Literary Free Falling • February 2019 - Page 2

sun surfer · 02-05-2019, 03:12 AM

Heh! Yes, it was part of a run-off in the lit club too but longer ago.

sun surfer · 02-05-2019, 03:59 AM

Nominations are complete and voting is now open!

Voting will close exactly four days from this post.

Each person has ELEVEN votes to use.

Bookworm_Girl · 02-06-2019, 06:26 PM

What a list! It will be tough to decide. I think the publishing dates are interesting.

AnotherCat · 02-07-2019, 04:30 PM

First 2 choices are easy for me, they are already on my "to read" list:

Prisoner: 2 votes
Picnic at Hanging Rock: 2 votes

Then gets tough:

Appointment in Samarra: 2 votes
Still Alice: 2 votes
Monsieur Monde Vanishes: 2 votes
Darkness at Noon: 1 vote

Hope I understood the voting rules correctly (no one else gives me 11 votes for anything so thought I'd make the most of it here

)

sun surfer · 02-07-2019, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

What a list! It will be tough to decide. I think the publishing dates are interesting.

Yes, they are. There's seven different decades represented here covering a wide variety from the 1890s to now. There's also nine different countries represented!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Hope I understood the voting rules correctly (no one else gives me 11 votes for anything so thought I'd make the most of it here

)

Yes, you seem to have understood them perfectly!

sun surfer · 02-08-2019, 11:04 AM

There's about 17 hours left for voting!

This is really an embarrassment of riches. I've sampled them all and there's so many good choices.

I've seen two of these- Equus and Still Alice. I've seen the film of Still Alice and I've seen Equus twice- the 70s film version and a live production in London with Daniel Radcliffe and his fellow Harry Potter co-star Richard Griffiths. I've never read either though. I've also seen the film of Revolutionary Road which is based on another book by Richard Yates, but haven't read any of his books.

It could be interesting to read a play as we haven't for the lit club in many years (the last was Arms and the Man from 2012), and it would be something to have a play selection the month after having a poetry selection since we haven't had either in so long... But I'd be just as happy with any of the other books too! A good many of these are already on my to-read list and the ones that aren't look quite interesting too.

Here's my initial votes:

-1 vote to The Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate
-1 vote to Life of Galileo
-1 vote to Equus
-1 vote to Darkness at Noon
-1 vote to A Bend in the River
-1 vote to Prisoner
-1 vote to Reasons to Stay Alive
-1 vote to Monsieur Monde Vanishes
-1 vote to Picnic at Hanging Rock

That leaves me with two votes which I'm not sure yet if I'll use or not.

sun surfer · 02-08-2019, 12:47 PM

I don't want to edit my previous post since it's a vote post but want to add that I've actually seen three of these, not two, the third being the 70s film adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock.

sun surfer · 02-08-2019, 03:17 PM

I'll give one more vote to Equus.

Bookworm_Girl · 02-09-2019, 12:18 AM

An embarrassment of riches indeed! Here are my votes.

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. Votes 2
The Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate by Dmitry Merezhkovsky. Votes 1
Equus by Peter Shaffer. Votes 1
Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler, Votes 1
Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara. Votes 2
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. Votes 1
Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Votes 2
Disturbing the Peace by Richard Yates, Votes 1

Spinnenmonat · 02-09-2019, 03:10 AM

2 to Merezhkovsky
2 to Brecht
2 to Shaffer
1 to Naipaul

sun surfer · 02-09-2019, 10:21 AM

Initial voting is complete and we have a tie! This means we'll have a run-off between:

-Equus by Peter Shaffer
-Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

Run-off voting is now open!

Voting will close exactly TWO DAYS from this post.

Each person has ONE vote to use.

Bookworm_Girl · 02-09-2019, 10:23 AM

Both sound interesting. I’m going to vote for Picnic at Hanging Rock.

sun surfer · 02-09-2019, 11:21 AM

Wow, you were ready to go!

I'm going to think on my vote since these were two of my top choices. I've seen them both and really like them both, and they're very different. Equus is a more brutal play about psychology and religion. Picnic at Hanging Rock is I think the softest of all the 'free falls' offered this month but only because of its mysteriousness, though I can't say more without crossing into spoiler territory for those unfamiliar with the story. I'm not sure how different the book is from the film but I'm guessing the tone is similar between the two. There is one thing both nominations have in common though- desires, whether overt or repressed, and perhaps budding sexuality (for better or for worse). It may be a stretch but seeing them together in the run-off makes me think that in that way I guess it could be said they approach some of the same tertiary themes albeit from opposite sides, Equus from a more violent, direct, masculine approach and Picnic at Hanging Rock from a softer, more mysterious, feminine approach.

All that said, I don't remember either perfectly. I haven't seen either in over a decade and large chunks of both are missing from my memory, so whichever we read I'm sure I'll be rediscovering.

Bookworm_Girl · 02-09-2019, 03:17 PM

I didn't realize I posted so quickly.

I will be happy with either book. I voted for Picnic at Hanging Rock for the selfish reason that it's been on my TBR for ages and ages! Also I really want to watch the recent TV series but not until I read the book.

AnotherCat · 02-09-2019, 07:23 PM

I'll vote for Picnic at Hanging Rock.

It's been on my "to read" list for sometime. Our daughter has a friend who lives near the real Hanging Rock in Victoria, Australia. Last time she was over there visiting I tried to get her to go and see the rock, but apparently she found more interesting things to do (I shouldn't pretend to be surprised

).

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02-05-2019, 03:12 AM	#16
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Heh! Yes, it was part of a run-off in the lit club too but longer ago.

02-05-2019, 03:59 AM	#17
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Nominations are complete and voting is now open! Voting will close exactly four days from this post. Each person has ELEVEN votes to use.

02-06-2019, 06:26 PM	#18
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	What a list! It will be tough to decide. I think the publishing dates are interesting.

02-07-2019, 04:30 PM	#19
AnotherCat .... Posts: 1,547 Karma: 18068960 Join Date: May 2012 Device: ....	First 2 choices are easy for me, they are already on my "to read" list: Prisoner: 2 votes Picnic at Hanging Rock: 2 votes Then gets tough: Appointment in Samarra: 2 votes Still Alice: 2 votes Monsieur Monde Vanishes: 2 votes Darkness at Noon: 1 vote Hope I understood the voting rules correctly (no one else gives me 11 votes for anything so thought I'd make the most of it here )

02-08-2019, 11:04 AM	#21
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	There's about 17 hours left for voting! This is really an embarrassment of riches. I've sampled them all and there's so many good choices. I've seen two of these- Equus and Still Alice. I've seen the film of Still Alice and I've seen Equus twice- the 70s film version and a live production in London with Daniel Radcliffe and his fellow Harry Potter co-star Richard Griffiths. I've never read either though. I've also seen the film of Revolutionary Road which is based on another book by Richard Yates, but haven't read any of his books. It could be interesting to read a play as we haven't for the lit club in many years (the last was Arms and the Man from 2012), and it would be something to have a play selection the month after having a poetry selection since we haven't had either in so long... But I'd be just as happy with any of the other books too! A good many of these are already on my to-read list and the ones that aren't look quite interesting too. Here's my initial votes: -1 vote to The Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate -1 vote to Life of Galileo -1 vote to Equus -1 vote to Darkness at Noon -1 vote to A Bend in the River -1 vote to Prisoner -1 vote to Reasons to Stay Alive -1 vote to Monsieur Monde Vanishes -1 vote to Picnic at Hanging Rock That leaves me with two votes which I'm not sure yet if I'll use or not.

02-08-2019, 12:47 PM	#22
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	I don't want to edit my previous post since it's a vote post but want to add that I've actually seen three of these, not two, the third being the 70s film adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock.

02-08-2019, 03:17 PM	#23
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	I'll give one more vote to Equus.

02-09-2019, 12:18 AM	#24
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	An embarrassment of riches indeed! Here are my votes. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. Votes 2 The Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate by Dmitry Merezhkovsky. Votes 1 Equus by Peter Shaffer. Votes 1 Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler, Votes 1 Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara. Votes 2 Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. Votes 1 Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Votes 2 Disturbing the Peace by Richard Yates, Votes 1

02-09-2019, 03:10 AM	#25
Spinnenmonat Guru Posts: 606 Karma: 2058508 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Wien Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 Kindle Voyage 3G	2 to Merezhkovsky 2 to Brecht 2 to Shaffer 1 to Naipaul

02-09-2019, 10:21 AM	#26
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Initial voting is complete and we have a tie! This means we'll have a run-off between: -Equus by Peter Shaffer -Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay Run-off voting is now open! Voting will close exactly TWO DAYS from this post. Each person has ONE vote to use.

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02-09-2019, 10:23 AM	#27
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Both sound interesting. I’m going to vote for Picnic at Hanging Rock.

02-09-2019, 11:21 AM	#28
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Wow, you were ready to go! I'm going to think on my vote since these were two of my top choices. I've seen them both and really like them both, and they're very different. Equus is a more brutal play about psychology and religion. Picnic at Hanging Rock is I think the softest of all the 'free falls' offered this month but only because of its mysteriousness, though I can't say more without crossing into spoiler territory for those unfamiliar with the story. I'm not sure how different the book is from the film but I'm guessing the tone is similar between the two. There is one thing both nominations have in common though- desires, whether overt or repressed, and perhaps budding sexuality (for better or for worse). It may be a stretch but seeing them together in the run-off makes me think that in that way I guess it could be said they approach some of the same tertiary themes albeit from opposite sides, Equus from a more violent, direct, masculine approach and Picnic at Hanging Rock from a softer, more mysterious, feminine approach. All that said, I don't remember either perfectly. I haven't seen either in over a decade and large chunks of both are missing from my memory, so whichever we read I'm sure I'll be rediscovering.

02-09-2019, 03:17 PM	#29
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	I didn't realize I posted so quickly. I will be happy with either book. I voted for Picnic at Hanging Rock for the selfish reason that it's been on my TBR for ages and ages! Also I really want to watch the recent TV series but not until I read the book.

02-09-2019, 07:23 PM	#30
AnotherCat .... Posts: 1,547 Karma: 18068960 Join Date: May 2012 Device: ....	I'll vote for Picnic at Hanging Rock. It's been on my "to read" list for sometime. Our daughter has a friend who lives near the real Hanging Rock in Victoria, Australia. Last time she was over there visiting I tried to get her to go and see the rock, but apparently she found more interesting things to do (I shouldn't pretend to be surprised ).