Steven > Recent Status Updates

I picked up this book probably in 2011 or 2012, probably in London and if not, certainly with trips to London in mind. I got to page 94 and stopped. Here in 2021 I remember nothing about it. Picked it up again while thinking about the death of Le Carre. Very likely I will go back to page 1.

The page numbers for this book are all messed up on Kindle. Everything from 440 on is ..... 440.

I was reading in The Two Towers part on Election Night in 2016. Just as Frodo and Samwise reached the Gates of Mordor, CBS called the election for Trump. I could read no more, for why read of imagined evil and decay when I could see it on the telly in real time? Just picked it up again today. Maybe it means I’m getting ready to venture forth.

About halfway through my 3rd reading of the trilogy. First reading was in 1977-78 (high school), second was I think 1986 started on a trip to Olympia National Park, third reading started... I don’t know. In the 2010s sometime I read (or listened to) Fellowship. Bought this 1 volume version on Kindle.

An epic wonder. An evocation of a different world than mine. Curiously though set in Malaysia and written by a Malaysian, there are yet no Malay characters who aren’t service people. Chinese, English, Japanese, yes. A book fascinated with colonialism.

Brilliant so far

Clumsy

Terrific. Atmospheric. Well-written. Fun to follow along and figure out where on Penang they are.

Terrific. Very helpful when in country.

I love the idea of this book. The execution so far is another matter. The expositionis wildly non-linear and yet repetitive. The argument of the book is that equal temperament just doesn’t sound as good as some other temperaments and non-tempered tunings. This is a hard argument to make in a book where we can’t hear anything at all. So it’s a lot of arithmetic, sidebars, inexplicably, unfunny cartoons.

So far, so good

I am having trouble reading this one. I keep reading a few pages, putting it down, coming back to it a week or two later, repeat. Which is not how I usually read Ondaatje. Not as lyrical? Characters a bit cartoonish? Meandering narrative? I dunno. Not compelling so far.