What book are you reading?

[LittleCupcakes]

The Frodo Franchise-Kristin Thompson

It's about movie-making, money-making, power, and The Lord of the Rings. It's killer, natch.

[Benno]

nostromo- joseph conrad
one hundred years of solitude - gabriel garcia marquez
dracula - bram stoker
generation of swine- hunter s thompson

[runjohnnyrun]

Just finished No Country For Old Men and am now into Blood Meridian. Cormac McCarthy sure likes guns and guts.

[Christine]

No Country For Old Men

"It's no place for the old":

There was a suggestion a while ago that this line had something to do with Yeats's "Sailing to Byzantium". Both the book (?) and the film apparently take their title from the poem. Neither seems to be particularly related to "Fairytale of New York" but the lines have to me such a similar ring to them. Is this perhaps too random an association?

[philipchevron]

No Country For Old Men

"It's no place for the old":

There was a suggestion a while ago that this line had something to do with Yeats's "Sailing to Byzantium". Both the book (?) and the film apparently take their title from the poem. Neither seems to be particularly related to "Fairytale of New York" but the lines have to me such a similar ring to them. Is this perhaps too random an association?

Then again, Fairytale of New York itself (the phrase) has very little to do with A Fairytale Of New York (the play/novel). It's something I do myself - using a vaguely resonant reference to enhance allusiveness in a lyric, with no special design that it will cast additional light on the lyric itself. A writer seeks the mood, or the temperature, or some other desirable aspect of the work, and uses whatever means are at his or her disposal to create a sort of emotional shorthand.

Alternatively, not.

In other words, I don't know the answer to the question. So much stuff is lurking in the head of a well-read writer, but the phrase could just as easily have been the quickest route to establishing the location, the time of year and the (in this instance desirable) pure rhyme.

[Shaz]

I've got rugby World Cup withdrawal symptoms already.

Got two books on the go at the moment -- Alison Kervin's history of the rugby World Cup as far as 2003, and Denise Mina's Garnethill (crime fiction set in Glasgow).

[Michaelo]

Back From The Brink- Paul McGrath

[Christine]

No Country For Old Men

Then again, Fairytale of New York itself (the phrase) has very little to do with A Fairytale Of New York (the play/novel). It's something I do myself - using a vaguely resonant reference to enhance allusiveness in a lyric, with no special design that it will cast additional light on the lyric itself. A writer seeks the mood, or the temperature, or some other desirable aspect of the work, and uses whatever means are at his or her disposal to create a sort of emotional shorthand.

Alternatively, not.

In other words, I don't know the answer to the question. So much stuff is lurking in the head of a well-read writer, but the phrase could just as easily have been the quickest route to establishing the location, the time of year and the (in this instance desirable) pure rhyme.

Thanks, Philip, yes, I imagined it was not as straightforward as a direct quote, more the mood and atmosphere and general ring. Perhaps it is enough if the resonance is in the audience's mind instead of in the writer's. Lots of subliminal stuff floating around.

Speaking of ring: did you get to hear the Rhinemaidens yet (in both senses)? Did they live up to the reviews?

[philipchevron]

No Country For Old Men

Then again, Fairytale of New York itself (the phrase) has very little to do with A Fairytale Of New York (the play/novel). It's something I do myself - using a vaguely resonant reference to enhance allusiveness in a lyric, with no special design that it will cast additional light on the lyric itself. A writer seeks the mood, or the temperature, or some other desirable aspect of the work, and uses whatever means are at his or her disposal to create a sort of emotional shorthand.

Alternatively, not.

In other words, I don't know the answer to the question. So much stuff is lurking in the head of a well-read writer, but the phrase could just as easily have been the quickest route to establishing the location, the time of year and the (in this instance desirable) pure rhyme.

Thanks, Philip, yes, I imagined it was not as straightforward as a direct quote, more the mood and atmosphere and general ring. Perhaps it is enough if the resonance is in the audience's mind instead of in the writer's. Lots of subliminal stuff floating around.

Speaking of ring: did you get to hear the Rhinemaidens yet (in both senses)? Did they live up to the reviews?

I'm seeing the Cycle starting Friday. The kind people at the ROH have been good enough to give me a free upgrade in the light of my hearing difficulties. Although I had great seats, they were bought before my misfortune and were not ideal, geographically. I am now in the Royal Box. Considering I had to give away my tickets for the Metropolitan Opera New York Cycle earlier this year, I am especialy looking forward to this. I've already seen the Gotterdamerung section in stand-alone mode and can vouch for the strange effectiveness of this production.

[Christine]

I am now in the Royal Box.

Ideological qualms aside, that should be great!

Glad to hear they are helpful.

[philipchevron]

I am now in the Royal Box.

Ideological qualms aside, that should be great!

Oh, she never uses it, you know. On the rare occsions she can be dragged to Covent Garden, she sits at the front of the Grand Tier instead.

[TheIrishRover]

I just read The Epic of the Cid, a Spanish epic poem, and ''The Overcoat'' by Gogol. I've also just begun delving into a history of the Balkans by Misha Glenny.

[philipchevron]

GOOD VIBRATIONS autobiography of Evelyn Glennie

[Christine]

''The Overcoat'' by Gogol

I absolutely love Akakii Akakevich!

Peter Schneider, The Wall Jumper, slightly surreal. Well introduced by Ian McEwan.

[Gurrier]

Luke Kelly: A Memoir