Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
Polished this off last night. I'm a big fan of Pynchon but it takes an awful lot of concentration to read his books - I can only go a chapter at a time most days so when the book is 750 pages long it takes a while.
it's a book about an awful lot of different things, but in the end I came away feeling rather wistful.
As a bit of a palate cleanser I rattled off The Old Man and the Sea this afternoon. Hemingway is almost the polar opposite in writing style - his history as a journalist really shows through in the way his prose is extremely accessible.
Next in the enormous pile next to my bed is Carson McCullers' Clock Without Hands. McCullers writes in much the same vein as Harper Lee, but was somewhat more prolific.
I've just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Whilst it was good, I actually think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been so familiar with Blade Runner, as I was constantly cataloguing the differences.
I've just started The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet, which I have only heard good things about. I'm barely into it, but it's very promising. The characters are distinctly drawn and well written, so hopefully they'll continue that way, and the action will be as good as the writing so far.
I've just started The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet, which I have only heard good things about. I'm barely into it, but it's very promising. The characters are distinctly drawn and well written, so hopefully they'll continue that way, and the action will be as good as the writing so far.
finished the latest Bryson - more notes from a small island.
Occasionally funny, but for the most part quite scathing about how Britain ahs changed mostlyfor the wors since he wrote the first NFaSI.
got a bit tiresome I have to say even if I agreed with him - complaints about public funding, cuts to rail services, litter, demise of seaside towns, cars.
he loves our countryside though and speaks vibrantly about it.
all a bit meh and a bit too allegorical for my liking he's turned a bit Michael Moore in this one, which ordinarily might not be a bad thing but Moore does Moore better than anyone.
6.5/10
I have now started the first game of thrones book for the third time and I will get through it this time
Occasionally funny, but for the most part quite scathing about how Britain ahs changed mostlyfor the wors since he wrote the first NFaSI.
got a bit tiresome I have to say even if I agreed with him - complaints about public funding, cuts to rail services, litter, demise of seaside towns, cars.
he loves our countryside though and speaks vibrantly about it.
all a bit meh and a bit too allegorical for my liking he's turned a bit Michael Moore in this one, which ordinarily might not be a bad thing but Moore does Moore better than anyone.
6.5/10
I have now started the first game of thrones book for the third time and I will get through it this time
coppice said:
vanordinaire said:
Just got this through the post today, I'm desperate to read it as I've enjoyed most of her previous novels, but I bought this one especially to take on holiday next week so I'm trying to resist temptation.
Do report back; I adore Annie P but the reviews of this have been mixed so far. Postcards was especially brilliant I thought. Obviously I'm nowhere near finished yet, but my summary so far is that it's an epic in the style of James A Michener, with some plot twists remeniscent of Cormac Mccarthy and descriptive prose as good as William Fiennes. So yes, I'd recommend it.
Tony Angelino said:
In an attempt to broaden my horizons I have gone for a real change and am limping my way into James Joyce Ulysese on audio book, heavy weather at the moment (and I'm only 40 mins in!). Won't be long before I start to think i'm simply not clever enough to enjoy/understand it.
Stick with it. Every chapter is in a different writing style. The morning chapters were more of a struggle than the drunken evening ones. From chapter 4 onwards the focus moves to Leopold who's a much more interesting character than Stephen.
After each chapter I read up on Wikipedia to ensure I was following the story correctly. I was, just about.
Nom de ploom said:
finished the latest Bryson - more notes from a small island.
Occasionally funny, but for the most part quite scathing about how Britain ahs changed mostlyfor the wors since he wrote the first NFaSI.
got a bit tiresome I have to say even if I agreed with him - complaints about public funding, cuts to rail services, litter, demise of seaside towns, cars.
he loves our countryside though and speaks vibrantly about it.
all a bit meh and a bit too allegorical for my liking he's turned a bit Michael Moore in this one, which ordinarily might not be a bad thing but Moore does Moore better than anyone.
6.5/10
I have now started the first game of thrones book for the third time and I will get through it this time
I thought more or less the same about the latest Bryson, although I felt partly let down that he didn't give Yorkshire more of a mention, particularly as he lived here for a decent while. Occasionally funny, but for the most part quite scathing about how Britain ahs changed mostlyfor the wors since he wrote the first NFaSI.
got a bit tiresome I have to say even if I agreed with him - complaints about public funding, cuts to rail services, litter, demise of seaside towns, cars.
he loves our countryside though and speaks vibrantly about it.
all a bit meh and a bit too allegorical for my liking he's turned a bit Michael Moore in this one, which ordinarily might not be a bad thing but Moore does Moore better than anyone.
6.5/10
I have now started the first game of thrones book for the third time and I will get through it this time
Thunderbolt kid has to be my favourite Bryson book, although I really also liked A Walk In The Woods and the one about Australia too. Some really interesting stuff in them, kind of alternative bits of history. Bits about the town in US that had an underground fire and was abandoned and also the bit about the Aborigines crossing the seas were particular highlights for me.
That reminds me too, sure I saw a trailer for A Walk in the Woods film - must go look that up.
toasty said:
Tony Angelino said:
In an attempt to broaden my horizons I have gone for a real change and am limping my way into James Joyce Ulysese on audio book, heavy weather at the moment (and I'm only 40 mins in!). Won't be long before I start to think i'm simply not clever enough to enjoy/understand it.
Stick with it. Every chapter is in a different writing style. The morning chapters were more of a struggle than the drunken evening ones. From chapter 4 onwards the focus moves to Leopold who's a much more interesting character than Stephen.
After each chapter I read up on Wikipedia to ensure I was following the story correctly. I was, just about.
Thanks
Tony Angelino said:
Nom de ploom said:
finished the latest Bryson - more notes from a small island.
Occasionally funny, but for the most part quite scathing about how Britain ahs changed mostlyfor the wors since he wrote the first NFaSI.
got a bit tiresome I have to say even if I agreed with him - complaints about public funding, cuts to rail services, litter, demise of seaside towns, cars.
he loves our countryside though and speaks vibrantly about it.
all a bit meh and a bit too allegorical for my liking he's turned a bit Michael Moore in this one, which ordinarily might not be a bad thing but Moore does Moore better than anyone.
6.5/10
I have now started the first game of thrones book for the third time and I will get through it this time
I thought more or less the same about the latest Bryson, although I felt partly let down that he didn't give Yorkshire more of a mention, particularly as he lived here for a decent while. Occasionally funny, but for the most part quite scathing about how Britain ahs changed mostlyfor the wors since he wrote the first NFaSI.
got a bit tiresome I have to say even if I agreed with him - complaints about public funding, cuts to rail services, litter, demise of seaside towns, cars.
he loves our countryside though and speaks vibrantly about it.
all a bit meh and a bit too allegorical for my liking he's turned a bit Michael Moore in this one, which ordinarily might not be a bad thing but Moore does Moore better than anyone.
6.5/10
I have now started the first game of thrones book for the third time and I will get through it this time
Thunderbolt kid has to be my favourite Bryson book, although I really also liked A Walk In The Woods and the one about Australia too. Some really interesting stuff in them, kind of alternative bits of history. Bits about the town in US that had an underground fire and was abandoned and also the bit about the Aborigines crossing the seas were particular highlights for me.
That reminds me too, sure I saw a trailer for A Walk in the Woods film - must go look that up.
Thomson phones in her performance imho and is under utilised. it has a lovely soundtrack though and introduced me to Lord Huron who I had never heard of. be interested to know what you thought
g3org3y said:
Now on to this:
Vive la Revolution comrades!!
Distracted by various other things so only just finished this.Vive la Revolution comrades!!
I'd consider myself to the right of centre and I don't often agree with Owen Jones (in QT and the like) but this book was insightful and very interesting. I think it would help NP&E immensely if some of the blinkered individuals who seem to think certain business and finance industries are some kind of meritocracy based on honest hard work actually understood the nepotism and back handers that are commonplace in these fields.
Anyway, time for something completely different:
Tony Angelino said:
Thunderbolt kid has to be my favourite Bryson book, although I really also liked A Walk In The Woods and the one about Australia too. Some really interesting stuff in them, kind of alternative bits of history. Bits about the town in US that had an underground fire and was abandoned and also the bit about the Aborigines crossing the seas were particular highlights for me.
Finished the Australia book this morning whilst waiting for a train. Loved his description of cricket and the sheer vastness of the country.Onto the Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. Really liking it so far, but I like that 50s tally-ho chaps style of writing.
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