This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

ankles · 28-10-2013 07:21PM

I shall post this now, could have posted it some time ago. Could post it for some time to come. War and Peace, the newest translation. Just into Book 3. I only read a few pages a night with the occasional 20 page chunk. It's a good story! Surprisingly modern in tone (have read Dostoyevsky before and nearly put me off Russians for life), although its length is due to the prodigious detail with which events are described (ball going on for 20 pages etc.) Glad I'm reading it tho. Richard Ford's Canada waiting after that.And for something completely different I wouldn't be surprised if Alex Ferguson's new autobiography appears late December...

AnnyHallsal · 28-10-2013 08:09PM

Just finished Diana of the Crossways by George Meredith. Found it a bit tiresome, not up to the Eliot/Hardy standard.

Now reading Bolano's 2666. Liking that a lot more, surprisingly funny.

Tom Joad · 28-10-2013 09:55PM

Finally finished Bleak house but it was tough going and was just relieved to get it finished - although the last 50 pages were a huge improvement on the rest off the book.

Also finished Khaled Hosseini - another big let down after a promising start - switched between stories too often and too quickly and it felt very contrived and false. Didn't like the Americanisation of everything - really bugged me..

Not sure what to read next - might try Donna Tart The Secret History

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-10-2013 03:49PM

Finished "Far From The Madding Crowd" last night. Absolutely loved it. It was from the library though so I'm going to have to go buy my own copy now so I can read it again.

Got "The Complete Novels of Carson McCullers" today. I only wanted to read "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" but I guess I'll read them all now.

Callan57 · 29-10-2013 10:44PM

Finished The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
A fascinating, irreverent and partly madcap book but I liked it a lot.

Now it's on to Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Slattsy · 30-10-2013 12:25AM

Callan57 wrote: »

Finished The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
A fascinating, irreverent and partly madcap book but I liked it a lot.

Now it's on to Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Just finished it too. Bit iffy in the middle, kinda slowed a bit. But the ending is class.

Picked up Interview with the Vampire earlier. Loved the film. Can't wait for the book. Apt with Halloween this week Hee Hee

[-0-] · 31-10-2013 12:47PM

Slouching Towards Kalamazoo by Peter De Vries.

biZrb · 31-10-2013 01:17PM

Recently finished Atomised by Michel Houellebecq. Very strange book, not quite sure what to make of it.

Finally started reading Lord of the Rings.

Saorenza · 31-10-2013 03:15PM

I might try the newest translation of W&P. Have tried to read it many times, always get stuck at the end of Book 1. So many people have mentioned
The Master and Margarita that I downloaded a sample last night, really enjoyed what I read so far and will get the whole book.

I finished Mariana by Monica Dickens on Monday, after starting it on Saturday evening. Fastest I have read a book in ages. Enjoyed it as much as when I read it as a teenager.

I finally finished the Christopher Fowler book I was reading (The Memory of Blood); not sure I will bother with anymore of his.

I started The Black Country by Alex Grecian, not great - interesting idea - Scotland Yard murder squad post Jack the Ripper, but no sense of era or place.

So then I picked up Snow White Must Die which is the first German detective novel I have read and I am really enjoying it.

(Also reading books about the Irish manuscript tradition and language shift for an essay.)

SarahBM · 31-10-2013 09:05PM

biZrb wrote: »

Finally started reading Lord of the Rings.

Read the Hobbit first. and enjoy the Lord of the Rings

:D:D

SarahBM · 31-10-2013 09:07PM

Saorenza wrote: »

I might try the newest translation of W&P. Have tried to read it many times, always get stuck at the end of Book 1. So many people have mentioned
The Master and Margarita that I downloaded a sample last night, really enjoyed what I read so far and will get the whole book.

I finished Mariana by Monica Dickens on Monday, after starting it on Saturday evening. Fastest I have read a book in ages. Enjoyed it as much as when I read it as a teenager.

I finally finished the Christopher Fowler book I was reading (The Memory of Blood); not sure I will bother with anymore of his.

I started The Black Country by Alex Grecian, not great - interesting idea - Scotland Yard murder squad post Jack the Ripper, but no sense of era or place.

So then I picked up Snow White Must Die which is the first German detective novel I have read and I am really enjoying it.

(Also reading books about the Irish manuscript tradition and language shift for an essay.)

How are you not completely confused??!?! I can only read one book at a time

diddlybit · 31-10-2013 09:14PM

Callan57 wrote: »

Now it's on to Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

It's a masterpiece. Cannot wait to read Macadam.

Reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak at the moment. Took me a long time to get into it, but I'm now I'm not looking toward to it ending.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 31-10-2013 10:28PM

Half way through "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" and it's pretty dull so far.

Every time I pick it up I wish I was still reading "Far From The Madding Crowd"

Saorenza · 01-11-2013 12:34AM

SarahBM wrote: »

How are you not completely confused??!?! I can only read one book at a time

If I really love something I'll read it right through and go to no other book - like I read Mariana. But I often have a book for my bag, usually on Kindle because it's light, and another book for at home. I put aside The Black Country because it was irritating me - details like a Victorian night watchman in a mine having a housekeeper bugged me. I wanted to like it too. I read pretty quickly and I am ruthless about not finishing books. I will admit I do sometimes have a problem with starting books and picking up another and not getting back to the first one even though I planned to.

[-0-] · 01-11-2013 03:08AM

SarahBM wrote: »

How are you not completely confused??!?! I can only read one book at a time

I usually read three or four books at a time.

biZrb · 01-11-2013 10:01AM

SarahBM wrote: »

Read the Hobbit first. and enjoy the Lord of the Rings :D:D

I read it about 10 years ago, loved it, so always meant to read Lord of the Rings, but only getting around to it now!

SarahBM · 01-11-2013 02:41PM

biZrb wrote: »

I read it about 10 years ago, loved it, so always meant to read Lord of the Rings, but only getting around to it now!

I hope you enjoy it. Like you, I read them about 10 years ago. If only I had the time to read them again!!! I love the films too, but in a different way.

I'm setting my self the target of finishing the Count of Monte Cristo before or by Xmas. It's trying to find the time to read these days.

Saorenza · 01-11-2013 03:50PM

I read the first two books of Lord of the Rings when the movies were made (at the urging of my husband and his family who are all fans). I enjoyed the movies more I think.

After we saw The Hobbit my husband got me the book (definitely a theme there) and I was surprised how much I liked it - more than any of The Lord of the Rings books.

I have a cold so am going to give myself a break from college stuff and essays and crack on with Snow White Must Die

Aenaes · 01-11-2013 09:05PM

I'm reading If I Die In A Combat Zone by Tim O'Brien. Infrantryman's account of the Vietnam war 1968-1970.

Callan57 · 02-11-2013 07:25PM

Finished Oryx & Crake which I absolutely loved ... now it's on to The Year of the Flood also by Margaret Atwood

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 03-11-2013 01:18AM

I have an announcement!

I am quitting this book. I suffered for the best part of a month with Nicholas Nickleby and I will not suffer again through The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. I'm half way through and I'm not even sure what anyone is called! Is there a plot? I don't know!

This is only the 2nd book I've quit in my entire life, 3rd if you include skimming the last few chapters of Madame Bovary. I hate to be beaten by a book but we all must admit defeat at some point.

Saorenza · 03-11-2013 03:37PM

Aenaes wrote: »

I'm reading If I Die In A Combat Zone by Tim O'Brien. Infrantryman's account of the Vietnam war 1968-1970.

I read some of The Things They Carried and liked it.

I finished Snow White Must Die last night - liked it a lot, the second half flags a little due to too many plot twists though.

I then picked up Simon Singh's Fermat's Last Theorem on a whim. I loved his book on codes so I might stick with it if I can understand it.

I also read Hidden Ireland, Public Sphere by Joep Leerssen for essay purposes.

MagicMarker · 03-11-2013 03:40PM

I started reading 'Another Country' by James Baldwin, it's utterly compelling so far. I've had a reading drought the last couple of weeks, not really been able to get into anything, but this one has sucked me right in.

Gamayun · 03-11-2013 07:08PM

Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall by Frank Brady

Decent biography of the chess prodigy turned anti-Semitic ranter. While this book hit all of the major events in Bobby's life I wasn't a fan of how certain parts were written. I would rather a colder more clinical biography to one which is embellished to make it more novel-esque. Brady acknowledges his approach in the Author's Note (see below) and I can understand his motives but feel that factual accuracy should take priority over all in a Biography.

I ask forgiveness for my occasional speculations in this book, but Fischer’s motivations beg to be understood; and when conjecture is used, I inform the reader of my doing so. To vivify Bobby’s extraordinary life I sometimes use the techniques of the novelist: elaboration of setting, magnification of detail, fragments of dialogue, and revelation of interior states.

There's far too many sentences similar too this one: "Stories were told, unconfirmed by this writer, that when he was flat broke, he’d accept short telephone calls from chess players at a charge of $2,500 each, and would also give lessons over the phone for $10,000." There is way too much hearsay like that in this Biography.

Moving on to Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors, a collection of short writings done for various publications over the years.

emeraldstar · 04-11-2013 12:15AM

Gamayun wrote: »

Moving on to Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors, a collection of short writings done for various publications over the years.

I've picked this one up in bookshops so many times but always left it back without buying. Interested in hearing how you find it!

Aenaes · 04-11-2013 07:05PM

I started Emma last night with some trepidation as this thread hasn't seemed very kind towards it. It's started decently so I'm hoping I don't get bogged down in the middle or something.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 04-11-2013 07:08PM

Aenaes wrote: »

I started Emma last night with some trepidation as this thread hasn't seemed very kind towards it. It's started decently so I'm hoping I don't get bogged down in the middle or something.

Jane Austen's Emma? It's my favourite of all of Austen's books.

Belle E. Flops · 04-11-2013 07:13PM

I loved Emma. Stick with it, it's a great book.

SarahBM · 04-11-2013 08:07PM

Aenaes wrote: »

I started Emma last night with some trepidation as this thread hasn't seemed very kind towards it. It's started decently so I'm hoping I don't get bogged down in the middle or something.

Have you ever read Austen before? If you like Emma you have to read Pride and Prejudice.

Aenaes · 04-11-2013 08:16PM

SarahBM wrote: »

Have you ever read Austen before? If you like Emma you have to read Pride and Prejudice.

Yeah, I've read P&P. Thought it was very good and even funny in places, which I wasn't expecting.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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