Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
Just finished...
Sweet Caress ( William Boyd ) - seems to be a partner book to Any Human Heart. One woman's life-story as opposed to one man's life-story across a similar timespan - 1920s through to 1980s. The main character is not as charismatic or flawed as Logan Mountstuart in Any Human Heart - and as a result I didn't quite enjoy this as much. Still, it's a fantastic read. 4.5/5
Just starting "His Bloody Project".
Sweet Caress ( William Boyd ) - seems to be a partner book to Any Human Heart. One woman's life-story as opposed to one man's life-story across a similar timespan - 1920s through to 1980s. The main character is not as charismatic or flawed as Logan Mountstuart in Any Human Heart - and as a result I didn't quite enjoy this as much. Still, it's a fantastic read. 4.5/5
Just starting "His Bloody Project".
brrapp said:
I'm in the middle of plodding my way through two other fairly heavy books but this evening, after a busy weekend , I couldn't face up to either. I'd bought this for my son for Christmas and it was lying out waiting to be wrapped. I remember reading and very much enjoying it as a teenager 40 years ago. I picked it up for a quick glance through and 3 hours later I've just finished it, couldn't put it down. It must be one of the best books I've read this year. I'd recommend it to anyone, I'd forgotten just how beautiful and thought provoking it was.
Welshbeef said:
brrapp said:
I'm in the middle of plodding my way through two other fairly heavy books but this evening, after a busy weekend , I couldn't face up to either. I'd bought this for my son for Christmas and it was lying out waiting to be wrapped. I remember reading and very much enjoying it as a teenager 40 years ago. I picked it up for a quick glance through and 3 hours later I've just finished it, couldn't put it down. It must be one of the best books I've read this year. I'd recommend it to anyone, I'd forgotten just how beautiful and thought provoking it was.
leglessAlex said:
Welshbeef said:
brrapp said:
I'm in the middle of plodding my way through two other fairly heavy books but this evening, after a busy weekend , I couldn't face up to either. I'd bought this for my son for Christmas and it was lying out waiting to be wrapped. I remember reading and very much enjoying it as a teenager 40 years ago. I picked it up for a quick glance through and 3 hours later I've just finished it, couldn't put it down. It must be one of the best books I've read this year. I'd recommend it to anyone, I'd forgotten just how beautiful and thought provoking it was.
edited to add:- Ray Bradbury only took a week to write the orignal version of the book... now that's impressive!
Edited by brrapp on Tuesday 13th December 22:24
Nezquick said:
Blood Meridian is also a no compromise book which is beautifully written. Very harrowing.
Must admit, I wasn't that fussed on The Road, but I've heard a lot about Blood Meridian. Without asking you to spoil it, what's the general outline? I've been looking at my backlog of books and trying to decide what's next to come off the list.Levin said:
Must admit, I wasn't that fussed on The Road, but I've heard a lot about Blood Meridian. Without asking you to spoil it, what's the general outline? I've been looking at my backlog of books and trying to decide what's next to come off the list.
It starts with a young lad in the 'wild west' running away from a miserable home life into one even more miserable. He meets up with an 'army' of professional indian hunters heading into Mexico to make their fortune form killing and scalping 'savages' for the bounty. The book relies on graphic descriptions of the hardships they face contrasted with the beauty of the places they go and the savagery they descend into contrasted with the human relationships between the group. The violence and cruelty spiral out of control and the story ends fairly predictably.
brrapp said:
Goaty Bill 2 said:
Beginning Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - The Gulag Archipelago today.
Please report back, I've heard of it but never read it. At just under 500 pages, it is (as I understand it), 1200 pages shorter than the original 3 volumes.
I think the first few chapters are safe, but looking for original 1974 edition volumes now.
Update
Used copies of the original seem quite readily available, allegedly good to new condition.
Ordered the original 1975 translation (parts 1 & 2), promised good/excellent condition, paid peanuts, will see.
Edited by Goaty Bill 2 on Thursday 15th December 15:37
Thought this might be of interest to some--> Recommend me a Book dot com
It's a website that allows one to read the first few hundred words of a novel without first revealing the book title/author. Then clicking on a tab to reveal the book cover/title/author with the option to purchase at Amazon.
I have no connection with the above mentioned website.
It's a website that allows one to read the first few hundred words of a novel without first revealing the book title/author. Then clicking on a tab to reveal the book cover/title/author with the option to purchase at Amazon.
I have no connection with the above mentioned website.
brrapp said:
It starts with a young lad in the 'wild west' running away from a miserable home life into one even more miserable. He meets up with an 'army' of professional indian hunters heading into Mexico to make their fortune form killing and scalping 'savages' for the bounty. The book relies on graphic descriptions of the hardships they face contrasted with the beauty of the places they go and the savagery they descend into contrasted with the human relationships between the group. The violence and cruelty spiral out of control and the story ends fairly predictably.
The word that appears to describe McCarthy's writing is 'bleak', isn't it? I'll have to check for a copy when I'm next in the library. From the outline alone I'm interested.Goaty Bill 2 said:
Beginning Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - The Gulag Archipelago today.
Seeing as your copy isn't quite as you had hoped, I'd suggest reading "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by the same author. It's short, it's bleak, but in the end you do feel thankful that it isn't your idea of a good day. If you decide to go for it, the H.T. Willetts translation is the only one Solzhenitsyn authorised, so is probably the best one to go for.Literature from the Soviet Union always leaves me slightly sad that I don't know the language. Journals and magazines like Novy Mir would make for a fascinating read.
If you're not burnt out on gulags, Anne Applebaum's "Gulag: A History of the Soviet Camps" is considered another definitive work on them.
Just finished....
His Bloody Project ( Graeme Macrae Burnet ) - story of murders committed in Wester Ross in the 19th century and the subsequent trial. Delivered as a non-fictional account of the incident and aftermath. Well structured, some great use of language and not lacking humour in some of the courtroom reporting. Ultimately, it's a simple story and not too much actually happens, but the way it is told and the empathy it encourages you to feel for the main character meant that it really held my attention. 4/5.
His Bloody Project ( Graeme Macrae Burnet ) - story of murders committed in Wester Ross in the 19th century and the subsequent trial. Delivered as a non-fictional account of the incident and aftermath. Well structured, some great use of language and not lacking humour in some of the courtroom reporting. Ultimately, it's a simple story and not too much actually happens, but the way it is told and the empathy it encourages you to feel for the main character meant that it really held my attention. 4/5.
Levin said:
Goaty Bill 2 said:
Beginning Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - The Gulag Archipelago today.
Seeing as your copy isn't quite as you had hoped, I'd suggest reading "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by the same author. It's short, it's bleak, but in the end you do feel thankful that it isn't your idea of a good day. If you decide to go for it, the H.T. Willetts translation is the only one Solzhenitsyn authorised, so is probably the best one to go for.Literature from the Soviet Union always leaves me slightly sad that I don't know the language. Journals and magazines like Novy Mir would make for a fascinating read.
If you're not burnt out on gulags, Anne Applebaum's "Gulag: A History of the Soviet Camps" is considered another definitive work on them.
Thanks for the heads up on the translator.
I think, just maybe, after 1800 pages of Gulag, it may be enough.
For me, it's as much about the psychology as the history, perhaps more so.
If I survive that, (I managed War & Peace so I should be up to the challenge), I planned on following that with "Ordinary Men" by Browning. (again the psychology aspect)
I agree with you about Russian literature. That the translated works often remain so moving implies to me that they could only be better in the original.
Just finished "Personal" bu Lee Child, another in the Jack Reacher series. Easy reading and well written as far as the genre goes. And I particularly like that he makes no reference to previous books in the series to encourage you to buy them.
Previously I read one of the "what if" style of novels, "The Madagaskar Plan" by Guy Saville. Germany won the war and have invaded much of Africa too. 500 pages long, and for me rather turgid and heavy going. I won't be searching for another of his in a hurry.
Currently starting "The End Game" by Raymond Khoury. It seems to be in between the above two if you get my drift, but more anon.
Previously I read one of the "what if" style of novels, "The Madagaskar Plan" by Guy Saville. Germany won the war and have invaded much of Africa too. 500 pages long, and for me rather turgid and heavy going. I won't be searching for another of his in a hurry.
Currently starting "The End Game" by Raymond Khoury. It seems to be in between the above two if you get my drift, but more anon.
lowdrag said:
Previously I read one of the "what if" style of novels, "The Madagaskar Plan" by Guy Saville. Germany won the war and have invaded much of Africa too. 500 pages long, and for me rather turgid and heavy going. I won't be searching for another of his in a hurry.
Two minutes ago I didn't know this book existed and now it has me disappointed. Amazon suggests it has a prequel, and given how much I typically like fiction of the "Germany wins the war" variety, I'd hope Saville hasn't squandered the opportunity. I'm not sure if you've ever read 'Fatherland' by Robert Harris, but it's considered one of the better uses of that literary trope.Goaty Bill 2 said:
For me, it's as much about the psychology as the history, perhaps more so.
As I suspect you've read more exploring the psychological aspect of man-made hell, are there any books you'd recommend apart from those mentioned? To a degree one of the last books I read, 'If This is a Woman' by Sarah Helm, touched upon the mental aspect of life in a concentration camp. At least one SS guard fainted with fear before her execution: what mental gymnastics would you have to perform to be able to visit absolute misery and death upon others, all the while scared of a similar fate?Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff