January's Jockeying for Juvenilia and other Joyously Jocoserious Fictions

[GOLLUM]

*Jocoserious = simultaneous mixing of humuor and seriousness.

Hello all,

Another Year rolls around, so please let us know with what book you've decided to kick start things with....

I'm reading the classic 1930s Polish novel Ferdydurke, an absurdist piece written by Witold Gombrowicz; who attempts to champion immaturity as a means of 'finding' ones true self..or not Very good so far.

Gombrowicz was a contemporary of the other significant Polish author of that period Bruno Schulz. I'll be posting thoughts on this book next week.

 

[The Judge]

Just starting The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

 

[Mangara]

Entering part 2 of GRRM's epic, loved book 1, but I read it a wee while ago, so I'm worried I wont keep up. Hopefully will be easy though, if not I'll watch the TV series to refresh me as I have not watched it yet.

After this I have a few more of the Sci-Fi Masterworks lined up, so I'm in for an exciting month.

 

[AE35Unit]

Well yesterday I began reading a book I received the previous christmas.
Kraken by China Mieville- a new author for me.
4 chapters in and Im finding it quirky, of its time but strangely compelling! I gotta keep on reading!

 

[Mangara]

Well yesterday I began reading a book I received the previous christmas.
Kraken by China Mieville- a new author for me.
4 chapters in and Im finding it quirky, of its time but strangely compelling! I gotta keep on reading!

I have not read that one but from my experience Mieville's books can take a bit to get going as his style is all his own, but once you get into it he rewards you with great stories.

 

[AE35Unit]

I have not read that one but from my experience Mieville's books can take a bit to get going as his style is all his own, but once you get into it he rewards you with great stories.

I was reading it in bed last night but come lights out time I didnt want to stop!

 

[Vertigo]

I found Mieville's work a bit like that. Odd, took a bit of getting into and then compelling I couldn't help comparing him with Mervyn Peake.

Had a brief interlude with a lovely re-read of Alice in Wonderland. This is one of the few books that I can and have read time and time again.

 

[Fried Egg]

I'm taking a break from Alister Crowley's "The Drug & Other Stories" and going to read the first story in Algernon Blackwood's "Incredible Adventures".

 

[AE35Unit]

hm never tried any Mervyn Peake...

 

[Juliana]

Reading Peter V Brett's The Desert Spear and enjoying it just as much as his first book.

 

[GOLLUM]

hm never tried any Mervyn Peake...

You should try Gormenghast then or to get a broad sampling of his work you could get a copy of Peake's Progress. It contains a vast range and amount of his total output and is one of the best single author collections I've read...you really get to appreciate what a talented all-round artist he was.

I'm also a bit of a Mieville fan, so if you haven't yet read Perdido Street Station it's a novel I would recommend. It's probably still my single favourite work of his to date. The short story collection Looking For Jake is also worth seeking out.

Cheers.

 

[Extollager]

My reading at the moment includes volume 3 of David Masson's 6-volume biography of John Milton, which is largely a very readable history of a very turbulent time in British history; and Asimov's Foundation, which I suppose I read once or twice before, in my teens in the early Seventies.

 

[Mouse]

I'm still reading Giovanni's Room. Yes, I know it's a slim book but I have no time!

Also just started The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde by Franny Moyle. Which I got for Christmas.

 

[Jeffbert]

I had started Lupin #3, but as I just recorded a Philo Vance movie, I decided to catch up on those mysteries, though the one on my DVR is #4, & I am just now reading #2, The Canary Murder Case.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I'm about halfway through One Human Minute by Stanislaw Lem. This slim little volume (just over 100 pages) consists of three "reviews" of books that don't exist; much like the author's A Perfect Vacuum. Quite good.

 

[j d worthington]

I'm taking a break from Alister Crowley's "The Drug & Other Stories" and going to read the first story in Algernon Blackwood's "Incredible Adventures".

I don't wish to offer any spoilers, but I will warn you not to look for the usual "weird" here. Mystical, most definitely. Subtle; assuredly. But weird or horrific? Nowhere in sight.....

Still, a very fine piece, and a lovely beginning to one of Blackwood's best collections....

 

[AE35Unit]

ok Kraken's just got weird. Really weird!

 

[Vertigo]

Ah yes Meiville does weird rather well, doesn't he? And he's not shy about doing weird a lot

 

[AE35Unit]

Ah yes Meiville does weird rather well, doesn't he? And he's not shy about doing weird a lot

Youre not wrong there!
Piece of weirdnesd
Or, and or.

 

[Lord Soth]

Having finished Sailing to Sarantium I have delved straight into Lord of Emperors - excellent books, really do enjoy reading GGK.

On the side of this I am also reading The Second World War by Antony Beevor. I am not a military buff and I admit I have had little experience reading his peers, but this is a very interesting book which covers the whole theatre involved (I believe) - recommended.