jones, have you read 'The Language Game'? you might like that
Books what you is reading
Man, I read THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT LANGUAGE so long ago … must've been in the 90s I think … great book. That's where I learnt that my man Leibniz of "inventing calculus" fame was obsessed with the I Ching!
Eco was such a wonderful intellectual, for many reasons but one of the big ones was his generous, avuncular spirit, his stuff is pretty much always good vibes even when he's dealing with difficult subjects.
KingslandBarge wrote:jones, have you read 'The Language Game'? you might like that
Haven't read it yet but I'm pretty sure I bought it a while ago. Might read it soon then, cheers for the headsup.
Burns not sure if that was supposed to be some sly brag but reading Eco as a teenager is not a good look 
Lulz … my dad's a scholar of mediaeval literature (King Arthur mainly, now retired), explains some slightly offbeat reading material both then and now.
Wasn't intended as a brag, that was honestly a great book to read as a teen, mind-expanding stuff but very accessible.
4 months later
Just getting started on the 2022 Booker Prize winner - The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Really enjoying it so far - set amidst Sri Lanka's tumultuous and bloody 1980s and early 90s. Has some similarities to Lincoln in the Bardo as the main character explores the afterlife.
6 days later
Read Brett Anderson's early life memoir Coal Black Mornings over Christmas. Wouldn't you know it, the guy has quite the way with words! Thoughtful, funny and moving - and some incredibly unsubtle digs at a lead singer and band who remained nameless throughout...
Looking forward to reading the follow up, Afternoons With The Blinds Drawn.
6 months later
Just read an Australian novel from a couple of years back called Boys Swallows Universe. It's fantastic. It's basically about 2 brothers growing up in a very dysfunctional family environment with a backdrop of murder and drug dealing, but somehow feels like a much lighter adventure and love story. Astonishing debut novel.
Asterix That sounds like a banger, I'm getting Michael Chabon vibes from your description.
I've been reading Putin's People (hey! Guess what that's about) by Catherine Belton on and off over the last year. Just about over half way now. It's really good, but she doesn't really use paragraphs, so it's quite dense - and depressing.
4 months later
Still haven't finished Putin's People, but moved into the world of Audiobooks - mainly because I wanted to listen to Garth Marenghi's TerrorTome. I have no idea what's going on, but it's very funny. I've also got Bob Odenkirk's memoirs to listen to, because I just liked the idea of Bob talking to me for 8 hours.
Anyone read Shantaram? Enjoying it for the most part, but feel like I've been reading it for ages and still barely halfway.
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goon A friend of mine got me it for my birthday about 3 years ago. Despite her telling me it's her favourite book, I looked at the thickness of it and thought, I'm never fucking reading that! I might do one day, but probably not till I've retired - so when I'm 80something...
Anyway, if you make it to the end, let me know if it's worth it.
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Yeah. Someone at work recommended it to me back in 2019. It's taken me 4 years to pluck up the courage. I'm not someone who can read hours on end, mostly limited to my commute and maybe bedtime, so it's slow progress.
Will let you know.
goon I read it many years ago when I was getting into all things Indian. The outsider perspective was pretty compelling to me then. Book itself is pretty pulpy, from what I remember, with a lot of self-aggrandizement on the part of the author.
I remember liking a few bits, and I did read the whole thing, but I am also a completionist by nature.
2 months later
I'm reading Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton at the moment. It's great to have novels set in urban Australia - Brisbane for this, and for his first novel Boy Swallows Universe, which has been made into a Netflix series.
Lola in Mirror is about a houseless girl and her mother who have been on the run since the Mum killed her abusive husband. It's heartbreaking but written in a way that doesn't make it seem like that. It feels hopeful and amazing and personal and funny.
Trent Dalton is quite the author. Boy Swallows Universe is semi autobiographical and this novel follows similar themes of giving a voice to the invisible under class. At one point the girl in Lola stands in the middle of a busy Brisbane street and yells "I am invisible". Of course all the commuters ignore her and keep walking, which validates her point.
I'm hoping he can stick the ending.
Over the summer I also read The Dictionary of Lost Words and it's companion The Bookbinder of Jericho - both by Pip Williams - set amongst the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary in the run up to World War One. Both excellent books.
Asterix
I've not read any of Dalton's books, and to be honest, I've been put off by some fairly negative reviews that have critiqued his portrayals of disadvantage (particularly in this latest book) as being a bit one dimensional and portraying a kind of conservative "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" sentimentality. Maybe I'll have to take a look myself at some point because your assessment does seem fairly positive.
I've been reading some stuff by Nancy Fraser of late. I have to say I find her multidimensional critical anslyses of modern capitalism to be quite robust and convincing.
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MistaT The TV thread reminded me -- how are the second and third book in The Three-Body Problem series?
I found the first one solid, but also (at times) a chore to read due to the non-linear plot, multitude of characters, and technical topics. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but need some assurance on the second and third before embarking on another dive.
This has been sitting on my bookshelf for so long, I probably should read it if Klaus says it's worth it!
Read Megan Nolan's new novel in the last few days as a change from all the history non fiction I've been plowing through. Also as I'm pondering writing again and feel I should see how some contemporaries are doing it. Finished her book in a day; very readable, although it wasn't really my bag. I'm impressed by the way she writes the inner life of her characters though. Felt real.
Finished The Pursuit of Power by Richard Evans yesterday; masterful. Started afterwards on King & Woolman's book on Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Chotek. I read two earlier biographies on them recently (by Pauli and Brook-Shepherd) and so far I'm enjoying the changes in perspective offered. Such a dramatic period of history. Have another biography of them by a German author, but I'm long fingering that one as I don't understand German...
Pepe LeFrits This has been sitting on my bookshelf for so long, I probably should read it if Klaus says it's worth it!
Me too! I bought the series after Klaus' recommendation. Started the first book and then left it for a bit (can't remember why) and when I went back to it couldn't remember a bloody thing about the characters. I actually spotted it on my bookshelf just the other day and thought I must give that another go.
Sidebar - I really wish Klaus was still around here. Hope he's doing well.