The 2nd "What are you reading now" thread

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Currently reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James as part of the Classic Horror Stories book and his writing style is doing my head in. It's way too verbose.
 
Roobs321 said:
I've been borrowing the Murakamis from my mother and brother's girlfriend (a big Murakami fan), and Colourless Tsukuri was coincidentally the third one they lent to me over Easter. I'll get around to it eventually. My mother also has Sputnik and the running one ready in the wings for me as well.

I have my gripes with Murakami's style, but I do find him very relatable and accessible. I had previously seen Norwegian Wood the film (as a fan of the director's work) prior to reading the novel. Norwegian Wood is obviously the grander of the two and justifiably beloved, but South of the Border was also a great read of a smaller scale. I enjoy his general style, and do have a fondness for the era covered in these books, but he doesn't strike me as a writer I'll be motivated to "complete", for me he is more an in-between author, a decent palette cleanser. His tendency to end chapters or scenes on an abrupt revealing comment is effective.

My precious baby brother died in December 2015, so naturally these Murakami novels have also resonated with me deeply given the airless, colourless struggle of grief, which is indelibly described in Norwegian Wood at various points as a "knot of air" and the like. My youngest brother was my achilles heel in many ways, so the nature of that formative loss in Norwegian Wood struck me authentically.

I read The New York Trilogy in 2016, it was my second favourite read of 2016 and was right up my alley. Loved it. That was the first Auster I was referring to.
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Beautiful post. I can't think of words to really justify a reply. Although I completely feel the same way about Murakami as you in terms of enjoying his prose to a degree but not being an author that I follow and "complete" their work.

As for Auster. The book "Timbuktu" I feel is definitely worth a read.
 
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Finished 'Fowlers End' by Gerald Kersh. I enjoyed passages (some very amusing ) but was constantly losing my way throughout the book with its bloated paragraphs of speech and mid 20th Londoner accent mimicking. At times the book moves into the past and the present without properly establishing the time period. I found it hard to understand the overall plot/point in the end. Maybe there wasnt one. *shrugs*
 
Dixie Flatline said:
Having pre-ordered "Thrawn" some time ago, it finally was released and downloaded into my Kindle yesterday. Been reading it throughout the day. So far it's as good as the original Thrawn series Zahn wrote some time ago (which unfortunately is no longer Star Wars canon, but the new novel puts Thrawn into the canon).
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I'll be reading that next. Read the original Thrawn trilogy over 20 years ago.
 
The Names - DeLillo (reread) - 9/10
Over five years since my last read. About 75% of this is my favourite DeLillo, but it falls a rung short from greatness overall.

Black Spring - H. Miller - 7/10
Some absolutely stunning passages (for instance "The Tailor Shop" and "Angel Watermark"), but his particular stream of consciousness ramblings here are very workmanlike and largely tedious in the likes of "Into the Nightlife". Genius writing mixed with tiresome passages.

The Price - A. Miller - 8.5/10
Decent, if not the most life-changing Miller play I've read, however the theatricality of single setting production design is marvelously pitched and complementary.

After picking up a Moby Dick hardcover on the cheap in a 2011 pre-xmas sale, I've finally taken that bucket list plunge. 3 chapters in and utterly absorbed, so far so loving it.
 
Roobs321 said:
After picking up a Moby Dick hardcover on the cheap in a 2011 pre-xmas sale, I've finally taken that bucket list plunge. 3 chapters in and utterly absorbed, so far so loving it.
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Brilliant book.

Cormac McCarthy's favourite novel and inspiration to be a writer.
 
Roobs321 said:
The Names - DeLillo (reread) - 9/10
Over five years since my last read. About 75% of this is my favourite DeLillo, but it falls a rung short from greatness overall.
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Haven't read that one.

Have you read The Body Artist? It's on my to read pile.
 
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pinetree said:
Haven't read one.

Have read a The Body Artist? It's on my to read pile.
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The only others I've read are;

Underworld - highly recommended, to many his most illustrious work
White Noise - highly recommend, to many his most accessible and sustained classic
Falling Man - recommend if you like his style and have a 9/11 fascination (the sort of cultural fascination for which he is well-fitted), but hardly his greatest overall work. The passage which documents the history of his poker group is masterful.

Been meaning to check out Libra for years. The Names is the only one I've read twice so far.

His writing is elite, although his narrative plots can be frustratingly vignetted for some. I'd recommend White Noise or maybe Underworld as an entry point, his later shorter novels tend to be more divisive (including The Body Artist, which I haven't read).
 
pinetree said:
Brilliant book.

Cormac McCarthy's favourite novel and inspiration to be a writer.
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It has a slightly intimidating reputation, so relieved it isn't one of those "struggle through the first 50 pages" type ones. Instantly enthralling, hopefully the beginning of a lifelong friendship!

That doesn't surprise me, as someone who has read all McCarthy's novels. Moby Dick advocates seem to pop up in all the likely and unlikely places, was also cool to see Bob Dylan mention it recently as a key influence.
 

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Roobs321 said:
The only others I've read are;

Underworld - highly recommended, to many his most illustrious work
White Noise - highly recommend, to many his most accessible and sustained classic
Falling Man - recommend if you like his style and have a 9/11 fascination (the sort of cultural fascination for which he is well-fitted), but hardly his greatest overall work. The passage which documents the history of his poker group is masterful.

Been meaning to check out Libra for years. The Names is the only one I've read twice so far.

His writing is elite, although his narrative plots can be frustratingly vignetted for some. I'd recommend White Noise or maybe Underworld as an entry point, his later shorter novels tend to be more divisive (including The Body Artist, which I haven't read).u
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Sorry, I just edited my post, I meant to say that I haven't read that one, "The Names". But it doesn't matter. Great write up. I've only read two previously, White Noise and Mao ii. The former being somewhat of a modern American classic, which I really enjoyed, but I liked the latter just as much, probably even more.

I've always put off Underworld and thought it would be a good book to look forward to reading. That was years ago though and I really should read it considering it's universal praise.
 
Thanks for your very positive opinion on Mao II, been interested in checking out that one as well. Oh yes, if you enjoy DeLillo then The Names is a must. Incredibly prescient, powerful examination of language and also a memorable travelogue.

Underworld was my first DeLillo in my early 20s, so it naturally left me impressed, even if I can barely recall much of the content. Can definitely understand that, good to have a few acclaimed behemoths up the sleeve to look forward to. I plan to reread it again before the decade is out, and with a few more DeLillo's behind me and some maturation I'm intrigued to see how it stands up.
 
The Historian

and then

The Swan Thieves

Both historical fiction, I liked both immensely.
 
Jonathan Safran Foer - Everything is Illuminated.

Not bad so far, he has a unique style of writing that reminds me of someone else, not sure who though.
 
Nice to see some Murakami chat, just finished A Wild Sheep Chase and really enjoyed it, not quite like anything I've read before.

Has anyone read Mr Mercedes by Stephen King? Was hoping to pick up one of his classics at the library but they didn't have many so grabbed it, seems OK so far at very early stages.
 
1. "Dirt Music" by Tim Winton
2. "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy
3. "The Sellout" by Paul Beatty
4. "Vernon God Little" by D.B.C. Pierre
5. "Main Street" by Lewis Sinclair
6. "Thursbitch" by Alan Garner
7. "number9dream" by David Mitchell
8. "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" by Louis de Bernieres
9. "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe
10. "The Red Queen" by Margaret Drabble
11. "Invisible" by Paul Auster
12. "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman
13. "The Busconductor Hines" by James Kelman
14. "Hawksmoor" by Peter Ackroyd
15. "Americanah" by Chimanada Adichie
16. "Between The Assignations" by Aravind Adiga
17. "Jake's Thing" by Kingsley Amis
18. "Big Brother" by Lionel Shriver
19. "The Clerkenwell Tales" by Peter Ackroyd
20. "Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem" by Peter Ackroyd
21. "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Atwood
22. "Half Of A Yellow Sun" by Chimanada Adichie
23. "The Thing Around Your Neck" by Chimanada Adichie

I have a ridiculous amount of books I've bought, but haven't read so I'm going through them alphabetically.
 
Just finished Roseanna, the first Martin Beck novel by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Set in mid 1960's Sweden with none of the modern policing methods. Loved it and ordered the next 2.

Also read Princess Diaries by Carrie Fisher. Unsatisfying.

Am enjoying my way through Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series. She is an inuit and the books are set in Alaska. I really enjoy them and am just about to start no. 8. I like dipping into them between other books.

Lastly an Aboriginal art book. I've generally got some kind of art book to dip into
 
Neese said:
Just finished Roseanna, the first Martin Beck novel by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Set in mid 1960's Sweden with none of the modern policing methods. Loved it and ordered the next 2.

Also read Princess Diaries by Carrie Fisher. Unsatisfying.

Am enjoying my way through Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series. She is an inuit and the books are set in Alaska. I really enjoy them and am just about to start no. 8. I like dipping into them between other books.

Lastly an Aboriginal art book. I've generally got some kind of art book to dip into
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The whole 10 Martin Beck books are terrific, they work perfectly as one complete book, as intended.
Wahloo died more than 40 years ago, but Sjowall's still kicking around and writing poetry at 80+.
Not that I read poetry.;)
 
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