Completists' Club discussion

The only book I have of his is a beautiful hardback of The Quincunx. According to the reviews and my flipping through the book, it became a book that I must read shortly. He's only written four novels, but they're quality stuff.

The Quincunx (Canongate 1989, and Ballantine 1990), ISBN 0-345-37113-5
The Sensationist (Cape and Ballantine, 1991), ISBN 0-345-37935-7
Betrayals (Cape and Ballantine, 1993)
The Unburied (Phoenix House and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999), ISBN 0-7434-1051-3

Ha! I just acquired the rest of his books in hardback for a penny each! I love Amazon.

The Quincunx is the reason I found out about GR.

If it wasn't for your review, I wouldn't have discovered him. I decided to add him since 4 novels is doable.

I haven't even read it yet.

Oh, then it must be Paul's review. You and Paul are twins. I get you two mixed up, although one is yellow and the other one is a dead mummy.

As opposed to a live mummy. I'm a horror nut, so all mummies are alive to me.

Not saying that you're a dead, dried and desiccated old coot, Ian.

I read Quincunx ages ago, but have been meaning to re-read it - maybe over the winter. It seems like a winter book to me.

I have to get Palliser's other books too. Thanks Aloha for the list.

You're welcome, Kris. Get them while they're a penny each used! It's great reading non-populist books, because you get the used books practically spanking new for a cheap price. Sometimes it's good being on the pointy end of the Bell curve.

Aloha wrote: "You're welcome, Kris. Get them while they're a penny each used! It's great reading non-populist books, because you get the used books practically spanking new for a cheap price. Sometimes it's g..."

Agreed!!

On the other hand, Women and Men is going for $200 each.

Aloha wrote: "On the other hand, Women and Men is going for $200 each."

I'm so glad I got my paperback before the prices spiked. I think I paid $20 or so.

It's all Nathan's fault. I bet you he gets a commission for every $200 book sold.

Kris wrote: "Aloha wrote: "On the other hand, Women and Men is going for $200 each."

I'm so glad I got my paperback before the prices spiked. I think I paid $20 or so."

Any possibility for tandem or group reads in the immediate futuure?

Since I'm now obligated to finish this collection, I can do a tandem read. We can do a group read if there are more people interested. I have heavy reading commitments ahead. After I'm done with Dhalgren, I'm finishing up Gravity's Rainbow. After a couple of less demanding books, I'm starting Women and Men with a group, which Nathan assured will require every available brain cells. After that, it's to the Infinite Jest reading group, which includes the biography on David Foster Wallace. For 2013, it's the Proust group, which you're a member of.

I'll squeeze in a Palliser book here and there somewhere. Definitely starting with The Quincunx. I think it's a more straightforward book, unlike the trickier ones I've been reading.

I'm reading the summary for all of his books. They look like terrific dramas, which would be a respite from the trickier thought novels. Not that his books aren't thought novels, but it seems they lay out more of a story. The Quincunx has been compared to a Dickens.

Quincunx is the word I dream of scoring on Scrabble on a double red. How many pts? Well into the 200s for sure.

Shall we do the Q?

Jonfaith wrote: "Shall we do the Q?"

I'd be up for it sometime...

Kris wrote: "Jonfaith wrote: "Shall we do the Q?"

I'd be up for it sometime..."

Me too.

How can an ancient Egyptian and a dancing corpse be twins?

No, don't answer that.

You can always tell us apart anyway.

He always writes like this.

Whereas I.

Don't.

Sounds good to me! You're doing Women and Men, too, Kris. We are going to have to squeeze this in somewhere. Maybe I'll do a Women The Quincunx Men. Or an infinite (Women (The Quincunx) Men) Jest.

Aloha wrote: "Sounds good to me! You're doing Women and Men, too, Kris. We are going to have to squeeze this in somewhere. Maybe I'll do a Women The Quincunx Men. Or an infinite (Women (The Quincunx) Men) Jest."

You are so awesome. :)

Paul wrote: "How can an ancient Egyptian and a dancing corpse be twins?

No, don't answer that.

You can always tell us apart anyway.

He always writes like this.

Whereas I.

Don't."

OK, now I am confused - Paul? Ian? Paulian?

It's Pauliana. One's a girl and the other's a boy. Which is which?

Aloha wrote: "It's Pauliana. One's a girl and the other's a boy. Which is which?"

Gender is a continuum, rather than a binary set of oppositions, so there are lots of options....

Ah, yes, it is a murky melange of attributes and predilections, such recalls when I was in the wetlands staring at the mud. Nothing remarkable about it. I wasn't evaluating the soil strata, I was simply staring at the mud. Yes.

Enough of Jon on Gender.

My long term plans tend to unravel. If Quincunx becomes a target of opprtunity I'll begin immediately. If not, no worries.

Kris wrote: "OK, now I am confused - Paul? Ian? Paulian? "

He's Paul the Preacher and I'm Paul the Poet.

Quincunx at Thanksgiving? Completely implausible and thus I'm in favor.

i quite enjoyed Quincunx, but it did not inspire me to search out his other novels. at least not until i read more Dickens.

We can give that a shot.

Jonfaith wrote: "Quincunx at Thanksgiving? Completely implausible and thus I'm in favor."

Or we can take a shot with our eggnog while attempting to read Quincunx. I intend to lay out music stands holding all the books I'm currently reading, eyeball each page at a time, do simultaneous flipping of pages, then eyeball again. It's kind of like playing a xylophone.

Aloha wrote: "Or we can take a shot with our eggnog while attempting to read Quincunx. I intend to lay out music stands holding all the books I'm currently reading, eyeball each page at a time, do simultaneous ..."

I'm likely to have to start later than that, I think -- I have a conference presentation just after Thanksgiving, so not sure I can add Quincunx at the same time as prepping for that and getting ready for IJ, as well as reading complete drafts from my students and holding writing conferences with them. However, I could try if everyone else wants to at that point. Or I could try to develop the Aloha patented reading technique.... :)

We can shoot for December and see whether we can squeeze it in with David Foster Wallace. I'll have to ignore any great group reads I gotta be a member of. :oD

My chief fear is that my dreams will now be ravaged by wicked, wicked music stands.

I may read The Unburied in the near future. I bought it a few years ago and as Aloha noted it does appear rather linear and plot-driven.

Palliser is a weird case, I am an inordinate grovelling fan of Quincunx but i see that everyone, this means everyone, just hates all the other novels he wrote - hmm, how strange. I am in favour of any eggnog/quincunx/music-stand amalgamation, I think that just has to work beautifully.

Paul wrote: "Palliser is a weird case, I am an inordinate grovelling fan of Quincunx but i see that everyone, this means everyone, just hates all the other novels he wrote - hmm, how strange. I am in favour of any eggnog/quincunx/music-stand amalgamation, I think that just has to work beautifully. "

I agree, Paul. I think that combination could only make anything better.

October shall be my Hail Victoria project w/ a number of actual Victorian novels and a rasher of neo- revionist epics including Mr. Palliser. The group appeared a bit soggy as far as tackling the Q collectively. I'm aiming for the final week of the month. The unburied will be addressed next week.

Okay, Jon. I'm tackling Women and Men, which I'm told requires two months of intense focus. Let's see how I do by the end of the month just focusing on that book.

I see our good friend Shovelmonkey is tackling the Quincunx. I will need to consult my press advisor to determine my response.

Let me know the verdict. I can't think of any other books but Women and Men right now. Nathan ain't kidding when he said it's a head scratcher.

November appearing more promising?