Books

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Books Books Books

bibczve

Posted by Bibliocave

addicts

Posted by Reading Addicts

Two more photos of books, book locations, and the ever-present danger of The Great Waylaid—posed in the bottom photo. We’re all familiar with the problem and joy of being waylaid by information found while looking up other information. A surprise fact or thought which is of course very interesting, leading to other books, other rooms. It is always a wonder to me how some of us ever make it to the store. I have found that some days I have to discipline myself by saying no books or thinking allowed today! At least until some of the tasks have been accomplished. And then the reward is the pleasure of new discoveries, continued adventures.

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Lolita

NYT

Lit Hub Published from NY Times Article

NABOKOV’s LOLITA

Lolita, it seems, continues to scintillate and argue for discussion. Interesting. Especially interesting to me as I’ve continued to try the book, try to read it, and fail. I just can’t get very far. I find it uninteresting. I periodically read where it’s so exciting right from the start. That of course sends me back to the book. And again. It just doesn’t happen for me.

–Orville Prescott, The New York Times, August 18, 1958; “There are two equally serious reasons why it isn’t worth any adult reader’s attention. The first is that it is dull, dull, dull in a pretentious, florid and archly fatuous fashion. The second is that it is repulsive.”

I never got to a repulsive part. That could have been the saving grace for me.

We do need to remember though, the putdown was written in 1958, when the book first came out. I wonder if the same feeling would hold forth after the growing accolades of the critics through the years. Time, and opinions do influence.

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Happy Birthday

To our Dear Friend

vintageBooks&

Vintage Books & Anchor Books

And here’s another appearance of that other friend—Synchronicity—I was just thinking that I didn’t have all of Blake’s poetry, and perhaps I should check into a book store. Then, viola, this appeared on Facebook. A nod to the gods, eh?

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The Mystery Solved*

I have always considered myself a literature snob. Since high school at least, or the beginning of it at some place along the walk to St. Thomas Aquinas.

But my first love of books came in grade school, the days of long walks to the library and the selection of books from the Adult Section where I had special permission to go. My first loves were the combination of animals and books: Black Beauty, Lassie Come Home, The Black Stallion, anything by Terhune and Farley. That is how you learn the names of authors. Of course there were the Nancy Drew mysteries. Oh, and the My Friend Flicka set. I went to school with black bags under my eyes.

But then I graduated. I took up the things of the classics and the literary books. American literature, English literature. Hawthorne, Poe, Steinbeck… I even tried to read Emerson. That reading is different from the earlier things, of course. I learned to read and think, then read and think and write. (N.B. all over the place—such a pedant.) Now the books take some time to digest. It’s the stopping to think and consider. They aren’t the type of books to take to bed with you and have “one more page” until you’re up all night. Well, you might be, but not for the reading of it. I have a Berger that I’ve had for years and never finished, and still love.

Fast forward to now. Now and the power outage. The power outage at night meant candles and flashlights. I also had the good fortune to have a laptop easily chargeable by car battery. Reading by candlelight became tedious and annoying. Ergo, the laptop and Kindle. Somehow, from curiosity mostly, I ended up trying an Outlander book, by Diana Gabaldon.

And that’s how it began—again. The story…the plot; the plot…the story. Reading all night. I didn’t go to swimming all week. I did nothing online. I didn’t practice piano. I didn’t write. I just read. It’s hardly literary meat for the starving. But it’s damn good entertainment.

Do note this, the books are not trade paperback but mass market. These very long books (800 and over 1000 pages) are in very small print. I’m sticking with the ebooks. And I just ordered another: The Fiery Cross.

  • THE MYSTERY SOLVED: THERE IS NOTHING UNDER THOSE KILTS except perhaps a well-endowed Scotsman

outlander-onlinetumblrfanpop.comOutlander Season 2 2016wwikimedia

Photos are of Jamie, Jamie and Claire, and Scottish Highlands. Postings are in order from outlander-online, tumblr, fanpop, nwesiar, and wwikimedia.

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More On The Familiar

Meta-Pleasure

MarksOpenLettersMonthly

There’s a fine article written by Alex Sorondo on Open Letter Monthly; it’s worth a read.

“There’s a great delight to be found in THE Familiar for those who stick with it, and in the larger community experience that surrounds it.” Read the insightful review of TFv5 and TF Season One by Alex.”       www.openlettersmonthly.com/meta-pleasure

And, by the way, the series gives new meaning to “I can’t right now—too busy reading.”