pontalba

Thank you. It's well worth the tracking. The man is never named in the book, however on another forum, we decided that Arthur was a good name for him.

I did, and thanks for reminding me to print it out! It is beautiful isn't it?

Oh, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed The Book of Evidence! Let me suggest one more to complete the 'trilogy'. To properly get Freddie's story it should be read in this order... The Book of Evidence Ghosts Athena Believe me, even at the end of the third one, I was wishing for more of Freddie's story.

I've updated [long over due] my already read list for the year. Again I seem to gravitate towards series. Patricia Highsmith's Ripley series, John Banville's trilogy, and his Benjamin Black detective/mystery series. Although Quirke is not a detective in the true sense, he certainly knows how to find trouble. Finally after holding it more than a year I read Raw Shark Text, an innovative and mostly successful first venture for Steven Hall.

Pnin is definitely accessible. I consider Timofey to be one of the most noble of fiction's characters. Then for the dark side of the coin, may I suggest you read The Enchanter. It's an interesting precursor to Lolita. I've searched and can't find a review for The Enchanter I thought I posted here in the review section, perhaps I've missed it, so will post it here. The Enchanter by Vladimir Nabokov So many similarities, so many differences. "The Enchanter" vs. "Lolita". To list similarities, a middle aged (I refuse to call him old!) man falls in...."love" (obsession more like it) with a 12 year old girl. Said man marries the mother to obtain access to the child. Mother conveniently dies and leaves the child in care of her newly aquired husband. There are no relatives to step in and defend the child. The man (who btw is never given a name) embarks on a journey with the child to a place where they can erotically play and be together without the tethers of civilization or enquiring eyes. I deliberately use the term "play" because that is how he envisions their future together. I didn't say he was brilliant. Just methodical. The girl's personality (who is also unnamed), is the deal breaker in my opinion. The bones of the story are the same. The fleshing out is very different however. The Enchanter is a roller coaster ride to an explosive end. "Lolita" is more of a sensual journey taken slowly and deliberately with much malice aforethought. Some have panned "The Enchanter" and given it no worth, but I think it is well worth the reading, and recommend it for your perusal. After all, it is Nabokov.

Ahh well. Older than most of ya. 58.

I discovered a wonderful series [i love series] by Louis L'Amour, the "umbrella name" is The Sacketts. There are 18 books about the Sacketts in all. The first title is Sackett's Land. A synopsis of the first one is as follows: This isn't a 'shoot em up' type western, it is a family saga that covers from England to the East Coast of America, out to the Old West. It'll follow different branches of the family at different times, and in the end tie up nicely.

Ok, first I haven't read On Chesil Beach, and from the reviews and discussion threads I've read elsewhere I don't think I want to, of course that could change at the drop of a hat, er, book. But, in the discussion I read, they claimed I don't know, and really, that's the only reason I'd be tempted to read it, to see what I think of that theory. Now. I hope this spoiler tag works! Otherwise it's DELETE!

I've only read Wedding in December, and loved it. It has such heart. Wonderful story. I definitely recommend it.

Nice review Sugar. I really didn't care for the book though, first I believe because I had not realized it was a "young adult" book and secondly I have read so much regarding WWII, the European Theatre, that this one seemed so very mild compared to those. But I don't even think the mildness [to me] was the key reason for my not caring for it. I just didn't care for the style of writing. I found it rather bland. I have liked young adult books in the recent past, but only on subject I was not familiar with to begin. So I would say this was a good introductory piece of fiction for that particular era.

I've only read Pillars of the Earth...many years ago, probably now long after it came out and throughly enjoyed it. I have the sequel in my TBR mountain, however I've not heard as good things about World Without End. According to some reviews and fellow posters on another forum, it is rather repetitive and not half so interesting. One day I'll get to it myself. Nici, your review is a good take on it.

I happened to read Lolita first, I was fortunate enough to read it with an excellent discussion group that really got to the meat of the matter, but if you purchase the Annotated version, that'll help tremendously. After reading Lolita and Pnin and a few others including Glory and The Real Life of Sebastian Knight I decided to start at the beginning of his work [Mary] to better track his progression as a writer. It's a good way as far as I am concerned. The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is a good detective story as well, so if you enjoy that genre, it's another reason to read that first. So really in the end it is whatever synopsis or review that happens to appeal to you the most. Pnin is an excellent introduction IMO, but so would be Glory or Sebastian Knight. Please post as to which one you have decided on, I'd love to know. Oh, and if you are interested in Nabokov himself, Speak, Memory was absolutely the most wonderful autobiography I have ever read. There is a thread here on it too.

I can't say I am a huge fan of the chain restaurants either, there are some home-style restaurants that are run and owned by locals here and I do prefer to us them. Not only is the food better, they are more careful about the people they hire and are more watchful as to cleanliness and proper food management.

About half of my books are in this computer room/office, and in a newly made bookcase that was the Hall closet right outside of this room. Who needs a Hall Closet anyhow? So when we had some other carpentry work done, I removed all the winter coats, of which we only used a couple anyhow, and filled it with shelves all the way to the ceiling back and sides. Was filled immediately with the stacks that were on the floor in here. But then there are the bookcases in the front room, the upper hall, and the breakfast room. I wish I could gather them all into one room.

Omega Minor by Paul Verhaeghen is in my stack, comes in at 691 pages.

I saw the version that Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman played in, can't remember the year though. The father's character seemed to be far more developed than in the book. I know what you mean about wanting to shout at Marianne, the actress that played in this film, can't remember her name was quite good at catching that irritating quality of hers.

Hi Purple Poppy. I've been in and out, but not posting too much lately. Last year I read my first Banville The Sea, then Christine Falls, that is a mystery that Banville wrote under the name Benjamin Black. It is also going to be a series...only loosely, but a series all the same, the next one comes out in March in the U.S., but is already out in the U.K. It is called Silver Swan, and I can hardly wait to read it! I haven't read Birchwood though I do have a couple more Banvilles in my TBR stack...Athena and Ghosts. I do have a few VN reviews over in the review section here...way back from last year.

LOL I wish I was an expert! I do love VN's books though, but am only a little more than half way through them. But please! Don't wait till you've read more Nabokov to read the Banville, to me Banville is merely an acolyte [although only in the broadest sense] paying homage to the Master. Banville is a master in his own right.

I started S&S last night, and while it takes a few moments to get into the swing of the prose, I am throughly enjoying it. I've only read one other Austen, Pride and Prejudice last year, so am looking forward to this Austen Journey. I have already found out one thing...from the DVD [the Emma Thompson/Hugh Grant version] I'd not been able to pinpoint how the Dashwood's originally came into ownership of the property, this cleared that up pronto. I was also surprised to see that the father died right off the bat, in the film, he was around longer.

I cannot say enough good things about John Banville's The Book of Evidence. The front cover has a quote from the New York Times....."Here is an astonishing, disturbing little novel that might have been coughed up from hell." Yeah, that fits. The allusions and elbow in the ribs humor of the author paying homage to Lolita/Vladimir Nabokov are just hilarious. His prose and humor are second only to Nabokov IMO. Is Freddie an unreliable narrator? Hmmmm, I'm not even sure now, but in the end I had to believe him. He forgets names left and right, so makes up his own, is amoral......in a sense. Will he attempt to redeem himself? You have to read to the last page to be sure. In spite of the very hideousness of his crime, you almost, I say almost have to like and feel sorry for Freddie. Bloke didn't have a chance to begin with, did he?

JANUARY 2008 Women With Men by Richard Ford 3/5 Light Years by James Salter 3/5 Cat Deck the Halls by Shirley Rousseau Murphy 3/5 The Book of Evidence by John Banville 5/5 Time Traders [Omnibus Ed.] by Andr

Sorrowfully I failed to read one doorstep a month, although managed two in December, so maybe that will help pull me out of the muck and gore. For December... The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing 635 pages By Love Possessed by James Gould Cozzens 570 pages

Well I managed to round out the year with a new book and two old ones I had already, so that wasn't too bad. By Love Possessed was a book I'd had sitting on my shelf for almost a year and I am upset I put it off for so long, Cozzens writes some of the best interior monologues and back stories that I have ever read. The Golden Notebook by Lessing was a new acquisition, and well worth the read, even though some parts were difficult and the narrator uncertain at times. Half the fun was unraveling the identities. The World at Night was a war time spy/love story that moved rapidly but did not stint on action or plot line. I have several others of Furst's and look forward to reading them, hopefully this new year. I recommend all of the above highly!