Reading log: March 2011
Books acquired: "The Red and the Black," Stendhal; "Swann's Way," Marcel Proust; "Tales From the Cthulhu Mythos, Vol. 1" and "The Shuttered Room," H.P. Lovecraft; "John Carter, Warlord of Mars vols. 1-3, 5-7, 9," Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Books read: "The Turn of the Screw," Henry James; "They Live," Jonathan Lethem; "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?," Philip K. Dick; "Blade Runner, A Story of the Future," Les Martin; "Web of the City," Harlan Ellison.
March came in like a lion and went out like a lamb, in the sense that all five books last month were read in the first 15 days.
"Turn of the Screw" was chosen because I was seeing the LA Opera production later in March. "They Live" is the analysis by the Pomona College prof of an obscure John Carpenter movie, the subject of a column a few weeks ago. "Do Androids Dream" was the basis for the movie "Blade Runner," the four-disc DVD version of which I'd been watching (the Pomona College prof, a Philip K. Dick expert, was interviewed in the bonus features). "Blade Runner" is a sort of photo-novel of the movie. And "Web" is another of the early social-realist books by Ellison, who is better known for his fantasy work.
I enjoyed them all in different ways, "Androids" and "Screw" being the masterpieces of the bunch. You'll notice from the photos that "Screw" was read on my e-reader, a first for the ol' Reading Log; the short novel was one of the 100 free classics that came loaded on it. (Most of the Sherlock Holmes book from February was read on the e-reader too but as I owned a paperback I used that in the photo.)
As for where the other books came from, "They Live" and "Blade" were bought in February, "Web" was found used (and collectable) five or 10 years ago and "Androids" has been on my shelves unread for probably 30 years. Gulp.
What did I do the rest of March? Started in on books for April, which for no special reason will all have not one but two C's in their title. By April 2 I'd finished two long books. Guess I'm coming in like a lion again.
One more note: I read a lot of graphic novels, comic strip reprints and the like but never include those on these lists, which are about prose. But I'd like to mention an exceptional graphic novel that I read in March, Guy Delisle's "Burma Chronicles."
It's a memoir by the French illustrator of several months he and his family spent in Burma, where his wife was stationed as part of Doctors Without Borders. Delisle has also done a similar book about North Korea titled "Pyongyang," which I've read, and "Shenzhen," which I haven't. "Burma" and "Pyongyang" are highly recommended for the window they provide on closed cultures and their gentle sense of humor. Here's the Amazon page for "Burma Chronicles," which allows you to look inside the book.
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A journalist for more than two decades, David Allen has been writing a column for the Daily Bulletin since 1997 and blogging since 2007.He lives in Claremont.
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I read nothing in March until my spring break week, which then led to four books.
The standard Star Wars book, of course (Ryder Windham = Clone Wars Secret Missions #3, a quick young adult story)
Kathy Reichs (Devil Bones), the basis for the FOX Bones TV show. This was a later novel of hers, set in the south and about a murder with odd religious details involved. Not too bad (it led to me reading another of her books this month).
Timothy Zahn (Odd Girl Out), a Star Wars writer who had written several sci-fi books before getting the SW bump in publicity. This was like Blade Runner (which was based on your read, David) meets Hitchhiker's Guide meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Zahn's a good story weaver.
Paulo Coelho (The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession), a book I said I wouldn't read, even though I enjoy Coelho's style. It was odd, as he put himself (sort of) in the novel, as if his books had been published in this reality. Reminded me of Elie Wiesel's book The Accident.
[Thanks for sharing, Will, and congratulations on a four-book month, or in your case, a four-book week! -- DA]
March was a four-book month for me, & a continuation of my recent fascination/obsession w/ LA-centric crime fiction:
* The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett)
* Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe (Various) - A sort of "tribute book," this is a collection of short stories starring the great Mr. Marlowe, but written by authors who are not Raymond Chandler.
* Find a Victim (Ross MacDonald)
* Trouble is My Business (Raymond Chandler) - A collection of four short stories starring the great Mr. Marlowe, written by an author who *is* Raymond Chandler.
This puts me at 13 completed books for the first three months of the year -- ahead of my goal of 35 for the year, & on pace for an Allen-esque 52 for 2011!
Regarding Will Plunkett's comment, I seem to recall that Paulo Coelho also referenced a character reading one of his novels in "Veronika Decides to Die." Wonder if he makes similar Hitchcockian cameos in all of his novels?
Regarding David's reading of the "They Live" book, I can only hope (and boy oh boy, do I really really hope) that the book was packaged with a special pair of sunglasses that allowed the reader to view secret passages in the book. Cuz that'd be cool ...
[It would, but there wasn't. Does that even make sense? Hugh, your month of noir fiction was remarkably focused, even if it was sorely lacking in Planet of the Apes novelizations. -- DA]
Hello David! After teasing you (affectionately!) a couple of months back for purchasing a novelization of the Blade Runner film, I took one look at your photo above and said, "Oh, yeah, I have that book."
I got the four-DVD set of the film as a Christmas gift a couple of years back and really enjoyed it. I must not have made it through all the extras... I don't remember the Pomona College professor. This is my excuse to go back and check it out again.
I read two books for book clubs this month: "Mudbound," by Hillary Jordan, a pretty harrowing look at race relations in the post-WW II South, based loosely on the author's own grandmother's experiences; and, coincidentally, coming off of Will's comment above, "The Alchemist" by that self-same Paulo Coelho. First book of his I've read. A little too heavy on the parables for me, and his view of the universe is not mine. But it was entertaining... either he or his translator knows how to put a sentence together... and I'm glad to have finally read this book that so many people keep talking about. Makes for a lively book club discussion, too!
I think that's all I got through, though I continued my tendency to start about twenty books and promise myself I'll go back and finish them one day. And I'm pleased to report that I'm halfway through The Turn of the Screw! Reading it here on my iPad... and to be extra nerdy about it, I'm reading a PDF file of a scanned copy of the first edition. It's like living in the past and the future all at the same time!
[So you're reading a PDF on your iPad and I'm going to tell you the prof is on the two DVD features about PKD. We're also living in shorthand! -- DA]
Also! Speaking of living in the future, it's fun to see the Kobo makes its first official appearance in the photo up there. Welcome to the Reading Log, Kobo!
[Thank U Doug. Beep. -- K]