tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post3861248938701620917..comments2023-12-30T17:31:11.883+00:00Comments on The Solitary Walker: What Are You Reading?The Solitary Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-9206678101157485072016-08-15T18:51:22.476+01:002016-08-15T18:51:22.476+01:00No, Navarro doesn't seem to have been translat...No, Navarro doesn't seem to have been translated into English, Cris. Which is a shame as this book looks rather interesting. Hope everything is well with you in Argentina.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-29033421443172083072016-08-15T02:30:07.722+01:002016-08-15T02:30:07.722+01:00Hi Robert,
I am catching up on the blogs reading ...Hi Robert, <br />I am catching up on the blogs reading after months of abstinence; but thought to comment on this one based on the topic.<br />I finished reading a book that I don´t know if it has been translated into English, in Spanish the title is "Ultimas Inquisiciones: Borges y Von Balthasar reciprocos" from Ignacio Navarro. The book is a fictional conversation between Jorge Luis Borges and Hans Von Balthasar, the book is very much about the quest of God and beauty these 2 characters may have had... Not an easy book, lots of philosophy and real quotes from the two. I don´t know if it was translated, but I would think both you and Andy would enjoy it.<br /><br />Hugs from Buenos Aires<br />Cris Cris Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08444507758618168982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-76416609366065294182016-07-22T17:38:29.731+01:002016-07-22T17:38:29.731+01:00Don't know this book, Ralph, but just checked ...Don't know this book, Ralph, but just checked it out. What a dark tale of power, influence and money.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-1286179041842783482016-07-22T01:25:01.996+01:002016-07-22T01:25:01.996+01:00‘Dark Money,’ by Jane Mayer - profoundly disturbin...‘Dark Money,’ by Jane Mayer - profoundly disturbing.Timecheckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03655966328174898998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-54267686367490600452016-07-21T00:43:14.107+01:002016-07-21T00:43:14.107+01:00Reading should be a wonderful adventure, and, as e...Reading should be a wonderful adventure, and, as ever,I admire your adventurous taste, Morelle.I agree about Durrell. It's a shame he isn't more popular these days. And thanks for the link to your book review - I look forward to reading it!The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-67214175351747697872016-07-20T22:48:24.323+01:002016-07-20T22:48:24.323+01:00This is a great idea Solitary Walker, as, with all...This is a great idea Solitary Walker, as, with all these great recommendations, if ever we are stuck for ideas we can check out some of these books. Although, as ever, I have a pile of books still to read.<br /><br />I recently read Laurence Durrell's Reflections on a Marine Venus, and then went on to A Smile in the Mind's Eye. Durrell is such a good travel writer because he writes about more than travel, he reflects deeply on life and some of his descriptions are marvellous.<br /><br />A friend of mine recently published a memoir - of his life, and travels and search for life's meaning - A Gap Life, by David Cooper. It's fascinating to read about these travels to India and elsewhere, not long before I made that trip too, with similar goals.<br /><br />And an uplifting novel LIfe Begins on Friday by Ioana Parvulescu, which I've reviewed here. http://www.scottishreview.net/MorelleSmith51a.html<br /><br />Then there's Amelie Nothomb's Fear and Trembling which is funny, a story of a young Belgian woman working in a Japanese company and coming up against a very different way of working.<br /><br />Thanks to all of you for these recommendations.dritanjehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16025213970107184429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-19187222851746046272016-07-19T19:34:52.991+01:002016-07-19T19:34:52.991+01:00Yes indeed Robert re W S Graham.Yes indeed Robert re W S Graham.The Weaver of Grasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947971556343746883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-89080230818251533242016-07-19T14:59:58.051+01:002016-07-19T14:59:58.051+01:00Nope. Have not seen Lady Susan the movie yet.Nope. Have not seen Lady Susan the movie yet.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-30814543654295458032016-07-19T10:11:34.295+01:002016-07-19T10:11:34.295+01:00You always have such good reading suggestions, And...You always have such good reading suggestions, Andy - re nature and travel writing your tastes are similar to mine, as I've said before. Will certainly check out the Nick Hunt and the Tim Dee.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-43943984737654145182016-07-19T10:07:21.095+01:002016-07-19T10:07:21.095+01:00I really appreciate this insight into Estonian lit...I really appreciate this insight into Estonian literature, Susan! It's wonderful to come across new authors - so much European writing lies untranslated and undiscovered.<br /><br />Yes, I followed your recent Portuguese adventure. Of the three writers you mention, I only know Pessoa. What a writer! All those different personae he adopts - and I love the fact his life was so routine and 'ordinary'. What fertile imaginations lurk behind the unfathomable faces of all bank clerks and ledger keepers, I wonder? (Thinking too of Eliot and Wallace Stevens in this regard.) Pessoa's remarkable Book of Disquiet is one of my favourite books of all time.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-4182686355647767902016-07-19T09:48:21.663+01:002016-07-19T09:48:21.663+01:00I have that book, Amanda! And I agree - the commen...I have that book, Amanda! And I agree - the comments and suggestions in response to this post have been totally fabulous.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-68629866352392961432016-07-19T09:44:35.631+01:002016-07-19T09:44:35.631+01:00Another wonderful reading guide, Sabine - many tha...Another wonderful reading guide, Sabine - many thanks! Catton I knew nothing about. Robinson and Erdrich always reap stunning reviews, but I haven't read either. Klein I know principally for No Logo. The more you read, the more there is to read, and the more you realise your ignorance is boundless! Although there's also something strangely comforting in that fact.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-29592693371801548332016-07-19T09:34:27.404+01:002016-07-19T09:34:27.404+01:00Thanks for contributing, Ruth. Lady Susan - have y...Thanks for contributing, Ruth. Lady Susan - have you also seen the recent movie of this?The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-59648188863908821052016-07-19T09:03:51.908+01:002016-07-19T09:03:51.908+01:00The book by Leopardi sounds absolutely fascinating...The book by Leopardi sounds absolutely fascinating, Danish Dog. I like your attitude to reading and share it to some extent, i.e. it's not important how long you take to read a book etc. I find different books seem to dictate naturally how you read them, whether breathlessly all at one sitting or over the course of a lifetime, whether jumping around or in linear fashion, and so on.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-18014664590107411812016-07-19T08:57:37.506+01:002016-07-19T08:57:37.506+01:00Thanks for your comment, David. I"ll keep a l...Thanks for your comment, David. I"ll keep a lookout for the two books by Ehrenfeld and Jensen you recommend.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-10301271859125454702016-07-18T23:51:07.554+01:002016-07-18T23:51:07.554+01:00Seconded, George!Seconded, George!The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-86426009575690646182016-07-18T23:46:04.994+01:002016-07-18T23:46:04.994+01:00Like you, Amanda, I've used the I Ching so far...Like you, Amanda, I've used the I Ching so far for guidance every so often by throwing coins. It has proved uncannily accurate and helpful. I have other 'translations' apart from the Wilhelm, but I can't think what they are right now as many of my books are in boxes ready for moving house. The I Ching and the Tao Te Ching are such inexhaustible works of wisdom.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-47306459442863552512016-07-18T23:13:14.631+01:002016-07-18T23:13:14.631+01:00I find this such a beautiful response, John. I thi...I find this such a beautiful response, John. I think many of my blog readers will have enjoyed it too. I do not know Kusamakura, but your description is irresistible. Intriguingly, one of the books I have in mind to read next is Basho's Narrow Road to the Deep North. Re. John Gray, it's so liberating that he cuts through all that superiority of mankind nonsense and demonstrates our affinity and equality with our companion creatures living on this earth.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-46651828616900379882016-07-18T22:22:34.751+01:002016-07-18T22:22:34.751+01:00Great post Robert.
Walking the Woods and the Wate...Great post Robert.<br /><br />Walking the Woods and the Water' Nick Hunt - I think you would enjoy this - he walks in the steps of Paddy Leigh Fermor - very good writing, and a good meditation on the last 80 years of Europe<br /><br />'Ventoux' Bert Wagendorp - Dutch novel - cycling, friendship, the past, Mont Ventoux<br /><br />'A Year on the Wing' Tim Dee - fantastic nature writing<br /><br />'Upon This Mountain' Mary McCormack - Carmelite praying<br /><br />AndyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-53003231258183589342016-07-18T22:14:53.114+01:002016-07-18T22:14:53.114+01:00A composer I know whose mother was born in Estonia...A composer I know whose mother was born in Estonia told me his mother has been working for 20 years on translating a trilogy of novels by Estonian author Jaan Kross that is to come out perhaps even later this year. Kross was unknown to me, and my friend recommended Kross's earlier novel, "The Czar's Madman." The political situation on both sides of the pond has, I'm afraid, kept me distracted a good bit, but, when I do sit down to it, I'm finding it a fascinating window into another world and time (it's set in the early 1800's). My other recent reading grew out of our trip to Portugal this spring, and talk about marvelous windows into new perspectives there! The great finds for me were the poet Cesário Verde and particularly his poem "The Feeling of a Westerner," Pessoa's Mensagem (Message in English), and the novelist António Lobo Antunes's novels "The Splendors of Portugal" and "The Return of the Caravels," both remarkable books that I can't even begin to characterize.Susan Scheidhttps://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-12974723892675492082016-07-18T17:20:41.755+01:002016-07-18T17:20:41.755+01:00Rereading Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle.
Wha...Rereading Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle. <br /><br />What a fascinating reading list posted by your other commenters~Amanda Summerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00942636545948440422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-89270964341833294742016-07-18T17:17:28.044+01:002016-07-18T17:17:28.044+01:00As Amanda mentioned, we are working our way throug...As Amanda mentioned, we are working our way through War&Peace and there have been days I found myself reading beyond the chapter a day so that I am now almost finished with it. <br /><br />I really enjoy the chapter a day thing and have lined up a couple of "tomes" as my next chapter challenge: "The Luminaries" by Eleanor Catton (because my daughter lives in NZ), "This Changes Everything" by Naomi Klein (because she goes on and on and I cannot stand it for more than one chapter but I feel she has much to say) and "Dying Words, endangered languages and what they have to tell us" by Nicholas Evans because he is a friend and I once wanted to become a linguist.<br /><br />Earlier this year I completed reading all novels by Marilynne Robinson and I feel my mind and my heart have opened up throughout reading, esp. her latest novel "Lila".<br /><br />I am currently reading "LaRose" by Louise Erdrich. I think she is a fascinating writer and deserves a much wider audience. I found her first novel, "Love Medicine", by chance about 20 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Years ago, someone gave me the readers guide to her novels (she has a complicated web of recurring characters and family trees) and this has seen much use. <br /><br />Sabinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09015827501648296977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-88444642920631130902016-07-18T13:37:35.149+01:002016-07-18T13:37:35.149+01:00Robert, thanks for asking. This is fun.
And thank...Robert, thanks for asking. This is fun.<br /><br />And thanks for the rec on John Gray. I am heading into a vacation this week, so reading material is needed. I just ordered it for Kindle.<br /><br />Mine: COLLAPSING CONSCIOUSLY: TRANSFORMATIVE TRUTHS FOR TURBULENT TIMES by Carolyn Baker; LADY SUSAN by Jane Austen; THE OTHER WES MOORE by Wes Moore, about two men of the same name in the same community growing up very differently; ENQRIQUE'S JOURNEY by Sonia Nazario (our incoming students are asked to read it this year).Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-7994707336849032122016-07-18T12:15:37.775+01:002016-07-18T12:15:37.775+01:00I started on Leopardi's Zibaldone a couple of ...I started on Leopardi's Zibaldone a couple of months ago. I've reached page 47. Only 2,022 pages to go. I think it is best enjoyed in small bites. I have read three or four pages at a time. This slowness is supported by the fact that I am reading it aloud for my wife, who prefers to read books this way. Initially I thought it might take us a year, but at the present rate it's going to take seven. But we don't feel there's any rush. He started on it almost 200 years ago, and after his death it lay undiscovered for half a centur. Then it was neglected for another century.Danish doghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08020527943859347043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8319797996494487653.post-69305073298589642312016-07-18T12:14:49.831+01:002016-07-18T12:14:49.831+01:00I'm glad you're having fun with Straw Dogs...I'm glad you're having fun with Straw Dogs. It's one of my all time favourite books, although this is probably because I already agreed so strongly with its message! I also enjoyed Gray's The Silence of the Animals and The Soul of the Marionette but it's always Straw Dogs I come back to. It's a book that really divides people. Another book you might find rewarding is Ehrenfeld's The Arrogance of Humanism. Well worth reading. I'm currently devouring a new book by Derrick Jensen that punctures a related sacred cow - The Myth of Human Supremacy. Very different in style from Gray, much less scholarly but a real cry from the heart.Davidnoreply@blogger.com