Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
I'm working my way through Top100 lists of books (avoiding the obviously boring ones).
This was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
This was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
It was fine. I expected more exciting drug fuelled stories. In actual fact it was generally quite moany: new DJs who don't use vinyl, not getting paid enough, definitions of EDM etc. Nothing special tbh.
Now onto this:
Read all of Welsh's other work, love Trainspotting especially. About 100 pages in...it's ok. I'll reserve judgement until finished.
Had this delivered last night after seeing it recommended in another thread. Looking forward to getting started
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241250943/ref...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241250943/ref...
Goaty Bill 2 said:
Prolex-UK said:
After reading One night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore. I have bought one day in the life of ivan denisovich and the first circle by Solzhenitsyn
Just started one day in the life
Just a heads up; did you get 'The First Circle' or 'In The First Circle'?Just started one day in the life
The original was mis-translated to English as simply 'The First Circle', but my understanding is that it was heavily moderated to make publication in the Soviet Union possible. 'In The First Circle' is Solzhenitsyn's revised and slightly longer edition. Sadly only available in paperback, it appears never to have been published in hardback.
I will confess that I haven't read my copy of the earlier version, but have spoken to people who read the original, and later read the unmoderated / uncensored later edition when it came out. The consensus is that the second is better.
In The First Circle
Both 'One Day' and 'In The First Circle' are excellent reads.
Quite related, I'm halfway through Galina, the autobiography of Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, which is genuinely fascinating, quite a life.
toasty said:
I'm working my way through Top100 lists of books (avoiding the obviously boring ones).
This was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
I am utterly perplexed that that should be on any “Top 100” list ... it’s alright and perfectly readable fun, but Top 100? Dickens alone wrote twenty novels that are better.This was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
tertius said:
toasty said:
I'm working my way through Top100 lists of books (avoiding the obviously boring ones).
This was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
I am utterly perplexed that that should be on any “Top 100” list ... it’s alright and perfectly readable fun, but Top 100? Dickens alone wrote twenty novels that are better.This was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
It might be Mr Follett's top 100 list, in which case I would agree :-)
Just finishing Rod Duncan's trilogy, The Fall Of The Gas-Lit Empire. A new author to me and brings to mind Philip Pullman's writings, very entertaining.
I've just finished "The Mermaids Singing" by Val McDermid. It's the first of the Carol Jordan / Tony Hill stories, which I thought I'd read but it turns out I hadn't. I recently read some of the newer ones in this series after steering clear of them for a bit, and I think the newer ones were a bit better, a bit faster-moving. Good, though.
toasty said:
I'm working my way through Top100 lists of books (avoiding the obviously boring ones).
This was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
the tv adaptation was rather goodThis was on the limit with potential boredom with history not being my subject of choice but I'm slowly warming to it a quarter of the way in. His writing style grates a little but the story is good, following the building of a cathedral in the 1100s.
g3org3y said:
Read all of Welsh's other work, love Trainspotting especially. About 100 pages in...it's ok. I'll reserve judgement until finished.
g3org3y said:
Finished. It was ok, nothing overwhelmingly special. Skagboys apart (Trainspotting prequel), Welsh hasn't really managed to recreate the magic that made Trainspotting special. Only worth reading if you are a fan of the main protagonists imo.
I saw the book on sale and want to get around to reading it; the premise that someone doesn't survive has my attention but I'm short of time to read for pleasure, so... (possible spoilers in the, er, spoiler)It's Spud isn't it?
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