What a great reading month! I've read Jazz and Sula by Toni Morrison this year and I really like her writing style. I like how she touches upon lots of different characters. I'll definitely have to pick up Tar Baby soon. Happy reading 📖
I want to read all of the books you've mentioned now and really enjoyed your review! I've just wrapped up 100 years of solitude and I hated it at parts, loved it at others - overall really glad I read it and I'm on to Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood now
@SM-lr8iy yay! I felt the same way about 100 years of Solitude actually! The writing was really beautiful but I found the narrative structure quite frustrating. Ooh, I hope you enjoy Cat's Eye- I read it years ago and remember really enjoying it at the time!
I avoided Moby Dick for decades. It was until I read an essay by Jorge Luis Borges where he described the book as encompassing the universe in its pages. I liked how Borges described it and decided to read it. It was like reading a book left out of the King James Bible, not just for the Shakespearean language Melville used, but because I thought Ishmael and Ahab were characters from the Old Testament and the White Whale the mystery of God. It's a book I'll revisit one day. Philip Roth is a writer popular in Mexico and Latin America (and in Spain, too. I remember seeing an interview with Penelope Cruz talking about admiring his books). Writers I admire like Carlos Fuentes (they were friends) dedicated a story to him. But I can't find him engaging. The only book I did get through was "The Breast." He was married to actress Claire Bloom who wrote a memoir about their relationship. The last straw for her was when she discovered a book he was writing was about an affair the male character was having and learned that in fact Roth was writing about himself and a woman they both knew.
@LibroParadiso-ep4zt Yes- I see where Borges is coming from. It really does encompass a lot!! Roth's a writer I'd really like to enjoy. I know a lot of his books are quite different so may try American Pastoral at some point and see how I get on 😊
I read A Room With A View last year and really liked it! It was one of those books that lingered afterwards and perhaps I like it even more in hindsight compared to during reading it. I also watched the film adaptation, which I know is a big reason why my liking of it increased after reading the book. I had watched it on my own and then rewatched it like a month later with a film club I'm in. It ended up winning the club's poll so I probably would not have watched it again so soon, but I was so glad it did because it was such a fun time! The movie is one of my all-time favs, now. I have The Well of Loneliness on my shelves and hearing your interesting thoughts and aspects of the novel, and how much you liked it makes me want to pick it up soon. Pedro Paramo sounds so intriguing! I don't think I've heard of it before. My favorites of what I read in July are Betty by Georges Simenon and An Excellent Host by Chelsea G. Summers- which is more of a novella.
@BaileeWalsh oh I've not actually seen the film of a Room with a View- will definitely check it out 😁 Yes, would really recommend The Well of Loneliness and Pedro Paramo- both super interesting reads! I've never read any Simenon but he's been on my radar eventually. Where's the best place to start?
@Sarahsreadingjournal I'm actually not sure on where to start with Simenon. I picked up Betty because I watched the film adaptation of it last year and it became one of my favorite movies. Betty has a lot of introspection which I'm assuming isn't as prevalent with like his Maigret detective series, or at least with those being more along the lines of mystery in genre there's likely more of a plot compared to Betty. And I've heard the Maigret books don't have to be read in publication/chronological order, which is probably helpful. I really liked Betty but it's hard to say that's a good place to start since I had watched the movie prior and it's the only Simenon I've read. I'm definitely interested in his other works, though.
What a great reading month! I've read Jazz and Sula by Toni Morrison this year and I really like her writing style. I like how she touches upon lots of different characters. I'll definitely have to pick up Tar Baby soon. Happy reading 📖
@RhiannaVarney Jazz is next on my list so great to hear good things!! 😁
I want to read all of the books you've mentioned now and really enjoyed your review! I've just wrapped up 100 years of solitude and I hated it at parts, loved it at others - overall really glad I read it and I'm on to Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood now
@SM-lr8iy yay! I felt the same way about 100 years of Solitude actually! The writing was really beautiful but I found the narrative structure quite frustrating. Ooh, I hope you enjoy Cat's Eye- I read it years ago and remember really enjoying it at the time!
I avoided Moby Dick for decades. It was until I read an essay by Jorge Luis Borges where he described the book as encompassing the universe in its pages. I liked how Borges described it and decided to read it. It was like reading a book left out of the King James Bible, not just for the Shakespearean language Melville used, but because I thought Ishmael and Ahab were characters from the Old Testament and the White Whale the mystery of God. It's a book I'll revisit one day.
Philip Roth is a writer popular in Mexico and Latin America (and in Spain, too. I remember seeing an interview with Penelope Cruz talking about admiring his books). Writers I admire like Carlos Fuentes (they were friends) dedicated a story to him. But I can't find him engaging. The only book I did get through was "The Breast." He was married to actress Claire Bloom who wrote a memoir about their relationship. The last straw for her was when she discovered a book he was writing was about an affair the male character was having and learned that in fact Roth was writing about himself and a woman they both knew.
@LibroParadiso-ep4zt Yes- I see where Borges is coming from. It really does encompass a lot!! Roth's a writer I'd really like to enjoy. I know a lot of his books are quite different so may try American Pastoral at some point and see how I get on 😊
Great reply Libro. Best wishes to you both and happy reading.
I read A Room With A View last year and really liked it! It was one of those books that lingered afterwards and perhaps I like it even more in hindsight compared to during reading it. I also watched the film adaptation, which I know is a big reason why my liking of it increased after reading the book. I had watched it on my own and then rewatched it like a month later with a film club I'm in. It ended up winning the club's poll so I probably would not have watched it again so soon, but I was so glad it did because it was such a fun time! The movie is one of my all-time favs, now.
I have The Well of Loneliness on my shelves and hearing your interesting thoughts and aspects of the novel, and how much you liked it makes me want to pick it up soon. Pedro Paramo sounds so intriguing! I don't think I've heard of it before.
My favorites of what I read in July are Betty by Georges Simenon and An Excellent Host by Chelsea G. Summers- which is more of a novella.
@BaileeWalsh oh I've not actually seen the film of a Room with a View- will definitely check it out 😁
Yes, would really recommend The Well of Loneliness and Pedro Paramo- both super interesting reads!
I've never read any Simenon but he's been on my radar eventually. Where's the best place to start?
@Sarahsreadingjournal I'm actually not sure on where to start with Simenon. I picked up Betty because I watched the film adaptation of it last year and it became one of my favorite movies. Betty has a lot of introspection which I'm assuming isn't as prevalent with like his Maigret detective series, or at least with those being more along the lines of mystery in genre there's likely more of a plot compared to Betty. And I've heard the Maigret books don't have to be read in publication/chronological order, which is probably helpful. I really liked Betty but it's hard to say that's a good place to start since I had watched the movie prior and it's the only Simenon I've read. I'm definitely interested in his other works, though.