About to start Gravity's Rainbow. This one's for you @Plechazunga
Books The BOOK thread
- Thread starter Livvie
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Any Kafka fans out there?
Started with The Metamorphosis. Beautiful, one of my favourite stories ever. And this weekend I read In The Penal Colony and The Judgement. Both brilliant. I think. I mean...what the feck?
Started with The Metamorphosis. Beautiful, one of my favourite stories ever. And this weekend I read In The Penal Colony and The Judgement. Both brilliant. I think. I mean...what the feck?
I've only read The Trial as of yet. I loved it, I'm really not too experienced in literature but if anybody else knows of authors with similar styles to Kafka's please suggest some books!
I keep meaning to read more by him, but I'm currently trying to finish the Millenium trilogy by Larsson.
I keep meaning to read more by him, but I'm currently trying to finish the Millenium trilogy by Larsson.
Nabokov's "Invitation to a Beheading" is sort of in the same vein. Sort of depends on what it is about it you liked. I read a good bit of Kafka and mixed it in with a lot of Camus and Sartre. They all fit rather well together. Their treatises were a chore, but their literature was fantastic and quite easy to read. The "Plague" by Camus, and Sartre's plays and his "Troubled Sleep" trilogy are still some of my favorites. For some good shorts, you can try Dostoyevsky's "Notes from the Underground", and Sartre's "Nausea".
Orson Welles's "The Trial" is an interesting interpretation as well. I think I read that was the one he was proudest of. It's well worth the look.
The Plague by Camus is great.
Anyone read any Tom Harper? I've just finished Zodiac Station, which I really enjoyed.
Also recently read a few books by Charles Cumming (The Trinity Six, A Foreign Country and A Colder War), which were classy spy thrillers, like a modern day John le Carre - highly recommended.
Also recently read a few books by Charles Cumming (The Trinity Six, A Foreign Country and A Colder War), which were classy spy thrillers, like a modern day John le Carre - highly recommended.
I just finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I thought it was excellent. I'd give it a good 8.5/10.
So...Amy Dunne. What a crazy, well written character. There are certain liberties that need to be taken with this type of story. Firstly, I thought it was a bit of a stretch that Nick would only realise he's being led to all the spots Andie and he had relations by the 4th clue. Especially as the nature of some of the clues were quite raunchy.
I really liked the narrative of the story too. How the first half details a (what we find out) is a fabricated story, going from past to present. And then Nick's side going from present onwards. The importance of the media and I suppose this 'shaming' society was really well captured as well. The part of the big reveal (i.e the second half of the book) was done quite well as well, and I admit to being suitably duped. There's an endearing quality about Nick, and Gillian's writing of a marriage is really spot on (even though I'm not married, I still feel I can make that call).
All in all, a great read. Going to watch the movie tonight.
I really liked the narrative of the story too. How the first half details a (what we find out) is a fabricated story, going from past to present. And then Nick's side going from present onwards. The importance of the media and I suppose this 'shaming' society was really well captured as well. The part of the big reveal (i.e the second half of the book) was done quite well as well, and I admit to being suitably duped. There's an endearing quality about Nick, and Gillian's writing of a marriage is really spot on (even though I'm not married, I still feel I can make that call).
All in all, a great read. Going to watch the movie tonight.
Liar's Poker
A real life story of his experiences written by a ex-trader on corporate culture in Investment Banks just before the financial meltdown.
Evil and funny, it is a excellent read about making short term money takes precedence over everything and how those who make money do it, cleverly walking a thin line between moral and ethical rules.
A book for everyone, if you want to know how those 'evil bankers' actually were.
A real life story of his experiences written by a ex-trader on corporate culture in Investment Banks just before the financial meltdown.
Evil and funny, it is a excellent read about making short term money takes precedence over everything and how those who make money do it, cleverly walking a thin line between moral and ethical rules.
A book for everyone, if you want to know how those 'evil bankers' actually were.
Sounds like they were evil.
Finished The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud. Interesting but not that engaging. I was expecting a darker POV from the djinn but I guess it isn't that far from The Screaming Staircase.
Finished too Reader player One, a fun book. Though I am not sure a not-gamer will like it, or someone that doesn't know much about the eighties. I felt like I missed a lot by not knowing a lot about these years. The writing is quite lacking too, though it isn't that obvious if we like the story and read it fast.
Can't really manage to go on with the grace of kings. It isn't it is bad but some parts are some mini-stories and it's hard for me to be immersed that way hopping with many characters, sometimes just once.
Finished too Reader player One, a fun book. Though I am not sure a not-gamer will like it, or someone that doesn't know much about the eighties. I felt like I missed a lot by not knowing a lot about these years. The writing is quite lacking too, though it isn't that obvious if we like the story and read it fast.
Can't really manage to go on with the grace of kings. It isn't it is bad but some parts are some mini-stories and it's hard for me to be immersed that way hopping with many characters, sometimes just once.
You definitely have to be in the right mood for Grace of Kings. How much did you read? I started to really enjoy it after about a third, then the rest just flew by.
Reread "Just 6 Numbers". Not a long read that details 6 coefficients for ratios that govern how the universe is balanced. Remarkable stuff. I like the science reads that present themselves through some sort of narrative device. In this case, focusing on these 6 numbers and expanding from there. Other devices like tracing the chronology of a particular bit be it a particle, a pebble, or what have you work similarly well ("Deep Time", "Oxygen", "Planet in a Pebble"). At the same time, I do prefer to avoid those that go into details about what wacky, colourful characters these scientists can be. It's just distracting.
Anyway if any of you have any favorite science reads (any field), I'd be all ears. I've gotten some cracking recommendations from this thread over the years. I should dig out a list of them.
Anyway if any of you have any favorite science reads (any field), I'd be all ears. I've gotten some cracking recommendations from this thread over the years. I should dig out a list of them.
Rather wasted my time with another old 1940's schoolboy book, "Take Jennings for Instance". I liked Talbot Baines Reed's books "5th Form at St. Dominic's" and "The Adventures of a 3 Guinea Watch" as they did ably put you in a different time and place and the stories were sweet. The Jennings books though really seem to be just for kids.
BTW, if you're through Cheltenham and want to dig out a good old book for one of your kids, you could do worse than the "Peter Lyons" bookstore. He's got a great old pile of classic kids lit. Neat little place.
BTW, if you're through Cheltenham and want to dig out a good old book for one of your kids, you could do worse than the "Peter Lyons" bookstore. He's got a great old pile of classic kids lit. Neat little place.
Has anyone read "Chaffinch's" or have anything to say about it? Picked it up at a used shop as it looked interesting. A turn of the century poor fella loses his farm from some land reform laws, then makes a go of taking over an abandoned farm he finds in Suffolk.
37%. Yes, there could be great mini stories, though at the same time I kind of mourned the character I liked better after few paragraphs
I suppose he was made so good to be killed just after to make his story more moving .
until the story becomes more focused on an intrigue.
Yeah I think that's about when it got a little easier for me, not entirely sure though. Definitely agree on that character, the book does have a really unusual structure. There's one chapter later on which is epistolary, and it's the only chapter in the entire book like that. Makes me wonder if he'll carry on combining all those different techniques in his later books or not!
See you in a few months.
Finished A Clockwork Orange.
After a jarring opening (not so much the violence and rape, but getting to grips with the nadsat) I really enjoyed it.
I was cured, all right.
After a jarring opening (not so much the violence and rape, but getting to grips with the nadsat) I really enjoyed it.
I was cured, all right.
Superb book as it turns out. Simple read about a fella who's dad lost his land as part of the enclosure acts. Grows up, life on a farm etc. About what you'd expect. Very sad. Reminded me of a rural "Hard Times" or "The Jungle".
Next up some Raold Dahl short stories.
I remember really enjoying this. It's very satisfying once you get in rhythm with the vernacular.
I'm reading Hunter S. Thompson's autobiography (well, seeing as all his books are sort of about him I guess it's just another) Kingdom of Fear. His writing is always excellent even if the book is pretty fractured in chronology and tone. I'm also reading Lajos Egri's The Art of Dramatic Writing which is one of the more thought provoking works on the matter.
Clockwork Orange is a brilliant short novel much better than clunky Kubrick's film
I reckon the clunkiness is as much about trying to extrapolate from the haphazard mod-psychedelia styles of the early 70's into a near future. Awkward results to say the least, but I did really like the movie as well.
Anyway, very good book. Has anyone read anything else by him? I'm with the 99% that haven't. My mate read "A Mouthful of Air" which he said was interesting.
Back to Staliist Russia on the Don for me for another Sholokhov I found in "The Haunted Bookstore" in Cambridge, "Harvest on the Don". I can't tell by the translation, but I think it might be the 2nd part after "Seeds of Tomorrow" I started (and didn't finish) years ago.
Read "The Old Man and The Sea". I know, I've left it late, but I've just started Hemingway. I confess, I started with this one because it won the plaudits, and I could see why.
What a beautiful story. Santiago has been painted so well in my mind. The prose is direct and emphatic, and the imagery of his time at the sea is so poetic. I think I'll move on to "For Whom The Bell Tolls".
How's that come along? I love Dahl. Have you read "Royal Jelly" yet?
What a beautiful story. Santiago has been painted so well in my mind. The prose is direct and emphatic, and the imagery of his time at the sea is so poetic. I think I'll move on to "For Whom The Bell Tolls".
How's that come along? I love Dahl. Have you read "Royal Jelly" yet?
House of Suns is excellent far future science fiction. This is the first time I read Alastair Reynolds and I must say I'm impressed.
Reading Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir. It's boring, and Weir's awful at that 'writing' thing.
My dad read me "Old Man and the Sea" when I was a sprout and I'm sure he was disappointed I wouldn't have appreciated it as much at that age. Once of age, I did make sure to read it again and it was marvelous. I've read all of Hemingway (though it's been a while) and "For Whom the Bell Tolls" was my first and favorite of the novels. It got me chewing coffee beans. Obviously there are loads of short stories out there as well. My favorites of those are actually some of his lesser known ones about the Spanish Civil War. They published them under the name "The Fifth Column" and they're very good. My favorite was "The Night Before Battle" or something like that. Anyway, I hope you run across a copy.
I'm afraid I had my head turned by another Sholokhov book I found and didn't get to the Roald Dahl yet. It's a collection called "Switch Bitch" and has but four stories in it:
The Visitor
The Great Switcheroo
The Last Act
Bitch
I've never gotten around to reading any of him, but I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for the recommendation and I'll keep an eye out for some Royal Jelly.
So I need to buy a book for a female I've been seeing. She likes fiction, history, dance and literature. Can anyone recommend me something.
The novelisation of Flash Dance.
Blimey, it'd be easier to get a new girlfriend.
Rather random and complicated set of genres, but have you considered comics? Sandman by Neil Gaiman is top quality.
I envy you. For Whom The Bell Tolls is a masterpiece. I'd also recommend A Farewell To Arms and The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway is just brilliant.
I like that 'fiction' and 'literature' were two of your suggested genres.
"Pride and Prejudice"? As fictional historical literature it seems to fill the gaps, and there's a fair bit of prancing.
Trying to get into Faulkner.. now I've read pretty much all of the classics, and most of the modern classics, but none of Faulkner. I find his style hard to read, Absalam Absalam for instance, it just takes a long time to get into. Anyone else have this problem with Faulkner? It's not his choice of words or anything, he isn't Nabokov -- just something about the way he writes. I can't put my finger on it, but it's hard to read fluently.
Nausea was another book I found hard to read. Kafka is great, Sartre is bizarre. I've read nothing of Camus, despite meaning to for a long time (The Stranger especially), I'll add him to my list along with Faulkner.
You're definitely not alone. Of the "classic" American writers, I guess he may be my favorite, BUT I've also put down more of his books than any of the others. Some of them are obviously tricky and it took me a couple of tries each for "As I Lay Dying" and "The Sound and the Fury". I think I know what you mean about his prose though. It must be tricky going, dealing with the anachronism that is the old South, particularly how it's legacy has warped the minds and society of its denizens. That's pretty subtle stuff to put across and wouldn't seem likely to flow across a page. As a comparison, someone like a Steinbeck is more narrative, with powerfully theme based stories fleshed out by simpler characters that are almost simplified to be metaphors for what the story needs (I do love Steinbeck). Broad shouldered stuff that scoots you along quite boldly, unlike Faulkners sweaty weirdos that he's making you crawl inside.
I thought "Light in August" was splendid, and it's an easier read as it's more linear. "Sanctuary" was good as well, though it wasn't as well regarded. Those both do nice work luring you in to that good old lurid Old South underbelly.
Never actually got that much from his short stories mind. When I'm abroad and get to talking books, I always want to recommend Faulkner, but I can never tell if folks will sufficiently "get it". So much of it is so steeped in the South that I wonder if you need to have lived there (I grew up largely in Texas and Mississippi). Anyway, I've no idea where you're from.
At the same time, I find some of his stuff to be a bit boring. I couldn't be bothered with finishing "The Unvanquished". I reckon a lot of it has to do with your mindset when you tackle them. Like you have to be in the mood for them. I don't find that with Steinbeck, who is just a fine storyteller all around and doesn't make any real demands on the reader.
I agree with your point about Steinbeck. I think he's the Brecht of novelists -- similar to Twain in some ways as well. The language of the prose is simple, yet evocative and powerful.
Faulkner is unlike anything I've ever read. I'm going to stick with it, though. So many people whose opinions I respect can't be wrong.
The Shadow of the Wind by Zafon, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Pillars of the Earth or Suite francaise ?
I don't think I have read any book about dance.
More comics recommendations: Maus by Art Spiegelman (about Holocaust survivors), Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (about women in Iran), Pyongyang by Guy Delisle (about living in North Korea) are all excellent choices.