Friday, May 13, 2011

In Which I Resurrect The Comments That Blogger Lost

As you may know, Blogger has been on the blink, but is now running again.  In the process, Blogger lost the comments to my last post, "Long Books."  The comments from Paul and jaimieb, however, were so substantial and full of good suggestions that I have retrieved them from my files and copied them below: 

 "Hello Eulalia, I've been following your blog for a bit now ('lurking' as they call it). But I'll let myself be drawn out by your last post. If it's trilogies you're after, then I do think you would enjoy the Border Triology (McArthy)if you have not already. Camus and Faulkner seldom disapoint. My favorite author is Saramago. If you have not already read him (I would imagine someone as well read as you has) then you are truely missing out. Finally, for those long winter-time books, you just can't beat the Russian, so stock up on some Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy.
I wonder though why a female blogger laments the lack of female authors? It seems that the answer is obvious. Your writing is hypnotic and all that you create is beautiful. So take up your pen and write.
Let us know what you find at the library and please keep blogging.
-Paul"

"OH, my list won't be quite as literary as what you and Paul mentioned, but I think "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" is destined to be an american classic, and I really enjoyed the poetic feel of Gil Adamson's "Outlander" and then I found out she was a poet! I resisted "The Help" for the longest time and found myself laughing out loud and also in tears at times. Schiff's "Cleopatra, a life" was also wonderful.

In non fiction there is "The big burn" and "The Worst Hard Time" and "The Children's Blizzard" all captivating. Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City" was also good, and I am embarking on his "River of Doubt" starting last night. I love Krakauer's books: Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, Under the Banner of Heaven - I did not read the latest one though.

For a very light read with some classical elements "Gods Behaving Badly" was very entertaining, as the classical gods are now living in a broke down victorian house in London as no one believes in them anymore. They get into a lot of mischief!

I read "The Reliable Wife" when it first came out long before it hit the best seller list, and felt like I was reading an Edward Gorey cartoon in word form!

Anything my Malcolm Gladwell is always educating and interesting.

I am on a Kindle now, but still have a copy of The Worst Hard Time in paper back and would be happy to lend it to you. 
jaimieb"

I had composed some fairly lengthy responses to each comment, but they are gone forever.  I will try to recapture their essence as follows:

Paul, you talked me into it--Saramago is now at the top of my list.  And jaimieb, I too loved Edgar Sawtelle, and I'm a huge fan of Edward Gorey--a signed print of one of his drawings, left to me by a now-deceased painter friend, hangs in my living room.

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