Recent Reads early June

[@writerstevens]

Social media is so cluttered at times with the "hot" books of the week and it's so refreshing to get thoughtful takes on books and writers that are (to me) a bit under the radar.

[@MarcNash]

Thank you very much Mark. I just talk about the books I fancy reading, not keeping on top of what's hot!

[@SpringboardThought]

In Ascension sounds interesting. Hadn’t heard about that at all. The more I think on The Glamour, the more it felt like some kind of strange catharsis for Priest to work through his feelings on the actual writing of a book and “subject” in art, in general, maybe? But if that theme is in numerous other books, maybe it’s just a general preoccupation he has. Regardless, just managed to navigate to the most uninteresting possible conclusion. So strange.

[@PaperBird]

Nice to see you cover Gustafsson, even though you didn't get along with the book. I was pretty lukewarm to his Third Castling, though been meaning to read The Tennis Players (only because of the tennis in Austin Texas :-)

[@MarcNash]

what is it about tennis and serious literary fiction. writers PB? 🙂 DFW, Barnes & Amis, and now I learn Gustaffson?

[@PaperBird]

@@MarcNash hmm good question, maybe the individual /competitive / mental nature of it, though you don't really hear too much about racquetball, badminton, or ping pong writers 😂 (I hope to never hear about pickleball writers...) Do you play tennis also by chance?

[@MarcNash]

@@PaperBird Ian McWean's novel "Saturday" has a wonderfully written section on what we call squash and It think you call racquetball. I always preferred team sports to individual sports, t6hough my sports playing days are long behind me with the sole exception of darts, which is, of course, an individual sport not a team one!

[@ChaoticBibliophile]

Well, you've convinced me to pick up In Ascension, especially since I have a free copy available haha And also convinced me I was right by staying away from the new Linda Grant. It's a shame because I have enjoyed her writing in the past, but reading the first page of the new one immediately put me off, and after your review I definitely will give it a miss. Excellent video as always!

[@MarcNash]

thank you! 🙂

[@pennyarrow]

I thought the mole was a metaphor. Something seemingly simple that can change the course of your life.

[@MarcNash]

That makes sense except that it comes right at the end of the book? So we have to project beyond the book as to what consequences that might have. I get that it could be a summary metaphor of all that has preceded it, but it just didn't work for me

[@EricKarlAnderson]

I'm so glad you found In Ascension to be (mostly) successful. And, like you, my affinity for it is partly because I'm especially interested in the subject matter. I guess part of what made me think about it so much more was the ambiguity of the narrator's early life since in the later section her sister calls into question the abuse which did or did not occur - but also, obviously, all the larger questions about life's origin and whether their mission was the endpoint or the formation of life on earth. But I'm glad you found it so satisfying.

[@MarcNash]

It was one of those satisfying reads that balanced Plot, character and themes, which isn't always the case in novels. Thank you for making me give him another go, even if this novel was very different from his previous one and in many ways, rather more conventional, but that was to its strength.

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

Sorry it was a disappointing week. In Ascension sounds worth a look.

[@MarcNash]

The disappointing weeks only serve to increase the unalloyed pleasure of good reading weeks!

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

@@MarcNash that is a fine attitude 👌