What are you reading?
If you’ve been to my intervention (see archives – blog post December 18th 2011 The Writing Room is Open) at Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery, you’ll know that I am interested in what George read as well as what she wrote. Her love of words came from her unique upbringing and education; the places she knew, the people she met, the stories she heard, and the many, many books she read.
This week I’ve been mostly reading myself, which I why I found this website which captures the reading tastes and habits of people (between the invention of the printing press in 1450 and the end of the Second World War in 1945) fascinating: UK RED
In searching the site for George, I found a snapshot of what she read (both to herself and aloud) and when e.g. ‘Christmas day. Miserably wet… Taming of the Shrew’. What was really interesting was just how much she managed to read even when ill and also who read her books (examples include bookclubs, an Irish factory worker in Bolton, a prisoner and a 14 year old Durham collier).
Which made me wonder (apart from this blog post) – what are you reading?
desperatelyseekinggeorge 
I’m currently reading – Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You: The Biography
Sorry!
Any good Cloughisms?
I’ve just finished reading a book by John Berger called: ‘And our faces, my heart, brief as photos’.
I remember reading ‘Ways of Seeing’ when I was an art student and think I’ve still got a copy of ‘The Shape of a Pocket’.
Capital by John Lanchester–the Dickens of the 21st century!
Hi Cathy
I hadn’t heard of it, but just read a review by Claire Tomalin which makes me think I should.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/mar/04/capital-john-lanchester-review
Oh thank you!
C
Flora Britannica by Richard Maybe a fascinating read about the history of this country’s flora.
I’d love to be able to name plants – I read that George listed plants and the months they first appear in when she was researching Adam Bede.
Last Saturday I went to the Royal Academy’s amazing exhibition of ‘Bronze’. One of the most spectacular sculptures is 16th century Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus. It’s huge. The exhibition said that as he was pouring the molten bronze into his moulds he ran out of this alloy – so he melted his pewter dinner service & chucked it in. In the gift shop they were selling his autobiography – so I bought it – it’s fantastic- pacey & earthy, reminds me of Pepys’.
I was thinking about seeing that exhibition in November – better book a ticket.
I’ve just started reading (again!) The Consuming Flame by Frank Kenyon
Hi Juliet
Let me know if it’s worth reading – although I’ve read all her novels and a lot of her letters, the only biogs I’ve read are those by Gordon Haight and Kathryn Hughes (plus Kathleen’s ‘Little Sister’ when I was a child).
Oh dear. George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl. Also Love Wins by Rob Bell.
Hi Nicky
There’s nothing wrong with Dahl. I haven’t heard of Rob Bell’s book but after googling it I might need to borrow it – one of the books I’m reading is Charles Hennell’s ‘An Inquiry Concerning The Origin of Christianity’ which was a big influence on George.