WilliamM

Aren't you involved in show business in some way? Just trying to broaden my horizons, as you so kindly suggested, MrMiniver.

I had to remember where "The Perfect Spy" fit in Le Carre's career. A good intro to the author, for sure.

The story can be difficult to follow in the three books too. But, it is so interesting -- well worth the effort. Those three books were a major high point in my fairly long history of reading.

Maybe Hollinghurst loves butterflies too. (I visited Nabakov'a childhood home in St. Petersburg near the Winter Palace -- very nice neighorhood). QTR, if you did not like "A Swimming Pool Library," I would not recommend his other books. Has anyone mentioned John le Carre's The Quest fot Karla books: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" followed by "The Homourable Schoolboy" and "Smiley's People." By now, he's written too many books. But, it is almost impossible to stop once you start "Tinker, Tailor......"

True about one book being like another. I just checked my bookshelf and had forgotten Hollinghurst's "The Stranger's Child" and "The Folding Star." So many gay writers died duting the plague. Although Alan Hollinghurst and Edmund White may not be my very favorite gay writers, I am very glad they are still writing and publishing books.

There are several other gay books that may not have been mentioned- Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty Charles Nelson, The Boy Who Picket The Bullets Up (Vietnam) Edmund White, The Fairwell Symphony Joseph Hansen, Living Upstairs (not a crime book) Jean Genet, Querelle of Brest James Baldwin, Giovanni's Room

Neither Robert Moses nor Lady Bird Johnson/Bill Moyers were/are fans of his books. Moses was still alive and spoke out. I believe Mrs. Johnson kept her opinion private, as does Bill Moyers presently. Charlie, I agree completely.

Robert Caro on political power: Lyndon Johnson and Robert Moses: I am suggesting Ron Chernow's "Alexander Hamilton" because it has led to significant new interest in one the most important founding father as well an entremely successful show oin Broadway. Warning: Alexander Hamilton's life had so many twists and turns that Chernow's book is fairly long. Robert Caro's book on Robert Moses," "The Power Broker" is one of the best book I've ever read, but it's too long. The same is true of Caro's four volumns of "The Years of Lyndon Johnson." Caro has been mentioned before on this site.

I never made it beyond Swann's Way either until I picked up volumn two and started at around page 100. Somehow that removed the pressure in trying to read a truly great book. But, it seems you have already accomplished much the same thing by reading bits and pieces. For me, the best volumns are three and four. Both are worth reading in full. Once you "get" Proust, it's truly worth the effort.

I have tried Remembrance of Things Past twice. The first time I made a major effort, all the way to Marcel's complete obsession with Albertine. The second time, I got a bit further, before frracturing many ribs in Milan. I have to wait several days for a plane home all the while looking at the unfinished book in my hotel room. I could venture out for meals. Never sure whether to blame Albertine, or the young man whom Proust based her on, for the fractured ribs. I believe the young man died in a plane crash, so never knew that he became famous.

"Buddenbrooks" is the first Mann novel that I read. It's relatively easy to read compared to late Mann. I mostly enjoyed "Doctor Faustus," but it was huge struggle. I found "Joseph and His Brothers" impossible because I know so little about the Bible.

I visited the Nobel Museum in Stockholm just to read the various citations for the Nobel Prizes in Literature, especially Mann's.

My favorite book is Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain" and Austen's and Dostoevsky's books as well. I read "The Brothers Karamazov" again in 2009. Mann is somewhat out of fashion now, but at one time there were university courses devoted just to Kafka and Mann. I am sure students read the books, attended all the classes and were still confused about the two authors. I would be in that group as well. Just my view, but a discussion group here would have to concentrate on books that everyone would read and not think about as a duty.

I have read all of Hansen's, Nava's, and Stevenson's books. Hansen's books particularly appeal to me because of the progress of his relationship with his younger male black lover. His books arere small gems, a word I seldom use. Caution though. Lucky and I used to post a list of the books we read the previous year in early January. We stopped after two or three years after realizing how little in common we had in our reading. Right now in another forum, MrMiniver and I disagree about Tolstoy's "War and Peace." I have read the book several times; Miniver prefers the new British multi-part TV series.

I completely understand. I might be able to access CNN without cable, but probably not the cable channel I watch the most like MSNBC or the Tennis Channel.

Difficult to believe that the actual David statute was displayed on that spot for centuries in Florence. Now it's in a museum. Great photo!!!!

I asked Ed to tolerate many comments about former "Fiddler" stars like Zero Mostel. But, it does not mean that his mini review of the current production is not very valuable. Ed's reviews are excellent

Very nice to see some guys that do not spend much time in a gyn.

I agree. One of the best off-Broadway shows I have ever seen. I regret not going back and seeing it several more times. Excellent star, Very good script.

I usually agree with you. But, your first post mentioned other performers who appeared in "Fidler on the Roof." Even if you had not, musicals like Fiddler, "My Fair Lady" and "Gypsy" have been revived so ofter, I can not fault MrMiniver for having opinions, even if usually disagree with him.

The Long Island Rail Railroad is below the Amtrak Station. I forgot that I also use the Long Island Railroad to visit an aunt and uncle who live in Port Washington. But, once or twice a year is still not enough for me to know the Lond Island Railroad Station very well. If it's the first or second time for anyone I suggested asking (and probably several times).

Thanks for such specific directions. The Long Island Rail Road Station is confusing to me, but I only use it to travel to the U.S. Open.

Me too, Gman

I am very glad I saw Mostel in "Fidler." But, it was near the end of his run in the musical and Mostel had added some "improvements" to his performance, like "not remembering" his daughter's names. It's impossible to imagine someone like Merman doing that.

If you had to use NYC Part Authority bus station in the 1960s and 1970s, the current Penn Station is a great place compared to the Port Authority. Late at night I frequently took the bus back to Fort Dix, New Jersey where I was stationed in 1967-68. The bus station in Saigon, Vietnam was safer.