Such a great exposition you present. "I am a reader, not a writer." And, yet, I am sure, if you wanted to sit down and write a book, you would write a brilliant one! I personally believe that any great writer must be a compulsive reader. And, I also believe that we, as compulsive readers, are always dreaming of becoming writers ourselves. Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, another very thought provoking and highly entertaining vlog from you, Daniel!
The Tin Drum and Midnight's Children. By chance/coincidence I read one right after the other, and was struck by how both novels tell the story of a land in turmoil from the perspective of a child (or child-like character) with a streak of monstrosity. Some time after I think I read somewhere that Rushdie actually intended to pay homage to Grass's novel.
These are wonderful pairings. I read Mrs Dalloway first and then read The Hours. It definitely made a difference. Considering doing the same thing with Copperfield. I’m very interested in getting to James. 😊💙
Thanks for this video, Daniel. Great insights and thank you for mentioning the Spoon River Anthology. I had never heard of it and immediately want to read it. Hope you have a great weekend.
What a wonderful idea for a video! I'm familiar with only one side of most of these conversations, so now I want to get to know the other halves. Thank you.
Great video. I love a good pairing and have a few you mentioned on my TBR. I recently finished Great Expectations and will soon pick up Estella by Kathy George. It will be interesting to read the story from a different character’s perspective.
In other words, there is no getting away from foundational texts. There is no escape from the Western Canon. We stand on the shoulders of giants, like it or not🧐
That is part of it, for sure, but in the case of the McEwan and Ishiguro books, these are modern masters coming at the same modern subject from slightly different angles.
You're the only other person who has stated how I feel about the end of Jane Eyre. I also don't think she made the right choice. I have yet to read The Wide Sargasso Sea. I should move it up my list and read it this autumn. I like Mrs. Dalloway so perhaps I should read The Hours
Poor Jane, I only want her to be happy and, perhaps she is at the end, but only someone whose self-esteem has been so battered could believe that Rochester is the best she might do.
I was in a production of Spoon River Anthology (selected poems adapted into monologues interspersed with music from the time) in high school. In retrospect, getting a bunch of kids to perform to spirituals and songs hinting at domestic violence may not have been a top choice. Separately, thanks for noting the connection between Klara and the Sun and Machines Like Me. I'm reading through McEwan's oeuvre and Machines Like Me is the next work I was aiming to read, will plan to pick up Klara and the Sun around the same time frame!
Sounds like the work of an ambitious high school drama teacher tired of staging Our Town. There is some humour in there as well. I hope they made a judicious selection of the poems to highlight. How are you getting on with the McEwan reading? I got scared off his earliest short stories by MY high school English teacher, but I've read pretty much everything since Enduring Love. He is one of the greats
@@GuiltyFeat I'm only 5 in and am going way out of order with McEwan based on what I find in used bookstores rather than chronology and to be honest have read only 5 so far (Atonement, Amsterdam, In Between the Sheets, On Chesil Beach, and The Children Act, in that order). Because I started with probanly his strongest two (Amsterdam resonated most with me), I knew the rest would likely not be as good, but his writing just works for me. For a "literary" writer, he is very essily readable. I had tempered my expectations for the rest of the work but have been mostly pleasantly surprised. In Between the Sheets has indeed been the weekest so far, and I usually like short story collections. The one I think back most on is actually probably On Chesil Beach, which I didn't love at the time of reading. He wrote the awkwardness and melancholy so well it has stayed with me for years.
I had no idea. I love Fingersmith, but I've never read Wilkie Collins. I have Moonstone lined up for Victober and I should get to The Woman in White after that.
Such a great exposition you present. "I am a reader, not a writer." And, yet, I am sure, if you wanted to sit down and write a book, you would write a brilliant one! I personally believe that any great writer must be a compulsive reader. And, I also believe that we, as compulsive readers, are always dreaming of becoming writers ourselves. Maybe, maybe not.
Anyway, another very thought provoking and highly entertaining vlog from you, Daniel!
Thanks so much. On the one hand I've kinda made my peace with not writing a book, on the other hand...
The Tin Drum and Midnight's Children. By chance/coincidence I read one right after the other, and was struck by how both novels tell the story of a land in turmoil from the perspective of a child (or child-like character) with a streak of monstrosity. Some time after I think I read somewhere that Rushdie actually intended to pay homage to Grass's novel.
Ooh interesting. I have not read The Tin Drum. Thanks!
These are wonderful pairings. I read Mrs Dalloway first and then read The Hours. It definitely made a difference. Considering doing the same thing with Copperfield. I’m very interested in getting to James. 😊💙
I love when my reading pleasure is enhanced by other reading I have done.
What a fantastic video! I love the idea of books in conversations. This may be something I explore as a project in 2025.
Excited to see what others make of this. Thanks.
Thank you for reminding me about Spoon River. I love BookTube. 🎉
It was recommended to me. I’m just part of chain of people who loved this book.
@@GuiltyFeat That is a very Spoon River thing to say.
Thanks for this video, Daniel. Great insights and thank you for mentioning the Spoon River Anthology. I had never heard of it and immediately want to read it. Hope you have a great weekend.
Spoon River was a revelation to me when I heard about it from others. Happy to pass on the recommendation.
What a wonderful idea for a video! I'm familiar with only one side of most of these conversations, so now I want to get to know the other halves. Thank you.
Always happy to surface reading idea for others, thanks!
Such an interesting video - War and Peace and Vanity Fair - that was a surprise!!
It jumped out at me during the reading and then I did a little bit of research to find a plausible link.
Great video. I love a good pairing and have a few you mentioned on my TBR. I recently finished Great Expectations and will soon pick up Estella by Kathy George. It will be interesting to read the story from a different character’s perspective.
I love Great Expectations and always found Estella to be even more terrifying than Miss Haversham.
I really enjoyed this video
Thanks Andi!
In other words, there is no getting away from foundational texts. There is no escape from the Western Canon. We stand on the shoulders of giants, like it or not🧐
That is part of it, for sure, but in the case of the McEwan and Ishiguro books, these are modern masters coming at the same modern subject from slightly different angles.
You're the only other person who has stated how I feel about the end of Jane Eyre. I also don't think she made the right choice. I have yet to read The Wide Sargasso Sea. I should move it up my list and read it this autumn.
I like Mrs. Dalloway so perhaps I should read The Hours
Poor Jane, I only want her to be happy and, perhaps she is at the end, but only someone whose self-esteem has been so battered could believe that Rochester is the best she might do.
Great Intro 😄
Thank you!
I was in a production of Spoon River Anthology (selected poems adapted into monologues interspersed with music from the time) in high school. In retrospect, getting a bunch of kids to perform to spirituals and songs hinting at domestic violence may not have been a top choice.
Separately, thanks for noting the connection between Klara and the Sun and Machines Like Me. I'm reading through McEwan's oeuvre and Machines Like Me is the next work I was aiming to read, will plan to pick up Klara and the Sun around the same time frame!
Sounds like the work of an ambitious high school drama teacher tired of staging Our Town. There is some humour in there as well. I hope they made a judicious selection of the poems to highlight.
How are you getting on with the McEwan reading? I got scared off his earliest short stories by MY high school English teacher, but I've read pretty much everything since Enduring Love. He is one of the greats
@@GuiltyFeat I'm only 5 in and am going way out of order with McEwan based on what I find in used bookstores rather than chronology and to be honest have read only 5 so far (Atonement, Amsterdam, In Between the Sheets, On Chesil Beach, and The Children Act, in that order). Because I started with probanly his strongest two (Amsterdam resonated most with me), I knew the rest would likely not be as good, but his writing just works for me. For a "literary" writer, he is very essily readable. I had tempered my expectations for the rest of the work but have been mostly pleasantly surprised. In Between the Sheets has indeed been the weekest so far, and I usually like short story collections. The one I think back most on is actually probably On Chesil Beach, which I didn't love at the time of reading. He wrote the awkwardness and melancholy so well it has stayed with me for years.
Wonderful video.
Thanks Brian!
My favourite pair is Fingersmith and Woman in White
I had no idea. I love Fingersmith, but I've never read Wilkie Collins. I have Moonstone lined up for Victober and I should get to The Woman in White after that.
When you had Jane Eyre I thought you were going to suggest The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde!
I read and enjoyed The Eyre Affair, but not quite enough to read more in the series.