Two books from the publishers and sent to me via NetGalley today, one great and one not as expected and not so great. I don’t even know if I can write the second one down in my journal as being finished or DNF as I think I’ve read slightly less than half of it properly …
Rolf Potts – “Souvenir”
(Jan 2018 – ebook)
Exciting Shiny New Books news for this one – my review of “Souvenir” is available now. It was a great book, recommended by my friend (pusher / enabler) Cari, and I think the series looks really interesting in itself. Do pop over and have a read – Shiny are also sharing all sorts of archive stuff as they’ve reached the grand old age of four!
Thank you to the publisher for choosing me to read this one.
Paul Theroux – “Figures in a Landscape”
(26 March 2018)
I thought this was a book of his travel writing, which I do love, but there was more literary criticism than I was prepared for, unfortunately all about writers I’m not really interested in (Maugham, Hunter S. Thompson, Thoreau (of whom he’s very critical). There was a lovely piece about Oliver Sacks and some nastiness about Britain; the piece on Hawaii was very interesting and it’s important to read about how messed up Africa has become but that was upsetting without any form of redemption. I nearly gave up at the long portrait of a New York dominatrix, but the book is, for me, good in parts like the curate’s egg.
This book was published on 08 May 2018. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me read it in return for an honest review.
Rebecca Foster
May 09, 2018 @ 12:36:27
I’ve read one from that Object Lessons series, Dust. I think they’re all quite philosophical. I’ve never read any Theroux, though I have a couple of his travel classics on the shelf. There’s a recent ‘interview via books’ with him on Lit Hub that I enjoyed, though: http://bookmarks.reviews/paul-theroux-five-books-to-take-on-the-road/.
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Liz Dexter
May 09, 2018 @ 13:15:02
Yes, the Potts was quite thoughtful and philosophical but also very entertaining. I will definitely pick up others if I see them. Theroux is a great travel writer but this left me a little cold, unfortunately – too many dead white male novelists in the mix! Thanks for the link, that was really interesting. I agree with him on The Worst Journey in the World!
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Cari
May 11, 2018 @ 18:55:34
Ooh I’ll have to look for Dust. Sounds interesting. I liked Souvenir, baggage. Didn’t care much for Burger.
Liz – yeah, this Theroux was a challenge to say the least.” Weird meanderings of a cranky old man” per a friend
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Liz Dexter
May 12, 2018 @ 05:37:41
Yes, indeed, also very repetitive, which is a bit weird, as surely people will read the book right through. Hoping Deep South will be better!
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Cari
May 14, 2018 @ 14:09:01
It is, for sure. Then again you like some of his that I don’t so curious wht you think. BTW, can you access the Shiny link for Souvenir? Hasn’t worked for me today or Friday
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Liz Dexter
May 14, 2018 @ 14:13:48
Yes, just clicked through from here on http://shinynewbooks.co.uk/souvenir-by-rolf-potts/
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Cari
May 18, 2018 @ 02:48:30
Finally remembered to check from home. Works from here but not work or my phone, weird
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kaggsysbookishramblings
May 09, 2018 @ 14:46:23
I like the sound of the Potts a lot. However, Theroux sounds more of a mixed back. I’ve tried to read his travel writing in the past but never really warmed to him in the way I did to say Eric Newby. Obvs this is not one to start with….. š
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Liz Dexter
May 09, 2018 @ 15:01:40
Oh no, he’s a curmudgeonly old whatsit but I kind of love that about him. But not in this.
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hopewellslibraryoflife
May 09, 2018 @ 19:33:34
I couldn’t really finish Theroux’s novel, The Lower River, and haven’t tried his books since. He was “hero” of sorts when I was in Peace Corps. He was responsible for getting PC thrown out of the country (if legend is to be believed). I do love most of his travel books, htough Kingdom by the Sea wasn’t as interesting as some of the others. A Dominatrix ….. he’s really grasphing for sales isn’t he?
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Liz Dexter
May 10, 2018 @ 15:22:26
I’ve never liked his novels but I do love his travel writing. Which is handy, as I have Deep South coming up on the TBR. And I have heard that about the PC, very interesting. The dominatrix piece must have been for a paper or something but it was quite tedious really!
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hopewellslibraryoflife
May 10, 2018 @ 16:52:44
I’m really sick of topics like the dominatrix. Most of us go thru life quite happily never encountering such things. #prudeinredstate lol
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DoingDewey
May 10, 2018 @ 05:04:20
I’ve definitely ended up reading nonfiction that turned out to be more literary criticism than I signed on for before! I have to admit that names escape me. Maybe The Futilitarians, although it wasn’t much of a surprise there. I’m sure there are better examples š
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Liz Dexter
May 10, 2018 @ 15:23:16
I suppose if I’d looked at the description more carefully it did say it was people and places and mentioned SOME authors. I thought it would be more people IN places. Oh well!
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Wendy
May 14, 2018 @ 13:18:05
I wonder if Paul Theroux thought everyone would be enthralled with his rambling thoughts?
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Liz Dexter
May 14, 2018 @ 14:14:26
I think he’s either got a bit arrogant or his publisher or agent decided to pull this stuff together. It’s all been published elsewhere but is probably less tiring in individual pieces!
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