Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club December 2011 Vote

[caleb72]

I know we're not starting the discussion yet, but just wanted to say that I'm enjoying the stories so far. I don't know if I'll read more than Beasts and Super-Beasts for the book club read, but the stories are a bit of fun.

My reading is quite often heavy. Nice to have something a little lighter every once in a while.

[fantasyfan]

I feel the same way.

BTW I found "The Cobweb" to be an interesting piece. But I'll save my thoughts on it and other stories until the discussion.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

I feel the same way.

BTW I found "The Cobweb" to be an interesting piece. But I'll save my thoughts on it and other stories until the discussion.

Just read that one last night. I'll be interested to read what you have to write about it.

[sun surfer]

I bought "The Complete Short Stories of Saki". It's a little over 400 pages. For now I'm going in order from the beginning, which seem to be all Reginald stories at first.

So I have finished reading all of the stories in the collection Beasts and Super-Beasts as well as specifically seeking out Sredni Vashtar and The Lumber Room based on fantasyfan's original recommendation for Saki's works. I must say that I found the stories quite different from what I was expecting given fantsyfan's biography of Saki and description of his work, and given that I had no previous knowledge of the author. I look forward to reading the comments that come in on this selection.

[fantasyfan]

If anyone is interested, here is a short and rather basic general commentary on Saki {including some references for further reading} which nonetheless throws out some interesting {but by no means completely complimentary} ideas about him.

Strangely, Saki was a conservative supporter of the Empire and still deeply critical of the Edwardian society it produced which he contemptuously portrayed with a veiled but malicious innuendo. I've also become aware of a streak of cruelty in his writing--but perhaps it's better to save that until the discussion.


http://kirjasto.sci.fi/saki.htm

[caleb72]

I finished Beasts and Super-Beasts. I'm not sure exactly what to say in the discussion thread.

Thanks fantasyfan for nominating this author. I had never heard of him and although I may not avidly pursue works outside of the core text, I have enjoyed my time with Saki.

[fantasyfan]

Just a bit of trivia . . . Today is Saki's birthday.

[sun surfer]

Happy new year! I'll be posting the discussion thread later today; would anyone like to lead the discussion?

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by issybird

The Daughter of Time is a stand-alone effort. Even though the detective appears in other Tey novels, there's no way this book can be considered to be part of a series.

I had time this month to read the nomination as well as The Daughter of Time. I enjoyed it and will seek out more of the series. It was interesting to compare this book with other historical fiction novels that I have read regarding the Princes in the Tower. I can confirm that one can read this book without detriment if you have not read any of the other Tey novels. One is able to get a good feel for each of the characters that are introduced regardless of knowing their past escapades.