Reading the World
A Global Journey Through Literature
  • Home
  • Blog
  • MEDIA
  • Rules

An Englishman (Stuck In) New York...

8/16/2019

0 Comments

 
Well, it had to happen sooner or later on this trip - New York based breezeblock 'A Little Life' has, after 6 grinding months of grimness, introspection and banal vacuousness (think Bret Easton Ellis without the irony), defeated me. Critics and literati loved it. I hated it. Only Moby Dick has defeated me before...i even managed James Joyce's Ulysses from start to end!!!
Rather than flogging a dead horse I am saying a reluctant fairwell to my self-absorbed hosts and am heading to see an old friend. Thus I take a yellow cab across this sprawling city and arrive in uptown Manhattan, New York with Salman Rushdie's lastest work 'The Golden House'. This is described as "invoking literature, pop culture, and the cinema, [spinning] the story of the American zeitgeist over the last eight years", and promises to be the perfect way to resume my literary journey around the world.

I am already halfway through and am hooked by this slice of bohemian life that revolves initially around the communal garden of an exclusive set of apartments but, later, increasingly orbits the mysterious and secretive Golden family, newly arrived from India with - certainly in the case of the protagonist/narrator - devastating consequences. 

Thanks for your patience and support - a full review soon, before I head off to Ohio in the Midwest!
Picture
0 Comments

The War on Terror? Innocence and Guilt in Guantanamo Bay

1/1/2018

0 Comments

 
Moving on from Cuba and now onto a fascinating account of Guantanamo Bay detention centre by a former inmate there (written at the time of his incarceration). The version I am reading is the earlier 2015 version which was heavily redacted by the US Authorities - giving an insight into their own paranoia and thought-processes. From the editorial to to uncensored version published in 2017: "The acclaimed national bestseller, the first and only diary written by a Guantánamo detainee during his imprisonment, now with previously censored material restored.

"When GUANTÁNAMO DIARY was first published--heavily redacted by the U.S. government--in 2015, Mohamedou Ould Slahi was still imprisoned at the detainee camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, despite a federal court ruling ordering his release, and it was unclear when or if he would ever see freedom. In October 2016, he was finally released and reunited with his family. During his 14-year imprisonment, the United States never charged him with a crime.

"Now for the first time, he is able to tell his story in full, with previously censored material restored. This searing diary is not merely a vivid record of a miscarriage of justice, but a deeply personal memoir---terrifying, darkly humorous, and surprisingly gracious. GUANTÁNAMO DIARY is a document of immense emotional power and historical importance."
Picture
0 Comments

Thinking ahead to my American Road trip...

1/13/2014

1 Comment

 
Route 66 Road Sign
Whilst currently travelling through Kenya, and thinking back to my 2011 travels in writing volume 2 of my Reading the World series of books, I've also been thinking forward to future locations...

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am splitting the biggest countries in the world (Russia, China, India, Australia, Brazil, United States and Canada) up into regions; as it seems unfair to try to represent such vast and disparate countries with a single book. The questions is how to split these up in a fair way? 

I split Russia up into its official 8 Federal districts, and China into its 6 Administrative regions (plus municipalities of Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau & Shanghai). In the light of this it seemed a bit unfair to only represent the US with the 4 rough regions I had allocated out the outset - especially given its diversity and its rich literary portfolio. Of course, reading a book from each of its 50 states would be a project in itself, therefore I have opted to revise my US list based on its 9 Official Census regions (+ Hawaii and Alaska given their unique nature, both culturally and geographically). I think this is a fair way to cover my trip to the US. I will also be reviewing its giant of a northern neighbour, Canada, and am considering an established 7 region model for this. 

Whilst some may think I am merely prolonging my world travel (and there may be some truth there!), I am also trying to be fair in how I represent such huge areas that, whilst politically a single unit, encompass a vast array of different cultures, communities and literary traditions. That said, I would be delighted to hear your views on a) how I have delineated these countries and b) the books I have chosen to represent these regions. You will notice that my expansion of some regions mean there are some blanks for books to read - so PLEASE feel free to help me fill these in with relevant suggestions for books on these stopovers!

Thanks as always to my RTW followers! 
John


1 Comment

    Author

    Reading the World: A Global Journey through Literature

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    December 2017
    November 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    2012
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2018
    2019
    Africa
    Asia
    China
    General
    USA

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.