One Book a Week Club 2016 (Good Intentions Edition)

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » January 25th, 2016, 4:05 pm

Grahame's Golden Age is already in the catalogue. Although it's very pleasant to read, I don't (so far) love it so much that I'd do another reading of it. I do like it immensely, and I checked the LV catalogue as soon as I'd read a few pages to see if we already had a recording. His style in these essays is very reminiscent of the Wind in the Willows ... which I *am* tempted to read as a duplicate solo, despite disliking Toad so much.

Apparently A.A. Milne, who wrote the Toad of Toad Hall play, loved the Toad chapters, while his wife loved the others (Dulce Domum, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the one about the seafaring rat ...). I'm on her side.

Peter

smike · Post by **smike** » January 26th, 2016, 12:17 am

Yes, I found the recording after I had posted here.

You just *have* to love toad -- isn't there a toad everywhere?

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » January 26th, 2016, 12:31 am

I find it hard to enjoy a book or film which has a main character in it with whom I can't identify or empathise with in some way. I've never watched any of the later Shrek films, for example, because although I like the basic story, I dislike the character of that donkey so much that I don't want to encounter him again ... he's an emotionally manipulative liar.

This may explain why I don't much like Dickens's fiction: too many unpleasant characters.

If I do read Wind in the Willows as a solo, I'd probably read Toad rather like Billy Bunter in those early radio versions .... Yaroo!

Peter

smike · Post by **smike** » January 26th, 2016, 1:00 am

Seeing as there already five versions of the book (two group, three solos), I guess you could just as well choose something else.

Piotrek81 · Post by **Piotrek81** » January 27th, 2016, 1:10 pm

Peter Why wrote:I find it hard to enjoy a book or film which has a main character in it with whom I can't identify or empathise with in some way. I've never watched any of the later Shrek films, for example, because although I like the basic story, I dislike the character of that donkey so much that I don't want to encounter him again ... he's an emotionally manipulative liar.

This may explain why I don't much like Dickens's fiction: too many unpleasant characters.

Peter

On the other hand one could argue that it's a compliment towards a creator- it means they managed to create a character that manages to evoke emotions in the audience, istead of being a totally one-dimensional plot device.

I'm striving to finish a Polish s-f novel. It kinda hard to keep going, though, because it's one of those books which involve time travel, alternative timelines and time dilation and stuff like that tends to make my brain hurt.

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » January 29th, 2016, 8:19 am

I've just finished "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers", a collection of reminiscences of Paul Erdös. He was an incredibly creative mathematician but, apparently like many powerful mathematicians, also very eccentric. The text was not too heavily mathematical, and brought together some biographical material with lots of anecdotes of his life from his friends and associates. A lovely read .. I do wish I'd pursued maths more intensely in my secondary school. I was good at the subject but for some reason didn't pursue it to A-level (the exams for approximately 18 year olds).

Thanks for suggesting the book, Carolin.

Peter

Piotrek81 · Post by **Piotrek81** » January 29th, 2016, 10:47 am

Peter Why wrote:I've just finished "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers", a collection of reminiscences of Paul Erdös. He was an incredibly creative mathematician but, apparently like many powerful mathematicians, also very eccentric. The text was not too heavily mathematical, and brought together some biographical material with lots of anecdotes of his life from his friends and associates. A lovely read .. I do wish I'd pursued maths more intensely in my secondary school. I was good at the subject but for some reason didn't pursue it to A-level (the exams for approximately 18 year olds).

Thanks for suggesting the book, Carolin.

Peter

There's a documentary on YT about Erdos with fellow-matematicians and others reminiscing about him. I can't recall its title right now, though. What caught my interest was that he'd visited my city, Poznań, and was involved in a sports event (not as a competitor, ofc.). He also died in Poland while attending a conference.

J_N · Post by **J_N** » January 29th, 2016, 2:13 pm

Today, I came across a very short novella (~60 pages) aimed at teenagers called "War, What if it Were Here" (Krieg - Stell dir vor, er wäre hier) by Janne Teller. The Danish author paints a surprisingly vivid picture (for such a short work) what it means to be a refugee... I think it was originally published in 2004 but is more relevant than ever today - especially since my country has recently fixed an upper limit on refugee intakes

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » January 31st, 2016, 2:09 am

I was looking up Kenneth Grahame on the internet and found that someone had written a sequel to The Wind in the Willows ... so I bought a second-hand copy. It only took a few days to read.

The Willows in Winter. Quite a good continuation of Grahame's style, but lacking in some way that I can't define ... lacking in love, perhaps (Grahame's love of people and places comes over in his Golden Age, as well as in Wind in the Willows)? Much too much Toad to my taste, but it does give you a bit more of the lives and personalities of the main characters. I enjoyed the book, but probably won't read it again.

Peter

smike · Post by **smike** » January 31st, 2016, 3:24 am

When was the book written? I guess if it's newer, that might be why it is lacking something. I imagine it very hard to emulate that style and feel of Graham's time.

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » January 31st, 2016, 3:46 am

It was written in 1993. The author apparently wrote a series of popular novels about Duncton Wood, but I've not encountered them.

Peter

J_N · Post by **J_N** » January 31st, 2016, 2:02 pm

I've just finished my second Dorothy Whipple book "Someone at a Distance" (and my 4th from Persephone Books), rounding of January.
I really enjoy her stories... I came across her last year because Cori had her in her 'One Book a Week Club 2015' list... and now I am forwarding the recommendation

If you enjoy "slice of life" stories set in England - Whipple wrote them marvellously

[I think Cori called her "20th century Jane Austen"

]

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » January 31st, 2016, 2:34 pm

Back to William Horwood and his Wind in the Willows sequels. Apparently he wrote a sequence of three of these novels following the original, plus a later-written novel (The Willows at Christmas) which comes before the first of the three. However, from reading the reviews on Amazon, in the third of the three main novels, Grahame's main characters all die. I will not be reading any more of Mr Horwood's books! In the same way as some of the reviewers of his books, I prefer to remember the Mole, Ratty, Otter and the Badger in a sort of timeless Summer ... I know it's a fantasy, but that glow is a big part of the pleasure of The Wind in the Willows.

Peter

smike · Post by **smike** » February 1st, 2016, 12:08 am

Peter Why wrote: I will not be reading any more of Mr Horwood's books!
Peter

I read his Skallagrigg nearly 30 years ago, and it's a very compelling, gripping novel! Do give it a try if you can get hold of a copy, it's a book that really goes under your skin. Just seeing the author's name just now reminded me of it, and that means something.

Carolin · Post by **Carolin** » February 1st, 2016, 3:54 am

Peter Why wrote:However, from reading the reviews on Amazon, in the third of the three main novels, Grahame's main characters all die.

whaaaaat!?