07:00 – A Tolstoyan start to the day with a read through of Alyosha the Pot (can be read for free at Fifty-Two Stories). A great story, albeit short, but ohh so sad. Not a clever move starting off the day with such a depressing story perhaps, even if I did enjoy it. On a brighter note, first time I’ve read from the new Tolstoy collection Family Happiness from Harper Perennial. Not too bad a reading experience. Books are stubbier than a normal sized paperback, but they seem better for it. The size of the typeface is perfect – not too small to be a strain on the eyes.
11:00 – Sunny and warm so a great opportunity for a spot of ‘walk reading’ while I’m out with the dog. Caught up on a bit of De Maupassant. Took the Capuchin Classics collection of De Maupassant stories with me (On Horseback and Other Stories), which I’m gradually getting through, and chose the short, The Piece of String. What a phenomenal story [edit: 'afterthoughts' now posted], but unfortunately another sad tale. My heart really does skip when I read this man. His descriptive ability is stunning – “In the market-place at Goderville was a great crowd, a mingled multitude of men and beasts. The horns of cattle, the high, beaver hats of wealthy peasants, the head-dresses of the women, stood out above the throng. And the sharp, shrill, yakety-yak of voices made a continuous, wild din, while above it occasionally rose a huge burst of laughter from the sturdy lungs of a merry peasant or a prolonged bellow from a cow tied fast to the wall of a house.” What a vivid picture that paints.
12:30 – Ended up in the woods to get away from from the blazing heat for a while. Dog was up for a bit of a shady lie-down so I thought Id treat myself to another De Maupassant short. Didn’t have too much time so went for the shortest in the collection – The Christening. What a surprise another woeful tale. I’m really picking them today. Not a bad story but it didn’t move me as I know De Maupassant can [edit: 'afterthoughts' now posted].
19:00 – Wanted to catch up on Johnathon Kaplan’s introduction for Tsotsi by Athol Fugard (Canongate), before writing up my forethoughts for it. Nice intro. Very enlightening. Had no idea that ‘Tsotsi’ wasn’t just the name given to the main character of this book. It was also the term used for the whole Johannesburg township gangster culture thing, or more specifically their style of dress. The Kaplan intro really sells the story. Seems he had some first-hand experience with the Tsotsis and they come with calculated barbarity. More importantly Kaplan reveals Fugard too as being well versed in the way of the Tsotsis, and the township Sophiatown. It’s already looking like a good one, but I’m worried that Fugard may get a little too political. We’ll see!
22:00 – I should really go away now and catch up on a bit of Christopher Miller’s The Cardboard Universe [forethoughts]. I’m not much into it, struggling with the overly sci-fi theme but I won’t abandon it. Thing is I’m really excited about Endo’s Silence (Peter Owen), which arrived earlier today [Daily Bookshot]. I know I can’t read it right now..sigh..but I may just go and read the Scorsese foreword.
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