Hello all. Here's a roundup of some of the comments on last week's blog.
I'm just up to part two in Arthur Conan Doyle's 'A Study in Scarlet' my first ever Sherlock Holmes read. I'm not a dedicated reader of crime novels (though loved Stieg Larsson's Millenium Triliogy) and have never felt the urge to adventure the Sherlock Holmes route (I'm more of an old romantic). But now that these Sherlock Holmes films have been released I thought I'll attempt the reads (Its a personal must to always read the book before I see the film) and to be honest, I feel stupid not having started reading them earlier
Continuing the Conan Doyle theme, I've just finished the first volume of Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard stories, and they are great fun, and at times very moving. Doyle started writing at a time when the last veterans of the Napoleonic wars were dying out, and these stories are a kind of homage to that extraordinary generation.
Well, I finally finished Don Quixote. It was taking so long I had to stop posting here, for fear of repetition.
I absolutely loved it, and after the initial shock of the crazy dialogue between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza it was not a slog in the slightest, but pure madcap enjoyment.
The book has so many levels and themes, there is no wonder it has been interperted differently so often.
GetOver99, we have been following your progress with interested and I look forward to reading your review. Since you mention the many translations, I wondered if you would be in a position to help billbennetnz who has left this message on the Don Quixote page:
Which is the best translation?
Years ago I read a version of the book and love it. (I loved it so much I use Picasso's Quixote as my online avatar).Recently I wanted to read the book again, so I picked up a copy. Sadly I found the translation was awful, I suspect it was an ancient translation, the language was archaic. So, what's the best translation? Is the Wordsworth edition any good?
I'm beginning Zadie Smith's 'The Autograph Man' which, with just a few pages in, already seems to be 'vintage' Smith, although following up White Teeth must have been very tough. I shall attempt to read 'Autograph Man' with an open mind!
Also, think I might order 'No Regrets' a selection of writings on Scott Walker, edited by the excellent Rob Young - Walker's a fascinating chap who shunned the 'boybandness' of The Walker Brothers to create the most mind-blowing experimental music.
And finally.....want to get into Wolf Hall, it's sitting tantasingly on my 'to do' pile but keep feeling put off by it's epicness, please can people send me words of encouragement to get stuck in.
Go on Clippedseagull, dive in. You will not be dissappointed!
In other news, we have launched our search for the 10th title in the Guardian first book award. In brief, this is how is works. The panel, chaired by Lisa Allardice, editor of Review, selects nine debut titles and we invite readers to nominate the book they feel should fill the 10th slot on the longlist. The book can be fiction, non-fiction or poetry but must have a registered ISBN and have been published between 1 Janurary 2012 and 31 December 2012.
There have been a number of nominations already on the blog, but unfortunately many of the titles aren't elegible for one reason or another. I'm sure TLS readers have ideas which titles should be on that list so do join the conversation. The nominating process is open until midnight BST 4 June.
Here's the list of books we'll be reviewing on the site this week, subject to last minute changes.
Non-fiction
• Baggy at the Wheel by Colin Grant
• Underground, Overground: A Passenger's History of the Tube by Andrew Martin
• The New Few: Or a Very British Oligarchy by Ferdinand Mount
• The Real Great Escape by Guy Walters
Fiction
• Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
• Canada by Richard Ford
• Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson
• Railsea by China Mieville
• Ignorance by Michele Roberts
• Kapow! by Adam Thirlwell
• When David Lost His Voice by Judith Vanistendael
Poetry
