Summer is well under way, but FWIW, I thought I’d share some upcoming books I plan to tackle.
The Palace of the Peacock by Wilson Harris
From the Faber Finds edition synopsis:
Donne, an ambitious skipper, leads a multiracial crew up an unnamed river in the rainforest. He is searching for the indigenous people of the forest to exploit as cheap labour on his plantation. But the journey is beset with obstacles, and as the crew progress and their relationships develop, it takes on a more spiritual significance, culminating with the crew and the forest folk finding sanctuary and resolution in the visionary Palace of the Peacock.
I don’t know about you, but that’s giving me Heart of Darkness vibes, and I’m here for it. An online acquaintance rated it highly and said they ended up reading the rest of Harris’s Guyana Quartet. 😮
The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux
I read part of this in 2018—can it have been three years already?!!—and gave up because I felt it was too plotless at the time. Well, I have to say that since then, it’s sat on the back burner of my mind, and I feel ready to return to it and see how it ends. I do not plan to re-read what I read, because like I said, very little happened. I will pick it up right where I left off, as soon as the library ebook is available.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
My brother Nigel and I started this as a readalong, and so far we are both enjoying it. I had measured expectations for such a popular novel, but the writing has been genuinely good. I’m already seeing echoes Lord of the Flies, and Nigel picked up on some moments reminiscent of The Great Gatsby. It’s still early days though, and the novel is somewhat long (~500p), but I’m quite hopeful.
David Copperfield by charles Dickens
This is admittedly the lowest on my priorities list 😆 but I am going to try to follow along with the MeWe readalong for this. You might remember I started it several months ago. They’re doing about 6 chapters a week, which may be a bit much for me with everything else I’m reading. But I shall at least try!
Other books I hope to get to:
- The Analects by Confucius- This has been mentioned not once but twice in Soseki’s The Gate, and it’s on my Classics Club list. It seems like the right time to give it a go, since The Gate will have been fresh in my mind.
- Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck
- First Love by Turgenev
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
To be honest, the likelihood of me reading very much is actually kinda slim. 😆 I’m in the middle of trying to reorganize my spaces, potentially applying for new jobs, and attempting to have a social life. Anywho, all reading shall be enjoyable!
Classics Considered 
Such a cool list! I will add ‘The Secret History’ to my to read list if I haven’t alreadyz Like you, I wasn’t sure if such popular fiction would be written so genuinely (just the word I would look for to describe my feeling :D).
And I want to reread ‘Of Mice and Men’ with the post-knowledge that it is a short work and not view it with a kind of longer fiction expectation. And that last word reminds me—Charles Dickens is another author to read as I’d not gone beyond A Christmas Carol and Other Stories yet I don’t think.
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Yes, I was also very surprised how short Of Mice and Men is!
I hope you enjoy your Dickens journey. It’s been well over a decade since I read him in earnest, though I remember at the time, Our Mutual Friend was a highlight. In spite of the length, he has an easy style in most of his books. 🙂
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I’ve got David Copperfield on my list too, we’ll see, I’ve already read it, and I’m trying to do more new to me, but Dicken’s is hard for me to get motivated to read by myself.
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Have you tried Bleak House? I know the story from the TV miniseries. It’s probably my favorite of his! Very intricate plot, but the way it’s all tied together is wonderful.
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“The Mission”, i think was the title of a book by Robert Bolt, put out maybe 20 years ago with sort of a similar plot to the Peacock one… they made a movie out of it i. believe… i don’t know if the “Analects” can be read straight thru; they’re more to be mulled over, i feel.. of course the same might be said of Dickens so maybe i’m all wet with that… haven’t read much Turgenev; i should remedy that… good luck with the job search! that can be tough!
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Ohh yes, I watched The Mission earlier this year! The story was brutal. I still don’t know where I stand on the ending, but it was excellent.
Thank you, too, for the well wishes. It’s been slow going… I’m torn between wanting to take all the time in the world to make a good impression, while hoping the job application doesn’t get taken down before I can apply for it. 😆 Hopefully going to make some progress this week.
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Of Mice and Men has the merit of being very short! I saw a handful of short obscure Steinbeck novels at a thrift shop today and picked up 2 — his take on the King Arthur legends (?!?), and something called The Wayward Bus</i. Couldn't resist them….
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Hey, that’s exciting! I didn’t know he wrote any historical fiction, let alone King Arthur. 😮
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Cup of Gold (1929)
The Pastures of Heaven (1932)
The Red Pony (1933)
To A God Unknown (1933)
Tortilla Flat (1935)
In Dubious Battle (1936)
Nothing So Monstrous (1936)
Of Mice and Men (1937)
The Grapes of Wrath (1939)
The Forgotten Village (1941)
The Moon Is Down (1942)
The Wayward Bus (1947)
The Pearl (1948)
Burning Bright (1950)
East of Eden (1952)
The Short Reign of Pippin IV (1957)
The Winter of Our Discontent (1961)
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (1976)
Zapata (1993)
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David Copperfield was one of my more favourite Dickens. I’m intrigued by First Love as well as I really enjoy Turgenev. Have a great summer of reading!!
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Thank you Cleo, and same to you! I just started Sachiko by Endo, and The Mosquito Coast finally came in from the library ebook system. I’m a bit in over my head but enjoying it all. 😀
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