READING

by

We are readers.
We love books. We are often asked what books we are currently reading. Here is a small selection of books that we have read recently and that we can recommend. Dina reads mostly nature and photography books, Klausbernd likes novels and Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma always read along with them and add cheeky comments.
Above, in the background of the cover, you can see two pages from Klausbernd’s reading diary, in which he writes a few sentences about his reading experience after finishing each book, so that he can look up texts like this one for every book he read.

Wir sind Leser.
Wir lieben Bücher. Oft werden wir gefragt, welches Buch wir gerade lesen. Hier ist eine kleine Auswahl von Büchern, die wir in letzter Zeit gelesen haben und die wir empfehlen können. Dina liest meistens Naturbücher, Klausbernd mag Romane und Siri 🙂 und 🙂 Selma lesen immer mit und geben freche Kommentare ab.
Oben, im Hintergrund des Titelbildes, seht ihr zwei Seiten aus Klausbernds Lesetagebuch, in das er nach jedem Buch ein paar Sätze über seine Leseerfahrungen schreibt, damit er bei Texten wie diesem über das jeweilige Buch nachlesen kann.

Our two Bookfayries and Klausbernd think that Karl Ove Knausgård’s “The Wolves of Eternity” is one of the best novels they have read in a long time. The novel begins in a fairly conventional way. It describes the life of a young Norwegian man who has come home from the army and doesn’t know what to do next. Through connections he gets a job at a funeral parlour. The more the story unfolds like a coming-of-age novel, the more Knausgård intersperses it with philosophical reflections. These intellectual reflections are skilfully integrated into the plot without interrupting the storyline. Precise descriptions of everyday situations are used to ground the intellectual reflections. The novel, which is set in Norway and Russia, is, like all the author’s works, written from the first-person point of view, which we don’t like, but which here is convincing without creating a kitschy identification.

Karl Ove Knausgårds “Die Wölfe im Wald der Ewigkeit” ist für unsere beiden Buchfeen und Klausbernd einer der besten Romane, die sie seit langem gelesen haben. Der Roman beginnt recht konventionell. Er beschreibt das Leben eines jungen Norwegers, der vom Militär nach Hause kommt und nicht weiß, wie es weitergehen soll. Durch Beziehungen bekommt er eine Arbeit bei einem Bestattungsunternehmen. Während sich die Geschichte wie ein Entwicklungsroman entfaltet, streut Knausgård philosophische Reflexionen ein. Diese gedanklichen Reflexionen werden geschickt in die Handlung eingeflochten, ohne den Handlungsverlauf zu unterbrechen. Präzise Beschreibungen von Alltagssituationen erden die phantasievollen Ausführungen. Der Roman, der in Norwegen und Russland spielt, ist wie alle Werke des Autors in der von uns ungeliebten Ich-Perspektive geschrieben, die hier aber überzeugend wirkt, ohne kitschige Identifikation zu erzeugen.

When we think of fungi, we probably think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are just fruiting bodies, like apples on a tree. Most of the fungi live out of sight, but they make up an enormously diverse kingdom of organisms that support and sustain almost all living systems. The mycelium is like nature’s internet. Merlin Sheldrake, the son of Rupert Sheldrake, famous for his theory of morphogenetic fields, shows in his book “Entangled Life” how fungi are not only the key to understanding our planet and how we think and feel, but also how they could help avert environmental catastrophe. This highly readable book combines narrative with scientific explanations and philosophical reflections reminiscent of Deleuze and Guattari’s idea of rhizomatic thinking.

Ein Großteil der Pilze lebt unsichtbar unter der Erde. Sie bilden eine riesige Welt, die biologische Systeme miteinander verbindet und unterstützt. Merlin Sheldrake, der Sohn des durch seine Theorie der morphogenetischen Felder berühmt gewordenen Rupert Sheldrake, zeigt in seinem Buch “Verwobenes Leben“, wie Pilze nicht nur der Schlüssel zum Verständnis unseres Planeten, unseres Denkens und Fühlens sind, sondern auch helfen könnten, eine Umweltkatastrophe abzuwenden. Das lesenswerte Buch verbindet Erzählungen mit wissenschaftlichen Erklärungen und philosophischen Überlegungen, die an Deleuze und Guattaris Idee des rhizomatischen Denkens erinnern.

Klausbernd taking notes on Treacle Walker at Cley Windmill.

In addition to Knausgård’s book, Klausbernd and Dina were also enthusiastic about “Treacle Walker” by Alan Garner, a short, multi-layered novel. This novel is captivating through its play with language and genres. It is poetic in a charming and simple language. It contains fantastic elements, it is playful and profound at the same time, it is medieval and modern and refreshingly plotless. Unlike most of today’s action-packed novels, this text invites you to read slowly. At times it reminded us of the old English “Beowulf” (text written about 1000 AD) in which Grendel a solitary creature like Joe Coppock, the novel’s protagonist, lives in the marshes and bogs of England.
We read the novel several times. Once we read it aloud to Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma, which its rhythmic language encouraged us to do. A pleasure to read for those who can engage with the text.

Neben Knausgårds Buch begeisterte Klausbernd und Dina “Der Wanderheiler” von Alan Garner, ein vielschichtiger Kurzroman. Auf das Buch aufmerksam wurden sie durch die Literatursendung von Denis Scheck. Der Roman besticht durch sein Spiel mit Sprache und Genres. Er ist poetisch in einer charmanten und einfachen Sprache, er enthält fantastische Elemente. Er ist verspielt und tiefgründig zugleich. Es ist mittelalterlich und modern und erfrischend handlungsarm. Im Gegensatz zu den heutigen, meist actionlastigen Romanen lädt dieser Text zum langsamen Lesen ein. Manchmal erinnerte er uns an Grendel (Hauptperson des frühmittelalterlichen “Beowulf“), ein einsames Wesen wie Joe Coppock, der Protagonist dieses Romans, der in den Feuchtgebieten Englands lebt.
Wir haben den Roman mehrmals gelesen. Einmal lasen wir ihn Siri 🙂 und 🙂 Selma vor, wozu uns seine rhythmische Sprache anregte. Ein Lesevergnügen für alle, die sich auf den Text einlassen können.

Diana recommended that we read Jon Fosse. Even before he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023, she had read the original in her native Norwegian. Jon Fosse’s short novel “Morning and Evening” captivates with its pleasant, calming flow of thoughts, which reminded us of a dream. For us, reading it was like a meditation on life that we didn’t want to end. The novel contains elements of magical realism, for example in the marvellous description of the ghostly dead man at the end. The simple life of a Norwegian fisherman from birth to death is portrayed in a refreshingly undramatic and yet touching way. The author’s flow of language and thought is emphasised by writing without full stops, but with commas and rare question marks. This is even more pronounced in his novel “The Other Name” (of which we have not found a German translation), which seems like one long sentence and thus creates a peculiar intensity. It is also typical that much is only hinted at, leaving the reader free to follow their own thoughts.

Diana empfahl uns, Jon Fosse zu lesen. Noch bevor er 2023 den Nobelpreis für Literatur erhielt, hatte sie ihn im Original in ihrer norwegischen Muttersprache gelesen. Jon Fosses Kurzroman “Morgen und Abend” besticht durch seinen angenehmen, beruhigenden Gedankenfluss, der uns an einen Traum erinnerte. Die Lektüre war für uns wie eine Meditation über das Leben, die man nicht beenden möchte. Der Roman enthält Elemente des magischen Realismus, z. B. in der großartigen Beschreibung des herumgeisternden Toten am Ende. Das einfache Leben eines norwegischen Fischers von der Geburt bis zum Tod wird erfrischend undramatisch und doch berührend geschildert. Der Sprach- und Gedankenfluss des Autors wird durch das Schreiben ohne Punkte, aber mit Kommata und seltenen Fragezeichen betont. Noch ausgeprägter ist dies in seinem Roman “The Other Name” (von dem wir keine deutsche Übersetzung gefunden haben), der wie ein einziger langer Satz wirkt und dadurch eine eigentümliche Intensität erzeugt. Typisch ist auch, dass vieles nur angedeutet wird und so dem Leser die Freiheit lässt, seinen eigenen Gedanken zu folgen.

We wanted to mention books published in German and English. We were astonished to find that quite a number of books are not translated. We were particularly surprised that Geling Yan’s excellent novel “The Secret Talker” is not available in German, even though this leading Chinese author lives in Berlin.

Wir wollten hier Bücher erwähnen, die in deutscher und englischer Sprache erschienen sind. Dabei ist uns aufgefallen, dass erstaunlich viele Bücher nicht übersetzt sind. Besonders verblüfft hat uns, dass der hervorragende Roman von Geling Yan “The Secret Talker” nicht auf Deutsch erhältlich ist, obwohl diese bedeutende chinesische Autorin in Berlin lebt.

Happy reading

The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Books mentioned:
Beowulf (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43521/beowulf-old-english-version)
Deleuze, Giles; Guattari, Felix: Rhizom (Merve, Berlin 1977, in German, no English edition)
Fosse, Jon: Morgen und Abend (Rowohlt, Reinbek 2023, engl. edition planned by Dalkey Archive Essentials, summer Dallas 2024)
Fosse, Jon: The Other Name (Fitzcarraldo Ed., London 2019)
Garner, Alan: Treacle Walker (4th Estate, London 2021)
Knausgård, Karl Ove: The Wolves of Eternity (Harvill Secker, London 2023)
Sheldrake, Merlin: Entangled Life (Penguin, London 2020)
Yan, Geling: The Secret Talker (HarperVia, London 2021)

.

© text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers & Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea 2024

105 thoughts

    • Dear Pete

      reading ‘Treacle Walker’ is fun, interesting and moving.
      Thanks for commenting.

      Oh dear, it started raining here at the coast. Well, ideal to sit down and read.
      Keep well and love from the seaside
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • Thank you very much 🙏 🙏
      These are enough books for reading this spring, especially when it will as wet as it is now.

      Wishing you all the Best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Audrey

      the problem is, when you write following courses and books how to write you will write like thousands of other beginners of writing. The text will end up in the editor’s bin. Proust, Joyce and Hemingway for example did write a style against all the recommendations how to write a text in their times. But, of course, this an recommendation as well 😉
      Writing for me is a lot of thinking how to present what you want to say, to find your style.

      Anyway, good luck with your writing
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 6 people

    • Dear Sandra

      enjoy reading ‘Entangled Life’, a book that gives you a new perspective to think about our surroundings and our lives. It’s a well written non-fiction book.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

    • Liebe Wildgans,

      wir sind genau dass Gegenteil von dir. Wir schauen uns fast jeden aktuellen Bestseller an, um Tendenz in der zeitgenössischen Literatur zu sehen. Unter ihnen finden wir immer wieder lesenswerte Bücher wie z.B. Philip Pullmanns ‘The Book of Dust’ (Vol. two), das wir in den letzten beiden Tagen lasen.

      Als Sammler skandinavischer Literatur (Klausbernd studierte u.a. Nordistik) stießen wir schon früh auf Knausgård und lassen alle seine fiction und non-fiction Texte. Wir lieben seine intellektuelle Sichtweise.

      Also, glaube uns, Knausgård lohnt sich zu lesen.
      Danke für deinen Kommentar
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Dear Jacqui

      we are happy that we could introduce unknown texts to you as a well read author.

      It shows the difference between the European taste of reading and the American. For us the plot is not as interesting as the style. We don’t enjoy so much the what as the how. For us, a lot of US novels are like Hollywood films playing with identification like the romantic writers did in the 19th century. The interesting European literature is maybe too distant or too much about style for you. But there is a novel of a German author that was an American seller too, Frank Schätzing’s ‘The Swarm’, a novel we like although it’s packed with action.

      Wishing you happy reading and a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

    • Dear Jacqui

      I feel I need to be more explicit. For me, as for many readers I know, it’s more important to be inspired by an author’s ideas than to identify with the dramatis personae.

      Wishing you a happy weekend
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I loved Treacle Walker but there again I am a huge Alan Garner fan. This concludes a theme Garner has been dealing with in over 60 years of writing. What impresses me most is how he manages to say so much with so few words. A little dialogue goes an awful long way. It appears deceptively simple, yet the ideas contained within are complex and sophisticated. I would recommend Thursbitch and Strandloper by him too – anything in fact, although his early young adult fiction is a bit too ‘sword and sorcery’ for my taste. I’ve been meaning to read Entangled Life for some time – I may actually do so soon. All the very best from a grey cloudy Norwich.

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Dear Laurence of Norwich 🙂

      thank you very much not only for your recommendations of further readings but also for sharing what you like in Garner’s books. We fully agree with you.

      ‘Entangled Life’ reminded me partly of my student times when Guattari and even more Deleuze were hotly discussed. But one of the advantages of Merlin Sheldrake is that he is easy to read. By the way, I met his father Rupert in Cley when he visited my neighbour Sir Martin Ryle in the eighties. We see Rupert’s and Merlin’s theory about communication in nature as quite similar. It seems to me that the morphogenetic fields are like inmaterial myoceliums.

      With warm greetings from the cold sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • It’s like quite a lot of people think whales are fish.
      Everyday language is far from being precise, although is practical for the ‘normal’ everyday use.
      I just finished a book about colour. Names for colours are horribly unprecise but they are fine for everyday use and making talking about colour easy, as it is with mushrooms as well.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  10. Any post titled ‘Reading’ has my immediate attention!😀 A lovely reflection about books and I like the thought of a book journal, noting down a bit about each read book and what a lovely photo here of Klausbernd deep in reflective jottings. “The Wolves of Eternity”  is already on my list of books to read upon your earlier recommendation and a couple of more very tempting from these terrific short reviews. I was hooked by your vivid capture of Alan Garner’s book and just bought it! Happy Reading, indeed! 📚

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Good evening, dear Annika,

      we wish you very happy reading ‘The Wolves of Eternity’ and ‘Treacle Walker’. If you like to we could exchange our ideas about these texts. I very much value your reflections about writing and books as an author and reader.

      Thanks for commenting
      Klausbernd
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  11. Liebe Dina, Klausbernd und Feen, ich habe euren bebilderten Bericht zu den Büchern, die euch zur Zeit begeistern sehr genossen, vor allem aber inspiriert mich die ruhige Umgebung, in der ihr euer Lesevergnügen ausübt! Ich hab mir vor allem “The entangled life”, welches mich sehr interessiert, aufgeschrieben! Habt herzlichen Dank.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  12. Ihr Lieben, eine sehr interessante Leseliste.
    Dennis Scheck schauen wir auch gerne. Du siehst sehr gut aus, lieber Klausbernd.
    Ich lese gerade den letzten Galbraith der in Norfolk stattfindet.
    LG aus Frankfurt
    U+H

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Uschi,

      wir fiebern quasi stets der Sendung von Denis Scheck entgegen und der von Thea Dorn. Sie geben uns viele Lektüre-Anregungen.

      Ja, die Galbraith Krimis der J.K. Rowling … Wir fanden die alle spannend, bis auf den letzten ‘Das strömende Grab’, indem die Rowling nach unserem Geschmack viel zu lange bei der Schilderung der Verhältnisse innerhalb der Sekte verweilte. Wir hatten das Gefühl, dass eine radikale Kürzung diesem umfangreichen Roman gut bekommen wäre. Außerdem steht sie wohl auf Kriegsfuß mit Norfolk.

      Mit liebe Grüßen an dich und Herbert
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. My dear friends,
    I’m delighted to find Jon Fosse amongst your highly interesting books. I have read his books and seen a few of his plays. Winning the Nobel prize for literature, Fosse is now set to become the world’s best-known Norwegian writer of contemporary fiction. Let’s wait and see, if he will overtake his former student, Karl Ove Knausgård. I enjoyed reading “The Wolves of Eternity”. Lucky you to have signed edition!
    Have you read Fosse’s latest novella, “Aliss at the Fire” (2023)? It’s hypnotic and mysterious, a must read.
    “The Secret Talker” is not yet translated to Swedish so I have ordered the English version.
    Happy reading!
    Kram
    Annalena x

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Dear Annalena,

      well, Fosse was called here the new Ibsen, but more for his plays than his epic work we suppose. Fosse and Knausgård are the only known contemporary Norwegian authors for the ‘normal’ readers here in the UK. Hanne-Dina met Knausgård in Frederikstad in Norway.

      Unfortunately, we haven’t read ‘Aliss at the Fire’ yet. It will be one of the next books we will read. Thanks for your hint.
      What a pity that ‘Treacle Walker’ is translated into Swedish yet. We suppose it’s hard to translate without killing it’s magic.

      KRAM 🤗🤗
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  15. Fab Four of Cley,

    Thank you for introducing me to some new books. You always have such interesting data in your posts. I appreciate your intellectual opinion.

    I hope everyone is well and are looking forward to your Spring. (Hint, hint Dina)

    GP

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Our dear friend GP,

      we are well and spring has sprang here – although today it’s raining.

      If you like long novels we suppose you will very much like Knausgård’s ‘The Wolves of Eternity’. I took me several days to read the more than 800 pages but I couldn’t stop. And the non-fiction book ‘The Entangled Life’ would be an interesting read for you as well. These two books we especially recommend for you.

      We hope you are keeping well and happy too.
      With warm greetings from the cold sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

  16. Hallo Ihr Lieben,

    mal wieder ein hochinteressanter Artikel. Leider komme ich hier nicht so zum Lesen wie ich eigentlich gerne moechte. Andere Dinge, z.B. meine Blogs,nehmen zu viel Zeit in Anspruch. Wenn es mich dann aber mal mit einem Leserausch erwischt, dann bleiben Blogs und Emails liegen. Und den Stau muss ich dann spaeter eben aufarbeiten, was wiederum zu Lesepausen fuehrt. Der Tag muesste eigentlich 48 Stunden haben. Oder ich folge dem Spruch meines frueheren Geschichtslehrers. Wenn wir uns ueber zuviele Hausaufgaben beschwerten, meinte er immer: “Der Tag hat 24 Stunden, und wenn das nicht reicht, nehmen wir eben die Nacht hinzu.”

    Jetzt im Augenblick, Ihr habt es ja bemerkt, liegt meine Hauptbeschaeftigung wieder darauf, meine Blogartikel ueber unsere Reise im Herbst des vergangenen Jahres zu vervollstaendigen.

    Liebe Gruesse in kleine Dorf am grossen Meer,

    Pit

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Lieber Pit

      das hängt damit zusammen, wie man seine Prioritäten setzt. Je älter ich werde, desto mehr werden intellektuelle Anregungen für mich wichtig. Ich bekomme die durch Lesen und Nachdenken. Das braucht seine Zeit. Das Bloggen ist auch ein Teil davon und speziell die Beantwortung der Kommentare. Aber das geht nicht so schnell. Ich komme mir vor wie Hegel (?), der an die Türe seines Vorlesungsraums schrieb, kann nicht komme, ich habe noch nicht zu ende gedacht. Die Blogposts wie diese sind häufig das Ergebnis meiner Reflexionen.

      Wenn du so willst, ist das Bloggen für mich Mittel zum Zweck. Es dient dem intellektuellen Austausch. So steht das Bloggen nicht an erster Stelle, sondern das Lesen und Nachdenken. Für mich wäre Bloggen Gift, wenn es mich davon abhalten würde – und auch, wenn es mich unter Stress bringen würde. So war es bisweilen für mich als Autor, wenn ich schneller etwas von mir geben musste, als ich denken konnte (besonders in Talk Shows). Jetzt nutze ich das Privileg, mir die Zeit zu nehmen, die ich benötige und auch dementsprechend die Prioritäten zu setzen. Das ist meine persönliche Entscheidung, die meiner Sozialisation entspricht.

      Lieber Pit, setze dich doch nicht mit dem Bloggen unter Druck. Wozu? Das Bloggen sollte doch Spaß machen und nicht die Verlängerung unserer Arbeitsdisziplin sein, die wir im Beruf haben mussten. Das wird zwar von WordPress und vielen Bloggern unterstützt, dass Quantität statt Qualität wichtig sei. Ich halte das für Entfremdung. Wir sind doch alt genug, um unser Leben lässig zu gestalten. Blogs und Emails dürfen liegen bleiben. Bei Emails ist das vielleicht etwas anderes, jedoch bei Blogs trifft das zumindest für mich zu. Was bringt dir das, wenn du wacker ständig bloggst? Ein Fleißkärtchen von WordPress?

      So, jetzt höre ich mit meinen lästerlichen Gedanken auf.
      Also ich finde dich nicht weniger toll, wenn du weniger bloggst 😉
      Mit ganz lieben Grüßen
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Like

  18. An excellent selection of reading options, my dear friends, The Fab Four of Cley!! You remind me of the need to see reading as essential. But even more importantly, you encourage me to explore a diversity of books. I believe reading broadens my understanding of the world around me, prompting me to be more empathetic. I experience different perspectives, cultures and ideas through the lens of writers. How dull life would be if we didn’t have books to challenge us and encourage us to reflect on our values and consider different ethical perspectives.

    Always a joy to stop by! Sending hugs from Canada to my dear friends, the Fab Four of Cley.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Rebecca,

      we couldn’t imagine not to read. A life without reading would be unbearable for us. As you write, we learned a lot from books.

      With lots of love and thanks for commenting.

      Sorry, that I am answering so short but my computer get serviced in a couple of minutes so I have to stop.

      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Rebecca

      we hope the service of our server is done now and everything will run well.

      For us, the most important aspect of reading is to be confronted with new ideas and aspects. Otherwise we would tend to think and perceive all the time in the same way and pattern. Especially when getting older it’s important not to get ridged. That refers not only to our body but even more so to our mind. The challenging aspect of books is what we need.

      Thanks for commenting.
      With big hugs to all the Budds we know
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • I agree wholeheartedly, Klausbernd. Books have been a constant companion ever since I was a child. My father loved books and every time we moved (which was quite often) his books were packed first to ensure their safety through the transition. He taught us to love books, to love words, to seek knowledge. Even at the end of his life, a book was beside his hospital bed. The love of reading was the greatest gift that he gave me. I want to embrace knowledge and recognize any inflexibility or rigidity that I may have. Your words are a testament to the need to be confronted with new ideas and aspects.

      Many thanks, my dear friend!

      Liked by 2 people

    • My passion for reading came from my mother and my grandparents. Both always read and owned quit big libraries. My mother was more specialised in science whereas my grandpa in the classics and my grandma in literasture. She took me to the theatre when I was a teeny and made sure that I read the play before. She was a friend of Samuel Beckett who visited us several times. He was for me the eye opener for modern literature.
      The influence of our families is amazing until now.
      With big hugs 🤗 ❤ and many thanks for your comment
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Derrick

      Sigrid Undset is a master of historical fiction, especially writing about the nordic life during the middle ages. If we remember it right, she got the Nobel Prize for ‘Kristin Lavrandatter’. After Selma Lagerlöf and Grazia Deledda she was the third woman getting the Nobel Prize in 1928.
      She is easy to read and creates a convincing atmosphere in ‘Kristin Lavrandatter’.

      Happy reading
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Dear Fab Four,

    Shame on me. Though familiar as many of the books on your list are, I haven’t read any of them. My luck, I have ordered Knausgård in Norwegian, Treacle Walker in English and although Entangled Life is available as eBook in Norwegian, I’d rather have the English version. The addition of books will certainly lit up my Easter holidays in the mountains.

    On another topic; talking to Dina the other about listening to eBooks, she mentioned she was listening to a good book but didn’t like the voice of the reader. More than 85% of all listeners stop listening to an eBook because they don’t like the voice of the reader. The Swedish version of Audible has introduced KI to solve this problem and launched a variety of five voices to choose between, like you can choose a voice for Siri or Alexa.

    «Det mer personlige» presenteres gjennom fem nye KI-stemmer som lydboklyttere kan velge mellom når de hører på en av de aktuelle utgivelsene:

    • Carin – en kvinnelig, litt mer moden stemme med rolig tale
    • Amanda – en yngre, kvinnelig stemme med mer energi
    • Erik – en myk og litt dypere, mannlig stemme
    • Martin – en middelaldrende mannlig stemme som beskrives som ærlig
    • Stefan – en KI-generert versjon av skuespilleren Stefan Sauks egen stemme – en sterk og dramatisk stemme

    89 prosent av svenske Storytel-kunder avslutter en bok fordi de ikke liker stemmen som leser.

    Amazing , isn’t it?

    Have a good Easter, happy reading and stay safe and healthy

    Klem

    Per Magnus

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Per Magnus

      the voice of the reader is very important for me as well. While working in the garden or kitchen I use to listen to audio-books. For me the disadvantage with audiobooks is that you can’t write comments or mark special sentences.

      Interesting which titles get translated in which languages. In former time I always went to the Frankfurt Bookfair which is most important for dealing with international copyrights. I never really understood those deals mostly on the basis if you buy this foreign right we get the foreign rights for one of your books.

      Thanks for commenting.
      Enjoy the mountains and happy reading
      Klausbernd
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Despite on-going (if somewhat casual) efforts, I still have a difficult time getting my mind around fungi. Articles I find are either mind-numbingly simplistic or so scientifically complex my eyes glaze over. I think that Entangled Life might be just the ticket. I was surprised to find that it’s broadly available and quite affordable: the perfect combination!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Linda,

      we suppose that ‘Entangled Life’ is just the right book for you. It’s easy to read and full of info and ideas.
      Happy reading
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Liebe Belana Hermine

      das wollten wir mit dieser Post, Anregungen geben. Wir hoffen, für unsere Lieblingsbücher auch andere zu begeistern.

      Dann habe viel Spaß beim Lesen

      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  26. I’ve added The Treacle Walker (reference to Beowulf sucked me right in) and Entangled Life to my reading list. And, having read Linda’s comment, I know it won’t be hard to get my little paws on the fungi book! Thanks for your reviews.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • You are very welcome.

      The fungi book is not only full of information it is entertaining as well.

      On a dinner party yesterday night we spoke about books and I characterised ‘Treacle Walker’ as a post-modern ‘Beowulf’.

      Wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  29. Eine wunderbare Liebeserklärung an das Lesen und Bücher, und eine tolle Auswahl. Ich bin ein großer Fan von Knausgård, habe allerdings ob der Dicke seiner Werke noch nicht alle seine Bücher gelesen. “Die Wölfe” sollte ich mir wohl bald greifen. Ihr macht mich sehr neugierig. Viele Grüße

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Constanze,

      schön, dass dir unsere Post gefällt.
      Wir sind Knausgård Fans. Dina traf ihn auch persönlich vor Jahren. Seinen Sechsteiler ‘Min Kamp’, mit dem er weltberühmt wurde, spricht uns nicht so sehr an wie seine späteren Werke wie ‘Morgenstjernen’ und ‘The Wolves of Eternity”, die wir ausgezeichnet finden. Am Schluss des Wölfe-Romans geht er auf den Morgenstern ein, du musst den aber nicht gelesen haben, um die Anspielung zu verstehen.

      Mit herzlichen Grüßen vom heute stürmischen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • These handwritte notes are important for us. We always read with a pen in our hand. The disadvantage is, we have to own the books we are reading. So much for our notes at the edge of the pages. And then we write about every book we have read. For us reading and writing are close interconnected.

      Thanks for commenting.
      Keep well
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • That is the reason why I too prefer these notes. So many thoughts cross my mind while reading. If not written down instantly I tend to forget. I employed the same technique while in job as we had to read a lot, analyse and assess.

      Liked by 2 people

    • My job was mostly reading or giving talks you write down before as well. As I always carried a book with me I wrote it down in there and, of course, as I got quite often inspired by my reading.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Liebe Karin,

      wir sind ‘lese-Maniker’, wir lesen immer. Bei Klausbernd sind es oft Romane von skandinavischen Schriftstellern und auch mittelalterliche Literatur, bei der er Sprachfluss und Metaphorik liebt, und bei Dina sind es oft Naturbücher, Bücher über die Natur oder Bücher, die die Natur mehr oder minder poetisch beschreiben. Naja, und Siri 🙂 und 🙂 Selma als Buchfeen lesen kräftig mit uns mit. Mit ihnen lesen wir gerade das zweite ‘Book of Dust’ von Philip Pullman.

      Mit lieben Grüßen vom heute stürmischen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  32. In the Book “Lunatics, Lovers and Poets” (introduced by Salman Rushdie, Hay Festival 2016) we found the story ‘Don Quixote and the Ambiguity of Reading” by Ben Okri which derscribes 322 modes of reading:

    “I have read speedily like a bright young fool, crabbily like a teacher, querulously like a scholar, wistfully like a traveller, and punctiliously like a lawyer. I have read selectively like a politician, comparatively like a critic, contemptuously like a tyrant, glancingly like a journalist, competitively like an author, laboriously like an aristocrat …” and it goes on and on (p.19f.)

    How do you read?

    Some of our friends say we read manically …

    Like

    Reply

  34. Reading is just a wonderufl hobby. I love reading too. We can escape when reading or get excited about something and also let our imagination run wild.

    It is also lovely to have books recommended by others.

    Thanks for your post.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Ute

      we can’t image a day without reading, we love it.
      Our recommendations are all very well written texts with an individual style.

      Happy reading
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  38. Thank you! I learned much by reading your reviews of books I have not read (nor heard of, I’m sorry to say). I liked your comment to Jacqui (who I know is a huge reader, as am I) about the difference of European novels and those written in/by Americans. I do expect a plot and punctuation. It would take stillness and dedication to read a book with neither. I do like philosophical thoughts intertwined within a story by a character. Hmmm, you’ve given me much to ponder. Happy reading!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much for your comment. Indeed, there is quite a difference between the European and the American market.
      For me Fosse is a bit like Joyce (‘Finnegan’s Wake’ and the end of ‘Ulysses’), his latest novels are like a long stream of consciousness. He stood for years on the list for the Nobel Prize before he got it last year.

      Happy reading
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  39. When hearing Beowulf I always remember John Gardner’s novel “Grandel” which tells the story from the perspective of the monster. I liked it a lot when I read it some 20 years ago.

    Texts by Deleuze and Guattari I read at university.

    The other books I don’t know. But they sound interesting to me. I have just bookmarked your post and will remember it when I need something new to read. Thanks for the tips!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  40. Thank you for sharing what you’re reading…Treacle Walker sounds interesting, as do the other novels. Sheldrake’s ‘Entangled Life’ is sitting with a small pile of books on a table here. I hope to get to it soon. Speaking of translating, I’m reading ‘Heretics’ by Leonardo Padura, translated from the Spanish by Anna Kushner. I’m enjoying it. It’s a novel about a Jewish refugee family in Cuba and Miami that also reaches back to the 1600’s in Amsterdam. The author doesn’t hesitate to discuss the deep ethical and religious questions that trouble his characters. Happy Spring and happy reading to all of you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Lynn,

      thank you very much for telling us about ‘Heretics’. We will surely have a look at it. We like novels like ‘The Wolves of Eternity’ which include philosophical and ethical ideas. A hundred years earlier, Thomas Mann did this in his novel ‘Magic Mountain’ perfectly.

      Happy Easter and happy spring
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 

      Liked by 1 person

  41. “…writing without full stops, but with commas and rare question marks…which seems like one long sentence and thus creates a peculiar intensity.”

    Many thanks for the introduction of the above quotes. I am glad to know this form of writing could exist and workable. I believe it can deliver a unique experience of reading. The only task left for the reader is to adjust his/her breath and take breaks from time to time : )

    All the best
    Eugene

    Like

    Reply

  42. I really appreciated this comprehensive and thorough guide, Fab Four, of your recent favorite books. It’s an eclectic list and something for everyone. Entangled Life and Bird. sound like books I would enjoy. Happy reading and many thanks.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Jet

      something for everyone, this is a reflection of the Fab Four with Dina and Selma 🙂 as the ‘nature freaks’ and Kb and Siri 🙂 as the bookfreaks. Book meets nature. It makes our life interesting, it’s a creative power like the tension between picture and word that you may experience with Athena as well.

      ‘Entagled Life’ is a very well written and researched non-fiction book, the kind we like.

      Happy Easter holidays
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 

      Liked by 2 people

  43. Thank you for sharing your recent book recommendations. Your passion for reading shines through in your descriptions, making me eager to explore Karl Ove Knausgård’s “The Wolves of Eternity” and Merlin Sheldrake’s “Entangled Life.” Your diverse selection reflects a love for literature that I find inspiring. Keep up the great work!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  45. Guten Abend!

    Wie schön, dass Ihr Euch die Zeit genommen habt und Eure Empfehlungen hier noch einmal niedergeschrieben habt!
    “Treacle Walker” wird als nächste hier gelesen. Darauf bin ich wirklich schon sehr gespannt.

    Liebe Grüße Barbara

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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