What are You Reading Now?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

milk

Lifer
Sep 21, 2022
1,070
2,719
Japan
I've read only the Pevear / Volokhonsky translations for all of the major novels. If you should decide to read their version of Brothers next time, I'd be interested to hear how you think it compares with Garnett. My understanding is the P/V translation is supposed to be truer to Dostoevsky's writing style.

And just for yucks, if you've never seen them, you might check out the 1958 film version of Brothers with Yul Brynner as Dmitri, and William Shatner as Alyosha LOL. It's actually not too awful.

And the 1935 version of C&P with Peter Lorre as Raskolnikov LOL. This one is better than the above imo, and actually sort of manages to capture the spirit of the novel, at least to some degree...is worth watching.
I really want to try this translation for something. I read all these Russian novels as a young man probably in pretty "bad" translations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brian64

warren99

Lifer
Aug 16, 2010
2,321
27,302
California
It's the 4th that I've gotten to, thus far:
I've read The Brothers Karamazov (several times), as well as Crime and Punishment and Notes from the Underground.

Brothers is among my favorite books of all time, and I intend to read it every so often for the rest of my life.
C&P was very valuable, but a one time read. I wouldn't want to read it again, but I'm glad that I did once.
Underground was far less valuable to me. I don't mind that I read it, but I'm not highly recommending it either.

Now I'm into Demons and although I havent finished it yet, it's shaping up to give C&P a run for its money as #2 for me.

I also intend to read The Idiot, but from reviews I think that it may not seem much more valuable to me than Underground.
Dostoevsky is one of my favorite novelists and I thoroughly enjoyed the three novels you mentioned having read yourself—Crime and Punishment being my personal favorite—however, I must confess that like some other reviewers, I didn’t find The Idiot to be my cup of tea. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t be dissuaded from giving it a try. I haven’t read The Demons, aka The Possessed, but it is on my bucket list. I’d be curious to know your thoughts once you finish it.
 

MartyA

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2024
111
352
74
Iowa
I just recently finished "An Account of the Revd. John Flamsteed" by Francis Baily.

My book is a 1966 facsimile copy of the original written in 1835 with a suppliment written in 1837. Written in the language of the day, it was sometimes a rather heavy slog, but well worth the effort. The actual biography is covered in about 150 pages, followed by a 500 plus page appendix giving letters written by and to Flamsteed, the first astronomer royal of Greenwich Observatory. This is followed by the 1837 supplement concentrating on what could be called the feud between Flamsteed and Isaac Newton and Edmund Halley.

I LOVE these old history books mainly because they often include the old personal letters, because one gets to know the writers almost personally. While there were sources of personal conflict between the three legendary men, I've come to the conclusion that plain old personality differences were the main cause of most of the animosity.

While the long treck through so many old letters written in the language of the day in rather small print was sometimes a bit much, smoking a pipe makes me slow down, and gave me the patience to really enjoy this thing.
 

Attachments

  • Flamsteed Book  (2).jpg
    Flamsteed Book (2).jpg
    149.9 KB · Views: 3

khiddy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 21, 2024
251
1,432
South Bend, Indiana
blog.hallenius.org
I just finished listening to the LibriVox production of JM Barrie’s My Lady Nicotine: A Study in Smoke. It’s an uneven collection of essays, overall very funny but a bunch of indecipherable asides. The performances by the volunteer readers are varied as one might imagine, but I applaud the effort and can recommend it overall as a lovely companion to a few bowls of delicious tobacco. Definitely made me want to track down a tin of Arcadia Mixture, which apparently was Craven Mixture, now long gone. (Word is that McClelland’s version of Arcadia was apparently not at all a match, and that C&D’s Yale Mixture is closer.)


Also, don’t miss the illustrations as seen in the Project Gutenberg edition:
 

kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
15,022
25,467
77
Olathe, Kansas
I am reading Lily Harper Hart's "Witch is The New Black". It is a charming detective series which is based in New Orleans and features a detective who is a shape shifter and a civilian female who is a witch.

Witch Is the New Black: A Supernatural Speakeasy Cozy Mystery, Book 4
 
  • Like
Reactions: occidentalist

kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
15,022
25,467
77
Olathe, Kansas
I am reading one of the "Harper Harlow" mysteries. These stories are charming in a sort of innocent way. The 28-year-old Harper is "ghost hunter". She is a rare human who can see and talk to ghosts. The books are authored by Lily Harper Hart. The mysteries run about 200 pages, and you can usually figure them out yourself. Cast of characters is Harper, her boyfriend Jared (a 30-year-old police detective, and Zander her staunchly gay best friend, later they are by a fourth person who is Zander's boyfriend. The sex in the books between Harper and Jared is definitely there but well-toned down and is never explicit.

5/5

Ghostly Tricks (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 8)
https://www.amazon.com/sspa/click?i...2160bccb35&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw
 

khiddy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 21, 2024
251
1,432
South Bend, Indiana
blog.hallenius.org
Next up in my listening. "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," a series of radio plays produced by Jim Frank Productions out of the Seattle area. A collection of mostly original stories inspired by references in the original Holmesian canon. As I've found before, Holmes and Watson make nice companions to an evening on the patio with a pipe in hand.


Screenshot 2024-09-24 at 4.44.35 PM.png
 

MartyA

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2024
111
352
74
Iowa
Early last week I finished reading "Astronomy for the Layman," by Frank Reh. It's a 1936 book, and for the most part, if you've read one or two outdated astronomy 'science" books from a certain period, you've read them all. However, what sold me this one is that he goes on for more than a hundred pages talking about the constellations... My first astronomical love. Not real heavy on the mythology, which is fine by me, but things that an amateur can step outside and see. I love this stuff. And to give the book a certain charm from the past, he describes the sky as shown by a lecturer in a planetarium (a wonder of the day,) with one of those old lighted arrow pointers they used to use. :)

This isn't a rare or valuable book by any means, so I intend to improve it for myself by adding more star names to the rather crude charts. And I'd like to think that might charm some future reader when the book gets REALLY old. "Hey, look what some guy did in here with a fountain pen..."
 

Attachments

  • Astronomy for Laymen  (3).jpg
    Astronomy for Laymen (3).jpg
    264.8 KB · Views: 4

FLDRD

Lifer
Oct 13, 2021
2,077
8,248
Arkansas
The Indoctrinated Brain:

"written by Michael Nehls, MD, PhD, and Naomi Wolf, is a thought-provoking book that exposes the subtle yet insidious ways in which our brains are being manipulated and controlled. The authors argue that a global attack on mental freedom is underway, and that our brains are being damaged by various factors, including: ...

Issues that are verboten to state here on our forum...

"The Indoctrinated Brain is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex interplay between neuroscience, sociology, and politics. It offers a unique perspective on the global attack on mental freedom and provides practical advice for individuals seeking to maintain their autonomy and critical thinking skills."

Personally, I find it fascinating and am enjoying it very much. I have an appropriate background to understand much of the otherwise complex explanations regarding the human experience. I will likely immediately re-read it upon completion, which is something I very rarely do, but I would like to incorporate more of it to memory than simply to have read and understood it.

I'd like to give some copies as gifts but have too few friends that I think could properly digest it... Right now most of my friends are happenstance acquaintances with random points of similarity and social interactions that fulfill my current "needs" for friendship.

Perhaps in future years when I find I may have been able to retire and have greater time on my hands, I'll seek out deeper friendships with whom I can share deeper issues such as are found within this book.

Also:
The Grand Biocentric Design
In which all my wonderings about Quantum Physics and the implications upon the human experience are evaluated and answers postulated. (The 3rd of a series of 3 separate books, written over several years as things evolved. If you're a newbie to the topic, begin with the first.)

But sometimes I'll be found listening to audiobooks of Sherlock Holmes, or watching some old series of same, or Hercule Poirot or similar. And soon I'll be listening to some spooky stories while in my garage smoking my pipe with the chill air of the night & sky from the open door...

I'm all over the place.