Decisions are based on lots of different things. I would not have enjoyed studying Joyce to the same extent I enjoyed Conrad, due to the relationship I had with the lecturer. I thought you probably meant Mr. Tambourine man. Last Christmas a friend of mine gave me his Christmas CD for a joke. I've played it once.
I read McEwan's Atonement. I remember thinking, while reading, that it was very much too precious. Then I enjoyed some bunches of pages at a time. And, finally, I was almost angry at the author for his authorial gamesmanship - so, back to my too clever by half kind of viewpoint. I put it in my give to the Goodwill pile, a clear indicator of my displeasure in the sense that I keep special books around for a while as a kind of company.
There is also the feeling that you 'should' read his works. That same type of pressure puts me off, I've never read any of the Harry Potter books no matter how much my daughter tries to persuade me.
I'd rather read a good yarn that's badly written, than a beautifully crafted tale that goes nowhere.
I remember we were in the Oude Dijk region. The sign on the front of the tram looked like "OUDEDUK" and that's what we called it.
The landlady in the hostel had a very pretty daughter.
I have a long history of irritation about writers writing about writers writing, and directors making movies about directors making movies, and so on. Some of these efforts are well regarded, like the Truffaut movie Day for Night, but I'm cranky that way.
The other thing is how incredibly friendly people are. When I took my mate to Amsterdam last year, he couldn't believe it. It wasn't just people selling you stuff either, people would go out of their way to put you on the right tram etc.
I have a long history of irritation about writers writing about writers writing, and directors making movies about directors making movies, and so on. Some of these efforts are well regarded, like the Truffaut movie Day for Night, but I'm cranky that way.
I know what you mean, but I do like Paul Auster's books, and he's probably more guilty than most.
0 Replies
izzythepush
1
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Tue 2 Aug, 2011 08:29 am
@McTag,
I've never found the Scots to be anything but perfect gentlemen/ladies whenever I've been to your wonderful country. I've run into a few awkward buggers in pubs this side of the border though.
0 Replies
ossobuco
1
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Tue 2 Aug, 2011 08:29 am
@McTag,
I saw, heard, the Byrds do Tambourine Man at the Troubadour - a classic performance if ever there was one -
)
