League of Extraordinary Books

wreade1872 · 02-11-2013 3:17pm #1

So heres my reading list of stuff 'referenced in the League of Extraordianry Gentlemen graphic novels'.
There are innumerable literary references in these comics and so i thought i'd read some of them.
I'll hopefully write some short reviews on future stuff but for now just ratings out of five because its such a long list.

Oh and first this is the stuff i was familiar with before i started reading the comics:
Dracula [4/5]
20,000 Leagues [5/5]
Wind in the Willows [4/5]
King Solomons Mines [1/5]
Journey to the Centre of the Earth [2/5]
Treasure Island [3/5]
War of the Worlds [4/5]
H.P. Lovecraft ALLLLLLL his stuff [5/5]

And now what i've read since i started my list:
A Blazing World by Duchess Margaret Cavendish [4/5]
Carnacki the Ghost Finder by William Hodgson [4/5]
Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung [4/5]
Orlando by Virginia Woolf [4/5]
Orlando Innamorata by unknown (prose translation) [1/5]
Song of Roland by unknown (poetry) [3/5]
Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan (poetry) [3/5]
Floating Island by Richard Head [2/5]
She by H.Rider Haggard [3/5]
Allan Quartermain by H.Rider Haggard [3/5]
Arsene Lupin by Maurice Leblanc [1/5]
Fantomas by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre [3/5]
Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde [2/5]
Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer [3/5]
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse [2/5]
Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse [3/5]
Fanny Hill by John Cleland [3/5]
Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch [3/5]
Doctor Syn by Russell Thorndyke [3/5]
Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper [3/5]
Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy [3/5]
Limehouse Nights by Thomas Burke [4/5]
Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan [2/5]
Bulldog Drummond by Herman Cyril McNeile [3/5]
The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley [2/5]
Zanoni by Edward Bulwer Lytton [4/5]
The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer Lytton [4/5]
Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott [5/5]
Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift [3/5]
Gulliver of Mars by Edwin Lester Arnold [3/5]
Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs [1/5]
Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weill (musical) [4/5]
The Tempest by Shakespeare (play) [2/5]
The Alchemist by Ben Johnson (play) [1/5]
Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry (play) [1/5]
Earth-Spirit by Frank Wedekind (play) [2/5]
Pandoras Box by Frank Wedekind (play) [3/5]
Melmouth the Wanderer (abridged) by Charles Maturin [1/5]
The Vampyre by John Polidori [2/5]
Manfred by Lord Byron (poetry) [1/5]
Robur the Conquerer by Jules Verne [1/5]
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne [3/5]
An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne [3/5]
Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne (both volumes) [3/5]
First Men in the Moon by H.G.Wells [4/5]
Island of Dr.Moreau by H.G.Wells [2/5]
Invisible Man by H.G.Wells [3/5]
Time Machine by H.G.Wells [2/5]
The Crystal Egg by H.G.Wells (short) [2/5]
Moonstone by Wilkie Collins [2/5]
Moonchild by Aleister Crowley [3/5]
Meccania by Owen Gregory [4/5]
Metropolis by Thea von Harbou [3/5]
The Magician by W. Somerset Maugham [3/5]
The Beetle by Richard Marsh [3/5]
all 28 issues of Mysta of the Moon (comic) [4/5]
Frank Reade Jr's Electic Air Canoe (short) [3/5]
three issues of Captain Mors the Air Pirate (short) [3/5]
Sherlock Holmes, The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle (short) [2/5]
Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle (short) [2/5]
Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe (short) [2/5]
Mystery of Marie Roget by Edgar Allan Poe (short) [2/5]
Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe (short) [2/5]
Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe (short) [2/5]
Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe (short) [2/5]
Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe [3/5]
The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe (short) [3/5]
Thousand and Second Tale of Scherezade by Edgar Allan Poe (short) [3/5]
The Angels of Mons by Arthur Machen [1/5]
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll [2/5]
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll [2/5]
Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll (poetry) [3/5]
Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (poetry) [3/5]
Bluebeard by Charles Perrault (from Mother Goose Tales) (short) [2/5]
Seven Voyages of Sinbad by unknown (from the Arabian Nights) (short) [3/5]
Wreck of the Titan by Morgan Robertson [3/5]
Purple Terror by Fred M. White (short) [2/5]
Monster of Lake LaMetrie by Wardon Allen Curtis (short) [3/5]
Casting of the Runes by M.R. James (short) [1/5]
The Birds by Aristophanes (play) [3/5]
On Gargoyles by G.K. Chesterton (short) [3/5]
Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss [3/5]
Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School by Frank Richards [3/5]
Immortal by Jorge Luis Borges (short) [3/5]
Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges (short) [4/5]
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino [3/5]
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming [2/5]
1984 by Orson Wells [4/5]
On The Road by Jack Kerouac [3/5]
Doctor Sax by Jack Kerouac [3/5]
Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope [3/5]
Prince Zaleski by M.P. Shiel [3/5]
Palos of the Dog Star Pack by J.U. Giesy [2/5]
L'Assommoir by Emile Zola [4/5]
Christianopolis by Johan Valentin Andrea [1/5]
A Crystal Age by William Henry Hudson [3/5]
Secrets of Dr.Taverner by Dion Fortune [3/5]
Dr.Nikola's Experiment by Guy Boothby [2/5]
A Voyage to Cacklogallinia by unknown [4/5]
The Unfortunate Traveller by Thomas Nash [3/5]
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu [3/5]
Pollyanna by Eleanor Hodgman Porter [4/5]
Maza of the Moon by Otis Adelbert Kline [3/5]
City of Dreadful Night by James Thomson (poetry) [5/5]
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spencer (both volumes, poetry) [4/5]
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (both volumes) [3/5]
Aucassin and Nicolete by unknown (poetry and prose) [3/5]
At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald [3/5]
Fattypuffs and Thinifers by Andre Maurois [3/5]
Alasto by Percy Shelley (poetry) [3/5]
Fortunio by Theophile Gautier [3/5]
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville [3/5]
Scoop by Evelyn Waugh [3/5]
Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor [3/5]
Encounter at Dawn by Arthur C.Clarke (short) [2/5]
Child of the Phalanstery by Grant Allen (short) [3/5]
Strange Case Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson [2/5]
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley [4/5]
Moby Dick by Herman Melville [3/5]
Riallaro, the archipelago of exiles by John Macmillan Brown [4/5]
The Ice Queen by Hans Christian Anderson [3/5]
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson [3/5]
The Kindly Ones by Anthony Powell [3/5]
The Castle by Franz Kafka [3/5]
Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter [4/5]
Mother London by Michael Moorcock [4/5]
Roadtown by Edgar Chambless [3/5]
Utopia Limited by Gilbert & Sullivan (musical) [3/5]
all 16 issues of Stardust the Super Wizard (comic) [2/5]
The Warden by Anthony Trollope [3/5]
Mount Analogue by Rene Daumal [3/5]
Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (poetry) [4/5]
Whatever Happened to Corporal Cuckoo by Gerald Kersh (short) [3/5]
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski [4/5]
Disappeared City by Victor Hugo (poetry) [3/5]
The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner (opera) [3/5]
The Curious Republic of Gondour by Mark Twain (short) [3/5]
The Yellow Danger by M.P. Shiel [4/5]
Varney the Vampire by Thomas Preskett Prest (completed finally) [3/5]
Lair of the White Worm (40 chapters) [2/5]
The Lost Continent of Mu by James Churchward [1/5]
Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen [3/5]
The Voyages and Wonderful Discoveries of Capt.John Holmesby by John Holmesby [2/5]
Sweetheart Roland by Brothers Grimm (short) [2/5]
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers [4/5]
The Thinking Machine by Jacques Futrelle (short) [2/5]
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole [3/5]
Dick Donovan, the Problem of Deadwood Hall by J.E.Preston Muddock (short) [3/5]
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo by Edward Lear (poetry) [3/5]
A Honeymoon in Space by George Griffith [3/5]
The Coral Island by R.M.Ballantyne [3/5]
The Face in the Abyss by A.E.Merrit [4/5]
007 by Rudyard Kipling (short) [3/5]
The Town Where No One Got Off by Ray Bradbury (short) [3/5]
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr [3/5]
Steam Man of the Prairies by Edward S. Ellis [2/5]
Howl by Allen Ginsberg (poetry) [4/5]
Briefing for a Descent Into Hell by Doris Lessing [4/5]
The Problem of Susan by Neil Gaiman (short) [4/5]
Formosa by George Psalmanazar [1/5]
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons [4/5]
Aline and Valcour by the Marquis de Sade (short) [2/5]

The comics also reference some non-literary stuff so while i'm here:
OTHER Media (film unless stated otherwise)
The Third Man [2/5]
First Men in the Moon [3/5]
Cat Women of the Moon [2/5]
Amazons of the Moon [1/5]
The Phantom Empire (serial) [3/5]
Duct Soup [3/5]
The Great Dictator [4/5]
The Creature from the Black Lagoon [3/5]
The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari [4/5]

Book in Progress: The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley

wreade1872 · 26-11-2013 12:46pm

So each time i finish a book i'll write a little note on it and on a previous book on the list above so:

New Item:
The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley (1934)
An incredibly cliched black magic story it's possible it invented the cliches but that doesn't really help it. It has it's moments but apart from the cliches the author also spends a lot of time explaining the supernatural like numerology, black masses etc. and these sections can be quite boring.
It has its moments but still kind of a chore to get through [2/5]

Old Item:
A Blazing World by Duchess Margaret Cavendish (1666)
A weird bit of philosophy and proto-sci-fi. Ignores the rules of any conventional story, features parallel worlds, astral-projection, submarines made of gold and many sorts of animal men including Lice-men. Best approached as a piece of philosophy rather than sci-fi but quite interesting. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 27-11-2013 8:42pm

New Item
Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus (play, 467BC)
A decent enough play about a siege with both sides being lead by the sons of Oedipus. Not really too interesting though. [2/5]

Old Item
Carnacki the Ghost Finder by William Hodgson (1913)
Six supernatural investigation stories (later versions have 3 more). Interestingly not all the hauntings are real, a number are hoaxes and some are a bit of both. Good stories, ghosts are quite bizarre. Suspense a little undermined by the fact that Carnacki is telling the stories so you know he at least survived the encounter. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 03-12-2013 9:20pm

New Item:
Etidorhpa by John Uri Lloyd (1896)
Oddly haunting book about a forced journey into the interior of the earth. Very long winded, 1/3 story to 2/3's lecture on science, metaphysics, dangers of alcoholism etc. Tough to dig through but interesting. [3/5]

Old Item:
Raffles by E.W. Hornung (1899)
Surprisingly good, didn't think the gentleman thief character could be particularly interesting but this book manages a lot of variety. Ending comes on pretty suddenly though and was a little disappointing but overall good, despite not being a genre i like. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 06-12-2013 2:16pm

New Item:
Cream of the Jest by James Branch Cabell (1917)
A tale of an author who starts dreaming about one of his creations and starts wondering about the nature of reality. Decent enough for the most part, picks up quite a bit towards the end. [3/5]

Old Item:
Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928)
Kind of a boring biography until the 'incident' which is so spectacular and done in so different a writing style from before that it really makes this book. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 09-12-2013 1:03pm

New Item:
Giphantia by Charles-François Tiphaigne de la Roche (1760)
A man discovers the land of the elemental spirits and how they watch and aid mankind. Most of the story is spent pointing out mankind's flaws, it has some interesting elements but feels a little pointless at times. [2/5]

Old Item:
Orlando Innamorata (prose translation) by Matteo Maria Boiardo (1486)
I should have gone with a poetry version. Unfinished epic poem, knights and enchantments etc but little of interest if you've already read things like the Faerie Queen. [1/5]

wreade1872 · 12-12-2013 11:00pm

New Item:
Medusa's Coil by Zealia Bishop and H.P.Lovecraft (1939)
An ok weird tale until near the end when it pointlessly undermines itself for no good reason and then ends on a spectacularly bad note. Hopefully more zealia than hp.
[1/5]

Old Item:
Song of Roland by unknown (1170)
Epic poem telling of the knight Roland who worked for Charlemagne and his fall at the battle of Roncevaux. Quite decent, interesting characters, magic swords etc. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 15-12-2013 12:38am

New Item:
Candide by Voltaire (1759)
Starts off hilariously funny albeit quite dark, but the humor stays still as the horrors of life continue. Might feel a little disappointing and repetitive by the end but still fair.
[3/5]

Old Item:
A Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan (1678)
A journey to heaven although it bears great similarity to a journey to hell. Quite fair narrative poetry. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 31-12-2013 3:46pm

New Item:
Roderick by John Sladek (1980)
A comedy satire about a young robot. Fairly good but pretty unfocused, scattershot would be a good word to describe it. [3/5]

Old Item:
The Floating Island by Richard Head (1673)
A journey through london to avoid debtors jail is interpreted as a sea voyage. Kind of like gullivers travels i guess but not very interesting. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 01-01-2014 3:55pm

New Item:
A Rendezvous in Averoigne by Clark Ashton Smith (1931)
A short old school gothic ghost story but pretty well told. [3/5]

Old Item:
She by H.Rider Haggard (1887)
Hated 'King Solomons Mines' when i read it years ago so thought i'd give Haggard a second chance with this. Pretty decent, one of the characters bears a strong resemblance to Beast from the X-Men lol.
Ayesha is pretty interesting and there are some nice weird touches. Only problems, ending not that great and no relatable characters, both main heroes are almost super-human. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 05-01-2014 11:43pm

New Item:
Crotchet Castle by Thomas Love Peacock (1831)
A funny social satire story. A surprisingly easy read despite having to look up a lot of words. [4/5]

Old Item:
Allan Quartermain by H.Rider Haggard (1887)
So i gave the author a second chance with She and then gave the Allan Quartermain character a second chance with this, its ok. Fairly standard african adventure and lost civilization stuff. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 07-01-2014 4:57pm

New Item:
The Sanatorium by Bruno Schulz (1937)
Weird short story, best way i could describe it would be that its like the literary equivalent of a Dali painting, if Dali was clinically depressed.
I like it

. [4/5]

Old Item:
Arsene Lupin by Maurice Leblanc & Edgar Jepson (1909)
A french gentlemen thief type character, this is a fairly bad and overly convoluted heist story. I've just realized it was based on a play which may explain some of its problems. I think i'll give the character another chance sometime with his original shortstory collection. [1/5]

wreade1872 · 22-01-2014 4:33pm

New Item:
Awful Disclosures by Maria Monk (1836)
Biography of nun who goes through awful stuff at convent. Good information of how a cult might operate. Prefer stuff written like fiction though. This is fiction but originally published as true by protestants trying to smear catholics. [2/5]

Old Item:
Fantomas by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre (1911)
Crime story about man who is master of disguise. So mysterious that by end i still wasn't sure what his plan was, which is a bit too mysterious. Overall not bad though. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 04-02-2014 4:27pm

New Item:
Across the Zodiac by Percy Greg (1880)
About a man who flys to mars and the martian society he encounters. Lot of layers to this, its a romance, adventure with lots of stuff about society and technology. couple of really boring bits, but it gets better as it goes along. [4/5]

Old Item:
Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890)
This felt a lot shorter than i expected and i simply didn't think it was all that interesting. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 06-02-2014 12:11am

New Item:
Noddy Goes to Toyland by Enid Blyton (1949)
More interesting than expected, i think noddy is actually a bobblehead doll. The story is kinda racist and there are golliwogs so... yeah there's that. On the other hand there are pictures of a golliwog holding hands with a little white doll so maybe it was quite progressive for the times, or i'm just reading too much into it

. [3/5]

Old Item:
Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer (1913)
Despite being the first in the series it seems to contain everything one expects from a Fu Manchu story. Although some of the mysteries turn out a little lame. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 06-02-2014 3:16pm

New Item:
And to Think that i Saw it on Mulberry Street by Dr.Seuss (1937)
Meh... [2/5]

Old Item:
My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1919)
The usually wodehouse goings on but not very many actually have jeeves or wooster in them so that was a bit offputting. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 07-02-2014 2:02pm

New Item:
The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan (1885)
I've only watched/read one other G&S but liked it more than this. Storywise its good but the songs and music are up and down. Overall was a bit of a chore to get through. [2/5]

Old Item:
Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse (1938)
One of the most classic of the wooster stories, which just proved to me that these really arn't my genre. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 08-02-2014 10:17pm

New Item:
In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan (1968)
Weird people in a weird place, do normal things. I like, pity its not longer but then its mysteries might be a good thing. [4/5]

Old Item:
Fanny Hill by John Cleland (1748)
In the League comics there is a sequel to this which is quite funny. This however is not, at least for me, it was like reading an episode of Law and Order SVU or something. Its interesting but not pleasant for me. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 09-02-2014 4:26pm

New Item:
Lament for Bion by Moschus(sic) (150BC)
Epitaph of Bion by Henry Alford [2/5]
Lament for Bion by George Chapman [2/5]
Two different translations of a greek poem about the death of another poet, Bion of Smyrna.

Old Item:
Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1870)
A decent tale of a masochist guy who wants a certain woman to be his dominatrix, she however isn't entirely comfortable with the role. Its not too creepy which is good but it also isn't all that compelling.
The authors last name is where the word masochist comes from. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 19-02-2014 2:20pm

New Item:
The House of Invisible Bondage by J.U.Giesy (1926)
A seemingly very classic noir but with a twist. The two main P.I.'s help out their psychic/astrologer friend to solve the mystery. Fun despite me figuring out most of the plot in the first chapter :lol. [3/5]

Old Item:
Dr. Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh by Russell Thorndyke (1915)
A strange mystery/horror tale of smuggling, demons and pirates. Fairly good even if it does seem to go a bit too weird towards the end. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 20-02-2014 1:13pm

New Item:
The Trap by H.P.Lovecraft & Henry S.Whitehead (1931)
A weird but not very mysterious short tale about a magic mirror. Some good descriptions and ideas. [3/5]

Old Item:
Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper (1841)
I thought this was the first story to feature Natty Bumpo aka Hawkeye but is actually the last written, its a prequel.
Its pretty good adventure story stuff, except Natty is not really the character i most connected with and his actions towards this other character make him come across as a bit of a tool. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 21-02-2014 9:47pm

New Item:
The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffman (1816)
A strangely modern feeling short story, but with fairytale roots. Interesting, dark, odd and well written. [4/5]

Old Item:
Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy (1905)
The original Batman, or Zorro if you prefer. Decent story but its odd that it was written by a woman, as the female protagonist never gets to do anything useful. She's brave i guess, but definitely not helpful. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 08-03-2014 2:37pm

New Item:
The Adventures of Captain Kettle by Cutcliffe Hyne (1897)
A series of short stories featuring a sea captain forced to take work where he can. He's always successful but somehow never wins. In tone this is a bit like the Indiana Jones movies in terms of violence to humor ratio. [3/5]

Old Item:
Limehouse Nights by Thomas Burke (1916)
A series of horrific tales set in London's limehouse area. Nasty but moving stuff. Definitely to be avoided by those of a sensitive nature. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 12-03-2014 9:36pm

New Item:
The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (1888)
Weird fairytale about a statue that asks a bird for a favor. Odd, dark, moving and well written. [4/5]
The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde (1888)
Too simple and too overtly religious. [2/5]

Old Item:
Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (1915)
Spy thriller involving major coincidences and disguises, not very good. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 17-03-2014 5:51pm

New Item:
Niels Klim's Underground Travels by Ludvig Holberg (1741)
A social satire in the vain of Gullivers Travels. About a man who falls into the innerearth and finds it to be hollow. He travels on a small planet he finds there and later on the inner crust of the earth meeting various strange civilizations. Really good, funny, interestingly advanced views on women etc. [4/5]

Old Item:
Bulldog Drummond by Herman Cyril McNeile (1920)
A fairly decent kind of detective/spy thriller about an ex-army guy fighting a foreign plot in england. Ok, but i'm not likely to read any of the follow up stories. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 06-04-2014 12:00pm

New Item:
Doctor Dolittle's Post Office by Hugh Lofting (1923)
A really imaginative, fun and weird story or set of stories, but the multiple stories all make sense in the larger narrative. Its just really quite good. [4/5]

Old Item:
The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley (1863)
About a chimney sweep boy who dies and his trip through an odd after-life as a fish-boy. Kind of haunting and nicely weird in places but just not that compelling overall. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 04-05-2014 7:55pm

New Item:
Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1853)
Long, convoluted, with many characters but quite compelling for large portions. My first dickens work, i was fearful of something a bit darker or at least more depressing. The characters seem at times both very human and at others to be much more like caricatures. Funnier than i expected in places and with more social satire. Still it is very... long. [4/5]

Old Item:
Zanoni by Edward Bulwer Lytton (1842)
A romance about an immortal. Elements of almost lovecraftian horror. Takes a long time to draw its female protagonist before the main elements start. Mixes in some real historical characters and events. Didn't like the ending but not because its not well written more because i was so invested in the story by then, i was hoping things would turn out differently. Overall just a really good supernatural/romance story. I'm pretty sure this was adapted into the film 'Hancock' with Will Smith. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 07-05-2014 2:37pm

New Item:
The Story of the Glittering Plain by William Morris (1891)
An odd sort of fairytale but with vikings. Kind of like beowolf i imagine, but as things progress more of the plot falls into place and you see it has a much more modern influence and makes a lot more sense than it first seems. In tone it reminded me of those Sindbad films from the 70's. I really enjoyed it, more so towards the end. [4/5]

Old Item:
The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer Lytton (1871)
An amazing book considering when it was written. At least a third of the novel reads like an episode of star-trek. Other parts of the book can be a bit generic and boring but its absolutely worth a read. The fact that this predates a lot of Verne and Wells is astonishing considering how much more modern it feels that the work of those writers. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 10-05-2014 3:43pm

New Item:
Master of the World by Jules Verne (1904)
Follow-up to Robur the Conquerer. This time he's back and with a vessel that can run on land, sea or sky, or underwater. Slightly more interesting than its predecessor as events are investigated by a proto-fbi agent. Overall though it still pretty pointless and boring. [2/5]

Old Item:
Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott
Imagine if you lived in a 2-dimensional world... what you cant?.. ok then just read this its awesome

. The protagonist who's a hexagon i think, gets to see his world in a new way when he's approached by a 3-dimensional being. He also visits a 1-dimensional place line-world and point-world.
There's a triangle (streetsign) on the road near my house, for 2-weeks after reading this it brought a smile to my face every-time i walked past it. [5/5]

wreade1872 · 14-05-2014 1:16pm

New Item:
Tom Swift and his Electric Rifle (1911)
Where the TASER gets its name from. Good amount of incident, compelling at times. The rifle is an interesting bit of sci-fi. Although it can be used like a taser it can also disintegrate targets like a phaser. For me though a bit of a chore to get through i prefer a more descriptive writing style. [2/5]

Old Item:
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726)
Definitely not the kids book i mistook it for, biting social satire. Stands up surprisingly well to the test of time. Best part for me was the characterization of gulliver which was quite odd. By the end you looks quite insane but you can't help wondering whether its him or us who are the truly crazy ones. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 15-05-2014 12:39pm

New Item:
Island of Frivola by Gabriel Francois Coyer (1752)
A short piece of satire about an island where the trees and animals have become as shallow and insubstantial as the people. Quite decent but only really has one main point to make so feels like its repeating itself a bit later on. [3/5]

Old Item:
Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation by Edwin Lester Arnold (1905)
Also known as 'Gulliver of Mars'. A man finds himself whisked to mars on a magic carpet. Its as odd as it sounds. A book i love to hate, everything is wrong with this, it has a lot of potential for a story but always seems to take a wrong turn. It also seems to be a first-draft, i find it impossible to believe someone read this over and thought.. 'yeah that makes sense'. Frustrating but still interesting. Definitely a 'so bad its good' kind of story. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 19-05-2014 11:32pm

New Item:
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)
A fantasy... romance i guess you'd call it. About a wood haunted by primal archetypes of myth. If described it would come across a lot more cliched than it feels when reading. Also the characters seem to accept the weirdness of things maybe a little too easy but these are both small complaints. I liked. [4/5]

Old Item:
Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1917)
The first of the Barsoom series. Considered one of the best of the pulp genre. This was painful to get through. A series of endless witless garbage with no characterization and no point.
It borrows considerably from 'Gulliver of Mars' in its setup and while that novel was really badly written, at least it provoked a reaction (rage mostly... but still

) this on the other hand was just boring. Sound and fury signifying nothing. [1/5]

wreade1872 · 22-05-2014 12:54pm

New Item:
H.M.S. Pinafore by Gilbert & Sullivan (1878)
Slightly better songs than the Mikado but not as much of a story. Its ok, but not great. [3/5]

Old Item:
Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weill (1928)
Really surprisingly enjoyable, my favorite musical at the moment. A lot grittier and dark then most but still funny. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 23-05-2014 12:00pm

New Item:
Vathek by William Beckford (1786)
A faustian tale, written like something from the Arabian Nights. The style of writing can make some sentences confusing but overall its quite clear. Nicely weird in places overall good but can drag a little in places. [3/5]

Old Item:
The Tempest by William Shakespeare (1611)
Not something i consider one of shakespeares best. Not a lot seems to happen in it, its ok but I can't think of a single really memorable moment. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 27-05-2014 2:13pm

New Item:
Hell House by Richard Matheson (1971)
In many ways an unsubtle ghost story, violent, sordid and cliched BUT still pretty damn good. Ending is a little weak, some of it didn't entirely make sense. Overall though the story is certainly compelling. [4/5]

Old Item:
The Alchemist by Ben Johnson (1610)
A comedy play about a couple of con-men posing as alchemists. The humour doesn't really stand up and its just really uninteresting. [1/5]

wreade1872 · 30-05-2014 2:58pm

New Item:
Utopia by Thomas More (1516)
A look at what a perfect society might look like aswell as discussions of improvements to law and order. Interesting enough i guess but More's Utopia is certainly not somewhere i'd like to live. [2/5]

Old Item:
Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry (1896)
A short play that i can't remember anything of interest happening in. [1/5]

wreade1872 · 05-06-2014 7:48pm

New Item:
Hackney: That Rose Red Empire by Iain Sinclair (2009)
Hard one to describe, seems to be a book about trying to write a book. Lots of interviews, rumours, opinions. Mostly regarding the history of hackney in terms of the artists who have moved through it over the years.
Despite it being completely outside of my areas of interest or knowledge i still found it quite good despite its length. [3/5]

Old Items:
Earth-Spirit by Frank Wedekind (1895) [2/5]
Pandoras Box by Frank Wedekind (1904) [3/5]
Two plays about a beautiful street-girl. Involving murder, fraud, lust etc. They're ok, i know theres a german film version, it might be better than just reading the text.

wreade1872 · 08-06-2014 11:26am

New Item:
Caliban upon Setebos by Robert Browning (1864)
Poem (but one of those not rhyming poems) featuring Caliban from the Tempest, wondering about the nature of god. Not bad. [3/5]

Old Item:
Melmoth the Wanderer (abridged) by Charles Maturin (1820)
I only read the abridged version as the other is considered to be almost unreadable, the short version couldn't have been that much better. Supposedly faustian tale, its been a while since i read it but i don't remember getting much story from it at all.[1/5]

wreade1872 · 09-06-2014 11:38am

New Item:
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain (1899)
A short story of a town renowned for the honesty of its citizens and a (somewhat psychotic) stranger's plan to ruin them. Really quite good, a few more twists than expected. [4/5]

Old Item:
The Vampyre by John Polidori (1819)
Short vampire tale. Even given its position as one of the earliest vampire stories, its still not really worth the read. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 12-06-2014 2:05pm

New Item:
The Songbook of Quong Lee of Limehouse by Thomas Burke (1920)
Non-rhyming poetry book. I like the little scenes it paints of life in limehouse and really liked it at first, so much so that it didn't quite live up to my expectations later. Still decent though. [3/5]

Old Item:
Manfred by Lord Byron (1817)
A dramatic poem apparently. I don't know what people see in it. I read it quite a while ago but the only impression it left was of a guy standing at a window whining about stuff. [1/5]

wreade1872 · 17-06-2014 12:09pm

New Item:
Erewhon by Samuel Butler (1872)
Social satire tale bookended by the adventure sections needed to travel to and from Erewhon (aka nowhere). These sections i found slow going but can't quite figure out why. The satire elements have some GREAT ideas. The author has a wonderful way of making you think by showing things in an absurd light. Also theres some amazing stuff about the fear of machines rising up and taking over, remember this is 1872!!!!. Eat your heart our James Cameron

. [3/5]

Old Item:
Robur the Conquerer by Jules Verne (1886)
You know whats interesting about air travel?... Nothing apparently! This is basically '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' but with an air-ship. However unlike the sea there isn't anything up there! Boring and pointless. [1/5]

wreade1872 · 18-06-2014 6:57pm

New Item:
The Problem of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle (1905)
Short story about a professors wager the he can break out of a prison. Fairly good heist-like story. Not much more to say really. [3/5]

Old Item:
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne (1874)
The sequel technically, of 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea. Not so much story as DIY guide to building your own civilization. Only recommended for the scientifically minded. If you want to know how to go from hitting stuff with rocks, to a working telegraph line, then this is for you

. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 03-07-2014 9:06pm

New Items:
Miss Coote's Confession by William Lazenby (1879)
Adult story published in 'The Pearl' magazine. A lot of non-consensual whipping involved, some sex and lesbianism. Mildly interesting from a historical context but hardly arousing, a nasty sadistic vein throughout. [2/5]

The Convent School by William Dugdale (1876)
The life-story of a Countess is introduced by Miss Coote. More story driven than the above. Kind of like an unsubtle Fanny Hill. Apart from a couple of moments of enjoyment by the protagonist, its very dark and vicious. Like reading an episode of Criminal Minds or something. [2/5]

Old Item:
An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne (1897)
An unofficial sequel to Poe's, 'Narrative of Arthur Gordan Pym'. If i was Poe i'd be pretty insulted. It seems to purposefully undercut the weirdness of the Pym story at every opportunity. Before adding Verne's own more scientific weirdness to the plot. Ultimately though its a wasted effort as its as average as Pym was, just in a different way. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 12-07-2014 12:47pm

New Item:
The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco (1994)
Not as weird as the title suggests. This is mostly i guess a fictional historical biography, set in the 17th century. Very highbrow, lot of words you'll need to look up. About half of it is flashback and another large chunk is a story the protagonist is writing. A lot of it is just conversations and thoughts. A bit like Moby Dick in its continuous digressions from what one might think of as the story. However while it is a little boring in places its VERY well written. I liked.
(oh and a hat-tip to the translator this must have been a hell of a job

) [4/5]

Old Item:
Earth to the Moon (2 volumes) by Jules Verne (1865)
Once again another overly scientific Verne book. Yes its interesting how he anticipated certain aspects of the space program but while he does the science well the story loses out, as it often seems to in my experience. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 15-07-2014 7:44pm

New Items:
Brier Rose by the Brothers Grimm (1340)
A version of the original folktale, nothing of interest. [1/5]

The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood by Charles Perrault (1697)
A properly written version of the above and somewhat extended. [2/5]

The Wise Woman: A Parable by George MacDonald (1875)
A tale of a witch-like woman who kidnaps spoiled and unmanageable children and tries to teach them to be good. Nicely weird, has got a very strong Mary Poppins vibe to it. Ending not great, not a lot of closure but overall i enjoyed my time with it. [4/5]

Old Items:
First Men in the Moon by H.G.Wells (1901)
While i admit 'War of the Worlds' is probably Well's best. This is my favorite of his stories that i've read so far. The only downside is that after what seems like a fitting climax there are still a few chapters to go. But if i just keep thinking 'Epilogue' in my head i can still enjoy them

. [4/5]

wreade1872 · 19-07-2014 9:29pm

New Item:
Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe (1842)
Wow a Poe story i actually really liked i am surprised. I don't know much about literature or poetry but this struck me as a very poetic story for what thats worth. Quite short but i liked. [4/5]

Old Item:
Island of Dr.Moreau by H.G.Wells (1896)
The poorest of the Wells novels i've read. For me it really doesn't stand up to a modern reader. The idea of just reshaping an animals limbs and somehow making it act like a human is so ludicrous given a modern understanding of intelligence. Overall i don't even think its the silliness of the concept but rather just some not very good writing and plot which make me dislike this one. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 24-07-2014 3:46pm

New Item:
The Ivory Child by H.Rider Haggard (1916)
I'm still not a fan of the african adventure story but this is certainly better than most. A lot of different aspects to it, its got some humor, its fairly dark in places, some romance, lot of magic as well as the usual war scenes. It's good for its type. [4/5]

Old Item:
Invisible Man by H.G.Wells (1897)
There isn't a lot of plot in this one its mostly just a character study. But the invisible man is quite a character. I really like the fact that he's pretty crazy even before he becomes invisible. Not the best of Wells but good enough. [3/5]

wreade1872 · 28-07-2014 8:34pm

New Item:
The Horla by Guy de Maupassant (1887)
Classic horror short-story. Has some good ideas and one section in particular is pretty creepy. But the writing style and plot are uneven. Good but not great. It might have lost something in the translation. [3/5]

Old Item:
The Time Machine by H.G.Wells (1895)
Much shorter than expected. The protagonist is so detached from events around him it doesn't make for a good story. There are better tales around this subject, even from the same period. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 02-08-2014 11:46pm

New Item:
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)
Wow... that was quite something. An insane war story with clear influences on the likes of MASH or Blackadder Goes Forth. However while very funny in places it also has a dark-side, and when it gets dark it gets REALLY dark! Towards the end it also felt a bit Brazil or 1984. Apart from some very occasional moves too far into the surreal this is perfect, and i say that even though this isn't a genre i enjoy. [5/5]

Old Item:
The Crystal Egg by H.G.Wells (1897)
A short story about a weird possibly alien object. Ok, but not much to it. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 04-08-2014 5:38pm

New Item:
The Beggar's Opera by John Gay (1728)
The opera on which the Threepenny Opera is based. Plot very similar although the Threepenny is a little expanded. [3/5]

Old Item:
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868)
Mystery, romance. Apparently a lot of people like this but i don't count myself among them. I'm probably being a bit harsh as this is considered the very first english detective novel. [2/5]

wreade1872 · 07-08-2014 8:15pm

New Item:
The New Accelerator by H.G.Wells (1901)
Short story. Ever wondered how old The Flash is? well now you know. Unfortunately the conventions of moving super-fast are so well known that this story feels somewhat dated. But its not bad. [3/5]

Old Item:
Moonchild by Aleister Crowley (1917)
Bit confused on the ending to this. If i got it right i'm unhappy, if i got it wrong i'm stupid and unhappy. The evil guys are so over the top. So much so that when someone was nailing a live cat to the floor, i burst out laughing (or maybe i have issues..

). Great atmosphere though. [3/5]

League of Extraordinary Books

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