Glad you're enjoying Midnight's Children, I loved it, despite not being much of fan of magical realism. I gave up after 100 pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Hons and Rebels is wonderful, I was sad when it ended. It almost reads like a novel at times and reminds me of Evelyn Waugh's funnier stuff, especially Vile Bodies.
Eager to hear how you get on with Heart of a Dog - I've read just about everything of Bulgakov.
Marci is a terrific writer, delighted you mentioned her - she deserves a wider audience, one of my favourite Substackers and someone I can now consider a friend.
Not long finished Midnight's Children as a book choice for the only two of us book group that my friend and I have. Was very glad to have Simon's notes to help me through. Just came across your post through Simon's mention of it and also like the description of Footnotes and Tangents being a come as your are community. I have just come back it after a wee slow read break and it helps slowme down. I think I will be reading a few of your recommendations and I like how you spoke about being grateful to live where you do and for the beautiful places you have around you.I feel the same living near the Cairngorm National Park in Angus in Scotland. Enjoyed your writing.
Thank you for the kind words Claire, I adore Scotland after a childhood spent on the Isle of Mull. I agree that the best way to punctuate a slow read is often self-imposed breaks!
You are very welcome. Mull is such a beautiful place and I have great memories of visiting it a number of years ago now, what a lovely childhood to have had.
I’ve yet to read Heart of a Dog. I look forward to hearing how you liked it.
I DNFed Bird by Bird. I just didn’t vibe with the style. I did, however, just listen to Anne Lamott on Why I Write and quite enjoyed it. It still has that style, but in conversation it felt less edited. She certainly has wisdom to share.
Interesting re: Bird by Bird - that one is massively popular amongst Substackers, it takes a brave person to admit this!
When I first read it ages ago, I don't know if it was 10 or 15 years, I found it inspiring. When I reread it a couple years ago, I was less enthused. Some of the parts I'd highlighted on my first read were a bit 'meh' and I wonder sometimes if it's overrated?
Have you read any other Bulgakov? I know this is Lydia's first and I mentioned to her how it's an interesting choice to start off with.
For a curmudgeonly mid-50s Scotsman, that west-coast American style of Lamott's was grating, especially the 'humour'. I just couldn't. And some of the tips are a bit airy-fairy, even in that interview she did with David Perell.
On Bulgakov, yes. I've led slow reads of The White Guard and The Master and Margarita on my Substack this year. The Master and Margarita is a top-five book for me. I'm sure I'll get to The Heart of a Dog soon. I have two translations on the shelf.
Thanks Cam, if you describe yourself as curmudgeonly it's no surprise your reading tastes overlap with Daniel's ;) I will let you both know whether I have any more luck with Bird by Bird!
On the topic of grating humour and language, there’s another popular craft book, the one about Save the Cat! which gets into arcs and structure and all that. I find these craft books useful in some ways, my curiosity also gets the better of me, but the cringey American ‘humour’ you mention is hard to overlook once you start noticing it. In particular the excessive ‘!’ exclamation points!!! They do my head in.
Yes! I read that one, too. I saw that my daughter was reading it and messaged her that I thought it was a bit average. She replied that she'd seen my review on Goodreads and that it was very positive. Maybe the cringey humour isn't quite so grating in audiobook form. Or maybe I was just in a good mood that day, haha.
I would really appreciate a gift subscription to footnotes and tangents. I have been muddling through war and peace and know that the subscription would help me, it’s just not in the budget at this time. Thanks!
Thank you, Lydia! I had "earmarked" this while going through my inbox, so what a delight to discover your most generous mention when I got around to reading. 😊
Those Rushdie words are great! That was definitely one of the joys of slow-reading Ulysses with a friend last year... all the unique words that showed up (many of them made up by Joyce).
I just finished Bird by Bird about a week ago (after hearing so much about it for years). Looking forward to your thoughts!
Glad you're enjoying Midnight's Children, I loved it, despite not being much of fan of magical realism. I gave up after 100 pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Hons and Rebels is wonderful, I was sad when it ended. It almost reads like a novel at times and reminds me of Evelyn Waugh's funnier stuff, especially Vile Bodies.
Eager to hear how you get on with Heart of a Dog - I've read just about everything of Bulgakov.
Marci is a terrific writer, delighted you mentioned her - she deserves a wider audience, one of my favourite Substackers and someone I can now consider a friend.
Thank you, Daniel. 🤗 I can wholeheartedly say the same about you!
Not long finished Midnight's Children as a book choice for the only two of us book group that my friend and I have. Was very glad to have Simon's notes to help me through. Just came across your post through Simon's mention of it and also like the description of Footnotes and Tangents being a come as your are community. I have just come back it after a wee slow read break and it helps slowme down. I think I will be reading a few of your recommendations and I like how you spoke about being grateful to live where you do and for the beautiful places you have around you.I feel the same living near the Cairngorm National Park in Angus in Scotland. Enjoyed your writing.
Thank you for the kind words Claire, I adore Scotland after a childhood spent on the Isle of Mull. I agree that the best way to punctuate a slow read is often self-imposed breaks!
You are very welcome. Mull is such a beautiful place and I have great memories of visiting it a number of years ago now, what a lovely childhood to have had.
I’ve yet to read Heart of a Dog. I look forward to hearing how you liked it.
I DNFed Bird by Bird. I just didn’t vibe with the style. I did, however, just listen to Anne Lamott on Why I Write and quite enjoyed it. It still has that style, but in conversation it felt less edited. She certainly has wisdom to share.
Interesting re: Bird by Bird - that one is massively popular amongst Substackers, it takes a brave person to admit this!
When I first read it ages ago, I don't know if it was 10 or 15 years, I found it inspiring. When I reread it a couple years ago, I was less enthused. Some of the parts I'd highlighted on my first read were a bit 'meh' and I wonder sometimes if it's overrated?
Have you read any other Bulgakov? I know this is Lydia's first and I mentioned to her how it's an interesting choice to start off with.
For a curmudgeonly mid-50s Scotsman, that west-coast American style of Lamott's was grating, especially the 'humour'. I just couldn't. And some of the tips are a bit airy-fairy, even in that interview she did with David Perell.
On Bulgakov, yes. I've led slow reads of The White Guard and The Master and Margarita on my Substack this year. The Master and Margarita is a top-five book for me. I'm sure I'll get to The Heart of a Dog soon. I have two translations on the shelf.
Thanks Cam, if you describe yourself as curmudgeonly it's no surprise your reading tastes overlap with Daniel's ;) I will let you both know whether I have any more luck with Bird by Bird!
On the topic of grating humour and language, there’s another popular craft book, the one about Save the Cat! which gets into arcs and structure and all that. I find these craft books useful in some ways, my curiosity also gets the better of me, but the cringey American ‘humour’ you mention is hard to overlook once you start noticing it. In particular the excessive ‘!’ exclamation points!!! They do my head in.
Yes! I read that one, too. I saw that my daughter was reading it and messaged her that I thought it was a bit average. She replied that she'd seen my review on Goodreads and that it was very positive. Maybe the cringey humour isn't quite so grating in audiobook form. Or maybe I was just in a good mood that day, haha.
I would really appreciate a gift subscription to footnotes and tangents. I have been muddling through war and peace and know that the subscription would help me, it’s just not in the budget at this time. Thanks!
I've dropped you a direct message to get your email Melissa!
Thanks for the podcast recommendation. I'm listening to the Jessie Buckley one now. Did you hear her on Desert Island Discs recently? That was great!
No — I'll have to go there next!
Thank you, Lydia! I had "earmarked" this while going through my inbox, so what a delight to discover your most generous mention when I got around to reading. 😊
Those Rushdie words are great! That was definitely one of the joys of slow-reading Ulysses with a friend last year... all the unique words that showed up (many of them made up by Joyce).
I just finished Bird by Bird about a week ago (after hearing so much about it for years). Looking forward to your thoughts!