I don't know what the heck to call this thread!

[Gordon Smith]

It has been requested from on high that threads which exceed 5k in length be closed and restarted. So, here we go again.

Currently reading ''Record of Proceeding of a Military Commission which has Sentenced Privates Edmond A. Dubose and Lewis Russell''. This is the record of trial of two American soldiers who deserted the United States Army during the Philippine Insurrection in 1901 and were accused of collaborating with local ''insurgents'' who were resisting American occupation.

[berk]

I am reading The wind in the willows by Kenneth Graham.

Love that book. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did all those years ago.

Gordon Smith - I might have asked you before, but have you read Freddy's Book by John Gardner? I recommend it pretty highly if you haven't. And of course Grendel by the same guy, but I think you've gotten to that one already.

Myself, I just finished Robert Southey's translation of the first book of Amadis of Gaul, which I read online and which you can find via that link. Amadis's story carries on for several more books, which Southey didn't translate as far as I know, but which I'd like to read some day. Knights errant romance, lots of fun, and I think very similar to superhero comics, much more so than the straight mythological material most people like to think of as the forerunner of our modern superheroes.

Right now I'm browsing through the early bits of the Oxford Book of Nineteenth Century English Verse, but I think I'm gonna start Blake's epic Vala (aka The Four Zoas) tonight if I feel ambitious enough.

[Roquefort Raider]

Myself, I just finished Robert Southey's translation of the first book of Amadis of Gaul, which I read online and which you can find via that link.

And one Books Message Board No-Prize to you if you can tell me in what comic-book Amadis of Gaul made an appearance!

Is it closer in tone to the Arthurian cycle of Chrétien de Troyes or to Ariosto's Charlemagne stories (more humorous and less fragmented)?

[Gordon Smith]

berk, I haven't read ''Freddy's Book''.

[berk]

And one Books Message Board No-Prize to you if you can tell me in what comic-book Amadis of Gaul made an appearance!

Is it closer in tone to the Arthurian cycle of Chrétien de Troyes or to Ariosto's Charlemagne stories (more humorous and less fragmented)?

Much more in the Malory/Arthurian strain, IMO. And apart from the tone, the story is mostly set in Britain and Scotland and Arthur is mentioned as a later king. I haven't been able to find out much about where the idea of Amadis came from, but as far as I can tell he seems to be a completely literary creation, with no legendary or mythological antecedents. According to wiki, the story appears to have originated in Spain or Portugal and was pretty quickly translated into French. First printed edition was 1508, so looks to me like a late fictional addition to the knight-errant genre. Hugely successful in its time, though, and for a century or so afterwards.

I'm a big Ariosto fan, BTW. Have you read him in French or English? (I know you read German as well, but don't remember you mentioning Italian). I want to read the earlier poem from which he carried on with Orlando Furioso, Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato, which I only recently found out is available in an English translation.

You've totally stumped me with the Amadis in comics question, and I'm very curious to hear the answer.

berk, I haven't read ''Freddy's Book''.

It's been years since I read it, but my recollection is that it was very good. Then again, I was on a big Gardner kick at the time and devouring everything I could find by him. Going by Freddy's Book, Grendel, his short story Caesar and the Werewolf, and his epic poem Jason and Medeia, I think he was one of the best historical/mythic/legendary-fiction writers of his time.

[K'Nort]

So is this the new What Are You Reading thread? I've actually read some things recently.

[howyadoin]

I'm really enjoying The Yiddish Policemen's Union so far.

[Roquefort Raider]

I'm a big Ariosto fan, BTW. Have you read him in French or English?

French. So I know Orlando as Roland!

Amadis of Gaul appeared in Roy Thomas' Arak, son of Thunder, which was heavily inspired by several classic texts. The first dozen or so issues took their inspiration from Ariosto (or rather from Bullfinch's interpretation of it), and later incorporated the Letter from Prester John. The book would later rely on the Arabian nights for its material.

Amadis was shown to have been the ghostly instructor of Valda, the iron maiden, who was the daughter of Bradamante. So there's a connection between Ariosto and Amadis, by way of Roy Thomas!

[FroggieBKT]

I'm really enjoying The Yiddish Policemen's Union so far.

Really great book. Chabon's at his best when he lets loose and plays around with genre a bit, and in YPU he's in rare form.

[Slam_Bradley]

I'm really enjoying The Yiddish Policemen's Union so far.

I liked it quite a bit. Not without flaws, but very enjoyable.

[K'Nort]

I'm really enjoying The Yiddish Policemen's Union so far.

It was a weird one for me, since I'm from Sitka. And my brother's birthday is Sept 22, which comes up several times as significant. It all sort of distracted from the actual story.



I finally read Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked while I was in Boston and it was a hoot. The characters aren't all that likable, or at least not very admirable, but they're very realistic and often entertaining. There are many tangents about music fandom and a dead-on portrayal of messageboard culture.

[whiteshark]

Finished reading The lost city of Z recently.
A absolutely good read,hoping to see the movie adaptation of it soon.

And going to start reading 1808,after reading The lost city of Z i just wanted to read another historical book.

[Chris N]

Finished Simmons' Olympos. I enjoyed Ilium/Olympos, though didn't love them. Makes more for good entertaining epic fantasy than for good science fiction. Characters enjoyable to read about, writing that flowed well, an engaging story and cool setup for the future.

But it didn't leave me with as much as say Hyperion. And the ending was pretty flat. In fact, I only realized in retrospect what the climax had been. (Yes, that is exactly what she said) I'd been reading the epilogue for a while before I realized it there wasn't still a climactic moment coming.

Also finishing up Wells' Invisible Man, which I'm reading on my iphone. Good book. And reading on the iphone is far easier than I thought it would be. Definitely great for waiting at busstops.

Just started Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.

And I've been nursing Slant by Greg Bear for a while now. It's interesting but not particularly engaging and I rarely feel compelled to pick it up and finish it.

[twilight]

A Christmas Carol by Dickens.

I thought it'd be quite a dry read but it's actually rather fun.

(Probably helps that almost everyone on earth knows the plot by now)

-Twi

[Moriarty]

currently reading Olympos. just finished Children of Dune.