It is Monday and I am reading two wonderful novels, two wonderful poets, two wonderful research books and two wonderful books I have already read but seem to keep picking up. It is a week in twos.
The novels:
Jude Morgan's Passion: genius. Lyric, thickly layered genius. Caroline Lamb, Augusta Leigh, Byron (I always forget he had a club foot), Coleridge, Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley (but as she has not met Shelley yet she is Mary Godwin), the Duchess of Devonshire, the Prince Regent, the French Revolution and Fanny Brawne have all taken the stage.
The other novel, Victoria Hislops's The Return is waiting in the wings. I read her first book, The Island. It is an unexpected mix of Greece, WWII, true love, community, isolation, and leprosy. It gripped me in a way I did not see coming. The lovable but not terribly well stocked Borders is the only option on the island where I live. Amazon will fly over the seas and find you but I like to pick up a book, meet it, weigh it, read it before I buy it. Our Borders often nudges you, with its dwindling stock, to read books you would not otherwise try. Often, as in the case of The Island, I have been very glad.
Poets:
Auden: always. I memorize two poems a month. It is a practice left over from college. At least six times a year, it is Auden.
Zbignew Herbert: another favorite. 'London Rain' is a never ending web of intricate, doubled over thought. You will find you are chasing your tail in the most wonderful way.
Already Reads:
Mistress of the Revolution by Catherine Delors. This book picked up ferocious steam in the third third. It yanked all the long ago laid down tracks together and built a thundering highway of an ending.
Glass of Time by Michael Cox. I find I am haunted by this man's Victorian, ghostly, ivy covered book. The atmosphere of it crawls and creeps and comes looking for you--as all Victorian Gothic novels worth their salt should do.
"Worth one's salt" by the way is a pre 900ad phrase that refers to the practice of paying Roman soldiers in "salarium" or allowance to buy salt.
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Very classy! hope the week treats you well and that your reads are all great!
ReplyDeletenot sure about classy--addicting? definitely! i hope you have a great week too!
ReplyDeleteThe Jude Morgan book sounds wonderful - I'll have to check it out. Hope you enjoy all your reading this week!
ReplyDeleteit is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI have The Island still to look forward to. I wonder when it'll get to the top of Mt TBR?
ReplyDeleteWow, 2 poems a month. I barely read poetry now that I am out of university but I love teaching it.
ReplyDeleteI don't read about many books of poetry in blogs, so it was great to read your recommendations. That's really neat that you memorize two poems a month! Is there a reason/story behind that? Just curious...
ReplyDeletePriya, I'm reading poems and letters of Keats. I'm definitely pushing Passion up on the TBR list....
ReplyDeletenotjustlaura, the island is wonderful!
ReplyDeletebeth, i love teaching poetry too!
samantha, i studied with the russian poet joseph brodsky at mount holyoke and he made us memorize 2000 lines of poetry. it gets into your bones that way. and it he was part of a group of persecuted russian poets (headed up by his mentor anna akhmatova) who smuggled their poems out to the west by memorizing them and passing them on. it is a habit with me now!
bibliophiliac, i was just reading them! such gorgeous, broken, beautiful letters!
Saw your comment at The First Novel's Club and had to stop by. After reading your bio, I'm entranced. I love it when someone chases her dreams! I need to introduce some plum bean into my own life!
ReplyDeleteWhat year does your book debut? I have a MG coming out Sept 2011. All the best. I'm happy to follow.
hello! my novel is historical fiction and comes out next feb. congratulations on your mg! thanks for finding me!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed The Return but found it a bit predictable; it's story of life during the Spanish Civil War is quite interesting. I will have to check out The Island.
ReplyDeletethe island wan not predictable for me as the entire history of leprosy was unfamiliar. i love the literature of the spanish civil war so i hope this book incorporates some of that. glad you are going to try the island. hope you like it!
ReplyDeleteWhat great sounding reads! I am so curious about The Island. Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteHi Priya - I thought I'd pop across and return the favour - thanks so much for stopping by DoctorDi and (most important!) leaving your calling card to let me know that you'd been. I'm still digesting that epic but exquisite exercise set for you for Joseph Brodsky as you explain above - that's quite a feat of memory, 2,000 lines. But how wonderful! It makes me want to attempt something similar on my own.
ReplyDeleteLovely to "meet" you, and heartiest congratulations on Exit the Actress - I shall really enjoy following its path from today's galley proofs to eventual prominent bookstore display.
thanks sheila! and thank you for hosting this wonderful event!
ReplyDeletedoctordi, luckily the 2000 lines was over a long time. so glad you stopped by!
I love the sound of The Island, definitely going to keep an eye out for it. Happy reading and hope you have a wonderful week :-)
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of memorising poems like back at school... Thanks for all the inspiration. Love from London x
ReplyDeleteI have to echo the above in saying The Island sounds like something I need to put on my stack. By the way, I lived on Oahu, in Kanehoe, for about 4 years (what seems a lifetime ago). I hope it hasn't changed much. No reason to fiddle around with paradise.
ReplyDeleteteddyree, i hope your week is wonderful too!
ReplyDeletemademoiselle poirot, i really love it!
grad, i live on kauai and do not know oahu that well, although my family is thinking of moving over there. kauai has definitely changed! thanks for visiting!
wow,20 comments and nobody has mentioned salariums! what an excellent little fact.
ReplyDeleteI loved The Island but was disappointed by The Return.
ReplyDeleteben, so glad you find it interesting! i am always fascinated by the easy way we use idioms.
ReplyDeletepetty witter, uh oh. predictable is no good. should i take it back?