Books

[Pouzar]

I am spending the long uni break reading and re-reading classic novels, plus some U.S. History. I started with Orwell's 1984, never more relevant, and followed that up with Legacy of Ashes, a brilliant 600 page account of the very dubious history of the CIA, and have moved on to the Federalist Papers, the essays by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay published in 1778 defending and explaining the theoretic basis of the U.,S. Constitution, which Americans were voting to approve at the time. I am also making my way through Howard Zinn's indispensable People's History of America, which one of my son's made off with last summer after I was 400 pages in! I started at the beginning again.
I re-read Henry James' masterpiece Portrait of a Lady and just finished re-reading Jane Austen's Emma. Next up George Eliot's Daniel Deronda. I would like to move to Conrad's Nostromo and some D.H. Lawrence, plus a re-examination off Plato"s Republic if time, Euro 2012, the Olympics and what passes for a social life, allows, plus tons of films I had to postpone watching because of classes. Just watched Dougas Sirk's B&W classic, Tarnished Angels and want to start working my way through more of the Akira Kurosawa box set. Not much of interest on theater screens I'm afraid.

[Knulpuk]

I'm going through a bit of a classics phase too, just finished pickwick papers and am now attempting the whole Conan Doyle back catalogue! I am 26 pc of the way through (according to ze kindle). On that note the kindle really is great for classics - the entire back catalogue of Sherlock Holmes for, well, zilch.

[workie-ticket]

Recently finished reading The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart - wasn't sure what to make of it really. it did make me laugh out loud a few times and i think it's enjoyable enough if you read it as an out-and-out comedy....

Also just finished What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn which altough the plot relies on coincidence quite a lot i liked it. It's quite a sad tale.

Like others on here i like to revisit old books, although tend to wait between 5 and 10 years before going back... tend to read 2-3 new ones then an oldie that i've read before. Favourites t ore-visit include Hardy, and i'm going to get back to a bit of Holmes and Watson at some point too.

Have a copy of Moby Dick at home which i've never read. I was put of Melville a bit after reading Billy Budd which I personally didn't really enjoy, but may have to give it a go.

[unc.si.]

Not really that big on the 19th Century 'classics' on the whole, although Hardy and Dostoevsky are 2 exceptions off the top of my head.

More into 20th Century modern classics really - the big American modern classics and Greene / Orwell etc.

Most books in storage at the moment until my house is finshed - currently reading Eddie Merckx - Half man half bike, which probably has a limited appeal on here, but did recently re-read 'All Quiet on the Western Front', which is still every bit as good as I remember.

[Rob]

I have recently read Ender's Game and Dune. Currently reading Stranger in a Strange Land.

Ender's Game was a cracking read. It's due to be turned into a film I believe - not sure how well it will translate though.
Dune was also very good. Only had a vague idea of the story from playing the computer game decades ago - suffice to say that the book had more depth.

Stranger in a Strange Land has started well and has a nice relaxed style to it.

[mikeg13]

Not quite what this set of posts is about, but if any want to read a book on football thats very different try Soccernomics, am a third through it, fascinating, giving me a whole new way of looking at the game and its available on Kindle.
Dont see my self looking at game in same way again, its one of them books that makes me wish understood/greater knowledge of things, its taking me ages to read as keep on having to google different references of people and theories never heard off

[Surprised]

I'm going through a bit of a classics phase too, just finished pickwick papers and am now attempting the whole Conan Doyle back catalogue! I am 26 pc of the way through (according to ze kindle). On that note the kindle really is great for classics - the entire back catalogue of Sherlock Holmes for, well, zilch.

I've just read a few Sherlock Holmes....enjoyable read.
My neighbour just gave me a copy of his e-book collection so I have over 5000 books (not 5000 Holmes books) to get through if I read them all!

[golden bear]

Halfway through Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. If it doesn't improve rapidly that's what it might score.

[Moist von Lipwig]

got a kindle for christmas and a mate gave me his 3000 book e library, I've got through 7 of them so far

as it probably breaches copyright I would say do not PM me with your email address if theres one or two you particularly want if I have them.

[fancy dan]

Just finishing Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, an extraordinary book from the author of The Corrections. A portrait of a dysfunctional American middle-class family, the characters are finely drawn and their relationships expertly deconstructed. It also manages to take in themes as diverse as 9/11, the invasion and exploitation of Iraq, conservation, overpopulation and the emergence of alt country. Highly recommended.

[tommymooney]

read non-fiction book on the early 70's - State of Emergency by dominic sandbrook - some revealing similarities between Britain between 70-74 and now. BBC 70's series recently by the same guy.

The chapter on football/football hooliganism would be of interest to FISO'ers I think.


Last year re-read Les Miserables - a genius book. If you like 19th century stuff its one of the best IMHO.

[Raisin]

read non-fiction book on the early 70's - State of Emergency by dominic sandbrook - some revealing similarities between Britain between 70-74 and now. BBC 70's series recently by the same guy.

The chapter on football/football hooliganism would be of interest to FISO'ers I think.


Last year re-read Les Miserables - a genius book. If you like 19th century stuff its one of the best IMHO.

Les Miz - one of the few books I gave up on as it seemed so overstuffed at 900 (?) odd pages/ Should I give it another go?

[tommymooney]

Yep, think so Raisin - some bits do go on a bit - a good editor could have knocked 300 pages out of it straight away! Interestingly, the version of the book I have takes a whole chapter completely unrelated to the plot and puts it in an appendix at the end (wise decision).

I believe there has also been a new translation recently that has got some praise.

But, I think there is its charm too - it is such a sprawling book you can genuinely get lost in.

It did take a period of unemployment though for me to get down to reading it...

[blahblah]

Halfway through Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. If it doesn't improve rapidly that's what it might score.

I wouldn't bother - a pale reproduction of American Psycho, from my distant memory.

[golden bear]

Halfway through Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. If it doesn't improve rapidly that's what it might score.

I wouldn't bother - a pale reproduction of American Psycho, from my distant memory.

I thought it was written before American Pyscho?

[blahblah]

It is amazing that he got a Deal to do another one, then

I read Psycho first, and found the other unpretty and tedious; after the annoyingly addictive AP.

[Pouzar]

I will second Fancy Dan's recommendation of both Freedom and The Corrections by Jonathan Frantzen. He is surely one the best modern novelists. Both books are very good, although I remain hooked on later George Eliot right now. If there is a better English novel than Middlemarch I have not read it. I am currently in the middle of Daniel Deronda and looking forward to Felix Holt: The Radical. Eliot must be read slowly and thoughtfully, savouring every line. Her later work is difficult but incredibly rewarding. She is an incredible observer of human nature.

[fancy dan]

Thanks Pouzar, it's always good to get your seal of approval. Just finished Freedom and I think it goes straight into my top 5 (certainly top 10). One of the few books which, having finished it, i wanted to go right back to the start and read it again.

I used to have quite an aversion to the classics (I put it down to having Thomas Hardy forced on me at a too-early age) but have in the last few years discovered Dickens, who I love, so I'd like to give Middlemarch a go - although I don't know if I'm good at reading "slowly and thoughtfully, savouring every line" .

[unc.si.]

Freedom just gone on my 'to read' list

[murf]

Freedom just gone on my 'to read' list

It doesn't take long to read but it is a bit shallow and lacking in substance for my taste. With hindsight it is easy to believe the author didn't fully believe in what he was writing.

Full text here.

[fancy dan]

[workie-ticket]

Halfway through Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. If it doesn't improve rapidly that's what it might score.

I wouldn't bother - a pale reproduction of American Psycho, from my distant memory.

nope, i didn't like LTZ either - put me right off bothering with American Psycho to be honest...

[golden bear]

Halfway through Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. If it doesn't improve rapidly that's what it might score.

I wouldn't bother - a pale reproduction of American Psycho, from my distant memory.

nope, i didn't like LTZ either - put me right off bothering with American Psycho to be honest...

Less Than Zero was garbage. Hard to believe the same author wrote American Pyscho (excellent book - give it a go).

[jonesbones]

I'm halfway through Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections at the minute, having really enjoyed Freedom.
Can anybody who particularly enjoyed the above books point me in the direction of anything similar? I just never know where to start when choosing my next novel, and I keep on picking out utter crap!

[fancy dan]

I'm halfway through Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections at the minute, having really enjoyed Freedom.
Can anybody who particularly enjoyed the above books point me in the direction of anything similar? I just never know where to start when choosing my next novel, and I keep on picking out utter crap!

Can't think of anyone who really writes like Franzen right now. For more 'great American novels', have you tried reading Philip Roth or John Irving?

[Pouzar]

Or how about Toni Morrison? Beloved is very, very good. Or if you don't mind going back a bit, Faulkner. If you like short stories you should try Canada's Alice Munro. Way overdue for the Nobel Prize in literature.
Personally my head has been buried in 19th Century novels this year. After wrestling with George Eliot's massive half-masterpiece, half not-so-good Daniel Deronda (more than worth it for the great half) I plan to jump ahead a bit and re-read The Great Gadsby. too hot to do much but read and watch movies.

[snout]

I'm halfway through Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections at the minute, having really enjoyed Freedom.
Can anybody who particularly enjoyed the above books point me in the direction of anything similar? I just never know where to start when choosing my next novel, and I keep on picking out utter crap!

http://www.literature-map.com/jonathan+franzen.html

WARNING! The above website may seriously damage your wallet. After typing in some of my favourite authors, I went straight out and bought Yann Martell's "The Life of Pi" and Scarlett Thomas' "Our Tragic Universes".

[jonesbones]

Thanks for the responses guys.
Snout- that literature map is pretty accurate as I also love Ian McEwan (apart from his last effort) and Ishiguro.
Got a £20 Amazon voucher for my birthday yesterday, so I'll take a gamble on some new authors.

[Surprised]

I'm halfway through Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections at the minute, having really enjoyed Freedom.
Can anybody who particularly enjoyed the above books point me in the direction of anything similar? I just never know where to start when choosing my next novel, and I keep on picking out utter crap!

http://www.literature-map.com/jonathan+franzen.html

WARNING! The above website may seriously damage your wallet. After typing in some of my favourite authors, I went straight out and bought Yann Martell's "The Life of Pi" and Scarlett Thomas' "Our Tragic Universes".

"Life of Pi" was a great book. I really enjoyed it.

[fancy dan]

I'm halfway through Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections at the minute, having really enjoyed Freedom.
Can anybody who particularly enjoyed the above books point me in the direction of anything similar? I just never know where to start when choosing my next novel, and I keep on picking out utter crap!

http://www.literature-map.com/jonathan+franzen.html

WARNING! The above website may seriously damage your wallet. After typing in some of my favourite authors, I went straight out and bought Yann Martell's "The Life of Pi" and Scarlett Thomas' "Our Tragic Universes".

Ooh, yes, that's good. I see Michael Chabon coming up very close to Franzen, and I can recommend The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, particularly if you like the old comics.