My first time reading of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been rather rudely interrupted by the enforced Reading of Cervantes' La novela de Rinconete y Cortadillo for a class. Has anyone read it (in any language)? Apparently it was published in 1613 and I sometimes find it hard to get excited about books as old as that.
Books The BOOK thread
- Thread starter Livvie
- Start date
Got my hands on some Chuck Palahniuk books. Half way through Invisible Monsters. Decent read. I like his writing style.
Also finished the last book by the master author Karl Pilkington. Very east read and enjoyable. Some new things that wasn't in the series but mostly the same. Don't mind though as I'm a big fan.
Also finished the last book by the master author Karl Pilkington. Very east read and enjoyable. Some new things that wasn't in the series but mostly the same. Don't mind though as I'm a big fan.
Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Great stuff.
Finished Stieg Larsson's Millenium books the other day. Very good stuff. Shame there won't be any more.
Read No Country for Old Men yesterday, which was brilliant.
Read No Country for Old Men yesterday, which was brilliant.
I've been reading CJ Sansom lately.
Really enjoyed Dissolution, Dark Fire, and Sovereign. Picked them up on the back of reading POTE and World Without End.
I picked up Dissolution as it was set in the period of World Without End, and i liked the idea of learning a little about the dissolution of the monestaries. Shardlake is a character that you really sympathise with and want to help fight his corner.
Thought the introduction of Jack Barak in the second and third of the series was a good move, and like the interaction between the characters. I hope Barak features in the next ones.
I will probably pick up Revelation and Heartstone next time in Waterstones, but i've picked up The Godfather on Poppers advice.
I'm only 100 pages in, but so far it's brilliant - whilst you know where the story is going from the film, the detail so far is great, and look forward to grabbing 40 minutes with it at lunch.
Really enjoyed Dissolution, Dark Fire, and Sovereign. Picked them up on the back of reading POTE and World Without End.
I picked up Dissolution as it was set in the period of World Without End, and i liked the idea of learning a little about the dissolution of the monestaries. Shardlake is a character that you really sympathise with and want to help fight his corner.
Thought the introduction of Jack Barak in the second and third of the series was a good move, and like the interaction between the characters. I hope Barak features in the next ones.
I will probably pick up Revelation and Heartstone next time in Waterstones, but i've picked up The Godfather on Poppers advice.
I'm only 100 pages in, but so far it's brilliant - whilst you know where the story is going from the film, the detail so far is great, and look forward to grabbing 40 minutes with it at lunch.
Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Great stuff.
What's it about?
I'm reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It's great.
It's Harry Potter meets Charles Dickens. I couldn't get into it at all. Wizards etc in a very Dickensian type style and story.
Not far off finishing Killing Floor by Lee Child.
By the numbers stuff really, but rolls along quite nicely.
By the numbers stuff really, but rolls along quite nicely.
Quality book. Enjoying it?
Just started Book III, so almost half way through.
It's proved me wrong in that you can't enjoy a book having seen the film. It gives far more depth to the characters, and it's pretty intense so far. I'd have quite liked to have seen the whole Johnny Fontane piece in the film though.
Will give a more in depth opinion when i've finished it, but so far, yeah it's quality.
I know lots of people who love Lee Childs. I've never read one of his. I'll see if I can get a cheapie for the Kindle just in case I don't like it.
Yeah I've nearly finished this. Enjoyed it, I think the dialogue between characters is excellent.
Anybody in here read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky? I've ordered that so that will be my next read.
Reading "El árbol de la ciencia' ('The Tree of Knowledge') by Pío Baroja at the minute. Well I'm being made to read it but it is quite interesting so far. Has anyone read it?
Been reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. The author's reputation rather goes before him and so I was expecting to be blown away; however, at first I wasn't, chiefly because of the idiosyncratic writing style - an amateur writer adopting the same technique(s) would see their work scorned and unpublished.
Also, I'd read esteemed critics claiming that McCarthy's character Judge Holden is one of the most terrifying in American literature and, at first, I wasn't overly impressed. However, I've now changed my mind completely about the novel, mainly because those critics were right: Holden is genuinely disturbing, and that's aside from his violence. For example, I found it utterly chilling that the Judge would habitually erase ancient cave paintings so as to 'expunge them from the memory of Man'. Now, I realise my description makes this sound like nothing, but there's a terrible nihilism in Holden's heart. He makes other literary 'devils,' such as King's Randall Flagg, seem like so many children's Halloween masks; garish but empty, unrealistic and crass.
Also, I'd read esteemed critics claiming that McCarthy's character Judge Holden is one of the most terrifying in American literature and, at first, I wasn't overly impressed. However, I've now changed my mind completely about the novel, mainly because those critics were right: Holden is genuinely disturbing, and that's aside from his violence. For example, I found it utterly chilling that the Judge would habitually erase ancient cave paintings so as to 'expunge them from the memory of Man'. Now, I realise my description makes this sound like nothing, but there's a terrible nihilism in Holden's heart. He makes other literary 'devils,' such as King's Randall Flagg, seem like so many children's Halloween masks; garish but empty, unrealistic and crass.
Finished this earlier today.
Incredible book, and despite the film being one of my favourites, the book is far superior - largely as it includes the best parts of Part II also.
The character of "The Don" in both Vito and Michael Corleone is given a far greater sense of menace in the book, and the side / backing stories that feature in the book help fill the story out.
Johnny Fontane features heavily which was good, but also good to learn a little more about Fredo's relationship with the rest of the Corleone family.
Thoroughly enjoyable read, and genuinely disappointed i've finished it in many senses. No idea if "The Don" or "Omerta" by Puzo are any good, but it's a shame that Puzo never penned a sequel that followed the events in Vegas.
Anybody read "The Godfather Returns" by Mark Winegardner? It's effectively a sequel, but never sure about a sequel penned by a different author. No idea if it follows the direction Puzo would have wanted - saying that i'm guessing part of his vision is the films given that he had a huge input on the script / screenplay.
McCarthy's style takes a while to get used to - I definitely wouldn't recommend Blood Meridian as your first of his works. I had similar feelings early in the book, expecting a lot more, but as you learn more and more about the gang, the book really takes off. In the end I've rated it as my favorite book ever. And Judge Holden, oh my. Every shred of his being is completely evil. He is the main reason why I don't want them to make the book into a movie, which is in production. I just don't see anyone being able to do him justice.
I just finished reading The Doors of Perception and I thought it was very interesting. Does anyone know any similiar deep stuff to read?
I'm also halfway through Heart of Darkness, it's good but a bit hard to read.
I'm also halfway through Heart of Darkness, it's good but a bit hard to read.
Can anyone provide me a review of metro 2033?
i believe there will be a fourth book coming out, it was part finished when he died and i´ve read that his partner/wife is going to be finishing it.
Essays by Montaigne. This is one difficult book to read.
I'd heard quite the opposite!
She is in dispute with his family over his estate - as they were never married she isn't legally entitled to a penny. She has what he wrote of the 4th book on a pc that she owns and is basically refusing to release it until she sees some money (that's the gist of it anyway).
Whether that's true or not I don't know, but I'm sure I read it somewhere.
Larsson's biographer and friend saw it when Larsson was still alive and said that a large part of the story was going to be set in Greenland.
Sadly, if it ever sees the light of day, it won't be for a while.
yeah, the disputed will thingy is true, but i´m sure i read the she has said she will finish writing the book for him as he´s told her how it would end.
tbf it was an article in a swedish newspaper and even after living here for 5 years i still have problems reading swedish.
I'm just past the middle of the book, having started it last night. It really is brilliant.
Well hopefully you're right and she can do it justice!
I haven't read any fantasy novels for quite a while, but I might give this a go.
In other news: I ordered The Pale King today, but I think I'll give The Name of the Wind a shot first.
Reading this, very good - The End of the Party: Amazon.co.uk: Andrew Rawnsley: Books
Should we have a separate thread for Kindle bargains?
Cool!!
Going to get that right now!
Blimey, thank you, Livvie. Very kind of you indeed.
Have you written anything else?Blimey, thank you, Livvie. Very kind of you indeed.
How did you get involved in e-publishing?
I'm working on a new book, titled Ariele Winter, Livvie.
As for the publication: I submitted to Night Publishing last September, and was lucky enough to be contracted.
As for the publication: I submitted to Night Publishing last September, and was lucky enough to be contracted.
I'm working on a new book, titled Ariele Winter, Livvie.
As for the publication: I submitted to Night Publishing last September, and was lucky enough to be contracted.
And was that your first?
Hope you dont mind - I started a thread about you in the General.
Yes, Poison's my first book. I hope to have the second out later this year.
Thanks again, Livvie - I'm delighted but embarrassed.
Thanks again, Livvie - I'm delighted but embarrassed.
Well in, Steve. I'll certainly give it a read. About time I put that kindle to work.
Cheers, mate, very good of you.
Congratulations Steve. Hope its a first of many good books.
Ok, I finished The Name of the Wind a couple of nights' back. I'm not a huge fantasy fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's a good story, the writing was solid and it moved along at a fair clip. I'll give the sequel a shot in the near future.
Now, on to The Pale King.
Now, on to The Pale King.
Of mice and men
Steinbeck's 'Of mice and men' is often labeled as necessary reading prior to lengthy but masterful 'The Grapes of Wrath' but what 'Of mice and men' captures in a much shorter space is the wicked mix of hope and desperation of rural America in the depression. Lennie and George and their subsequent relationship (mainly consisting of George talking and Lennie working) is developed so intensely well in such a short time that in literary terms not only is it a whirlwind of emotions but an actual masterpiece of writing. The Symbolism which opens the book is very important, and John Steinbeck carries several themes along in such a short time that one can't help but feel as far as novella's go there are very few indeed to approach it - yet even more so 'Of mice and men' is almost less than a novella. You may think 'Heart of Darkness' to picture a fairly sized novella, or indeed even 'Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde' but in actuality 'Of mice and men' is very much shorter meaning it can be read in as a little as two hours.
It's two hours you won't want back.
Steinbeck's 'Of mice and men' is often labeled as necessary reading prior to lengthy but masterful 'The Grapes of Wrath' but what 'Of mice and men' captures in a much shorter space is the wicked mix of hope and desperation of rural America in the depression. Lennie and George and their subsequent relationship (mainly consisting of George talking and Lennie working) is developed so intensely well in such a short time that in literary terms not only is it a whirlwind of emotions but an actual masterpiece of writing. The Symbolism which opens the book is very important, and John Steinbeck carries several themes along in such a short time that one can't help but feel as far as novella's go there are very few indeed to approach it - yet even more so 'Of mice and men' is almost less than a novella. You may think 'Heart of Darkness' to picture a fairly sized novella, or indeed even 'Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde' but in actuality 'Of mice and men' is very much shorter meaning it can be read in as a little as two hours.
It's two hours you won't want back.