APRIL 2021 READING WRAP UP | it's all about love and death innit

[@AJ_Dunn]

I love this new format, I think we need more clips of your towelled head. 🤣 All I could think of was my mother. I'm dying to read Unsettled Ground. It's right up my street. I bet I would like The Sorrows of Young Werther. I think I'd like YOU as well. I LOVED Shuggie Bain. Sounds like you had a pretty great reading month!

[@somebenfen]

Thanks! 😄 I'm reading shuggie bain this month so I hope I'll like it... And I'll see what I can do with more towelled head content 😄

[@cherylstevens9665]

Loved your reading of Goethe. Very powerful. LOL. Great review of all your other books, too. Thanks 🙏

[@somebenfen]

Thanks so much for watching! 😃☺

[@beatingaroundthebooks]

Always enjoy your wrapup wrap-ups. What a great reading month! I have Detransition, Baby on my TBR for June. You make Open Water sound so compelling!

[@somebenfen]

Thank you! Yeah was a good month! Hope you enjoy DB! And I xant recommend Open Water enough!

[@mimi8school]

Just want to say I really enjoy your reviews! Always looking forward to more videos from you!

[@somebenfen]

Thanks so much! 😃😃

[@user-iu4ws6vh5s]

Love your reviews. Looking forward to reading Open Water myself; I don’t do love stories but I feel compelled.

[@somebenfen]

Thank you! Yes definitely read open water if you can its gorgeous!

[@CharlotSazarin]

Book time! I’ve been waiting all month for this as this is one of my only book chat outlets lol. Beloved is on my list to get through, and I’ve seen it about recently - maybe it’s a sign to get reading it. This month I wanted to read Bleak House, and started, but tbh I think I’m going to need to convince a friend to suffer with me. It was impenetrable (as the actress said to the bishop.) and whereas I’ve really enjoyed the couple of Dickens I’ve read, Bleak House is hard (as the bishop said to the actress.) So I moved on, and had a good book month. I read The Warden by Anthony Trollope, Agnes Grey, Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, The Sea The Sea by Iris Murdoch, The War of the Worlds, The Iliad, Mrs Dalloway, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Paradise Lost. No idea what I’ll be reading this month as I’ve got a bit of writing to get on with, but we’ll see. That Teddy looks like he’s had a rough night 👀

[@somebenfen]

Wow! That's a load of big hitters you've read! I'd love to get round to reading the Iliad soon, feels time. And also Mrs Dalloway, I tried reading it years ago but I think I need to give it a second chance. Eventually this year I'll be reading Bleak House too so fingers crossed we can get through it!

[@CharlotSazarin]

@@somebenfen I didn’t expect the Iliad to be so gay! Without spoiling a 3000 year old book, the core is basically Achilles and his boyfriend beating up Trojans. I loved it. Mrs Dalloway, not so much. I think that one might need a reread in the future. The guy with PTSD was really compelling, but I felt those were the parts that glistened out of the whole thing. Should you need someone to endure Bleak House, just give me a poke. I’ve been thinking about reading it in monthly sections like it was originally released and see if that makes it better, rather than binging it like Netflix 🤔

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

That's a long video...Toni Morrison is on my radar, so I was interested in your review of the baby ghost book, (Beloved)

[@somebenfen]

I've yet to learn how to be pithy haha Definitely read Beloved I thought it was amazing. I've read Sula as well which is an odd novel but great as well 😀

[@saragardner9149]

I questioned whether I would like Shuggie Bain, a bit concerned of all of the hype. But ... then I read it, 5 star read for me.

[@somebenfen]

That's good to hear! Gonna read it very soon

[@wordsofclover]

I also loved Open Water - one of the most beautiful, stunning books I've ever read. Caleb Azumah Nelson is definitely one to watch!

[@somebenfen]

Absolutely! Can't wait to see what he does next 😃

[@beckyevans6845]

You explained Open Water beautifully and I have put it on my list to read. Thanks I lalways look forward to your reviews 😊

[@somebenfen]

Oh thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it! ☺☺

[@sterlingreads547]

Your videos are always wonderful, so much fun to watch. I’m hoping to read The name of the rose in September.

[@somebenfen]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate that. Name of the Rose is a good'un, I hope you enjoy it!

[@CharlesHeathcote]

I've only ever seen the title "Eugene Onegin" and I thought that Onegin just meant he was a really cheap date. Today's pronunciation lesson has my mind blown - let alone the discovery that it's poetry. Otherwise, you've read three books I plan to read in future, but I think that they're on everyone's lists: Name of the Rose, Beloved and Detransition, Baby. Sometimes, I think that Story of the Eye is a book that I ought to read, that it's weird enough and disturbing enough that I might enjoy it on one of my pretentious days. Then, I see people talk about it - specifically you in this context - and I think that it's okay, I'll let steel-stomached readers have a bash and I'll stick to my corner reading about springtime and rhododendrons. 'twas great to hear your thoughts as always.

[@somebenfen]

Thanks so much! Oh go on! I'd love to hear your thoughts on story of the eye haha It is gross but a bit of me didn't take it too seriously so it didn't really give me nightmares. And definitely read those 3 books when you can, they're all superb!

[@CourtneyFerriter]

"Eugenie in a bottle" 😂😂 I've never read Eugene Onegin, but would like to get to it some day. The Name of the Rose is on my TBR for later this year. Glad to hear that you loved it. So pleased that you read Beloved and loved it. I agree that the cover on that edition of the book is terrible.

[@somebenfen]

Yes for Name of the Rose! Will be interested to hear what you think when you get to it. I'll probs get the newer edition of Beloved and gift that one on because yes, worrying vibes haha

[@LarryHasOpinions]

it shames me that i've never read the name of the rose. You've sort of convinced me to give DB a go. I'm not that sure the vanishing half should be on the shortlist imho...

[@somebenfen]

Definitely give name of the rose a go! It's awesome! DB is very stressful but worth it I think 😁

[@LarryHasOpinions]

@@somebenfen sorry should have mentioned Italian is my native language hence the shame haha

[@somebenfen]

@@LarryHasOpinions there's tonnes of "classic" English writers I haven't read so I can't judge 😄

[@drawyourbook876]

open water sounds really good

[@somebenfen]

It's superb! I'd be interested to hear what you think if you get round to reading it!

[@SophiaClef]

I love your wrap ups! I reread The Sorrows of Young Werther a few years ago and I was a bit disappointed. I really enjoyed it as a teenager (I wonder why...) and somehow, the second time round my perception was so different. I should probably give Eco a second chance as well. I read The Name of the Rose waaaaaaaaay too soon and didn't get like half of it. I wonder why the translators always write Eugene Onegin, when in Russian it's more like Ev-gay-niy. Your prononciation of Onegin was on point though!

[@somebenfen]

Thanks so much! Do try out Name of the Rose again! Whilst the politics are dense I did think the exciting bits were exciting lol and that's good to know about Eugene... I'm glad I got 50% right 😄

[@timetoread1795]

I have read The New Sorrows of Young W. and I did not like it, lol. I got rid of it. Thought he was very annoying? I don't remember because it was so long ago. I am always curious when I don't like something and get rid of it how I might enjoy it now? Like I am mildly curious if I would find it funnier? I should read The Sorrows of Young Werther though.

[@somebenfen]

Yeah I wasn't enamoured with the Plenzdorf. In reference to the Goethe it was interesting but that'd about it. I didn't mind Werther though as I need to get some 18th century fiction under my belt :)

[@JyotsnaS]

Ikr 🥺 DETRANSITION, BABY 👶 Hahaha I literally used to call it Eugene O-n-e-g-i-n 🤣 until you broke the bubble Is it not like other famous Russian books then? Interesting 🤔 You reminds me of Shuggie Bain, yeah you may not enjoy it (I didn't as well 🙃) Elizabeth Smart was so OBSESSED. Needs so much context

[@somebenfen]

I'm a bit nervous of shuggie bain but I need to know what my opinion is on its win! Haha

[@curioushmm9027]

i don't know if you explained 'open water' well or not but you convinced this elderly white woman living in new jersey to put it on her tbr.

[@somebenfen]

I hope you enjoy it! 😃

[@nelsonhoffman5922]

I've literally had "The Sorrows" on my shelf for a full year now and I keep putting it off for other books, but now after hearing your review and of this and "The New Sorrows" I've found my next two books. Not gonna get the Theresea reference cause I break no stereotypes and am just your typical, ignorant American. Also, can't believe I just sat through this all but your acting prowess shows cause you're just so expressive and entertaining regardless of the topic. I am not a fan of Toni Morison. I haven't read her since high school but at the time I found her writing pretentious and disingenuine. More so like she was trying to mimic/emulate poetic writing, rather than actually being adept at it herself. Like a really good cover band? To each his own, though.

[@somebenfen]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate that ☺☺ Yes definitely get to the Goethe if you can, it has some great bits in it! The Plenzdorf is a good companion piece but not essential. And yeah, the Theresa May reference is VERY esoteric so don't worry haha 😆

[@PagesAndStages]

17:14 ReMÌEENd YuøU of ENyBODÆY

[@somebenfen]

BONUS POINTS!! 😄😄

[@neotropic]

I fancy you.

[@somebenfen]

14:44 😘😄

[@neotropic]

@@somebenfen We should just be friends. 😿

[@ameliareads589]

By Grand Central Station I sat down and wept has a fabulous title and I love this edition, but the style it was written it has been too overdramatic for me. Gesundheit? So with your talent in speaking German, you could probably read your next Goethe in the original language. 😉

[@somebenfen]

The only other word I remember from my school days was Fremdenverkehrsbüro... but between that and gesundheit I might manage the original Goethe 😄

[@ameliareads589]

@@somebenfen I'm sure you could! People who are familiar with words like Fremdenverkehrsbüro can tackle everything written in German. 🙃

[@somebenfen]

@@ameliareads589 😂😂

[@KDbooks]

🥚

[@somebenfen]

🐃