A Mixture of literary Classics and the Lowest of the Low(Well not that low)

Corkfeen

So I finished my degree last week in English and History. As a result of all the reading I had to do for English, reading for pleasure really declined so I said I'd throw together a log to motivate myself to read everything that interests me.:D

The first was The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, I haven't seen either of the film versions so I went into it fairly blind and missed all the hype. Overall it was an extremely easy read and it made for an interesting insight into Swedish culture which is so different to our own.

The mystery itself was suitably entertaining but I'll be honest murder mystery novels have never really grabbed my interest. Larsson's choice to solve the mystery with over a hundred pages to go was actually something that I found to be gutsy as it allowed for the reader to gain a greater amount of knowledge about Blomkvist and Lisbeth. It wasn't simply a story about suspects and solving a crime which many murder-mystery novels do(not all), probably the main reasons I rarely read them.

I'm not particularly pushed about reading the remainder of the trilogy but will probably do so later on in the year. I'd give it a 7/10, primarily due to the characterisations. Next on the list is Women by Charles Bukowski.

Corkfeen

Women by Charles Bukowski was fantastic. Previously, I've read some of his work but wasn't particularly impressed but they were mainly his short stories. But the autobiographical element of Women is what makes him superb writer. He's capable of bluntly expressing himself and he should be a less than sympathetic character. However it's actually possible to empathise with him and even relate somewhat to his perceptions and behaviour.

He's simple in language but has a high brow sleazy pulp quality. I didn't know that it was possible for one writer to express all those traits in one novel. He never holds back and is willing to depict himself as an almighty bastard with some slightly redeeming features. At times he seems to love each woman he sleeps with but then he treats them like ****e and objectifies. He was a confusing but awesome character due to such paradoxes. Can't help but feel that the show Californication drew a fair bit of Hank Moody from Chasinsky(Bukowski)l. I'll definitely read more of his works in the future.

9/10

Next up is Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson. I've read The Psychopath Test so I know what to expect. I swear i'll have some more difficult reads later on.:D

Corkfeen

Them: Adventures with Extremist by Jon Ronson: Don't have a huge amount to say about this. It was entertaining however I wish he'd dug a bit deeper into aspects of extremist culture. I found a lot of it consisted of repetition and I knew of much of the groups involved already.

I also found that some chapters seemed to be thrown in to fill pages and felt out of place in the book such as the Ian Paisley one, possibly because as an Irish person I am more familiar with his controversial politics alongside his religions. It really wasn't up to the same standard of The Psychopath Test and his gonzo style of journalism was still very much so in development at the point when he wrote this. - 6/10

Next up is The Shining by Stephen King, I think it's one of the few respect King novels that I haven't read so I look forward to it.

Corkfeen

Was on holiday and stuff so didn't get through The Shining particularly quickly but here's my thoughts anyway. I've been a massive fan of King for a couple of years now and have read pretty much all of his greats so The Shining and the remainder of The Dark Tower books are the exception at this point.

I've always loved the Kubrick film but at the same time I felt there was something severely lacking. The book is far stronger than the film, it goes into such depth with the entire family's background and Jack's character's descent into madness makes far more sense.

The characterisations are what sets the best of King apart from the worst of King. The Torrance family are as well developed as Carrie and her mother for example. I can honestly say that it's risen to the point of my favourite King novel.

7/10

Next up is The Great Gatsby which I have absolutely no prior knowledge of, which strikes me as unusual...

Corkfeen

Haven't had the chance to glance to update this for a while.

The Great Gatsby was an excellent but at times slow read. Gatsby was a fascinating character if only for the ambiguity that surrounded him throughout, at points I felt as if he was a nasty and contemptible individual. So, I may read it again in another few years to see if I appreciate it more.

Now, I was reading Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick however a friend wanted to read it so I had to loan it out unfortunately. So I've started Ender's Game in the meantime and will get back to some commentary on Chaos whenever I get it back.

Corkfeen

Finished off Ender's Game, it proves that even people with the most abhorrent views can write good literature. The plot seemed to almost be a satire of war at times by literally sending children off to fight the war. The ambiguity over the buggers and if they were even a real threat raised some typical questions over the military's decisions.

Anyway, another good read and I'd send it towards the top of the list of my favourite novels. I'd give it an 8/10.

Next up is The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury which i'm in the direction of half way through.

Corkfeen

7. The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury
The first Ray Bradbury stories that i've read. It was a somewhat light introduction to his work. The stories really have to be viewed as a product of their time and that's really how you see how he can be a highly innovative writer. It's no Fahrenheit 451 but it's good.

6/10


8.Hyperion - Dan Simmons
A bit heavier in terms of the sci-fi world than Ender's Game and a fair bit longer. You get fragments of information about Earth's past to help fill in blanks. It really comes into its own when it comes to the characterisations. They're strong and each individual story of theirs reinforces their backstory and manifests the history of this modern space age. Excellent read and will read the sequel relatively soon so it's still in my mind.

9/10


9.Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
I'll be honest, I both loved and hated the story. Bradbury's hatred of television is representative of the attitudes of the time. The story is somewhat self fulfilling in reality in a more metaphorical sense with elements such as how people mindlessly watch programs and this is very much replicated through the likes of reality tv in the real world etc. The idea of quick thrills than putting the work in by reading a book can be somewhat familiar. However at the very same time I felt Bradbury failed to realise the creative achievements that could be done through mediums such as television and film. It was an unusual dystopian thriller.

8/10


Think American Gods by Neil Gaiman is up next. This is getting distinctly fantasy and sci-fi orientated which is strange since I rarely read them. :P

Corkfeen

10.American Gods- Neil Gaiman
It took me longer than expected but I had to settle into my new course and stuff which slowed matters down.

Anyway, I've actually started this a couple of times but life got in the way each time. Regret not finishing it the first time I started it. It's an extremely clever book with hints throughout story that there is more going on, in the background. There's also something fascinating about watching ancient gods come to life. I'm not going to ruin the plot but it's a rather unique fantasy story where every myth becomes a god.

Anyway, I'd highly recommend it.

8/10

May be starting Dr Sleep next but not 100% certain.

Corkfeen

Been exceedingly busy for the past two months so haven't gotten as much reading done as I intended.

11. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood: This one was a particularly dark read. I'd place it as up there with with 1984 in terms of the dystopia which Atwood achieves. As books go,it's pretty much an anti-feminist world where religious belief rules alongside a sordid underbelly. A world of purity of soul is equally as terrifying as any extremist state. Strangely relatable given the country's past.
9/10

12. A Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut: Been a massive fan of Vonnegut since I first read Slaughterhouse Five. His satire is better than most and he can really reach new levels of absurdity at the same time. It plays upon the idiocy of humanity and goes to great lengths to point out why great power,particularly weaponised should not be left with us. It was written midway through the arms crisis so the book is really worth viewing within the context of the period. However it's of course perfectly applicable to the present day. If you're a fan of Dr Strangelove or Kurt Vonnegut in general, I'd highly recommend it.
8/10

Corkfeen

13. Ubik - Philip K Dick
Been a long time since I've gone near Dick's writing. Didn't really appreciate what a great storyteller he was up until now. It's one of those truly innovative books in science fiction considering the fact it was written in 1969. I'm not prone to being horrified by any books so it can't be blamed for my lack of horror. But it still managed to confuse the hell out of me at points while being completely coherent in the world of the novel.

10/10

14. Dr Sleep - Stephen King
While it was undoubtedly an unnecessary sequel to what is arguably King's masterpiece, I still really enjoyed it. It did tend to lose it's momentum towards the end of it which is common for King but it was much better than many of his endings. It was worth seeing how much Danny had in common with his father etc. Any fans of King should check it out,his output has dramatically improved in recent years.

7/10

Think considering Phlebis by Iain Banks is next up for me.

Corkfeen

15. Considering Phlebas - Iain Banks
First Banks book that I've read. It's the first of his Culture series. It's very much an exterior view of the Culture and is centered around a mission to capture the 'mind' of a ship. The protagonist is veering in the direction of being an anti-hero and throughout you can't help but question on if he is on the 'right' side of an ongoing war against the culture. Loved and hated the fact that Banks held no major value in the lives of the characters that he developed. It was bleak but excellent.

7/10

Next up is The Plot against America by Philip Roth.

Corkfeen

Haven't updated this in ages but I'm still reading.:D
17.The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Only other book of his that I've read is The Facts: A Novelist's Autobiography. So I should probably choose a different starting point for Roth. But I love alternative histories so I had to go with it. The first 80% of the novel was excellent,however it descended into history correcting itself as it neared the end. I did find the Lindbergh aspect to be fascinating in terms of how certain figures' sordid pasts are left out of basic history retellings. However the one angle that made it stand out from other WW2 alternative histories is that it was told from the perspective of a Jewish American child, Roth really made it feel suffocating for the protagonist at points.

7/10

18.Wizard and Glass by Stephen King
Been holding off on finishing the Dark Tower for a few years so I drop into it every once and a while. It seemed like a mixture of filler in terms of the Dark Tower. Although Roland's back story did fill me in on what led to much of the events in the Gunslinger and a more innocent teenage Roland. Enjoyable but provided little progressive to the journey to the tower.

7/10

19. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Don't have a huge amount to say on this. Highly enjoyable read that is relatable for anyone that has had a semblance of a non perfect life.(Most) It follows the negative reflections on life by a rather insufferable record shop owner. Loved it though.

9/10

20.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking- Susan Cain

This basically draws upon various pieces of research on introversion and extroversion. I'd classify myself as introverted and this book actually gave me a strange insight into myself. Basic summary is that it looks into how introverted personality types are equally as necessary and beneficial to society as extroverted. Worth reading for any.

8/10

21. Player Piano-Kurt Vonnegut
I've read a lot of Vonnegut by this point. Player Piano was his first novel so tends to be much less experimental. However he pulls off what can only be a dystopain utopia. Great for one side of society but awful for another. Basically average people have been replaced by much more efficient machines. The average folk fulfil predefined roles in society such as joining the army. Life is unfulfilled,meaningless and important for them as a result.

It does have the same level of dark comedy as his later book however,every once and a while it seeps through. If you're a Vonnegut fan, you won't be disappointed.

10/10