Evan > Recent Status Updates

Scammers are getting desperate with the impending shutdown of direct messaging. Lady wants me to send my number to her after one message. I'm like, nope. Blocked.

The end of direct messaging is another sign that the only thing we're worth here on Amazon-Goodreads is as a commodity, and that we're a bunch of babies who can't handle ourselves. I had many great interactions on here through the years, some very seriously rewarding and life-changing, thanks to the messaging feature. Yeah, so, again, fuck off, Amazon.

I think I can do this big bio on Papa Ernie. Reads pretty well.

Trump keeps breaking the law. Other people keep paying the price.

Annual/semiannual book purge is under way; a smallish one by my usual standard. The shelves are a burstin' and need some relief. Three banker's boxes full goin' out.

I think I'm ready for this one after an aborted start a few years back. Vintage. Translation and intro by Henry Pleasants. First book in English covering the reviews and essays of Hanslick.

Let's do some history of opera with one of the best writers on music ever. Mr. Henry Pleasants. Have had this book in my collection for quite some time.

last page is 369 in this edition, and a punchline it is. Well, gotta think a little bit on this before revewing.

Page counts differing between editions; mine has 368 pp. One more session gets it.

In the homestretch on this marvelous book. Thought it would be light puffery after notching several heavy duty histories, but this one stands up with the best of them. Niven was pretty awesome and this was a surprise from left field for me. So well done. Onward.

John Barrymore justified his use of cue cards instead of script memorization when making films, thusly (paraphrased): "My mind is filled with the beauty of Shakepeare's sonnets and soliloquys ... I'm not going to clutter my mind with this horseshit!" Can't argue with that. Had me laughing loudly.

Loving Mr. Niven the more I read of this. His observations on the Hollywood blacklist were astute and thoughtful. Choice tidbits too on that crazy bastard, Errol Flynn. I'm into it now.

In a few graphs Niven writes more interestingly about the Garden of Allah hotel than Sheilah Graham did in her entire book, including about F. Scott Fitzgerald whom he befriended. Also, amazing stories of the pressures stars had to put up with.

Niven was a very keen Hollywood observer. This might end up being essential cinema reading.

Not David Niven's fault, but the reading is slowing down again for me. I go through phases with things.

Niven is a fine enough writer, but there are some factual and spelling errors in this first edition. Wonder if they got corrected later? He makes his buddy Clark Gable sound pretty awesome, a perfect outdoor companion.

Franco believed the ego-myths of his own greatness, had no intellectual curiosity, failed to gain his father's approval, lied about his life story, reversed himself constantly, and claimed not to know people in his own government. Hmm. What other dictatorial fuck does this sound like?

Should I attempt this 1,000-page, three-inch thick behemoth? Of course I should. You do know what an insane person you're dealing with here, no?

I've somehow managed to come into two copies of this so I think that means I ought to read it. I'll do the hardcover on the patio and the paperback when I'm out and about. David had a matchless wit, so it should be fun.

Done, but going to need awhile to think of how to tackle this Godzilla-sized beast.

Let's try again with that lazy bastard, Mr. Oblomov -- a bedridden man who knows where his priorities lie -- get it, lie? get it? Oh never mind.