well I ve spent last few days away from blogging looking at my books and planning next year and I really wat to crack on with some series I ve had sat on winston’s shelves to long !
A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME BY ANTHONY POWELL .
I ve read the first in this cycle of twelve novels ,and am currently reading the second part .It covers england from post world war one to the sixties the main character is Nick Jenkins we follow him from his school days to the roaring twenties through tha war and into the sixties .
A remembrance of things past by Marcel Proust
I ve read the first volume of this but want to restart it I ve manage to buy a 80’s penguin vol in three parts ,the six books in this series were Proust life told in fiction and is considered on of the great must read books ,
Alexandria quartet by Lawrence Durrell
Now this is one of the rob from fiction desks books and I ve two versions ,the complete modern edition and the original sixties Faber paperbacks that I picked up in a charity shop ,now the books are an event retold four times by different narrators considered a modern classic .
Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope
Now I won these my Gran is a fan of his books this is a collection of six novels .the books are semi political look at Victorian england .
Well I think you’ll see these intersped over the next few months or years as I want to try to read these four series before I move onto any others I may want too .
DO YOU LIKE SERIES OF BOOKS ?
HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THESE ?
I read one of the Palliser books (The Duke’s Children) when I was in college, and I liked it a lot–I’m a sucker for almost all Victorian lit. I want to go back and read the rest of them someday, starting from the beginning this time!
was really pleased when I won them as had been on to read list for ever ,all the best stu
Hi Stu! Well, when I started to read this post I was thinking about how I’ve always meant to read Anthony Powell. I do have the first book in the series, but twelve books: that is a huge commitment! Proust I love, but admit to only having read the first two novels in the series. With Trollope I have done much better! I’ve been working my way through Trollope’s novels–finished the Barsetshire series a couple of years ago, and am now reading book five in the Palliser series (The Prime Minister). I can’t put it down! Trollope is one of my favorite authors, and I just love to immerse myself in one of his books. I find the political and social background just fascinating. I can’t wait to see where you start!
my friend simon has read them he says read them a couple of months apart the powell books I ve the first six so far and hope to get others later next year ,My gran was a huge fan of trollope so looking forward to them and getting to know the pallsers ,all the best stu
Stu, starting the Durrell and finishing the Proust are on my agenda next year. However, I seem to be suffering from short attention span these days (too many books I want to read). Good luck with your plans!
great richard love to share views on them ,was happy when I picked up solo durrells much easier to carry round ,I ve been dithering last week or so between books probably just time of year clocks going back and dark nights upset my body clock ,all the best stu
I don’t read books in series. However, I always meant to read the Proust and the Powell series. Good luck and I might join.
hope you join in a bit Kinna and we discuss ,all the best stu
I’m intent on reading Paul Scott’s Raj Quartet next year … and perhaps making a start on Anthony Trollope (whose catalogue has always seemed so daunting ….)
oh the Raj quartet is on my to read in future ,yes amazing how trollope wrote so many books and most of them doorstops as well all the best stu
I obsessed on Durrell, in my late teens, The quartet,black book, nunc, bitter lemons etc & still read his poetry, so just enjoy. Also the same with Proust (
Ps. (recherche du temps perdu) is a beautiful book & you just need to allow yourself time to wallow in it.
Parrish
Ps, this is part of my last comment, and I cocked up ( written on a new phone)
I ve read some geralds books ,wish got to these sooner ,but always good to have something to look forward too ,all the best stu
Wow, I haven’t really heard much about any of these series. Sounds like some heavy reading. Best of luck!
many thanks amy ,all the best stu
I have had the Alexandria Quartet on my shelf for ages (I have the 1060’s editions too, but in really good condition). Funnily enough I found a brand new copy of Durrell’s Greek Islands just today in a charity shop for 5op so of course I snapped it up.
I am going to be reading my first Trollope next week – The Warden – and if that goes well I will read more of the Barchester series.
oh his other series ,he wrote so many books trollope , good find boof ,all the best stu
Ooh, I love that first set of spines!
yes there from folio not mine but shows all the books ,all the best stu
I LOVE Trollope! I’m reading the Barsetshire books first, then I’ll start on the Palliser (although my very first Trollope was Eustace Diamonds, so I’ve already read one). I’m also thinking of giving Proust a go soon, as long as my library has the Lydia Davis translation.
mine is the old moncrieff kilmartin one in three vols by penguin ,not sure about davies madame bovary got mixed reviews ,all the best stu
What a great post. I have a really lovely paperback 4-volume set of the Powell, but I really like the version you include here. I would love that even though I have yet to read any of them. I have that exact Palliser set but haven’t started that either. (But I have finished the Barsetshire series.) And I have the old paperback Faber series of the Alexandria Quartet which I really liked and want to read again soon.
The folio set is very pretty indeed hope you maybe join in with durrell had them for a while ,all the best stu