So let's rant about books

peoplefancier · 19-07-06 15:50:16

I'm the biggest Ursula LeGuin fangirl ever... What I really love her for is a young adult realistic fiction novel called Very Far Away From Anywhere Else. It's about an intellectual and a musician in high school figuring out a lot of stuff together (about life/love/sex/society/etc)... it was a lifesaver to my lonely intellectual high school self. I also love The Tombs of Atuan, but all her stuff makes me pretty happy. I'm currently finishing up Guy Guavriel Kay's fantasy trilogy (The Fionavar Tapestry). He's the guy who helped write The Sillmarillion, and it's an interesting series to me because of the introduction of a few modern characters into this very tolkien-esque high fantasy world. I'm not sure if he entirely succeeds, but he tells a very engrossing story nonetheless.

The_Elfman · 19-07-06 17:56:12

peoplefancier wrote:

I'm currently finishing up Guy Guavriel Kay's fantasy trilogy (The Fionavar Tapestry). He's the guy who helped write The Sillmarillion, and it's an interesting series to me because of the introduction of a few modern characters into this very tolkien-esque high fantasy world. I'm not sure if he entirely succeeds, but he tells a very engrossing story nonetheless.

I don't know this. Sounds like I need to read it. Thanks peoplefancier.

Elfman

RichardL · 20-07-06 02:18:28

kronocide wrote:

cle wrote:
ooooh, also what are some books that you have started reading and just never finished off? ive still got great expectations and dracula to finish.... i was studying those in high school, and just never quite got to the end
The two that I wanted to finish but just couldn't were Gravity's Rainbow and Paradise Lost. Love Paradise, but never managed to read it from cover to cover.
As much as I love Hawthorne, Faulkner, Hemingway, etc., I am really a science fiction fan. So here's my list of essential S.F.

I bore my friends stupid about Gravity's Rainbow....but it's such a difficult book, and if you get Steven Weisenberger 'A Gravity's Rainbow Companion; Sources and Contexts for Pynchon's Novel' it will be much clearer..I think some of its obscurity comes from the same reason as William Blake's...the Caesars would like to eliminate him and his perception.
As for women writers there's Doris Lessing (Marriage of Zones3,4 and 5; Mara and Dann); Pat Barker..and the list (like this one is endless....

Burlesque · 20-07-06 18:52:31

Oh yeah, literature, fine letters, the poetic art of whatever.

If you haven't read "Macbeth", do so. Immediately. In order to push you over any threshold of doubt, I can tantalise you with the fact that it is Shakespeare's shortest play! How about that? Irresistible, huh?

Recently I finished reading Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. Some of the best stuff he's done in many a year, even if it it is a little flabby here and there. Still, a very original fantasy/science fiction/Western tale of truly epic proportions. It is also vicious and nasty, which makes it a good antidote to some of the wimpier books King has produced over the last decade or so.

I also - finally - read "Wuthering Heights". Good book, a bit overrated perhaps, but incredibly atmospheric.

And the guilty quasi-pleasure: Dennis Wheatley. Every time I read one of his novels I wonder why I bother, but I still can't help myself. I go back again and again. Between "Wuthering Heights" and "Dark Tower VII" I read Wheatley's "The Quest of Julian Day", a ripping yarn of tomb raiders, dangerous femmes fatales and all the pulp adventure clichés you can shake a fair-sized stick at. Wheatley wrote in a methodical, precise and supremely sleep inducing way, and his plotting is of the "Hmm, I better think of a way to get my hero out of this, but I'm not going to put any real effort into it" school of thought, but just the same I keep going back. He must have something. I'm still trying to find out what.

The only book I can remember starting and never finishing was some World War III kind of scenario by Tom Clancy. I like military tactics and cool fighter planes as much as the next guy, but when a supposed novel consists of one page after another of technical specifications, I might as well read the sodding military manuals. What was the name of that thing? "Red Storm" or somesuch. It was in Swedish, so the original title may have been something completely different. Come to think of it, I don't envy the poor bastard who had to translate that book!

Burlesque.

jerryb76 · 24-07-06 16:16:05

I finally sat down and made a list of favorite books. I read lots of books and lots of topics, so I decided to list what books I have read more than once, or will read again, despite how many times I have read it in the past. After making my list I noticed there is a definite theme and it will be pretty easy to figure out what I did for a living and am still involved in these days. Here goes in semi-prioritized order:

The Ship C. S. Forester
Master and Commander Series Patrick O'Brien
The Sand Pebbles McKenna
All Quiet on the Western Front Remparque
Horatio Hronblower Series C. S. Forester
Killer Angels Michele Shaara
A Sense of Honor James Webb
Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Samurai's Garden Gail Ysukiyama (I also like any of her other books)
When Pride Still Mattered Maruiss

Siobhan · 24-07-06 16:55:09

Jerry --

I'm not quite sure of your former profession (naval officer?) but I want to agree with All Quiet on the Western Front is also one of my favorites.

bodyhead · 24-07-06 18:08:53

For entertainment, I recommend "The Man who was Thursday" by GK Chesterton and for disturbance "The Cement Garden" by Ian McEwan.

At the moment I'm reading 'The Culture of the New Capitalism' by Richard Sennett, which tells you what the world is like out there (esp. in the US and UK) in case you don't go out much.

Last edited by bodyhead (24-07-06 18:15:32)

Burlesque · 24-07-06 19:01:36

jerryb76 wrote:

I finally sat down and made a list of favorite books. I read lots of books and lots of topics, so I decided to list what books I have read more than once, or will read again, despite how many times I have read it in the past. After making my list I noticed there is a definite theme and it will be pretty easy to figure out what I did for a living and am still involved in these days. Here goes in semi-prioritized order:
The Ship C. S. Forester
Master and Commander Series Patrick O'Brien
The Sand Pebbles McKenna
All Quiet on the Western Front Remparque
Horatio Hronblower Series C. S. Forester
Killer Angels Michele Shaara
A Sense of Honor James Webb
Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Samurai's Garden Gail Ysukiyama (I also like any of her other books)
When Pride Still Mattered Maruiss

Well, it's obvious isn't it? A katana-wielding former naval officer who is now a pipe smoking private detective.

Burlesque.

jerryb76 · 24-07-06 19:22:21

Burlesque wrote:

Well, it's obvious isn't it? A katana-wielding former naval officer who is now a pipe smoking private detective.
Burlesque.

I would love to be a private detective, but only for interesting cases I would like to do, not the day-to-day chasing cheating spouses and stuff like that.

jerryb76 · 24-07-06 19:24:07

Siobhan wrote:

Jerry --
I'm not quite sure of your former profession (naval officer?) but I want to agree with All Quiet on the Western Front is also one of my favorites.

You are correct!

jerryb76 · 24-07-06 19:25:43

jerryb76 wrote:

Siobhan wrote:
Jerry --
I'm not quite sure of your former profession (naval officer?) but I want to agree with All Quiet on the Western Front is also one of my favorites.
You are correct!

And you would be a good detective...:)

Burlesque · 24-07-06 19:29:39

jerryb76 wrote:

Burlesque wrote:
Well, it's obvious isn't it? A katana-wielding former naval officer who is now a pipe smoking private detective.
Burlesque.
I would love to be a private detective, but only for interesting cases I would like to do, not the day-to-day chasing cheating spouses and stuff like that.

Sherlock Holmes only took cases that interested him! What dignity, what sense of quality ... erm, well, he did spend the rest of the time pouting and injecting vast amounts of cocaine, so perhaps chasing cheating spouses and standing outside in the rain would be better after all.

Burlesque.

jerryb76 · 25-07-06 15:56:54

Burlesque wrote:

jerryb76 wrote:
Burlesque wrote:
Well, it's obvious isn't it? A katana-wielding former naval officer who is now a pipe smoking private detective.
Burlesque.
I would love to be a private detective, but only for interesting cases I would like to do, not the day-to-day chasing cheating spouses and stuff like that.
Sherlock Holmes only took cases that interested him! What dignity, what sense of quality ... erm, well, he did spend the rest of the time pouting and injecting vast amounts of cocaine, so perhaps chasing cheating spouses and standing outside in the rain would be better after all.
Burlesque.

The whole cocaine and heroin thing I will pass on and it is not in my personality to lie around being depressed because my brain is not challenged. Maybe I will specialize in detecting masturbators and turning the god ones over to max and the IFM crew...

Siobhan · 25-07-06 18:17:18

now that's a capital idea.

I would enjoy taking on a contract position with you to sniff out said good and godly masturbators and bring them over to the IFM side.

jerryb76 · 26-07-06 13:01:35

Siobhan wrote:

now that's a capital idea.
I would enjoy taking on a contract position with you to sniff out said good and godly masturbators and bring them over to the IFM side.

Maybe we can get something going like INTERPOL an international organization dedicated to discovering the masturbatory voyeurism in the women of the world. Who knows what wonderful techniques are hiding in some remote place? We need to share these things with everyone in the IFM family!

bodyhead · 26-07-06 15:40:36

jerryb76 wrote:

Siobhan wrote:
now that's a capital idea.
I would enjoy taking on a contract position with you to sniff out said good and godly masturbators and bring them over to the IFM side.
Maybe we can get something going like INTERPOL an international organization dedicated to discovering the masturbatory voyeurism in the women of the world. Who knows what wonderful techniques are hiding in some remote place? We need to share these things with everyone in the IFM family!

Is this the answer?
http://tinyurl.com/s86ut

Siobhan · 26-07-06 16:16:01

bodyhead wrote:

Is this the answer?
http://tinyurl.com/s86ut

wow. wow wow wow WOW~!

I think the record here, at least anecdotally, was Liandra with 40 minutes for her first submission. If they would let her compete as an Englishwoman, from far away, then she woudl surely make the most money and take the crown away from the United States.

What a revolutionary, kick-ass fundraising, consciousness-raising strategy!

Siobhan · 26-07-06 16:18:37

But meanwhile, in an effort to keep things on task, I read the most wonderful essay in the Sunday New York Times last weekend about Scottish mystery writers and why they're so amazing.

I'm working against a deadline here at work, and I'm having a bit of trouble finding the url, but I'll add it later, unless some thoughtful soul finds it before I do. Well worth a read for booklovers, mystery-lovers, detective wanna-bes, Scots, and those who love them. . . .

later: here 'tis: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/arts/22mina.html
they'll make you pay to read it after tomorrow, but if anyone's interested, email me for a copy of the piece.

Last edited by Siobhan (26-07-06 17:14:59)

jerryb76 · 26-07-06 20:58:42

bodyhead wrote:

jerryb76 wrote:
Siobhan wrote:
now that's a capital idea.
I would enjoy taking on a contract position with you to sniff out said good and godly masturbators and bring them over to the IFM side.
Maybe we can get something going like INTERPOL an international organization dedicated to discovering the masturbatory voyeurism in the women of the world. Who knows what wonderful techniques are hiding in some remote place? We need to share these things with everyone in the IFM family!
Is this the answer?
http://tinyurl.com/s86ut

I would certainly hate to be the person in the booth near the end of the "thon"

jerryb76 · 26-07-06 21:00:07

Siobhan wrote:

But meanwhile, in an effort to keep things on task, I read the most wonderful essay in the Sunday New York Times last weekend about Scottish mystery writers and why they're so amazing.
I'm working against a deadline here at work, and I'm having a bit of trouble finding the url, but I'll add it later, unless some thoughtful soul finds it before I do. Well worth a read for booklovers, mystery-lovers, detective wanna-bes, Scots, and those who love them. . . .
later: here 'tis: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/arts/22mina.html
they'll make you pay to read it after tomorrow, but if anyone's interested, email me for a copy of the piece.

"Spunky female reporter from Glascow" sounds like fun.

Siobhan · 12-08-06 23:25:15

Has anyone -- especially you graphic novel aficianados -- seen the new book The Lost Girls by Allan Moore and Melinda Gibbs? It's a 366-page illustrated porno fantasy featuring Wendy of Peter Pan, Alice of Wonderland, and Dorothy of Kansas. I'd love to hear about it from someone. People are going crazy about it.

Burlesque · 12-08-06 23:36:02

I don't know this particular work, but Alan Moore wrote what simply must be the best graphic novel of all time: "Watchmen". Anything he is involved in must be brilliant.

Burlesque.

Warmtouch · 13-08-06 02:04:03

Burlesque wrote:

I don't know this particular work, but Alan Moore wrote what simply must be the best graphic novel of all time: "Watchmen". Anything he is involved in must be brilliant.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Who watches the watchmen?

Best translation of that old Latin tag I've ever run across. Yes, it was a brilliant book. There's still stuff in it I don't understand. I need to read it again.

Burlesque · 13-08-06 02:45:40

My problem with "Watchmen" is that I sometimes try to dip into it ... and inevitably end up reading the whole thing again. And yes, there is some pretty deep and complex stuff going on in it - I always discover new things, both in the writing and visually.

Burlesque.

Warmtouch · 13-08-06 13:12:48

Well, (showing my ignorance here) -- did you ever see where the Tales of the Black Freighter story fit in to the whole thing? Its ending sort of echoes the ending of the main plot (I won't say how in order not to spoil it for others), but that didn't seem to be enough to justify the amount of space it took up. If there were closer analogies than the ending, I didn't get them. I found it rather intrusive.

#51 19-07-06 15:50:16

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