It's been another week of reading Richard Yates here at Lakeside Musing. I finished
A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates by Blake Bailey last Sunday. It is, without doubt, the best literary biography I have ever read and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Thank you again,
Rachel, for bringing this book to my attention. My review should be ready soon.
Monday found me searching Barnes & Noble for more Yates novels. I bought two and started
Disturbing the Peace that evening. The first paragraphs immediately drew me in and established the Yatesian tone I have come to expect. You can read them for yourself in my
Tuesday Intro post.
The rest of the week was pretty much a blur of activities, but I managed to squeeze in a little reading time each evening. I will finish
Disturbing the Peace today and plan to forge ahead with another Yates novel,
Cold Spring Harbor.
It may be quieter than usual around here this week, but not because of
BEA or
Book Blogger Convention. Instead, I'll be helping Daughter #1 prepare for her summer internships in New York City. We move her in next weekend, just as all the book bloggers leave town.
Finally, congratulations to Frances of
Nonsuch Book. She is the winner of
Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym.
What are you reading this week?
I've been seeing quite a few people delving into the work of Yates and loving it. I've got Revolutionary Road on my shelf. I'm going to have to get it out and read it. Have a great week JoAnn!
ReplyDeleteI have never read Mr. Yates; should probably fix that. Have been reading a bit of Katherine Mansfield, s..l..o..w..l..y. Haven't gotten to "Bliss" yet, but I do understand why Virginia Woolf felt the way she did about KM...
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to your daughter with her internship!
Yates has been all over the blogosphere lately, which just reminds me how much I need to read something by him, especially Revolutionary Road!
ReplyDeleteI love reading on your blog the Yates books you're enjoying...and adding them to my tbr list. I'll be putting A Tragic Honesty on my Christmas list, too. I have to read a Biography of Wallace Stegner that I have first!
ReplyDeleteI hope you're having a good weekend!
Congratulations, Frances! Enjoy Jane and Prudence!
ReplyDeleteBetween you and Diane, Yates will be read this summer for sure!!
ReplyDeleteHave fun in NYC with your daughter!
Darlene - Hope you get a chance to read Revolutionary Road soon. I've really been enjoying Yates' novels. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteDS - "Bliss" was only my second Mansfield story, but it's convinced me to purchase a collection. My daughter can't wait to begin her second summer in the city!
Reviewsbylola - I'm so happy to see more bloggers interested in Yates work. He was such a talented writer.
Amy - I keep meaning to ask you the title of the Stegner bio. Have read three of his novels now and would like to learn more about his life.
Staci - Hurray! Where will you start?
JoAnn, I'm so delighted that you have loved the Blake Bailey so much. I have never so enjoyed a biography, either - he really gets to the heart of Yates and made me feel for him profoundly. I cried and cried at the end. I need to read more Yates - I have three more novels of his to read. I shall do it soon - I just don't want to run out of new stuff to read!
ReplyDeletePerhaps when you are in New York and if you have time we could meet for a cup of tea?!
Rachel - The Yates bio will definitely end up on my list of favorites for the year. The end had me in tears, too. Don't remember the last time a book made me cry like that! I just sent you an email about our plans for the weekend. Hope we can arrange a meeting sometime this summer!
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