Don Quixote
Well-known member
- Nov 4, 2008
- 8,362
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb. Lake of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe. Brand of the Werewolf by Kenneth Robeson
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[Misc] What Book are you Currently Reading?
- Thread starter Lady Buck
- Start date
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
Just finished reading Paul Auster's 4321 as part of my ~Man Booker Challenge. The book is very long and hence gets a very long review. Apologies in advance.
Taking its cue from the Robert Frost poem about the ‘road less travelled’, Auster explores the life of a middle-class Jewish boy, Ferguson, growing up in 1960s New York but imagines the story 4 times over with Ferguson’s life described having taken 4 different paths. Although not a difficult book to read, per se, it is confusing at times especially in the first part of the book where the lives are all so similar with the same protagonists in the same locations that, metaphorically speaking, each Ferguson could quite easily see the other Ferguson from their own path. I did contemplate giving up trying to read the book as it was: the first 4 chapters detail each boy’s first 8 or so years, the next 4 chapters, the next 8 years and so on. I almost chose to start again but reading each boy’s story in full and then go onto the next one.
There are stories within stories here and the trademark metafiction that Auster is famous for comes out to play. He likes lists, he likes his characters to muse on what could have been and what could be, almost as if Ferguson is in on Auster’s jokes. There are so many similarities between Auster’s own life and that of his lead character(s) that there must be within this some of Auster’s own private fantasies of how his life could have been. And this is where I have my biggest criticisms – the 4 lives are so similar in large parts that I wonder why they were even written more than once. Is Auster trying to tell us that our lives are fated from the beginning to turn out a specific way without too much deviation? I’m not convinced that this is the message but why not then mix it up a bit with 4 very disparate lives?
The second criticism is that to a great part, the teenage Ferguson’s lives are juvenile fantasy. He sleeps with his teacher, he’s published before he’s 20, money is thrown at him, he goes to Princeton but plays at being a rebel – all of this is quite boring and around halfway through this 1000 page book I found myself annoyed at Auster’s parochial imagining. I was reminded of Freud’s comment about the ‘narcissism of small differences’ and whilst not strictly what Freud was trying to get at with that phrase there are large dollops of narcissism and there are small differences between the stories.
The second half of the book is much better and rescues things completely and then some. The characters branch out more, the stories start flowing much better at this point. Auster references Ferguson’s adolescence against a backdrop of social unrest – race relations, Vietnam and women’s rights – and he catalogues very well some of the various demonstrations and flashpoints. It’s easy to see that Auster is drawing parallels between 1968 and Trump-era USA and to Auster’s credit he describes it relatively free from bias. It’s not often that I change my mind about a book so drastically whilst reading it, I heartily enjoyed it in the end and would encourage anyone who wants to read it to persevere because it’s well worth it.
Taking its cue from the Robert Frost poem about the ‘road less travelled’, Auster explores the life of a middle-class Jewish boy, Ferguson, growing up in 1960s New York but imagines the story 4 times over with Ferguson’s life described having taken 4 different paths. Although not a difficult book to read, per se, it is confusing at times especially in the first part of the book where the lives are all so similar with the same protagonists in the same locations that, metaphorically speaking, each Ferguson could quite easily see the other Ferguson from their own path. I did contemplate giving up trying to read the book as it was: the first 4 chapters detail each boy’s first 8 or so years, the next 4 chapters, the next 8 years and so on. I almost chose to start again but reading each boy’s story in full and then go onto the next one.
There are stories within stories here and the trademark metafiction that Auster is famous for comes out to play. He likes lists, he likes his characters to muse on what could have been and what could be, almost as if Ferguson is in on Auster’s jokes. There are so many similarities between Auster’s own life and that of his lead character(s) that there must be within this some of Auster’s own private fantasies of how his life could have been. And this is where I have my biggest criticisms – the 4 lives are so similar in large parts that I wonder why they were even written more than once. Is Auster trying to tell us that our lives are fated from the beginning to turn out a specific way without too much deviation? I’m not convinced that this is the message but why not then mix it up a bit with 4 very disparate lives?
The second criticism is that to a great part, the teenage Ferguson’s lives are juvenile fantasy. He sleeps with his teacher, he’s published before he’s 20, money is thrown at him, he goes to Princeton but plays at being a rebel – all of this is quite boring and around halfway through this 1000 page book I found myself annoyed at Auster’s parochial imagining. I was reminded of Freud’s comment about the ‘narcissism of small differences’ and whilst not strictly what Freud was trying to get at with that phrase there are large dollops of narcissism and there are small differences between the stories.
The second half of the book is much better and rescues things completely and then some. The characters branch out more, the stories start flowing much better at this point. Auster references Ferguson’s adolescence against a backdrop of social unrest – race relations, Vietnam and women’s rights – and he catalogues very well some of the various demonstrations and flashpoints. It’s easy to see that Auster is drawing parallels between 1968 and Trump-era USA and to Auster’s credit he describes it relatively free from bias. It’s not often that I change my mind about a book so drastically whilst reading it, I heartily enjoyed it in the end and would encourage anyone who wants to read it to persevere because it’s well worth it.
Cheeky Monkey
Well-known member
- Jul 17, 2003
- 23,841
We Need to Talk About Kevin. Tried twice before but binned it off both times because I never got on with the style, it being written as letters, but we're 110 pages to the good this time. Prior to this I binned off Naked Lunch.
Good shout on Auster [MENTION=5200]Buzzer[/MENTION], read most of his stuff, The Music of Chance and The New York Trilogy particular favourites.
Good shout on Auster [MENTION=5200]Buzzer[/MENTION], read most of his stuff, The Music of Chance and The New York Trilogy particular favourites.
Picked up a copy of THIS intriguing-looking hardback at the BHF charity shop in London Road yesterday. Signed by the author. £1.50.
A local book for local people, looks like
Good read that!
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,242
Sadly, had to bin it - literally - after half a dozen chapters. Feel a bit guilty seeing as how I should have properly returned it to the charity shop from whence it came, instead of consigning it to landfill. But it was just too puerile for words, and pretty heavy on padding wthat was patently just there to achieve the contracted word count. Horrible cynically-contrived book. IMHO, like.
And... relax
- Jul 5, 2003
- 1,486
Murakami's Norwegian Wood.
Not the sort of book I usually go for, but thoroughly intrigued by the relationships in it and would like to see what actually does happen. Very well written I have to say, the writer genuinely does make you care about the characters and their emotional states. I expect it's a very different read for a lot of people, each reader identifying more with one character than another depending on their own character and mental well being.
Not the sort of book I usually go for, but thoroughly intrigued by the relationships in it and would like to see what actually does happen. Very well written I have to say, the writer genuinely does make you care about the characters and their emotional states. I expect it's a very different read for a lot of people, each reader identifying more with one character than another depending on their own character and mental well being.
Fignon's Ponytail
Well-known member
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
I love reading Murakami. Excellent choice.
sams dad
I hate Palarse
The History of Non-League Football Grounds. - Kerry Miller
Britain Begins by Sir Barry Cunliffe. The origins, archaeology and history of the British Isles. It's a tome and it's been on my shelf for over a year. It's tremendous.
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
Currently on book 7 of my challenge Conor Whitehead 'Underground Railroad'. Thoroughly enjoying it so far and can see why it has won so many plaudits. Quick review of the last 3 books I read in the challenge.
Jon McGregor 'Reservoir 13'. Very difficult to review without giving the plot away but the story revolved around a teenage girl who goes missing in the Peak District whilst on holiday. At every turn you expect a body to be found and the author keeps the suspense by writing in short, staccato sentences. Sadly the suspense is impossible to keep going for an entire book and it does rather peter out towards the end.
Sebastian Barry - 'Days Without End' Set just before and during the American Civil War, the hero is a young Irish immigrant and his best friend/lover who both join the Army as a way of staving off starvation. Part of a series of books by the same author, this works very well as a stand-alone book. An interesting tale but no wow factor for me.
Mike McCormack - 'Solar Bones'. It's one long sentence - quite literally. The book doesn't have formal sentences, paragraphs or chapters; new lines start randomly sometimes just 3 or 4 words and then other times page after page without a break. It's very stream of consciousness, very difficult to maintain interest in and was a chore to read. Not for me.
Jon McGregor 'Reservoir 13'. Very difficult to review without giving the plot away but the story revolved around a teenage girl who goes missing in the Peak District whilst on holiday. At every turn you expect a body to be found and the author keeps the suspense by writing in short, staccato sentences. Sadly the suspense is impossible to keep going for an entire book and it does rather peter out towards the end.
Sebastian Barry - 'Days Without End' Set just before and during the American Civil War, the hero is a young Irish immigrant and his best friend/lover who both join the Army as a way of staving off starvation. Part of a series of books by the same author, this works very well as a stand-alone book. An interesting tale but no wow factor for me.
Mike McCormack - 'Solar Bones'. It's one long sentence - quite literally. The book doesn't have formal sentences, paragraphs or chapters; new lines start randomly sometimes just 3 or 4 words and then other times page after page without a break. It's very stream of consciousness, very difficult to maintain interest in and was a chore to read. Not for me.
Is that the one about the firework?
Don Quixote
Well-known member
- Nov 4, 2008
- 8,362
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. The book has a strong and exciting beginning and a very novel concept: set in southern America in times of slavery, runaway slaves make use of the underground railway to transport them to the North and freedom. 'Underground Railway' in this case is not just a figurative term but quite literally a secret network of tunnels with locomotives transporting the fugitives. The blurb for the book and past reviews had described it as a mixture of styles - historical fiction and steam-punk but I didn't feel this at all and in my opinion more could have been made of this original idea with the railway taking centre stage rather than the lives of the slaves. The book peters out a little after the first half of the book too although lots of ideas are thrown in, with some very interesting historical detail.
I think this book will be on the shortlist, next Wednesday along with Zadie Smith 'Swing Time' and Paul Auster '4321'.
I think this book will be on the shortlist, next Wednesday along with Zadie Smith 'Swing Time' and Paul Auster '4321'.
mune ni kamome
Well-known member
The Last Diaries - Alan Clark. Oh my! Quite astounding diary. Very raw, heart on the sleeve stuff. Makes me worry about who's running the country and looking after us
Barry Izbak
U.T.A.
Ooh-aah the Bob Booker Story
Excellent read for the older fan who remember the 70s as 80s
Just reading the great man's early career on the fringe of Brentfords first team. It is excellent
Highly recommended - and there's a long way to go until he arrives in GOSBTS
So good, presumably The Booker Prize is what it was named for ?
Excellent read for the older fan who remember the 70s as 80s
Just reading the great man's early career on the fringe of Brentfords first team. It is excellent
Highly recommended - and there's a long way to go until he arrives in GOSBTS
So good, presumably The Booker Prize is what it was named for ?
Illywhacker by Peter Carey. Tremendous skillful writer but this one's dragging a bit, especially compared to his earlier Oscar and Lucinda which I found compelling.
Particularly irritating is the way every single character, even minor ones, have to have their features, clothing and posture described in exhaustive detail.
Particularly irritating is the way every single character, even minor ones, have to have their features, clothing and posture described in exhaustive detail.