[COMPLETE]The desirable alien at home in Germany/V Hunt-ans

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » January 14th, 2018, 4:20 am

Hi, Paul. Hope you are feeling OK. Here's Section 6:

BEER GARDENS v. BEAR GARDENS
https://librivox.org/uploads/annise/desirablealien_06_hunt_128kb.mp3
M:S
23:08

I suppose you know Durham? Google tells me that a coal mine was established
at Bear Park near Durham in 1872. I guess that the mine is what blighted the author's
childhood haunts.

Best,

Barbara

SkyRider · Post by **SkyRider** » January 14th, 2018, 10:23 am

Section 6 PL OK

I've not actually been to Durham but I've been through it on the train. My over-riding memory is of the imposing Gothic cathedral which they seem to have built on a mound to make it even more imposing. And then the train moved on to Newcastle and ultimately to Edinburgh.

Strangely enough, I was playing a German board game yesterday that revolved around building a bear park - must have been prescient!

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » January 28th, 2018, 3:50 am

More cakes and ale in Section 7:

https://librivox.org/uploads/annise/desirablealien_07_hunt_128kb.mp3

M:S
22:21

Best,

Barbara

SkyRider · Post by **SkyRider** » January 30th, 2018, 6:15 am

Section 7 PL OK — another great reading!

I remember a discussion some time ago about the silence at the start of readings; the guidelines suggest that this should be 0.5-1 second but the consensus in the discussion was that shorter periods were fine so I didn't think it was worth leaving a PL note for that.

Cheers,
Paul

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » February 7th, 2018, 10:43 pm

Hi Paul, some worldly good times at the spa for you:

Princes and Prescriptions
https://librivox.org/uploads/annise/desirablealien_08_hunt_128kb.mp3
34:45

Best,

Barbara

SkyRider · Post by **SkyRider** » February 8th, 2018, 6:10 am

Section 8 PL OK - all good!

I love some of Hunt's metaphors, though it strikes me that bathing in champagne may be stickier and less pleasurable than she imagines...

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » February 18th, 2018, 5:36 pm

Section 9, Paul:

Blue Pates and Schoppen - German student life

https://librivox.org/uploads/annise/desirablealien_09_hunt_128kb.mp3
M:S
38:32

Best,

Barbara

SkyRider · Post by **SkyRider** » February 19th, 2018, 6:13 am

Section 9 PL OK

Slightly unfair to Cambridge, I thought (but then I live there so would defend it) - it's now true that it's a long walk to get to a rural environment but most of the housing stock was built in the 1960's and 1970's, well after the date of authorship.

Cheers,
Paul

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » February 19th, 2018, 6:53 am

SkyRider wrote: ↑February 19th, 2018, 6:13 am Section 9 PL OK

Slightly unfair to Cambridge, I thought (but then I live there so would defend it) - it's now true that it's a long walk to get to a rural environment but most of the housing stock was built in the 1960's and 1970's, well after the date of authorship.

Cheers,
Paul

Thanks, Paul. I wasn't sure whether you were Cambridge or Oxford. Cambridge was lovely when I visited it, before your time. But, of course, it was even before our author's time that Gerard Manley Hopkins was complaining of Oxford ("Towery city and branchy between towers"):

"thou has a base and brickish skirt"

Best,

Barbara

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » March 1st, 2018, 5:24 am

Section 10, Chests and Costumes (it's a riot of colour)

https://librivox.org/uploads/annise/desirablealien_10_hunt_128kb.mp3
M:S
35:04

Best,

Barbara

SkyRider · Post by **SkyRider** » March 1st, 2018, 9:30 am

Section 10 PL OK

I had to do a double-take at the section/chapter numbers though. I'm easily confused when the numbers are so close...!

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » March 10th, 2018, 7:56 am

And now, Paul - Section 11!

Waiters and Policemen

https://librivox.org/uploads/annise/desirablealien_11_hunt_128kb.mp3
M:S
20:41

Best,

Barbara

SkyRider · Post by **SkyRider** » March 13th, 2018, 12:00 pm

Sorry for the slow response Barbara - again you caught me while I was out of town. It's another great reading, but would you mind copy/pasting a little more room noise at the end? The guidelines talk about leaving five second of silence after the reading and in this file there's just under four.

To be honest, I'm not sure how essential it is - I gather it was originally needed for an older MP3 player that tended to get slightly out of sync and cut off the playback if it couldn't read ahead far enough. That said, enough people now use it to mull over what they've just heard that perhaps we should include the full gap.

The rest of the reading is great, so if you upload a replacement file I'll just spot PL the last thirty seconds or so.

Cheers,
Paul

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » March 13th, 2018, 2:27 pm

SkyRider wrote: ↑March 13th, 2018, 12:00 pm

.... That said, enough people now use it to mull over what they've just heard that perhaps we should include the full gap.

Cheers,
Paul

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks Paul. I've just uploaded Section 11 again and the time is now 20:43.

Best,

Barbara

SkyRider · Post by **SkyRider** » March 14th, 2018, 2:03 am

Spot PL OK Sorry to have been picky.