Comments for Book of Lost Nights http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk H E Callaghan's Web site, blog, and time sink Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:36:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Twenty-four years spent on the “To Read” pile – a personal history of Vanity Fair by admin http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2011/02/20/twenty-four-years-spent-on-the-to-read-pile-a-personal-history-of-vanity-fair/#comment-2747 admin Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:36:36 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=136#comment-2747 <p>Yeah, I guess. Though a good long novel is infinitely more absorbing than three shorter ones, in the same way one big gun is more deadly than three smaller ones. It just has the opportunity for a greater narrative payload, more plot, more characterisation, more ideas, more everything. </p> <p>As a rule, I'm more likely to be turned off by the idea of reading a shorter than average book than a longer than average one. </p> <p>But when they go wrong, they go really wrong. I guess it's a high risk - high return strategy. </p> Yeah, I guess. Though a good long novel is infinitely more absorbing than three shorter ones, in the same way one big gun is more deadly than three smaller ones. It just has the opportunity for a greater narrative payload, more plot, more characterisation, more ideas, more everything.

As a rule, I’m more likely to be turned off by the idea of reading a shorter than average book than a longer than average one.

But when they go wrong, they go really wrong. I guess it’s a high risk – high return strategy.

]]> Comment on Twenty-four years spent on the “To Read” pile – a personal history of Vanity Fair by admin http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2011/02/20/twenty-four-years-spent-on-the-to-read-pile-a-personal-history-of-vanity-fair/#comment-1773 admin Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:31:55 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=136#comment-1773 <p>D'you know, I think I've only ever read The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories. </p> <p>I remember being disappointed in The Jungle Book after having seen the Disney movie. I got to the end with Mowgli dancing savagely on the skin of Shere Khan, and it was all a bit WTF. And it contained considerably fewer jolly swing numbers. </p> D’you know, I think I’ve only ever read The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories.

I remember being disappointed in The Jungle Book after having seen the Disney movie. I got to the end with Mowgli dancing savagely on the skin of Shere Khan, and it was all a bit WTF. And it contained considerably fewer jolly swing numbers.

]]> Comment on Twenty-four years spent on the “To Read” pile – a personal history of Vanity Fair by davegullen http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2011/02/20/twenty-four-years-spent-on-the-to-read-pile-a-personal-history-of-vanity-fair/#comment-2745 davegullen Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:23:51 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=136#comment-2745 <p>I'm in the same sort of space with Kipling's 'Kim' - always meant to read it, always WANTED to read it, but never did. However, I started this weekend, and so far so good. The boy can write.</p> I’m in the same sort of space with Kipling’s ‘Kim’ – always meant to read it, always WANTED to read it, but never did. However, I started this weekend, and so far so good. The boy can write.

]]> Comment on Twenty-four years spent on the “To Read” pile – a personal history of Vanity Fair by garycouzens http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2011/02/20/twenty-four-years-spent-on-the-to-read-pile-a-personal-history-of-vanity-fair/#comment-2744 garycouzens Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:25:31 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=136#comment-2744 <p>I've not read this either. Me, with a degree in English. I haven't read several by Dickens and Eliot that I "should" have read. And since I've enjoyed what I have read of those authors, maybe you should remove the quotes from that "should". But slow reader + very long novel = three or four weeks when I could read two or three other novels I haven't read. I'm weak that way.</p> I’ve not read this either. Me, with a degree in English. I haven’t read several by Dickens and Eliot that I “should” have read. And since I’ve enjoyed what I have read of those authors, maybe you should remove the quotes from that “should”. But slow reader + very long novel = three or four weeks when I could read two or three other novels I haven’t read. I’m weak that way.

]]> Comment on Pulled up by the Suicide Squad by admin http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2010/12/10/pulled-up-by-the-suicide-squad/#comment-2667 admin Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:23:54 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=135#comment-2667 <p>I'm not sure which affected me more - being mistaken for a desperate person, or just the thought of having to stomp around the crumbling, unstable cliff edges in the dead of night, while the bitter wind howls across the barren waste, armed only with a flashlight, looking for poor souls in dire straits. </p> <p>It's like something Dante would dream up. </p> I’m not sure which affected me more – being mistaken for a desperate person, or just the thought of having to stomp around the crumbling, unstable cliff edges in the dead of night, while the bitter wind howls across the barren waste, armed only with a flashlight, looking for poor souls in dire straits.

It’s like something Dante would dream up.

]]> Comment on Pulled up by the Suicide Squad by hooton http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2010/12/10/pulled-up-by-the-suicide-squad/#comment-2640 hooton Fri, 10 Dec 2010 20:14:16 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=135#comment-2640 <p>Ah yes, the old 'book excuse' ... :)</p> <p>If you ever need to talk to someone ... Actually I'm really not the best person, but I can give some recommendations.</p> <p>:nods:</p> Ah yes, the old ‘book excuse’ … :)

If you ever need to talk to someone … Actually I’m really not the best person, but I can give some recommendations.

:nods:

]]> Comment on Pulled up by the Suicide Squad by sumitsays http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2010/12/10/pulled-up-by-the-suicide-squad/#comment-1715 sumitsays Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:42:03 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=135#comment-1715 <p>sometime</p> <p>I'll have to tell you about my very similar encounter with a policeman at Beachy Head. Sometime we're not on the Internet.</p> sometime

I’ll have to tell you about my very similar encounter with a policeman at Beachy Head. Sometime we’re not on the Internet.

]]> Comment on The criteria for being chucked out of a balloon by admin http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2010/11/26/the-criteria-for-being-chucked-out-of-a-balloon/#comment-2583 admin Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:12:58 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=134#comment-2583 <p>I will say that while everyone gave their particular guy a passionate defence, Graham Farmelo was especially eloquent and that might have helped. </p> <p>Still, it was too bad you couldn't come, Sumit! And thanks for the ticket, Tom. I mean to check out more of these things since I'm only round the corner from Foyles. </p> I will say that while everyone gave their particular guy a passionate defence, Graham Farmelo was especially eloquent and that might have helped.

Still, it was too bad you couldn’t come, Sumit! And thanks for the ticket, Tom. I mean to check out more of these things since I’m only round the corner from Foyles.

]]> Comment on The criteria for being chucked out of a balloon by sumitsays http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2010/11/26/the-criteria-for-being-chucked-out-of-a-balloon/#comment-1713 sumitsays Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:18:09 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=134#comment-1713 <p>Dirac? Child's play. Pffffft.</p> <p>[No, not really. His work is awesome. But I'm extremely surprised that he won.]</p> Dirac? Child’s play. Pffffft.

[No, not really. His work is awesome. But I'm extremely surprised that he won.]

]]> Comment on The criteria for being chucked out of a balloon by wingsmith http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/2010/11/26/the-criteria-for-being-chucked-out-of-a-balloon/#comment-1712 wingsmith Sun, 28 Nov 2010 14:21:26 +0000 http://www.helencallaghan.co.uk/?p=134#comment-1712 <p>The thing that struck me was, not just that Dirac won, but that Hawking was slung out first. Like the very fact that he was able to give people some vague idea of what he was talking about counted against him.</p> <p>Dirac's work on the other hand was as impenetrable to me and everyone else without a quantum qualification as the drunken ramblings of Jacques Derrida would be a to a Guinea Pig.</p> <p>There's mystery to that. And I think people hold genius to be truly mysterious, that its almost part of the definition of properly transcendental smarts that mere mortals like us don't get it.</p> <p>Particles Physicists are the new High Priests. Don't mess with them or they'll knock up a black hole and destroy the world. </p> The thing that struck me was, not just that Dirac won, but that Hawking was slung out first. Like the very fact that he was able to give people some vague idea of what he was talking about counted against him.

Dirac’s work on the other hand was as impenetrable to me and everyone else without a quantum qualification as the drunken ramblings of Jacques Derrida would be a to a Guinea Pig.

There’s mystery to that. And I think people hold genius to be truly mysterious, that its almost part of the definition of properly transcendental smarts that mere mortals like us don’t get it.

Particles Physicists are the new High Priests. Don’t mess with them or they’ll knock up a black hole and destroy the world.

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