Thanks very much; these both look intriguing. I suspect the Hawkins would be particularly appealing.
Reading great books from A to Z (literally)
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Thanks very much; these both look intriguing. I suspect the Hawkins would be particularly appealing.
Thanks again. This is an education for me, since I don’t know the genre well myself, but I’m also trying to find out more about what they’ve already read.
There do seem to be at least a few available online here.
Looks very interesting, thank you!
Seems like just the thing, thank you!
Looks promising, thanks!
Question for crime fiction readers: can you suggest anything that might appeal to someone who likes writers such as Val McDermid and Ian Rankin? Looking for something for someone who is quite well read in the genre, so I’d particularly welcome new or obscure recommendations.
I took it in my 2nd year from a very demanding prof, so I put a lot of effort into it, and a lot of the poetry has stuck with me as a result. We went from Charles G.D. Roberts and Archibald Lampman to E.J. Pratt and Earle Birney and Al Purdy. Introduced me to a lot of good stuff!
I remember we spent a long time on “Portrait of the Poet as Landscape” in my Canadian Poetry course.
His monologue in the DEA agent’s office is brilliant. As is the response: “There’s one thing I don’t understand. The thing I don’t understand is every mother-fucking word you’re saying.”
I would totally watch that!
What a relief! I felt your horror!
This brings back memories- mostly good, although the “authentic” period role-playing terrified me a little.
I agree, though I was even younger when I first saw it. I was recently given a DVD of it, so it is on my (very long) list of films to re-watch.
Underrated film too
Yes, but for some reason, I get him mixed up with Phil Parkes (seriously, what are the chances of two high level keepers with the exact same name playing at the same time?)
So good!
I’m only halfway through right now, but yes, it’s so good!
I have that exact edition of Blake- it is excellent (though falling apart now after many years of use)
Matthew Lewis (of all people) taking a shot at Homer (of all people!) (from Journal of a West India Proprietor)
Yes, I’m routinely disappointed by the literary criticism/theory section of book shops, but hope springs eternal!
The Todorov has been an important book for me over the years- a very helpful approach to the Gothic.
18th century zinger about the bookish (from Hannah Cowley’s Which is the Man? -1782)
Read Hunger a few years ago. This one is on my shelf as well.
It’s an all-time favourite for me. I feel like it manages to take a critical perspective on history while still engaging us with the character. That angelic Jimmy Somerville scene at the end feels both campy and triumphant to me.
It’s been so long since I’ve seen this- I think I need to rewatch.
Oooh! My favourite criminally underrated Victorian writer! So excited to see this!
Given my other musical predilections (including The Band), you’d think I’d be familiar with the Grateful Dead, but beyond the rather mediocre Dylan and the Dead album, I’m really not.
So in the ballad tradition, Casey Jones transforms from hero to strikebreaker (in Pete Seeger’s version) to drug addict? Poor guy seems to be on quite the downward spiral.
Love this song (and album) so much!
That’s good to hear! I’m looking forward to it!
Every year, my #WITMonth goals get increasingly modest (and I still fail to meet them). Surely, I can manage one book, though, right?
I’ll let you know!
Just saw that- seems a fair assessment from what I remember, though I do still want to see it again.
I normally like Ozon, but this felt very flat by his standards. But then, I’d never read any Taylor when I first saw it, so I’m keen to try it again (just got it on DVD).
Stamp is pretty great in it too, as always.
No kidding. The only thing it gets wrong (if I recall correctly) is that the conspiracy theorists accuse government/big pharma of suppressing vaccines for their own profit. If it was remade today, they would accuse government/big pharma of distributing vaccines for their own profit.
I remember my parents having the same record.
Agree- the film is fantastic, and part of what makes the soundtrack so great for me is how the songs fit with the film. My only regret is that Peter Gabriel’s “Blood of Eden”, used at a pivotal point in the film, does not appear on the soundtrack.
Went through a similar loss a few years ago, but recently got an old used car and am now savouring the CD player for as long as it will last.
Wasn’t expecting it to be that one, but I can see how it would be difficult for someone whose first language is not English.
Hmmm. Love the first two and now intrigued by the second two.
Absolutely agree (and it’s in my car right now)
Yes! I feel like this one gets overlooked in the extensive and consistently great PJ Harvey canon, but it has become my favourite of hers.
Wrecking Ball is fantastic. That was the one that really got me into her work, not to mention that of some of the artists she covered (Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch).
I was once the fourth speaker on a panel where the third speaker was the conference organizer, who proceeded to speak for 40 minutes. The chair did her best, but didn’t feel she could just cut off the organizer. She was wonderfully supportive though, telling me not to rush and just deliver my paper.
Totally here for it!
Exactly. As I often say of such films, it’s one I admire but don’t really enjoy.
Interesting! I was just researching him after finding some of his books advertised at the back of an early 20th century theatre book I was reading. I didn’t realize that NYRB Classics had published this!
Agree. Was never a big fan of that one.
I’ve only read A Passage to India, and that was a long time ago, so I have quite a few ahead of me.
I have a friend from Texas who says that nobody ever asks her “what are you reading?” They ask “why are you reading?”
Thanks- I will try that one first then.
Yeah, I think this kind of hype is part of what has put me off McCarthy up to now. Trying to put all that to one side.
Next up: I must admit that I have never read Cormac McCarthy, as I have had the vague feeling that he might not really be my sort of thing. Only one way to find out though…
More new additions
Was just saying I need to read this.
As a kid, I had a number of Bill Haley cassette tapes that I listened to constantly, so I know the song well, and was very surprised to find it used in this film. Bill Haley in a Visconti film!?
Years ago, I bought a used VHS copy because I remembered liking it so much, but it didn’t have quite the same impact. I should probably see how it holds up at this stage of my life.
I loved this film so much when I was a kid.
Only in France (probably): car advertisements on the backs of books.
Just got this on DVD!
See also: her brilliant cameo in Don McKellar’s Last Night
That is a great feeling. I had something like it recently with Le Pere Goriot- my French is pretty good, but Balzac is a bit challenging, so I occasionally questioned my decision not to read it in translation, but it felt very worthwhile in the end.
Was feeling nostalgic so ordered some 19th century novels from my favourite local publisher (as one does)
That’s the other one I have on my list; glad to hear that you rate it so highly!
Somebody recommended Mont-Oriol to me recently- I should look into it. So far I’ve mostly just read some of his short stories.
Well, he did write an awful lot! I’ve barely scratched the surface myself, but I do like him very much.
I have Pilote de Guerre coming up soon (more reading en francais)
Maupassant, Mauriac, and now Maurois… I have reached a very French part of my shelves.
I admit that I always rated Parker more highly myself, although I grew up in an era of less sophisticated statistics. I also imagine that Evans’ candidacy suffered from having been in the same outfield as Jim Rice, who also took longer to get in than many expected.
It’s very funny, but somehow that’s the part I always remember.
Can’t help thinking of the character in Cold Comfort Farm who insists that Branwell wrote all of the Brontës’ novels.
Me too- I re-watched Messidor recently, and it really is great. I just wish his other films were more readily available; I’ve been reading about them, but there are quite a few I’ve still never seen.
The New Mermaids were perhaps my first book series obsession. I was always particularly fond of revenge tragedies (Kyd, Webster, Ford, Tourneur). More recently I’ve been reading some Massinger; A New Way to Pay Old Debts is worth a read.
Nice to see In the White City here- I feel like it’s a very underrated film.
I knew I could count on you to back me up on those two (we may be the only ones on my 80s choice though)
I love so many of your choices, and now I am looking forward even more to Perfect Days, which I got on DVD for my birthday but haven’t seen yet.
OK, I never do these, but I can’t resist this one. Favourite film from many decades: 20s The General 30s Grand Illusion 40s Citizen Kane 50s Rear Window 60s Cleo from 5 to 7 70s O Lucky Man 80s I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing 90s Night on Earth 00s Pan’s Labyrinth 10s Phoenix 20s Poor Things
I definitely need to read this- have read a bit about it over the years, but have yet to get my hands on a copy.
I love this book (but yes, fair point).
See, I do listen to you- it just sometimes takes 25 years.
Next up: an old school recommendation from @ds228.bsky.social
I also have The Blue Flower, which seems like it is very much my sort of thing, but have not yet read it.
Have not read that one yet (but am on the lookout for it!)
At this point, I will instantly buy any Manning I see that I don’t already have.
I’ve never read Penelope Fitzgerald, but see her recommended often on here, so I thought I’d give this one a try.
I have to say that it felt disturbingly timely.
Recently read Doctor Faustus, and that convinced me that I need to read much more Mann.
Recent arrivals
My favourite example of this is in Howard Hawks’ Red River, in which a cattle rancher says something like “if we keep going north we’ll end up driving these cattle over the icebergs in Canada”- I’m sure that was great for tourism.
Late to the party, but happy belated birthday!
I’m sort of the opposite; the only choices I had in my program were between American and Canadian lit and I always chose Canadian. I’m now trying to rectify some of those gaps in my American lit reading.
After reading it, I wasn’t convinced that Wollstonecraft had much to do with it. It feels like Imlay tries to make a feminist point but never quite gets it; he seems to support women having freedom in their choice of romantic partner, but not to break out of conventional “feminine” roles.
I tell a lie- I know Looking For the Summer as well. I’m actually surprised I didn’t buy this CD at the time- now you’ve made me want to listen to the whole thing!
Thanks- I should try to find it- I’m not sure if I ever heard anything beyond that title track.
I remember loving the title track when this came out. Haven’t heard it in years though.
This week I received the best kind of book mail- unexpected book mail! (From a relative in the UK who can only send small books)
Thanks- will look for it.
One of the few Kurosawas left that I have not yet seen.