NYRB Classics discussion

Hi Everyone,

I can hardly believe it, but: it's already time to begin thinking about a book for August. Here are a a couple of NYRB Classics that have just come out (and, as I can personally attest, are both truly excellent reads): Jean-Patrick Manchette's Tarantino-esque novel, The Mad and the Bad, and Alberto Moravia's very slim work of fiction, Agostino. Béla Zombory-Moldován's The Burning of the World: A Memoir of 1914, will be going on sale on August 5, so if you're still in the WWI mood, that might be a good choice. Also, Qiu Miaojin's Last Words from Montmartre got quite a few votes in the last poll.

Since this is for the last official month of summer, here's a couple of random, summery ideas: A High Wind in Jamaica, by Richard Hughes, and Frans G. Bengtsson's Viking novel, The Long Ships.

-Abigail

I was tempted to go for another war novel...but I won't; I quite fancy reading Agostino.

Since I've resigned myself to reading Judith Hearne alone (sob) I'm all for Last Words from Montmartre. I did pick up Transit and Voltaire in Love the other day but I haven't checked to see if they've been read yet. By the way, even though I don't really participate in the discussions I truly enjoy reading these books with the group and reading the comments.

I really want to read 'Judith Hearne' as well. Is there any sense in setting it up as a 'side read'? Other groups do something similar sometimes.

I nominate Alice James by Jean Strouse.

Actually I would also quite like to read Judith Hearne. Maybe this is the month?!

I'd definitely be up for The Mad and the Bad as well...

Jonathan wrote: "I really want to read 'Judith Hearne' as well. Is there any sense in setting it up as a 'side read'? Other groups do something similar sometimes."

Sounds good to me, Jonathan. I have two copies and I've yet to read it.

I second Last Words from Montmartre, A High Wind in Jamaica, and The Long Ships. Might also be interested in participating in a Judith Hearne side read - depending on the timing and whether I finish Life and Fate in time, which I am still plodding through!!!

'The Mad and the Bad' looks like a fun read too.

re: 'Judith Hearne' as side read. Maybe set it from mid-August to mid-Sep?

"Agostino" is a fine story. I read it last summer in a translation by Beryl de Zoite, who chooses poetic effects in one or two phrases that don't fit the general tone of the work, nor the plain Moravia voice I was used to in the customary Angus Davidson translations. I'd be interested to know who the translation of the story is by in this NYRB edition, as I may pick up a copy if it's not de Zoite's.

My Penguin edition pairs the story with a second short novel, "Disobedience", which I've yet to read (been to busy with Proust for the last nine months), and which is with Angus Davidson.

I'm looking forward to reading Last Words from Montmartre.

Jonathan and Cynthia, I'm happy to facilitate a side-read. Perhaps a good thing to do would be to comment on the book discussion post for that book, though there's probably a need to create a kind of "side-read" thread to help people know what's coming and what's going on at any given time. Let me know what you think would be helpful.

By the way, Judith Hearne is a great read :-) .

Jon, the NYRB translation of Agostino is by Michale F. Moore.

By the way, I've created threads for every NYRB Classic book, and the top post in each thread is some information about each book -- the cover, the pub. date, the page count (est.), the translator, any other supplemental information, and the blurb. I've also put together alphabetical indices to hopefully help make it easier to find. Here's the one for Agostino.

It looks like we can get a poll going. Here's what I see above:

-Agostino
-Last Words from Montmartre
-Alice James
-The Mad and the Bad
-The Long Ships
-A High Wind in Jamaica

I've kept Judith Hearne off because it looks like a healthy number of people will try to do a side-read.

That's still six books, though. Should we go for six, or lop off the last two as the last two seconded? What do you all think?

Oh no, now there are two I want to read. I'm for lopping off the last two.

Since I'm planning on making the poll now, I will just include the books and we'll see what happens :-) .

I've also been wondering if there's another way to select what titles we vote on. Perhaps they can be a random assortment that includes two new releases and two older releases? And perhaps some months a specific contributor can "curate" the poll?

What do folks think of something like that rather than these threads, that can sometimes get a bit unwieldy.

Here is the poll.

Trevor wrote: "Jon, the NYRB translation of Agostino is by Michale F. Moore.

By the way, I've created threads for every NYRB Classic book, and the top post in each thread is some information about each book -- t..."

Many thanks, Trevor.

Looks like High Wind in Jamaica is a contender, which I adored, see my review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Enjoy!
Janet E

Trevor - I like the idea of random selection of books. I think that would help keep the choices from getting too homogenous or unbalanced. Plus it might encourage us to read (and love!) books we never would have thought of otherwise...

Thanks Lois. I like it too, and maybe periodically inviting folks like you to put a list together for everyone to vote on. Let's do a random (selecting from old and new titles) for September, unless someone has a reason to disagree.

Sounds good to me :)

We can try random selections though I suspect we'll just end up with a list of books that few will want to read.

Some people on here commented about doing a Judith Hearne side-read -- are you going to do that? Do you want help setting it up? Just let me know.

Trevor wrote: "Some people on here commented about doing a Judith Hearne side-read -- are you going to do that? Do you want help setting it up? Just let me know."

I'm up for it. I'm on the verge of starting it anyway.

Okay, let's get an independent thread set up for this. I will dig out a place and then just let me know if you want things modified in any way.

Trevor wrote: "Okay, let's get an independent thread set up for this. I will dig out a place and then just let me know if you want things modified in any way."

Ok. Cheers Trevor!

Okay, here is my attempt -- let me know how if you think we can improve it for the group's needs.

My hope is that we can use the main thread to organize side-reads, but that people will actually discuss the books in the book's already created thread.