NYRB Classics discussion

It's time to send in nominations for our October group read. You have until August 7th at 9pm EST to send them in (on this thread). No more than 5 please. Thank you.

Dirty Snow
Castle Gripsholm
The Mountain Lion
A View of the Harbour
Sunflower

Uncertain Glory by Joan Sales
Down Below by Leonora Carrington
Nightmare Alley by William L Gresham
A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes

The Haunted Looking Glass
Don't Look Now
The Other
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

I read spooky stories in Oct so I’m nominating:


The Other
Thus Were Their Faces
Compulsory Games
The Rim of Morning: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror

These are the 4 labeled horror or spooky that I haven’t read, the other spooky (and very funny) nyrb book that I have read is The Green Man, which I would reread if it’s nominated and wins.

A Month In The Country
Warlock
Nightmare Alley
Abel and Cain
Life With Picasso

That’s Abel and Cain ...sorry

The Other - Thomas Tryon
A High Wind in Jamaica - Richard Hughes

Stalingrad!

1000 pages is nothing. Let's do it!

I’m in on Stalingrad!

Um...I already did my 5 but I’m in if ya’ll are up to tackling Stalingrad

Let's do Stalindgrad :)

If Stalingrad does happen, I’ll be starting fairly soon so I can be ready for an October discussion.

Ha ha ...Good point Jason

We could always do Stalingrad as a side read kind of like the Anniversaries one. I think we always just have a handful anyway for any particular book.

If you need to know vote for Oct book I will not be reading Stalingrad.

The poll is open! Please vote for the book you would like to read and discuss.

I don’t find the link to the poll anywhere. Where do I look?

Sarah wrote: "I don’t find the link to the poll anywhere. Where do I look?"

For future reference in the top right, above the "search discussions box" there are 10 links. The last one is for "Polls".

ETA: If you are using an internet browser. I don't know if group polls are supported on the various apps.

Ah-Oh thanks, that would be why- I’m always on my phone

Polling is very close! I thought it would be good to do a guy check in Stalingrad, as it’s currently in the lead. If it gets selected, how many will definitely not join in and how many are fully committed to reading and discussing?

There is always lots of participation in nominations and voting but the discussions have been harder going.

Well I already read the introduction and I am sold. So I’m reading it whether it wins or not. I did the math and if I read 20 pages a day I would be done by October 1st. I have already read High Wind in Jamaica a few years ago which is the only reason I didn’t vote for it- it being the easier read. I really want to read Life and Fate though since people describe it as being “life changing” and Stalingrad is the prequel- so here I go down the rabbit hole.

I'll try, but I doubt I can for early October, what with Book Depository delivery times! I'll probably chime in towards the end of the month.

I’m with you Sarah! Life and Fate is also my motivation to read Stalingrad.

Since Stalingrad is a big book, how about we read High Wind in Jamaica in October, and Stalingrad in Nov/Dec?

I was just thinking that was a solution Louise! Sounds like a good plan to me.

And of course that changes the math- 12-13 pages a day to be done by Nov 1. That is so easily doable.

Perfect.

I'm expecting a copy of Stalingrad (in the UK hardback not the NYRB edition) as a birthday present in early September, so I am definitely up for that one. Will probably pass on High Wind.

I'm new to this, but I'm wondering how you knew which Stalingrad to read. I couldn't find it in "Search books" just in the poll.

I had to search by both Stalingrad and Grossman to get it to pop up so I could add it to my currently reading list. You are right- tons of books with that title.

I won't be reading Stalingrad or Life and Fate now, but the London Review Bookshop Podcast dated Aug 19 is a discussion with Robert Chandler and David Herman on Vasily Grossman's Stalingrad.

FYI there is a new review of Stalingrad published by the New Republic: https://newrepublic.com/article/15465...
Catherine

Catherine wrote: "FYI there is a new review of Stalingrad published by the New Republic: https://newrepublic.com/article/15465...
Catherine"

Randomly, my husband and I were just talking about this very thing a few hours ago (the reasons Stalingrad has languished while Life and Fate was lauded).

One of the reasons I'm excited to read Stalingrad is to get a not-totally-critical contemporary insiders view of the Soviet Union.