Reading Notes

There is a new translation out of The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.  And I want it!  Ever since the whole War and Peace debacle--deciding which translation to read, I have been slightly more sensitive to books in translation.  There was a review yesterday in The New York Times, where the reviewer called it "a brisk, agile new translation".  Of course I would still feel better reading some other reviews before buying a new hardcover.  I have long wanted to read this.  After reading The Count of Monte Cristo I am a devoted fan of Dumas.  Plus I love swashbuckling adventure stories! 

If I do buy the Dumas book, you can bet I won't wait to read it!  It can join the rest of the books sitting on my night stand.  Yesterday Cam posted a list of her current reads.  I can relate only too well...a little run down of my stack of current reads...

War and Peace by Tolstoy--I have given up any hope of staying with the schedule.  Had I kept up I would be finishing it in just a couple of weeks.  Alas, I am only at the end of Book I.  There are four books, two epilogues, and well lots and lots of pages.  I do read it every day, though.  It is very readable, just very long.  There seem to be lots of war parts--lately I feel like that is all there is.  I am finding that I really need to do a little research on the Napoleanic Wars.  I know practically nothing.  My goal is to just finish it by the end of the year.

The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft by Tomalin--I am very bad when it comes to nonfiction.  I want to read it, but I tend to always pick up my fiction books instead.  Mary W.  was very interesting, and of course when I am finished with this I want to read The Vindication of the Rights of Woman, her travel narratives, and then move on to her daughter Mary Shelley, and then her writings.  Ambitious, aren't I?  I am always planning ahead.

The Oak Apple by Harrod-Eagles--Poor Morland Dynasty.  A 25+ book series.  At this rate I will be nearing retirement age before I get them all read!  I will have to start from the beginning on this one, it has sat there so long.  These books are best read in one big gulp really.

Robinson Crusoe by Defoe--Remember I said I like adventure stories?  No wonder kids have loved reading this as it can certainly be read that way.  One small stumbling block--and here comes my personal 21st century ideas--I hated it when he killed the lion at the beginning for Sport.  He knew darn well that it wasn't for meat and even admitted to it, but shot it anyway.  This made me cringe, but I am enjoying it anyway--and I try to always read in context of when and where a book was written. 

Gaudy Night by Sayers--I was doing so well with my mysteries.  I'm not even halfway through this one.  It is Not a reflection of the author or book or story.  It is a matter of too many books on the go at once. 

The Observations by Harris--Ditto with this one.  I am getting back in the mood for some Victorian drama, though.  Poor Bessy...what an odd situation she is in.  I can't decide what I think of Arabella yet.

The Last of Her Kind by Nunez--This is the culprit of why so many books are being neglected.  I should be finishing it within the next day or two.  I reached the point of no putting it down a day or so ago, and now I simply have to find out how it ends, which means all my reading attention is going here.  I am ambivalent about the main characters.  For me, I think most things in life are not black and white, and there are certainly a lot of grey issues in this book.  The characters are very complex.  Just when I am feeling sympathetic, something will be said or done make me change my mind about the characters and situations.  This would make an excellent book for discussion!

The Forest Lover by Vreeland--Okay, so I have been sneaking peeks at this one as well.  I am ready to get back to Emily.  I think I will be concentrating on this one next.  And I am already contemplating what book comes next after this one.  I was leaning towards the new Philip Roth, but now I am very much in the mood for some A.S. Byatt...

A Room of One's Own by Woolf--No I have not forgotten about this!  It is an annotated version, and I just made my way through the 30 page introduction!  I am ready to get going on the actual text...just to get the Nunez out of the way...

Sophie's Choice by Styron--Last but not least.  I really need to dedicate myself to this book (and this book alone) for a solid week or so to get  it read.  I hate to think about how I am lagging behind in my Modern Library List reading.  What did I say at the beginning of the year?  Was that to read the last 20 books from the list (I'm working my way up backwards)? Silly ideas.  But I did say I would settle for ten!  Still that would mean reading: Under the Net (256 pages), Wide Sargasso Sea (192 pages)--have read this one before...perhaps could skip a reread..., The Magus (672 pages)--another long one, Ironweed (240 pages), and lastly Tobacco Road (184 pages).  Yes, I know.  Ambitious.  Remember, I didn't say I was actually going to do it, I just want to!   

There are times I feel like I only think about reading, and read about reading.  But honestly I am really reading.  Must try and squeeze in more reading time...Don't we all wish that, eh?!

Comments

[Stefanie]

I just finished a number of books in progress and now only have three I am in the middled of. I feel like having only three books going at once is not enough and after reading your list I am itching to start some new ones. Thanks for being such a good book enabler :)

[Lazy Cow]

Yes, a common dilemma. I decided last week to concentrate on one book at a time, till I finish all the half-started books on by bedside table. So far I've completed 2, and am on my way to finishing the third. Only 2 more after that, and I can then choose something else. (Have you thought about how wierd most people would find these thought processes?!)

[Danielle]

Stefanie--my problem is that I am always itching to start a new book. Though at the moment I am in the mood to *finish* a few as well!
Lazy Cow--Kudos to you! I always think this is what I need to do. Sometimes I will try and finishe two or even three books before I will let myself start a new one--the problem is then I end up starting two new ones. I think only other book lovers would understand this whole process!!

[iliana]

I was just about to post my current reads as well but just seeing your current reads makes me want to start more books so I don't feel so behind. I'm only at 4. ha,ha...

[Carl V.]

Dumas is another classic author who I'd love to get to someday. I really enjoy the most recent film version of the Count of Monte Cristo and am sure it doesn't begin to measure up to the wonder of the actual story. Someday.

[Danielle]

Iliana--I admire people who have more self control! :) I admit--I have very little. Just think--you can start another five to catch up to me! Seriously--I would love to see what you are reading now! I am always looking for suggestions!
Carl--I have to admit...I usually like nearly all books and most films...and had I not read The Count of Monte Cristo first, I would probably have loved it. But in this case I did not like the new movie version. They really changed the story, and it made me cringe what they did to it! You will love the book, though!!!

[cam]

I'm glad I'm not alone in this ailment of reading too many books at once and buying more while there are still books I haven't started yet!

[Carl V.]

The cover art on that new 3 Musketeers book looks familiar. Any idea who the artist is?

[gina c]

I must have the new Pevear translation of the Three Musketeers!!! Thanks so much for alerting us to this! I have never read it and have been wanting to, and now I am going to go there. I am also proceeding through War and Peace, at my own pace. Napoleon is on the way to Moscow and Pierre is being, Pierre! I read somewhere that Pevear and Volkhonsky are working on a translation of War and Peace that is due out next year. I like their style and will probably graze over it, not sure if I am ready to go there again just yet! I have been comparing passages of Briggs with the Maude translation of W&P along the way, and its very interesting how different translators give completely different interpretations. It seems that it isnt just a matter of copying into a translation engine and hitting the go button...

[Heather]

I went through a Dumas phase in high school and read a lot of his books. Lately I've been wanting to read them again and just bought The Three Musketeers to start with. Figures there is a new translation out now. Hopefully the translation I got will be just as good.

I remember reading the Count of Monte Cristo and loving it as well. Dumas is such great fun!

[Isabella]

I feel like a real oddball that I generally read one book at a time (the big ones like W&P being an exception; I'll read a couple small and light books along the way).

I'm intrigued by the new Dumas translation but will restrain myself till I find a remaindered copy in a couple years. I love me some swashbuckling intrigue. Picked up Dumas' Knight of the Maison-Rouge the other week, also Reverte's Captain Alatriste. Have been meaning to post my own list of acquisitions...

[Danielle]

Cam--No, I don't think you have to worry about being the only one...
Carl--Not sure who the illustrator is, but I really like the cover.
Gina--It sounds as though you are ahead of me in W&P. I am just about to start book II. I am looking forward to getting back to Moscow! I think I will break down and buy the new translation, too, of the Three Musketeers.
Heather--Dumas is really fun, isn't he!
Isabella--I wish I could just concentrate on two or three books only, but I have such a hard time not starting things. Generally, though, once I get to a point in a book, I will only read it until I am finished and then go back to the rest of the pile. I have looked at The Knight of the Maison Rouge, but have never bought it--there are always those few books that I go back to in the bookstore--eventually I will get them! And I was just thinking that the second Alatriste book must be coming out in paperback soon. I really liked the first one!

[Dorothy W.]

I'm glad you are enjoying Robinson Crusoe, in spite of the lion scene!

[Heather]

I bought the Dumas book! It is soo nice!! It is the August Bonus Read at Our Coffee Rings and there is no way I'll finish it but it is such a lovely book.

[LK]

I feel the same way about the Nunez book -- I am very ambivalent about the characters, and so put it down and have not yet picked it back up. But now, you've intrigued me. Oh, my. I've got Proust Vol 2, Milton Hindus' two Proust studies, and Middle Eastern fiction (of which I started both Beirut Blues and In the Eye of the Sun -- but sticking to the latter and will return to Beirut Blues later.)

I am trying to fix the "half-assed book reading" dilemma by getting far enough into a book that I am drawn into the author's voice and style, and his/her story to want to read on but also not lose the thread if I put it down a day or two. That's been about sixty pages. I FORCE myself to get that far. That usually does the trick. (I won't stick with a book that long if it's not up to snuff.)

[Danielle]

Dorothy--It's curious I like some of these adventure tales considering how squeamish I am about some things.
Heather--I have the book in my Amazon basket...am trying to decide whether to get it or not....I really want to! Have you started reading it?
LK--I should finish the Nunez tomorrow (I wish I could tonight, but I usually can't stay awake late into the night anymore!). It is really good, but I keep going back and forth over the characters. I am sure Nunez did this on purpose. I am not sure I identify with either. I understand some of the motivations...but then others I am baffled by. And by the way...Proust turns up in this book, too. Actually in the latter half of the book there is a lot about books and other literary things. It made the reading very interesting!