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Forty works of fiction - 2012
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01-05-2012 7:40pm#1
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I heard good things about this book and had been eager to read it. It's a story about a plague that wipes out much of the earth's population but there's much more to it than that.
I liked the way King introduced the characters and how he shifted the narrative throughout. I feel he could have done more in the latter stages of the story with the characters. Some characters felt like they had loose ends to their stories. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story though.
It is a big read but worth the effort.0 -
This is a book that seems to divide readers. It's about a few troublesome days in the life of the teenage protagonist Holden Caulfield. The story is written in the first-person perspective and from what I gather, some readers seem to dislike Holden.
Personally I found him likeable enough and the novel gave me a few laugh out loud moments. I would recommend the book. It's a short read so check it out.0 -
This is another acclaimed novel that appears to divide readers. Frequently characters such as the main protagonist Yossarian find themselves in difficult situations that they cannot get out of. The story shifts perspective frequently and introduces a lot of characters. It is satirical, absurd, farcical and at times serious and moving. I can understand why some readers dislike it and I believe when the novel was first published it met with a bit of a mixed reaction from critics.
My own experience was that I found it tough to get through for the first 100 pages or so (it's around 500+ pages). Having stuck with it though I'm glad I did as there are some side-spllittingly funny moments and the novel does seem to carry a lot of truth and a powerful message underneath the surface.
My recommendation is to have patience in the early going and stick with it as you may find it rewarding as I did.0 -
This is probably not one of Steinbeck's best known works.
Quaint and charming would be the words that spring to mind when I think of this book. It is essentially character-driven rather than plot-driven. The descriptive powers of Steinbeck are superb. He really captures the setting of the beach and coastal area tremendously well. You could almost smell the sea air on some pages.
I don't normally read books again that I've read already but I could see myself picking up this one again in the future. Presumably Steinbeck felt similarly as he wrote a sequel to this a good few years later called 'Sweet Thursday' which I must check out.
Anyways, pick up Cannery Row when you have a lazy day to spare. It's a short read and it's one of those reads that stays with you after you finish it.0 -
This was the last novel written by Charles Dickens and remains unfinished due to Dickens's death.
Interestingly, as it's sort of a murder mystery, and since there is no definite conclusion to the story, all sorts of wild theories have sprung up to explain the plot.
It's tough to judge this since there's maybe half or perhaps two-thirds of the story missing. I did enjoy the read which was atmospheric and had vivid characters. The lack of a conclusion didn't bother me but it might bother some, so be aware before picking this up that the outcome will be open to your own interpretation.0 -
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Wow, what a book! Just wonderful.
This is considered a classic of children's literature but it is just as accessible for adult readers. It's a story about a group of plucky rabbits who must leave their endangered home and who find themselves in all sorts of scrapes.
I must say having heard great things about this book I was slightly underwhelmed by the first section (there are four sections in all). Maybe I let my expectations get the better of me. I needn't have worried as pretty soon I was gripped by the story and the highly endearing characters. I'm not ashamed to say I had tears in my eyes at a few moments and the final pages are some of the most beautiful I've read.
Spinge-tingling, heart-warming and highly recommended!0 -
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Certainly leaves a very different impression to the other Steinbeck books I've read, and I don't mean that in a negative way. There is a different tone here but it is a story that resonates powerfully.
The dialogue is excellent and I found it enthralling. I can see why it is so highly regarded. It is a short read and I'd recommend it.0 -
What a struggle. And I don't mean with Ahab and the whale ; I mean trying to finish the novel.
This is certainly a classic, iconic tale and I think the concept behind the story is wonderful: obsessive captain tries to hunt down the elusive, near-mythical white whale that once took his leg.
The problem, sadly, lies in the fact that the novel is way too long-winded and at times detracts from the story altogether which, for myself and I imagine many others, was what was most interesting and compelling. By all means give me chapters exploring the character's motivations and the turmoil on the ship; don't give me whole chapters devoted to the anatomy of the whale, a chapter exploring the tale of Jonah in the Bible, the mechanics of various parts of the ship etc. It was very frustrating to me to have to deal with all these various tangents.
Aside from that obvious issue, I also found that the dialogue was tiresome. It's like Shakespeare meets Blackbeard at points. Many characters seem quite wooden and one-dimensional too. The red indian, the 'negro savage', Ahab the greedy, doubloon-peddling capitalist and so on. I get that there are themes exploring the America of the time at work here but they could have been explored with a bit more attention and care in my opinion.
I'm sure the novel will have its fans and many will point to the themes at the heart of the novel as being of great significance. They may be, but the novel is very unsatisfying at several points.
The novel however is not without merit. The actual chase of the whale is compelling. If the novel had centred on this more and cut out a lof of the technical aspects I would have rated it a lot higher. It feels like the novel finishes very strongly. There is a chapter called 'The Symphony' near the end which I found particularly touching. The climax to the story is also interesting.
I would say the actual iconic aspect - the idea of the white whale roaming the seas and the desperate hunt to catch him - I suspect this is what has helped the story endure in the public mindset most of all. To use an apt metaphor, the idea itself is the hook ; the bait.
I wouldn't recommend the novel though unless one has a desire to experience Melville's actual take on the story.0 -
I've reached a quarter of the way to my target of forty books, and I took on board the recommendation to check out more of Salinger's work.
This book comprises the short story 'Franny' written by Salinger for The New Yorker in 1955 ; as well as 'Zooey', which appeared in the same publication in 1957. Franny is the youngest member of the quite large Glass family, and Zooey is the second youngest.
I liked this book which was not a very long read. It's essentially about the emotional issues going on in the lives of both siblings. There are quite a few strong themes under the surface to do with religion and society. The story is dialogue-driven and after my difficulties getting through Moby Dick, I found this a very refreshing read.
If I'm honest there were points in the story, particularly near the final pages, that I didn't quite understand, in the sense of themes at play that maybe were lost on me. I don't mean this in a negative sense though. Some pages were challenging, but in a good way, requiring me to perhaps reflect on certain points a bit more.
I understand that Salinger wrote quite a lot on the Glass family and I hope to sample some more. With that being the case, unsurprisingly, I am going to recommend Franny and Zooey.0 -
Brave New World is considered by many as one of the most important books of the twentieth century. It depicts a future dystopian society (or utopian depending on your P.O.V.) in which babies are no longer 'born' in civilisation but produced ; there is no monogamy and so everyone belongs to everybody else ; and the ultimate goal in life is happiness, so people take 'soma' drugs to achieve bliss when they are feeling down.
I found this to be an interesting book. Many of the themes touched upon one can identify with today, which is impressive since the book is around eighty years old. I wouldn't say it's without its flaws though. The characters feel a bit thin. I liked Lenina and felt she was notable, but the novel seemed more about the issues and theme than about the characters at the heart of it.
The book is primarily about the message and the message hits home ; so, for its foresight and significance to twentieth century literature, I would recommend giving Brave New World a read.0 -
This is the sequel to Watership Down which I read some weeks back and absolutely loved.
This follow-up is split into three sections with the first two dealing with tales from the rabbit's folklore, whilst the final section deals with the aftermath of what happened to the rabbits in the first book.
I have read that fans were not very receptive to this story when it was first published as they expected more from a direct sequel. Personally speaking I enjoyed the read and the chance to reconnect with the old characters, as well as discover some new ones. There is not the raw emotion and drama of the first book, but what it shares with its predecessor is the sense of warmth and charm.
The first book is a classic, and this wouldn't fall into the same category, but I wasn't expecting it to be and so I found it a fun read. It's a must read for fans of the first book.0 -
I'd be lying if I said it was my plan to finish this novel on Bloomsday but it was frankly so blooming long - and at times tough to read - that it sort of conveniently panned out this way.
So what to say about this acclaimed work? Well, I have to say I did enjoy it and feel glad that I finished it. I must confess that there were many times I completely zoned out of what was going on and seemed to be viewing pages rather than actually reading and digesting them. I guess this is normal and why a lot of people give up on it.
I wasn't expecting the final chapter on Molly to be so entertaining. I guffawed loudly at many moments of this chapter and it's one of my favourites, along with the one where Bloom meets Gerty, and the penultimate one where Bloom and Dedalus depart.
I can see why it is described as groundbreaking as it's not quite like anything I've read before. I would recommend it, but it is I think something one has to commit to and be in the right frame of mind for, and at times reading this I probably was not, which made it a struggle. If ready for the challenge, I think it does enrich the mind.0 -
A book about a teacher who travels back in time to save the life of John F. Kennedy and who finds himself involved in the past in all sorts of ways.
I found this a page-turner but it's flawed. I liked the first section and the conclusion the best but there are a fair few boring parts in the middle. I didn't care for the main character's preparation work for his main mission which I think could have been shortened quite a bit.
There are real people involved here like Oswald and it's no doubt tough for writers to involve such people in fiction. Even so, I found it quite hard to accept King's fictionalised account of the domestic life of the Oswald family. I know a suspension of belief is required for the reader here but at times it felt like Oswald was built up as a rather cliched, cartoonish villain and the protagonist seemed to despise the guy a whole lot, even before meeting him. The dialogue also seemed a bit cliched and TV-esque. For example there's a bit where the protagonist - a teacher in his 30s - says something like: 'I'm coming for you Oswald, you f*ck.' Again, this was before he met Oswald. I found it hard to suspend belief at times as the dialogue could be a bit cheesy and overly dramatic like the above.
It's not all negative however. On the plus side I found the involvement in the past enjoyable and you aren't bogged down with time travel mechanics. I also found the ending to be impressive.
If I could go back in time and stop myself reading this, would I? No. I don't think so. Therefore I'd say give it a look if you think you might like this sort of thing. It's not perfect but it's quite fun.0 -
I was given this novel recently having never read it before. I thought it was wonderful and feel it's a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. I'm told the sequel which centres on Huck is even more highly regarded so I hope to check that out too some time.0 -
Well, I didn't waste much time picking this up. This novel, unlike Tom Sawyer, is written in a first-person perspective with Huck as the narrator.
I thought this book was marvellous and found I enjoyed it more than Tom Sawyer.
Many feel the story declines a bit near the end and I would have to agree, but it's still a very enjoyable read.0 -
I thought this was a very atmospheric book and quite unlike others novels I've read. It felt to me a bit like being inside Edvard Munch's The Scream.
I felt it started off fairly pedestrian (forgive the pun) but felt it soon picked up and some of the images from the story resonate strongly.
Impressive work and worth a look if you like post-apocalpytic stories.0 -
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I've become a fan of Steinbeck the past few months and this book is a collection of short stories that Steinbeck wrote at various points in the 1930s.
Out of the 12 stories here, the ones that stood out for me the most were The Chrysanthemums, a story about a frustrated housewife, and The Red Pony, tales about a young boy living with his mother, father and their helper on a farm.
I liked this book which did at times being back memories of his other works. An easy, enjoyable read.0 -
Honestly I was a little underwhelmed by this book. Some of the stories didn't really resonate with me.
I will say that I thought The Dead was outstanding. The stories which I liked the most were An Encounter, The Boarding House, A Little Cloud and Ivy Day in the Committee Room but I think The Dead is head and shoulders above the rest. That was the one that left the biggest impression on me.0 -
This book was my first introduction to Agatha Christie. I enjoyed it and found it an easy read. It's one of the Miss Marple stories although the character didn't feature in it as much as I thought she would.
Alas I didn't figure it all out until just before the end but I felt it all came together satisfactorily.0 -
I had heard this referred to as one of the greatest novels ever written so I suppose I had high hopes before reading it. I was left a bit disappointed. I can't think of why it's so highly praised.
On the plus side, it is clearly a well written book and Fitzgerald at times does use the language beautifully. Unfortunately, I found most of the characters, with one or two exceptions, very unlikeable. I guess it could be argued that is the point, but I did not find the story all that interesting and I can't help but feel the coldness of the characters was a big factor.
Upon finishing it I felt a bit like a visitor to Gatsby's home. A wonderfully constructed thing but what it contains on the inside feels ultimately rather hollow.0 -
I gave up on this which is a rare thing for me to do. I liked the concept, and the early parts were promising, but I just found this really boring. Way more political elements than I had anticipated and the globetrotting aspect didn't work for me.0 -
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I thought this was a wonderful read. I particularly enjoyed learning about Stephen in his early years. Some of the scenes that Joyce evokes are very striking and the writing is beautiful at times. I also found it very informative as there are references to aspects of Irish life and history I wasn't aware of.
It's probably not everyone's cup of tea but for those that have read other works by Joyce and liked them, I think this one should prove just as enjoyable.0 -
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A very ambitious and admirable book. I had different feelings on different sections.
I did not really enjoy the first part of the story too much. I felt there was a lot here that cut have been omitted. I enjoyed the second section a lot more but felt near the end of the second section it got a bit too silly (which I guess should not be a criticism in light of the final section). The third and final section was very interesting and I appreciated how everything was handled in the end.
Much more thought-provoking than I expected and I can forgive a lot of the flaws that bothered me in the earlier part of the story. Worth checking out.0 -
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This was my second Agatha Christie novel and my first involving Hercule Poirot. As the title suggests, an aeroplane is the setting for this one and Poirot is, quite literally, along for the ride.
I found this to be a very engaging story. I was captivated by the manner in which it unfolded and I found Poirot to be a very likeable character (I found him far more enjoyable than Marple).
Once again I failed to figure out the culprit, but I was again left satisfied and with the itch to check out another Christie story.0 -
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This is a collection of short stories by Yates which depicts the lives of New Yorkers during the 1950s.
I thought this was a really nice book and there were several stories that I would have been glad to continue reading if I could. Yates has a great knack for leaving you wanting more from his stories, and I have become a fan of his writing style.0 -
The Man in the High Castle takes place in an alternate reality where the Axis Powers have prevailed in the Second World War. We get to experience the points of view of several characters based in the US.
I have mixed views on this one. Dealing with my criticisms firstly, I was a bit disappointed the various characters didn't really interact with one another. It was like a sampling of their various lives whereas I suppose I was hoping they would all come together, a la The Stand. I also thought the novel got bogged down in a lot of details at points, especially the internal squabbles of the Nazis. I had hoped too that the differences of the alternate reality and the actual reality would have been dealt with more.
On a brighter note, I very much enjoyed Juliana's storyline arc. I thought she was the most interesting character by far and it seemed to me like more care was put into her part of the story.
Overall it was a decent story. If it sounds like the kind of plot you'd find fascinating then give it a go.0 -
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Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »
This was my second Agatha Christie novel and my first involving Hercule Poirot. As the title suggests, an aeroplane is the setting for this one and Poirot is, quite literally, along for the ride.
I found this to be a very engaging story. I was captivated by the manner in which it unfolded and I found Poirot to be a very likeable character (I found him far more enjoyable than Marple).
Once again I failed to figure out the culprit, but I was again left satisfied and with the itch to check out another Christie story.
Poirot is the only fictional character to get his own obituary in the New York Time & Agatha couldn't stand him
:D A friend of mine this year did their dissertation on Agatha Christie so I know more than I ever wanted to know about her... Try Patricia Cornells (sp) Body Farm - the woman who did the dissertation said that this was one of her best books and is a modern writer in the vein of Christie. I will state that I haven't read any Cornell, Christie type books, so it isn't a personal opinion - the closest I got to this is Sherlock Holmes. Another useless piece of info - Agatha Christie also intensely disliked Sherlock Holmes.
Why was Revolutionary Rd so good?
EDIT: Do you have any interest in the fantasy/science fiction genre?0 -
Queen-Mise wrote: »Poirot is the only fictional character to get his own obituary in the New York Time & Agatha couldn't stand him:D A friend of mine this year did their dissertation on Agatha Christie so I know more than I ever wanted to know about her... Try Patricia Cornells (sp) Body Farm - the woman who did the dissertation said that this was one of her best books and is a modern writer in the vein of Christie. I will state that I haven't read any Cornell, Christie type books, so it isn't a personal opinion - the closest I got to this is Sherlock Holmes. Another useless piece of info - Agatha Christie also intensely disliked Sherlock Holmes.
Why was Revolutionary Rd so good?
EDIT: Do you have any interest in the fantasy/science fiction genre?
That's interesting to hear she didn't like Sherlock Holmes because in the few Christie books I've read I did notice her characters criticising the stories.
As for Revolutionary Road, it was a real eye opening book. It's about a young married couple in fifties America that are trapped in this suburban lifestyle that neither of them really want, but their fears and doubts have them trapped there. As the novel unfolds they make efforts to change their lives but the characters are so deluded that you feel despair for them. I'd strongly recommend this one.
I quite like the fantasy/sci-fi genre. I hope to add some more books like that in the coming weeks. At the minute I seem to be going through a phase of 20th century American literature. I am on to Ernest Hemingway at the moment. Never read him before now.0 -
This is a satirical war novel - with aliens and time travel thrown in for good measure - about events in the crazy life of Billy Pilgrim.
I thought this was novel was fabulous fun. I was laughing aloud on several occasions and Billy is a very endearing character. The themes touched upon in the book, particularly about the nature of the past, are themes I've often wondered about myself which is probably another reason why I liked this so much.
It's not a long read and I think there's something in here for everyone.0 -
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Fiesta - sometimes known as The Sun Also Rises - is a novel about a group of American and British thirtysomethings and their experiences in places such as Paris and Pamplona. There was no real plot as such. The main theme of the novel deals with the characters and their interactions with one another, and in particular the protagonist and the woman he loves.
This was my first introduction to Hemingway and I did enjoy it. The atmosphere is well created, the bullfighting was well described (I believe Hemingway went to a lot of fights) and while the characters are not the most likeable, in fact many are self-destructive, they are believable.
I understand that this is an important work in understanding Hemingway's style of writing. I wasn't really concentrating on that aspect of the novel so I can't really shed much light on that, other than to say I thought it was written in an effective manner. It's worth a look.
I think I need to read some more of his works to get a better idea of him and I hope to do that. I'll try to check out some of the other suggestions made to me as well.0 -
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My second Hemingway novel on this list, For Whom the Bell Tolls is set during the Spanish Civil War and centres around Robert Jordan, an American national working on the Republican side against the fascists, who has been assigned to link up with a small band of guerrilla fighters and blow up a strategically important bridge. The story covers the preparation and then the eventual assault.
I thought this was a brilliant read. I very much enjoyed it. The description in the novel is fantastic, and particularly impressive when it comes to the action scenes. At times I felt I could see everything as clearly as if I were watching a film. The characters seem real too, as well as the jeopardy they face, and you get a strong sense that Hemingway knows what he's talking about (he had been a reporter during the Spanish civil war).
As much as I enjoyed it though it's not without its faults. The romantic relationship in the novel feels a bit hokey, and one probably has to keep in mind that the story was written in 1940. Some of the text is also quite old-fashioned in its style which I believe stems from Hemingway's direct translation of Spanish. I could forgive that but was more annoyed about the censorship of swear words in the novel. For instance there are times when the word 'unprintable' is placed when characters - such as the foul-mouthed Agustin - are swearing. This would be a small quibble however.
Probably my main annoyance was the protagonist Robert Jordan. I couldn't really warm to him and thought he treated others around him rather contemptuously for someone who required their assistance and courage. I found myself more of a fan of the guerilla leader Pablo, whom Jordan in the novel despises.
Overall I think this is a story well worth reading. It holds up very well on the whole in this day and age and I can easily see how it would have rocked people's socks over 70 years ago.0 -
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