January 4, 2008
Abookaday
During my holiday, I’ve managed to read a book a day (though this was accomplished by reading books that were primarily quite short and/or excellent), which has been tremendously satisfying, fun, stimulating and rich. I’ve got a lot of my new books read, and my focus is now on the older books I’ve picked up at sales over the past year and which have been lingering on my shelf. Now reading Perfect Happiness by Penelope Lively (who I love). But I’ll also be starting the new collection Graham Greene: A Life in Letters. I’ve loved Graham Greene’s work for a long time, including The End of the Affair, The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American. Though it is Travels With My Aunt that stands out, actually. And I’ll be reading Brighton Rock shortly. It will be interesting though, as I know almost nothing about Graham Greene. Except for the Catholic stuff, which always gets a bit lost on me in his fiction (and I’ve had a similar problem with Muriel Spark). Perhaps this will help?
“And I’ll be reading Brighton Rock shortly.”
Me too! Vintage has a new line of very handsome classics, including BR, Jake’s Thing by Kingsley Amis, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch. I’m gobbling them up like crazy.
Mine is an ancient Penguin, which I think is just as good. Am looking forward, plus have just read the intro to the letters, which should be so interesting. I’ve never read letters before by someone I know so little of. I wonder what I’ll make of Brighton Rock afterwards?