I finished El Meu Amor, Sputnick by Murakami last week, in Catalan. It was, as always, brilliant and quiet and alone. I preferred Kafka a la Platja...it floated between it's multiple worlds better and was leavened with more humour- Johnnie Walker anyone, or the Colonel? I only committed to one Murakami this year and I think I will blow that out of the water, especially now that his new 1000 page book has come out! So, that part of the Murakami challenge is officially complete, and now I will go for more....
Also, I just finished Oliver Twist...do I need to say who by? Hope not. This also fit into part of the Victorian Reading Challenge which I found through Trish and which I think JG is taking part in too, though what reading challenge she isn't a part of I am not sure....
I hadn't read it before and am somewhat embarrassed to reveal that I had not completed any Dickens at all. I downloaded a copy of Bleak House to my iPod, where it still languishes, about one quarter finished. The problem with listening to something so complex is that when one is distracted by something in a book, you simply reread the paragraph, in an audiobook, one doesn't. Cumulatively with Dickens that doesn't work, so I bailed. But the characters? They stuck with me. I would find myself thinking of them at odd moments, or relating people or events to the book, especially as we continue to battle our way through Spanish bureaucracy. That sold me and I read Twist, which I was delighted to discover is quite the page turner in spots, though others, not so much.
More Dickens to come too. Glad so many people were right and what a mass of writing I have ahead of me to enjoy! Murakamis I haven't read, Dickens I haven't read and tons or Pratchetts I haven't read!
WEEE!
8 comments:
Funny, Oliver Twist is also on my todo pile. I realized that I haven't read that many English classics...
Believe it or no, I'm not in the Victorian Reading Challenge . . . tho' I'm working Dickens into some of the others. I really like his writing, but haven't read enough to suit.
(And here I thought I was showing some restraint with my challenges this year! Clearly I am in denial about my addiction.)
woohoo! Congratulations on your Dickens coup; I have yet to complete one at this point. I resisted adding him to my challenge list because I'm just not sure I can finish one on any given schedule. With Dickens I feel like the stars have to be aligned right for me to get into his writing. I'd like to attempt Bleak House at some point, though.
Thanks for posting the lovely spring blooms :)
ElP, So....when are you going to read it?
JG, YOU AREN'T!!!! OMG!!!!! It's a good kind of addiction anyway, no?
Trish, I think I'm going to go for something shorter for the next Victorian reading challenge....I'll try and get some more flowers....
I remember liking A Tale of Two Cities quite a lot when I read it back in high school, better than Oliver Twist, although I enjoyed that as well. And Pratchett, I just love him...I have a whole collection, but there are still quite a few I haven't read.
I should give a Tale of Two cities a go...I haven't read that either.
Dickens characterisation is really super class.....great use of language as well as some good stories. A tale of Two Cities is my top of the Dickens list, then David Copperfield.
For 200 year old prose it is still a good read.
Second recommend for a Tale of Two Cities, that may have to be the next one!
Post a Comment