Livre d'Or

Author: EM Forster

Details: I was really stupid today and managed to take back to the library a whole pile of books I was intending to review. Well, not entirely stupid because they were a week overdue, but still, I'm going to have to guess a bit at the details.

It was written in 1910, but I don't quite understand why it's widely available online, as Forster only died in 1970, so it should still be in copyright. Anyway, since I can't remember which edition I read or easily find the ISBN, here is the Gutenberg text of it.

Verdict: Howard's End is amusing throughout and thought-provoking in places.

Reasons for reading it: I saw the film absolutely years ago, and was so distracted by the inappropriate juxtaposition of Helena Bonham-Carter with Emma Thompson that I failed to take in anything else about the story. EM mentioned it recently and reminded me of my old and rather vague intention to read it.

How it came into my hands: The library

( detailed review )

Disclaimer: This is a fairly technical post. I'm working on the assumption that if you don't understand the terms, you're not likely to be interested in the content. I have a vague project to put a glossary or similar on my website, something along the lines of this absolutely gorgeous definitions set, which may in fact help to some extent with this post, as well as being extremely amusing.

English Bible reference: Leviticus 25:3-46

( Torah study )

And yes, I should be preparing this week's sedra rather than blogging last week's. Or at least sleeping so that I can do so sensibly before shul tomorrow morning!

Musicians: Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal conducted by Charles Dutoit. Dame Kiri te Kanawa (soprano) & Sherill Milnes (baritone).

Details: (c) 1988 The Decca Record Company; Opus 48; Orchestral version 1901

Reasons for listening to it: I've been completely obsessed with this Requiem since I was 12 so it seemed good to hear a new version.

How it came into my hands: It happened to be in the local library. (For some reason they shelved it under 'Easy Listening'; they seem to imagine that anything which doesn't have a dominant drum beat falls into this category...)

Verdict: Ummm. The balance of instruments is wrong. Obviously technically excellent with such big names, but when it's wrong it's wrong.

( detailed review )

Well, I was just complaining to shreena that all the digital photos of me that exist are in fancy dress. She suggested I use this:
as the basis for my icon. What do people think? Would it be a good icon, and if so, what should I do with it to make it into a truly funky icon?

*I believe the correct term is 'gratuitous icon post'

Well, since everyone's blogging it, and since this is supposed to be about books, here's my take on the BBC's Big Read list. ( Read more... )

The purpose of this livejournal is primarily to facilitate my livejournal habit by making it easier for me to read and comment on my friends' journals.

Of course, that's what they all say, so I've set up the journal with a secondary purpose as well: I'm planning to use it mainly as a booklog. This is partly a matter of self-discipline; I'm only going to finish books so often, so hopefully it will keep me from posting obsessively. Apart from that I've been intending for a while to get back into booklogging and possibly doing a more general livre d'or. Putting it online will, I think, motivate me to keep up with it better than I would a paper version.

Before you object that you want to hear all about my life, not just what books I've been reading, don't worry, you will get plenty of background. Last time I kept a booklog (GCSE English, in fact) it turned into quite a personal diary. But much more interesting than my real diary, because the focus on books kept me from delving too far into adolescent navel-gazing. I'm hoping this will be the case again, with this electronic version.

ETA: This is a test edit from 9th Jan 2017.