Reading the 20th Century discussion

It's that time again RTTC'ers....


For our August 2024 group read we invite you to nominate anything written in the twentieth century century. Yes, it's wild card month once again so the choice is yours.

Please supply the title, author, a brief synopsis, and anything else you'd like to mention about the book, and why you think it might make a good book to discuss.

Happy nominating

Coz last time my wild card pick went down so well... The Fight by Norman Mailer! 😉

I'm going to Nominate Gilead by Marilyn Robinson.

Nearly 25 years after Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson returns with an intimate tale of three generations, from the Civil War to the 20th century: a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage at America's heart. In the words of Kirkus, it is a novel "as big as a nation, as quiet as thought, and moving as prayer. Matchless and towering." GILEAD tells the story of America and will break your heart.

Probably a 20th Century Classic, which has been on my to read list this year.

I loved her novel Housekeeping when it came out in the early 80's, but I have stayed away from her more recent fiction because of its religious themes. However, I have so appreciated her recent political and cultural commentaries and opposition to what currently passes as Christianity in the US that I want to give her another chance.

I'm pondering but everything I come up with has some drawbacks. Some of my ideas are:

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (some reviews say the film is better)

Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood (a bit pricey)

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Still thinking...

I'd be up for The Thin Man - I thought The Maltese Falcon was fab (although Red Harvest was less so)

Marilyn Robinson is a new name on me Ben - I will do some research


I have yet to consult my vast library for something suitable

Soon come situation

Oh Ben, she is one of my all-time favourites. I loved Gilead and the next three in the series even more (the second one Home is tops in my opinion). Great nomination.

Yes Ben, I loved Gilead and would love to read it again. I think it gives the biggest payoff when read slowly. I have still to read the others in the series.

Nigeyb wrote: "I'd be up for The Thin Man - I thought The Maltese Falcon was fab (although Red Harvest was less so)"

It's the idea of martinis and banter which appeals to me.

Some WIT would be nice for August. Have seen recent review for The Time of Cherries which looks good It has just been republished by Daunt Books, but it is pricey. Will have a think.

What books have you left unread from Ginzburg or Szabo?

We haven't read any Ginzburg as a group. And only one Szabo that I recall. I think the Roig is hard to get as I've been looking out for it in the big London Waterstones and nada. So lots of potential nominations available, Sonia.

I've just read nearly all Natalia Ginzburg , back to back and would be very happy to plunge in again . She is one of those authors who is funny and tragic in the same sentence .

By coincidence I was also on the lookout for The Time of Cherries and can recommend anything by Marilyn Robinson , although Gilead is my least favourite of the four .....

I'm yet to read a couple of Szarbo's : Abigail and Iza's Ballard and would be up for either if they qualify . She is another peerless writer .

As it's WIT month I'll give it some thought ...

Hester wrote: "Natalia Ginzburg... is one of those authors who is funny and tragic in the same sentence."

Such a good summary, Hester. I've only read her Family Lexicon and The Little Virtues and have just bought All Our Yesterdays in the lovely new Daunt edition so would also welcome a nomination.

Szabo's Abigail is the one we read here a few years back so plenty more.

I'd welcome a WiT choice... or two!

I will nominate The List of Suspicious Things

'What if we decided to try and find him?'

'What on earth are you on about?' she said. 'How are we going to catch the Yorkshire Ripper, when the police haven't even managed to?'

I sighed. Her questioning my ideas was a recent and unwelcome element to our friendship. But it was a valid point. How would we catch him? We needed some sort of plan, a way of gathering clues and putting them into order.

I thought about what the policeman had said about structure, and then about Aunty Jean and her notebook, and the idea I had hardened like toffee. I knew exactly what we needed to do.

'We'll make a list,' I said. 'A list of the people and things we see that are suspicious.

And then . . . And then we'll investigate them.'

The List of Suspicious Things is a tender and moving coming of age story about family, friendship and community. Sometimes the strongest connections are found in the most unlikely of places.

I'm nominating In Diamond Square, a classic of Catalan literature by Mercè Rodoreda:

Barcelona, early 1930s: Natalia, a pretty shop-girl from the working-class quarter of Gracia, is hesitant when a stranger asks her to dance at the fiesta in Diamond Square. But Joe is charming and forceful, and she takes his hand. They marry and soon have two children; for Natalia it is an awakening, both good and bad. When Joe decides to breed pigeons, the birds delight his son and daughter - and infuriate his wife. Then the Spanish Civil War erupts, and lays waste to the city and to their simple existence. Natalia remains in Barcelona, struggling to feed her family, while Joe goes to fight the fascists, and one by one his beloved birds fly away.

A highly acclaimed classic that has been translated into more than twenty languages, In Diamond Square is the moving, vivid and powerful story of a woman caught up in a convulsive period of history.

Nigeyb wrote: "I'd be up for The Thin Man - I thought The Maltese Falcon was fab (although Red Harvest was less so)"

How about The Thin Man as a buddy?

Sounds good RC

I’ve enjoyed everything I have ever read by W. Somerset Maugham and yet have never read The Razor’s Edge



The Razor’s Edge is regarded as one of his best and so should contain plenty to enjoy and discuss



So there you have it. I nominate The Razor’s Edge



Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brillant characters - his fiancee Isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliot Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. The most ambitious of Maugham's novels, this is also one in which Maugham himself plays a considerable part as he wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.

I have fancied reading something by Mercè Rodoreda, so won't nominate anything.

I have planned to read All Our Yesterdays and Katalin Street in August if anyone would like to do a buddy read.

I want to read both of those Sonia but can we put one of them off for a month or two?

I’d like to put forth Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey.

I’ve been tearing through Tey’s novels this year and am completely obsessed with her writing style. This one was turned into a miniseries in the mid-80s by the BBC, and I remember it as being quite good. (Although, I don’t know if it will have held up.)

GR Blurb: “ In this tale of mystery and suspense, a stranger enters the inner sanctum of the Ashby family posing as Patrick Ashby, the heir to the family's sizable fortune. The stranger, Brat Farrar, has been carefully coached on Patrick's mannerism's, appearance, and every significant detail of Patrick's early life, up to his thirteenth year when he disappeared and was thought to have drowned himself. It seems as if Brat is going to pull off this most incredible deception until old secrets emerge that jeopardize the imposter's plan and his life.”

Nominations so far....


Gilead by Marilyn Robinson (Ben)
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (Susan)
In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda (Roman Clodia)
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (Nigeyb)
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (Renee)


Anyone else nominating?

Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey looks great Renee, and a mere 77 pence for Kindle. V tempting. I'd really like to try some Josephine Tey having only ever heard great things about her work


In Diamond Square looks most intriguing and I am always drawn by Spain and Spanish Civil War related literature.

The List of Suspicious Things? Anything set in the 1970s automatically attracts me.

Gilead looks epic. A sweeping multi generational narrative with spiritual battles at its core.

And, of course, Maugham is always fab and Razor's Edge is supposed to be amongst his very best work 😉

A head manglingly hard choice


Any maybe more nominations still to come?

Sonia wrote: "I have fancied reading something by Mercè Rodoreda, so won't nominate anything.

I have planned to read All Our Yesterdays and Katalin Street in August if anyone wou..."

Am away at the moment, so can I let you know when I get back. Both books are on my 20 Books of Summer pile, and I just want to look at possible replacements. But yes potentially can move - say Szabo in September and Ginzburg in November? (October I will do Victober. )

I’m happy to read one in August and one in September or November. You decide.

Last call for nominations


Poll's going up tomorrow morning UK time



Nominations

Gilead by Marilyn Robinson (Ben)
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (Susan)
In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda (Roman Clodia)
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (Nigeyb)
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (Renee)

Poll's up


VOTE VOTE VOTE


https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...



Nominations

Gilead by Marilyn Robinson (Ben)
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (Susan)
In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda (Roman Clodia)
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (Nigeyb)
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (Renee)

It doesn't look as though Gilead is getting much (any) support so I'm going to switch to my second choice, but I will read it later this year, looking for some balm in Gilead as darkness comes to America.

Perhaps a Buddy read then, with some new readers and some who have read it previously.

Looking good for Mercè Rodoreda as things stand



Pollwatch....

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda - 5 votes, 50.0%
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham - 3 votes, 30.0%
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey - 2 votes, 20.0%
Gilead by Marilyn Robinson - 0 votes, 0.0%
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey - 0 votes, 0.0%

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda wins it



Results....

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda - 5 votes, 45.5%
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham - 4 votes, 36.4%
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey - 2 votes, 18.2%
Gilead by Marilyn Robinson - 0 votes, 0.0%
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey - 0 votes, 0.0%

Ben wrote: "I’m happy to read one in August and one in September or November. You decide."

Sorry for not getting back to you. Life has got a bit hectic (all good), so am putting these two aside for the time being. Will let you know if/when I pick them up.

I missed the voting? I was hoping for The Razor's Edge.