Before vanishing off to Aberystwyth for an untrammelled episode of joy, it's time to expound once again on the books currently making up the reading piles, those piles that change so slowly except for the chosen few that rush by quickly. On the other hand, you could always wait for tomorrow's cover post, which I've already almost completely forgotten about, or go outside and throw apple cores at passing trees. 'What are the trees passing for?', you ask? I'm not sure, but the answer is probably not 'lemon cordial'.
'Groucho, Harpo, Chico and sometimes Zeppo' by Joe Adamson
A fascinating work which concentrates mainly on the movies of the brothers Marx, and their genesis. Sometimes very funny, but it does jump the readers to some conclusions about the latter movies being awful pretty quickly. Extremely well researched, and probably the greatest reference for the movies.
'Joan Of Arc' by Mark Twain
This is surprisingly good, but keeps getting derailed by other books stomping in. Twain really seems to have found a wonderful middle ground here, casting aside his often over-laboured satire for a well researched, funny, and entertaining pseudo-biography of Joan of Arc. Ah, that Paladin is a jolly good chap, isn't he?
'The Illustrated And Complete Brigadier Gerard' by Arthur Conan Doyle
Barely begun, but already my second favourite Doyle stories behind the Sherlocks. Is there anyone more pompous than Gerard? Is there? Answers on a postcard, please. As always, no prize! Supposedly a parody of the French in general, that will have to be proven by reading more, and more, and more...
'Journey To The West' (Volume 2) by Wu Cheng'en
Nothing has changed here since the last 'Book Piles', but the first volume was so lovely that it won't take long to get to it.
'The Voyage Of The Beagle' by Charles Darwin
More non-fiction, and another one that keeps getting pushed aside for things just added. However, it's always interesting, and hopefully I'll get to the Galapagos Islands within the decade. Which decade? Only you can tell.
'Jokes And Their Relation To The Unconscious' by Sigmund Freud
What happened? I was enjoying it so much, and then poof! Put down, only to remain down. I blame the Marx Brothers. It's really good, though, so it will get read before Jung's 'Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious' re-enters the mix. Analysing humour can be very instructive.
'Kidnap In The Caribbean' by Lauren St John
Languishing at the bottom of the pile, this will be brushed up again quickly. I sensed something tedious about to happen, and started to think about almost anything else instead.
'The Woman In White' by Wilkie Collins
A welcome re-read of the classic after the arduous first reading of 'Armadale' and the much nicer first experience with 'No Name'. Will it be as good this time? Only time will tell? 'The Moonstone' will follow.
O.
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