NYRB Classics discussion

Sorry to be late with this. I was weighing whether to just select a book for December or to have nominations since it is a holiday month for many and I figured participation to be low. But let's have a brief nominations period followed by a quick vote. Nominations will run from today through 11/16/2025 followed by a vote from 11/17/2025 through 11/20/2025.
No specific topic this month.

I nominate Driver by Mattia Filice. This is just released from NYRB. 368pp but should read faster being a mix of poetry and prose.

A bracing novel of hybrid prose-poetry about a man who runs a high-speed train in France, the rail strikes and monotony and sometimes sheer intensity of the job, and the hypnotic effects of the work on his mind—a story born out of the author’s experience as a real-life train driver.

Sam wrote: "I nominate Driver by Mattia Filice. This is just released from NYRB. 368pp but should read faster being a mix of poetry and prose.

A bracing novel of hybrid pr..."

I'm definitely up for Driver, as you know.

To vary things a bit, I'll nominate The Juniper Tree by Barbara Comyns, which I think is tangentially related to Cinderella or Ashputtel. If it's anything like the other Comyns books I've read, it will be stylishly written (I've described her style before as "darkly bucolic" and I would also call it light, slightly grotesque, rather beautiful, sad under the surface. Which I think could counteract the excesses of Christmas quite nicely! It's also quite short.

*edited to add, it's related to the Grimms' "The Juniper Tree," not Ashputtel, although I do always mix those two up.

I just received an email…40% discount on books, which includes some of their distributed presses. Any interest for A Time for Everything by Knausgaard?

Paula wrote: "I just received an email…40% discount on books, which includes some of their distributed presses. Any interest for A Time for Everything by Knausgaard?"

Did you wish to make this a nomination Paula? I think since NYRB is publishing Archipelago books it is welcome nad am glad to include it.

Today is the last day for nominations for December.

Yes please 🙂

Paula wrote: "Yes please 🙂"

Excellent! The book not only has a bit of a Christmas theme if we stretch the meaning, but also might be considered preliminary reading for the author's "Morning Star series currently in progress.

The Juniper Tree is my favorite novel by Comyns (I've only read the ones in print through NYRB Classics and The Dorothy Project). I would love to reread. But I'm also curious to see how the vote turns out.

Our X-MAS tree titled novel is in front by several votes at the moment.

Sadly, The Juniper Tree was a dnf for me, but I’ll be checking in to see what everyone else thinks. Happy Reading!

Juniper Tree is one of my favorites, but I love everything I’ve read by Barbara Comyns.

I was disappointed by The Juniper Tree, but I'm eager to read more Comyns. Sometimes you read a book and it's not the right time. We've all done it. Doesn't make them bad books, far from it.

I can also see how Comyns could be a marmite author. I've read two and liked them, but they often walked a fine line between my liking and hating them.

Comyns is odd, but I loved The Juniper Tree, The Vet's Daughter, Our Spoons Came from Woolworths, Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, and The Skin Chairs. I even enjoyed The House of Dolls.

I'm really curious about The Skin Chairs but haven't been able to find a copy.

I bought every Comyn book a few years ago and somehow lost my copy of Skin Chairs. I’m so bummed because I know I wouldn’t loan it to anyone or include it in a book pruning.

WndyJW wrote: "I bought every Comyn book a few years ago and somehow lost my copy of Skin Chairs. I’m so bummed because I know I wouldn’t loan it to anyone or include it in a book pruning."

Perhaps it will show up. I just found a book I had lost inside my sofa bed!

THe winner of the poll by twice the number of votes as A Time for Everything was The Juniper Tree!! I will add a group topic for this book in December. A Time for Everything did quite well and I will see it makes the nominations again soon. Alas, Diver did not have much support It still remains one of my must reads in the near future.

I was sure I’d lost my copy of Primeval and Other Times, which I could replace for over $150! For a few years I was sad and annoyed that I’d lost these two impossible to replace books, then my husband built me a bookcase and while moving books I found Primeval under a stack of 5 Penelope Fitzgerald books! I’m sure you’re right and The Skin Chairs is around but I haven’t seen it for years and my place isn’t that big.

Sam wrote: "THe winner of the poll by twice the number of votes as A Time for Everything was The Juniper Tree!! I will add a group topic for this book in December. A Time for Everything did quite well and I wi..."

"Driver" looks really worthwhile and I would read it gladly when I can get a copy. I voted for "Juniper" bc I have it in the house. I read a couple years back on a Comyns binge and enjoyed it. It would be good to talk about after a re-read.