Glad to hear I’m not the only one who continues to enjoy Harry Potter books and movies. 😊

Always glad to see videos that you post, Curtis. I looked for videos by you last week thinking I had missed your latest upload but discovered you hadn't posted in a few weeks. Thank goodness you haven't abandoned us! I find your reading choices interesting. They tend to be quite varied and you don't try to atone for the sins of the white man by reading every book ever written by a non-white, non-male author. Kudos to you, kid!! I liked what you said concerning doubles in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. I read this right after getting out of high school so I was probably eighteen or so. I really liked the book but most likely because of the sensationalism of the plot. At eighteen, I am positive I was not clued into looking for anything deeper than the plot of the books I read. I read The Brothers Karamazov this year and truly disliked it. The sanctimonious religiosity clothed in Russian nationalism spoke to me of hypocrisy, especially in light of how Dostoevsky described what it meant to be Russian. No thank you. I have the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of Crime and Punishment which I will probably read again next year. Since the weather has gotten cooler, my favorite reading spot (the front porch swing) is not so comfortable so I haven't been reading as much. I'm still struggling to get through Solzhenitsyn's In the First Circle. I promise I'll get through it by the end of his year. Or next year. Whichever. So glad you are not a snob about reading with an e-reader. I LOVE my Kindle. I'm on my second one. I'm in my seventies and have a bad shoulder. Holding a physical book for very long is a painful business. The Kindle takes care of that problem. Plus, like you mentioned, a Kindle is mobile and carries a plethora of books. Also, I can look up references in books to find out their relevance to what I am reading. I do that a lot with In the First Circle. I find explanations of obscure communist leaders mentioned that I am clueless about. As you talked about Sverre Lyngstad, George Saunders and Joyce Carol Oats, the plot outlines reminded me of an author you might like. I refer to John Updike. I realize he is a polarizing author. The most criticism I have read is by younger people who dislike how women are treated in his books. I consider this hogwash. I do not condone the treatment. But, I am aware that the time and class of people he writes about are authentically portrayed in his writings. I was a child in the fifties but early on I remember hearing the adults speak of things going on in social settings that were very questionable, and, sometimes, rather disgusting. Have you ever heard of "key parties"? Like it or not, this was a real aspect of life for the time period Updike wrote about. And, the social class he examines was every bit as superficial as he portrays them. I think some people dislike him because he does not condemn what he writes about. I think that silliness. An author is a chronicler of life, not a judge and jury. Anyway, a suggestion. SO glad you made it back to KZread. We really enjoy your videos and look forward to seeing new ones. Take care.

@CurtisBooksandFilms

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Thanks so much for your kind words, SB. I've read precious little Updike (only short stories) and do want to try more. Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the Brothers Karamazov -- I was looking forward to picking this up after Crime.

Good to see you here again! I struggle to read books with e-reader (don't have a sense of getting anywhere and have no sense of location in the text), do you think it's easier if you've read the book first in a real physical copy?

@CurtisBooksandFilms

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Thank you Heather. Great question. Most ebooks are easy to navigate via the chapters, and it does tell you how far percentage-wise you are through the chapter and book as a whole. But I actually quite like _not_ knowing!

@heathergregg9975

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@@CurtisBooksandFilms fair enough! I guess it's especially rewarding when reading a mystery story.

There you are you ‘old’ man 😉I shudder to think what that makes me! I’d never heard of Dag Solstad but that is high praise indeed so I should probably check him out. Never read Saunders either but equally high praise means I should remedy that- where would be a good place to start?

@CurtisBooksandFilms

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I've been an old man since I was 13! Never read Saunders!? I would say Tenth of December is probably the best place to start, or Lincoln in the Bardo. But you can't go far wrong with any of his books.

I checked and Dag Solstad is translated into German too. Thanks for bringing this author to my attention. If you would like to do a buddy read of any other book by him in the future, I would be interested. 😉

@CurtisBooksandFilms

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Oh I would love that, Amelia. Question is would you be reading him in German or English? Would certainly make for an interesting buddy read. Hit me up on Voxer or email any time: cstear398 / curtisstearn@gmail.com Also how many of his many works have been translated into German just out of curiosity? I was eyeing up Shyness and Dignity in the bookshop on Saturday but the UK edition is a tiny hardcover, so I couldn't justify even paying £12 for it. I will see about ordering the US edition online.

@ameliareads589

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@@CurtisBooksandFilms I would read him in German. If a book is originally not written in English and translated into German, it usually doesn't make sense to me to read it in English. I will check again and send you a message on Voxer. Shyness and Dignity is definitely translated.

There's a bit of George Saunders envy going on over here, seeing you already reading Liberation Day. But I hope I will not grow out of his writing too. Still want to read A Swim in the Pond by him, I am so curious to hear his lectures on Russian literature.

@CurtisBooksandFilms

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A Swim in the Pond was marvellous, just an absolute pure joy. Couldn't recommend it highly enough. Liberation Day had been out for a week or two before I bought it so I did show _some_ restraint.

I quite enjoyed the Solstad and loved the title, but for me it didn't really go anywhere

@CurtisBooksandFilms

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I was hoping you would be able to explain why the hell he does what he does at the end for me, Marc.

@MarcNash

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@@CurtisBooksandFilms Sorry to disappoint Curtis, but either Solstad or me had lost the plot by then 🙂

@CurtisBooksandFilms

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@@MarcNash 🤣🤣🤣