Random Book Thoughts and Things

Unsomnambulist said:
Have you Read the Most Popular Book from the Year You Were Born?

http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/literature/read-popular-book-year-born/16633

Some book by John Updike called Couples? I think not.
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Cool site!

Hey! I'm Couples too! I've read several Updike novels but must admit I've never even heard of Couples.
I do find it interesting looking back at the years how many of these are now revered as literary classics (Franny & Zooey, Portnoy's Complaint) vs. those that would not even be remembered if not for the films made from them (Song of Bernadette, The Robe, Shoes of the Fisherman) vs. those that are just soapy pap (Valley of the Dolls, Peyton Place)
I've never heard of some - Forever Amber, The King's General

One of my best years in high school lit was my freshman year. The teacher had us read...I dunnno, 8 books. At the time I thought all of them must be highly regarded literary classics (and some were 1984, In Cold Blood) but others were bestselling novels (that clearly he enjoyed) from 1950s-60s era - On The Beach (about Australia dealing with impending nuclear doom), The Devil's Advocate (about a priest researching a potential saint for the Vatican). An interesting selection of books that varied from the usual classics approach.
 
Looking into this a little more - I wonder what standard/list they're using. When searching best sellers by year on Wiki, they have the Publishers Weekly lists and the NYTimes lists - both would indicate Arthur Hailey's Airport would be number one for our our year (1968), Rick. Publishers Weekly has Couples at #2.

I think Couples would be a better read (though Airport was a juggernaut, a NY Times #1 for 30 weeks in 1968)
 
Zeeba Neighba said:
Looking into this a little more - I wonder what standard/list they're using. When searching best sellers by year on Wiki, they have the Publishers Weekly lists and the NYTimes lists - both would indicate Arthur Hailey's Airport would be number one for our our year (1968), Rick. Publishers Weekly has Couples at #2.

I think Couples would be a better read (though Airport was a juggernaut, a NY Times #1 for 30 weeks in 1968)
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I think I've read Airport, though I remember nothing about it.

Edit: weird, if you click the Couples link, you get shown Rosemary's Baby on Amazon.
 
Unsomnambulist said:
I think I've read Airport, though I remember nothing about it.

Edit: weird, if you click the Couples link, you get shown Rosemary's Baby on Amazon.
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Wiki's plot overview: "The novel focuses on a promiscuous circle of ten couples in the small Massachusetts town of Tarbox"
Well now I'm getting more interested ;)

Also from Wiki:
Couples is often historically inscribed in the literary side of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and related in this to Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint (1969) and Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge (1968)
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I've read the other two. Perhaps I should complete the trifecta to get a full perpective of the 60s sexual revolution
...or we could just talk to Sam :D
 
I completed my GoodReads' 2017 Reading Challenge.

I don't think I'll be doing anymore Challenges going forward. Just makes reading feel like an obligation instead of something I do for pleasure.
 
Unsomnambulist said:
I completed my GoodReads' 2017 Reading Challenge.

I don't think I'll be doing anymore Challenges going forward. Just makes reading feel like an obligation instead of something I do for pleasure.
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I dig it, man! :) It's pretty clear that while I've made my last two goals, not gonna make it this year (still gonna hit 40-45 books - not too shabby). I'll set a goal next year but not gonna be too much of a taskmaster on myself :)
 
Zeeba Neighba said:
I dig it, man! :) It's pretty clear that while I've made my last two goals, not gonna make it this year (still gonna hit 40-45 books - not too shabby). I'll set a goal next year but not gonna be too much of a taskmaster on myself :)
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There appears to be hope for sleep in your future.
 
Unsomnambulist said:
Have you Read the Most Popular Book from the Year You Were Born?

http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/literature/read-popular-book-year-born/16633

Some book by John Updike called Couples? I think not.
Click to expand...
I have Couples!!! Never read it. I don't even remember how I got it. I remember 25+ years ago thinking I should try Updike. I read Brazil and think I liked it, but I can't really remember it. Somehow ended up with Couples and never got past the first chapter or two. It opened with some sort of Stepford Wives Connecticut Massachusetts neighborhood and left me cold. It wasn't the right book for me back then and I guess I never went back to it. I think I'd like the premise more now. When I was in my early 20s, nothing seemed more boring than reading 450 pages about middle class suburban couples whine incessantly about how unhappy they were. I think I abandoned my "need" to read Updike when I realized I thought most of his books were like that. Again, I'd probably be more receptive to him now. Besides, the copy I have is a first edition and it seems a shame to let that go to waste.

The book for my year is:
1966 – Valley of the Dolls - Jacqueline Susann’s story of three friends addicted to tranquillisers

Never heard of it, but the description on Goodreads makes it seem possibly entertaining ... more to watch than to read, but possibly entertaining.

EDIT TO ADD: Wow, talk about coincidences. I was just watching an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (s7e12.) Detective Mike Logan opens a victim's desk to find a drawer full of pill bottles. He says, "Boy, talk about Valley Of The Dolls!"

If I hadn't noticed this thread this morning and looked up the novel for this year, I would have missed that completely. Thanks MG for making me feel smarter today.
 
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Great post, JR! :thumbsup:

The Catcher In The Rye? Hell, yeah! Bob Uecker is a really funny guy. Oh, wait. That’s Catcher In The Wry.:confused:

JD Salinger is one of those authors dripping with cachet I’ve always been meaning to read but haven’t quite gotten around to. All of the intellectuals I knew in college were digging him while I was busy collecting Buck Owens records. Oh, well. Never too late.
 
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