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Hardcore Literature Book Discussion (November 2021) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-11-01 17:08:17
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2026-06
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Dear Book Club Readers ---

You had an outstanding reading month in October.

There are hundreds of comments across the General Book Club Discussion threads, and they are always so insightful and inspiring. I love reading through them with my morning coffee to set me up for a great day.

So, tell us what your November is looking like.

What are you reading at the moment?

Let us know anything that's on your mind, your literary loves, and anything you wish to share or sharpen your thoughts about.

  • Short stories
  • Author details
  • Areas to explore
  • Your current Big Read
  • Questions about literature
  • Things you're finding difficult
  • Things you want to recommend
  • General life updates (we're interested)

This is the place to put anything bookish you like, and get other readers weighing in on your thoughts!

We've got such an amazing Book Club community that keeps growing thanks to your thoughtful meditations on the Great Books.

Reading through the last few book discussion threads, one can see what a vibrant group of literature lovers we have here:

So thank you for being a part of the family, and I hope your month is filled with bookish adventures.

Happy reading!

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Comments

mickyjjj

Hi HLCB, I have been spending this autumn still in the company of the knight and squire from La Mancha; and how happy I am that this journey has carried on through the seasons. Part 2 of Don Quixote grants a wonderful depth in discourse and characters which suits the contemplative rustle of autumn. There are special moments in DQ where the knight errant spills out these wise and yet romantic monologues regarding all manner of still relevant topics. These monologues are usually met by others characters around him then starting to doubt whether he actually is as mad as they previously thought he was. Personally, this is one of the most valuable takeaways that Cervantes has granted me in his novel. To always remember that it is not only myself and those who I currently admire who have rich and vivid interior lives, but everyone. I think I sometimes get stuck in the mindset that profundity lies only with who I am currently being inspired by, casting aside all other forms of spiritual nourishment as somehow less rich than what I’m presently enjoying. So, I have vowed to always be on a lookout for any faint whiff of the quixotic, knowing that it can come from anyone at anytime. Aside from DQ, I have also been reading “Heidegger’s Life and Thought” by Mahon O’Brien as I have desperately been missing philosophy since uni finished last year. Heidegger’s ideas are so valuable and appear so grand on approach it’s so easy to become intellectually star struck and forget that he was also a rather horrid figure in some aspects. This book seems a useful remedy to balancing these extremes. If I muster up the courage, I may apply for a masters this Christmas but for now I’m very content with my part-time job and the knight from La Mancha X

Charlie Finn

Hi everyone 🙂 It's been a little while since I posted, but it's lovely to be back! I spent the past 5 months in South and Central America, which came with all manner of spiritual awakenings that I'm left with nothing but total gratitude for. For the past week I've been reading "The Hero with 1000 Faces" by Joseph Campbell, and am seeing parallels between my experiences and the various stages laid out in the book, which is both fun and frankly kinda scary. I'm also reading Emerson's "Self-Reliance" (which I'm finding so wonderfully life-affirming), and will be reading "Nature" shortly after. I have my copy of "Siddhartha" ready to go (maybe for next month), and a book that became a favourite whilst spending a lot of time alone in the jungle, "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran, will be getting a re-read this month too. I haven't picked up Proust in a while though - I've been extremely stop-start with The Search, but something that doesn't seem to change is how stunningly beautiful it is to read each time I pick it up. However, I sort of forget that I'm reading him and end up doing a few pages once every few weeks (if that). Maybe I could plan a little better...my reading has been very scattered these past few months to say the least. Ultimately, my trip consisted of some intensive shadow work and I'm hoping that books and community will be helpful as I try to continually nurture and develop the different things I learned during my time away. My best and warmest wishes to all, Charlie xx

Bill Freeman

Ben et al., - This is my favorite monthly post. I get to reflect and deep dive into what I have read and am reading, and I discover great recommendations from members. Ben’s recommendations: During last month’s one-on-one call, Ben told me about the daily discipline of reading “one poem, one essay, and one short story.” For the last week, I’ve been trying this out. I'm finding my pace: * One Poem: For the poetry anthology, I am currently reading “The Complete Works of Alberto Caeiro”, poems by Fernando Pessoa. This is a poetry collection with a beautiful mindful quality by a Portuguese author who died in 1935. Much of his work was discovered in two suitcases after his death. * One Essay: At Ben’s recommendation I bought “The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present” by Phillip Lopate. It is outstanding, and I’ve already read four essays. * One Short Story: Previously, Ben recommended Ivan Turgenev's “A Sportsman’s Notebook Stories.” These are great. In fact, this is part of Harold Bloom’s (HCLB’s Patron Saint) Canon. Bookclub Reads: I continue my one-chapter-a-day diet of Les Misérables and Don Quixote. I have nearly finished Salinger’s “Nine Stories. “ Last night I also began a 12-week serialized read of James “The Turn of the Screw.” For the latter, I am reading Collier’s weekly version that paces with the publication itself. Personal Reads: I finished “Peril” by Woodward and Costa. This was Woodward’s third and final book on Trump and his presidency. As I have shared before, the U.S. has experienced sustained political trauma over the past five years; IMO it is vital to remain current and involved in these matters. In a related way, I read “In Search of Braver Angels” by David Blankenhorn, the founder of a five-year-old national organization that coaches a technology of engaged conversation between political opposites. I am very slowly reading U.S. Franciscan and mystic Richard Rhor's latest book, “The Universal Christ." Recommendation One: I am in the midst of a reread of an important book that I will write about next month. This is “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure” by Ludianoff and Haidt. This was based on a 2015 article from “The Atlantic” of the same name (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/). Given the explosive interest in the topic and the underlying look at the erosion of critical thinking and free speech of university campuses and the seeding of a generation of victims, the authors expanded the article into this well-received 2018 book. BIG RECOMMENDATION. Recommendation Two: I am three-quarters through the audio of “The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit” by Michael Finkel. This is a true story about a Maine (U.S. state) hermit who lived off-the-grid for 27 years. A National Geographic Best Book of the Year winner, this is a story about solitude and suffering, meditation and meaning. The hard copy will arrive tomorrow, and I will write a review and reflection for our December check-in. This is a deep-dive keeper, a Christmas present for others. MEGA RECOMMENDATION

Scott W
>>70955714

Hi Charlie. It sounds like you've had a wonderful time these last few months, maybe an exceptional time that you will look back on for years to come? If so, perhaps you are reading Proust in exactly the way that is right for you at this time. It's easier to 'plan better' when your life is in a more mundane period.. :) I also read Self-Reliance, and like you, found it to be inspirational and 'life-affirming'. It has given me a confidence boost in sharing and writing on my opinions about literature more. I don't agree with everything in the essay, perhaps some parts have not dated well, but overall I would recommend it to anyone.

Len Larsson

Hello everyone I haven't posted for a while, as I didn't want to be a downer on everyone else's fun. But I think it right that I am honest and to let you know (in case anyone else is feeling this way) that I have a confession to make - please be kind - I am being honest - I think I must be a philistine, and a poor companion for you all on this journey. I have had 4 misses in a row - Anna Karenina - OK, but the story didn’t resonate. I enjoyed the language and descriptions of the period, the countryside and the serfs. I did approve of his sympathetic view of the couple, and pointing out the hypocrisy of the time in dealing with infidelity differently between Male and Female. I can see at the time this would have been explosive. Crime and Punishment - hated it, especially its religious message. I felt like I needed a Lysol bath after finishing. It reminded me of when you see extreme religious people interviewed, and when faced with logic, their arguments are all muddled and make no sense, and go around in circles. This was how this novel appeared to me. As a reader, I felt cheated and manipulated. However, I acknowledge I need to understand why, and a possible re-read is needed. So, there is hope yet. Don Quixote - which I didn’t finish - WAY too old fashioned. I could glimpse it’s appeal to readers at the time, and it’s satirical nature - but that wasn’t enough for me to persevere. Siddhartha - Annoying - I had read this and The Glass Bead Game in High School (many years ago). I recall I didn’t get it then - and the same now. I am a practical person. Introspection/navel gazing isn’t my style. That sounds harsh doesn’t it. I have persevered, and I am relieved to say I am really enjoying Les Miserables. Some of the text is almost like scripture - in the sense that it is beautifully rendered and has something profound to say. As I don’t know very much about the period, I am also reading Volume 1 (of 4) by Eric Hobsbawn - of his ‘Age of …” series (Abacus). I am curious to understand why Bonaparte was/is so revered - when he left such devastation in his wake. Anyway, here is my reading plan for November - SUPPORTING TEXTS: Eric Karpeles Paintings in Proust (Reference only) Eric Hobsbawm The Age of Revolution 1789-1848 PODCAST: Hardcore Lit Podcast Ep #38 The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway This is because Hemingway has been another miss for me - I really do not understand the reverence in which he is held. The stories I have read so far read like a shopping list. I really want to understand - this is why I have added this and the short stories mentioned in the podcast to my November list). POETRY: Ted Hughes Wind Ted Hughes The Thought Fox W. B. Yeats The Second Coming Wallace Stevens Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird Mary Oliver Snow Geese SHORT STORY: Hemingway God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen Hemingway Snows of Kilamanjaro Joy Williams Dimmer (Intro by Daniel Alarcòn) * Craig Nova Another Drunk Gambler (Intro by Ann Beattie) * * Paris Review The Art of the Short Story CONTEMPORARY READ: Philipp Meyer American Rust Ian McEwan The Comfort of Strangers I am surprised by my mega fails to date - English was my best subject at school, but all our study was on Contemporary literature, the beat poets and song lyrics of the 60's. I am relieved that Hugo is finally giving me hope that I am not a lost cause. His writing is outstanding, his morality (if you will) is what I would call "common decency" pointing out the hypocrisy of the time (still relevant today) and the possibility of redemption. An amazing work, and a definite re-read many times over. Yours with respect and much relief Len Australia

Bill Freeman

Len - This was FANTASTIC Love your irreverence toward the first four. Personally, I loved AK. For me, C&P was a tough read following but I have The Brothers Karamazov in the wings. Marcel and I have had a falling out - just a bit too precious for me DQ is unexpectedly interesting. Love your upcoming list. esp the short stories. Read Hemingway's and made notes on Williams and Nova. Check out my contemporary read and let me know your thoughts.

Scott W

I finished reading The Thebaid which I really enjoyed. This was preparatory reading for Dante’s Purgatorio as Statius features as a guide in Virgil’s place and I wanted to get a feel for why Dante chose to include him. I am looking forward to reading it again next year in a verse translation, perhaps after reading the Oedipus plays. I started on my plan to fit in more essays in October, reading Hazlitt’s The Ignorance of Learning, and Emerson’s Self-Reliance. Of the two, Emerson’s will stay with me longer. I think parts of the essay have not aged well; I find Emerson’s attitude toward charity and women quite distant from my own points of view, but those points aside what he has to say about trusting and valuing ourselves is powerful and inspiring. With the group I am reading Les Miserables and re-reading The Turn of the Screw. I’m up to Part Three: Marius in Les Mis, around where I left off on my first DNF some years ago, so I’m now reading on into virgin pages. I enjoy the Marius story, and this group and Ben’s videos are making it so much more enjoyable than my previous solo attempt. I expect to finish Les Mis some time in December, so with everything else going on here I won’t be able to join you all for a re-read of Middlemarch but I will no doubt stop by for Ben’s videos! On the poetry front, my phone setting tweaks to limit screen time continue to give me an evening slot for reading poetry! I finished Lyrical Ballads. I really warmed to its tales of people and nature. My favourite poems include, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Idiot Boy, and The Complaint of a Forsaken Indian Woman. I’ve also been continuing to dip into an old 1960s hardback anthology of Romantic Poetry collated by Harold Bloom. I’ve started reading The Prelude. It’s early days with that at the moment but many, many sections so far have stopped me in my tracks to re-read its beautiful verse. So, yes, I am enjoying my Romantics at the moment. I am reading a biography of the later poets as a group (Young Romantics). I have also been reading some William Blake; I have not understood the appeal of him over time, so far, but moving beyond his ‘Songs’ and reading The Marriage of Heaven and Hell I think has given me a window into what the fuss might be about, perhaps. More time with him is needed, and no doubt I will need to make it to Paradise Lost next year (secretly hoping that will be on this groups’ schedule) to further illuminate some of what he was doing? I have started to try and commit some of my favourite poems to memory. This month I have memorised Digging by Seamus Heaney, and almost all of Hamlet’s III.I soliloquy. Being able to recite these to myself at my desk each morning or when walking somewhere is wonderful. This is a new practice for me and I’m so glad to have started it. I read Twelfth Night for my course (I’m a first year OU English Literature student), which I thought was quite funny in places. This surprised me. I don’t think I’ve read any of Shakespeare’s comedies since my GCSEs. A re-read is due soon as I’ve an essay to write on this one in the new year. I’m looking forward to the group’s ‘Shakespeare Project’, whatever that might be! On a reading related note, I’ve started watching Northrop Frye’s lectures on YouTube on the KJV. I’ve put this in my calendar for Tuesday evenings so once a week now I am sitting in class with Mr Frye and quite enjoying that. This ‘course’ will last me into next summer, which is a nice way to fit something extra in rather than trying to consume so much learning in a short space of time. I am struggling with ‘the sublime’. Many years ago, a friend of mine who did an Art degree told me (a science undergrad) that ’the sublime’ was.. ‘well, as soon as you define it, you’re doing it wrong.. it’s the undefinable’. It must have made an impression on me because I’ve been confused about the sublime now for about twenty years! Clearly it crops up a lot when in relation to Romantic poetry, but if I’m honest, I just can’t get my mind to a position of being able to write down what I think it is, and when I look it up, I just seem to find myself reading an explanation I can’t seem to ‘anchor’ to anything, and I don’t want to just remember and regurgitate someone else’s definition. So, yes, I’m having trouble making it my own and coming to my own understanding of it. Links and help much appreciated! Happy reading!

Bill Freeman
>>70962829

Hi Len - Your reply comment to my initial post came through in my email but it seems to have disappeared from the thread (a real drawback to Pantheon . . .). I didn't know you are from Australia. I would trade "safe and boring" any day for what we have now in the U.S. We were joking yesterday, "democracy, it was nice while it lasted." As well, I agree, I don't see a way out. Tomorrow, we have our (Virginia's) election for governor. Currently, the Trump-endorsed Republican has both the momentum and a small lead. Everyone is watching this as a bellwether for the future. My brother and sister-in-law got so fed up with everything that they permanently moved to Boquete Pamana last month - and he was a hard-nosed republican but just could stomach everything, particularly after the Capitol siege and Trump's assistance that he won last November presidential election. Let me recommend Emily Wilson's translation of "The Odessey." I did a book review on it in last month's book discussion. The Coddling of the American Mind and the link to the April 2015 Atlantic article is a terrific summary; also there is a link to 45-min audio of the article. Take care.

Jeremiah David

I'm currently finishing up reading Frankenstein. A powerful read, much different from the films. I also began reading some poetry from the romantic era. I enjoyed reading William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Regarding novel reading, I am currently in an African lit class, and we are reading a series of works, but none of them are captivating me, unfortunately. I will say that I'm thankful I discovered Chinua Achebe and his works (Arrow of God, Things Fall Apart). These novels will be re-read again during my lifetime. One of the questions I had for you, Ben, was in regards to Philip Roth. What do you think about his work and his place within the literary canon? I found many of his works to be remarkable. This year alone, I finished Patrimony, Goodbye Columbus, and American Pastoral. I also began but didn't finish The Human Stain and Sabbath Theater. The latter works were a bit challenging due to the subject matter, but I am interested in revisiting his works in 2022.

Josh Freeman

I’ve had problems with my eyes for the last few months, so I’ve started listening to audiobooks giving my complete focus to the book I’m listening too with a pen in my hand. I’m continuing to have a journal were I right all the lessons down and then another journal that I just scribble in about the book. I finished crime and punishment the other day. I enjoyed it. Got lost during the dialogue sometimes and it’s hard to remember everyone’s names 😒 it’s a book I may turn to again when I find myself by self in a unfamiliar city that’s gloomy and worn out. It would be a good book to read in an old Russian city, maybe I’ll make that a goal ‘read crime and punishment in a old Russian city’ thanks for the lectures on crime and punishment Ben, I enjoyed them I will now read a light happy book Maybe middlemarch I also want to get back into Proust I stopped when the provlems with my eyes started.

Joel Duthie

Hello everyone - I had just started The Brothers Karamazov a few days before stumbling on to the book club. Now I'm trying to contain my anxiety about catching up to the group and not rush through it. That said, I am absolutely loving it. For those who've read it, I was reading the chapters on Koyla last night and couldn't put it down - what a Tom Sawyer!!!!! I feel a real sense of kinship with characters like Tom and Koyla - I look back with fondness on the young trouble-making shithead that I was. I've also just finished The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien and was blown away. It's one of my perversions that I usually have a war novel on the go at any time. For anyone that likes war novels this one now ranks up there as a favourite (my favourite of that genre being The Thin Red Line - James Jones) and once I've come to peace with the horror of it I will certainly read it again. For poetry, I've spent the last couple weeks absorbed in Scar Tissue by Charles Wright. I have also being re-inspired thanks to Ben's lectures to return to Emily Dickinson who has always been my favourite! Happy reading everyone! "There is no frigate like a book..." ED

Caroline P

Hellooo book club friends, so much wonderful reading. Since joining this book club my reading has changed. Completely for the better. I think my poetry reading hasn’t changed so much but the novels, definitely. I am also reading a few books at once, which is a new thing for me. I am slowly rereading Combray by Proust. To be honest that is my favourite read. Then I confess I finished Les Misérables. I know this goes against what we are doing in the club, but I have a fair bit of reading time and I was enjoying it. I am going back and rereading sections to keep it all fresh for the videos. I won’t say much about that because of spoiler stuff except that I loved it very much, despite having to leave a coffee shop briskly at one point because I needed to have a proper sob. Also doing the slow read of Turn of the Screw, which I love. I am rereading Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney and enjoying an anthology called Rattlebag put together by Ted Hughes and Heaney. There are some new to me poets, some I like and some are not resonating with me. I am also listening to an excellent audio book called The Poets Corner by John Lithgow. I like listening to poetry and this is an assortment of poets, some of the best..some omissions etc …then a brief biography, a poem or two read aloud and then a little chat about them. It is quite brilliant I think. I sometimes fear I get a little stuck in a rut so it is good to re-explore poets. Lastly, I just read the last book by Jon Fosse in his Septology series. (The Other Name, I is Another and Another Name). These are translated from Norwegian by Damion Searls. I very much loved these books. Fosse writes, not so much stream of consciousness but more in the repetitive, internal and eternal looping way that we think. There isn’t really any plot but it is unclear throughout if we are reading about doppelgängers, the same person, parallel lives or reality. And I don’t think it is ever really clear. I just found it calming and truly wonderful. This is rare because I have become a bit disillusioned with more recent published books that have gimmicks and agendas. A very unique and unusual read. The last book came out in October so I had to stop all the clocks and read that. As to other stuff, I have come away for a few days for a mini break. We are staying in a glorious hotel built in the 1600s. It has dark oak panelling, stone mullioned windows, creaky floorboards and huge oil paintings of the family who lived in the house over the centuries and a gallery hall just outside our door with a 1700’s wood crib and a harpsichord..also wall hangings with doors behind them. It is wonderful! I don’t ever want to leave. Perfect for reading Turn of the Screw. Tomorrow I plan to sit in the window seat and read while John goes and does some fishing.

Caroline P
>>70955891

I particularly like your MEGA RECOMMENDATION I think I might have to order that. Bill, this is my favourite monthly post too. My book budget gets stretched more and more with every post

Caroline P
>>70963778

Just chipping in to say Digging is the most wonderful poem isn’t it. Postscript is my favourite Heaney poem. It brings a lump to my throat every time I read it. I have been trying to book a trip to his Home Place in Bellaghy recently but the logistics are dampening my efforts.

Caroline P
>>71030358

Ps I wish we could post pictures in Patreon because I would love to show you the spookiness of this place

Caroline P
>>70974235

Ohh the thought of reading the great Russian novels in Russia..what a treat that would be. I follow an excellent YouTube channel (Bald and Bankrupt). It is a man who predominantly tours Russia and documents his travels. The latest are in Siberia. Anyway, that is by the by. The landscape and the lives of people in those regions is very bleak and I agree it would’ve a place to read those novels and understand more.

Pablo

👋🏻 Hello Comrades 😀 Such a volume of of great lectures and posts over recent days that I barely know where to begin! First off, my great respect and admiration is due to the contributors to the Halloween episode, the music from Don was great and the authors of the stories all deserve a massive amount of credit as the standard was amazing. For some reason Michelle’s ‘Wife’ story seems to be walking (or perhaps haunting!) my mental hallways since then. But, all the stories were brilliant, so creatively written, executed and [of course] delivered by Ben. I managed to finish off Frankenstein on all hollow’s day and my oh my; how great was that?! So much more than I was expecting based upon the film versions I had experienced previously; massively richer, considerably deeper and so much more multifaceted. I think that it was Caroline that made a comment about the parallels between this novel and Hugo’s Les Miserables, and I definitely picked up on that too, that old nature or nurture argument was simmering none to far from the surface in Frankenstein. So, in terms of what I’m reading: Short stories: I’m still really liking to dip into Turgenev’s Sportsman’s Sketches, but have also acquired a copy of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Other Stories based on the recommendations of the folks here. I’m only a few tales in but am really loving that, and can already perceive why this collection is held in such high regard by Ben and the HLBC membership. Likewise, I’m very much enjoying the serialised read of The Turn of the Screw. I’m still pursuing my ‘daily reads’ from Ryan Holliday and Stephen Graham’s Tramps Anthology, the latter is a true gem of a collection and rarely fails to provide me with some inspiration. Exploring: Frankenstein was very good for me as it led me down a ‘rabbit hole’ with the Romantic tradition more generally. This is something that I have been skirting for a while this year, but this brought the buds of those thoughts into full bloom. I particularly enjoyed the supplemental poetry of The Prelude, The Ancient Mariner, and Shelly’s Mont Blanc. It has also made me want to revisit Milton’s Paradise Lost. I was sure I had a copy of that somewhere, but I have hunted high and low for it and can’t lay my hands upon it (maybe this is providence making me wait as I think that there was some talk of this being in next year’s HCLB schedule?) Big Read: Still Hugo’s Les Miserables, I have grown personally and gained so much from reading this. I have been a little tardy with my page count but am now well into Marius the third book. Although I haven’t been looking for plot holes to be fair, I am increasingly impressed by Hugo’s shifts in focus from the grand diversion to the intricacies of character play and his ability to interconnect events and personalities over such a grand canvas. Questions: Recent reads have made me ponder the inter-pollination and relatedness of different literary traditions and movements; maybe Ben could consider doing a lecture on that subject 🤔💭❔ Difficulties: I do feel like I’m like Proust I always seem to find myself ‘In Search of Lost Time’ I think that I need to implement a more organised reading schedule and probably focus on Hugo’s fascinating diversions rather than my own mundane ones!! I’m taking a bit of ‘leisure time’ this week, which has provided a good opportunity for me to catch up a little on my reading and also to address some much needed matters of ‘domestic bliss’, the kids are calling this ‘lifestyle admin.’ these days I believe 😉 It has been very pleasant to be able to slow down, rest and relax and take some much needed ‘me time’. This week [only sadly] it seems that time is regained for me which is a joy to savour 😁

Caroline P

Ohhh this is the first year ever that I forgot it was the Booker prize last night. Also I confess I have no urge to read the winner. (That isn’t a first tho. ) Way tooooo many books to read in this group that appeal to me far more. No disrespect to the winner. Has anyone read the winner? Is it better than Proust, Les Misérables, Don Quixote, Anna Karenina etc

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia.

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall
>>71159166

Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a sh*thole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia.

Tom Pearsall

Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia.

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Little reads: Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Other reads: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Little reads: Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Other reads: A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

hardcoreliterature
>>70954508

Perfect! Don Quixote is definitely one of those rare classics that really suit being read across many seasons - the slower the better, in fact. I love your insight about the rich and vivid inner lives of others. We are all our own knight errant and squire. We meet at the inn, and share our stories. And I love your idea of looking out for any faint whiff of the quixotic. I’ve long been into the law of attraction, manifesting what we focus on, and creating our own luck, and I completely believe that we must be proactively looking out for what we want more of in our lives, so I’m completely with you. And very nice with breaking into the philosophy - I’ve been revisiting Kant and Schopenhauer recently after enjoying some Thomas Hardy. Kant, by all accounts, seemed like a lovely man - Schopenhauer… Perhaps not so much :) Do keep us updated on your applying for a masters - what a great way to shepherd in the new year!

hardcoreliterature
>>71012758

You're definitely in good company here, Joel - I recall quite a few members citing Dostoyevsky's masterpiece as their favourite book (with particular love for 'The Grand Inquisitor'). That's really cool to hear you need a war novel on the go, and I totally get this. I probably watch a war movie every week, and they are the only films that make me very emotional - Hacksaw Ridge, The Deer Hunter, and Dunkirk were recent ones I enjoyed. I'll check out Tim O'Brien's work. Sounds very much up my street :) It's also great to hear you're returning to Dickinson, one of my favourite poets of all time. For anyone interested in Charles Wright, here's the poet reading from his work in his charming home office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbRFFM8z_dQ

Tom Pearsall

It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck. Little reads: Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Other reads: A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

Tried posting this earlier but Patreon keeps rejecting it...now trying to break it up. It’s great to see how this book club is blowing up. I am amazed at how diverse everyone’s reading is and have been mining them for recommendations. This has unfortunately led to a tendency to purchase a lot of books that are now collecting dust patiently waiting for me to find time to read more than their back cover. Thank god for online used bookstores or I may need a second mortgage. When Ben asked several months ago how many books one read’s concurrently I recall answering 1 to 2. Oh how times have changed! I now have a bookshelf dedicated to unfinished reading, and it is full. Big reads: Les Mis: Just finished Waterloo section. Hugo reminds me of Tolstoy but so far I prefer the Russian. Where Tolstoy has me guessing, Hugo’s plot is often very predictable and the characterization is much more straightforward as well. Still enjoying it though. Anna Karenina: I have finished book 5. Tolstoy’s writing is superb and the novel is very easy to return to even after a long break. I don’t feel like I need to re-familiarize myself with the characters because they are so vivid. I can see why Russians refer to them by first name. Proust: Need to get back to reading this genius. I am afraid if I start reading him again I may not put it down. Trying to knock out the other big reads first. I think my focus on modernist writers has helped me with understanding and appreciating Proust. Don Quixote: Finished the first part but may be a while before I get to the second. Although I get where this novel is supposed to be funny, to my more modern ironic sense of humor it usually feels either silly or bad slapstick. I suspect I will better appreciate Cervantes’ on a reread but so far lightning has not struck.

Tom Pearsall

Little reads: Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one. Other reads: A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall

Little reads: Turn of the Screw: Enjoying this one too. Unfortunately a friend of mine accidentally spilled the ending. Don’t worry, he is still my friend, just not talking to him for a little while. Shakespeare sonnets: Love them and hate them. See my posts on them. Frankenstein: Finished and this will be reread many times. Even though I don’t think Shelley's writing is necessarily top notch at times, the story is superb. What I like the most is that one can read this slim novel from so many different angles. For me, this is what makes good literature, good literature. I am glad I bought the Norton critical edition for this one.

Tom Pearsall

Other reads: A New World Begins by Jeremy D. Popkin: I picked up this history of the French Revolution to supplement Les Mis. Its okay. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Finished a reread and already want to read it again. I am going through Cormac’s books in chronological order. Suttree is his hardest novel to understand and I still don’t claim to. If you are a depressed young adult, perhaps just out of university, and feel the world is a bit of a shithole, then this is the book for you. Starting my fourth reading of Blood Meridian and realizing there is very little margin left in my edition to marginalia. Perrine’s Sound & Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. A very special thank you to whoever in this group suggested this book of poetry. I am sorry I forget who it was. I knock out just a few pages each night and I am learning a lot on how to read poetry. I like how it gives you a concept, like “imagery”, and then gives you a good dozen poems to read as examples. The questions with each poem really stretch me to read and reread harder to fully understand the lesson. Now everyone knows why my wife complains that I never talk to her anymore! I have suggested she join this group if she wants to change that. Cheers from Richmond, Virginia.

Tom Pearsall

P.S. Almost forgot. I am also listening to the audible version of Dune by Frank Herbert. It is very good. The movie is super as well though the book has soooooo much more to it. Unfortunately, the movie pretty much necessitates having already read the long sci-fi epic to fully understand what is going on. Any other fans of Dune out there?

Tom Pearsall
>>71196379

Don- I stopped reading the series after the third book I believe. The story loses steam for me with each book. The first one holds up to a reread though.

Tom Pearsall
>>71102200

It seems a lot of us are still reading Turgenev. I too have read at least a third of Sportsmen's Notebook. I wonder if Ben would consider a throwback lecture on Bezhin Meadow and Kasyan from Fair Springs.

Fiona Wang

Wow. How much time does everyone spend on reading every day!? I've never been able to read more than 2-3 at any given time. This month is an exception because Ben's persuasive arguments made me pick up Frankenstein and The Turn of the Screw, which I have enjoyed tremendously. In addition to the Halloween reads, I'm still following the knight errant and his squire in their journeys. It's been slow but I'm enjoying the interpolated novels. They're my favorite parts. Lastly, I picked up The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop by Steve Osborne. It's a funny, insightful, and politically incorrect book that's best listened to. The author voiced the audiobook and his thick New York accent is something you won't get from just reading the words. Do recommend for anyone interested in understanding the life of a NYC police officer and what criminal life looks like in this metropolitan city.

Sharon xx

Hi Everyone **waves**. Late to the party as always lol. I'm going to follow Ben's prompts above this time. SHORT STORIES = Does, The Turn of the Screw by James count? If so then that, which I'm absolutely loving and reading in the historical serialised time-frame. Interestingly my last day of reading will be New Year's Eve which is a bit fab I think. Totally coincidental, not down to any clever planning on my behalf. I'm also planning to fill any Dickens' gaps with, A Christmas Carol from my Oxford World's Classics edtion of, A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Books by Dickens which I suppose is nearly a short story. Everyone should read ACC at Christmas surely? ;) AUTHOR DETAILS & AREAS TO EXPLORE = I'm desperate to read, Charles Dickens - A Life by Claire Tomalin. For someone who only really 'found' Dickens at the start of Covid, I've fallen into a massive rabbit hole of wanting to read and know all things Dickens. I'm also very keen to read, Emily's Journal by Sarah Fermi which I treated myself to on a trip to, The Bronte Parsonage Museum in August this year. It's a work of fiction but written by someone with an extensive knowledge of the social history of Haworth in the early nineteenth century. I'm intrigued as Emily is my favourite of the sisters. POETRY = I'm still enjoying, The Complete Works of Emily Dickinson. She makes me think and I discover so much in her words, it's like entering her head. I'm also enjoying [although not poetry per se] Emily Dickinson's Letters in the Everyman Pocket Poets edition. Fascinating and a great book to tandem with her poetry, especially if you manage to synchronise the chronology as you go. John Clare - The Shepherd's Calendar = I've been dipping into this on and off over the last few weeks, particularly the Autumnal months. The October entry is divine. HLBC READS = apart from, The Turn of the Screw mentioned above, Les Mis is my only other bookclub read. I'm doing the chapter a day approach and I'm totally uptodate with that schedule, which is even impressing me. I have to say that I love it - I think I said last month, it beats AK and C&P hands down. I love it so much I find it hard to be objective in my criticism. SHARON'S CURRENT READS = Bleak House by Charles Dickens [a hug in a book], Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte [I am, Heathcliffe!], The Secret Seaside Escape by Heidi Swain [buddy read with my daughter - chick lit escapism]. SHARON'S FINISHED READS = The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden [this is the second in a trilogy and it was unputdownable, no second book syndrome for Katherine], Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman [this was a re-read = Fantasy Realism bliss]. SHARON'S EPIC FAILS = Proust, poor Marcel seems to have been shelved, literally, since the arrival of Mr Hugo. Sorry Marcel, hopefully I'll make time for you soon. Will Shakespeare's Sonnets - seems to have gone the same way as Mr Proust - Sorry Will, what can I say? It's me, not you. :) LIFE UPDATE = work is calm, despite the rising infection rate among young people in the UK the hospital isn't feeling the effects of that probably due to them either being vaccinated [Ethan is 16 and vaccinated] or because they're not being badly affected/asymptomatic due to their age. I've just had my Covid booster [#3] and Flu jab in tandem. Si and I have both just come to the end of some Annual Leave where reading, sewing [me, not him], journaling, walking and family all took priority. Oh and some very good food. We had a bonfire night get together, two years late as Covid cancelled the last two, but so worth the wait. I think that's me. I've got the Halloween Special, which I've been saving, to enjoy later and I'm now off to comment on, The Turn of the Screw lecture. Love and light to all. Stay well and happy. Sharon xx

Fiona Wang
>>71345794

What a tremendous reading schedule, Sharon. I saw the OWC edition of A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Books by Dickens on Amazon and thought it to be a great Christmas present to myself. I just might purchase it. Will you be reading the other stories from the book too? I almost gasped when you said Les Mis beats AK and C&P. I'm going to file this at the back of my head and see if I agree when I finally get to Les Mis, haha. Proust is also on my did-not-finish list. I wonder how many in the book club were able to stick to it!

hardcoreliterature
>>71151706

Ah, yes, I saw the winner announced. I tried to read everything longlisted, but I'm afraid I gave up across the board. Hugo, Proust, Cervantes, and Dickens are stiff competition :)

hardcoreliterature
>>71195025

I absolutely love this monthly check-in too. I typically have an Amazon, Ebay, or ABE Books tab open and I leave with a good handful of gems. The level of literary taste in this group is incredible - unlike anywhere I’ve seen before. But, as you say, Tom, it results in piles of books collecting dust. I can’t remember who said it (Ryan Holiday?) but I recall someone telling an anecdote about how they decided never to deny themselves a book, and that the most interesting libraries are stuffed with books we want to read rather than those we have already read. More than half of my purchases are secondhand too, otherwise my cavalier book-buying approach would fast become unsustainable. That’s so great that Hugo reminds you of Tolstoy. I’ve been waiting to hear more readers draw this comparison - I see them both as having so much in common. Tolstoy loved Hugo. He was one of the few great writers he was actually enthusiastic about. I personally prefer Tolstoy too, but I can definitely be in a ‘Hugo mood’. The realism and vividness of Anna Karenina, as you mention, is on another level above Les Misérables (though I love Les Mis with a passion too). Also really interesting to hear how your reading of Modernism has helped you with Proust - I would love to hear more about this, especially as we start gearing up for more of a focus on Modernism soon. Congratulations on finishing the first part of DQ - as the first readers had to wait 10 years before the second part, I wouldn’t see it as the worst thing in the world if you needed a break from it (part two has more of a mature feel and the tone changes quite a bit towards the end though). I’m also thrilled to see McCarthy here - a fourth reading of Blood Meridian! Wow! It’s on the schedule for early next year, so I can’t wait to hear more of your thoughts on it, Tom.

hardcoreliterature
>>71253682

My reading time per day can vary wildly. Lecture and podcast planning takes tremendous amounts of time. This week I've had a few nice evenings that have given me a couple of hours to read, but Life certainly does like to get in the way from time to time. Some days I'm lucky if I can get half an hour before bed. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed Frankenstein, and you're still enjoying The Turn of the Screw and Don Quixote. If you love the interpolated tales, you may be happy to know that Cervantes has quite a few more outside of Don Quixote in a volume called 'Exemplary Novels' (though I don't wish to heap more books on for you, Fiona). Nice recommendation with Steve Osborne's book - I love this sort of thing. The last few nights, I've been enjoying a few British police procedurals - great stuff :)

Sharon xx

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - HEADS UP!!! After our discussion further up this thread about Charles Dickens and the [now] annual tradition of reading, A Christmas Carol over the festive season, I wanted to share the following. Yesterday I took delivery of this little book from Amazon.UK - A Christmas Carol (Arcturus Ornate Classics, 13) Hardcover – 15 Oct. 2018 - link below. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1788886437/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's described as, "A faithful reproduction of the original first edition of Dickens' A Christmas Carol"; it is absolutely glorious!! They've attempted to recreate that first edition from 1843 with the same paper, font, images even right down to a typo that appeared but was removed in later edtions. It's currently £8.99 here and I'm astounded at the quality and beauty for that price. If you're at all into Dickens or collecting delicious copies of his works then don't hesitate, you won't be disappointed. Be warned though you need to ensure it's the red edition with the gold guilding, published by Arcturus that you buy as there are other versions out there that are poor imitations. Particularly a brown version published by Suzeteo Enterprises, this gets terrible reviews and is described as 'fake'. I wish I could share photo's of mine on here but in any event I just wanted to share the Dickens love around. Enjoy! Sharon xx

Anonymous
>>71667896

Thanks, Sharon. I have multiple Carols but not this one, so being very careful to get the right one, I put in an order. Every time I read a new edition, I have a secret hope I'll find an extra chapter or two that I somehow never saw before. Perhaps this time Scrooge will succeed in getting Marley out of Purgatory or he'll invent a time machine and gain himself a "do over," but alas it never happens. Not that I'm complaining. The story "as is" is pleasing enough.

Jo Ann Hinkle

Hello everyone! I’m new here and I’m trying to get back into reading classic literature after a long hiatus. I was excited to discover Ben’s podcast which led me here. I’ve been dealing with a some health issues, namely Multiple Sclerosis which causes attention deficit problems for me. So one of my reasons for joining is to help my focus and concentration by reading classic works of literature. I’m not currently reading anything but I’m looking forward to reading Great Expectations with everyone.

hardcoreliterature
>>72090536

It's so great to have you here with us, Jo! And thank you for your wonderful introduction. I'm sorry to hear about your health issues. That is such a difficult cross to bear. It sounds like you're making valiant strides forward in the face of your issues, and I have so much respect and admiration for that. Great Expectations is the perfect book to start with, and I can't wait to hear your reaction to the book or any insights you wish to share along the way!