1. Our July pick: The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles by Giorgio Bassani
2. What else have you been reading in July?
Let’s begin with 1:
Aside from the narrator and Dr Fadigati (wearer of the title’s gold-rimmed spectacles), name a character who sticks in your memory. If you like, tell us something distinctive about this character:
Yes exactly. Weirdly England's Lane made me feel nostalgic for a time I've not even experienced ... In a way, Bassani's books have a similar effect - the golden time before the War
I wonder if people will ever feel nostalgic for our time - the golden age of flying and cars and enough water etc... before Climate Change totally wrecked the planet. ARGH!
I also run a book group for Age UK Camden - and have just read England's Lane by Joseph Connolly for that. Quite an exhausting style of writing, but really interesting look at a 1950s local high street. Have any of you come across it?
I didn't read this month's book but have read this month Lessons in Chemistry (good summer read), Things I Don't Want to Know by Deborah Levy and Monica Ali's Love Marriage. All by women I notice. Looking forward to my third read of Mrs Palfrey.
No, MA was disappointing, Lessons In Chemistry was fun and Deborah Levy, I know you'll have read, was marvellous. About to buy the next two in her autofiction(?)
Love to know what you make of the next two DLs -personally, I was a bit lukewarm about number 2 (though others really admire this one) but I thought 3 was one of the best things I've ever read. Let me know how you get on!
There is a comment in the Ginzburg book about how after the war ends the job of writing news stories seems unimportant - why write about everyday normality? There is similar sense in Bassani - of how you know something catastrophic is going to happen
That sounds extremely impressive. And nice to have something on the go to read at a slower pace. Love to know how you get on with it as you progress...
It is compelling and the style - long sentences which describe everything without any dialogue makes it feel frenetic and claustrophobic. Lots of great characters and oppressive small town and village life
Yes - there's a great moment in the interview with Jamie McKendrick (link in the other email) about the style - how the books are so short but the long meandering sentences feel like trying to stop the inevitable from happening. He compares it to playing tennis into the dusk, when you can barely see the tennis balls
By absolute coincidence I started reading Less by Andrew Greer (bought pre covid and gradually working through the unread pile) and there is a reference to gold rimmed specs in the middle (gay character/ lover of now dead more famous person) and I was over-excited to find the homage (which assuming deliberate!!)
I've been reading Natalia Ginzburg's All Our Yesterdays which is also set in 1930s and wartime Italy where that picture of surviving is conveyed very well. It makes me wonder how I would behave
I really admire he makes his book both so of its time and place – 1930s Ferrara - and also more universal, or mythic. Can you think of any moments where he broadens and elevates the subject?
I thought this was really apt given that so much of the book was about being an insider or an outsider, and how easily your position slips from one to the other
The other thing that was interesting was how everyday life trundled on under fascism. There was talk of people holding different views which you tend to forget.
I thought it was a realistic depiction of how people might actually act with all of the compromises and nuanced behaviour necessary to keep ‘surviving’ in that environment.
Yes - this point makes me think a bit about our discussion about Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov and how we forgive that protagonist for his less than perfect behaviour
I wonder what people's thoughts are on Eraldo Deliliers? We had some great chat on the walk and zoom about whether he was the one holding all the power, or if he was being taken advantage of. What do you think?
Thank you Emily and everyone.
Thank you so much for joining the thread Michael, Gillian and Claire.
Future thread readers - please do feel free to add your thoughts whenever you like.
Nostalgic for a time before Liz Truss is PM perhaps
Any final comments before we close up?
I have to head off now although we could say a helluva lt more. Look forward to September!
Sounds interesting - made me think of half day closing on a Wednesday on Ealing High Street when I was growing up in the 60s
Yes exactly. Weirdly England's Lane made me feel nostalgic for a time I've not even experienced ... In a way, Bassani's books have a similar effect - the golden time before the War
Yes that's right - especially when they spend all that time at the seaside as the world collapses elsewhere
I wonder if people will ever feel nostalgic for our time - the golden age of flying and cars and enough water etc... before Climate Change totally wrecked the planet. ARGH!
I also run a book group for Age UK Camden - and have just read England's Lane by Joseph Connolly for that. Quite an exhausting style of writing, but really interesting look at a 1950s local high street. Have any of you come across it?
I think Gillian's right - maybe that's true for all of us? Or we don't realise until afterwards?
It's the classic thing, right. In the words of a great pop song: You don't know what you've got till it's gone ...
I've been lurking and have just subscribed.
I didn't read this month's book but have read this month Lessons in Chemistry (good summer read), Things I Don't Want to Know by Deborah Levy and Monica Ali's Love Marriage. All by women I notice. Looking forward to my third read of Mrs Palfrey.
Glad to hear good things about Lessons in Chemistry - I've seen masses of people reading it around and about.
And how was Monica Ali? Live up to the hype?
So glad you'll be (re)reading Mrs Palfrey with us
No, MA was disappointing, Lessons In Chemistry was fun and Deborah Levy, I know you'll have read, was marvellous. About to buy the next two in her autofiction(?)
Ooh that's a shame about MA.
Love to know what you make of the next two DLs -personally, I was a bit lukewarm about number 2 (though others really admire this one) but I thought 3 was one of the best things I've ever read. Let me know how you get on!
Will do. Now really looking forward to them. So good to have others thoughts/
BTW, Claire, you might like to check out this previous newsletter for some more on Deborah Levy: https://emilyswalkingbookclub.substack.com/p/things-i-dont-want-to-know-this-sunday
Oh yes I will, thank you.
Thank you for subscribing.
I LOVE that Deborah Levy book - we discussed it in the group about a year ago.
Welcome Claire!
Do you think Dr Fadigati was happy at any time?
I think maybe he was happier than he realised before…
Great question!
Maybe when he was allowed to sit with them on the train?
What do you think?
There is a comment in the Ginzburg book about how after the war ends the job of writing news stories seems unimportant - why write about everyday normality? There is similar sense in Bassani - of how you know something catastrophic is going to happen
Yes, interesting - although I wonder if it's all the more important to celebrate the normality, while it can still happen.
What else have we been reading / watching / listening to over July? Great to hear about Ginzburg and Greer - anything else?
I’ve started the Tibetan book of the dead but I think it will take me a while to finish - the type of book to perhaps enjoy a chapter at a time
That sounds extremely impressive. And nice to have something on the go to read at a slower pace. Love to know how you get on with it as you progress...
Right then, moving on to point 2 in earnest:
It is compelling and the style - long sentences which describe everything without any dialogue makes it feel frenetic and claustrophobic. Lots of great characters and oppressive small town and village life
So glad you enjoyed the book Michael
Yes - there's a great moment in the interview with Jamie McKendrick (link in the other email) about the style - how the books are so short but the long meandering sentences feel like trying to stop the inevitable from happening. He compares it to playing tennis into the dusk, when you can barely see the tennis balls
By absolute coincidence I started reading Less by Andrew Greer (bought pre covid and gradually working through the unread pile) and there is a reference to gold rimmed specs in the middle (gay character/ lover of now dead more famous person) and I was over-excited to find the homage (which assuming deliberate!!)
That's amazing! It must be deliberate - and well done you for spotting it.
I've been reading Natalia Ginzburg's All Our Yesterdays which is also set in 1930s and wartime Italy where that picture of surviving is conveyed very well. It makes me wonder how I would behave
How is it? I've not read that one yet...
I think I owe our group a Ginzburg - she's so good. I love her book of essays The Little Virtues.
Perhaps 5 more mins on Bassani:
I really admire he makes his book both so of its time and place – 1930s Ferrara - and also more universal, or mythic. Can you think of any moments where he broadens and elevates the subject?
What about the relationship between the Doctor being gay and the narrator being Jewish?
YES - see below re being an insider until you're suddenly an outsider.
I really noticed how the city of Ferrara felt like a character in its own right.
And the way its city walls, very much created an inside and outside of the city.
I thought this was really apt given that so much of the book was about being an insider or an outsider, and how easily your position slips from one to the other
The other thing that was interesting was how everyday life trundled on under fascism. There was talk of people holding different views which you tend to forget.
I thought it was a realistic depiction of how people might actually act with all of the compromises and nuanced behaviour necessary to keep ‘surviving’ in that environment.
Yes - this point makes me think a bit about our discussion about Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov and how we forgive that protagonist for his less than perfect behaviour
Yes that's such a nice point, Michael
But he had it in for the Doctor right from the start although hiding his own sexuality.
Signora Lavezzoli was another unpleasant character
Yes - the bit on the train was really grim.
And yes, agreed re Lavezzoli. Her quick Tuscan tongue - the horrid gossip!
Any other minor characters you'd like to mention?
He seemed to be the one holding the power and without any redeeming features apart from his looks.
Hello Michael!
Yes - I quite agree - it was just the age difference that made me reconsider really.
I wonder what people's thoughts are on Eraldo Deliliers? We had some great chat on the walk and zoom about whether he was the one holding all the power, or if he was being taken advantage of. What do you think?
Definitely a player: poor old doc 😬
Hi Gillian! Yes, that's what I had thought, but some people brought up the age difference, and it made me think again a bit.