Our friend Claire lent us her late father's cabin in northern Victoria last weekend. While all the family went crazy for the roos in the back garden (right), I was going nuts over the shelves full of books in the living room. Borges thought paradise was a library and I think paradise might be a family's idiosyncratic library collected over several generations. Her dad was a religious scholar so there were a lot of philosophical and sacred texts, but also a good representation of Australiana, fiction and poetry. I read 4 books over the weekend. Hotel du Lac (Fawlty Towers without the jokes), Tolkien's Gown (a gossipy memoir of the rare book trade), The Bride Stripped Bare (a Sheltering Sky rip off) and From Sea to Shining Sea (a literary travel writer's journeys through America). Apart from the roos we spotted a lot of interesting birds and in the outside bathroom a spider as big as my hand which disconcertingly vanished when I came back with the poker from the fireplace.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Cherish The Cabin
Our friend Claire lent us her late father's cabin in northern Victoria last weekend. While all the family went crazy for the roos in the back garden (right), I was going nuts over the shelves full of books in the living room. Borges thought paradise was a library and I think paradise might be a family's idiosyncratic library collected over several generations. Her dad was a religious scholar so there were a lot of philosophical and sacred texts, but also a good representation of Australiana, fiction and poetry. I read 4 books over the weekend. Hotel du Lac (Fawlty Towers without the jokes), Tolkien's Gown (a gossipy memoir of the rare book trade), The Bride Stripped Bare (a Sheltering Sky rip off) and From Sea to Shining Sea (a literary travel writer's journeys through America). Apart from the roos we spotted a lot of interesting birds and in the outside bathroom a spider as big as my hand which disconcertingly vanished when I came back with the poker from the fireplace.
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27 comments:
A prize of moral superiority to the person who knows where "cherish the cabin" comes from and which writer it refers to.
Without the aid of google, I can't claim the moral superiority prize.
In other thoughts, I can't imagine leaving my books in a holiday home, even though the likelihood of me reading them all again is very slim. But then again, if I ever have the resources to own a holiday home, I'm probably going to have a shed-load of books that my missus insists can't clog up our real-time home. As it is, most of my favourites are stuffed in my wardrobe! I love her to bits, but she doesn't quite get my hoarder instinct.
gb
Ger
Interesting point. And funnily enough there is a big forest fire danger up there (fire spotters actually live in towers in the forest). Can you imagine your entire collection getting burned up in a random lightning strike forest fire while you were hundreds of miles away blissfully unaware?
To me "Cherish the Cabin" will always invoke the memory of John Cheever and his erotic letters
A prize of moral superiority to the person who knows where "cherish the cabin" comes from and which writer it refers to.
Damn,I feel so morally inferior now...
Hotel du Lac (Fawlty Towers without the jokes)
Was it good? I've read one of her books (Family and Friends)for a University course.
And what is Fawlty Towers?
A library and kangaroos too? What are the odds? You live a charmed life.
Unfortunately, I can fairly easily imagine that whole fire catastrophe scenario. California is still in fire season right now, with the southern part undergoing new blazes. Early in the year it was our region's turn and one of my friend's did actually lose her home in it. In fact, it was a multigenerational complex and they were all at a wedding far away. Someone got to the property and rescued the animals, but otherwise they were literally left with nothing. For awhile arson was suspected, but it turned out that it was most likely caused by molten metal thrown out of an exhaust pipe and setting some roadside grasses alight.
So yes, cherish the cabin. It really does all turn on a dime.
Egads! Not even in jest, mate.
Fire spotters living in towers in the forest, though. That's a very, very interesting. Sounds like such a practical job, but I'd no idea it existed.
gb
Dylan
You are the morally superior one. Of course Mr Cheever and his letters.
Marco
I thought the first 100 pages or so were pretty weak, but the last third of the book picked up considerably. Fawlty Towers = the greatest sitcom ever made. No question. Eccentrics in a hotel, John Cleese writes and stars.
Seanag
God thats terrible. I remember once being tempted by a cabin in New Mexico, but the fire danger put me off, I'd be so nervous all the time. I hope to God Claire's cabin survives, its a really lovely spot and the loss of those books would break my heart.
Ger
I remember reading a little travel book by Jack Kerouac when he talked about spending a summer doing that very job. I think he liked it as he got lots of writing done.
Sold! Where do I sign up for that job?
Speaking of Kerouac and books, I just got the penguin reissue of the book he co-wrote with Burroughs. And The Hippos Were Boiled in their Tanks. Looking forward to it.
gb
We shouldn't have put the thought in your head, Adrian. I expect with firespotters hovering nearby, all will be well.
v word is weewor, which I am pretty sure means to reduce worry by more than half.
Seanag
If the missus is Programmer in Chief than Brad better say goodbye to wife and kids.
So if you're in on this together, all unconsciously like, this might work out pretty well. Except maybe for the children--of which there now seem to be quite a lot. And I'm still not sure where this leaves the rugby. And how will Jennifer Aniston feel about it?
Two of my friends actually went to Rugby School, come to think of it, so maybe that's where I come in. It might be a kind of glitch in the system that I can now profitably exploit. Oh--I guess I shouldn't be telling you that. Never mind.
Ger
The Hippos Were Boiled...dont know that one. Non fiction?
I havent read much Burroughs. Junkie and NL and thats it really. I did visit his house in Tangier though. The guide said "this is where American pervert and murderer Burroughs William lived"
Seanag
Poor Jen, what the hell is she thinking hooking up with that creep John Mayer?
Yeah, I think it's a non-fiction about the two of them helping out a mate who killed somebody. They got into trouble. Then, that sort of falls in line with the pervert-murderer thing too, doesn't it? Ouch, though. Cold guide.
I remembered you mentioning both writers in that Denver piece you did for Dec and posted here, so I figured I'd take a look at least. I hope you're proud of yourself. My sensibilities are set for corruption.
gb
Seanag
Pretty fancy friends. Are they devotees of the Flashman books?
Ger
Yeah WB did live in Denver for a while. Late in life he appeared in a U2 video and in an episode of the Sopranos.
Adrian, I am somewhat reluctantly starting to discard the theory that it's you and/or your wife, and there is a strong possibilty that Jennifer Aniston is actually the Sim Master, or in this case Mistress. So please, please don't question her taste in men. For all our sakes.
Yes, I have some pretty fancy friends. But according to Mr. Rogers, or at least according to the cool magnetic postcard quoting him that a friend gave me for Valentine's day, everyone is fancy. It was maybe just a tad redundant of her to add, even you, Seana. I mean, either we're all fancy or we're not. There was really no need to make that somewhat skeptical clarification.
In California, we do have a tendency to get swept away by a British accent, among others. But the whole school thing, unless there is some sort of football team rivalry going on, doesn't really give added value out here.
My friends who went to Rugby actually were what I think is known as 'day boys'. They belonged to the same somewhat lower status day boy house, which is why they became best friends. Although I must apologize in advance for springing the minor chord in again here, as seems to be my wont in this thread, the one that I knew longest and best died just about two years ago of colon cancer. He was younger than the age they screen for that in the U.S. at least, meaning under fifty, and I've since learned of other cases where people might have benefited from being screened earlier. It's not a test that anyone looks forward to having done, but the good news is that at least the way things are set up right now, you don't remember a whole lot about it afterwards. So, just do it, as they say.
The thing about Rugby and rugby is that my other friend has said that one of his earliest memories of Rupert was of him running down the rugby field. "He was so tall that he just outran everyone else. The funny thing is that he hated rugby." However, he loved Rugby and was happy to have been associated there with all its history and pageantry.
Anyway, the other friend is coming out to California for Christmas to see us all, and I will definitely ask him about the Flashman books. What about you? Did you read these at an impressionable age? Are they worth looking at as an adult?
Seanag
Sorry to hear about your loss...
I listened to the Flashman books as audios - pretty enjoyable I have to say. Only the first really deals with Rugby School and then its off to Afghanistan if I recall correctly.
If Jennifer Aniston is running the universe I expect we'll find that Virginia Slims are actually good for you, that Angelina Jolie's performance in Girl Interrupted wasn't acting and that the Rachel haircut is any day now due for a comeback.
Thank you. I appreciate the condolences. It's a little strange to have mentioned it, but I somehow felt that it would be wrong not to.
I will add the Flashman books to my ever growing list that's resulted from associating with you folks.
I think you may be underestimating Ms. Aniston. After watching Thirty Rock last week, I am pretty sure she is abandoning the whole "friends" thing and moving on to the more Glenn Close of Fatal Attraction thing. I did try to warn you that we should all be very, very careful here. However, after your comments, I'm afraid it may already be too late. Never mind. You weren't to know. Personally, Ms. Aniston, I think the whole Rachel look was great!
(Psst. Follow my lead.)
Seanag
Yeah I watched 30 Rock. I think its losing momentum, that show. They peaked with the Paul Reubens episode...sorry Jen.
I think you may be right, but you never know. Sometimes these sitcoms have unexpected springs of vitality left in them. Personally, I always take the appearance of the guest stars as a bad sign. With the exception of Jennifer Aniston, of course.
Adrian,
why did you not read "Gut Feelings" by Carnie Wilson... that is always my first choice at Taradale.
I should add that Gut Feelings is the story of Carnie Wilson's gastric bypass surgery.
Oh its Claire without the i is it?
Fancy.
I think I could have guessed the premise of Carnie's book. I'll check it out next time, I promise. Watch this space for a capsule review...
I'm kind of intrigued to know what her chubby chaser husband's reaction was to the massive weight loss.
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