This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

antonymin · 26-09-2015 11:21PM

Just started "South of Broad" by Conroy. Seems OK up to now.

Mr.Nice Guy · 27-09-2015 07:42PM

I finished Brighton Rock by Graham Greene. I thought it was very good. It was my first time reading something by Greene. I thought the character of Ida was very compelling and larger-than-life and a nice contrast to the monster that was Pinkie.

Aenaes · 27-09-2015 08:57PM

I'll be reading Brighton Rock in the near future. Greene is fantastic.

heathledgerlove · 29-09-2015 12:05AM

Finished Love and Summer, William Trevor; took about two weeks even though it’s really short and had big enough typesetting. Disappointing I must say; not very engaging. I presume it was supposed to be about forbidden love in the twee setting of countrified 1950s Ireland but I was never convinced. Reminded me – thematically – of, say, Bridges of Madison County and though that book is a little silly at least I remember there being passion!

Quote: ‘A ceremony her afternoon adorning of herself had become this summer, the occasion each time finished with another dab of eau-de-Cologne, another touch of lip salve.’
I read this sentence several times and its composition still confuses.

Might try his short stories next time. At some stage.

Swiper the fox · 29-09-2015 07:51AM

heathledgerlove wrote: »

Finished Love and Summer, William Trevor; took about two weeks even though it’s really short and had big enough typesetting. Disappointing I must say; not very engaging. I presume it was supposed to be about forbidden love in the twee setting of countrified 1950s Ireland but I was never convinced. Reminded me – thematically – of, say, Bridges of Madison County and though that book is a little silly at least I remember there being passion!

Quote: ‘A ceremony her afternoon adorning of herself had become this summer, the occasion each time finished with another dab of eau-de-Cologne, another touch of lip salve.’
I read this sentence several times and its composition still confuses.

Might try his short stories next time. At some stage.

Trevor is very unusual, I've read quite a lot but I don't know what brings me back. Lucy Gault is probably the best of them although some of the old short stories are really great.
I read Love and Summer when it was shortlisted (maybe longlisted?) for the Booker and my feelings were similar to your own. When I read Felicias Journey it felt as if it was set in the 1950s but could hardly believe when the evidence was stacked up that it seemed to be set in the 1980s.

Busi_Girl08 · 29-09-2015 09:16AM

I finished The Martian, probably one of the best books I've read all year.

I started nEvermore, a collection of short stories inspired by (or written by) the works of Edgar Allen Poe. So far so good! The first story had a good chill to it alright.

Birneybau · 30-09-2015 12:58PM

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

I finished The Martian, probably one of the best books I've read all year.

I started nEvermore, a collection of short stories inspired by (or written by) the works of Edgar Allen Poe. So far so good! The first story had a good chill to it alright.

I started reading it and thought it was one of the most badly written books I've ever read. Might go back to it.

Flitting between the above, 'The Girl in the Spider's Web' (very early days) and recently finished 'Purity' by Jonathan Franzen which I was a bit disappointed in.

Having a bit of bad luck with books at the moment.

Das Kitty · 30-09-2015 01:33PM

Birneybau wrote: »

I started reading it and thought it was one of the most badly written books I've ever read. Might go back to it.

It certainly scores low in the beautiful language stakes, and in the characterisation stakes, but the plot is dynamite and more than makes up for other short-comings.

I recently finished Station Eleven by Emily St.John Mandel. I enjoyed it. It's very gentle for a post-apocalyptic set novel.

Callan57 · 30-09-2015 09:46PM

The Green Road by Anne Enright

Mr.Nice Guy · 01-10-2015 05:02PM

I finished Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. Seems to be a book that divides opinion but I enjoyed it.

heathledgerlove · 01-10-2015 07:05PM

Finished The Commitments in a matter of hours, I was actually roaring with laughter, the turn of phrase and bantering was just utterly hilarious; also fascinating that a novel can be composed almost entirely of dialogue and still manage to drive the plot forward.
My only quibble would be that the dialogue was of course written in that particular style with the – dash and no continuous indication of which character is speaking ( is this device from Joyce? Idk..)
I wouldn’t mind this so much only for all of the characters – all of the Commitments – with the exception of Joey the Lips, had pretty much exactly the same personality and style of speech.
Overall though, very more-ish: I’ll launch into The Snapper and The Van that were included in the Barrytown Trilogy I got down the charity shop :P

Censorsh!t · 01-10-2015 08:34PM

Have finally gotten round to reading Stephen King's The Stand

But of course I would start reading it the day I get a ferkin' flu, which was somewhat terrifying!

I'm about 400 pages in and am really enjoying it. I've put it off way too long

Daisy78 · 03-10-2015 12:16AM

Spill simmer falter wither by Sara Baume

Gonzovision · 03-10-2015 01:24PM

Having finished 'Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar' by Tom Holland, which was an absolutely brilliant read, I read 'The Prisoner of Heaven' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, mildly disappointed, not down to the story or the writing, but it ended so abruptly. Part of the 'Cemetery of Books' series, it really is a lovely read, but the story was only taking off when it ended.

Next on my list, which I started this morning is 'The Silk Roads: A New History of the World' by Peter Frankopan. Getting very good reviews, so hoping it lives up to the hype.

Mr.Nice Guy · 04-10-2015 07:15PM

I finished Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I thought this was great. I haven't seen the film version by Hitchcock so I came to the story not knowing what to expect. I found it really gripping.

And that Mrs Danvers character as well..so creepy!

heathledgerlove · 04-10-2015 10:56PM

Decline and Fall was readable enough, but definitely could not be ranked as even one of Evelyn Waugh's average works; it is far and away from the brilliance of Brideshead and A Handful of Dust. Paul Pennyfeather was such a frightfully flat character that it was very difficult to stay invested; a dull protagonist bodes ill in a book where everything was contrived towards the comic.
As a first effort though, it works well to display the author's adeptness at wordplay, wry, dark humour and understated dialogue. Overall though, pure juvenilia that I would suggest would not usually be published beyond, say, a university magazine but no doubt was streets ahead of and surpasses many other 1930s Popular Penguin efforts.

Aenaes · 05-10-2015 04:12PM

I finished Great Expectations. It was enjoyable even if the plot was revealed in the introduction.

Now I'm reading The Power And The Glory by Graham Greene.

eire4 · 05-10-2015 04:59PM

Finished a re read of Joseph O'Connor's powerful Star of the Sea set on a ship during an Atlantic crossing in 1847 admist the worst year of An Gorta Mor. An appropiate read given the National Memorial day for An Gorta Mor was the other week.

Ice Storm · 05-10-2015 05:55PM

Aenaes wrote: »

I finished Great Expectations. It was enjoyable even if the plot was revealed in the introduction.

This is why I now don't read introductions until after I've read the book. They seem to be aimed at people rereading the book. I genuinely don't understand why something containing massive plot spoliers is called an "introduction"!

Swiper the fox · 05-10-2015 06:46PM

eire4 wrote: »

Finished a re read of Joseph O'Connor's powerful Star of the Sea set on a ship during an Atlantic crossing in 1847 admist the worst year of An Gorta Mor. An appropiate read given the National Memorial day for An Gorta Mor was the other week.

That book is so good that I've even re-read myself, just last year. I love Joe O'Connor and that is probably his finest effort.

Fathom · 05-10-2015 07:58PM

Kings and Emperors, Dewey Lambdin.

heathledgerlove · 05-10-2015 10:51PM

eire4 wrote: »

Finished a re read of Joseph O'Connor's powerful Star of the Sea set on a ship during an Atlantic crossing in 1847 admist the worst year of An Gorta Mor. An appropiate read given the National Memorial day for An Gorta Mor was the other week.

Desert island book

eire4 · 06-10-2015 04:50PM

Swiper the fox wrote: »

That book is so good that I've even re-read myself, just last year. I love Joe O'Connor and that is probably his finest effort.

It is a classic isn't it. He weaves the story together brilliantly.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 06-10-2015 05:54PM

About half way through War and Peace now and everyone is really starting to piss me off.

Callan57 · 06-10-2015 07:37PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

About half way through War and Peace now and everyone is really starting to piss me off.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 06-10-2015 07:44PM

Callan57 wrote: »

Have you read it? I'm slowly growing to hate everyone.

ivytwine · 06-10-2015 09:03PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

About half way through War and Peace now and everyone is really starting to piss me off.

It's not very likely I'll ever read this book... This review is more than sufficient

Callan57 · 06-10-2015 10:37PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Have you read it? I'm slowly growing to hate everyone.

Read it about 3 or 4 years ago, quite liked it once I got into it but it is definitely an acquired taste. The BBC did a great job on it years ago, can't recall the year but there were lots of Sonyas and Natasha's the following year

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 06-10-2015 11:07PM

Callan57 wrote: »

Read it about 3 or 4 years ago, quite liked it once I got into it but it is definitely an acquired taste. The BBC did a great job on it years ago, can't recall the year but there were lots of Sonyas and Natasha's the following year

They've done another one that should be on soon. I don't hate the characters but they're really trying my patience. I've just got to the bit where

Natasha falls madly in love with Anatole and is maybe about to elope

mejulie805 · 07-10-2015 10:23AM

Almost done with 'A Thousand Acres' which I am loving but reading too slowly. Going to re-read Mockingjay before the movie comes out, but don't know if I'll take a stab at anything else before JK/Galbraith's novel comes out 22-10!

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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