Ersatz TLS discussion

Hello, everyone. Welcome to this fortnight's thread.

No round-up this week as I'm on holiday. On holiday at home, that is, which, as we all know, is not the same as a staycation. Knossos and Mycenae are rumbling on in the background, but I'm all about holiday reading this week. Robert Harris is usually good for this and I borrowed a couple from the library. First up was The Second Sleep. I don't want to describe it just in case someone here is going to read it because, if so, it's better not to know too much in advance. I found it a bit silly - but my kind of silly - and somewhat lazy in the writing of the book's concept, but entertaining as heck. I also borrowed Dictator, third in Harris's Cicero trilogy. I didn't last for so much as a page with that 'cos it screamed Look At Me, Aren't I Doing Historical Fiction Well? at me and I had to go and have a lie down to recover. What both books did was to send me back to Fatherland for a reread, a book that I love and which remains Harris's best novel. I'm now reading The Fortnight in September by R C Sherriff which is being perfect for a week's holiday in October. The joy of having a book sit on your shelf for a couple of years patiently waiting for that exact moment. Bliss.

I hope you're all in the midst of a deeply satisfying read too, and commiserations if you're not. Either way, tell us all about it below.

Edit: damn that staycation reference. Of course, it's the other way round. I am on a staycation.

Slow turn of the leaves but still very mild for late October, looks like a globally warmed winter ahead for the UK

Current books:

To The Islands by Randolph Stow (1958)- the best aussie writer of his generation explores the mind of an Anglican missionary deep in the Kimberleys(Western Australia)and his slow decline into madness

Disunion Within The Union a non-fiction study of tyhe travails of the Uniate Church during the Polish divisions of 1772-1793 period. Catherine the Great was no friend of a church she didnt even regard as Catholic, while the Austrians were more favourable...

Time Within Time: Diaries by Andrei Tarkovsky- there is an immense sadness to these diaries about the legendary auteur, plagued by ill health and the Soviet 1970s regime. His diaries are bursting with ideas, faith and discussion

Anne wrote: "Hello, everyone. Welcome to this fortnight's thread.

No round-up this week as I'm on holiday. On holiday at home, that is, which, as we all know, is not the same as a staycation. Knossos and Myce..."

glad to see you are enjoying the Sheriff novel, Justine and i read it in 2019 and loved it. I think at least half a dozen people read it during that autumn. It was my favourite book of that year and my mothers book group read it too

# 3 AB76 wrote: "glad to see you are enjoying the Sheriff novel, Justine and i read it in 2019 and loved it..."

I knew it had been mentioned on TLS, but couldn't remember when. I think that original discussion is what led me to buy it. Isn't it lovely? I'm a third of the way though.

Anne wrote: " # 3 AB76 wrote: "glad to see you are enjoying the Sheriff novel, Justine and i read it in 2019 and loved it..."

I knew it had been mentioned on TLS, but couldn't remember when. I think that origi..."

a novel that is perfect for anytime, gentle but realistic and well constructed...

CCCubbon wrote: "Today is a red letter day for me and I wanted to share it with you all. It has nothing to do with books, poetry, archaeology, mathematics, owls, gardening, science or things that I usually write ab..."

i love that CCC....!

CCCubbon wrote: "Today is a red letter day for me ..."

That's a splendid reason making a red letter day.

CCCubbon wrote: "Today is a red letter day for me and I wanted to share it with you all. It has nothing to do with books, poetry, archaeology, mathematics, owls, gardening, science or things that I usually write ab..."

That is absolutely wonderful news CC. So pleased for your all. That doctor didn't have much of a bedside manner did he?

I have just finished reading Ancestors by Alice Roberts and have to admit that, unlike many, did find it disappointing. I found the writing a bit jumbled, if that is the right word, and some of her comments seemed a bit on the patronising side as in "Now go and have a cold shower. Or a cup of tea. Whatever it takes."

I found a couple of errors which the editors should have found - Avebury instead of Amesbury and saying that a letter written by Pitt Rivers in 1897 was 13 years before his death when in the same page she gave his death as being in 1900.

For my taste she also brought her own non-religious views, to which she is perfectly entitled and with which I don't necessarily disagree, into the writing rather too often. It left me with the impression that she was being a little patronising towards others who think differently.

All of which is a great shame because I have read one of her books before and liked and it. And I do enjoy her television programmes.

giveusaclue wrote: "I have just finished reading Ancestors by Alice Roberts and have to admit that, unlike many, did find it disappointing. I found the writing a bit jumbled, if that is the right word, and some of her..."

I find these easily checked things disconcerting, as well. I have been known to cross off an author because of it. I still remember the time when a hurricane showed up in North Carolina on Christmas Day. People who have lived through them know that hurricane season ends on 30 November. And I quit reading Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta books when the Commonwealth of Virginia ponied up for something outrageously expensive. Virginia is a very frugal state and would not do that ever.

Isn't it interesting the little things that can drive us crazy.

giveusaclue wrote: "I have just finished reading Ancestors by Alice Roberts and have to admit that, unlike many, did find it disappointing. I found the writing a bit jumbled, if that is the right word, and some of her..."

I am sorry that you found Ancestors less than satisfactory, give. The book is crammed with sound archaeology and I learned much from reading the book. I did read it slowly and took my time.
Chapter 7 is about The Amesbury archer. Both Amesbury and Avebury are small places quite near to one another in Wiltshire. Avebury is closer to Stonehenge and does feature in the general discussion. There is one instance on page 241 where there seems to possibly some confusion in the names but that was the only one that I found amidst a mass of detailed evidence.

There is so much detail in the book, such wide ranging discussion I can forgive the odd mistake.
Regarding her political views which rarely intrude, for me, it makes the author more interesting, she obviously doesn’t shrink from opinions but throughout the book there is a distinct emphasis on keeping an open mind, not taking things for granted nor making assumptions without evidence.
There is so much in this book from an archaeological point of view it seems such a shame that these minor things spoiled it for you.

CCCubbon wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "I have just finished reading Ancestors by Alice Roberts and have to admit that, unlike many, did find it disappointing. I found the writing a bit jumbled, if that is the right w..."

I can forgive the occasional error, I felt as if I was being preached at in the end.
.

@ MK It most certainly is! I gave up on the Scarpetta novels because Cornwell kept bringing back the same villain and also in real life the forensic experts have to remain independent of the detectives which is a reason why I never watched Silent Witness a UK television series.

CCCubbon wrote: "Today is a red letter day for me and I wanted to share it with you all. It has nothing to do with books, poetry, archaeology, mathematics, owls, gardening, science or things that I usually write ab..."

Excellent news. None of us get to live forever, but some lives are way too short. I hope your son has a good few years ahead of him, too!

Anne wrote: "Hello, everyone. Welcome to this fortnight's thread.

No round-up this week as I'm on holiday. On holiday at home, that is, which, as we all know, is not the same as a staycation. Knossos and Myce..."

I'd just like to add my thanks to those who set up this thread, and those who have joined in (and sadly departed) its administration and moderation.

Thank you, all!

giveusaclue wrote: "I gave up on the Scarpetta novels...

Me, too... the earlier books appeared reasonably well written, but as time went on the plots became more and more absurd and unbelievable... it felt as if Cornwell was doing the literary equivalent of 'dialling it in', as they say of actors who put in little effort.

scarletnoir wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "I gave up on the Scarpetta novels...

Me, too... the earlier books appeared reasonably well written, but as time went on the plots became more and more absurd and unbelievable....."

Couldn't agree more. Iirc #7 was the last I read, #5 was bad enough, #6 was worse, #7 was godawful. And her protagonists became more obnoxious with every book, especially the bloody niece who got more and more space. Never seen an author go downhill so quickly.

@AB

I seem to remember that you read not so long ago (?).
If so: how did you like it? (I've just finished it)

I'm about halfway through The Cook of the Halcyon by Andrea Camilleri... and came across a rather beautiful passage, where Inspector Montalbano views an eclipse of the moon. This is an abridged version:

Why did the ants all suddenly stop and stay that way, not making the slightest move?
Could they all possibly have died at once?...

Montalbano felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The temperature was dropping, in tandem with the lunar eclipse...

He reached the water's edge. The water was moving so slowly and softly that it made no sound at all.
It was getting darker and darker...

Everything seemed to have stopped, waiting for the moon to disappear.
And why could he not hear any distant sounds? A car's engine? A dog barking?
The inspector lay on the cold sand, stomach up, and looked through the binoculars.
Not much of the moon was left, but the tiny remaining sliver seemed indifferent to what was happening.
Then there was only a black disc in the sky. Or a vast, bottomless hole in the universe. Mildly frightened, Montalbano closed his eyes.
'Les grands cimitières sous la lune' was the title of a book by a French author he'd read many years before.
But the great cemetery the world around him had become a few minutes earlier didn't even have the comfort of the moon...

That passage comes from a book published in the year of Camilleri's death aged 93 - it doesn't show any waning powers or lack of effort. It is also beautifully translated by Stephen Sartarelli - who does very good work except (for me) in the unsatisfactory depiction of dialogue spoken with an accent.

Two points/questions: eclipses are eerie - I well remember how everything went quiet during a total eclipse of the sun in 1999 - even the birds stopped singing, so not only humans are unnerved by these events. Is that how others experience eclipses? It was followed by a strange swirling breeze... (As for this depiction, I do wonder about the ants, but everything else seems entirely credible.)

Second question: has anyone 'out there' read the book, which was written by Georges Bernanos and appeared in 1938, and is it any good? For some reason, it was published in English as A diary of my times, which - let's face it - is a far inferior title to 'The Great Cemeteries under the Moon'. Who ever thought that was a good idea?

Happy Birthday to your son, @CC., and good wishes to you all.

Georg wrote: "@AB

I seem to remember that you read not so long ago (?).
If so: how did you like it? (I've just finished it)"

dont think it was me, i did have a Lenz on my list but it wasnt this one, or if i have read i have totally forgotten!

did you enjoy it?

Another parcel from Stanfords arrived today. Maybe I should unsubscribe from their newsletters!

The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway and the Northeast Passage by Erika Fatland.
Let's see if I agree with Andy that it's even better then Sovietistan.

Travels With Myself and Another by Martha Gellhorn

Windswept Walking in the footsteps of remarkable women by Annabel Abbs

AB76 wrote: "Georg wrote: "@AB

I seem to remember that you read not so long ago (?).
If so: how did you like it? (I've just finished it)"

wasnt me, i did have a Lenz on my ..."

As you know I am generally rather (very) dismissive when it comes to 20th c German novels.

This was a re-read of one of the boring books I had to read for A-levels,

Did I enjoy it? It is a great book. i am even tempted to call it a masterpiece in its own way.

Georg wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Georg wrote: "@AB

I seem to remember that you read not so long ago (?).
If so: how did you like it? (I've just finished it)"

wasnt me, i did have ..."

thats interesting Georg, i have found revisiting hated school books generally reveals their true brilliance and i think its a great feeling when you finish it and think "wow".

It shows how being force fed novels can ruin them at a young age but thankfully be appreciated as an adult

i have read "A Minutes Silence" by Lenz and loved it

AB76 wrote: "Georg wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Georg wrote: "@AB

I seem to remember that you read not so long ago (?).
If so: how did you like it? (I've just finished it)"

wasnt m..."

AB, I would say if you don't read "The German Lesson" you have missed a great German novel. More worthy of the Nobel than Bölls work imo.

scarletnoir wrote: "I'm about halfway through The Cook of the Halcyon by Andrea Camilleri... and came across a rather beautiful passage, where Inspector Montalbano views an eclipse of the moon. This is..."

Yes, I have had the same experience of everything, including birds going silent during an eclipse of the sun. I can remember making pinholes in paper to look at the shadow of the eclipse on a wall!

The Cook of the Halcyon will be the next Camilleri on my list.

On a more downbeat note, my neighbour got covid last week, she is in her 60s and good health (covid apart) but today her husband tested positive. He had two heart stents fitted earlier this year and has a history of lung trouble. So fingers are very much crossed.

I got sidetracked, again, and just reread Susan Cooper's The Grey King. I'm going to go all retro and say it's a smashing read. I do really like that series, although Silver on the Tree is a bit of a letdown.

Georg wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Georg wrote: "AB76 wrote: "Georg wrote: "@AB

I seem to remember that you read not so long ago (?).
If so: how did you like it? (I've just finished ..."

thanks georg, will add this to my pile....another of his novels "The Turncoat" is newly translated

Machenbach wrote: "how Welsh is it?"

There you are. I've been anxiously anticipating your thoughts on The Robber and the Bowen book. How did you find them?

Machenbach wrote: "My wife’s Uncle ‘Tick’ (as I knew him) died of Covid-19 the other day."

That's awful. I'm sorry for your loss.

scarletnoir wrote: "I'm about halfway through The Cook of the Halcyon by Andrea Camilleri... and came across a rather beautiful passage, where Inspector Montalbano views an eclipse of the moon. This is..."

i remember how eerie that 1999 eclipse was, whole family (minus my father)was in the garden(my youngest brothers then aged 18, sitting on the roof of the barn). Slowly the air cooled and stilled and i noticed the family dog getting very uneasy and all the birds fell silent. I dont remember the return of the sun within seconds but that chill, still moment, i remember vividly.

my father(then 54) decided to sail into the english channel with a friend and apparently it was just murky and cloudy and they missed it.

Amaziingly with the covid issues in last few weeks, the old folks day centre is still open and running with zero covid cases since we re-opened in June

Its been a battle, reliant on volunteers, with lots of non-covid staff sickness and a group of old folk with a lot more need than before. On out busiest day pre-covid it would be 45 people, its capped at 12 now but it feels like more work as dementia percentages are far higher.

the old folk love the place being back and its good to see them smiling and laughing, fingers crossed we dont get any covid cases. the manager is not following the Tory relaxations, staff/volunteers are masked at all times, distancing on tables and regular handwashing, thank goodness...nobody listens to Boris in that centre!

Machenbach wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "On a more downbeat note, my neighbour got covid last week, she is in her 60s and good health (covid apart) but today her husband tested positive. He had two heart stents fitted ..."

Me too. Also sorry for your loss, both my neighbours have been vaccinated so hopefully that will help them not to be so bad.

giveusaclue wrote: "Machenbach wrote: "giveusaclue wrote: "On a more downbeat note, my neighbour got covid last week, she is in her 60s and good health (covid apart) but today her husband tested positive. He had two h..."

i naively thought double vaxxed meant a mild illness but i have seen too many folk really suffer even with double vaxx. the fools that compare covid to "a little flu" are dangerous.

hope your neigbours are ok

My sympathy goes to all who have lost relatives or friends to COVID, or who are worried about those currently fighting the illness...

Our town was for much of the last two years one of the safest places in the UK, with very low rates of infection. Unfortunately, a very busy tourist season followed by schools and the uni reopening have led to cases going through the roof, despite the stricter rules in Wales... indeed, following the tourist season compliance with mask wearing in shops has significantly reduced (my wife reports).

We felt very much safer during our 3 weeks in France, where rates are much lower, everyone wore masks indoors and most people even outdoors at the market or on busy streets. But it seems the British are happy to pay the price in terms of deaths and serious illness...

by Bohumil Hrabal, trans. Edith Pargeter

Memory is a funny thing... a very long time ago, I saw the film based on this short novella - 'Closely Observed Trains' - which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1968 for its director Jiří Menzel. I remembered the film as a comedy - and indeed, it has many hilarious moments - but it is set in wartime (1945). So the story is in fact a tragi-comedy, and is absurdly rich in repercussions for such a short book. Reading in Wikipedia the extracts from reviews of the film, it seems that the critics also commented mostly on the comic aspects - somehow, in memory, these seemed to have erased the tragic elements.

The setting is a railway station in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia... where the main protagonists are the sexually inexperienced apprentice Miloš (the narrator), the sexually incontinent dispatcher Hubička, and the pigeon-fancying station master whose pomposity and ambition provide much of the humour. As the trains come and go, we gradually get a picture from Miloš both of his own history, and that of the area during occupation. He is determined to 'become a man', and that drives several strands in the story.

It's not possible to say a lot about the book without giving too much away - but it is quite exceptional, packing a ridiculous number of rebondissements ('twists and turns', but there is no precise English word) into its 80-odd pages. Hilarious, unsettling, sensitive, subtle... and crude, at times - I strongly recommend this book, and will definitely read more Hrabal.

As for the translation - it worked very well in the final section as the story reaches its climax. I did feel that it could have been improved in a number of ways, though. The text refers to 'close observation trains' for the most part, but it wasn't clear what this meant - who was doing the observing? Later, the trains are 'closely observed' by resistance elements - and there, we know - but the earlier term is different and unclear. At least one word was left in the original Czech (unexplained), and there were passages in German (untranslated) - now, those must have been in German in the original, but I suspect more Czechs know the language. Some terms and phrases were translated literally rather than being rendered in idiomatic English. It's a pity that these issues were not tackled either in the text, or if more appropriate, in endnotes - as the admirable Stephen Sartarelli does for the Montalbano novels. The clumsiness of some of this work didn't ultimately detract from my enjoyment of the novel - as most of the work flowed well - but it could have been better done.

Finally - the closing scene provided a visual image which echoes the final moments of a Polish movie directed by Andrzej Wajda - 'Ashes and Diamonds' - which is strongly recommended, though avoid seeing it before reading the book as it's a spoiler comment. The film can bee seen on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-0qo...

Edit: I tried and failed to find the word in Czech, and 'difficult' passages in German - as far as the latter are concerned, either I skimmed them and failed to see how easy they are to understand, or I missed the difficult ones.

scarletnoir wrote: "My sympathy goes to all who have lost relatives or friends to COVID, or who are worried about those currently fighting the illness...

Our town was for much of the last two years one of the safest ..."

same where i am, mask wearing drops and drops, crowding increases. was astonished to see a public fayre in sept that had covid precautions last in small print on its literature, just one line saying "wear a mask if you feel you need to". they abandoned all distancing at public events about a minute after the July relaxations. My area is way above the england average for cases, first time in the pandemic that happened

scarletnoir wrote: " by Bohumil Hrabal, trans. Edith Pargeter

Memory is a funny thing... a very long time ago, I saw the film based on this short novella - 'Closely Observed..."

Both novels are brilliant, especially Andrejevski's novel, the films of both novels are worth watching too.

Translation does need notes or explanations, i think any re-issue of a classic novel needs some work done on it, sometimes you get a major publisher delivering a new translation with no endnotes, glossary or footnotes, not just the cheap POD travesties

scarletnoir wrote: " by Bohumil Hrabal, trans. Edith Pargeter..."

Edith Pargeter is better known to many as Ellis Peters, author of the Brother Cadfael novels. I didn't know she was a translator too.

Gpfr wrote: "scarletnoir wrote: " by Bohumil Hrabal, trans. Edith Pargeter..."

Edith Pargeter is better known to many as Ellis Peters, author of the Brother Cadfael n..."

Interesting - I didn't know that Pargeter was Peters. The translation worked for the most part, but some idioms felt odd in English (even if we could easily guess the meaning).

Machenbach wrote: "I know there's quite a few Lauren Groff fans here but I was pretty ambivalent about Matrix ..."

As you know, I'm one of those Groff fans. Paul and I chatted about Matrix recently. He was willing to give her a shot; you've convinced me I'm right to give this one a miss.

I can't remember: have you read any other of her books?

I would like to add my thanks to our moderators for maintaining this small simpatico corner of the web. People have such different interests and yet we all, pretty much, seem to meld. On checking I find that eight of the books I’ve read and enjoyed in the last 12 months are a direct result of warm recommendations here. I wouldn’t have found a single one on my own. I’m about to start a ninth, and a tenth is going to be a birthday present for my other half.

@scarletnoir – Totally agree with you on the brilliance of “Closely Observed Trains”. I wonder if there is another translation, as I don’t recall having any issues with the one I read some years ago.

Bugger. Just swiped and sent my comment into the ether. Trying again. The novel I finished recently is Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, purchased from a lovely Edinburgh independent, Typewronger Books. It was in the news recently, as the enterprising young owner also repairs old typewriters and has recently been in contact with that other devotee of ancient typewriters, Tom Hanks.

About to start major work in the house, god ‘elp us, so much to prep before then. Book cases to be moved, the least of our tasks. In the meantime Helen Dunmore’s final collection, Girl Balancing, might just take my mind off it.

Currently on the radio is The National Theatre of Brent, doing their version of the moon landing. Have seen them live, many years ago, but also recall them on the T V doing their interpretation of the French Revolution. Jim Broadbent’s Marie Antoinette was quite moving!

Russell wrote: "I would like to add my thanks to our moderators for maintaining this small simpatico corner of the web. People have such different interests and yet we all, pretty much, seem to meld. On checking I..."

i have recorded 13 book recommendations (and all have been read )from Guardian TLS and here since Summer 2018 when i first started to use my guardian account to comment, in response to their drive for small amounts of money every month

Lass wrote: "Bugger. Just swiped and sent my comment into the ether. Trying again. The novel I finished recently is Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, purchased from a lovely Edinburgh independent, Typewronger Books. It..."

Good luck with the work on the house Lass, I don't envy you

Lljones wrote: "Machenbach wrote: "I know there's quite a few Lauren Groff fans here but I was pretty ambivalent about Matrix ..."

As you know, I'm one of those Groff fans. Paul and I chatted about Matrix recent..."

Lljones wrote: "Machenbach wrote: "I know there's quite a few Lauren Groff fans here but I was pretty ambivalent about Matrix ..."

As you know, I'm one of those Groff fans. Paul and I chatted about Matrix recent..."

Most here know that I waffle between mysteries (where there is little gore) and history. However, I did download Matrix from the library and listened to the end. For me it just rambled and there was no point.

Yesterday I stumbled on an online interview from The Mysterious Bookshop (NYC-which I will visit if we ever get back to 'kind of normal') with John Connolly. It was excellent, and I have never read any of his mystery books - too much blood and gore for me. However, I do recommend watching/listening - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X23_0....

He has also written a huge tome (1000+ pages) to be released tomorrow - Shadow Voices : 300 Years of Irish Genre Fiction: A History in Stories. The cover alone is enough to entice me so I have put up a picture of it in our Photos area. Take a look. Just found an exerpt - https://www.johnconnollybooks.com/sha...

The only - easy for us in the US - place I have found it is at bookdepository.com.

In the You Tube interview (the latter portion - starting at 33.25) he talks a bit about Shadow Voices and mentions one Irish writer who lived for a long time in Australia and has since been forgotten. Quite sad.

# 29 Machenbach wrote: ."I don’t wanna overdose on Welshness, so how Welsh is it? ..

Pretty damn Welsh, which I loved. I wouldn't go near it if I were you. About Matrix, am I very shallow to think that because I've read The Corner That Held Them I don't have to bother reading any more medieval nuns ever?

Lass wrote: "The novel I finished recently is Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, purchased from a lovely Edinburgh independent, Typewronger Books. It..."

I've got Swing Time on my shelves. What did you think of it? And big laugh to doing work on the house in an Edinburgh winter. I hope you've laid in a stock of fine wine.

My thoughts are with all of you who are being affected by Covid in the various ways.