Today has lived up to it’s blue expectation. It rained almost all day, and the weather was gloomy. It is not the kind of rain that comes down in torrents and lets the sun out afterwards. It is one of those kinds that never stops dripping. The ground was wet all day long and the sun refused to come out. Now, I think I understand more why there is so much weather references in American novels that I have read.
I also got this book in my mail: The World is What It Is by Patrick French. Somehow, it seems that I am always struggling to catch up with literary trends these days. The book was published two years ago, and it is the authorized biography of V.S. Naipaul. Talking of book ordering online, last week when I got my copy of Paula Varsavsky’s No One Said A Word in my mailbox, I found that it had the stamp of a public library in it, and that drove me crazy. Yes to save money, when I buy from Amazon, I sometimes buy used instead of new ones, but I have never expected that I would be sold books that were “borrowed” from a public library. I am surely missing something here, and I don’t know what it is. Can you help? And more, what am I supposed to do? Return it?
1
Bola at http://YourWebsite
I would assume that the seller lost the book, paid a fine to the library and, then, discovered where it had been hiding. So, the library should have gotten money to buy a new book.
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 3:35am.
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Ikhide at http://YourWebsite
It is not necessarily “borrowed.” Libraries routinely sell their old books for little or nothing. Here, where I live, the habit has helped me stock up on lots of books. So, if you visit me again ever and see timestamps on books, they may or may not have been “borrowed.” Hope this helps.
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 7:38am.
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Clarissa at http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com
Do tell me if French’s biography of Sir Vidia is any good. I LOVE Naipaul as a writer but I know people who have met him say he is an intolerable human being (like one couldn’t guess that from his books.) I never read biographies of writers but if this one is good, I would give it a try. And it’s available on Kindle.
Have you read Naipaul’s “The House for Mr. Biswas”? When I was reading it, I kept wondering how it is possible that this person from Trinidad would write so precisely about my and my family’s post-colonial experiences.
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 10:31am.
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Clarissa at http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com
As for the public library book, returning it doesn’t make much sense since they would just resell it to someone else. What you can do, is read it and then donate it to a public library. Maybe to the library of our university. ๐
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 10:34am.
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Ikhide at http://YourWebsite
@Clarissa, I highly recommend Peter French’s bio of VS. Absorbing, dark and intensely troubling is all I can say. Many demons fuel that man’s genius.
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 11:04am.
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Kola Tubosun at http://www.ktravula.com
Thank you Ikhide.
Posted at April 6, 2010 on 2:55pm.
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Clarissa at http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Ikhide! As soon as I saw that you qualify the book as “dark and intensely troubling”, I immediately bought it on Kindle. ๐ I LOVE dark, intense and troubling stuff. ๐
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 12:32pm.
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Kola Tubosun at http://www.ktravula.com
I have a book that I want you to read, Clarissa. It’s “On Beauty” by Zadie Smith. It’s a large book though, and you must be able to complete it before I leave in six weeks. ๐
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 2:47pm.
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Clarissa at http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com
I’m always looking for good book recommendations, so thank you! Zadie Smith’s book is available on Kindle, so I think I can finish it before the end of the weekend. ๐
Then I will write a review of it and we can discuss it. Thank you again for a great suggestion!
Posted at March 27, 2010 on 10:05am.
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Clarissa at http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com
So I’ve read about a third of this book and for now I have very mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s very well-written and funny, but on the other, women are presented as extremely pathetic. And academics are even worse. Since I’m a woman who is an academic, this bothers me.
In any case, I’m intrigued. Thanks for a great suggestion!
Posted at March 29, 2010 on 11:10am.
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Kola Tubosun at http://www.ktravula.com
LOL
Funny I haven’t even read a word of the copy I have. All I know about the author is that she won a big prize for her first novel “White Teeth” and that was why I recommended it. One good thing about reading a not-satisfying book might be that you will get to write about it and in doing so warn others as to what they might expect. ๐
Posted at March 29, 2010 on 12:20pm.
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Clarissa at http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com/
I thought you recommended it because it made fun of Naipaul. Which it does and it is very funny in that respect. ๐
Posted at March 29, 2010 on 1:39pm.
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Kola Tubosun at http://www.ktravula.com
The book – I have heard – lays bare the demons that fuel Naipaul’s genius. I have read Miguel’s Street but not any other book of his, and he is a wonderful wonderful writer. Like you Clarissa, I’m interested in the demons that defined his person. I think that it is a smart thing for him to have laid bare his good and bad influences and prejudices while he still lives. Rather than remove from him, it may actually cement his legacy. Oh well, I’m still in the third chapter, and I’m absorbed.
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 1:24pm.
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Clarissa at http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com
In the academic circles, it is often dangerous to confess you like Naipaul. ๐ So I’m glad I can share my guilty pleasure I take in his books on this website. ๐
Posted at March 27, 2010 on 10:07am.
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Kola Tubosun at http://www.ktravula.com
As per the library book, well, like you all advised, I’m keeping it. Thank you very much.
Posted at March 26, 2010 on 1:26pm.