The Library

[Tomereader1]

No, don't get me wrong.  I just meant that, basically, there were NO posts here during the week, relatable to books/reading.  I'm happy to see post about anything really!  I simply had a hard time equating what I think I know about you, Ginny, and Barb and finding that either of you were in the least interested in the machinations of this crook/murderer and his trial.  I love courtroom drama as much as the next person, but if I compare/contrast this trial to, say, O.J. Simpson's with the fine array of lawyers, (which I did watch BTW!) is a stretch of the imagination.  I can't imagine this trial even being held where there is so much family history, etc.  I will be interested to know, when a verdict is rendered, whether one or both of you think is came out right.  LOL

[BarbStAubrey]

OH yes, forgot about the OJ trial and look what we have today - the Kardashian's - whose fame started with Robert, OJ's attorney - Oh my and history has its affect - I did watch that trial however never read any of the follow up books trying to explain what happened from the view point of so many authors - I wonder if this trial will be a money maker although, the lawyers and judge are not in the spotlight as they were during the OJ trial

Evidently the revival we read about in Kentucky is taking hold nationally - they are baptizing students up the road from here at A&M in public fountains  - and yes, it pleases me - every system from Democracy and Capitalism and from Entertainment to Education is so much less than most are comfortable with and yet, when you look at the system it is not that but those who 'use' a system, exploiting its goodness, the loopholes, and morally weak players - no law can change morality when it is all about finding unseen loopholes and exploiting goodness, kindness and justice - the only system I know that addresses morality is religion so maybe this is the turn around - Companies like Disney have taken such a loss that I wonder if they will ever be trusted again and will ever come back to the important place parents gave them in the life of their children.

Interesting solution the publisher of Roald Dahl have come up with - not sure how being relevant today includes behavior that is damaging to health but that is another issue - I know they say there are many who cannot physically achieve the medical desired weight however in my mind there are many who were born with other physical defects and we do not put a stop to writing stories or filming stories about children achieving on the sports field or just walking in our concern for all those who can never play sports or walk across a room because of their health defects - it appears differences are no longer tolerated and preventive health issues are up for grabs.

Finally moving along with getting this house organized - took me awhile but finally instead of trying to re-create what worked and what I enjoyed while living in my Austin house I am seeing the difference in this house for what it is and putting things in new places to blend with what is here as well as, getting some little things that are making a difference like an inexpensive faux Persian carpet for the kitchen and buying and using some chopping blocks since I no longer have that large chopping block island in the middle of the kitchen but one that has some kind of faux granite, the kind of finish that is often used on the counters in Doctor's offices and in hospital. Not now but, considering changing it out since the past owner cut without a board and the counters are all marked up with a few spots almost rough from all the cutting over the years.

Finally doing some reading - can't keep up the pace of unpacking that has been my days for the last 3 months - haha I guess I am one of those who are looking for revival and we each have our way - I just wanted to read Pope Benedict's last book that he asked not to be published till after his death, Last Testament.  One of the episodes described back in the Forward, written by a Peter Seewald, was a Good Friday service when during the Stations of the Cross (which is a series of prayers said by the priest as he walks and stands in front of each of 14 tabloids, spaced apart depicting a part of the day of the Crucifixion, from Jesus being condemned to being laid in the tomb) - at one point Benedict cries out, "'How much filth there is in the Church,’ he cried out, ‘and even among those who, being in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him.’ - what impressed me is he calls out the problem, the sin but not the sinner - I realized we are all human and the response to being shamed publicly is one of the three "F"s - Fight, which can be to dig in, Flee, or Freeze. Instead, the key is to bring about change - Seewald's comment further down the page was, "For him, true reform is a question of inner awakening, of setting hearts on fire." - appears this is what is happening. There is another of Pope Benedict's later books I also want to read... Values in a Time of Upheaval

I also came across a list of quotes from Cormic McCarthy's books and these two caught my attention... 'I got what I needed instead of what I wanted and that’s just about the best kind of luck you can have." From — The Sunset Limited

"It is personal. That’s what an education does. It makes the world personal." Also from — The Sunset Limited

Have not read The Sunset Limited but now considering it... From the Amazon excerpt, "begin a conversation that leads each back through his own history, mining the origins of two fundamentally opposing world views. White is a professor whose seemingly enviable existence of relative ease has left him nonetheless in despair. Black, an ex-con and ex-addict, is the more hopeful of the men–though he is just as desperate to convince White of the power of faith as White is desperate to deny it."

Sounds like another viewpoint on differences and I would guess the difference in what is considered sin... Cormic is in my mind as deep a thinker as any and simply comes at it from the concept everyone is flawed even our leaders and proceeds to write about a 'good' man whose flaws are made evident.  hmm just realized - my confusion is trying to sort it out - I see some flaws are now to be minimized and at best ignored while other flaws are not to be tolerated - various groups seem to call the shots on what is to be ignored and what is not to be tolerated leaving the Law behind scratching the earth - yep, upheaval...   
 

 

[ginny]

Actually a lot of people have stopped reading, haven't they?

I hear this more and more, why IS that? It's hard to concentrate?  And if we think about it, have our tastes changed at ALL with the pandemic? Can you look at the last book you read and see if, in fact, it's in line with your former tastes or different? Has the pandemic and its aftermath affected our reading tastes, too, as it has our dress,  and clothes choices (or so they say) and our outlook on life (or so they say?)

And who are "they" anyway?

For instance, I read a LOT now of news items. I start every day with the Guardian on line and the BBC ditto.  There aren't many articles there I don't read daily and I do watch the local and evening news as well. But a BOOK  of fiction?

I think that Covid might have changed  a lot more than we think, if we are honest.

[jane]

I think you're right that a LOT of things have changed since the pandemic.  Here in my little town (5,000) people, the various stores are opened now only Wed-Sat.  They used to be open everyday.  Several have closed.  I, at least, have no desire to browse in stores...clothing or otherwise.  I have no desire to drive 70 miles round trip to the "city"... Cedar Rapids to shop.  My life these days seem to revolve around doctors' appts.

The Murdaugh trial has been my obsession.  I've seen it everyday this month and am fascinated by all of it.  I think he's totally amoral and I believe that is a trait that ran in his father and grandfather. 

We're finally recovering from the ice storm of last week, though my driveway still is half covered.  We're to get some of the coming California storm this coming week

Stay safe and healthy,

jane

[BarbStAubrey]

Yep, agree - shut in day after day changed my outlook on life - I keep looking closer and closer at my own thinking and reactions as If because my body was limited to where it could roam so is my heart and mind.

Beyond my front door all I see is chaos and as Ginny, you brought up since the pandemic. Is that because there really is chaos on every street corner or is it because for company I now keep the TV on all day where I never had the TV on before 7: In the evening and only heard the news once at 10: Now it is non-stop and news has always been about what is not working or a catastrophe of one kind or another - I also think the reporting, especially the first year of the pandemic was scary so that even not succumbing to fear the fearful news was constant - result, even the fun and light what I call chit chat books lost their appeal as well as the cozies - I used to enjoy and look forward to reading Agatha Raisin - even Inspector Morse lost its appeal however, I did find Hamish Macbeth series to have a bit more depth and a thread of Scottish myth running through them.

For different reasons, like you Jane I had not shopped beyond using the computer and like you I've no desire to walk just looking in shops - but then I am no longer keeping up with the latest nor am I adding to my wardrobe. Some of this I have to own is because of age and after finally retiring a few years ago lots of things changed.

Hmm just hit me - my stereo hit the dust last year and I used to have non-stop music which was uplifting hmmm and I miss the deer - Magnolia is now too citified so no deer but then this area never had the deer population like the Hill Country

I remember being glued to the TV for the OJ trial but not for Murdaugh - I think you are right Jane - his way of life continued in his family for at least 3 generations -  all I can think is if it was true what he is accused of, his ability to function is like that of a drug addict - no notion of right or wrong only get what I want and with that my head would add he could not be a one and only person - there had to be others - others he associated with and still others who understood and participated in this kind of shenanigans - just thinking on how pervasive this kind of behavior must be makes me feel more isolated and alone because it not only was alien to me it made me feel stupid to think I was not aware and trusted that people were basically honest.  Then seeing on TV News so much chaos in the streets and one large group after another angry wanting to change this or that issue and some changes appear downright immoral - I feel like a I'm walking through a dark room not knowing what I'm going to bump into next. 

A couple of years ago I remember either reading or maybe it was a quote from a TV drama - something about the dead victim in the story having collected sea shells and the reference was made that we collect, clean and place in a certain order our collections as a way of creating order in the universe - I'm thinking I bet we choose books to read with the same impulse - to create some order that we can turn to - because after not reading at all for months all I want to read now is the thoughts of others who have struggled with differences and with what we see as chaotic - putting names to the aspects of chaos - hmm maybe that is what the Murdaugh trial is doing - allowing us to bring to mind what we believe is 'right' versus 'wrong' and to put in order what is acceptable in society versus what Murdaugh represents... I just want to skip past the organizing what is 'right' versus 'wrong' and go directly to how to handle life that is full of 'wrongs' while maintaining the concept people are basically good - hmm maybe all people are not but then we are taught God loves the worst sinner among us... ah so...

[Frybabe]

Sad to hear that many people have stopped, or at least mightily slowed down, their reading. I, on the other hand, upped my reading considerably. It is only recently that I have slowed down to a more reasonable pace and have begun to occupy myself with actually doing things again. It is slow going, though, because I find that it is harder now to get myself out the door.  Spring is coming and the yard awaits. I hope that helps.

[jane]

Fry....I have always read a lot and more so during and now after the pandemic.  I think Barbara is right in that, for me, it's an escape from the horrors of the news daily.  I've come to the conclusion that I can't do anything about the chaos and so I burrow in here at home.  I do go out for the medical appts that seem to pile up and for an occasional lunch out, haircut, etc.  I'm not a total hermit....but maybe a part-time one.

I thought maybe spring was coming with 40 degrees this week....but another snow storm coming Friday.   

jane

[ginny]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!


Guilty!!! They saw through him somehow.

Shows you the jury always knows.


GUILTY on all 4 Counts!

[BarbStAubrey]

Wow Ginny and Jane - vindication confirmation - there is still hope for us... Did not want to believe anyone could be that depraved and now I have to come to terms with the realization among us are bottom feeders that feed on more muck than I had been able to imagine...

[jane]

Barbara....I still don't think we know the depth of the depravity involving that family.  There are two more cases that they're involved in.  The housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died in a staircase fall.  When it was said she died of natural causes, one person online asked .." circular, straight or curved." 

jane

[BarbStAubrey]

Probably not but after receiving a note from my daughter I begin now to see the shock and disbelief that those living in the area must have felt and why this case took on a major spotlight in the news - not really understanding who this family was and their being a kingpin to South Carolina in not only the law but in Politics I could not appreciate what was happening as Katha could not either since she grew up in Texas. Living for 25 years in the neighboring state, North Carolina and only briefly, 4 years in South Carolina and even thought we have family that lives in North Carolina, South Carolina was not in our radar - let me just cut and paste her note...

NOW….I get why this Alex Murdaugh case was so overblown.   I never could care and had no idea why this was so newsworthy.

I really was not at all keeping up with it till the sentencing today.  The whole thing was in South Carolina.  You may remember Mary Ann and her husband were attorneys in South Carolina.  Apparently, this Murtaugh family was a dynasty of sorts with generations of attorneys. The Murdaugh law firm was one of the most successful in the state….And…. the famously honorable Judge Grandfather.

“During the sentencing hearing for disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, Judge Clifton Newman said he had to have a portrait of Murdaugh's grandfather removed from the courthouse to ensure a fair trial.”

So as far as “South Carolina” goes, this murderer Alex was a part of one of SC’s most prominent families.  It would be like in Texas one of the Bush Kids killing their wife and son….or from another local point of view a Kennedy from Massachusetts.   Mary Ann had a LOT to say about this family.  She had even interned under the father of this murderer.  She studied Judge Clifton Newman in law school…that sort of thing.     I’ve another friend Cynthia Fowler who is a professor at a prestigious private college in SC.  She is the chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Wofford College.  HER and her father were highly acquainted with the Murtaugh family.  Her dad, Don Fowler, was a political scientist & professor, and political operative who at one time served as National Chair for the DNC.   So Cynthia and her family were among the political movers and shakers of South Carolina.  She said she interfaced often with the Murdaugh family.

Anyway …I’ve heard from Mary Ann and Cynthia today on our private Facebook page.  They shed a lot of light on why this was so in the news. Both are sad about the tragedy but glad about the verdict.   

Just thinking about all this Alex Murdaugh guy had going for himself.  Every opportunity, every advantage, lovely family.  He failed at it all. 

So the drama unfolded and people were glued to it.

I still don’t care to pay any further attention to it.  But at least I know why all the hubbub now.

Once Katha said the Bush family I could relate - although the Bushes were nationally known and not really generational Texans they have been adopted as Texans - we really do not have a generational family that is that recognized - lots of recognized individuals and several ranching families, some that go back to the original 300 with roads named using the family name or they fought at the Alamo and one of the counties carries their name but none who influenced the Colony/Nation/State but then Texas as an Anglo Nation has only been around since 1836 with its earlier history being Spanish where as the states back East had been colonies back to the sixteen hundreds and the Carolina's were split in half before we were a nation. So plenty of time for a generational influential family to emerge and evidently the Murdaughs were one of those families.

And so I can see the shock and why those in South Carolina are not wanting to go further heaping more, probably deserved humiliation, and punishment on this guy - it is like opening the curtain to the unbelievable horror of one of their own - I can see it as something that will fester, that no one will know how to go forward knowing so much of important South Carolina politics, law and history was tied up in this bombshell.

[ginny]

For me, it's a morality tale and I thought the judge was magnificent in his summation and his opinions. Perhaps the interest, rather than being overblown, is long overdue.

It's Good versus Evil on a grand stage and as Jane says I don't think we've gotten all of the evil yet out. He's Bernie Madoff and OJ Simpson (who HAS commented on this case, believe it or not) combined.  Both of their cases, to me, were horrific.


  There's also a dead boy found in the middle of the road as well as the housekeeper as Jane says  who fell UP stairs she had walked for over 20 years, and somehow then  backward to "natural causes," and, I believe? no autopsy. Blow to the head. Broken ribs?  Doesn't sound like "natural causes" to me. Neither does the boy with, among other strange injuries, a hole in his head. Doesn't sound like hit and run to me.

She has been exhumed. Because it's the Murdaughs who  had sway as Solicitors who exemplified the good ol boy system in all its corruption once and for all. The poor housekeeper with her own children, one of whom was disabled and cheated,  who was the only photograph in the deceased Paul's wallet, who had over 3 million dollars in Mr. Elick's home insurance if she died.  Cheated out of that money.  6 deaths in 5 years that are known connected with this family.

And then there's the issue of this "addiction" of his, which spent $50,000 a week was it on drugs? He'd have been long dead at that rate.

There's something else here? Some other hush money or blackmail money  he was in need of paying. I bet there's more than one unknown person  shaking in his boots even now. And now the judge has been assigned the trials for the 99 proven cases of fraud, still to come. Starting with the Housekeeper death in about 3 weeks.

So far as I know the Murdaugh family were not politicians, but people were truly afraid of them for their power in the court system,  and other things,  sort of like the Mafia in their own little way,  and so it's been a labor,  as the Attorney General said, of Herculean effort to cleanse this particular stable.

I was struck by several who testified  for the Prosecution, namely Dr. Kinsey of the  Orangeburg police, the weapons expert,   who gave up his retainer at the end and went pro bono,  since the trial went on,  to testify. At the conclusion of the verdict when the jury was dismissed, they asked to see him. When he went to meet them,  they thanked him.

I was impressed with the passion and determination of the Prosecutor Creighton  Waters. He was so smart, despite all the online legal pundits, by his questions, and he even said it out loud, to Murdaugh, you can talk all day, go ahead,  giving "Mr Elick" in his narcissism all the rope he needed to hang himself, from his own mouth.

But I think, ironically, the nail on this coffin came from the deceased son Paul himself and the cell phone video  of the dog, placing "Mr. Elick"  where he said he was not: at the scene. Justice in the most unexpected way: a voice from the dead.

I was rooting here  to see  Justice rolling down like the waters, and I think we got it.   Two consecutive life sentences without parole.  At least, if nothing else, the "spell"  is broken for that one man's influence but I think it's just the tip of the iceberg:  he's still trying to do his deals from his jail cell.

[ginny]

Well those of us obsessed by the trial are in limbo for a while, and the withdrawal is terrible. hahahaa

I was at the hairdresser yesterday and she said that a customer she had was so interested in the trial  that she carried her cell phone about while the trial was on, watched it while having her hair cut, and held it up even when being shampooed. hahaha Now THAT'S obsession.

I was happy to see the oldest brother say,  was it yesterday,  the exact same thing I said here:  there's more to this than we have seen, and he's trying to find out what it is. He says "Mr. Elick" is still lying.  Needless to say they haven't spoken for a  year.

I have actually learned a lot about trials and trial procedure and to be honest I wish I had had the opportunity to see this when I was younger. When I had jury duty last the voir dire nearly scared me to death. I seem to recall shaking. I remember thinking I'm just  a Jury Member, how do they have the right to call me up in front of a crowd to stand up in front of a room full of people and be cross examined? I found that very stressful and a head's up would have been appreciated before hand.


I think this is something that people ought to be told before they get near a courtroom.

 I think if I had had the benefit of seeing how the opposing attorneys can go at a witness I'd have been better prepared. Hartpoolian was a bully on occasion, on TV. I didn't know that was allowed,   and had I been the witness I'd probably have fainted. However NOW it might be a different story. I hope I never have to find out.

That said, I have two new books right here I'm looking forward to but both are on the subject of crime and punishment. One is something Truman Capote apparently and Dominick Dunne both wrote about in  "fiction" books, and the title of this book is Truman Capote, The Millionaire's Wife, and the Crime of the Century. The Anne Woodward story, also a very good movie called  The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (which is also the title of Dominick Dunne's book and a documentary)...from the 50's. I'm going to read the Dunne fiction version again first.

Review: This glittering, “wild romp of a story, boldly and beautifully told” (Neal Thompson, author of The First Kennedys) explores the darkly intertwined fates of infamous socialite Ann Woodward and literary icon Truman Capote, sweeping us to the upper echelons of Manhattan’s high society—where falls from grace are all the more shocking.


The things that people do to preserve their "image," or "status," are, apparently,  incredible.

I'm also reading Aulus Gellius by the scholar famous for his scholarship, Holford-Strevens. It's interesting, isn't it? Somebody may have lived 2000 years ago but he can have the same problem a lot of people do today:  recalling people's names. I am  VERY bad at names. I can recall the strangest little details about somebody but NAMES? And he was the same.

Nothing new under the sun.

What's everybody reading? What constitutes your idea of an "escape" book now?

[BarbStAubrey]

Came across this - seems several people recently indicated they were or were planning on reading Plutarch's Lives and looking up more I found this - I was fascinated   ---   https://ancientlifecoach.substack.com/p/how-to-read-all-of-plutarchs-lives

After reading the article evidently just reading the 'Lives' would take almost a year and is said to be similar to reading half the Bible - from the article it appears Plutarch writes about every phase in history and every important personality in both Roman and Greek history which does make his book or books sound like 101 towards any reading and study of both ancient Greece and ancient Rome.

Ginny I do not know if it is protocol or Law as practiced in different states with different rules but I never had to experience an examination other than a general one during jury selection asked while sitting with the other jurors who were each asked a similar question by the attorneys who were attempting to find out if any of us had experienced or had a per-conceived notion about something that was basic to the defense or prosecution of the crime involved. Yes, we raised our right hand etc but we were never alone sitting anyplace other then the chairs provided for us as jurors during the trial.  We see these things that are different from our experiences on TV and I always thought it was to make the TV more dramatic and gave no never mind to the differences - I just thought it was all 'make believe' to produce a riveting show so that an audience would 'feel' the story.  Now I am completely confused because you are saying this way of examining jurors is true and so how many other things over the years I tossed off as adding to the story that were actually true.

Well not false - in other words true - everything in Magnolia and probably all of Houston turned yellow in the past day or two - the front porch - the sidewalks - the streets - the roofs - the car tops and truck tops - all the trees and grass - yep, all yellow with pollen so thick and dense if white it would be a layer of snow - talk about a yellow brick road however, far more than the road, everything and probably the air itself is yellow. Of course allergies are hitting and ringing the headache and stuffy nose bell - I don't know if this is an especially heavy year of pollen or if it is like this every year but my oh my - it has so disrupted when I sleep and when I'm awake I'm finally giving in and will let my body dictate what it wants till this is over - supposedly a cold front coming in Sunday night preceded by wind so it could be I go with the flow till then... sheesh... 

[Dana]

So....to all you monarchists (haha) out there.......you gotta watch the last 2 episodes of Palace Confidential on you tube.  Terrific montages....the queen visiting the commonwealth over the years (how wonderful it is to be British....!), and, the previous one, .... Kate and her sporting enthusiasms.  Gorgeous pictures.

   And Palace Confidential is really funny as well.....

As to reading.....I'm reading Killers of the Flower Moon about what happened to the Indians in Oklahoma.  Wow.

[ginny]

My husband is reading that Killers of the Flower Moon, and he says I should read it! It sounds kind of rough.

Barbara, I expect you're right, because I've never heard anybody else say anything about that kind of voir dire. but I just asked my husband and he also remembers being called to the front of the room and asked, so it perhaps is a local thing? Maybe that kind of court, it wasn't Federal. It's been a while. I'm not sure I could survive it now, though, if I didn't know about it first.

 Plutarch's Lives is a wonderful read. I particularly like his depiction of the Death of Pompey at Egypt's hands. You literally can't stop reading it. Also  Brutus and Cassius after the assassination, that's where Shakespeare got his Julius Caesar.


 Yes everything is yellow here, too. VERY  yellow.  One nice  thing about masks was  they kept the pollen out of one's nose and throat. I am seriously thinking till the yellow is gone wearing one when trying to garden, I've got quite a few left. I have not missed the sore throat at all that I used to get.

[BarbStAubrey]

Seems to me years back we had a discussion going on Killers of the Flower Moon - cannot remember his name but he was a discussion leader from San Antonio originally from Seguin and volunteered at the Indian section of the Museum, Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio which remained after the Hemisfair, now considering moving to another location - Vaguely remember he moved to an independent living housing development for the elderly located in San Antonio, met someone there and married. After he married he did not lead any more book discussions and I do not think we heard from him at all. For the life of me cannot remember his name. Was it Harold?

Found this quote that I've been pondering on - interesting concept...

"Every reader, as he reads, is actually the reader of himself. The writer’s work is only a kind of optical instrument he provides the reader so he can discern what he might never have seen in himself without this book. The reader’s recognition in himself of what the book says is the proof of the book’s truth.”
— Marcel Proust, Time Regained

Something came to my email that had all these quotes from Proust - never read any of his work - His books were described as a very slow read with books having over 500 pages - remember starting Swann's Way but never did get even half way - now I'm curious - so many quotes on various web sites make me think the books are less about the story and more about musing life issues using characters to bring his thoughts to life. Has anyone here read Proust and what was your impression?

[jane]

Barbara....Harold was who came to mind  when you mentioned the museum and that area of Texas. 

We don't get your pollen ...as we're still having snow.  I think I prefer the snow.   

Stay safe and healthy.  Colds and flu are rampant in the area.

jane

[PatH]

I didn't participate in the discussion of Killers of the Flower Moon.  I didn't think I could take it, and doubt I could take it now.

Barb, thanks for the link to tips on how to read Plutarch.  JoanK and I led a discussion of some of the Lives when we were doing that series of classics.  Ginny helped us by pointing us to some of the best ones.  Pompey is indeed very moving once you have done the hard work of sorting out the complicated political scene.  Definitely worth it.

Swann's Way is one of those books I've started many times and always gotten stuck in.  I got some more notions of it when we discussed The Hare With Amber Eyes, which is about an overlapping social circle.  But since Proust's point seems to be that the whole thing is pointless, I doubt I'll ever finish it.

[BarbStAubrey]

Yes, he almost suggests that life itself is pointless - he sees everything, every read, every friendship and defiantly every love interval as an extension of ourselves and yet, he says instead of new adventures we need new eyes - but if it is all pointless then why even bother with new eyes - still have not found the core of his reasoning or what he believes is the value of life - so far I've agreed with his assumptions and yes, I have new eyes as a result but then, if everything is an extension or mirror of ourselves is his concept of the meaning of life to know thyself... and here are all these tools to do just that??? So far I only see his idea of love as carnal love and how the anticipation and experiences affect him - all very interesting but is that it after putting 50 million words on paper???

I've become annoyed with all this navel inspection - rather read about the inspection of whatcha gonna do  - Found this Charlie Brown quote that I love - if like me you don't have a dog simply replace with someone or some activity  --- "I’m going to give up everything, and devote my life to making my dog happy!" - simple, to the point, and yet it brings a smile to my face just thinking about it...devote my life to making someone happy or one activity that will make me or another happy. Just think on it - read a book to make ourselves happy - not to dissect or analyze but to make someone or ourselves happy hearing the story and maybe learning about something new.

I've never lived to make myself or others happy - there were all these responsibilities and getting along with others of whom many were not easy or pleasant to get along with. Could be wrong but my impression of Proust is he did not live his life to make someone or himself happy but again, I have to admit my focus was not on making anyone or myself happy  - Hate this here I am analyzing but I'm thinking, we see danger in living to make another happy because it suggests granting them anything they want - hmm maybe that is it, we know what makes a dog happy but then we do not see letting a dog be wild without training or feeding a dog only what he enjoys or  a diet of goodies that would make a dog sick - maybe all these years I've not had a clear picture of what it means to live you life to make someone or yourself happy. It sounded so simple as a quote from Charlie Brown - I could visualize it -

[Frybabe]

The title Killers of the Flower Moon sounds familiar, but I am sure I never read it. The one I read was Empire of the Comanche Moon which we discussed here.
Two days ago, I finally downloaded The Night Ship by Jess Kidd which was recommended to me by Marilyne over on Seniorsandfriends. Kirkus gave a short review which gives you an idea of that the book is about without going into any kind of analysis or commentary as some reviewers do. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jess-kidd/night-ship/ I've seen the book referred to as a ghost story/historical novel. I haven't started it yet but hope to later today.

My audiobook is languishing at the moment. I was mostly listening to it while doing a jigsaw on my Kindle Fire 10. It developed a heat problem a while back. Then the battery started draining way too quickly. I finally got worried about that (what with the lithium battery and all). It only seemed to only develop when doing the jigsaws, so I wasn't sure if it was the device or something about the game. After doing a factory reset and clearing out most of the stuff that was cluttering up the reader, I re-installed the jigsaw game. As soon as I started playing, it started heating up again. So, I've removed it again. I really, really liked that particular app. It turns out that Kindle Fires sometimes have a heating problem with gaming or watching long videos. I do have the jigsaw app for my Windows 10, though, so I can play on it. The thing about that though, is that more than a few of the puzzles I've bought through the Kindle app don't show up on the Windows version even though I had linked the computer and the app to the site, and I can't cart it around with me. Window 11 S mode won't allow me to install it there. Bummer, again. Well, happy to say that the Kindle 10 seems to be okay, so I can get back to listening to audiobooks on it if I want. I will just have figure out what to do while listening that distracts me too much.

 The other audio book I am listening to is Stephen Fry's reading of the Sherlock Holmes novels, etc.  All 62 hours of it. Since I just started that too, I am only a few chapters into A Study in Scarlet.

[ginny]

 I actually sat down yesterday and almost finished my book of modern female authors doing new "Miss Marple" stories and found two I really liked. Not for their ability to channel Miss Marple, nobody in the entire book (and I'm almost at the end) has had that ability, but because I like the way they write and their clever plot lines, so I'm going to look for something else they wrote.

Barbara,  talking about reading a book for analyzing or dissecting, we used to hear a lot of complaint about that with our former book discussions. I doubt anybody does that privately except scholars who do certain books or poems that way possibly automatically.  Despite Frost's (was it Frost) "A poem should not  mean, but be."

Right.

But it meant something to the poet who wrote it or he would not have. Maybe it's the sort of thing  that it meant something to him, but the rest of us should not second guess what, as we don't know him, etc. Art for the sake of art, etc.

 One of the wonderful things about Latin is that you can enjoy a good read and a conversation with that ancient writer,  and then have the second opportunity (if you choose to take it) of marveling at the grammar that produced it. Lots of times that grammar analysis brings out something you truly would have missed. It  opens new doors to what the writer meant, other than  your initial modern translation, and modern perceptions.

In translating you bring your own voice to the table. It's kind of like Tome's quote about a dialog with the author.

Anyway, pleasure reading is just that, to me, but I could be wrong: reading for pleasure and to sink oneself into a book and another place and time. I like short stories, actually, a lot. I think it takes a lot more skill to deliver a good plot and experience in a short story than a great long thing, but I may be wrong. What do you all think?

What is your idea of a "good read?"

Frybabe,  I did not know that Fry was narrating Sherlock Holmes, is he good? He has a wonderful voice in the Jeeves and Wooster films.

[ginny]

Oh very nice, Stephen Fry on his reading Sherlock Holmes: scroll down till you see him explain:   https://www.audible.com/pd/Sherlock-Holmes-Audiobook/B06WLMWF2S

[BarbStAubrey]

I've like just about anything done by Stephen Fry - I'll have to look into Sherlock...

Yes, yes, yes not Killers of the Flower Moon but Empire of the Comanche Moon - that was a good discussion and like you frybabe the title Killers of... sounds so familiar

Ginny, I am confused about the value of analyzing - but then he does believe with every book we are reading our own story only in a different guise - maybe that is it - we analyze to find the connections to what we know, which is actually what they say we do as adults when we learn something new and so maybe that is what some folks do - analyze to discover the obscure and hidden connections to ourselves - now I'm struggling with the Charlie Brown quote - what really is making someone or ourselves happy in such a way we are not damaging or neglecting an important aspect of ourselves that cannot be cared for by doing what typically makes us happy - and then I can't help remember how often we read that being happy takes care of many physical ills. Hmm never thought I would be pulling apart how to achieve happy that is wholesome, increasing our welfare and not damaging.   

This bank failure in California has me on edge today - for now it is a wealthy person's loss but these things are so connected - to other industries, pay checks and ultimately other banks so that I am reading everything that is available following this thing...  If someone buys the bank quickly it could just become another blip talking point like so many others crowding the news these days.

Unpacking the other day and in a box of all sorts of odds and ends, mostly from my hall linen closet there was a lonely book - just one book - News of the World - bookmark about a third of the way - just sat on the bench and started to read - kept going and a few hours later finished - only when I finished did I remember why I originally stopped - it was too predictable - just knew what was going to happen - not the way it happened but for sure you knew early on he was going to adopt her and this was easy to see before she found the cabin where her family was mascaraed. Seems to me the book was made into a movie - need to find it but then I doubt I will watch it - I've been on a kick of watching year after year of Midsummer Murder - I still prefer the old ones with John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby

[Frybabe]

Stephen Fry wrote and narrated three books on mythology, too. I have the one he did on Troy. He has narrated or participated in full cast productions narrations of quite a few books and podcasts. There are a few children's books including Paddington Bear, and Winnie the Pooh. Others he has done include 45 hrs. worth of P. G. Wodehouse's Blandings Castle Series, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Blackadder: The Full Collected Series), Stephen King's Fairy Tale, one on the Victorians and one on the Roaring Twenties.

[Tomereader1]

"News of the World" was a wonderful book, and when Tom Hanks bought the film rights to it, I knew the movie would not be the same.  IMHO he hacked up a perfectly good story, and I was appalled at the finished product.  Author Giles must have regretted her decision to sell the rights.  As popular and talented as Hanks is, I wish he would stay out of buying up rights to "best-selling" books.  As you all know, he recently took "A Man Called Ove" by Backman and made a movie: "A Man Called Otto".  Most who have seen it, think it was a disservice to the original book.  I have not and will not go to see it.  End of my rant!

[ginny]

Rant on, it's nice to see somebody with literary opinions!!

Frybabe, I had NO idea of Stephen Fry's recordings! I think it would be so fun to listen to  him on the road or a long drive, I'm trying to find some now, on Amazon, so I don't have to subscribe to yet another thing. Those 3 dollars per month things really add up.

Barbara, I mean by "analyze" to look more carefully at the structure, the way an author builds something up and adds to what he's saying by the physical  structure of the way he presents his words . Such as Coleridge's Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner where the number of feet in his lines at one point like this:

'The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top.

In this we're obviously dropping down  but in line 2, the words themselves drop their syllables:

Merrily (3 syllables)
did we (2 syllables)
drop (1 syllable)

So that line, while keeping with the rhyme scheme, itself drops physically.

Things like that are no accident, they were done by the poet deliberately,  and are, to me, very clever. A structural analysis.

I had a delightful afternoon yesterday  in the next to last short story of modern authors trying their hands at channeling Miss Marple and I hit on one  who came very close, and I really enjoyed her take on it. We're on a  British train, one of those whose window seat wall opens as a door (old train) with Miss Marple, and the  station master has loaded her suitcase for her, and we're going to Chichester when a curate jumps on, with a mystery. They are both going to Chichester,  but she's going on to Fishbourne Halt and he's getting off at Chichester.

How many times have I made that journey and never knew it was called "Halt."  There is no station master, it's un manned and the trains stop by demand, today,  as in the old days but it was a lovely memory brought to life.

The writer's name is Kate Mosse. I looked her up to find she writes serials of Historical Romances possibly crossing into Gothic fantasy, two genres I'm no longer into,  but she sure writes well. She's young, maybe she will do more in the Miss Marple vein.

Then I read the first short story of the real Miss Marple to compare and instantly she asserts herself by being ignored. 6 people of different occupations, a clergyman, an attorney, a former Scotland Yard Chief, an artist, and a famous novelist  are sitting around the fire at Miss Marple's  house essentially talking to her nephew,  a well known novelist,  and one woman, the  artist,  says, when they are puzzling over a recent mystery,  let's form a club and present unsolved mysteries we've come across and meet every Tuesday and see if the 5 of us can solve them,  and Miss Marple says gently, I think you've forgotten me...which is exactly what Miss Marple is,  and was, overlooked because of her age, and supposed experience but smarter than any of them. That's the Miss Marple I like. Overlooked because of age, underestimated but let's see who solves the mysteries the rest are stumped on. These groups exist today here in the States, too.

I enjoyed the first one and look forward to the next one, it's a nice way to go to sleep at night.

That's the crux the  young writers of today don't quite capture. Because they haven't experienced it.

Very satisfying to read.  hahahaha

[jane]

In my retirement, and esp. since Raymond passed away, I follow the sign on one of  a local dentist office "Do what makes you happy."  When he was with me, we did what made us happy.

 Now that I'm alone, I get a lot of suggestions from family and friends about what I should do: which church I should try, where I should move to,  which organization I should join, which activity I should take part in, etc.  I seem to have developed some sort of "selective deafness" to all these suggestions. 
 

Time to go finish up some reading on my ipad and finish drying the towels in the washer from the hot water heater that went "belly up" over the weekend and now is replaced by a lovely new gray one.

[ginny]

It's  ironic, isn't it? I get all kinds of advice, too. I'm sure it's all well meaning. I know it's not the same as your situation,  but it's still a barrage.

Here's the thing: one gets older, one is supposedly wiser, all that accumulated knowledge, but yet one appears in the need of a great deal of well meaning and caring  advice, no matter what one's situation, apparently. Thing IS, it might not be (and usually isn't)  what one wants.

New hot water heater! You seem to have made that decision well. hhahaa A good plumber is worth his weight in gold. (And it seems to take gold now, to pay one).

That said, have any of you seen this new Everywhere Everything movie that just won all the Oscars? I am trying to remember the last time I went physically  into  a movie theater. 

(Actually to be honest I have never enjoyed going to a theater to see a movie, so with all the choices at home I really don't know if I'll go again.)  Live theater, yes, I enjoy Broadway on occasion,  or I did before Covid. Movie? Not so much, if you wait a couple of months you can see it at home.

Still reading short stories, and really enjoying them.  What's everybody reading?

[BarbStAubrey]

Yep - a women with age who is alone seems to be looked upon as incapable and incompetent regardless how much she handles alone - I must say though as a result of my move and my going into action alone with my doing it all my way and on top all the stories of those in various kinds of assistant living experiencing horrors during the pandemic now I'm not experiencing all the 'we know best what you should do' and finally assistant living in no longer suggested. All this advise only came after I hung up my Real Estate license - it was as if I had descended quickly into a state of incompetence - got so I was afraid to ask for help because yes, your body is not as capable as it was but my word... I'm wondering if though it is not intended as the put down if feels like but rather, no one knows what to say when your life circumstances change and like when you are a younger adult and folks say, when they hear you have experienced an awful time especially involving illness, 'call me if I can help' or 'I go to the store every ...day and would be glad to pickup whatever' - where as, when we are older instead of being thoughtful with assistance they give the advice they have heard that older people are supposed to need. Whatever... it sure is something that probably is intended as sharing their concern but when we are trying to build our courage and belief in ourselves it is difficult to hear... Good Luck Jane

Never heard of the Oscar winning movie - has anyone here seen it - does anyone know what it is about - recognize the actor that won but I don't know his name or for that matter the names of most of the actors and actresses today - but then watching movies online or on TV I'm not seeing many of the new movies - whatever this connection is that Paul, my son, put on my TV I can find all sorts of movies that are from other, unheard of channels or connections or whatever they are called - even Amazon Prime comes up - looking on the one connection that I cannot remember the name - something strange that clicking on Fubo I can go to this other network - anyhow they have a connection to foreign films by country and of late I've enjoyed a bunch of movies from France - some dubbed but most subtitled in English - they are all slightly comedic and remind me of the stories in the books I call chit chat - light current life stories.

Most US comedies are 'comedies' with comedic actors or actresses - even our sitcoms go for the laugh where as these are light stories that make you smile and if there is sex included, rather than two gorgeous bodies in these French Films sexy love is usually between two middle aged, slightly chubby with a low key comfortable and loving dialog worked into the scene, even the younger gorgeous set that recently meet there is a softer and more realistic 'bedroom' scene. The fun part is often about love affairs that even are between next door neighbors - the partner often knows and does not let on but the two lovers go through all sorts of escapades and fibs in order to have their moments together.

These movies seem to come from a premise that life is just a big joke and we play out and actually enjoy daily life and our setting, playing it light - I'm thinking and wondering if this attitude is because Europe seems to have major wars within just about everyone's lifetime for as far back in history that we can go and so, a calm stretch of time is nothing to think is expected or ordinary, just enjoy it while you can but don't take it too seriously because it will go away and when calm comes back things will be different.  Whatever the basic thinking the movies flow without as much emotional turmoil that even our best comedies seem to create.

On the other end of the emotional turmoil show is the PBS Masterpiece that has been aired since last Fall - A Spanish series, La Otra Mirada - wow a heart-attack a minute with one catastrophe or betrayal after another, sheesh - in fact I do not know of a calm pleasant minute in the entire series -anything that does seem like a smile is only the prologue to some bit of awfulness - right up the alley for US TV shows.

[Frybabe]

Funny you should ask, Barb. I just this morning ran across Anton Petrov's explanation of the science behind that movie which I only just heard mentioned the other day. In the first few minutes, Petrov lets you know the premise or hypothesis upon which the movie is built. From the clip, I can say that the movie doesn't much appeal to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3VL5bQUeq0

The quantum realm is a very strange place mostly found in mathematical constructs and very difficult to prove conclusively in real life. We do have quantum computers now and, I think, some working quantum state secure communications, but I am not sure how useful it actually is just yet.

Four chapters into The Night Ship. So far, it is interesting and an easy read.

[ginny]

Well shock of the world. I had  mentioned to my husband about this new movie with the hot dog fingers, the Everything Everywhere All at Once or something like that,  sweeping the Oscars and last night he said, that movie you mentioned is on TV. I said it can't be, he said it is, and by George, there it was. Everything Everywhere etc...some strange channel I didn't know we got. It was already 30 minutes into itself but I taped the rest of it out of curiosity. He watched it about 10 minutes and  turned on something else.

So I look forward to seeing what all the excitement is about. I like quite a few of the actors to start with, so am looking forward to making sense of it if I can, (something about parallel dimensions?)  having missed the first 30 minutes.

[Frybabe]

I've been browsing through Audible's catalog this morning and Graham Greenes' The End of the Affair came up again. I am not interesting in the book, but I did wonder if Colin Firth ever got around to doing any more audiobooks. The answer, sadly, is no. What a shame. He did such an outstanding job of the narration that he won the 1913 Audie Audiobook of the Year for it.

I am very seriously thinking of cutting back on the membership program I have with Audible. I really, really need to catch up with the books I already have. Do I really have over 200? Holy Cow!

[BarbStAubrey]

With all the unread kindle books stacked up I purchased another chit chat book - it caught my attention and what will happen next is tugging at me as if it were a mystery I downloaded - one of Dorothy Evelyn Smith's books Miss Plum and Miss Penny - according to review it was written in the 1960s but for all the world the culture and social ways seem to be typical of the 1920s-30s or even late nineteenth century.

Single middle aged women trying to make the best of things after parents prevented them from marrying young men when they were in their late teens and early twenties or as an orphan elder teen and any inheritance was scammed by some male in the family and they find themselves caring for sick elderly in order to have a roof over their heads - making the best of things these two plus another, who is in their same boat but has her house as Miss Penny is fortunate enough to have a home however, the third is working as their housekeeper - All very cozy with some unexplained happenings that is not enough to shake up the community but enough that it shook me as a reader - need to find out what is going on and that is the catch why I downloaded yet, one more chit chat book...

I started to organize my Kindle and could not believe - I've 10 books that are centered in library's or books in general with either word in the title - in fact thinking on it I believe I've a few more that do not actually use the word book or library in the title - but my collection includes - Confessions of a curious Bookseller - The Paris Library - The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, the Book Woman's Daughter - The Last Bookshop in London - The Bookseller of Florence - the Bookstore Sisters - The Messy Lives of Book People - the Little Library - and the Paris Bookseller 

Ah found another among my history books - Book Row - now I wonder if I have any among my books that are still being unpacked.

[Frybabe]

What the heck was I doing? Colin Firth won the Audie in 2013 not 1913. Wow, what a glaring typing error.

I finished reading The Night Ship this morning. The author, Jess Kidd, posted a bunch of photos from her research pertaining to the wreck of the Batavia. Near the bottom of the webpage there is a photo of a replica of the ship.  http://jesskidd.com/night-ship-gallery/ The story is an interesting back and forth between a young girl on the doomed ship and a young boy living on the island in 1989, and the seeming similarities between their lives. If I remember correctly, the epilogue mentioned the book was partly based on a journal kept by a survivor. I was disappointed that there was no mention of current day descendants of the survivors.

Now I need to find a new book to read. My online library says I still have to wait five weeks for Geraline Brooks' Horse. That is the same number of weeks they said several weeks ago. They have an amazing 50 copies with 115 people still on the wait list before me.

[Ann]

Ginny- in regards to Everything, Everywhere....-  for the full effect this one needs to be seen in the theater.  Watching it on TV is like watching 2001, A Space Odyssey on the small screen.  Boring and at times just tedious.  In order for EEAAO to be fully appreciated it needs to be seen in one run all the way to the end -with surround sound and no avenue of escape.   It has a lot of craziness going on.  Good luck!

I've been reading The Wheel of Time, Eye of the World and SPQR A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard



 

[Dana]

I'm still reading Killers of the Flower Moon....have to finish it for my book club.....shocking but there you go....interesting contrast between two real guys...the killer and the avenger, so to speak.......why do some people end up with no conscience (Murdaugh, Trump, the guy who killed the Indians.....for example......and others end up with integrity ( like White, who solved the mystery}...we really have no clue......psychiatry is still in the dark ages....I would not do it again....thought Freud had the answers...wrong....but he knew in the end that he didn't actually...nobody since has come even close...It's all genetics (probably)....which is what Freud ended up thinking.....

[ginny]

 And I'm still reading the complete Miss Marple short stories. It's amazing as the Tuesday Night Murder Club or whatever they called it goes on, how she adjusts to the concept herself and how polished she's getting. I'm half way through and it's a good sized book.

There's something about reading something together and hearing all the different perspectives of the group that's very satisfying, I think.

Interesting poem framed on the Murdaugh effects at auction (I mean REALLY? People wanting a souvenir? REALLY?). The very thought is almost physically nauseating.

A framed poem  called The Man in the  Glass was mentioned as one of the effects. Of all things to be in that house. Wishful thinking, perhaps? On somebody's part.

[Frybabe]

My sister just last evening discovered that "EEAAO" is available free on FIOS On Demand. She was very much surprised that it was being offered free so soon. She is planning on watching it. So far, the trailers either aren't doing the movie justice, or it just really isn't that interesting to me. I'll have to see if Comcast/Xfinity is offering it free next time I put the TV on.

Right now, I am reading War by Sebastian Junger. It is an account of his year embedded with troops in Kandahar province in Afghanistan back in 2004. Junger mentioned that he made a film documentary too. I suspect I saw it a while back on YouTube because I recognized some of his descriptions. Interesting book, and it is leaving a much deeper impression than seeing documentaries and newscasts. I don't know if that is because it reinforces what I see on TV, or if it is because I get to stop and think about what I read.

My audiobook listening has stagnated since I mostly did jigsaw puzzles while listening. The jigsaw puzzle app I play was heating up my Fire tablet so much, and almost right away, that I deleted it. When I reinstalled it, it did the same thing, right away. It got re-deleted. In trying to solve the problem, I discovered that the Fire tablets sometimes overheat with certain games and videos. Now I am confined to using the Windows app on my desktop. I have not found another activity yet that suits me to do while listening. Well, I could get back to my knitting and crochet. Oh dear, instant cat attractant. That being said, I did start Blue Earth Remembered by Alastair Reynolds. If I don't get back to it soon, I may have to start over to remember what was going on.

[Dana]

I'd never heard of The Man in the Glass....so I just looked it up......interesting, isn't it? Wishful thinking is right for sure!!