- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 1940
"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita. Did she have a precursor? She did, indeed she did. In point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, an initial girl-child. In a princedom by the sea. Oh when? About as many years before Lolita was born as my age was that summer. You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns."
Finally finished. For some reason the second reading took far, far longer than the first - most probably the job. A masterpiece.
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 1736
#16 as follows:
in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how
in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)
in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes
in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)
and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 1928
A series of thoughtful essays on a variety of subjects from Falstaff to The Secret Commonwealth, and his firsthand meetings with Evelyn Waugh and Robert Graves.
Interesting, perhaps it chief redeeming feature is that it recommends and refers one on to read other authors one hasn't heard of. Good.
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 1911
A light read, but, like the last book by Henry Miller, far too preoccupied with Beaver. Nonetheless an interesting life - although a more succinct and factual account can be found in the Wiki.
Link: Wikipedia on Grey Owl
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 2407
It's been a while since I've read Henry Miller. Like 25 odd years, and so when I saw "Under the Roofs of Paris" I picked it up. Inside the flap it advertised itself as having 10 times the sexual content of Tropic of Cancer.
And it's true, it's out and out pornography, fucking and more fucking and if there's a paragraph without fucking it's only to help the main character (read Henry) get from one location to the other, where he can fuck some more (and break more taboos....).
"There are books to be read with one hand, and books to be read with two..."
That noted, this is a one handed book. Now I wonder how much of what he's telling us actually transpired, and how much he's making up, it seems a bit much and then I think some more and realize he's probably, if anything, toned it down. I mean, if you were so inclined you could have all of these adventures and then some. But personally, I'm more interested in the characters, the environment, the art scene of Paris in the 30's, etc. Which is my fault, because it really isn't that sort of book, not at all, it teases you with the introduction then proceeds immediately to the main chance.
It's good, he can write for sure, but - be warned, it's all about the fucking.
Link: Henry Miller on YouTube