nacholas > Recent Status Updates

the context of her having written way more before publishing her first book (which was this) is so evident. 24 pages in, Lily Bart is already an icon for me. she's so layered in her thinking or answering; a byproduct of her surroundings. i can't believe i'm saying this, wharton's more inviting and intriguing than proust 😭 i may have to dnf my boy because it's gettting to a point

the intro pages. i feel bad as i asked kate whether this or age of innocence, she picked the latter and i was about to get to it, to realise it was released very late in her career; having just got this yesterday, this was her earliest and i'd love to know how far she came. from the intro alone, i just wanna hug young Edith as her parents seem insufferable and terrible.

it's trippy getting back into this, but the prose is like butter, even though i'm in for a 'what in the hell' every page i turn. i do wonder if it can maintain me for the next 900 pages because there doesn't seem operate outside the thing it's known for, here's to hoping ill end up loving it

a wonderful account of his time in the trenches, although the notes on here correctly corrects his mistakes in his accounts esp in getting the facts right; i just love how vivid he captures moments of fear and being in such uncomfortable situations, no one can really match his style of prose

read the first 5 pages of intro; have to pick this out as it's small enough to carry for a trip i'm off to for 10 days. hate it when i start Proust's work and have to leave off-it for 10 days. but orwell's a good substitute, loving the tease that the intro alr provides

this really feels like the time i read Orlando; plopping us on a random point of a person's life and weaving memories and current-time thing in such a gentle way, like knife on a butter. elegance is what is probably gonna carry the entire 1,000 pages because while it stretches events that seemingly takes place in a matter of several hours, how it weaved perspectives from others is delightful to read

sorry, this was like mrs dalloway but just more, subtle? the notes on this version is also kinda annoying, continually comparing to the manuscript version, which i know has its purpose, but it's to the detriment of pace; let alone the lengthy ones that are in abundance. sorry virginia, i was so hyped to read this due to the subject matter, but similar to mrs dalloway, i may get back to it another time

introduction was around 30 pages; pretty insightful although the comparison between drafts and final outcome felt a little unneeded, but did also provide insight into woolf's thoughts. so ready for this depressive dive into whatever woolf has cooked here

an absolute delight to read thus far; love wharton's way of formatting sequences of events, extrapolations of the pivotal moments within them, rather than fill the book with bloat. how she goes around humanising Undine or Ralph, but for the other characters as well. commentary wise, it's through the characters thoughts or acts that are it, rather than a tacky one

reading this slowly reminds me of my experience with Austen's works, but nonetheless excited to see where this goes!

okay, so it isn't only about a bookshop worker but rather of him and how he views money; very interesting how being so determined to stay true to and ideal, will somehow bring ruin? and this is also the first time i can see his prose, especially including women, that had some layers? although still kinda reads 'misogyny' it at least had some mutual thing going on about 'morbid jokes'. i am loving it so far

this is literally written for us book readers, i am already finding this a delight to read and wanted to read more but being under the weather makes it annoying and my head stuffy

likewise for this as well, just not really in the vibe; but i'll eventually get back to this. ugh, the agony of having to put this on hold reminds me of my months away from war and peace. but also like that book, i got back to it and finished it. inshallah i finish it whenever the time's right.

am gonna pause on this for a minute as i'm burnt out on such stories. will still remain on 'reading' pile as i am determined to finish this because it isn't bad, i actually love it, but just need time away

The Nose was alright, i thought it was smart in a couple pages when it critiqued covetousness or absurd personalities... i was so ready to write-off gogol as overrated until the next story, The Overcoat; boy howdy the feelings i felt, having been given hope, for it to be snatched away, and then my heart stomped at the end... last i felt this, was after kafka's metamorphosis. so looking forward to the next stories!

boccaccio: how do we write women to seem smart, but also pander to the stereotype? OH! we make them smart adulterers; OH! nothing more!

jokes aside, while it's revolting, i am somehow still enjoying the work.

finally got back into this after a week's separation, i do love the way augustine weaves classical history into his questions or answers. the role that plato played in his time and of the effects that came before and after. still tho, only up to 20 pages per seating as it can get overwhelming pretty quick.

i am ON A ROLL HERE!!! but in all seriousness, Day 6's stories were kinda (very) mid. looking forward to day 7.

got to read snippets throughout last week; Ivan Ivanovich was pretty good until it became odd; Nevsky Prospect... i actually loved the description of the area, until it spun some odd story about people, but the ending was pretty relevant (even tho it's more of a DUH moment)

20 pages of the introduction; pretty insightful as to how gogol operates best in short stories, but also sucks how he was so unsure whether they were good, that he even burnt a lot of his work away, short stories, plays and even the sequel to Dead Souls... i am endlessly fascinated by the minds of russian writers; given dostoyevsky's my fav, gogol won't disappoint

slowly but surely getting there. i realise that i can't go past 10 or 20 pages in a span of 2 days, then resting for a day or 2... but its pretty common, given theology requires a lot of brain energy to care of it, of which i kinda do. i just love how i feel almost at home with lengthier books these days

day 4 was pretty good in telling the macabre selections of tales, particularly of death. day 5 thus continues the more jovial vibe of days preceding day 4. i am still enjoying the variety, although the whole cheating and fucking is getting a little tedious.

really weird to admit but you know it's a good prose when it's poking fun at religion, is well-written smut, but also has an intention? like it's obviously pandering to the italian people, but also deeply connects with the dearest essence of what it's like to be a human being. and i for one, now understand why smut readers find smut, horny. and no i won't further elaborate.

midway of Book VI out of Book XXII; taking my time to read this as i'm not the biggest fan of theology, but, i absolutely love the style of refutation, augustine shines in almost every aspect, even though some parts (a lot actually) made me go "huh?", it somehow manages to bring forth answers to questions we still ponder today, after 1526 years later.

part 1 - he floats around families of miners, working class, slum areas, money spendings, types of characters amongst different types of people and all that, in a prose-style that not a lot can replicate. it's lyrical and elegant, but also gritty and grounded. i read on-here that part 2 isn't as good? but i believe it'll be a decent read nonetheless

was out so as usual, the form factor of his individual penguin editions are handy and i am actually surprised? like it's so unlike the orwell i know of, at least in writing style. its similar to the DAOIPAL, about poverty and decrepit living spaces, it also has an omnipresent feel? our protagonist mainly functions as a peep through into these people's lives. fascinating stuff.

maybe i'm stupid but the amount of terms or names flung around is just so overwhelming, with a narrative structure that assumes you'd know whoever is mentioned. gonna dnf for now but not because it's bad, i'll probably come back to this in a couple years time, if i had by then read up more on the crusades. sad thing is. i was so looking forward to read this and finishing it.

bro i'm literally at page 115 and it's STILL THE INTRODUCTION; albeit it is a good one but holy... i can foresee actually reading the actual work either on friday or sat ☹️

pg35 of the intro, when it's like ard 100ish???? insane length for introduction of the work but i can already feel the passion through them. insightful of the time period and boccaccio's trials of writing, struggles against friends and the world he lived in, damned if i am to just wanna experience a smidget of whatever they had in naples.

absolutely love the style of translation, the manner of questioning and then answering with such brevity, it's beautiful seeing augustine's dedication to the christian faith while also understanding its amongst the many religions of the world. i just got past the question about troy and it was a nice overlap, given the odyssey being released last week. taking 20 pages whenever i read as while good, it's exercise