Welcome to this month's reading group selection. David Von Drehle mentions The Melting Pot , a play by Israel Zangwill, that premiered on Broadway in 1908. At that time theater was accessible to a broad section of the public, not the exclusive domain it has become over the decades. Zangwill carried a hopeful message that America was a place where old hatreds and prejudices were pointless, and that in this new country immigrants would find a more open society. I suppose the reference was more an ironic one for Von Drehle, as he notes the racial and ethnic hatreds were on display everywhere, and at best Zangwill's play helped persons forget for a moment how deep these divides ran. Nevertheless, "the melting pot" made its way into the American lexicon, even if New York could best be describing as a boiling cauldron in the early twentieth century. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America takes a broad view of events that led up the notorious fire, noting the gro
At the moment I am reading Fraser's ''Flashman's Lady'' and am about half way through it. I found the parts about cricket to be more attention grabbing than the rest of the tale but it is somewhat entertaining.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason in my old age I've become a cricket fanatic. Too bad there isn't all that much cricket fiction available in the USA. There is much in the UK but our libraries don't have the books I want to read. Argh!
I have never read any Flashman books, although I know they are hugely popular with all of the NY Times book people.
ReplyDeleteWhen Gintaras posted this one, I looked for a copy at my local bookstore, but they don't have a single copy in stock. I'm surprised given how popular the series is.
I think it's best to read the Flashman titles in time sequence not as the titles were released as he jumped around a bit early on.There are references to earlier events in some which is why they read better in sequence.I only bemoan the fact there won't be anymore with his passing and he never got around to the Civil War novel as Flashman skirts the events in a few novels.
ReplyDeleteI can't recall which book but in one of the earlier Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series there are pages on a cricket match played at Aubrey's house while home from the sea.Cricket Fiction would be an interesting subheading at online sites.
ReplyDeleteJust an aside but a high school friend from Rochester NY who comes from old blue blood money had a mother named Cricket.I saw last year that a sister of his named her daughter Cricket.It's an odd name to be sure but they named her brother Ryder because he was born the year the Ryder Cup was in Rochester.
ReplyDeleteThe site I know of that has a cricket fiction section can be found at Guardian. Indeed, there is much crciekt fiction but usually only in the UK.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was kind of funny the way Fraser tied Flash in with Cassy from Uncle Tom's Cabin.
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