Saturday, April 11, 2020

#1920Club


Monday is the start of Kaggsy's and Simon's 1920 Club and as usual for such an occasion, I've heaped up a pile of books which I will not entirely read...


Starting with the book next to Hubert, that's:

James Gibbons Huneker's Painted Veils

Huneker was an American critic who died in 1921. I've read a good deal of his non-fiction--he's unjustly neglected, I think--writing well on classical music, painting and literature, with tastes that are quite progressive and European-oriented for his time. I've never read his novel, though I've had it for years. His autobiography Steeplejack also came out in 1920 and it's available online. Just in case I haven't got enough to read...

John Galsworthy's In Chancery

Another volume I've had for years. In Chancery is the second book in The Forsyte Saga and came out in 1920. I can't read that without reading The Man of Property, the first volume first, right? So I'm in the middle of that currently. I was going to have finished it earlier, but oh, well. I'm enjoying it.

Joseph Conrad's The Rescue -

One of three novels about Captain Lingard, together with Almayer's Folly and An Outcast of the Islands. It's the last composed and late in Conrad's career, but chronologically the first of the three stories about Lingard.

Karel Čapek's R.U.R. -

Czech author Karel Čapek's play is the origin of the word robot. The play was published in 1920, though the first production was in 1921. I've read this before but not (I think) in this translation. I read Act I standing in line outside the grocery store earlier today (sigh) and it's everything I remembered.

What looks good to you?

Thanks to Simon and Kaggsy for hosting!

14 comments:

  1. Yes! You should read the first volume of the Galsworthy first. And then, also, "Indian Summer of a Forsyte" (1918). It's a real series, not just loosely thematically etc.

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    1. About 2/3rds through the first one at the moment. I'm pretty impressed so far. My volume has Indian Summer in it immediately afterwards and before In Chancery.

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  2. i thought "Rescue" was a bit weak compared to the other two. i wish there was more Capek in translation... the one he wrote about the newts taking over the earth was bogglingly good...

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    1. War With The Newts is such a great book. I'll probably talk myself into rereading it after R.U.R. which does feel a bit like a dry-run for War With The Newts.

      Catbird Press re-issued a bunch of Capek in the 90s I think. I have a shelf of them. I don't know if they're still in print, though. I prefer their translation of Newts (by Edward Oser) to the original Weatherall translation.

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    2. Some of Catbird's Čapek titles are still in print in paperback editions. All of them are available as e-books, some of them on Amazon, but all of them on the Catbird Press website.

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    3. Good news! I'd been hunting Capek for years in used bookstores when Catbird brought them out, some in new translations. I pretty much bought them all--and the one I didn't, Apocryphal Tales, I should think about getting now, because my copy is so beat up.

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  3. I read The Man of Property in 2017 and so was perfectly poised to read In Chancery for the club. The two books back to back will work perfectly, however. I suspect I should get on book three soon for some closure.

    I wasn't as ambitious as you so that is the only book I read for the club this time 'round.

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    1. I noticed you read it but I'll probably hold off reading your review until after I finish it myself. I finished The Man of Property last night, and have only just started In Chancery.

      My ambition may only extend to taking a photograph...I doubt I'll actually manage all four this week. But I have reread R.U.R.

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  4. And when you have finished the whole Galsworthy series, you can look forward to watching the series (I think it's available on Hoopla here too, sometimes it is, I believe -- it's also available on disc, and the public libraries will likely reopen by the time you finish reading the series anyway)! There's an older British series which was on when I was young but I much prefer the one from the early 2000s.

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    1. I haven't seen either series, but was thinking about watching them after I'd finished reading. I think both series (?) also cover A Modern Comedy, the second trilogy as well so it may be a while...Hoopla would be convenient, though by the time I finish all six novels (I hope!) the library will be open again.

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  5. I've always been intrigued by R.U.R.

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    1. It is a fun one. Plays can be a bit tricky to read, but still.

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  6. If I had had a little more time and energy, I would have loved to join in! I'd vote for In Chancery. I have about 3 of these Galsworthy books just waiting to be read. Hope you have a wonderful challenge! I'll be looking forward to your reviews!

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    1. I've had that compact Galsworthy on my shelves for a zillion years. I put it on my Classics Club list to make me read it. And now it's really happening!

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