[Falling Down]

Shrander. Dr Haends. Sandra Shen.

[Wellsy]

The present day strand was my least favourite because the guy was just awful and not doing or thinking or getting involved in anything interesting whatsoever.

[andy_e]

I thought 90% of TV these days was based on all the characters being eminantly dislikable? MJH way ahead of his time.

Shrander. Dr Haends. Sandra Shen.

This took me embarassingly long to realise.

[Wellsy]

He was awful and nothing happened in his narrative, he didn't do anything. If he was awful but had done/been involved in/even just thought about anything interesting then I'd have been more engaged but as it is I just wanted to drop the book.

[owensum]

Shrander. Dr Haends. Sandra Shen.

This took me embarassingly long to realise.

Same

[TobyD]

Read Klara and the Sun just recently, it's a remarkable but strange and unsettling book. It's not quite what I thought it might be, given that it was given the Nobel prize for literature. Saying that I'm not really sure what I expected either, but it was certainly a worthwhile read.
Interested to know if anyone else has read it, and what they thought.

[Duma]

Read Klara and the Sun just recently, it's a remarkable but strange and unsettling book. It's not quite what I thought it might be, given that it was given the Nobel prize for literature.

Errr no it wasn't? The author was (years before this was published).

I do have it on my fancy new kobo, will report back when it reaches the top of the pile...

[TobyD]

Read Klara and the Sun just recently, it's a remarkable but strange and unsettling book. It's not quite what I thought it might be, given that it was given the Nobel prize for literature.

Errr no it wasn't? The author was (years before this was published).

Apologies, looks like I misread the bit on the cover. Since finishing it, I've read a couple of newspaper reviews of it, which described it as a masterpiece.

[sherlock]

Read Klara and the Sun just recently, it's a remarkable but strange and unsettling book. It's not quite what I thought it might be, given that it was given the Nobel prize for literature. Saying that I'm not really sure what I expected either, but it was certainly a worthwhile read.
Interested to know if anyone else has read it, and what they thought.

I thought Klara and the Sun was excellent. It always amazes me the breadth and depth of subject matter Ishiguro has written about.I think I've read everything he's done and each book has made an impression. From the study of English class systems and 'duty' in The Remains of the Day (which I found remarkable given the author 's nationality) the creeping sense of foreboding in Never Let Me Go and the sad aura of dislocation in Klara all are very different.Never Let Me Go really got under my skin and left me both physically and mentally drained for days afterwards.His lesser known works all possess an other worldliness to them and are well worth investigating, A Pale View of Hills especially.

[spidermonkey09]

Artist of the Floating World is especially good I thought.

[sherlock]

Artist of the Floating World is especially good I thought.

I thought I'd read them all! Don't know how I missed that, bought now so thanks for that.

[slab_happy]

Currently rereading Moby Dick (okay, listening this time round, courtesy of https://www.mobydickbigread.com/ ) in order to follow along with everyone I know who's doing Whale Weekly ( https://whaleweekly.substack.com/ ).

For anyone who doesn't know, it is the WEIRDEST fucking book, which has been done a terrible disservice by the attempt to squash it into the Great American Novel box; I'm not sure it's even a novel per se, but it is sure as hell an Experience.

[teestub]

I read this, which I thought was great and inspired me to read Moby Dick directly after https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2008/aug/24/scienceandnature

I love how Melville obviously changed his mind about the tone of Moby Dick after the first chapter or whatever, but then didn’t bother editing that chapter to match!

[slab_happy]

I feel like he obviously changes his mind about the tone after a lot of the chapters: let's have a chapter that's a play script, let's have a chapter about Bad Pictures Of Whales I Have Seen, now let's have a chapter that's an essay on the horror of whiteness!

It's post-modern before the fact, like Tristram Shandy but with more incorrect whale facts.

[Oldmanmatt]

Before I finish the last book, of the fourth volume (incase it disappoints in the ultimate), I would strongly recommend the Hyperion/Endymion Tetralogy (Dan Simmons).

In many ways the books stand alone, but it is worth following from the start and liking of SciFi isn’t really required, merely an open mind (and at least a tolerance for poetry, from all points in human history).
I suspect you would enjoy it Slabs, volume four especially, but take the long road there.

*It’s been one of those, started reading, then found I was reading at work, then still at hours when normal people sleep, then…

[sherlock]

Currently rereading Moby Dick (okay, listening this time round, courtesy of https://www.mobydickbigread.com/ ) in order to follow along with everyone I know who's doing Whale Weekly ( https://whaleweekly.substack.com/ ).

For anyone who doesn't know, it is the WEIRDEST fucking book, which has been done a terrible disservice by the attempt to squash it into the Great American Novel box; I'm not sure it's even a novel per se, but it is sure as hell an Experience.

I've read the first 100 pages of Moby Dick about 5 times now. Must try harder.

[Falling Down]

Ace that you’re enjoying Moby Dick slab_happy. It is WEIRD and amazing.

Once you’ve finished (and for others who have already read it) I can highly recommend the poet Charles Olson’s “Call me Ishmael”, a critical essay he wrote on MB in 1947.  It’s a full-blast terrific piece of writing.

A good review of it here https://granta.com/best-book-of-1947-call-me-ishmael-by-charles-olson/

You can find pdfs of it on line or it’s also included in Olson’s Collected Prose.

[andy popp]

While we're on whales (and I agree Moby Dick is magnificent) how about this from Charlotte Brontë's Shirley;

"And what will become of that inexpressible weight you said you had on your mind?' 'I will try to forget it in speculation on the sway of the whole Great Deep above a herd of whales rushing through the livid and liquid thunder down from the frozen zone:'"

My god. That is so good.

[sherlock]

Can't remember but if it was you Falling Down who recommended Things We Lost in the Fire,  thanks!
Pointed me in the direction of some terrific South American literature. Have you read Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schwebin? Great short story collection.
Little Eyes by the same author is beyond creepy.....

[slab_happy]

Currently rereading Moby Dick (okay, listening this time round, courtesy of https://www.mobydickbigread.com/ ) in order to follow along with everyone I know who's doing Whale Weekly ( https://whaleweekly.substack.com/ ).

For anyone who doesn't know, it is the WEIRDEST fucking book, which has been done a terrible disservice by the attempt to squash it into the Great American Novel box; I'm not sure it's even a novel per se, but it is sure as hell an Experience.

I've read the first 100 pages of Moby Dick about 5 times now. Must try harder.

Sign up for the substack! We're up to Chapter 28 -- don't know where that lands in page count, but you're either ahead or will easily be able to catch up. And the chapters are being sent out in pseudo-real time, so the whole book gets spread over two years.

Then find other people on social media doing the same thing and enjoy the discussions. And the memes. Tumblr is all over Moby Dick and it is glorious.

"Dracula Daily" started this trend of taking 19th-century novels and turning them into serialized fandoms, and I love it so fucking much:

https://slate.com/culture/2022/05/dracula-daily-bram-stoker-book-newsletter-jonathan-harker.html

[lukeyboy]

I have to say, Moby Dick is my least favourite book of all time. I can't understand how it's hailed as an essential classic. I found it a very long traipse through a lot of dull whaling trivia and an interminable plot.

Obviously horses for courses and perhaps it's a brilliant and profound read that went over my head, but for me it was a boring slog that I got to the end of and wished I hadn't bothered.

[Falling Down]

Sherlock, yeah that was me. It’s so good isn’t it? Funnily enough it was MJH who recommended it.  I haven’t heard of either of those two so will track them down. Thanks!

Whilst we’re on MJH, his (anti)memoir Wish I Was Here is out in May.

[slab_happy]

Ace that you’re enjoying Moby Dick slab_happy. It is WEIRD and amazing.

Once you’ve finished (and for others who have already read it) I can highly recommend the poet Charles Olson’s “Call me Ishmael”, a critical essay he wrote on MB in 1947.  It’s a full-blast terrific piece of writing.

A good review of it here https://granta.com/best-book-of-1947-call-me-ishmael-by-charles-olson/

You can find pdfs of it on line or it’s also included in Olson’s Collected Prose.

WOW, I've never heard of that (though I've heard of Olson as a poet), and it sounds fascinating -- thank you so much for the rec!

Once you’ve finished

Oh, I already have -- had such a good time that I'm on my second readthrough, just so I can join in with the Whale Weekly crowd. This is the sort of thing I do instead of having a social life.

[lukeyboy]

On a different note, I recently read Piranesi, I can't remember if it was from this thread or R4 A Good Read.

I loved it. The intricate knowledge he has of the House reminds me a bit of climbers knowing every inch of a particular bit of rock. I was left wanting to know and read more of the House, and it felt deflating to emerge to reality at the end.

[slab_happy]

Sherlock, yeah that was me. It’s so good isn’t it? Funnily enough it was MJH who recommended it.  I haven’t heard of either of those two so will track them down. Thanks!

Whilst we’re on MJH, his (anti)memoir Wish I Was Here is out in May.

Pre-ordering that, thanks for the heads-up!