Well, let's get down to it, shall we? My wife bought me an early xmas present, one of those Kindle Fires. It's a pretty nice little device. You can't do any writing on it, but that's about it's only limitation. I've been busy putting free classics on it, cuz damn, I refuse to pay for a virtual book, doncha know? If I'm going to shell out some cash, I want something I can actually hold in my hands. Besides, there are plenty free ones out there. Why, just an hour ago I found these five gems:
- The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus from the 1604 Quarto by Christopher Marlowe
- The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
- A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Yerevich Lermontov
- La-Bas by J. K. Huysmans
- Against the Grain by J. K. Huysmans
Now how cool is that, huh? Pretty good stuff. And it is awfully easy to read on it. I can read in bed, and not disturb my wife. Hmmm, maybe that's why she got it for me?
As to The Recognitions, I'm just about finished. I really don't want to see it end, but Gaddis has really picked up the action in Part III, and I'm having a hard time putting it down. I went ahead and pre-ordered the new Dalkey edition coming out in January, along with their new edition of JR, which is coming out on the same day. And each for only $12! Damn, Dalkey, I luv you guys! I also ordered, and it just came in, The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories by Bruno Schulz. This was recommended by a friend I met on LT (tanks dr. dangle!) but I don't know when I'm going to get to it, as I have a HUGE stack of books I'm dying to read. Damn if I can't decide which one. I told my wife we'd do a readalong with Emma, but I've got to read something else, too! I had been wanting to read Sorrentino's Mulligan's Stew, but couldn't justify cracking it until I took on O'Brien's At Swim-Two-Birds, which I had actually started before The Recogs lured me away. So, maybe I'll return to that. Too many books.
Well, that's all I feel like writing for now. Sorry this wasn't much of a post and if I bored your ass off, I apologize. But I'll do better next time. Promise.
A Kindle Fire, eh? I've never considered all those free books you can get. And reading in the dark would be advantageous. I'm tempted. Maybe someday. I think you'll really like La-Bas. It's satanic!
ReplyDeleteGood stuff, Bubba!
I had a Nook I loved reading free books on, and it was what it was best for. Great stuff - I downloaded EJW Gibb's weird victorian translations of Ottoman and Arabic poetry and found Ivo Andric's doctoral thesis on Bosnian literature. The Nook, though, and a subseuqent Kindle, was grabbed by the kids and serves their needs now. I'm hoping Santa keeps givin' and givin', though. If he does, Huysmans here I come...
ReplyDeleteSam, if I can find the time, I hope to do the readalong on Moby Dick, and I will be doing it on my Kindle.
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