Reading plans? Ha! Not a thing I’ve been doing over the recent year or so, which has worked well for my reading psyche; but I think I might have to be a tiny bit more organised during April, particularly as this is imminent:
Yes, it’s only a couple of weeks until Simon and I co-host the 1977 Club; and as I’m still afloat (just!) in a sea of review books, I obviously need to get focused so that I can have some 1977 reading in place too. Mind you, complications have set in because of the unexpected arrival of some lovely volumes at the Ramblings – I think the place is definitely turning into some kind of book magnet…
First up, OH surprised me with an unexpected Easter present, which was very lovely of him and it’s a lovely thing:
It’s a very gorgeous, illustrated edition of “Ulysses”, as you can see – the ‘Dublin Illustrated Edition’, no less and the pen and ink drawings inside are very striking indeed; here’s one:
“Ulysses” is on my reading bucket list, and I think OH was prompted by my watching of a documentary on Joyce recently (yes, documentaries again!). This particular edition is a lovely hardback with a decent sized type and so I think this will be readable and handleable. So maybe 2018 will finally be the year of “Ulysses”…
Next up, yesterday also saw the belated arrival of my Mothers’ Day gift from the three Offspring. They asked what I wanted and instead of listing lots of little bits and bobs, I said can I have this please?
Lo and behold! Here it is – the Penguin Moderns boxed set! Such joy! 50 little volumes of wonderfulness in a gorgeous box – I am *so* lucky (and I do have very well-trained children…)
The trouble is, I feel a Project Lurking – that of reading them from 1 to 50 and posting on each volume. Knowing my record with reading projects (Penguin Modern Poets, anyone? yes, I know I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit there) I suspect I would get distracted half way through. But it’s sooooooo tempting…
But yesterday also brought the Most Exciting Arrival in the form of this – “Iconoclasm in revolutionary Paris” by Prof Richard Clay:
Those of you who are concentrating (pay attention at the back there, please!) may recall me rabbitting on about this book after Christmas, as it’s been impossible to get hold of a copy and I had to resort to getting one of my Offspring to borrow a copy from the university in which they work. I’ve still been fairly desperate to own a copy (as a rapid read over Christmas was *really* not doing it justice), and so I went into overdrive when one of the many alerts I’d set up with online booksellers pinged into my inbox saying it was available at a More Reasonable Price than hitherto – followed by more and more alerts! A quick search revealed that the book appears to have been reprinted because there are lots more out there – and as the last copy I saw online was almost £1,500 (and a used annotated one at that), the price I had to pay for this was payable. And it arrived yesterday and I was unreasonably excited all day. Here it is, on some piles with which it might possibly have connections:
And here it is again, standing smartly on the shelf where it will eventually sit for good, with some related publications of interest:
I have had to make a new space on what you might call the Pending Shelves for some of the incomings and here are the newbies all together:
And do you know what? I’m actually going to take a little bit of credit for the republication of this, because I *did* actually send several nagging emails to the publishers pointing out that it’d be sensible to do a reprint, bearing in mind the vast amounts being charged online for old tatty copies. Looks like they listened! I said in my previous post “I would like to *own* a copy of this one, but that ain’t happening any time soon by the look of things…” – I guess everything comes to she who waits! 🙂
However, I’m afraid those aren’t the only books which have arrived recently at the Ramblings. I might have got carried away with some online offers:
I’ve been really enjoying the “Civilisations” series on BBC2 recently, so when I saw Mary Beard’s tie in book on offer I snapped it up – and I added “Utopia” on to get free shipping. I had a copy of “Utopia” once back in the day, but I either haven’t got it still or just can’t find it – either scenario is plausible given my record of mislaying books. I loved Binet’s “HHhH” and I’m equally intrigued by the idea of “The 7th Function of Language”. I’ve resisted up until now but too many recent reviews made me give in. And the John Muir book has been on my wishlist for *ages* and it was payday and I thought “WTF life is too short” and clicked. “Utopia” is potentially causing me brain strain, as I have a sort of “Utopian Reading List” put together by “The Happy Reader” and the thought of a Utopian reading project is doing my head in. Book addict? Moi? Ahem…
Fortunately I’ve been able to exercise more restraint in the charity shops and only these have come home with me recently (as well as the GAD collection I posted about recently):
The Camus, of course, had to come home – I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. And the Penguin Story is just lovely, an old history of one of my favourite publishers with gorgeous old-fashioned illustrations. The Marina Warner was essential too (did you notice another one of hers lurking in an earlier picture in this post?) I read a lot of Warner back in my 20s and I’m keen to read more.
Ok. Phew. I think that’s it. I’ve just finished reading a review book which I’ll cover in the next few days and which was just marvellous; plus I have some Shiny New Books reviews coming up too, which I will link to. What I actually pick up to read next is another matter. OH suggested I should perhaps pace myself with “Ulysses”, just reading a section each day alongside something else, and I may well try that. Who knows – watch this space… 🙂
Meanwhile, Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate – make use of the lovely break from work, if you have one, by doing plenty of reading! 🙂
heavenali
Apr 01, 2018 @ 15:46:35
Wow congratulations on finding a copy of that book you so coveted. Very much looking forward to the 1977 club, I have four books to choose from, although I shall most likely only manage two.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 01, 2018 @ 15:48:37
As you might have gathered, I was everso chuffed…. And yes, I have some interesting books lined up too – and the Easter hols is the time to read them! 🙂
Liz Dexter
Apr 01, 2018 @ 17:36:40
Whoo hoo – that box of Penguins is aMAZing!
I think I was going to re-read Angela Carter’s Passion of New Eve for 1977, wasn’t I? I can’t remember now. Ooh, I could re-do In Patagonia or The Bagthorpe Saga …
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 01, 2018 @ 19:14:58
It *is* awfully beautiful isn’t it? 🙂 I may well read the Carter – I read In Patagonia back in the day but I can’t find it so may choose something else instead.
madamebibilophile
Apr 01, 2018 @ 17:52:15
What a gorgeous selection through and through! Many happy hours await you 🙂 Well done on getting the Clay republished.
I’m looking forward to the 1977 Club and have 2 books chosen and ready – for once I’m organised!
I keep wondering if this *might* be the year I finally read Ulysses – I’ll be interested to hear how you get on. It’s got to happen sometime, maybe you reading it will be the impetus I need!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 01, 2018 @ 19:14:08
Yes, happy hours of reading to come. I’m very pleased about the Clay book – I may be spending time on that soon too! Glad you’re joining us with 1977 – there are some very interesting titles and if I had more time, some larger ones I’d like to pick up.
As for Ulysses – I keep telling myself that if I can manage War and Peace this should be a doddle! 😉
1streading
Apr 01, 2018 @ 18:03:16
I’ve ordered a couple of books for 1977 Club – I just hope they arrive in time!
All 50 of the Penguin Classics looks very tempting.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 01, 2018 @ 19:12:09
Excellent – glad you’re joining in, Grant! 🙂 And those Penguin Moderns just look wonderful – Penguin Modern Classics have always been one of my favourite imprints.
Jessie @ Dwell in Possibility
Apr 01, 2018 @ 18:47:36
I’m looking forward to the 1977 club!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 01, 2018 @ 19:11:21
So am I – I have several titles I’m *very* keen to read!
helen
Apr 01, 2018 @ 18:59:34
Happy Easter!
Yes yes post on all the Penguin Classics! Though my reading plans always go awry so feel free to ignore me. (Aargh I’d forgotten about the 1977 Club!)
I think you should definitely take the credit for the republication of that book, I’m going to hunt out your post on it now as I am very curious.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 01, 2018 @ 19:11:03
Thank you! The Penguin Moderns are so lovely that at the moment I just want to sit down and read my way through them. No doubt the next day would find me wanting to read something completely different. I am so fickle. And I’m chuffed about the reappearance of the Clay book – well pleased! :))
TravellinPenguin
Apr 01, 2018 @ 21:43:06
My goodness! These will keep you busy for sometime. Where do you start? Enjoy.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 02, 2018 @ 11:21:00
Where to start is the problem I think! Probably any review books that have deadlines….
ellenandjim
Apr 01, 2018 @ 22:36:58
I admire all you tell us about and wish I had the energy to cover so much.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 02, 2018 @ 11:20:27
Thank you! It certainly took a bit of nervous energy organising that post as I didn’t want to leave anything out… Hopefully I can now get on with the actual reading!
Cynthia
Apr 01, 2018 @ 22:38:42
Just reading about all your new books exhausted me. I must lie down.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 02, 2018 @ 11:19:46
LOL! :))) Yes, the prospect of reading all those *is* quite tiring… 🙂
Helen
Apr 02, 2018 @ 11:57:11
I hope you enjoy all your new books. I’m looking forward to 1977 Club – at first I thought I might struggle to find anything I wanted to read from that year, but there are more than I expected and now I’m trying to narrow the choices down!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 02, 2018 @ 12:01:04
1977 promises to be an interesting year. I was the same at first – there were less obvious choices for me. But I’ve got some lovely titles lined up now and I’m quite excited! 🙂
Lady Fancifull
Apr 02, 2018 @ 21:51:13
Now I’m seriously convinced that you are actually the Queen, and live in Buckingham Palace or some place of similar size in order to have the space for all those amazing tomes.
How lovely of your well trained offspring to give you those penguins, too – that should keep you gainfully occupied for quite some time
And thank you for the reminder of 1977 – I must check out what that year held……..
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 03, 2018 @ 10:41:07
I wish…. Not for Buck Palace, I hasten to add, but somewhere bigger for holding books. i was having a major rummage to try to find certain 1977 books and I realised just how many were squeezed into different places around the house – which was actually a bit scary….. The Penguin box will just have to find a special place of its own, and it certainly will keep me quiet! Yes, 1977 beckons – and some varied titles lined up methinks!
Lady Fancifull
Apr 03, 2018 @ 12:59:57
I have located a couple on my shelves which I am looking forward to re-reading, though both are either chunksters or heading that way. Curiously, the one heading that way has tiny print, clearly to avoid getting over 500 pages. The one I have started pushes its way to 700 pages and, even on re read, has me reaching for dictionaries on most pages, as it is by a fierce intellectual wordsmith. I DO think I was much more fiercely intellectual myself in my reading, in those far off days………………….
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 03, 2018 @ 14:17:01
Oooh, now I’m intrigued! Two of the ones I will be tackling are re-reads, and two newbies I think but none that huge, although there *are* a couple of big possibles. Look forward to seeing what you read. As for the passing of time – I think I absorbed books more easily back in my 20s, but I’m not sure if I did so as deeply. I suspect having to write about them makes me think a bit more!
Lady Fancifull
Apr 03, 2018 @ 16:46:46
Well, as at the time of my deep reading I was still under the thrall of academia and its effects not to mention the habit of exams and learning sharpened memory – as did the absence of computers and being able to easily look things up at every hour of the day and night (!) – I’m pretty certain I DID read attentively, its just that maybe I attend to different things now. I REALLY realised that when I re-read Le Grand Meaulnes, which I had beautifully remembered – but my interest this time was in the narrator, far more than it had been the first time round, when Yvonne, Frantz and Meaulnes had taken my attention. And knowing the what happens next of course does shift attention to how and why, and language itself
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 03, 2018 @ 21:05:53
Ah, well I skipped academia – got no further than O levels – and so I was kind of self-taught when it came to what to read and exploring the good stuff. But I definitely get different things when i re-read now – The Plague is a case in point, and the character that affected me most all those decades ago was not the one that did on the re-read! 🙂
buriedinprint
Apr 02, 2018 @ 23:44:04
Yes, indeed, what well-trained offspring. Any chance they’d like to borrow any of those for themselves? But, then, shame to even temporarily split the set, I s’pose. Enjoy all the new arrivals – they are lucky to have found a loving home!
I’m eyeing Margaret Atwood for 1977, but who knows… lots of great choices!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 03, 2018 @ 10:39:29
Oddly, I don’t think the Offspring particularly want to read the box – but I think they were happy about not having to spend time and hassle sorting out a gift for me! :))) Yes, I hope to definitely read the Atwood for 1977 – I love her books.
Kat
Apr 13, 2018 @ 18:43:06
Lots of gorgeous books! And what beautiful illustrations in Ulysses.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 13, 2018 @ 20:28:36
They’re really striking images, aren’t they? Perhaps this will be the impetus for me to finally read Ulysses!
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