New York Review Books’s Comments (group member since Dec 23, 2007)

New York Review Books’s comments from the NYRB Classics group.

I'm wondering if we should give High Wind and extended reading period considering what Lois says above. Any takers?

-Abigail

Hi Everyone,

I can hardly believe it, but: it's already time to begin thinking about a book for August. Here are a a couple of NYRB Classics that have just come out (and, as I can personally attest, are both truly excellent reads): Jean-Patrick Manchette's Tarantino-esque novel, The Mad and the Bad, and Alberto Moravia's very slim work of fiction, Agostino. Béla Zombory-Moldován's The Burning of the World: A Memoir of 1914, will be going on sale on August 5, so if you're still in the WWI mood, that might be a good choice. Also, Qiu Miaojin's Last Words from Montmartre got quite a few votes in the last poll.

Since this is for the last official month of summer, here's a couple of random, summery ideas: A High Wind in Jamaica, by Richard Hughes, and Frans G. Bengtsson's Viking novel, The Long Ships.

-Abigail

Hi Everyone,

This is where we will be discussing the July pick for the NYRB Classics Goodreads Book Club—Gabriel Chevallier's Fear: A Novel of World War I.

-Abigail

Fear is officially added to the poll.

Okay, so so far the multiple nominations go to:

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Last Words from Montmartre
Fear: A Novel of World War I

Any more seconds or thirds? I'd like to keep this list a little tight so that the votes aren't so spread out. Okay with everyone?

-Abigail

Hi everyone! I thought it was high time we discuss choosing a book for the month of July. I understand that many may still be reading Life and Fate, I think it would be fine to choose another title for next month (if there are strong objections out there, though, please do write your plaint here).

Several new Classics have been released since we last decided on a book, including: Gabriel Chevallier's Fear: A Novel of World War I; Qiu Miaojin's novel-in-letters, Last Words from Montmartre; the second trilogy in Olivia Manning's 6-book WWII opus, Fortunes of War: The Levant Trilogy; and this week, a very slim volume of Giussepe di Lampedusa's shorter fiction, The Professor and the Siren. If anyone is interested, Alberto Moravia's novel, Agostino, goes on sale July 8th. It's a short book, so if enough people want to read it, it might work for this month.

Simone Schwarz-Bart's novel, The Bridge of Beyond, has also been a contender for the book club several times.

As always, please chime in with other recommendations here.

Looking forward to July!

-Abigail

Hi Everyone,

This is where we will be discussing the NYRB Classics Goodreads Book Club pick, Vasily Grossman's novel Life and Fate, for the months of May and June. We are spreading this discussion over two months since the book as rather long, clocking in at just under 900 pages.

Looking forward to this discussion, book-clubbers.

-Abigail

A quick roundup of picks we have to add to the poll thus far:

Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman
The World of Odysseus by M. I. Finley
The Sun King by Nancy Mitford
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Memoirs of an Anti-Semite by Gregor von Rezzori

I'd like to create the poll tomorrow afternoon, so if there are any last-minute suggestions out there, now is the time to speak up!

-Abigail

In response to a few suggestions about Life and Fate's length (it is a monster book!), I'd say: yes, we should put Life and Fate on the poll with the understanding that it winning would mean a two-month read.

-Abigail

Hi everyone,

It's never too early to begin discussing future reads, so I've started this thread for anyone who has particular thoughts for a May NYRB Goodreads group selection.

To get the decision-making juices flowing, here are a few newer releases that will be out before the beginning of May: The Gray Notebook, by Josep Pla—a thick book, but one that doesn't necessarily require reading the entire thing as it's ostensibly made up of young Pla's beguiling diary entries; During the Reign of the Queen of Persia, by Joan Chase (I've read this and loved it. Quite beautiful); and if you're in the mood for some brilliant essays, there's Shakespeare's Montaigne: The Florio Translation of the Essays, A Selection.

Other considerations: The World of Odysseus came very close to winning the April poll, and Life and Fate very close to winning the February poll, so perhaps we should give these great books another chance?

Okay. Further suggestions?

-Abigail

A little side note, here: as someone read the book and watched the movie soon thereafter, I'd second Jonathan and definitely suggest reading the NYRB intro after reading the book--or, better yet, after watching the movie. Though my warning may come too late for most of you!

It might be interesting to continue this thread in months ahead with thoughts about Walkabout the book v. Walkabout the movie. The film makes some rather significant departures from the novel and the juxtaposition of the two versions of the story often engenders some rather contentious discussion, in my experience: just now, when I mentioned to a colleague that we were discussing the book on Goodreads and said that I enjoy the book more than the movie (although I liked the movie very much! Loved it. Just love the book more.) they said--"You're wrong!"

I'll look into the peculiarities of the NYRB bio for James Vance Marshall--I admit it's rather confusing.

-Abigail

Hello, everyone-- thanks for starting this discussion session! As Lois intuited, we are, indeed, a little behind on Goodreads business this month. Here is what I propose: why don't we discuss choices and then vote on a book for March(second half)/April? At this point, I could include Bridge of Beyond and, if we are in agreement, Walkabout as well.

More choices to add to the poll?

-Abigail

Here is where we will be talking about this month's NYRB Classics Book Club selection: The Human Comedy: Selected Stories, by Honoré de Balzac.

I guess we are set. Putting the poll with our four nominations up now...

I agree heartily with the limit Jonathan suggested: one new recommendation and, if the voter so pleases, they can also second another choice.

I for one will simply second Jonathan's recommendation of The Human Comedy: Selected Stories, by Balzac. I have begun reading this and it is excellent. It's a bit of a longer book than our last few selections, but we could always let it trickle over into March and perhaps select a slim book for the second part of March to make way. Thoughts?

-Abigail

Here is where we will be discussing the January pick for the NYRB Classics bookclub: Stoner, by John Williams.

Apologies for the late start, everyone! I'm looking forward to this discussion.

-Abigail

What a nice variety of suggestions we have here. I'll make a poll later today with all the books you guys have suggested so far. I'll cut Beware of Pity and Bridge of Beyond, unless someone chimes in at the last minute.

-Abigail

Psst, hi everyone: just wanted to let you all know that I've begun a discussion forum for January pick possibilities. It is under "Choosing the Book" in discussions.

Okay, keep on!

-Abigail

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to start a poll for our January read soon, so any of you have inklings about what you would like to read in the first month of the year, give a shout out here and I will add any multiple mentions to the poll.

The Human Comedy: Selected Stories , a collection of stories by Honoré de Balzac, will be releasing on January 14th. Also, a lot of people seem to have a hankering to read Simone Schwarz-Bart's novel The Bridge of Beyond, though it has never been voted into the book club.

As for older titles, I have been wanting to read Alan Garner's Red Shift and Stefan Zweig's Beware of Pity.

Other suggestions? Go!

-Abigail

Speaking of selecting books, I think I'll set up a forum to discuss picks for January and February this week. That way we can all get a jump on our book-clubbing business before the holidays really hit.

By the way: the discussion forum for Autobiography of a Corpse is up and and ready to facilitate another wonderful discussion. The book hit shelves today, so feel free to jump in whenever!

-Abigail