaño. I suspect he is, but I might be miles away.
So I have insecurity of my understanding, and yet I enjoyed the sense of play and purpose.
89labfs39
>87 dchaikin: That's an interesting idea, that Bolaño is the wizened youth. I took the last two pages at face value, that the wizened youth is the priest's younger, idyllic self, confronting him now that he is old and has compromised all his values: purity, chastity, kindness, charity, honesty, etc.
Mary?
Mary?
90dchaikin
Could be. Early he imagines the wizened youth doing something at him, and mentions that was impossible because he was six yrs old. It was the 1950’s and Bolaño was born 1953. So i was thinking that, and stubbornly held on to that impression.
Sorry, not Mary… María Canales
Sorry, not Mary… María Canales
91labfs39
Between what Bolaño wrote and the Wikipedia article, I'm not sure she was the type of person would have cared what he wrote. I thought it was interesting that Bolaño focused on her son, and how he must have felt living in a house where his parents tortured people. Canales makes Bolaño's point beautifully, how art and pretentious artists can sing and dance while the world burns around them and the artists/writers/intellectuals not only do nothing to stop it, but fan the flames with their complicity with power. And yet Bolaño himself was an intellectual/writer. Did you read that although he claims to have been imprisoned briefly during the Pinochet regime, his compatriots in Mexico say that is not the case?
92labfs39
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot
Published 2015, English translation 2020, 272 p.
The Funiculi Funicula is a small underground café that has been in operation for over a hundred years, almost since coffee has been in Japan. It had a moment of fame when an urban legend spread that people could travel through time when at the café, but the furor quickly died when people learned that even if they travelled back in time, they wouldn't be able to change the present. What's the point? But occasionally someone is desperate enough to put up with all the rules (have to sit in a certain chair, can't leave the chair, have to return by drinking the coffee before it gets cold, etc.) to try it. This book is the story of four people who attempt to time travel from the café.
Quiet and sweet, the book has little wisdom to impart, but it's gentle stories of everyday people facing loss of various types is comforting. It's not hardcore sci-fi/fantasy, rather it's about relationships and what people would do with a limited do-over. The author has gone on to write two more books about the café's employees and customers. Although I enjoyed this volume well enough, I'm not sure I'll seek out the others.
93dchaikin
>91 labfs39: i saw that on his wiki page, his fake imprisonment, maybe. Canales interests me a lot because while many authors and artists are terrible people, they don’t usually pay the artistic cost for it. But she crossed that line and became an outcast. No one will read her, and it started during her lifetime.
I’ve been puzzling what it all means. So your comment about Bolaño’s point is interesting to me in that I didn’t pick it up. I understood there is an element of criticism across Chilean society, and strange extreme narcissistic disease…and maybe that’s along the same lines. It’s, of course, not unique to Chile, but to all privileged classes everywhere. Anyway, what i was trying to say is Canales is clearly a main point to this book, ambitious artist who is secretly a dictator’s enforcer. I didn’t see that coming, but he that’s certainly what he wants us thinking about after we finish.
I’ve been puzzling what it all means. So your comment about Bolaño’s point is interesting to me in that I didn’t pick it up. I understood there is an element of criticism across Chilean society, and strange extreme narcissistic disease…and maybe that’s along the same lines. It’s, of course, not unique to Chile, but to all privileged classes everywhere. Anyway, what i was trying to say is Canales is clearly a main point to this book, ambitious artist who is secretly a dictator’s enforcer. I didn’t see that coming, but he that’s certainly what he wants us thinking about after we finish.
94labfs39
>93 dchaikin: And we haven't yet talked about the Catholic Church. In places Bolaño makes explicit his condemnation of the church, not only in Chile, but worldwide, for its complicity with dictators. Opus Dei and the falcon vs pigeon symbolism, the Pope speaking in the National Stadium where thousands had been tortured and murdered, and the revulsion Urrutia feels toward the poor while pretending to care. But the ending surprised me a bit. On his deathbed, Urrutia finally confronts his actions, but he is never brought to justice. Or is the final sentence, "And then the storm of shit begins" referring to Urrutia's ultimate confession before God and the gates of hell? I had originally taken it to mean a social revolution against those things that Urrutia had represented. At times I felt as though Bolaño was a bit tender toward Urrutia (or perhaps it was ironic?). Is Bolaño given his protagonist an out at the end?
I read an interesting article that points out that the title in Spanish is Nocturno de Chile with all the connotations that the word nocturne has. In addition, it says that Mr Etah and Mr Raef's names read backwards are Hate and Fear. How did I miss that??
I read an interesting article that points out that the title in Spanish is Nocturno de Chile with all the connotations that the word nocturne has. In addition, it says that Mr Etah and Mr Raef's names read backwards are Hate and Fear. How did I miss that??
96Trifolia
Hi Lisa, I'm trying to catch up with your thread and CR in general. I've enjoyed reading your and Dan's thoughts on Bolano's book and enjoyed the lines you picked from the book.
97labfs39
>96 Trifolia: Thanks, Monica.
I went to another library book sale today. Fall seems to be the time for them. Once again I came away with a few for myself, and several for my nieces.
The Jedburghs: The Secret History of the Allied Special Forces, France 1944 by Will Irwin
82 Days on Okinawa by Art Shaw
Judy: The Unforgettable Story of the Dog Who Went to War and Became a True Hero by Damien Lewis
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
I went to another library book sale today. Fall seems to be the time for them. Once again I came away with a few for myself, and several for my nieces.
The Jedburghs: The Secret History of the Allied Special Forces, France 1944 by Will Irwin
82 Days on Okinawa by Art Shaw
Judy: The Unforgettable Story of the Dog Who Went to War and Became a True Hero by Damien Lewis
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
98labfs39
Adding my voice to others in lamenting the passing of Hilary Mantel a couple of days ago. After avoiding reading Wolf Hall for many years, because I was intimidated and didn't think I was interested in the Tudors, I read the entire Cromwell trilogy last year and was blown away. I have three more works by her on my shelves: A Place of Greater Safety (an historical novel set during the French Revolution), The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher (a short story collection), and Giving Up the Ghost (a memoir). I hope to read one or two of these in the coming year.
99cindydavid4
The place of greater safety was a difficult read for me, as I wasn't familiar with the names of the charcters (tho a few I know) but once it clicks its a page turner
100dchaikin
>94 labfs39: I finally have time to think about this a little - the Catholic church and Bolaño's Chile.
Very interesting interpretation of the last line. I was confused, it was so inconsistent with everything he was just ranting on. But his repetition of, "Is there a solution?" was also strange given the context. So I let it go. But now I'm wondering where the excrement was in Dante's rings...
I don't remember Inferno well enough, but googling tells me the third circle for gluttony is a good fit. But also the 8th circle has a section, or Bolgia, for falsifiers - alchemists, counterfeits, impersonators, perjuries, etc - that are punished with filth and disease. So, is he a kind of glutton or a fake/impersonator? If he's the wizened youth, perhaps he is false to himself.
-----
My problem with responding to your thoughts on the church is that I find myself pontificating. It doesn't mean I think I'm right, but only that I need to think that while thinking this through. I'll try to calm that down a bit, but apologies ahead of time. Anyway, my answer:
The church has such a complicated relationship in a novel about Chile and Allende and Pinochet.
I think that Pinochet, as a dictator, supported country's wealthiest, can be viewed as extremely conservative, and so as an epitome of an effort to maintain a status quo, which perhaps naturally aligns with Catholic sentiments. I thought the narrator, as a literary communist leaning (?) Catholic priest, was really stretched, but only idealistically. He doesn't like to touch down to reality. He's all facts. Anyway, he feels the tension between Pinochet and decent government, but he doesn't act on it. He submits.
What struck me about his trip to Europe was not the meaning of the priests' falconry, but that this was the only thing he looks into. He's there to find out why the church is fading, and he focuses entirely only an obscure effort to preserve the church buildings. He literarlly suggests pigeons are the greatest danger to the Catholic church, which is surreal. He doesn't even touch on cultural aspects and religious tensions. It's such an odd dodge.
Of course, the falconry is highly symbolic, and, as you stated, it "makes explicit his (Bolaño's) condemnation of the church" - massacring the masses to save the institution. The heads of these churches are all little Pinochets.
But i go back to María Canales. Like our Sebastian, she is in the null space, between. Leading an open literary life, while quietly carrying out Pinochet's worst crimes. She makes Sebastian look like a normal decent guy. But perhaps she is no worse than him...?
Very interesting interpretation of the last line. I was confused, it was so inconsistent with everything he was just ranting on. But his repetition of, "Is there a solution?" was also strange given the context. So I let it go. But now I'm wondering where the excrement was in Dante's rings...
I don't remember Inferno well enough, but googling tells me the third circle for gluttony is a good fit. But also the 8th circle has a section, or Bolgia, for falsifiers - alchemists, counterfeits, impersonators, perjuries, etc - that are punished with filth and disease. So, is he a kind of glutton or a fake/impersonator? If he's the wizened youth, perhaps he is false to himself.
-----
My problem with responding to your thoughts on the church is that I find myself pontificating. It doesn't mean I think I'm right, but only that I need to think that while thinking this through. I'll try to calm that down a bit, but apologies ahead of time. Anyway, my answer:
The church has such a complicated relationship in a novel about Chile and Allende and Pinochet.
I think that Pinochet, as a dictator, supported country's wealthiest, can be viewed as extremely conservative, and so as an epitome of an effort to maintain a status quo, which perhaps naturally aligns with Catholic sentiments. I thought the narrator, as a literary communist leaning (?) Catholic priest, was really stretched, but only idealistically. He doesn't like to touch down to reality. He's all facts. Anyway, he feels the tension between Pinochet and decent government, but he doesn't act on it. He submits.
What struck me about his trip to Europe was not the meaning of the priests' falconry, but that this was the only thing he looks into. He's there to find out why the church is fading, and he focuses entirely only an obscure effort to preserve the church buildings. He literarlly suggests pigeons are the greatest danger to the Catholic church, which is surreal. He doesn't even touch on cultural aspects and religious tensions. It's such an odd dodge.
Of course, the falconry is highly symbolic, and, as you stated, it "makes explicit his (Bolaño's) condemnation of the church" - massacring the masses to save the institution. The heads of these churches are all little Pinochets.
But i go back to María Canales. Like our Sebastian, she is in the null space, between. Leading an open literary life, while quietly carrying out Pinochet's worst crimes. She makes Sebastian look like a normal decent guy. But perhaps she is no worse than him...?
101labfs39
>100 dchaikin: Interesting. You took a much more literal interpretation of Urrutia's Opus Dei sponsored trip to Europe, that he was sent to study preservation techniques from pigeon poop. I read it as a metaphor for the Church's history of using force to preserve the institution from the rabble. It was interesting that when Urrutia went to Spain, they didn't need "falcons" because Franco had already taken care of the "pigeons".
As for the last line, I hadn't thought to look to Dante for an explanation. I read it more in the line of "then the shit hit the fan", or "all hell broke loose."
I've appreciated reading By Night in Chile with you. Your perspectives have enriched my reading of the text and forced me to dig deeper to explain my own interpretations. Thanks!
As for the last line, I hadn't thought to look to Dante for an explanation. I read it more in the line of "then the shit hit the fan", or "all hell broke loose."
I've appreciated reading By Night in Chile with you. Your perspectives have enriched my reading of the text and forced me to dig deeper to explain my own interpretations. Thanks!
102SassyLassy
>98 labfs39: A Place of Greater Safety was the first Mantel I read, from the library, and it started me on so many more. It certainly ranks among her best; if it wasn't for the Wolf Hall trilogy, I would say it was her best.
I thought the title story from The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher was the best of the collection, which is oddly uneven.
Have you read the other Boyden books in this trilogy?
I think I need a library sale - unlikely to happen.
>100 dchaikin: My problem with responding to your thoughts on the church is that I find myself pontificating. too funny!
I did like your thoughts on it though.
I thought the title story from The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher was the best of the collection, which is oddly uneven.
Have you read the other Boyden books in this trilogy?
I think I need a library sale - unlikely to happen.
>100 dchaikin: My problem with responding to your thoughts on the church is that I find myself pontificating. too funny!
I did like your thoughts on it though.
103dchaikin
>94 labfs39: I read an interesting article that points out that the title in Spanish is Nocturno de Chile with all the connotations that the word nocturne has.
Nocturno is also the word for a nocturn: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturns 🙂
Nocturno is also the word for a nocturn: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturns 🙂
104labfs39
>102 SassyLassy: I don't read a lot of short stories, but I did want to try some of Mantel's fiction that wasn't her weightier historical tomes. I'm also looking forward to the memoir.
I read Three Day Road a long time ago and was less enthusiastic than a lot of the LTers that I follow and who's opinions I respect. Have you read the entire trilogy? Should I find and read Through Black Spruce next, or are the stories separate enough that it doesn't matter?
>103 dchaikin: Yes! Exactly. It's a loaded word that is lost in the English title.
I read Three Day Road a long time ago and was less enthusiastic than a lot of the LTers that I follow and who's opinions I respect. Have you read the entire trilogy? Should I find and read Through Black Spruce next, or are the stories separate enough that it doesn't matter?
>103 dchaikin: Yes! Exactly. It's a loaded word that is lost in the English title.
105Dilara86
When I read your conversation about pigeons in Roberto Bolaño's book, I immediately thought that given the proximity of the French and Spanish language, there was the possibility that both languages use their word for "pigeon" literally and figuratively, to describe someone who's gullible, soft and easily manipulated, since that is one of the French uses of the word. Checking an online Spanish dictionary, it looks like this is not quite it, but in a long list of meanings for "palomo/paloma", a couple might fit:
* Skilled propagandist or schemer
* Gentle and quiet genius
* In politics, someone who is moderate and looking for conciliation and peace
Would any of these make sense in context?
(And I hope I'm not doing a Dunning-Kruger here - if someone is more knowledgeable, please chime in!)
* Skilled propagandist or schemer
* Gentle and quiet genius
* In politics, someone who is moderate and looking for conciliation and peace
Would any of these make sense in context?
(And I hope I'm not doing a Dunning-Kruger here - if someone is more knowledgeable, please chime in!)
106cindydavid4
then there is palomitas, which around here means popcorn. Hopefully not made with pigeons :)
107Dilara86
>106 cindydavid4: Now I'm picturing flying, pooing popcorn :-D
108msf59
Happy Sunday, Lisa. I can't recommend Wolf Hall high enough. It is big but absolutely wonderful. I have been meaning to read The Orenda for years now. I loved the first two books in the trilogy. If you ever want to do a shared read of it, let me know. I also picked up Flung out of Space. I hope to dip into it today.
109labfs39
>105 Dilara86: Thank you, Dilara. I hadn't thought checking the original meanings of pigeon in other languages. Dan and I did have a long conversation (via texting) about "gullible, soft and easily manipulated," so the idea is in the book. * In politics, someone who is moderate and looking for conciliation and peace I think this is definitely a possibility, because there is one priest in the book who does not want to kill pigeons with his falcon. He thinks there's something wrong with killing the innocent. The priest dies, and Urrutia releases his falcon. So moderation or peace is not tolerated.
It takes a village to read a book!
>76 SassyLassy: I hope you feel free to add your perspective too, Sassy, although I know you may be preoccupied with the storm at the moment. I didn't see a review by you posted on the book page, and I'm curious as to what you thought.
It takes a village to read a book!
>76 SassyLassy: I hope you feel free to add your perspective too, Sassy, although I know you may be preoccupied with the storm at the moment. I didn't see a review by you posted on the book page, and I'm curious as to what you thought.
110labfs39
>108 msf59: I agree with your praise of Wolf Hall, Mark. And I liked Bring Up the Bodies a smidge more. I felt she really hit her stride with the language in that one.
I'll let you know when I get to The Orenda. Do you think I need to read Through Black Spruce first?
I'll let you know when I get to The Orenda. Do you think I need to read Through Black Spruce first?
111msf59
"Do you think I need to read Through Black Spruce first?" Honestly, I don't remember how connected they are, but it is a very good book.
112SassyLassy
>104 labfs39: Three Day Road for me was probably the best of the three. I don't think you necessarily have to read Through Black Spruce before The Orenda; they can be read separately.
I don't read much CanLit, so I'm not sure why I read these. Perhaps it was a book club.
I don't read much CanLit, so I'm not sure why I read these. Perhaps it was a book club.
113labfs39
By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño, translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews
Published 2000, English translation 2003, 130 p.
Father Urrutia Lacroix is on his deathbed, confronting the "wizened youth" of his idealistic younger self, and ranting in a semi-confessional, desultory style that runs the entire book without pause. He relates his desire to write poetry and how that brought him into the circle of literary critic, Farewell, where he met many illustrious members of the literary intelligentsia, including Neruda. But Urrutia remained on the outside and eventually fell into a despondency broken only by an offer from two shady members of Opus Dei to travel Europe investigating ways to preserve the integrity of the Church. Upon his return he is drawn into a complicit relationship with the Chilean military junta, until he even he finds it hard to justify his actions.
By Night in Chile is a stinging indictment of the literary elite and their role as bystanders, if not contributors, to the terror that permeated Chile under Pinochet. Replete with references to literary figures ranging from Dante to Ernst Jünger, as well as Chilean historical personages, the novel is best read with easy access to the Internet. Bolaño also condemns the Catholic Church for being "the well in which the sins of Chile sink without a trace." His imagery of the priests of Europe using falcons to bring down the pigeons and even doves of the people they supposedly guide is chilling. In addition to it's intellectual interest, the novel is wonderfully written with lines that are both concise and illustrative. Impressive.
Edited to fix spacing issue.
114labfs39
>211 msf59: >212 AnnieMod: Thanks, I won't get to Boyden immediately, and will keep an eye out for the second book, but not feel compelled to read it first.
115dchaikin
>113 labfs39: terrific review!
116lisapeet
>98 labfs39: I've had A Place of Greater Safety on the shelf for ages—I'm very interested in the French Revolution but haven't read much fiction around it, so I'm pretty sure this will be up my alley. I read The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher years ago and can't remember much about it other than the title story, and have yet to read The Mirror and the Light—I reread Wolf Hall a couple of years ago and feel like I should revisit Bring Up the Bodies before I tackle the third, which is a big roadblock to throw up for myself but I can do it.
labfs39 dchaikin I'm really enjoying your conversation about the Bolaño, though I probably won't be reading it anytime soon myself.
labfs39 dchaikin I'm really enjoying your conversation about the Bolaño, though I probably won't be reading it anytime soon myself.
117cindydavid4
I keep rereading Wolf Hall probably ever year or so . Its such a stunning read, and I learn more each time I read it. A place of greater safety is actually the first I read of hers; it helps to have some background of the names involved in the revolution, so it was a slow read for me till I caught up. But very interesting and well written
118BLBera
>113 labfs39: This sounds really good.
119labfs39
>115 dchaikin: Thanks, Dan. And thanks for doing a buddy read with me, I hope it was rewarding for you, it certainly was for me!
>116 lisapeet: I'm looking forward to reading more Mantel, although now I feel as though I should ration myself, since there won't be more. Fortunately she wrote a lot, more than I thought. I'll be curious to see what you think of Mirror and the Light. I thought it was the weakest of the three.
I'm glad I read By Night in Chile. It's a book I would probably have kept putting off if it wasn't for doing it as a buddy read.
>117 cindydavid4: That's good information, Cindy. I have only read things like Tale of Two Cities, so getting some background info first would probably be a good idea for me. I have Citizens. I wonder if that would be a good intro?
>118 BLBera: By Night in Chile was surprisingly good, especially after digging into it more. When I first finished, I thought, well that's done. But the more I thought about it and discussed it with Dan, the more layers I saw. It's one of those books that I will continue thinking about even after it's back on the shelf.
>116 lisapeet: I'm looking forward to reading more Mantel, although now I feel as though I should ration myself, since there won't be more. Fortunately she wrote a lot, more than I thought. I'll be curious to see what you think of Mirror and the Light. I thought it was the weakest of the three.
I'm glad I read By Night in Chile. It's a book I would probably have kept putting off if it wasn't for doing it as a buddy read.
>117 cindydavid4: That's good information, Cindy. I have only read things like Tale of Two Cities, so getting some background info first would probably be a good idea for me. I have Citizens. I wonder if that would be a good intro?
>118 BLBera: By Night in Chile was surprisingly good, especially after digging into it more. When I first finished, I thought, well that's done. But the more I thought about it and discussed it with Dan, the more layers I saw. It's one of those books that I will continue thinking about even after it's back on the shelf.
120japaul22
When I read A Place of Greater Safety, I read (either during or shortly before) a nonfiction book about Danton, The Giant of the French Revolution by David Lawday. It's a relatively brief biography and gave me a feel for the major players in the French revolution and where Mantel's fiction was based strongly on historical facts and where it took creative license.
121labfs39
I kick myself for not writing the review as soon as I finished the book, because it was really good. Unfortunately life intervenes, and now the immediacy is gone.
Canción by Eduardo Halfon, translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman and Danial Hahn
Published 2021 and 2022, 158 p.
Eduardo Halfon's books are a pastiche of experiences, memories, family stories, and invention. His narrator, also Eduardo Halfon, both mirrors him and allows him to go beyond himself. It's impossible to tease out what is fact and what is fiction. And yet, I find it works.
...Imposter, he said in English. I was unsure whether the old novelist had said it in jest or was serious, and smiling, I told him that every writer of fiction is an imposter. Then a journalist in jacket and tie announced solemnly—without looking at me—that he couldn't see what sense it made to recount, there, at a conference of Lebanese writers, the story of a Guatemalan farmer and his herd of cows. An older woman, a literature professor, jumped up to defend me, sort of, telling the journalist—also without looking at me and talking about me as if I wasn't there—that Halfon did the same thing in his writing, that all his stories seemed to lose the thread and never go anywhere. I didn't say anything, though I could have said this: The photographer Cartier-Bresson, in order to determine the artistic merit of an image, always looked at it upside down. Or I could have said this: The best stories as Verdi knew, are written in A-flat major...
To me, the five stories in this book, hang together as a whole, and I was surprised to learn that other publishers internationally have concatenated them differently. This English translation includes The Conference, The Bedouin, Beni, Canción (the longest, comprising half the book), and Kimono on the Skin.
The book opens with the narrator attending the conference referenced above. Halfon's grandfather was born in then-Syria, now-Lebanon and through this tenuous connection, the invitation to speak was made. The irony of a Guatemalan Jew of Syrian descent being asked to speak at a Japanese conference of Lebanonese writers is not lost on the narrator, yet it is also not uncommon. The author-narrator has lived in the US, Spain, Paris, and Berlin, and is frequently described in various combinations. The idea of identity being amorphous and changeable runs throughout Halfon's works. This tension of things not being what they appear to be allows the author to play with language in interesting ways.
And this, according to some of his comrades, was one of Canción's most peculiar characteristics: his manner of speaking, his way of expressing himself in short, cryptic, almost poetic phrases. He would rarely utter a long or even a complete sentence, and rarely was the meaning of his words in fact their literal meaning.
Names, identities, stories: everything is a front for something else. Meaning is layered and context-derived.
In the second story, the narrator-author introduces us to his family, rooting the narrative both in Guatemala and in Jewish culture. It also begins the family legend, told over the course of the book, of his grandfather's kidnapping by Guatemalan guerillas in 1967, during the brutal, decades-long civil war. This is the plot thread that hangs everything together and forms the backbone of the next two stories as well.
The final story bookends the work, by bringing us back to the conference. The narrator meets a Japanese woman whose grandfather survived the bombing of Hiroshima. The themes of generational trauma, family secrets, and the societal effects of war are heightened by this extreme example.
I read Halfon's Monastery earlier this summer, and it features this same hybrid narrator who travels widely, yet never strays far from Guatemala. In some ways, they, and I suspect most of Halfon's works, are really extensions and complements of one another. In fact, one publisher has released four of his novels together as one. That said, I liked Canción even more than his early work. It is incredibly rich and hangs together well. I can't wait to read more.
Edited to fix touchstones. Again.
Canción by Eduardo Halfon, translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman and Danial Hahn
Published 2021 and 2022, 158 p.
Eduardo Halfon's books are a pastiche of experiences, memories, family stories, and invention. His narrator, also Eduardo Halfon, both mirrors him and allows him to go beyond himself. It's impossible to tease out what is fact and what is fiction. And yet, I find it works.
...Imposter, he said in English. I was unsure whether the old novelist had said it in jest or was serious, and smiling, I told him that every writer of fiction is an imposter. Then a journalist in jacket and tie announced solemnly—without looking at me—that he couldn't see what sense it made to recount, there, at a conference of Lebanese writers, the story of a Guatemalan farmer and his herd of cows. An older woman, a literature professor, jumped up to defend me, sort of, telling the journalist—also without looking at me and talking about me as if I wasn't there—that Halfon did the same thing in his writing, that all his stories seemed to lose the thread and never go anywhere. I didn't say anything, though I could have said this: The photographer Cartier-Bresson, in order to determine the artistic merit of an image, always looked at it upside down. Or I could have said this: The best stories as Verdi knew, are written in A-flat major...
To me, the five stories in this book, hang together as a whole, and I was surprised to learn that other publishers internationally have concatenated them differently. This English translation includes The Conference, The Bedouin, Beni, Canción (the longest, comprising half the book), and Kimono on the Skin.
The book opens with the narrator attending the conference referenced above. Halfon's grandfather was born in then-Syria, now-Lebanon and through this tenuous connection, the invitation to speak was made. The irony of a Guatemalan Jew of Syrian descent being asked to speak at a Japanese conference of Lebanonese writers is not lost on the narrator, yet it is also not uncommon. The author-narrator has lived in the US, Spain, Paris, and Berlin, and is frequently described in various combinations. The idea of identity being amorphous and changeable runs throughout Halfon's works. This tension of things not being what they appear to be allows the author to play with language in interesting ways.
And this, according to some of his comrades, was one of Canción's most peculiar characteristics: his manner of speaking, his way of expressing himself in short, cryptic, almost poetic phrases. He would rarely utter a long or even a complete sentence, and rarely was the meaning of his words in fact their literal meaning.
Names, identities, stories: everything is a front for something else. Meaning is layered and context-derived.
In the second story, the narrator-author introduces us to his family, rooting the narrative both in Guatemala and in Jewish culture. It also begins the family legend, told over the course of the book, of his grandfather's kidnapping by Guatemalan guerillas in 1967, during the brutal, decades-long civil war. This is the plot thread that hangs everything together and forms the backbone of the next two stories as well.
The final story bookends the work, by bringing us back to the conference. The narrator meets a Japanese woman whose grandfather survived the bombing of Hiroshima. The themes of generational trauma, family secrets, and the societal effects of war are heightened by this extreme example.
I read Halfon's Monastery earlier this summer, and it features this same hybrid narrator who travels widely, yet never strays far from Guatemala. In some ways, they, and I suspect most of Halfon's works, are really extensions and complements of one another. In fact, one publisher has released four of his novels together as one. That said, I liked Canción even more than his early work. It is incredibly rich and hangs together well. I can't wait to read more.
Edited to fix touchstones. Again.
122labfs39
>120 japaul22: Thank you for the recommendation, Jennifer. I've made a note for when I read PoGS.
123dchaikin
>121 labfs39: terrific review and i love that first quote. Seems like a nice follow up to our mysterious Guatemalan artist in Nazi Paris. You left me very interested.
And I’m loved reading the Bolaño with you. It’s a fun book and having a buddy me to force to put thoughts into words and then question those thoughts and rethink, made it much more rewarding. And I really like how Bolaño made it fun, even as his focus is so serious. So, thanks for getting that off my TBR shelves (sometimes viewed a my NTBR shelves - the Never to be Read shelves).
And I’m loved reading the Bolaño with you. It’s a fun book and having a buddy me to force to put thoughts into words and then question those thoughts and rethink, made it much more rewarding. And I really like how Bolaño made it fun, even as his focus is so serious. So, thanks for getting that off my TBR shelves (sometimes viewed a my NTBR shelves - the Never to be Read shelves).
124cindydavid4
>119 labfs39: i think the more background you can get would be helpful for getting into place of greater safety and really you cant go wrong with Tale of two cities thats where I learned about it as a kid and it was a base off where I could jump off into topic. I have not read citizens but have read severl histories from Schama and enjoyed them . A novel by one of my fav authors little is about a young orphan taken in by a family just on the eve of the revelution. She ultimately becomes Madame Trussads. Careys work is quirky, but thats why I love him. hope that helps!
125cindydavid4
ok I missed something: who is this Bolano that you speak of; thinking this is something I want to read; book title please
126dchaikin
>125 cindydavid4: - I'm still trying to answer that question. :) I've read two his books, By Night in Chile, a later work, and The Third Reich (his 1st novel written, but only discovered and published posthumously). Both are actually really disturbing, but yet they are playful and I found both fun to read. I felt they left an impression far more gentle* than their implications. My Wikipedia-ish entry might say: Roberto Bolaño was a Chilean-born author, who lived mostly in Mexico and Spain and wrote in Spanish. He became popular in English-speaking circles only around the time he passed away, in 2003 (age 50). I don't think he had any works translated before about 2000. He's most popular work is probably The Savage Detectives, or maybe the oversized 2666 (also published posthumously, in 2004).
*huh. I guess saying "more gentle" is grammatically equivalent to saying "more big"
*huh. I guess saying "more gentle" is grammatically equivalent to saying "more big"
127cindydavid4
mmmm, just looked at 2666 which I keep hearing about. One reviewer had to stop reading it " i guess i just need to wait for a time when i am feeling more callous, when my heart does not feel like it is right underneath my skin. sigh."
Yeah thats getting to be the case for me recently. Just too much for my heart to stand. Maybe another time
Yeah thats getting to be the case for me recently. Just too much for my heart to stand. Maybe another time
128labfs39
>123 dchaikin: Thanks, Dan! Yes reading Halfon, Bolaño, Halfon has been quite the pairing (or what is the word for pairing three things??). They were the first authors I've read from either Guatemala or Chile. Lots of grim history to explore. With Bolaño I was busy researching the American involvement in the coup and propping up dictatorships; the Pope and Pinochet; Allende; etc. While reading Canción, I was busy reading about the 36-year civil war, Maya genocide, the Kaibiles (notorious commando unit), Dos Erres massacre, etc. You can see how I fall into rabbit holes.
I have a feeling By Night in Chile would have ended up on my NTBR shelves too. I was apprehensive about reading Bolaño after reading reviews of 2666. I have a hard time with certain types of violence. But I saw this book at a library sale and picked it up. Fortunately BNiC was not that kind of book, and it was a great way to dip my feet into the Bolaño spring.
I have a feeling By Night in Chile would have ended up on my NTBR shelves too. I was apprehensive about reading Bolaño after reading reviews of 2666. I have a hard time with certain types of violence. But I saw this book at a library sale and picked it up. Fortunately BNiC was not that kind of book, and it was a great way to dip my feet into the Bolaño spring.
129labfs39
>124 cindydavid4: Thanks, Cindy. I will keep the suggestions in mind when I get to the French Revolution. It will be a while though. I'm off now to start my reading for October: Indo-China region for the Asian Book Challenge.
>125 cindydavid4: Dan and I both read By Night in Chile by Bolaño and shared our thoughts starting roughly >64 labfs39:. I see Dan has responded to your query as well.
>127 cindydavid4: I had the same reaction as you when I read the reviews of 2666.
>125 cindydavid4: Dan and I both read By Night in Chile by Bolaño and shared our thoughts starting roughly >64 labfs39:. I see Dan has responded to your query as well.
>127 cindydavid4: I had the same reaction as you when I read the reviews of 2666.
130avaland
>121 labfs39: Ha! I was just coming over to see if you got around to reviewing the Halfon book! Great review (maybe I don't have to read this newest one now :-) Soooo many books to read....
131labfs39
Next Up:
Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong translated from the Vietnamese by Phan Huy Duong and Nina McPherson
Why? It's Indo-China month in the Asian Book Challenge. I've owned this book since 2014 (purchased at the lovely former Elliot Bay Book Company). I purchased it after a great review by Deborah/arubabookwoman.
Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong translated from the Vietnamese by Phan Huy Duong and Nina McPherson
Why? It's Indo-China month in the Asian Book Challenge. I've owned this book since 2014 (purchased at the lovely former Elliot Bay Book Company). I purchased it after a great review by Deborah/arubabookwoman.
132labfs39
>130 avaland: Thank you for introducing me to Halfon, Lois. I will definitely keep an eye out for more books by him. I hope the length of my review didn't dissuade you from wanting to read it. Believe me, there is lots more packed into this little book that I didn't mention.
133labfs39
Breaking news: I may have finally found a real life book club to join! Last Sunday I was on the Alfred Library website making a list of books to get for the kids, when I noticed that they were having a discussion of Dara Horn's People Love Dead Jews the next day. It's a book I've been meaning to read for a while. The book for October is The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein, a book I own but have not read, and November is Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman. I'm not sure what the theme of the group is yet, but these three books hit my reading sweet spot. I'll report back after the first meeting.
134cindydavid4
I have the dara horn book and I don't know what Im waiting for.Ill get to it nefore the year ends. and congrats on finding a book group! im afraid our sci/fani is going down the tubes, and not enjoying my modern lit one, but im in charge of wrong end of the telescope for november so will see how that goes.
135dianeham
>133 labfs39: That’s impressive for such a small library. Enjoy.
136RidgewayGirl
>133 labfs39: Congrats on finding a book club. I hope you enjoy it. It's really good to talk in person with other book people.
137lisapeet
>133 labfs39: Book clubs are so good when they're good. Hope you enjoy this one!
138labfs39
>134 cindydavid4: I have only been in one real book club, back when I lived in Washington, and it was a mixed experience. It would be nice to have face to face time with book people though, so I've got my fingers crossed. Why aren't you enjoying your modern lit group? Not a good mix?
>135 dianeham: Yes, I'm curious to see who the members are. The Alfred Library doesn't have an online system for patrons to see their account (I can look for books, but can't see which books I have checked out), but their selection of children's books is quite good: new and diverse. I started going there with my niece for their storytime, and have checked out kids books (free access to anyone, no residential requirements), but still use the library in my town for most of my book needs. The Alfred library is a good half hour drive from here, as opposed to a mere mile, but it's worth the drive once a week for storytime and to stock up on kids books.
>136 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, Kay. I'm excited and hope it will be a good group. At least the next few books are good.
>137 lisapeet: Book clubs are so good when they're good. Exactly! I am envious of people who have been in the same book club for years.
>135 dianeham: Yes, I'm curious to see who the members are. The Alfred Library doesn't have an online system for patrons to see their account (I can look for books, but can't see which books I have checked out), but their selection of children's books is quite good: new and diverse. I started going there with my niece for their storytime, and have checked out kids books (free access to anyone, no residential requirements), but still use the library in my town for most of my book needs. The Alfred library is a good half hour drive from here, as opposed to a mere mile, but it's worth the drive once a week for storytime and to stock up on kids books.
>136 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, Kay. I'm excited and hope it will be a good group. At least the next few books are good.
>137 lisapeet: Book clubs are so good when they're good. Exactly! I am envious of people who have been in the same book club for years.
139avaland
>133 labfs39: That book group sounds promising! I'll be interested in your thoughts after your first meeting.
140BLBera
>133 labfs39: Good luck with your book club, Lisa. Halfon sounds like an author I would like.
141labfs39
>139 avaland: Fingers crossed, Lois.
>140 BLBera: The nice thing about Halfon is that his works are short, so if you try it and don't like it, you haven't invested a lot of time. In fact, for $1 you can read the story "Canción" (not the novel) online at the New York Review of Books.
>140 BLBera: The nice thing about Halfon is that his works are short, so if you try it and don't like it, you haven't invested a lot of time. In fact, for $1 you can read the story "Canción" (not the novel) online at the New York Review of Books.
142cindydavid4
>138 labfs39: Why aren't you enjoying your modern lit group? Not a good mix?
When we had more regular members, like 20 or so, there was usually a mix each month who showed up, with very interesting selections and discussions. After Covid, the bookstore took down the bookgroup kiosk to make room for something, and haven't put it back for some reason, so customers no longer see bookgroup information.. So we are down to about 8 one drive me bonkers with her I know everything, and anotherone who thinks we are obligsted to attend ifwe are members (she is ignored thank stars) But with only 8, our selections usually are books written for book groups and they usally not very good. They did choose two of mine Vanishing Half and wrong end of the telescope, and we are now meeting live, so Ill start showing up. But lots of the other selectins... we'll see
When we had more regular members, like 20 or so, there was usually a mix each month who showed up, with very interesting selections and discussions. After Covid, the bookstore took down the bookgroup kiosk to make room for something, and haven't put it back for some reason, so customers no longer see bookgroup information.. So we are down to about 8 one drive me bonkers with her I know everything, and anotherone who thinks we are obligsted to attend ifwe are members (she is ignored thank stars) But with only 8, our selections usually are books written for book groups and they usally not very good. They did choose two of mine Vanishing Half and wrong end of the telescope, and we are now meeting live, so Ill start showing up. But lots of the other selectins... we'll see
143dianeham
>138 labfs39: the Alfred looks very low budget but good taste in books. What’s the name of your library. I ran all the tech in our county library system so I like looking at other libraries online.
144labfs39
>142 cindydavid4: That does sound challenging, Cindy. But maybe if the kiosk gets puts back and with in-person meetings, things will get better? I would like to read The Wrong End of the Telescope.
>143 dianeham: Exactly, Diane. The libraries here are small and rural, but Parsons Memorial Library (Alfred) are putting what money they have towards their books, which I appreciate. The Limerick Library seems to be putting more money toward staff, which for such a small library seems premature.
>143 dianeham: Exactly, Diane. The libraries here are small and rural, but Parsons Memorial Library (Alfred) are putting what money they have towards their books, which I appreciate. The Limerick Library seems to be putting more money toward staff, which for such a small library seems premature.
145cindydavid4
Lisa I think you would really enjoy it. Really got me into his work also read A Unecessary Woman previously and definitely will read more!\
146labfs39
> 145 I loved An Unnecessary Woman, so I'm definitely looking out for more Alameddine, and Wrong End of the Telescope is on my wishlist.
147labfs39
Well, made it through the High Holidays, the vicarious trauma of another Florida hurricane (having lived through Michael), and my niece's sixth birthday! Today was a glorious fall day, and I spent several hours outside with my niece enjoying nature. I love autumn!
148labfs39
I was without a book (horrors!) for a couple of hours today and began reading The Blue Sky on my phone. Utterly fascinating novel about a young Mongolian boy.
149dchaikin
>147 labfs39: I didn’t do so good with the Yom Kippur fast. Ended up making myself sick… ☹️ Happy Birthday to your niece! My daughter turned 18 yesterday.
150cindydavid4
happy birthdays all around!!!!!! were you sick because you hadn't eaten?
151dchaikin
>150 cindydavid4: oye, sorta. Apparently garlic naan is a bad way to break your fast. At least for me.
152cindydavid4
Oh no!!!!! ouch. Hope you feel better soon and have a better soothing break fast instead.
153labfs39
>149 dchaikin: We had butter chicken, but no naan. That first glass of juice sure goes down nicely... Hope you are feeling better today. Happy Birthday to your daughter! That's a big one.
154rocketjk
We broke our fast with the leftovers of the same pot roast and tsimmis that my wife had prepared for dinner on Rosh Hashana. Gave a nice feeling of closure to the Days of Awe. All went well in our house. Once again, L'Shana Tova to one and all.
155labfs39
I hope everyone is continuing to get their covid boosters and flu shots. Maine Medical Center is currently inundated with covid patients. One friend of the family had a burst appendix and had to wait in a hallway with a morphine drip for 8 hours until an OR was free. My stepmother's brother never made it to a room at all, but spent five hours in the hallway being treated. Tis the season...
156cindydavid4
done and done. scary its all still happening
157dchaikin
>155 labfs39: wow...
158Yells
>155 labfs39:. Yikes…. A burst appendix isn’t something you want to mess around with. How awful to have to wait that out.
I’m in Ontario and it’s not much better here. My husband works at a Home Depot store and he said 17 people called in sick on Sunday alone. He tested positive last Friday and I got it Sunday - both for the first time.
I’m in Ontario and it’s not much better here. My husband works at a Home Depot store and he said 17 people called in sick on Sunday alone. He tested positive last Friday and I got it Sunday - both for the first time.
159labfs39
>158 Yells: I hope you and your husband feel better soon. Are they using covid medications like Paxlovid in Canada?
Last time I was in an ER with my mom, they were using the OR recovery rooms for overflow ER, but this was last year. I thought we were beyond that. The good news is that the current strain is not as deadly for most folks, so death and hospitalization rates are not going up as fast as ER visits. There has been a 24% increase in covid cases in Maine over last week.
Last time I was in an ER with my mom, they were using the OR recovery rooms for overflow ER, but this was last year. I thought we were beyond that. The good news is that the current strain is not as deadly for most folks, so death and hospitalization rates are not going up as fast as ER visits. There has been a 24% increase in covid cases in Maine over last week.
160Yells
I thought we were beyond that too!
We are both feeling a lot better now. Flu symptoms but no coughing or breathing issues. We got a booster just over a month ago so that helped. I think meds are limited to those 60+ or at-risk.
We are both feeling a lot better now. Flu symptoms but no coughing or breathing issues. We got a booster just over a month ago so that helped. I think meds are limited to those 60+ or at-risk.
161kidzdoc
Fabulous reviews of By Night in Chile and Canción, Lisa!
I've read Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, which are two of my favorite novels of this century. I haven't read The Mirror & the Light yet, probably because I haven't decided if I should re-read the first two novels in the Cromwell Trilogy first.
I also own A Place of Greater Safety, and I'll probably read it in the next six months, as an old friend of mine, a local Lutheran pastor who conducted my father's funeral in December, wants to read it with me.
Thanks to Jennifer for mentioning and recommending The Giant of the French Revolution. I own a copy of it, and since I'm not that familiar with the French Revolution I'll read it before I start A Place of Greater Safety, and recommend it to my friend Marie.
I've read Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, which are two of my favorite novels of this century. I haven't read The Mirror & the Light yet, probably because I haven't decided if I should re-read the first two novels in the Cromwell Trilogy first.
I also own A Place of Greater Safety, and I'll probably read it in the next six months, as an old friend of mine, a local Lutheran pastor who conducted my father's funeral in December, wants to read it with me.
Thanks to Jennifer for mentioning and recommending The Giant of the French Revolution. I own a copy of it, and since I'm not that familiar with the French Revolution I'll read it before I start A Place of Greater Safety, and recommend it to my friend Marie.
162markon
>159 labfs39: 24% increase? Yow! I am hoping to get my omicron booster in two weeks. I was scheduled to get it two weeks ago, but was sick. Our rates in Georgia seem to be on the downswing right now. But it's a good reminder for me to keep my mask on when in public.
163cindydavid4
>160 Yells: nope as long as there are people refusing to be vaccinated, this will be with us a long time, and more people will die. havent heard if there is an increas here, but iirc, the governor decided we didnt need to keep track. Bah
164cindydavid4
>161 kidzdoc: probably because I haven't decided if I should re-read the first two novels in the Cromwell Trilogy first.
when was the last time you read them? if its been awhile, you might want to because lots of ends are tied up in the end. I will warn you that the third one, while very get rather bogged down in details plus she doesnt want to let Cromwell go.
when was the last time you read them? if its been awhile, you might want to because lots of ends are tied up in the end. I will warn you that the third one, while very get rather bogged down in details plus she doesnt want to let Cromwell go.
165labfs39
>160 Yells: I went back and double checked that statistic, and it's actually a 24% increase in covid hospitalizations, not cases, over the past week (in Maine). A lot of the cases are people who come to the hospital for other reasons and find out they also have covid. So it seems that the current variants of covid are not as deadly, but very prevalent, and that is what is snarling up our hospitals.
Current strains also seem to have fewer respiratory symptoms. I'm glad that was the case with you. Now covid symptoms seem to be all over the map, making it harder to pinpoint, whereas earlier, fever, cough, and fatigue were the hallmarks, along with loss of sense of smell, which is not a symptom with omicron.
Medications are supposed to be for those at severe risk here as well, with age being one of the factors. But anecdotally I have heard of lots of folks getting Paxlovid, so I think it depends on the doctor.
>162 markon: I am hoping to get my booster soon too. I did get my flu shot this week. If Australia is any indication, and it usually is, the flu season with hit early and hard here in the US too.
>163 cindydavid4: Not collecting data always seems like a foolish choice to me...
Current strains also seem to have fewer respiratory symptoms. I'm glad that was the case with you. Now covid symptoms seem to be all over the map, making it harder to pinpoint, whereas earlier, fever, cough, and fatigue were the hallmarks, along with loss of sense of smell, which is not a symptom with omicron.
Medications are supposed to be for those at severe risk here as well, with age being one of the factors. But anecdotally I have heard of lots of folks getting Paxlovid, so I think it depends on the doctor.
>162 markon: I am hoping to get my booster soon too. I did get my flu shot this week. If Australia is any indication, and it usually is, the flu season with hit early and hard here in the US too.
>163 cindydavid4: Not collecting data always seems like a foolish choice to me...
166labfs39
>161 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! I remember you reading 2666 by Bolaño. I think By Night in Chile is a very different work, certainly less explicitly violent. It was his first book to be translated into English, perhaps Bolaño lite? But I liked it quite a bit and certainly found lots to mull over.
I too loved Wolf Hall and, even more, Bring Up the Bodies. I felt like her writing hit its stride here. Although I'm glad I read the last volume in the trilogy, I felt like it was not nearly as good. They can't all be five star reads, I guess. I'm looking forward to reading more of her works and have her memoir, a short story collection, and Place of Greater Safety on the shelves. I too will pick up the Danton biography when I get to the latter.
>164 cindydavid4: I'm not sure I'm ready for a reread yet myself, but I foresee rereading the first two at some point. They are just so good.
I too loved Wolf Hall and, even more, Bring Up the Bodies. I felt like her writing hit its stride here. Although I'm glad I read the last volume in the trilogy, I felt like it was not nearly as good. They can't all be five star reads, I guess. I'm looking forward to reading more of her works and have her memoir, a short story collection, and Place of Greater Safety on the shelves. I too will pick up the Danton biography when I get to the latter.
>164 cindydavid4: I'm not sure I'm ready for a reread yet myself, but I foresee rereading the first two at some point. They are just so good.
167cindydavid4
>165 labfs39: I think hospitals are, and reporting it to the county that keeps the data. But they are not required to. This is the same gov who decided to solve the teacher shortage by giving certificates to people who have not finished their course work. Yup thats gonna help
168labfs39
Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong translated from the Vietnamese by Phan Huy Duong and Nina McPherson
Published 1991, English translation 1995, 289 p.
To understand Duong Thu Huong's novels, it is important to understand her background. At the age of twenty, Duong left college and volunteered to lead a Communist Youth Brigade to the front in the "War Against the Americans." She served in one of the most bombed regions of the war and was one of three survivors out of her group of twenty. She was also at the front during the 1979 Chinese attack on Vietnam. But during the 1980s, she became a critic of the Communist regime and an advocate for human rights. She was expelled from the party in 1989, imprisoned briefly in 1991 (the year she published this novel), and had her passport revoked so she could not leave the country. Her books were extremely popular prior to her imprisonment, but they are now banned and everything she has written since then has had to be published abroad, despite being written for a Vietnamese audience.
Novel Without a Name is the story of Quan, a young Communist soldier who, when the story opens, has been fighting the Americans for ten years. He left his village at the age of eighteen, excited for glory and idealistic about his nation's role in history. But after ten years of hunger, disease, and killing, "there is this gangrene that eats at the heart." He is summoned to company headquarters by a former classmate, who tells him that their friend has been imprisoned in a camp for psychiatric cases, and can he go and see what might be done for him. Afterward he is given leave to visit their hometown for a couple of days. But his brief visit is not a return to his dreamed of childhood, it is the source of more disillusionment.
Never. We never forget anything, never lose anything, never exchange anything, never undo what has been. There is no way back to the source, to the place where the pure, clear water once gushed forth.
Quan's idealism may be in tatters, but the war goes on. He returns to the front and further horrific warfare, corruption, and spiritual decay.
Duong has said that she never intended to become a writer. She served as an exemplary soldier, hoarding her impressions, and began to write as an expression of her pain. That pain is clearly reflected in Quan's odyssey between war and home and back again.
169SassyLassy
>168 labfs39: I think this book should go on those lists of best war novels. It was excellent.
170dchaikin
>168 labfs39: I really appreciate the background you summarized. Great review.
171labfs39
>169 SassyLassy: That would be an interesting list to try and compose. I thought this one contained such interesting information about a North Vietnamese soldier's daily life. Little things like washing and drying moldy tobacco so that it could be used, and big things like people going crazy from disease or mental strain. As Deborah says in her review, it's also interesting to read about how soldiers could continue to believe in the cause, not only for a year or two, but a decade. Tours of duty were indefinite.
>170 dchaikin: Thanks, Dan. I think knowing the author's background in this case lends not only authenticity to the story, but an understanding of how a person could move from patriotic fervor to utter disillusionment. And yet given the opportunity in the 80s to leave and join relatives in the states, she chose to stay. It was her country, and I think she felt a duty to try and change things. I wonder how brisk the underground trade in books is in Hanoi?
>170 dchaikin: Thanks, Dan. I think knowing the author's background in this case lends not only authenticity to the story, but an understanding of how a person could move from patriotic fervor to utter disillusionment. And yet given the opportunity in the 80s to leave and join relatives in the states, she chose to stay. It was her country, and I think she felt a duty to try and change things. I wonder how brisk the underground trade in books is in Hanoi?
172labfs39
To supplement our homeschool geography studies, I am introducing a type of music for each place we study: Arctic-Inuit throat singing, Mexico-mariachi bands, and for the US-jazz. My six-year-old niece is falling in love with jazz. We are reading books, watching musicians play live on video clips, and listening to lots of different things. Her favorites so far: Take the A Train and Ella's scat. We went to the Fryeburg Fair on her birthday, found a band with a sax player, and she and her sister sat rapt for half an hour. Well, sat, danced, and clapped energetically. It was so much fun!
173BLBera
>168 labfs39: That sounds excellent, Lisa. Your reading is inspiring.
174kidzdoc
>164 cindydavid4: Thanks, Cindy. I read Wolf Hall in 2009 and Bring Up the Bodies in 2012, so I will follow your advice and re-read both of them before I start The Mirror & the Light. I was thinking ahead to next year, and I think my major theme for 2023 will be to read at least 12 long neglected tomes (which I will arbitrarily set at 500 pages or longer, unless someone has a better definition) from my library, including these books*, A Place of Greater Safety, the remaining two books in Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle series, possibly his most recently translated novel The Morning Star, Pessoa: A Biography by Richard Zenith, the massive (nearly 1100 page) book by one of the translators of The Book of Disquiet, The Gray Notebook by Josep Pla, The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir, and several others.
*My LT library tells me that Bring Up the Bodies has only 411 pages, so that book won't count as a tome.
>165 labfs39: Thanks, Lisa. Your comments made me that much more eager to read By Night in Chile.
>168 labfs39: Nice review of Novel Without a Name. My local library system but there is a copy in the central branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia (even though I live outside of the city my closest branch is less than eight miles away), so I've added it to my Interesting Books folder in my FLP account.
>172 labfs39: I love that your six year old niece is becoming a jazz head!!
*My LT library tells me that Bring Up the Bodies has only 411 pages, so that book won't count as a tome.
>165 labfs39: Thanks, Lisa. Your comments made me that much more eager to read By Night in Chile.
>168 labfs39: Nice review of Novel Without a Name. My local library system but there is a copy in the central branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia (even though I live outside of the city my closest branch is less than eight miles away), so I've added it to my Interesting Books folder in my FLP account.
>172 labfs39: I love that your six year old niece is becoming a jazz head!!
175labfs39
>173 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!
>174 kidzdoc: I think that you would like Novel Without a Name, Darryl. Both Deborah/arubabookwoman and SassyLassy liked it as well.
Can't start 'em too young! I mix it up with some songs like "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" and "Rag Mop." Songs that stick in my brain for days, but that she can sing along to. Miss Ella's Playhouse is a hit too. Oh, and Louis Armstrong and Barbara Streisand singing "Hello, Dolly." :-)
>174 kidzdoc: I think that you would like Novel Without a Name, Darryl. Both Deborah/arubabookwoman and SassyLassy liked it as well.
Can't start 'em too young! I mix it up with some songs like "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" and "Rag Mop." Songs that stick in my brain for days, but that she can sing along to. Miss Ella's Playhouse is a hit too. Oh, and Louis Armstrong and Barbara Streisand singing "Hello, Dolly." :-)
176avaland
>148 labfs39: "I was without a book (horrors!) for a couple of hours today..." So funny!
177labfs39
What Native land do you live on? Did you happen to see this interactive map created by Native Land Digital, an Indigenous-led nonprofit based in Canada? Very interesting. I live on Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy) lands (Abanaki and maybe Pequawet?). You?
178dchaikin
>177 labfs39: I found that yesterday. Very cool. I live on Sana land, one of at least four tribes that overlapped in Houston/Galveston Bay.
179kidzdoc
>177 labfs39: The Keystone, a Pennsylvania news site, had a map on its timeline which came from Native-Land.ca:
I live just north of Philadelphia, the land that was formerly occupied by the Lenapehoking (Lenni-Lenape) people, who spoke the southern Unami dialect, according to Wikipedia. Our local library branch has the book Lenape country: Delaware Valley society before William Penn by Jean R. Soderlund, so I placed a hold for it and I'll read it this month.
I live just north of Philadelphia, the land that was formerly occupied by the Lenapehoking (Lenni-Lenape) people, who spoke the southern Unami dialect, according to Wikipedia. Our local library branch has the book Lenape country: Delaware Valley society before William Penn by Jean R. Soderlund, so I placed a hold for it and I'll read it this month.
180cindydavid4
>177 labfs39: I saw that and was confused. Navajo, hopi, pima, maricpa are not listed. Unless these names are the ones the natives used for themselves?
181stretch
>180 cindydavid4: They use the Native namings and native spellings for instance the Miami tribe in the Midwest is spelled as Myaamia. Sometimes the anglicized spelling and confederations are sometimes grouped together in parentheses.
182cindydavid4
>181 stretch: ok thats what i thought, thx!
183cindydavid4
Ok, Hohokam, which is the ancient tribe people of the sw would recognize, O'odham-jewed, Akimei-O'odham
184rocketjk
It was Leni Lenape when I was a kid in New Jersey. Now, in Mendocino County, CA, I live on Pomo land. They actually taught us about the Leni Lenapes in grade school, and there are many Pomos still living in here Mendocino.
185dchaikin
>180 cindydavid4: >181 stretch: I couldn’t find Navajo, but looking it I found that the correct name is Diné, and then I found a tribe called Diné Bikéyah.
186cindydavid4
>185 dchaikin: again, duh, my teacher aid is navajo and thats the term she always used. Thanks for doing that
187dchaikin
>186 cindydavid4: i had no idea before googling. 🙂 I was really confused when I couldn’t find the tribe, even in the search bar.
188cindydavid4
yeah I can see that they might want to add 'common names for tribes' with the original to make the connection
189RidgewayGirl
>188 cindydavid4: I think that part of the point is to decolonize North America, which includes eschewing the names chosen by colonizers.
190cindydavid4
>189 RidgewayGirl: i get that totally and find it fascinating. Just something to help people find their way around is all. but there is google, so...
191MissBrangwen
>177 labfs39: What a great resource, thanks for sharing!
192raton-liseur
>168 labfs39: Great review, and a book that seems really interesting.
>148 labfs39: I was without a book (horrors!) for a couple of hours today and began reading (...) on my phone..
It made me giggle. I could see myself panicking in a similar situation. I do not read on my phone (yet), but I did the same yesterday while I was waiting for an appointment. Fortunately I had taken my ereader (so technically I was not without a book, "only" 300 of them), and decided to start The Importance of being Earnest. I read one third of it while waiting (and the rest latter in the day). I felt so relieved to have my ereader at hand!
I thought I had read Blue sky, but according to LT I haven't although I own a copy. I've read three other books by Galsan Tschinag (two that I liked a lot) and plan to read one this month for the asia book challenge. Now I might "have to" read two! Looking forward to your thoughts on this author.
>148 labfs39: I was without a book (horrors!) for a couple of hours today and began reading (...) on my phone..
It made me giggle. I could see myself panicking in a similar situation. I do not read on my phone (yet), but I did the same yesterday while I was waiting for an appointment. Fortunately I had taken my ereader (so technically I was not without a book, "only" 300 of them), and decided to start The Importance of being Earnest. I read one third of it while waiting (and the rest latter in the day). I felt so relieved to have my ereader at hand!
I thought I had read Blue sky, but according to LT I haven't although I own a copy. I've read three other books by Galsan Tschinag (two that I liked a lot) and plan to read one this month for the asia book challenge. Now I might "have to" read two! Looking forward to your thoughts on this author.
193labfs39
Thanks everyone for sharing about Native lands and peoples. I'm glad others found the site interesting too.
>192 raton-liseur: The Blue Sky was excellent. Thanks for the reminder, I had forgotten I hadn't reviewed it yet! It is the first in a trilogy of autobiographical fiction. As soon as I finished, I went online and bought the next volume. It should arrive by weekend. It's called The Gray Earth and continues the story with an account of Dshurukawaa's time in a state boarding school. Which Galsang books did you read? Which did you like or not?
>192 raton-liseur: The Blue Sky was excellent. Thanks for the reminder, I had forgotten I hadn't reviewed it yet! It is the first in a trilogy of autobiographical fiction. As soon as I finished, I went online and bought the next volume. It should arrive by weekend. It's called The Gray Earth and continues the story with an account of Dshurukawaa's time in a state boarding school. Which Galsang books did you read? Which did you like or not?
194MissBrangwen
Canada is one of the topics I teach this term and I was looking for something to fill just a short time slot on Friday before autumn break starts next week. I have decided to share the link with my students and just give them time to have a look. I will report back on how it worked.
195labfs39
>194 MissBrangwen: Please do. I'll be curious as to what they take away from it.
I am studying geography with my niece currently. We started with North America and so far have looked at the Arctic, Canada, US, and Mexico. Working our way through Central American now. I'm finding it challenging to avoid stereotypes and yet make each country distinct in her mind. All at the level of a six-year-old! It's forcing me to think about my own biases and perceptions. For instance, we are making a paper doll chain of kids holding hands, and coloring one for each country. Hands around the world concept. But how do you pick one look for a country? Who do you choose? What do they wear? I'm probably overthinking it, but it has turned into a learning experience for me too.
I am studying geography with my niece currently. We started with North America and so far have looked at the Arctic, Canada, US, and Mexico. Working our way through Central American now. I'm finding it challenging to avoid stereotypes and yet make each country distinct in her mind. All at the level of a six-year-old! It's forcing me to think about my own biases and perceptions. For instance, we are making a paper doll chain of kids holding hands, and coloring one for each country. Hands around the world concept. But how do you pick one look for a country? Who do you choose? What do they wear? I'm probably overthinking it, but it has turned into a learning experience for me too.
196raton-liseur
>193 labfs39: The Gray sky is actually the first book from Galsan Tschinag that I read and I loved it. Then I read Belek, suivi de Une chasse dans le Haut Altaï, two short stories that I really liked (one of my first reviews in LT by the way!), but I don't think they are available in English.
Then I read La Caravane, and did not really like it. It is a non fiction about Galsan Tschinag escorting his people back to their lands. It sounds nice but I did not like the way he was depicting himself in the book.
This time around, I'll go back to fiction and read La Fin du chant. It's been 10 years since I last read Galsan Tschinag, so I hope it will be a good one (and that I have not changed too much as a reader and will enjoy him again).
Then I read La Caravane, and did not really like it. It is a non fiction about Galsan Tschinag escorting his people back to their lands. It sounds nice but I did not like the way he was depicting himself in the book.
This time around, I'll go back to fiction and read La Fin du chant. It's been 10 years since I last read Galsan Tschinag, so I hope it will be a good one (and that I have not changed too much as a reader and will enjoy him again).
197labfs39
>196 raton-liseur: The Gray sky is actually the first book from Galsan Tschinag that I read and I loved it. Do you mean The Blue Sky or The Gray Earth? If the latter, that bodes well for me. I'm looking forward to it and may pause my reading of From the Land of the Green Ghosts, which I've barely breached, and dig into it when it arrives. And now I'm off to write the review.
198labfs39
The Blue Sky by Galsang Tschinag, translated from the German by Katharina Rout
Published 1994, English translation 2006, 159 p.
Dshurukawaa is a young Tuvan shepherd boy growing up in the Altai mountains of Mongolia. Life is hard, but he has a loving family and a loyal dog. His adopted Grandmother is his favorite person in the world, and she dotes on him. When his brother and sister go off to boarding school, Dshurukawaa takes on more responsibilities for the lambs and bonds even more with Aryslan, his dog.
I loved this story, based on the author's childhood as a Tuvan nomad. The descriptions of life in the ail, or settlement of his extended family's yurts, were fascinating, and the story is told with warmth. The author uses dialect for certain objects and concepts, and there is a helpful glossary at the end (which I wish I had known about sooner). I also enjoyed the translator's introduction where she discusses how she took on this project and her trip to Mongolia to stay with Galsang. I do wish there had been a map in the edition of the book that I read. It's the first in a trilogy of autobiographical novels, and I have already ordered the next one.
199AnnieMod
>198 labfs39: I had to check why a Mongolian author works in German... :) Hanging around the Club today is dangerous for my "I really do not need more books" resolve.
200labfs39
>199 AnnieMod: I did a doubletake with that as well. Come to find out he speaks and translates between Tuvan, Mongolian, Kazakh, Russian, and German (he went to the University of Leipzig). He's quite an interesting (quirky) person, I think, from the little I've gathered. I did read in the translator's introduction that he donates one work a year royalty-free to a Mongolian publisher, "hoping to sow the seeds of respect for Tuvan culture among his fellow Mongolians."
Another interesting point that the author brings us not only in the book, but also in his afterward, is that his family was branded kulaks during the Soviet era. His references to Stalin reminded me of Stalin's reach during the 40s and 50s, even to the nomadic steppes of Mongolia. They had quotas of not only wool, but pelts. His father was not a good hunter, so this caused hardships.
Another interesting point that the author brings us not only in the book, but also in his afterward, is that his family was branded kulaks during the Soviet era. His references to Stalin reminded me of Stalin's reach during the 40s and 50s, even to the nomadic steppes of Mongolia. They had quotas of not only wool, but pelts. His father was not a good hunter, so this caused hardships.
201raton-liseur
>197 labfs39: Sorry for the confusion. No wonder why I had to force the touchstones! I read The Grey Earth and have not yet read The Blue Sky.
(Well, actually, even with the right tiles the touchstones do not work well!)
>198 labfs39: Your review is very similar to what I wrote about The Grey Earth, so I guess it's really the continuity. Unfortunately the third book in the series is not available anymore in France. I'll have to check second hand bookstores...
(Well, actually, even with the right tiles the touchstones do not work well!)
>198 labfs39: Your review is very similar to what I wrote about The Grey Earth, so I guess it's really the continuity. Unfortunately the third book in the series is not available anymore in France. I'll have to check second hand bookstores...
202labfs39
>201 raton-liseur: The touchstones are bizarre. The Blue Sky goes to a kids book about fairies! And I found that I had to spell G-R-A-Y, not G-R-E-Y to get the correct touchstone for that one. I'm looking forward to reading The Gray Earth because it's about his education. He became such an educated person, I'm wondering how that happened. I'm currently reading the memoir From the Land of the Green Ghosts, and it's a similar story. The person grew up in a remote village in Burma, but somehow ends up going to Cambridge. Some people have a drive for education that surpasses their environment, then usually some stroke of luck makes the deciding difference.
203raton-liseur
>202 labfs39: Interesting parallel. You make me wish to read/reread the entire Blue Sky trilogy, and From the Land of the Green Ghosts sounds interesting as well, and again from a country we usually know very little about.
205labfs39
>203 raton-liseur: There are lots of parallels. In both stories grandmothers play an important role, animist beliefs bumping up against outside influences, the influence of an aggressive communist neighbor (USSR/China), wealthy grandfather being ousted from their position. The tone is very different though. Thwe is very serious and scholarly, whereas Galsang is warm and open. I like both.
>204 avaland: Waving hello!
>204 avaland: Waving hello!
206dianeham
Hi Lisa, stop by the Questions for the avid reader thread - https://www.librarything.com/topic/344423#unread
We recommending books to each other and did one for you.
We recommending books to each other and did one for you.
208labfs39
Powell's is having a 20% off used books sale today through Wednesday, which happens to be my birthday. Unable to resist, I placed an order...
Ru by Kim Thúy because I read and loved Em last year.
Ten Loves of Nishino because I read and enjoyed Nakano Thrift Shop.
Polish Boxer, which was the first of Halfon's books in English, before Monastery and Cancion, both of which I read this year and liked.
Red Famine Stalins War on Ukraine, because, Ukraine, and Anne Applebaum's Gulag was fantastic.
Ru by Kim Thúy because I read and loved Em last year.
Ten Loves of Nishino because I read and enjoyed Nakano Thrift Shop.
Polish Boxer, which was the first of Halfon's books in English, before Monastery and Cancion, both of which I read this year and liked.
Red Famine Stalins War on Ukraine, because, Ukraine, and Anne Applebaum's Gulag was fantastic.
210arubabookwoman
>208 labfs39: I loved Applebaum's Gulag too. I started Red Famine a few months ago, but I was finding it very dense, and I was unable to concentrate, o I set it aside. I still want to get back to it though.
211msf59
Hi, Lisa. Just checking in. I will add The Blue Sky to my list. It sounds like something I would really like. Have you read any GNs lately, that you could recommend. I ended up really enjoying The Waiting.
212AnnieMod
>208 labfs39: Well, at least you have an excuse :) Anne Applebaum had been on my radar for a long time... I probably should get around to her.
215labfs39
>209 Yells: Thank you, Danielle. I have excellent taste in gifts ;-)
>210 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah, Wasn't Gulag: A History eye-opening? Whenever new archives get opened, lots of well-researched books turn our thinking upside down. I felt that way with Gulag and with Bloodlands. I'm sorry you weren't as engrossed in your attempt at Red Famine. I was particularly interested in reading this as a silent rebuke to one of my sister's friend of a friend who insists that reports of a famine are Western propaganda.
>211 msf59: I think you would like The Blue Sky too, Mark. You might check Amazon. I got the ebook for $2.99. The second volume in the trilogy arrived yesterday. I bought paper this time, knowing that I would like to keep it. I'm glad you liked The Waiting. I liked Grass even more. The last graphic novel I read was Between Shades of Gray based on a novel by Ruta Sepetys. It was about a teenage girl who gets sent to the gulag with her mother and brother. I liked it a lot.
>212 AnnieMod: I would be curious as to what you think of her work, Annie. You probably grew up being taught different things about Soviet actions than we did. One of the things that I learned about the gulags was the extent to which it was a planned economic system (as opposed to penal colony).
>213 dchaikin: >214 Dilara86: Thanks, Dan and Dilara!
>210 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah, Wasn't Gulag: A History eye-opening? Whenever new archives get opened, lots of well-researched books turn our thinking upside down. I felt that way with Gulag and with Bloodlands. I'm sorry you weren't as engrossed in your attempt at Red Famine. I was particularly interested in reading this as a silent rebuke to one of my sister's friend of a friend who insists that reports of a famine are Western propaganda.
>211 msf59: I think you would like The Blue Sky too, Mark. You might check Amazon. I got the ebook for $2.99. The second volume in the trilogy arrived yesterday. I bought paper this time, knowing that I would like to keep it. I'm glad you liked The Waiting. I liked Grass even more. The last graphic novel I read was Between Shades of Gray based on a novel by Ruta Sepetys. It was about a teenage girl who gets sent to the gulag with her mother and brother. I liked it a lot.
>212 AnnieMod: I would be curious as to what you think of her work, Annie. You probably grew up being taught different things about Soviet actions than we did. One of the things that I learned about the gulags was the extent to which it was a planned economic system (as opposed to penal colony).
>213 dchaikin: >214 Dilara86: Thanks, Dan and Dilara!
217cindydavid4
happy birthday!!!!
218lisapeet
Happy birthday! And that's a nice haul... I just deleted that Powell's sale email as soon as I saw it, which was wise, I guess. Sigh.
220labfs39
Thanks, everyone! Best of all, I got a new floor to ceiling bookcase in my bedroom (bringing the total to three) and a three-bay wall bookcase installed in the library/classroom. Finally I'll be able to unpack my history/science/art books! The final 6' bookcase will come on Halloween. I think I'll still be a little short, but there's still the dining room. There's only one in there so far. :-)
222markon
>220 labfs39: Lisa, where are you buying bookcases? I need to get one or two, but what I'm finding around here are the pressed wood with veneer on the outside, and those don't hold up well. I want something sturdy and (relatively) easy to install and move.
223labfs39
>222 markon: Hi Ardene, I was fortunate enough to get three solid oak cases from my mother's house that I have upstairs. Downstairs I have six bookshelves from Dania that I have moved from WA to FL to ME, and even though they are pressed wood, they have held up well with no sagging or other issues. They are 7' x 3'. The 3-bay bookshelf I just installed is mostly pressed with some solid oak. It is incredibly heavy and well made (6' x 6'). I have high hopes for it and ordered another 6' x 3' one for that room as well.
Some of the old ones:
New one:
Edited to add, the new ones are made by Concepts in Wood, and I purchased them through Amazon.
Some of the old ones:
New one:
Edited to add, the new ones are made by Concepts in Wood, and I purchased them through Amazon.
224lisapeet
Those are nice! And good to know about the Concepts in Wood brand—those are reasonably priced for all-wood shelves. Even though I've told myself NO NEW BOOKSHELVES in this house, I don't believe that for a minute.
225labfs39
>224 lisapeet: I think the Concepts in Wood are good quality, but they are pressed wood with some solid, not completely solid oak. Thankfully, as they are still very heavy.
226lisapeet
>225 labfs39: That makes sense... 100% wood is SO freaking expensive. I use Gothic Cabinet Craft here, and the shelves are wonderful quality, but really break the bank.
227cindydavid4
david made our shelves when we moved into this house They have done very wll, however my book share them with his lego kits. For right now Im ok, I do a regular pruning of books I no longer want. but at some point in time I may need to make another arrangment with him ;)
228labfs39
>226 lisapeet: Those are gorgeous. Do you find the pine holds up well? Originally I had hired a contractor who was going to build custom bookshelves on all three open walls of the room. But he left (after I had already purchased the wood), and for a year and a half my books remained boxed. Now I'm using the room as a classroom, not the library I had envisioned, so I compromised and bought off-the-shelf shelves. The bookcases upstairs in my bedroom, on the other hand, are solid oak (made by my ex-brother-in-law) and go nicely with my handcrafted bedside tables and bureau. Getting huge bookcases up the narrow New England staircase was a feat of engineering in itself. My daughter has four bookcases in her bedroom.
An equally pressing problem was where to shelve what. For now, I have fiction in the living room; history, science, and art in the classroom; biography in the dining room; travel and field guides in the den; and genre books, a hodgepodge of psychology/philosophy/medicine, religion, and Holocaust in my bedroom. My daughter finds it morbid to have the latter next to where I sleep, but all my books are friends.
>227 cindydavid4: I have big bins of Legos and Playmobile in the basement from when my daughter was young and have been rotating them upstairs for the kids to use. I love listening to my nieces talk to themselves as they create stories as they play. When my daughter was young, I had this thing about toys with batteries (verboten), so my daughter was brought up without electronics. Nowadays that would be considered even more odd than it was then. At home, my nieces have ipads and tv; at auntie's they step back in time and do without. ;-) Having the internet and YouTube has been helpful when teaching though. Instead of only reading about the Belize coral reef, for instance, this week we were able to watch videos of it as well, which is very cool. And I learned a song to remember the seven countries of Central America. Handy.
An equally pressing problem was where to shelve what. For now, I have fiction in the living room; history, science, and art in the classroom; biography in the dining room; travel and field guides in the den; and genre books, a hodgepodge of psychology/philosophy/medicine, religion, and Holocaust in my bedroom. My daughter finds it morbid to have the latter next to where I sleep, but all my books are friends.
>227 cindydavid4: I have big bins of Legos and Playmobile in the basement from when my daughter was young and have been rotating them upstairs for the kids to use. I love listening to my nieces talk to themselves as they create stories as they play. When my daughter was young, I had this thing about toys with batteries (verboten), so my daughter was brought up without electronics. Nowadays that would be considered even more odd than it was then. At home, my nieces have ipads and tv; at auntie's they step back in time and do without. ;-) Having the internet and YouTube has been helpful when teaching though. Instead of only reading about the Belize coral reef, for instance, this week we were able to watch videos of it as well, which is very cool. And I learned a song to remember the seven countries of Central America. Handy.
229labfs39
In unpacking some boxes, I found a book journal from 1994! I'm going to type in a couple of the reviews. Do you think I've changed since these were written?
230labfs39
Gunnar's Daughter by Sigrid Undset, translator not in credits (!)
Originally published 1909
Although much shorter than Kristin Lavransdatter, only 213 pages, the two books are quite similar. Both reveal the harsh lives of women in Norway and the pain caused by bearing children out of wedlock. Neither woman is destined to love easily or appropriately. Gunnar's Daughter is less historically concerned than Kristin Lavransdatter and is set roughly three hundred years earlier (11th century). Undset's heroines live bitter and unhappy lives; very stoic and unbending. This last being, perhaps, the most characteristic feature of her stories. Although bleak, the stories are not melancholy in the least. Rather, one has the impression of real life as it was lived. Kristin and Vigdis are too strong of character to allow the reader to pity them. They accept, and that, perhaps, is the moral that Undset wishes to impart upon the reader.
Review written June 5, 1994
232raton-liseur
>230 labfs39: Kristin Lavransdatter is probably one of my all-time favourite book. I own Gunnar's daughter (called Vigdis la farouche in French, which would maybe translate as Vigdis the fierce). I should read it, your review bumps it up in my should-consider-reading-sooner-than-latter book pile.
233labfs39
>231 dchaikin: I was called away last night, so didn't type any others in, but did add the books that weren't in my library. A fun find.
>232 raton-liseur: I loved Kristin Lavransdatter too. A precursor to The Long Ships, perhaps?
>232 raton-liseur: I loved Kristin Lavransdatter too. A precursor to The Long Ships, perhaps?
234labfs39
I finished my first book club book ahead of tomorrow's meeting. It was a book I owned, but had not read. I enjoyed it, hopefully a good omen for tomorrow's discussion.
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein
Published 2007, 321 p.
At the age of 96, Harry Bernstein published this, the first volume of his memoirs, which he had started writing a few years earlier after the death of his wife. An impressive feat in and of itself. But equally impressive is the work itself, the story of Harry's childhood, told in a straightforward, gentle tone with incredible detail. My only quibble is with the subtitle: "A love story that broke barriers." In my mind, this sounds like a marketing gimmick and lessons the true value of the memoir, but that decision was most likely not the author's.
Harry Bernstein grew up on a narrow street in the English mill town of Lancashire during the first world war. It is an area of extreme poverty and segregation: one side of the street is inhabited by Christians and the other side by Jews. An invisible wall runs down the middle that is only semi-permeable. Harry's father is a brutal alcohol, and his mother struggles to keep Harry and his siblings fed and clothed. Her self-sacrificing nature is put to the test when an interfaith relationship strains the little community.
Although poverty, religious differences, and the impact of war are at the heart of the book, it is not all gloom and doom. There is love, friendship, and hope. Harry is both an observer and a participant in the dramas of the day, and his perspective has both the innocence of childhood and a calm reflective quality. I very much enjoyed reading this first volume, and may look for the second, The Dream, about his adolescence in America.
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein
Published 2007, 321 p.
At the age of 96, Harry Bernstein published this, the first volume of his memoirs, which he had started writing a few years earlier after the death of his wife. An impressive feat in and of itself. But equally impressive is the work itself, the story of Harry's childhood, told in a straightforward, gentle tone with incredible detail. My only quibble is with the subtitle: "A love story that broke barriers." In my mind, this sounds like a marketing gimmick and lessons the true value of the memoir, but that decision was most likely not the author's.
Harry Bernstein grew up on a narrow street in the English mill town of Lancashire during the first world war. It is an area of extreme poverty and segregation: one side of the street is inhabited by Christians and the other side by Jews. An invisible wall runs down the middle that is only semi-permeable. Harry's father is a brutal alcohol, and his mother struggles to keep Harry and his siblings fed and clothed. Her self-sacrificing nature is put to the test when an interfaith relationship strains the little community.
Although poverty, religious differences, and the impact of war are at the heart of the book, it is not all gloom and doom. There is love, friendship, and hope. Harry is both an observer and a participant in the dramas of the day, and his perspective has both the innocence of childhood and a calm reflective quality. I very much enjoyed reading this first volume, and may look for the second, The Dream, about his adolescence in America.
235japaul22
I thought Gunnar's Daughter was very good as well. I remember feeling that despite being set so many centuries ago, Undset did a great job of creating characters and situations that modern readers can still recognize.
236avaland
>208 labfs39: Don't forget Halfon's Mourning! (and I still can't believe your birthday is the day before mine!)
237ElijahZwar
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239labfs39
>235 japaul22: Undset did a great job of creating characters and situations that modern readers can still recognize. I think she was exceptional at this. Not only were the books set in the 11th and 14th centuries, but they were written over a hundred years ago (Gunnar's Daughter was published in 1909). Yet readers can still relate.
>236 avaland: I haven't read Mourning yet, but onto the list it goes. I'll read anything by Halfon that gets translated.
>238 msf59: I am always playing catch up with bookshelves. Never do I have the space to leave artful gaps. Or if I do they don't last long. For instance, the first bookshelf picture was taken when they first went up. They are now completely full with books stacked on the floor.
>236 avaland: I haven't read Mourning yet, but onto the list it goes. I'll read anything by Halfon that gets translated.
>238 msf59: I am always playing catch up with bookshelves. Never do I have the space to leave artful gaps. Or if I do they don't last long. For instance, the first bookshelf picture was taken when they first went up. They are now completely full with books stacked on the floor.
240BLBera
I love your bookshelves. I have some very nice ones that my dad made, but I also own some pressed wood ones, of varying quality. My dad looks at the ones with sagging shelves and asks if I need more bookshelves. Maybe this winter when he is looking for a project.
How great to find an old book journal. Very good comments. I will look for a copy of Gunnar's Daughter.
Good luck with your book club.
How great to find an old book journal. Very good comments. I will look for a copy of Gunnar's Daughter.
Good luck with your book club.
241labfs39
>240 BLBera: How nice to have a woodworker in the family that is amenable to making bookcases!
242labfs39
So I had my first book club meeting last night, and I would consider it a success. There were eight other people, and I was told 2-3 other regular attendees were absent, so a decent pool of folks. The conversation stayed on topic, everyone spoke, some interesting questions were asked, and homemade carrot cake was served. Everyone wore a mask. Next month's book is Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman. It's set during WWII, and despite being "based on a true story," which can sometimes work and sometimes not, I am looking forward to it. The leader of the group sent me a spreadsheet of all the books they've read (since 2015), and it is a decent list, some intriguing, others not so much, but more hits than misses.
The leader of the group also invited me to join her Jewish women's book club (via Zoom), and I'm considering that as well. I don't want to constrain my reading choices too much, but I like the idea of meeting some like-minded people locally. I've asked to see that group's book list before I commit.
The leader of the group also invited me to join her Jewish women's book club (via Zoom), and I'm considering that as well. I don't want to constrain my reading choices too much, but I like the idea of meeting some like-minded people locally. I've asked to see that group's book list before I commit.
243dianeham
>242 labfs39: Glad to hear you liked it.
244lisapeet
>242 labfs39: That sounds promising!
245RidgewayGirl
>242 labfs39: I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's good to get out among other readers now and again.
246dchaikin
>242 labfs39: sounds so fun. And the The Invisible Wall sounds great too.
247labfs39
Thanks everyone, I was encouraged by our first book club meeting, and hope it continues in a similar vein. Next I whipped through an ILL book before returning to From the Land of Green Ghosts.
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva
Published 2000, 428 p.
Gabriel Allon is a reclusive high-end art restorer living in Cornwall. He's also a retired assassin for the Israeli counterintelligence security division. When an Israeli diplomat and his wife are killed in Paris, the division chief seeks Gabriel out for one more mission. Jacqueline Delacroix, née Sarah Halévy, is a beautiful French model, who does occasional work for The Office. She and Gabriel had worked on a job in the past, and he calls on her to help him once again. Together they seek to take down a deadly Palestinian terrorist.
I wanted to like this espionage tale more than I did. At first I was turned off by the descriptions of women only by their physical characteristics. Yes, women have breasts. Then it seemed to be setting up the only good Palestinian is a dead Palestinian, who is inevitably a terrorist, trope. As the book progressed, it did get into the Nakba or Catastrophe and a slightly more complex picture of the situation, but not enough to satisfy this reader.
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva
Published 2000, 428 p.
Gabriel Allon is a reclusive high-end art restorer living in Cornwall. He's also a retired assassin for the Israeli counterintelligence security division. When an Israeli diplomat and his wife are killed in Paris, the division chief seeks Gabriel out for one more mission. Jacqueline Delacroix, née Sarah Halévy, is a beautiful French model, who does occasional work for The Office. She and Gabriel had worked on a job in the past, and he calls on her to help him once again. Together they seek to take down a deadly Palestinian terrorist.
I wanted to like this espionage tale more than I did. At first I was turned off by the descriptions of women only by their physical characteristics. Yes, women have breasts. Then it seemed to be setting up the only good Palestinian is a dead Palestinian, who is inevitably a terrorist, trope. As the book progressed, it did get into the Nakba or Catastrophe and a slightly more complex picture of the situation, but not enough to satisfy this reader.
248raton-liseur
>247 labfs39: Too bad you did not like it more. It seems I was luckier than you while playing hooky, as I really enjoyed Gunnar's daughter.
249BLBera
>242 labfs39: Good news about the new book club. Fingers crossed that it continues to go well.
250labfs39
>248 raton-liseur: I might try more of the Gabriel Allon series at some point. I've read that they get better. I'm glad you enjoyed Gunnar's Daughter.
>249 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I'm looking forward to our next book club meeting and Radar Girls.
>249 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I'm looking forward to our next book club meeting and Radar Girls.
251labfs39
From the Land of Green Ghosts by Pascal Khoo Thwe
Published 2002, 304 p.
Pascal Khoo Thwe grew up in rural Burma, part of the Padaung tribe. His grandfather was the tribal chief, and Pascal grew up secure in his place in the world. His family was Catholic, yet still adhered to many of the traditional animist beliefs. Ghosts were a presence, for both good and ill. Someone who was murdered or died in an accident might become a green ghost, hence the title.
Pascal decides to become a priest and goes to a seminary, but eventually decides to pursue his love of English literature instead, and enrolls in college in Mandalay. The late 80s are a time of turmoil in Burma, however, and his studies are interrupted by student unrest against the regime. Eventually he must flee to the jungle to escape being arrested. But a chance meeting with a Cambridge don years earlier will change his fate and perhaps save his life.
Told in an unsentimental, straightforward manner, Thwe's memoir is a fascinating account of rural Burmese life, the impact of British colonization and its marriage with traditional beliefs, the complexity of ethnic relationships within Burmese society, and the educational system during Ne Win's regime. The plight of the students after the uprisings and their life in the jungle with the rebels was harrowing, and a situation about which I knew nothing. Although Thwe's emotional reserve makes the book almost academic in tone, his honest and insightful self-reflection make it a compelling read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Burma/Myanmar.
252raton-liseur
>251 labfs39: This looks really interesting, and from a country we (or at least I) know little about. And I remember the parallel you made with Galsan Tchinag, which makes it even more interesting. I won't buy or read it in a near future, but onto the books-for-one-day-sometimes-in-the-future it goes!
253BLBera
>251 labfs39: This one does sound interesting. I haven't read anything by a Myanmar author.
254labfs39
>252 raton-liseur: >253 BLBera: I hope you both find a copy someday as I think you both would like it.
What to read next? I have several new books clamoring for attention, and I have no books for the Asian Book Challenge in the queue, so I have no obligations. Choices, choices...
But first a new thread for a new month and season.
What to read next? I have several new books clamoring for attention, and I have no books for the Asian Book Challenge in the queue, so I have no obligations. Choices, choices...
But first a new thread for a new month and season.
Este tema fue continuado por Labfs39 wanders the world of words in 2022 (pt. 5).
