"This is the Washburn Tale of Genji from start to finish: immensely scholarly but also, somehow, uncannily readable, helpful without being pedantic, clarifying without ever simplifying…. It’s an amazingly cheering performance, a Genji to last a century." Open Letters Monthly 😀
A parade of mouth-watering books. A mammoth / doorstopper / chunker video every week would be wonderful. along with mail hauls, these are my favorite videos.
I am currently reading Anno Dracula based on your vampire starter kit and absolutely loving it. I have several door stoppers on my shelf that I need to read
A few years ago, a friend and I took our sons (age range 11 to 18 yrs old) to a cabin in the mountains. The cabin, gasp, had no internet. We were planning out our hiking routes and thought is was a great time to teach the youts how to use paper maps. They were trying to figure out how to measure distance using the scale key. When one of them reached down on the map and tried to enlarge it with his fingers. My friend and I laughed so much.
I’m actually more excited by a big book, and am more inclined to pick one of them off my shelves. I don’t know if that makes me an oddity, but I love getting completely lost and spending weeks on one story. In fact, I’m reading “Can You Forgive Her” by Trollope and so enjoying it.
I was definitely not expecting to see Bone here, but very happy that you're recommending it! I absolutely adored Bone as a kid but only really appreciated it when I went back to it as an adult. Definitely the most accessible book on this list, haha.
Hi Steve- I'm going for Democratic Justice (The Frankfurter Biography) by Brad Snyder. Its 992p, so it fits alright! Don't know if I can get to another- but we'll see. Love to the Bean!
I'd be up for another reread of "War and Peace", if you want to do another group read. I agree about the latest translation, it is hard read, but not the older translations. Genji is huge, but time passes quickly.
I agree totally about doorstop books. Also about history, I am reading the 9 volume history by Will and Ariel Durant, and I know they don't cover the latest research, but that latest research would have been much harder, if the old historians hadn't done their work. Additionally, the old historians aren't full of modern faddish opinions of the society they studied, they were often more tolerant and allowed the reader to think for themselves rather pushing some current social agenda.
Steve, always good to see a starter kit. "Palavering" is a great technical term in writing. But I was stopped in my tracks by the casual mention of rereading a book with impatience and not remembering that it had annoyed you so much on the earlier read can ..... can it be.... that you are becoming more... impatient with age?! Will there be rants before bedtime? (BTW, "A suitable boy" - delightfully written book but weren't you infuriated by the ending? I couldn't get past the "if only" as everyone headed towards clearly unhappy futures)
I am currently reading Varney the Vampire wich is over 800 pages :) The book that currently scares me the most is The Man Without Qualities by Musil. I will get there sometime!
Is Jon Fosse's Septology a doorstopper? I would love to hear you talk about Dostoevsky's The Idiot. I have read his other big three twice but The Idiot four times.
My unread copy of "Infinite Jest" (1104 pages!) by David Foster Wallace has been staring down from my bookshelf for several years now. As time goes by I feel myself increasingly intimidated by this particular doorstopper and would greatly value your thoughts and opinions.
"This is the Washburn Tale of Genji from start to finish: immensely scholarly but also, somehow, uncannily readable, helpful without being pedantic, clarifying without ever simplifying…. It’s an amazingly cheering performance, a Genji to last a century." Open Letters Monthly 😀
A parade of mouth-watering books. A mammoth / doorstopper / chunker video every week would be wonderful. along with mail hauls, these are my favorite videos.
I decided to start the year with Moby-Dick, after that Les Miserables. Now I’m halfway into War and peace. All unabridged, and loving it.
I am currently reading Anno Dracula based on your vampire starter kit and absolutely loving it. I have several door stoppers on my shelf that I need to read
My mammoth is M: Son of the Century which is completely riveting. Wow! A top read for the year, certainly.
Okay, M misses the “mammoth” status by 24 pages. Gah!
M is amazing and a 1000 pages in Dutch 😂
@@AnnNovella M is amazing so far!
@@Shellyish I know, the prose is yum!
A few years ago, a friend and I took our sons (age range 11 to 18 yrs old) to a cabin in the mountains. The cabin, gasp, had no internet. We were planning out our hiking routes and thought is was a great time to teach the youts how to use paper maps. They were trying to figure out how to measure distance using the scale key. When one of them reached down on the map and tried to enlarge it with his fingers. My friend and I laughed so much.
I’m actually more excited by a big book, and am more inclined to pick one of them off my shelves. I don’t know if that makes me an oddity, but I love getting completely lost and spending weeks on one story. In fact, I’m reading “Can You Forgive Her” by Trollope and so enjoying it.
Yes! I’m the same way! It also feels like the cost of the book is more justified if the author wrote a mammoth book 😅
“BONE” is such a masterwork…!
I was definitely not expecting to see Bone here, but very happy that you're recommending it! I absolutely adored Bone as a kid but only really appreciated it when I went back to it as an adult. Definitely the most accessible book on this list, haha.
Shire's rise and fall is one of the all time greates of any genre. Surprised it gets so little press.
I love chunksters! I read a number of them during my summer break so now I’m focusing on shorter works I’ve been meaning to get to.
As always Mr Donoghue!.. a hugely enjoyable video..
Ive read war and peace a few times now. Its my favorite book. We should do a read along!
Trying to get throughThe Good Soldier Svejk” by Hasek
Good evening, Steve, I just ordered a used copy of Delivered from Evil. thank you
Really enjoyable and informative video Steve. Thanks so much. Off to try Genji😄👍
Thank you, Steve! ❤
I recently realized I'm a door-stopper-aholic. If I'm going to consume the book, I'd like for the book to consume me!
Hi Steve- I'm going for Democratic Justice (The Frankfurter Biography) by Brad Snyder. Its 992p, so it fits alright! Don't know if I can get to another- but we'll see. Love to the Bean!
woohoo!
It is a long weekend here in Canada so maybe I should get stuck into a door stopper. It may even lift me out of my reading funk.
I’m already at book 5!
Wow that’s amazing Ann!!
@@thegrimmreader3649 a normal person would call it crazy.
Wow!
@@Shellyish I’m on a mission, babe!
@@AnnNovella that’s my kind of crazy!!
I'd be up for another reread of "War and Peace", if you want to do another group read. I agree about the latest translation, it is hard read, but not the older translations. Genji is huge, but time passes quickly.
I'm reading "Middlemarch" for my read this month. I, like you, have other reads on so will not read another in all likelihood.
I agree totally about doorstop books. Also about history, I am reading the 9 volume history by Will and Ariel Durant, and I know they don't cover the latest research, but that latest research would have been much harder, if the old historians hadn't done their work. Additionally, the old historians aren't full of modern faddish opinions of the society they studied, they were often more tolerant and allowed the reader to think for themselves rather pushing some current social agenda.
Steve, always good to see a starter kit. "Palavering" is a great technical term in writing. But I was stopped in my tracks by the casual mention of rereading a book with impatience and not remembering that it had annoyed you so much on the earlier read can ..... can it be.... that you are becoming more... impatient with age?! Will there be rants before bedtime? (BTW, "A suitable boy" - delightfully written book but weren't you infuriated by the ending? I couldn't get past the "if only" as everyone headed towards clearly unhappy futures)
Age????? Is 28 now considered old???
@@saintdonoghue well it's older than 5.
I am currently reading Varney the Vampire wich is over 800 pages :) The book that currently scares me the most is The Man Without Qualities by Musil. I will get there sometime!
#1 novel of all time, FYI. Musil is a genius like Pynchon but an even better writer. Audible book is great-99hrs.
@@ratherrapid thank you for saying this, it helped me motivate :)
PS I just started reading These Truths a History of the United States by Jill Lepore. 782 pages, just a little short.
Is Jon Fosse's Septology a doorstopper?
I would love to hear you talk about Dostoevsky's The Idiot. I have read his other big three twice but The Idiot four times.
My unread copy of "Infinite Jest" (1104 pages!) by David Foster Wallace has been staring down from my bookshelf for several years now. As time goes by I feel myself increasingly intimidated by this particular doorstopper and would greatly value your thoughts and opinions.
Steve is not a fan of that book, I think he’s recommend Pynchon who does similar things but better. I have not either so I can’t say for sure.
would you recommend Delivered From Evil over Inferno?
I would, yes! Rather easily.
I kept thinking, when is Steve going to mention The Stand by Stephen King.
Nah. Not really. I know better. 🤣
😂😂😂