A girl and an older woman were walking along a metaled pathway.-- The Anti-Death League by Kinglsey Amis.
Kingsley Amis is one of my favorite authors. I wanted to read this one in particular because it is on Anthony Burgess's list of his favorite 99 novels.
Also, it was published in 1966, so it counts as one of my books for Hotchpot Cafe's Birth Year Reading Challenge. It may be my only candle, unless I get around to The Comedians by Graham Greene.
Always mean to try Amis but my library doesn't have this one. I suspect satire is his thing and it's not my favourite. I acquired Jake's Thing in a swap but am reluctant when I see college and sex among the tags.
ReplyDeleteMy family were vintner's for the past three generations so I can see how Voodoo Vintners could be interesting to anyone. Always wanted to try Spark but the library doesn't have The Mandelbaum Gate either. I look forward to your thoughts on it. Never tried Hazzard or Trollope. I'm always afraid of getting into light reads, and I need more to my stories. I'll watch for your reviews on them too. I could use a suggestion on the best Trollope you've read. Impressed by the awards on these-and the Durrell. Hope they're good for you. Funny about your name being sooo close to that one protagonist. Looking forward to your review of Carry Yourself Back to Me, though my library doesn't have it either-yet.
I loved Arrowsmith and have read it twice. Mind you, wanting to be a doctor when I was a kid influenced my interest greatly. I see you may read The Black Prince too, I really enjoyed that Murdoch and can recommend it highly.
I didn't do the Chunkster challenge this year myself. I'm not posting a lot because of my health but I'm still reading quite a bit. My last few posts have some really good recommendations. I'm being even pickier now and it's paying off. I must look up books from my birth year (1950) and see what's interesting. I read A Brookner in July too, Altered States, a decent read. I have read several of hers and want to read more. I read my first Boyd recently, The Blue Afternoon, set in the Philippines, and a doctor as a main character, very enjoyable for me. What to read next of his, do you think?
I've added the Man Asian Prize and some African award books to my list of Award Challenges in 2011 and am really hopping right now to get all the Giller (Canada) and Booker shorlists read in time too.
I'm caught up now on reading your posts but will come back sooner in future. :) Take care.
Thank you SO much for the link to the Hotchpot Cafe blog. I love the idea of a birth-year challenge!
ReplyDeleteI like the birth year idea. Wonder what came out in 1940? Yes, they did have books way back then. :D
ReplyDeleteSandra: So nice to hear from you. This is like a letter, not a comment! Amis was not usually a satirist. He played with genres some and this one seemed like a parody, but not satire. I'm not a fan of satire myself.
ReplyDeleteI've only read two Joanna Trollope books so far. I preferred Marrying the Mistress to Girl From the South, but that's as much as I can offer. Both were entertaining, but not fluffy light. They gave you something to think about.
OK, enough. Now I'm just coming over to visit your blog and will catch up more there.
Debbie: I hope you decide to do the Birth Year challenge. I am fascinated by it, even though I haven't read many books either year I've done it.
Barbara: Yes, I'm sure they did! :) In fact, Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath won the Pulitzer in 1940. A good place to start.