Jane in NC Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Jane, are the Krzhizhanovsky books at all similar in style to the Master and the Margarita? This is a question that I cannot answer since I have not read Bulgakov. I have seen Krzhizhanovsky called "The Russian Borges" or "The Russian Calvino". Here is a book post that compares him to several authors in order to pique the curiosity of other readers. Krzhizhanovsky was profoundly influenced by Kant's Critique of Pure Reason which sadly I have not read either. Perhaps I would understand his work more if I have. I can say Autobiography of a Corpse was a more satisfying read for me than The Letter Killers Club which seemed more of an outline than a solid work. Nonetheless, people who are intrigued by the philosophy of language might be drawn in. Perhaps what also has my head spinning is that I am read vignettes from The Golden Legend throughout the week. I am trying to understand the logic of church fathers of the middle ages. It simply cannot be dismissed--look around us and witness modern "logic" at work. As I read, it strikes me that people are desperate to see correlations where none may exist--and again as I contemplate modern society I see that nothing has really changed despite our hubris declaring otherwise. (A better educated person than myself could probably interject some Kantian profundity at this point.) Also, this bears repetition. Turnbull and Formozov won the 2014 PEN Translation prize for Autobiography of a Corpse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I finished my February book club book last night - Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. It is my first thoroughly disliked book of 2015. The characters are all loathsome, self-absorbed, narcissistic middle-aged men. The ending - no spoiler - is both totally predictable and completely implausible. Plus, but that point I didn't care if bad things happened to these guys! It's basically a book about a woman's death and the efforts of her former lovers to destroy each other. No, that makes it sound too good. They try to destroy each other, but in a totally self-justifying and self-aggrandizing way. There is nothing direct about it, they aren't honest with themselves or each other. There was an odd disconnect - for the first half of the book, the characters seen from the outside seemed believable and interesting. But by the second half where you are seeing events from the POV of the two main characters, they reveal themselves as completely shallow and narcissistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Happy Birthday, Dawn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Openhearted Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I did it!!!! I finished Pride and Prejudice. The first few chapters was difficult, and I had to look up quite a few words. I also used cliffnotes.com to make sure I had a good understanding of the book. But the more I read the easier it became. So by the end I was looking up less words, and became more familiar with the writing style. I really became involved in the story. Like I said earlier it took about 50 or so pages to become really interested. I couldn't wait to see if Elizabeth and Jane could find happiness. I am very happy I stuck with it. I don't think I would've with out the encouragement of the author of the month suggestion and BaW members. So thank you! I have a great sense of accomplishment, like I can cross it off my bucket list (if I had one). Hey, that is what I need to do: make a bucket list just for books.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I finished two books this week; both were a bit of a disappointment. The first book I read was A Season of Change by Lynette Sowell. While the story was enjoyable, halfway through the book I began to get aggravated with the poor editing - there were comma splices everywhere, and not a *single* semicolon to be found. I rather enjoy a good semicolon now and then; it makes the sentences flow so much easier. :D It wasn't a Kindle book, either; it was a paperback from the library. I guess the author's keyboard must have been missing a key?? The second book I read was An Irish Country Christmas, the third book in Patrick Taylor's Irish country doctor series. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but the second was just so-so and the third felt formulaic and predictable. I don't think I will be finishing that series (even though my library actually has all seven books, a rarity). Read so far this year... 1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand 2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3. Without a Trace by Colleen Coble 4. Tempest's Course by Lynette Sowell 5. Freefall by Kristen Heitzmann 6. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke 7. Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers 8. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 9. A Season of Change by Lynette Sowell 10. An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosyl Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Hit a few easy reads the last several weeks: 3.. Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould She has written 4 Amish books that are based off of Shakespeare's work. OK a series that was a nice read for the snow days we have had, nothing challenging 4Amish Baby Kristina Ludwig 5. Amish Bakery Challenge Kristina Ludwig 6.Amish Awakening Kristina Ludwig Finished 7. The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan 4 stars I liked this book. 1. Maggie's Mistake by Carolyn Brown 2. Sleeping Coconut by John and Bonnie Nystrom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 ----------------- I behold the sail and steamships of the world, some in clusters in port, some on their voyages; Some double the Cape of Storms—some Cape Verde,—others Cape Guardafui, Bon, or Bajadore; Others Dondra Head—others pass the Straits of Sunda—others Cape Lopatka—others Behring’s Straits; Others Cape Horn—others sail the Gulf of Mexico, or along Cuba or Hayti—others Hudson’s Bay or Baffin’s Bay; Others pass the Straits of Dover—others enter the Wash—others the Firth of Solway—others round Cape Clear—others the Land’s End; Others traverse the Zuyder Zee, or the Scheld; Others add to the exits and entrances at Sandy Hook; Others to the comers and goers at Gibraltar, or the Dardanelles; Others sternly push their way through the northern winter-packs; Others descend or ascend the Obi or the Lena; Others the Niger or the Congo—others the Indus, the Burampooter and Cambodia; Others wait at the wharves of Manhattan, steam’d up, ready to start; Wait, swift and swarthy, in the ports of Australia; Wait at Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin, Marseilles, Lisbon, Naples, Hamburg, Bremen, Bordeaux, the Hague, Copenhagen; Wait at Valparaiso, Rio Janeiro, Panama; Wait at their moorings at Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, New Orleans, Galveston, San Francisco. ------------- While there are some intriguing and even beautiful parts, that stanza (and too many others) made me feel I was reading through the Answer Key of my Trail Guide to World Geography. Has anyone ever successfully read Leaves of Grass straight through? I need a break. Like, for a month or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I read half of Life Drawing and skimmed through the rest. Not feeling it. Still poking through The Outlaw Demon Wails. I'm not getting much reading done and haven't gotten the chance to catch up on the thread yet! Too much craziness in life right now to keep up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I just want to brag that I'm still here on a Saturday night. Usually I've checked out of the BaW thread by Tuesday or Wednesday--I just get too far behind and can't keep up. But I think I've read the whole thread this week! Maybe I need to spend more time reading the growing pile of books instead... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Yeah, terrible about checking this thread, especially since I get 50 plus notifications every day, it seems like. :P I'm still working on The Intelligent Investor. It's going to take a while to get through, I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I've also read the whole thread this week, it helps tremendously that I didn't forget about it until Friday! (Not that I've ever, you know, *done* that or anything... :leaving: ) Finished with "The Girl Who Chased the Moon" and have another Sarah Addison Allen book waiting in the wings... but first... I finally started "Pride and Prejudice" yesterday!! :) I'm about a quarter of the way through and really enjoying it. Can't believe I waited this long to read it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Link to week 6 - please continue conversation in new thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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