What are you reading now?

[Northender]

Currently reading 'The Sea Lady' by Margaret Drabble.

[Mandryka]

#577 Mandryka, I've been meaning to search out that new translation of Proust, but at present I only know him from the original Scott Moncrieff and then the revised version by Kilmartin. Its hard to imagine any improvement on the latter, but since my knowledge of French is minimal, I cant deny that there might be. I take off my hat in greatest respect to anyone who can sit down to translate three thousand pages of such elusive (blurb writer's word, but appropriate) prose. But 'preciosity'? Its true that Proust engages with the human condition in areas that invite pretentiousness, but by and large I think he avoids it. Proust is extraordinarily perceptive, it would have been hard to conceal anything from those dark eyes.

Have you read George Painter's biography? In some ways its more interesting than the novel, you get to learn about the real-life models for the fictional characters. There are wonderful descriptions of Comte Robert de Montesquiou, a lot of whose eccentricities went into Baron Charlus. What a character, you really couldnt make him up.

I would agree with you about Proust's perceptiveness.....I just find many of his similes over-elaborated and was wondering whether this was down to the translation? Kilmartin acknowledges in his introduction that many have found CKM's 'style' not true to Proust, though he (Kilmartin) personally thinks CKM got it near enough right

Will have a look for the Painter biog: sounds interesting.

[umslopogaas]

I hope Painter is still in print. Mine is a two volume paperback edition published by Peregrine (part of Penguin) in 1977. The original hardbacks came out in 1959 and 1965. its pretty long, the two vols. together run to about 750 pages, but then, so is Proust ...

[Beef Oven]

Theodore Dalrymple - Our Culture, What's Left Of It.

[verismissimo]

Painter is excellent. And so is Scott Moncrieff!

[Pianorak]

Thomas Mann: Mario and the Magician

and for some light relief:
Herbert Breslin/Anne Midgette: The King & I. The uncensored tale of Luciano Pavarotti's rise to fame by his manager, friend and sometime adversary.
Herbert Breslin, born October 1 1924, died May 16 2012

[Mandryka]

Thomas Mann: Mario and the Magician

and for some light relief:
Herbert Breslin/Anne Midgette: The King & I. The uncensored tale of Luciano Pavarotti's rise to fame by his manager, friend and sometime adversary.
Herbert Breslin, born October 1 1924, died May 16 2012

I remember enjoying M And The M when I read it, ten years ago: an allegory of fascism, supposedy.

Would love to read the Breslin book. I knew a promoter who tried to present Pavarotti in the UK in the mid-seventies, but got pipped at the post by someon else His memories of LP were entirely positive - 'one of the nicest singers I've ever met'.

[Barbirollians]

umslopogaas - before you give up on The Brothers Karamazov - or even if you do - I do think it's worth reading the "Grand Inquisitor" section ("Volume one; Part two; book five; chapter five" - if you're reading in the penguin (Magarshack) edition, pages 288-310 of vol. 1... ) - it's almost a stand-alone piece, with good stuff in it.

I read Karamazov in my twenties: I am now sixty - I don't think I cd face going through it all again...

I loved the Brothers K but did not finish Crime and Punishment though not intentionally I left it behind on a hotel bedside table and did not get round to buying another.

Until about three years ago I had always finished books I had started but had been struggling with . It took a particularly overrated piece of tosh "The Time Traveller's Wife to break me of that sado-masochistic habit .

[Peyton]

Hi friends i am reading rite now The Sea Lady this is great book to get every kind of information and this is very informative book for every body i recommend you to read this book daily and also read the new versions of this book now i am waitning a new version for this book when it released i'll be purchased this book....

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Q by Luther Blisset ... a parable for our times