Mount TBR 2021 discussion

I only just made it up Mt. Blanc in 2020, only completing my climb on 27th December, so I'm going to try the same again but I'm hoping, half-hoping, to jump up to Mt. Vancouver.

I will include physical and kindle books and, as in previous years, I will edit this message with my progress throughout the year.

Currently Reading

Finished Reading
1. The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett. Re-read. Kindle book. Started on 31Dec20. Finished on 10Jan21.
2. French Literature: A Very Short Introduction by John D. Lyons. Bought in 2020. Kindle book. Started on 11Jan21. Finished on 15Jan21.
3. Head-to-Toe Portrait of Suzanne by Roland Topor. Bought in 2020. Started & finished on 06Feb21.
4. Hoffmann: Author of the Tales by Harvey W. Hewett-Thayer. Bought in 2015. Started on 17Jan21. Finished on 16Feb21.
5. Aline and Valcour, or, the Philosophical Novel, Vol. I by Marquis de Sade. Bought in 2019. Started on 23Feb21. Finished on 27Feb21.
6. Aline and Valcour, or, the Philosophical Novel, Vol. II by Marquis de Sade. Bought in 2019. Started on 27Feb21. Finished on 05Mar21.
7. Aline and Valcour, or, the Philosophical Novel, Vol. III by Marquis de Sade. Bought in 2019. Started on 07Mar21. Finished on 18Mar21.
8. The Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories by Ivan Bunin. Started on 21Mar21. Finished on 28Mar21.
9. Must We Burn de Sade? by Simone de Beauvoir. Bought in 2020. Started on 30Mar21. Finished on 31Mar21.
10. The Novel: An Alternative History, 1600-1800 by Steven Moore. Kindle book. Bought in 2019. Started on 03Apr21. Finished on 18May21.
11. The Doctor's Wife by Brian Moore. Started on 29May21. Finished on 30May21.
12. The Sundial by Shirley Jackson. Kindle book. Bought in 2017. Started reading 03Jun21. Finished on 06Jun21.
13. Psychopathia Sexualis: The Classic Study of Deviant Sex by Krafft-Ebing. Kindle book. Started on 14Nov20. Finished 13Jun21.
14. The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig. Purchased in 2017. Started reading 23Jun21. Finished 25Jun21.
15. Semmelweis by Louis Ferdinand Céline. Bought in 2020. Started on 08Aug21. Finished on 08Aug21.
16. Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland. Started on 10Aug21. Finished on 22Aug21.
17. Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy. Started on 29Aug21. Finished on 05Sep21.
18. The Collected Novellas of Stefan Zweig: Burning Secret, A Chess Story, Fear, Confusion, Journey into the Past by Stefan Zweig. Kindle book. Started on 27Aug21. Finished 12Sep21.
19. The Brotherhood of Fools & Simpletons: Gods and Devils in Henry Miller's Utopia by Karl Orend. Bought in 2020. Started on 09Oct21. Finished on 15Oct21.
20. Ennemonde by Jean Giono. Bought in 2019. Started on 16Oct21. Finished on 17Oct21.
21. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. Started on 25Oct21. Finished on 14Nov21.
22. At Home With The Marquis De Sade by Francine du Plessix Gray. Bought in 2020. Kindle book. Started on 16Nov21. Finished on 04Dec21.
23. Joko’s Anniversary by Roland Topor. Bought in 2020. Started on 14Dec21. Finished on 15Dec21.
24. How It Is by Samuel Beckett. Kindle book. Bought in 2020. Started on 15Dec21. Finished on 22Dec21.

Let's get this year going with two books. The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett is a re-read but I read it over twenty years ago and have since bought it on Kindle, having sold my print copy years ago. I started reading it on 31Dec20 but only read half of Waiting for Godot.

I also started reading Psychopathia Sexualis: The Classic Study of Deviant Sex in 2020 (14th Nov) but halted my reading of it. I aim to resume reading it and may even start from the beginning. I may even read Aberrations of Sexual Life: The Psychopathia Sexualis alongside it. I had originally bought this title but I hadn't realised that it included a lot of editing and new material from the editor. Interesting maybe but I still wanted to read the original work. So, I may read both.

Welcome back, Jonathan!

Thanks Bev. Looking forward to 2021.

Just a quickie today—Head-to-Toe Portrait of Suzanne by Roland Topor—I know, I know, another book that everyone has read...haven't they?

Finished Aline and Valcour, or, the Philosophical Novel, Vol. I by Marquis de Sade today and now started Aline and Valcour, or, the Philosophical Novel, Vol. II. That's one advantage with having the novel split into three volumes - it counts as three from my TBR pile.

And on to Vol. 3 of Aline and Valcour. Vol.2 was a bit dull with its focus on dystopias and utopias but Vol. 3 is starting well.

8 down by the end of March. I'm on target for 32 this year; and I may yet finish the 'Psycopathia Sexualis' this month.

Just started a 1000-page book on books - The Novel: An Alternative History, 1600-1800 by Steven Moore. 30 pages in and it's great so far.

Still reading The Novel: An Alternative History, 1600-1800 by Steven Moore. What a book!

I'd almost forgotten what it was like reading a quick novel: last weekend I read Last Days in Cleaver Square by Patrick McGrath (doesn't count for TBR read though) and this weekend The Doctor's Wife by Brian Moore (which does count).

Well, I finally finished Psychopathia Sexualis: The Classic Study of Deviant Sex by Krafft-Ebing; only took seven months! It was actually quite interesting. Very dated, of course.

Books read so far:

Just started Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain - it's an old Penguin copy, 716 pages in small type....I have glasses....but oh! my eyes!

Finished The Magic Mountain....it's not that magic.

You're almost there!!

S'pose I should get my arse in gear and read the next two books to complete my climb.

One more book to read....I might just do this.

Start the year with Beckett. End the year with Beckett. That's How It Is.