Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
Really enjoyed this - saw it mentioned in a different thread on here.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Fifteen-Lives-Harry...
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again.
No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes.
Until now.
As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August,' she says. 'I need to send a message.'
This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Fifteen-Lives-Harry...
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again.
No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes.
Until now.
As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August,' she says. 'I need to send a message.'
This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
Dromedary66 said:
Really enjoyed this - saw it mentioned in a different thread on here.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Sounds like my kind of thing - bought!The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
I've been on something of a meta-narrative binge of late, all of which fall squarely into the 'marmite' book category.
The Raw Shark Texts by Stephen Hall. Starts with the somewhat overused trope of a man waking up with no memories and then careers off wildly in a very unexpected direction. I found it quite brilliant and touching.
S. by Doug Gorst and JJ Abrams (aka Ship of Theseus by VM Straka). Another man with no memories but here the interest is not just the story, but the various layers of meta-narrative and commentary from the 'translator' and the marginalia and many inserts added by two literature students. A beautifully presented paean to literature and the physical beauty of books, even if the main storyline doesn't quite match the presentation.
The Grifin and Sabine Trilogies by Nick Bantock - a series of wonderfully told and designed epistolary tales of two people corresponding from opposite sides of the world.
The House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski - I have to admit I'm struggling with this one. It's said there's a fine line between genius and madness (or pretention). I'm undecided where this sits at the moment. It has its brilliance, but it's also too mired in its own cleverness and self-indulgence for its own good.
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov - Picked this up for two reasons: its association with Blade Runner 2049, and its influence on some of the previous books I've listed. Again, not made it through this one yet due to various distractions including the above list
Edited by judas on Monday 21st May 20:43
Dromedary66 said:
Really enjoyed this - saw it mentioned in a different thread on here.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Fifteen-Lives-Harry...
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again.
No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes.
Until now.
As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August,' she says. 'I need to send a message.'
This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
Also reading this now after recommendation on here. Reminds me a little of Slaughterhouse 5. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Fifteen-Lives-Harry...
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again.
No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes.
Until now.
As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August,' she says. 'I need to send a message.'
This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
joshcowin said:
Prolex-UK said:
joshcowin said:
Anyone read Child 44 picked it up for holiday in June?
Cracking book. Worth picking out the others as wellThe other two are good, but not quite on the same level as Child 44. As debuts go, that was always gonna be hard for Smith to beat.
TheJimi said:
joshcowin said:
Prolex-UK said:
joshcowin said:
Anyone read Child 44 picked it up for holiday in June?
Cracking book. Worth picking out the others as wellThe other two are good, but not quite on the same level as Child 44. As debuts go, that was always gonna be hard for Smith to beat.
Will get all 3 and hope they last me the holiday!
Other Minds by peter godfrey smith.
It's on octopus intelligence and how thay have a completely different evolutionary path to any of the other commonly thought of "intelligent" animals, which pretty much makes them the closest thing to an alien intelligence we have.
Makes one wonder what AI will be like when it finally arrives.
It's on octopus intelligence and how thay have a completely different evolutionary path to any of the other commonly thought of "intelligent" animals, which pretty much makes them the closest thing to an alien intelligence we have.
Makes one wonder what AI will be like when it finally arrives.
glazbagun said:
Other Minds by peter godfrey smith.
It's on octopus intelligence and how thay have a completely different evolutionary path to any of the other commonly thought of "intelligent" animals, which pretty much makes them the closest thing to an alien intelligence we have.
Makes one wonder what AI will be like when it finally arrives.
Thanks, I just downloaded and read a sample of this on Kindle, brilliant, just ordered the book now too. That'll be me, nose in a book for the bank holiday weekend till its finished.It's on octopus intelligence and how thay have a completely different evolutionary path to any of the other commonly thought of "intelligent" animals, which pretty much makes them the closest thing to an alien intelligence we have.
Makes one wonder what AI will be like when it finally arrives.
Goaty Bill 2 said:
I received my book the other day, having paid almost as much for shipping as for the book I was a little disconcerted when my first sight began to reveal this (all snaps thumbnail size in post - click for full size images)
But fully removing from the packaging
this absolutely lovely, as new boxed double volume 10 3/4" x 7 3/4" 'Notes From Underground' & 'The Gambler'.
Stunning value at £13.61 book price.
If only more like this were available.
My reading pace has slowed even further. The 4 AM wakeup leaves little energy for reading in the evening.But fully removing from the packaging
this absolutely lovely, as new boxed double volume 10 3/4" x 7 3/4" 'Notes From Underground' & 'The Gambler'.
Stunning value at £13.61 book price.
If only more like this were available.
I have however completed both novellas in the volume above.
'The Gambler' (Constance Garnet translation) would seem to be a work reflecting on a period in the author's own life. Written almost as a bet with his publisher, to cover his own gambling debts, what better subject than that which drove him to such straits in the first place.
What it lacks in Dotoevsky's usual depth of exploration into the psyche of each of the key characters, it makes up for in clearly laying out the twisted logic of the addicted gambler in a charming and easy to read longish short story of less than 200 pages.
'Notes From Underground' (Constance Garnet translation) is, in my opinion, absolute genius. I could not possibly do the book justice in a few lines here so would recommend the wiki to anyone who is interested. An excellent insight into the mind of Dostoevsky and a display of his brilliance in comprehending the irrationality of the human mind in general. The first few pages are shocking and yet so recognisable. Real proof that he is still relevant today.
Not to be missed by anyone who has ever read any of Dostoevsky's works.
Stephen King's recent release - The Outsider.
When an eleven-year-old boy is found murdered in a town park, reliable eyewitnesses undeniably point to the town's popular Little League coach, Terry Maitland, as the culprit. DNA evidence and fingerprints confirm the crime was committed by this well-loved family man.
Only just started but on the face of it appears to be another police novel. Evidently his Bill Hodges trilogy did not get that out of his system. So far, so good.
When an eleven-year-old boy is found murdered in a town park, reliable eyewitnesses undeniably point to the town's popular Little League coach, Terry Maitland, as the culprit. DNA evidence and fingerprints confirm the crime was committed by this well-loved family man.
Only just started but on the face of it appears to be another police novel. Evidently his Bill Hodges trilogy did not get that out of his system. So far, so good.
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