christiguc is looking for another nudge

Other than the one I am currently reading, I think I can fit in one more book this year. Will you all help me pick?

I apologize for the lack of picture--I misplaced my camera, probably somewhere in some box. So, it will be just a list for now.

These are the ones I'm in the mood for:

The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector
Pereira declares : a testimony by Antonio Tabucchi
The Life of Hunger by Amélie Nothomb
The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini
Minotaur by Benjamin Tammuz
Le Grand Meaulnes by Henri Alain-Fournier
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
On Parole by Akira Yoshimura
The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis
The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe
The Museum of Unconditional Surrender by Dubravka Ugrešić
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
The Land of Green Plums by Herta Mü̈ller
The Engagement by Georges Simenon
The Letters of Noël Coward by Noël Coward
The Lover by Marguerite Duras
Gunnar's Daughter by Sigrid Undset
The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll
Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh
The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle

Thank you!

You have a nice line up of books there! I would say- Le Grand Meaulnes or The Return of Martin Guerre. Those ae the ones that I have read and liked. I am curious about King Leopold's Ghost- I think that I put it on my wish list!
Happy Reading!

Interesting list of books, christiguc.

Out of the list I have read Minotaur my review is here. I liked it.

Also enjoyed The Lover and The Club Dumas.
King Leopold's ghost has been on my TBR list since I read The Poisonwood Bible as it deals with the horrors of the Congo in the 1800s. I must get around to it.

Not a great fan of Roddy Doyle.

But out of all these, I will nudge the Lewis Carroll as he is such an inventive writer.

I will nudge The Letters of Noel Coward. I did not particularly enjoy The Club Dumas (sorry, Karen) and, although I have heard good things about The Silent Duchess, I am so tired of Dacia Maraini (when you work in a place like mine, she pops up all the time) that I refuse to nudge it.

I NUDGE The Silent Duchess. It is WONDERFUL!!!

Hi Paola ;-)

The only one I've read is The Hunting of the Snark which is a hoot.

Nudgoids to Letters of Noel Coward which sounds interesting (love his plays) and The Return of Martin Guerre, because I enjoyed the movie and always meant to read the book!

I have recently, for the about fourth time :-), rediscovered Simenon. I was sure I would never read him again, and have in fact packaged ten of his books in a crate and sent them to a needy reader. But then, in a moment of desperation, escaping from Dostoevsky and various waring family members I picked one up, and am again enchanted. I have now read eight in the last month; he IS addictive. Light yet thoughtful, wonderful atmosphere creation (I spent a long time living in France and he is spectacular in giving the flavour), highly enjoyable escapism, but often with a little soupcon of wisdom. Most highly recommended.

I'm nudging King Leopold's Ghost which is a thoroughly engrossing story of greed and brutality and heroism. There is not much from the Africans viewpoint but the author acknowledges this up front and explains why. The book is loaded with stuff - like the background of Conrad's Heart of Darkness and the real Henry Morton Stanley. It documents one brutal example of the colonization that was happening all over Africa at the time.

I agree with avaland and I nudge King Leopolds Ghost

I absolutely second Le Grand Meaulnes, I loved this book the first time I read it when I was 12 and I still loved when I reread it when I turned 18. It's a quick read that I think will stay with you for a long time.

I'll put in a nudge for Cancer Ward. Solzhenitsyn is a major writer who doesn't seem to get enough notice. Like others, I think King Leopold's Ghost sounds very interesting. I also think you can't go wrong with Natalie Zemon Davis' Return of Martin Guerre. Consider that last one a 1/2 nudge :-)

I can't decide whether to nudge Le Grand Meaulnes, or the Hunting of the Snark. The first is a lovely story, the second a bit of inspired craziness. Either would be a good way to send out the year.

I havn't read any of the other books, but I really like Roddy Doyle and would nudge The Woman Who Walked into Doors. It's sad and grittily realistic, but Doyle is a master of psychological insight. He loves and respects his everyday people characters.

Uh-oh, there's a tie. . .

Le Grand Meaulnes = 1 + 1 + .5 = 2.5
The Hunting of the Snark = 1 + 1 + .5 = 2.5
King Leopold's Ghost = 1 + 1 = 2
The Letters of Noel Coward = 1 + .5 = 1.5
The Silent Duchess = 1 + .5 = 1.5
The Return of Martin Guerre = .5 + .25 + .5 = 1.25
The Engagement (Simenon) = 1 = 1
Cancer Ward = 1 = 1
The Woman Who Walked into Doors = 1 = 1

So, the next one--either Le Grand Meaulnes or The Hunting of the Snark--to receive a favorable mention is the choice. I think either would be excellent. Anybody have an opinion?

Urania is constitutionally unable to follow rules. Hmmm, that SHOULD have meant a sparkling career in academia, Mary. LOL. You just weren't applying for tenure at the right university.

Being the much more obedient sort, and reading instructions, I break the tie in favour of Le Grand Meaulnes. And depending on your report after, christiguc, I will then reread it or not. (When I read it I was probably 19. I now have a daughter older than that.)

I see that there is a very recent translation of Le Grand Meaulnes by Adam Gopnik. Anyone recommend a particular translation of this work??

Dacia Maraini?

The translation I read way back when is the Frank Davison one. I have recently read Gopnik's Paris to the Moon which was enjoyable, but cannot speak of him as a translator.

>16 urania1: Mary, I counted your one nudge as 1.5 because you were so emphatic. Isn't that enough? :)

>18 kiwidoc: The translator for my edition is Katharine Vivian, but I can't speak to the translation yet.

So, I'll read Le Grand Meaulnes! I think this will be a good wrap-up for the reading year. (Plus, it's a pretty Folio edition, so just looking at the pages will be a pleasure). Thank you, everybody, for the suggestions.

Too late on this one I'm afraid. Though what I'm actually scared of I'm not sure. I would also nudge Cancer Ward by Solzhenitsyn and The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle as well.

Too late also, but had I been on time, I would have added a nudgoid to urania1's persistent nudging of The Silent Duchess - it does sound interesting. (If it's any consolation, Mary, I have added it to my Amazon wishlist and will likely read it within the next five or so years...)

FYI, in case you should be tempted afterwards, I would also have de-nudged The Museum of Unconditional Surrender which sounded so fascinating, yet when I tried to read it, I ended up getting totally bored with it and have never picked it up to finish. Club Dumas was pretty entertaining. The Lover , while beautifully written, has been spoiled for me by a friend who has grown tired of Duras' exoticizing of Asian men...

Enjoy Le Grand Meaulnes!