What BOOK are you reading right now?

I just finished A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon. I read it for my book group.

I think I missed that one. I liked some of hers, but don't now remember the titles.

I am not so much for her, but my husband really liked her books.
Tried to get them in Italian for him as he would have preferred to read them in original language.
Turned out they are not or were not allowed to be published in Italian.
Too critical.

Serengti Rules is only developed with a glancing reference actually about the Serengeti. Its mostly about the web of life and the deeply intricate relationships among the living members of the web.
The Serengeti is merely a setting that explains how the table is set . Never been to the Serengeti. I have been to the origins of qanats flowing into Libya, the "Scarp" at the North
Nigeria, and the Makadigadi and Okavango in Botswana. At all places I was doing work so I didnt have much free time. Fascinating steamy sunrises and vast views of flat nothingness when all the steam is burnt off.

Thanks for explaining - so now I learned something again.

Aren't there folks that read specific genres? Example, memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, sci-fi, etc. So many books, and so little time, as a button from the now defunct Gotham book mart on W. 47th St. stated.

I recently discovered Charles Bukowski in Post Office. I think he has a cult following, of sorts, even in his death.

I love crime stories, spy stories, and books on mystical poetry.

I hear you. Was a bit annoyed when I realized the book was about that, but then it's not really about that.

Reading La Violence et la Derision, by Albert Cossery. Quite funny so far.

I used to be a big fan. Haven't read him for decades.

True, re not really being about that.

I just picked up, again, That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana. I had stopped midway into Italo Calvino's fairly long Introduction, know the book may drive me crazy or at least get my goat - talk about complexity, and that's just the intro. In italian, Calvino and Weaver say he uses many dialects but especially Roman. No, naturally, in english.

Hmm, the translator from Italian to English is/was a very good one, William Weaver. Author, apparently famous as a writer for many reasons, is Carlo Emilio Gadda. The book's title in italiano is Quet pasticciaccio brutto de Merulana.

Interesting... I should try it. Remembering his minute description of a spawn of starlings in Mr Palomar.


Their flight is fascinating from afar but in the Trastevere, the starlings are hated with a particular passion, for that's where they go to sleep at night, in the trees along the river, during the 3 or 4 months they're in the region. And therefore that's where they ****. Profusely so... Tons of guano spread along the Tiber banks... It stinks to heavens high, literally.

I remember the trees, Sycamores I think, on the other side of the river. I've read that starlings (I think it was) tend to burrow in at roof lines and then can't always find their way out. Where did I read that? I don't remember. When are they there, Spring? I may remember guano..

Mr. Palomar, that was Calvino. I haven't read his books, alas. This book is by Gadda, it's just that the Introduction to it was several pages by Calvino, giving me a clue to the complexity of Gadda's writing. That, and what the translator said may be as far as I get with the book itself. Weaver (the translator) said italians call the book Il Pasticciccio for short. I take that to mean 'mess' in English, at least on this occasion. Pastiche.. Among Gadda's attributes are extreme interest in playing with words and meanings. Even if you don't read the book itself, Calvino's intro take on it (that was in '84) is pretty interesting, once I plowed through it. I don't know if that is online anywhere by itself. Maybe.

You read for pleasure. I read to give my brain a vicarious experience. Is that the same thing?

He produced so much.

Wikipedia has an interesting article on him.

I just pulled an old Sara Paretsky book off the shelf. Time for a reread. With my memory these days, everything is first run.

There're here in automn. They tend to stay longer now due to the warming climate, i think.



Sorry i messed up who the author of the "Pasticcio" was. Never heard of Gadda. Will check him out.

With Henri Miller, one of the few US authors able to write convincing stories on sex.

finished Stephen Kings new collection of short storiesBAZAAR of BAD DREAMS

Ah, I've been there in autumn too. The guano memory is probably false, maybe from someplace else.

Well, now I'm on page seven of the book, and think I'm apt to like reading it. I was a little worried that all the psychology, philosophy, word play, etc., would get me down. It was helpful, though, to have read both Calvino's intro and Weaver's explanations first. On a lot of books, I read introductions or rave reviews after I've read the book. I barely even read the back cover promotions, as I like to experience the book myself before being told what is going on.

I've no idea whether or not Calvino's piece shows up in the italian edition(s) of the book. My english edition is from 1999. It would take me forever and a day to read it in italian, a lot of which I've forgotten or didn't know in the first place - especially re dialects. It turns out that some of the dialect words are showing up a little bit in the english version.


This is the 2007 edition on Amazon. It looks the same as mine.. and nice, in that it has good paper and binding, even bought used.

Any sex in there?