|
|
Post by toshtego on May 3, 2023 19:18:03 GMT -5
I just read the first 3, but I'm giving that series a rest for now and just started "Targeted" by Stephen Hunter. (Bob Lee Swagger book #12, 2021) Pretty good so far. That is a fun book. Preposterous, but quite enjoyable. |
|
|
|
Post by toshtego on May 3, 2023 19:19:05 GMT -5
Zach, you made good buys. I hope you enjoy them as I did.
|
|
|
|
Post by urbino on May 3, 2023 20:16:34 GMT -5
I stopped by my local Half Priced Books yesterday to do a bit of perusing. Often times I find that I really have to hunt around and even compare the same titles side-by-side on the shelves as HPB have whacky pricing. i.e., a better copy of the same book will often be cheaper than a beat and worse quality mass market paperback right next to it on the shelf. Yesterday as an example I found an older but lower quality copy of Moby Dick for $100 that was hardback but paperboard and cloth, no moir inner pages, etc. and that book was probably worth about $35-40 in the condition that it was in. Right underneath of it, they have a full leatherbound, silk moir front and backs, Easton Press copy in really excellent condition of Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev miraculously for only $10, and it's the most recent 2008 binding so that book is worth $80-90 in that condition. Boggles the mind.
So I picked up an excellent condition 1943 hardback copy of John Milton's Paradise Lost and Other Poems, a Classics Club edition published by Walter J. Black Inc. - Roslyn, New York, that was on final markdown for $4. A steal.
Also picked up a 1961 blue cloth hardcover, no dust jacket Random House edition of James Joyce's Ulysses for $10, and this book is in excellent condition as well, and worth at least $25-35 and very hard to find this edition. I can't complain when I find good deals but some of the pricing just makes little sense at this place and you have to know what you're looking for and it's a true treasure hunt. This book for only $10 while plain and Chinese printed Barnes and Noble hardcover F. Scott Fitzgerald collections were selling for $17. Again it boggles the mind.
I intend to go back in the next week or two and snag that $10 Easton Press copy of Fathers and Sons by Turgenev even though I recently purchased a paperback 1980's copy of it for nearly the same price! It may have been $5-6 can't quite remember but that's the wackiness. A $100 copy of selling in the same store for $10 out the door in immaculate condition while across the store, the paperback roughed up college lit library/trade copy of it sold for close to $10 as well.
   
A year or two ago, I would have mostly settled for a nice any-old-copy of paperback or hardback depending on conditions of most any book. As I gradually began to learn that nicer hardcover editions of books were not actually printed in great numbers as I'd assumed, I simultaneously began to discover that good books are becoming rare and pricey. Couple this with other quality issues with newer publishers cheapening materials and that most books are not archival quality or nice paper, I began digging down the rabbit hole. Now I often try to find the classics in Easton Press, Folio Society, Franklin Library, Alfred Knopf, or Modern Library printing.
I know, a lot of rambling about books but I've gotten more into finding higher quality binding and prints and you could say it's quickly become a new hobby.
I'm still reading Dante's Divine Comedy and I've just barely started it.
is a book that's slow going due to the sheer tonnage of thoughts/insights/questions it provokes per page -- theological, humanistic, literary, moral, linguistic, psychological, aesthetic, historical, and otherwise. Lewis Hyde's Trickster Makes This World did that to me, too; I could practically feel my brain changing shape every time I picked it up. Read too fast and you get growing pains. |
|
|
|
Post by Plainsman on May 3, 2023 21:01:23 GMT -5
I did an MA on Milton. Please don't remind me.
|
|
|
|
Post by toshtego on May 4, 2023 12:44:23 GMT -5
I have a lovely old illustrated volume of Milton's Divine Comey. Published in the 1930s and illustrated by Gustave Dore. Inherited from my Great Aunt in 1979. Love that book.
|
|
Zach
Pro Member
If you can't send money, send tobacco.
Posts: 4,358
First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
Location:
|
Post by Zach on May 4, 2023 12:46:25 GMT -5
I have a lovely old illustrated volume of Milton's Divine Comey. Published in the 1930s and illustrated by Gustave Dore. Inherited from my Great Aunt in 1979. Love that book. Dante Alighieri. John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Although Doré did engravings for Dante's and Milton's works. |
|
Zach
Pro Member
If you can't send money, send tobacco.
Posts: 4,358
First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
Location:
|
Post by Zach on May 4, 2023 13:55:38 GMT -5
Forgot to mention though John, if you've got that copy of Dante's Divine Comedy with Dorés illustrations, I'd LOVE to see some scans or even photos of the book. It may be hidden away buried under storage somewhere but would be awesome to see it!
|
|
|
|
Post by SailorBen on May 4, 2023 15:34:53 GMT -5
Just finished reading one of my favorite short stories to the kids - Farmer Giles of Ham by Tolkien. It's a fun one, and I like the style of the illustrations. Made for a nice week of bedtime reading.
|
|
|
|
Post by toshtego on May 4, 2023 19:40:43 GMT -5
I have a lovely old illustrated volume of Milton's Divine Comey. Published in the 1930s and illustrated by Gustave Dore. Inherited from my Great Aunt in 1979. Love that book. Dante Alighieri. John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Although Doré did engravings for Dante's and Milton's works. Right you are. I also have a volume of Milton's Collected Poems illustrated by Dore. From the same Great Aunt. As you see, I am easily confused in my advanced age. The two live side by side on my shelves. |
|
|
|
Post by urbino on May 4, 2023 19:46:03 GMT -5
I would venture to say about 90% of the people who are aware of the Milton book and the Dante book either do not know which is which at all, or can't keep them straight.
|
|
|
|
Post by Plainsman on May 4, 2023 19:49:30 GMT -5
I would venture to say about 90% of the people who are aware of the Milton book and the Dante book either do not know which is which at all, or can't keep them straight. And why should they? They have Rihanna and the Kardahians, et al. |
|
|
|
Post by urbino on May 4, 2023 19:52:53 GMT -5
I would venture to say about 90% of the people who are aware of the Milton book and the Dante book either do not know which is which at all, or can't keep them straight. And why should they? They have Rihanna and the Kardahians, et al. Speaking of the circles of hell . . . |
|
|
|
Post by Plainsman on May 4, 2023 20:00:58 GMT -5
As with money, bad culture drives out good.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ronv69 on May 4, 2023 20:06:55 GMT -5
People who treat a loaned book badly make me think of that chipper in FARGO. I have to say that I'm quite fond of my friends son that committed that sin. I forgave him immediately. Still irritated about the books, but I would never say anything to him. His parents aren't bibliophiles. My son knows better. He won't even fold a dogear on a paperback. |
|
|
|
Post by Ronv69 on May 4, 2023 20:11:35 GMT -5
Dante Alighieri. John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Although Doré did engravings for Dante's and Milton's works. Right you are. I also have a volume of Milton's Collected Poems illustrated by Dore. From the same Great Aunt. As you see, I am easily confused in my advanced age. The two live side by side on my shelves. I have a book of Dore's illustrations of both. I have the books too, but I'll probably never finish them. |
|
|
|
Post by Plainsman on May 4, 2023 20:20:28 GMT -5
Milton is for praising, not reading.
|
|
|
|
Post by toshtego on May 4, 2023 21:02:54 GMT -5
Milton is for praising, not reading. In small doses, easy enough. |
|
|
|
Post by Ronv69 on May 5, 2023 0:37:08 GMT -5
Milton is for praising, not reading. In small doses, easy enough. I just Google quotes by Milton. Uncle Milty cracks me up every time. 😜 |
|
Zach
Pro Member
If you can't send money, send tobacco.
Posts: 4,358
First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
Location:
|
Post by Zach on May 5, 2023 9:33:08 GMT -5
A bit of an aside, but I had noticed the authorization for my payment for the signed copy of Neuromancer had dropped off my checking account. I went to check the Easton Press site, and the book was gone entirely. Growing concerned, I called up Easton Press's customer support number and a woman actually there in Connecticut answers immediately, tells me everything is fine, and that the payment will go through when it ships out Monday. The book is sold out. Easton Press has some excellent customer service!
|
|
Zach
Pro Member
If you can't send money, send tobacco.
Posts: 4,358
First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
Location:
|
Post by Zach on May 5, 2023 9:36:04 GMT -5
Right you are. I also have a volume of Milton's Collected Poems illustrated by Dore. From the same Great Aunt. As you see, I am easily confused in my advanced age. The two live side by side on my shelves. I have a book of Dore's illustrations of both. I have the books too, but I'll probably never finish them. I'm on the 10th canto of Inferno currently. A bit steep to get into, but there was about a 55 page introduction in this book by Robin Kirkpatrick. The introduction was more technical than the poems, however the cadence and phrasing from Dante can be a bit terse, and the introduction explained numerous connections that I might have not made without it. Terse, in the sense that all lines in a canto are short and give little explanation and it helps to read slowly or you'll read entire cantos without understanding who is saying what or what's being said about things. Some of the writing is a bit riddle-ish, but nothing as complex as Shakespeare. It was said by Robin Kirkpatrick that it is not believed that Shakespeare would have ever read Dante's Divine Comedy. |
|
|
|
Post by Ronv69 on May 5, 2023 15:33:42 GMT -5
I know the pertinent ideas of Paradise Lost and Inferno from dozens of other sources. I think it's wonderful for younger people to read them and put in the time and effort to understand them in depth. I just don't have the time, energy or concentration to attempt such a feat anymore. I got through all of Shakespeare and Poe and the Bible, plus many others. I just in it for distraction these days.
I have also read 2 complete sets of encyclopedias, which in many ways were the most fun.
|
|
Zach
Pro Member
If you can't send money, send tobacco.
Posts: 4,358
First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
Location:
|
Post by Zach on May 5, 2023 18:26:22 GMT -5
There are too many factors that sort of, flipped a switch in driving me to start insanely plowing through all the classics. As a part of enlightenment, history, knowing I'm not getting any younger, and hundreds upon hundreds of books I've wanted to read for many years that I just wasn't getting through. I just decided to make it real and start reading every day. I'm trying to read a book a week but it's lately been closer to a book per two weeks as I've been reading a lot of 500-600 pagers and I'm busy as hell all the time with work and family and gardening. So long as I'm alive, I will read the next few hundred classics within the next few years. I will look back in 2026-2028 and be able to say I read all the top 500 classic novels of all time. I'll still throw in mystery/thriller/sci-fi's in between. What I find absolutely nuts is that I don't know anyone else, at all, who reads. You folks here where we have this common thread and share what we're reading, but in real life, nobody reads but my mom and my grandfather. My mom has literally read thousands and thousands of books so maybe I get it from her and my upbringing. Of course some people DO read around here in my city. I run into them at bookstores but generally don't have friends who even read books.
|
|
|
|
Post by toshtego on May 5, 2023 19:00:34 GMT -5
A few old classics on a shelf in my living room.  |
|
|
|
Post by urbino on May 5, 2023 22:24:36 GMT -5
There are too many factors that sort of, flipped a switch in driving me to start insanely plowing through all the classics. As a part of enlightenment, history, knowing I'm not getting any younger, and hundreds upon hundreds of books I've wanted to read for many years that I just wasn't getting through. I just decided to make it real and start reading every day. I'm trying to read a book a week but it's lately been closer to a book per two weeks as I've been reading a lot of 500-600 pagers and I'm busy as hell all the time with work and family and gardening. So long as I'm alive, I will read the next few hundred classics within the next few years. I will look back in 2026-2028 and be able to say I read all the top 500 classic novels of all time. I'll still throw in mystery/thriller/sci-fi's in between. What I find absolutely nuts is that I don't know anyone else, at all, who reads. You folks here where we have this common thread and share what we're reading, but in real life, nobody reads but my mom and my grandfather. My mom has literally read thousands and thousands of books so maybe I get it from her and my upbringing. Of course some people DO read around here in my city. I run into them at bookstores but generally don't have friends who even read books. My observation has been that both novelists and their audience have trended strongly female over the past 20 years. I'd say 90% of what Amazon suggests to me is written by women. There's nothing wrong with women writers. I'm reading Barbara Tuchman at the moment. But it does seem like the pendulum, which was stuck on the male side for a very, very long time, has swung completely the other way. The literary fiction section in the bookstore I used to hang out at every weekend kept getting smaller and smaller and smaller, as the kids' section got bigger and bigger and bigger. I noticed the same happening at the B&N I sometimes perused. I don't blame them for that. If that's what's selling, you gotta make room for more of it. They're not academic libraries. But it does mean there was less and less and less to bring me to the store, till finally I stopped going, altogether. Also, as a single man who goes out alone, I avoid any place where there are lots of kids. Nothing good and much bad can happen to a single man alone in such places. |
|
|
|
Post by mgtarheel on May 10, 2023 9:01:18 GMT -5
Cold Fire by Dustin Stevens
|
|
|
|
Post by Ronv69 on May 10, 2023 12:56:00 GMT -5
Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.
More people die from medical errors than from heart attacks, cancer and strokes, combined.
|
|
|
|
Post by SailorBen on May 10, 2023 13:32:54 GMT -5
Started Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea with the kids this week.
|
|
|
|
Post by Darin on May 11, 2023 11:20:44 GMT -5
Just about finished with The Ultimate Cigar Book: 4th Edition by Richard Carleton Hacker.
|
|
|
|
Post by toshtego on May 11, 2023 14:23:57 GMT -5
Just about finished with The Ultimate Cigar Book: 4th Edition by Richard Carleton Hacker. What did you learn which was not known previously? |
|
|
|
Post by Ronv69 on May 11, 2023 15:01:15 GMT -5
Lieutenant Hornblower by C.S. Forester. Read it before years ago but still a good story. I should have been a sailor.
|
|
