recommend me some books to read!

[E38Ross]

Hi guys,

It's been far too long since i read for pleasure (university took care of that) but used to be into reading before and would love to get back into it.

believe it or not, i used to thoroughly enjoy classics from Charles Dickens among a few others. a few of my favourite books include:

a tale of two cities, great expectations, david copperfield, Christmas Carol, 1984, animal farm (all Dickens or Orwell)

based on those few favourites....any recommendations?

Thanks chaps!

Ross

edit - also absolutely loved to kill a mocking bird by harper lee. Also enjoyed the da vinci code, but not so much as the others.

Edited by E38Ross on Thursday 15th November 20:30

[Pobolycwm]

Contempory classics that I think rank alongside Harper Lee ( why she only wrote one book is a travesty ) would be Lord of the flies by Golding and Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, you won't fail to like these given what you've said above.

More recently The Life of Pi and The Book Thief, both slightly surreal and both marmite books, not exciting reads but books that get inside you

The Kite Runner and a Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini are what I could call modern Dickensian in that they are
both excellent stories and quite moving

[RealSquirrels]

recently i've really enjoyed:

'Wolf Hall' by that woman errr... (historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell)

'The Sisters Brothers' (it's a western sort of thing)

both are amazing, the kind of books I wish I could unread so I could read them for the first time again.

Also, probably up there with my all time favourates are the Aubrey and Maturin series by Patrick O'brien

starting with 'Master and Commander'

[marcosgt]

You might find it a bit 'romanticised' but I really enjoyed Memoirs of a Geisha (It's a work of fiction).

I've enjoyed a couple of Mark Mills' books recently (The Information Officer and House of the Hanged), a bit more 'literary' than most thrillers, but still with a sense of plot and mystery (rather than deep introspection).

A favourite book of mine, although I seem to be in a tiny minority, is The Tesseract by Alex Garland. I hated The Beach (you might like it), but I rattled through The Tesseract and enjoyed ever second. A real page turner that I was genuinely sorry to finish and yet had a thoroughly satisfying ending.

M.

PS I have to say I also really enjoy the Ben Hope books by Scott Mariani (perfect Kindle on your phone fodder ).

Edited by marcosgt on Friday 16th November 14:50

[E38Ross]

wow, no replies for a while then 3 in quick succession!

Pobolycwm said:

Contempory classics that I think rank alongside Harper Lee ( why she only wrote one book is a travesty ) would be Lord of the flies by Golding and Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, you won't fail to like these given what you've said above.

i've also read lord of the flies, another brilliant book.

thanks for the suggestions chaps, i'll have a look! keep 'em coming!

[E38Ross]

treated myself to a couple of books:

brighton rock and crime and punishment.....anyone here read the latter? i've heard it's supposed to be pretty good.

now.....all i need to do is find the time!

[Pobolycwm]

Read them both,

Crime and Punishment is quite a heavyweight, it is also quite disturbing, he brutally murders an old lady then sinks into a wretched life spiced up by occasionally seeing how far he can push the authorities into proving it was him.....just for the experience really , I haven't spoilt anything for you because he tells you at the beginning that's what he's going to do. He's not a psychopath, more of a left wing trendy of the times with a bit too much curiosity.....Best of luck with it.

Am currently reading The Brothers Kamarazov by Dostoevesky, it's very pleasant and easy going in comparison.

Brighton Rock, a belting book.....read it years ago, whenever it's mentioned I immediately think " what a mean little bd Pinkie was" .....he's like drinking vinegar!

[E38Ross]

Thanks for that reply. What do you mean it's a heavyweight? Hard language? Dickens, I found, was okay so I should be ok....?

I'll read Brighton rock first as it's shorter and looks like an easier read. It's been years since I read really so best to start with the easier novel is suspect to get me back into it. I think I'll start tomorrow evening.

[Pobolycwm]

Dickens is easy to read, ( that's not a criticism ) , he has interesting characters who weave in and out throughout the book with several story lines around the main character, I find you read his books and wonder where on earth that last hour or two of your life went

Dostoevesky you have to work at, you will have page after page after page in Crime and Punishment where you're dealing with the inner thoughts and mental ramblings of Raskolnikov, it gets even more dreamlike when he goes into a fever , you have to concentrate , you can't read it if you're tired, if you're not careful it'll become a chore and just a grind to get through to the end.

Amen

[TonyTony]

I know its not along the same lines as the book's you said you like but the best book I'v read is "The ice man, confessions of a Mafia contract killer".

Its pretty grim and scary what some humans being are like, but it is very interesting!

[E38Ross]

Onto chapter 4 of Brighton rock so far and beginning to get into it. That pinky seems like a piece of work!

Loving reading again. Last night just lost myself for about 45mins or so was lovely.

[Davey S2]

RealSquirrels said:

recently i've really enjoyed:

'Wolf Hall' by that woman errr... (historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell)


Also, probably up there with my all time favourates are the Aubrey and Maturin series by Patrick O'brien

starting with 'Master and Commander'

Really struggled with Wolf Hall and gave up trying.

I assume Master and Commander is the original of the Russell Crowe film?

Edit - just seen it is so might give that a try next.

[RealSquirrels]

the film was based partially on the first book, yeah.

[Paul Dishman]

RealSquirrels said:

the film was based partially on the first book, yeah.

Not really. The film was based on "The Far Side of the World". They were going to film "Master & Commander" but couldn't get a script to work. They kept "M & C" in the title for recognition purposes.

In the book they were beating the Yanks, but sensing that wouldn't play well in the US the film company changed the enemy to the cheese eating surrender monkeys.

[Paul Dishman]

Davey S2 said:

RealSquirrels said:

recently i've really enjoyed:

'Wolf Hall' by that woman errr... (historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell)


Also, probably up there with my all time favourates are the Aubrey and Maturin series by Patrick O'brien

starting with 'Master and Commander'

Really struggled with Wolf Hall and gave up trying.

I assume Master and Commander is the original of the Russell Crowe film?

Edit - just seen it is so might give that a try next.

Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel do both take a bit of tuning in to, so I know what you mean.

Have you tried CJ Sansom's work?

He writes the Shardlake series which are set in Tudor England- I'd recommend Sovereign which is the third in the series.

Sansom has written a couple of more contemporary novels- one about the Spanish Civil War (can't remember the name) and Dominion which imagines that Winston Churchill didn't become PM in 1940, but signed an armistice with Nazi Germany. I've just finished the latter and really enjoyed it

[E38Ross]

well, due to an injury preventing me running i managed to finish Brighton Rock already

really enjoyed it.....now what next?

come on, what do you think i should go for out of the following:

Crime and Punishment or any of the following Dickens novels - Martin Chuzzlewitt, Hard Times, Oliver Twist or The Old Curiosity Shop. I'm not sure which one I fancy first.....what would you suggest!?

Thanks in advance,

Ross.

[RealSquirrels]

master and commander by Patrick obrian, really!

And then all of the rest of them!

[Eggman]

E38Ross said:

Crime and Punishment or any of the following Dickens novels - Martin Chuzzlewitt, Hard Times, Oliver Twist or The Old Curiosity Shop. I'm not sure which one I fancy first.....what would you suggest!?

Depends on what kind of book you're in the mood for. Out of those, I'd probably go for The Old Curiosity Shop because it contains wonderful characters like Daniel Quilp. The other Dickens novels are great too, but I think my second choice out of those would be Hard Times, mainly for Mr Gradgrind.

Crime and Punishment is an absolute feast, but I wouldn't attempt it until you are completely back in the habit of reading. If I'm intending to read a long book I sometimes prepare for it by reading something lighter first, just to get in a routine of reading for extended periods. You can't really do a book like that justice in 20 minute sessions.

As you seem to be casting around for things to read and seem interested in Russian literature, I'd suggest getting hold of a copy of ' Russian Short Stories from Pushkin to Buida'. It's a tremendous book containing a very varied selection of the most superb authors; there are several familiar names like Gogol and some that you probably won't have heard of like Krzhizanovsky. I doubt you'll be needing any more suggestions after you've read that!

[RealSquirrels]

Davey S2 said:

Really struggled with Wolf Hall and gave up trying.

I assume Master and Commander is the original of the Russell Crowe film?

Edit - just seen it is so might give that a try next.

did you have a read of master and commander yet davey? how are you finding it?