Books - What are you reading?

[andy_s]

Thanks chaps, a biggun and a little un to be going on with - cheers.

[cherie171]

Ace-T said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-5282...
Link to a review of EM Forsters science fiction novella The Machine Stops. There is a link to download the novella too.

All I can say is blimey. Firstly who knew EMF wrote scifi, secondly that he wrote good scifi, thirdly woah, scarily prescient!

I love my sci-fi, but I had no idea that this novella existed. Thank you.

[Goaty Bill 2]

Just finished re-reading 'Crime and Punishment' by Dostoevsky
Translator: Constance Garnett

As I had first read this over 25 years ago, I felt it was time to go back to it with an improved understanding of the author's themes and experience of many of his other works.

It is interesting that the protagonist, Raskolnikov theorises an almost Nietzschean concept of the ubermensch nearly 20 years before the appearance of 'Thus Spake Zarathustra', and believes himself to be a member of such a 'group', thus giving himself the privilege to act outside and beyond the law and societal norms.

Where Raskolnikov's nihilism and belief in his superiority leads him is of course the subject of the story.

As always, the description of life in 19th century Russia leaves one with plenty else to find depressing, and so also remains an important record of social conditions of the times.

Heron Books (stock photo)

[ElectricSoup]

Ah yes, I'm sure I've told this tale before but hearing about that book always reminds me of an undergrad colleague of mine, when asked to give a seminar on the book, who simply stood up at the front, and said, "It's a crime to have written it, and a fking punishment to have to read it", and walked out of the room. I joined him in the pub immediately. He and I were more of the linguistics bent than the literary.

[Goaty Bill 2]

ElectricSoup said:

Ah yes, I'm sure I've told this tale before but hearing about that book always reminds me of an undergrad colleague of mine, when asked to give a seminar on the book, who simply stood up at the front, and said, "It's a crime to have written it, and a fking punishment to have to read it", and walked out of the room. I joined him in the pub immediately. He and I were more of the linguistics bent than the literary.

But it's still funny

Truth be told, Dostoevsky was broke again and needed the money, so he wrote a book. (see also 'The Gambler')
Research tells me he was engaged in writing a piece on drunkenness (incorporated into the book in Raskolnikov's interactions with Marmeladov, alcoholic father of Sofia) and created something larger for the additional kopeks.
It is probably somewhat easier, for many readers, to come to grips with than 'Demons' or 'The Brothers Karamazov' which may explain its greater readership.
Personally I preferred both of the other two for tackling the predicted effects of the sudden 'loss' of religion and growing nihilism in Russian society.


"When he [Raskolnikov] was better, he remembered the dreams he had had while he was feverish and delirious. He dreamt that the whole world was condemned to a terrible new strange plague that had come to Europe from the depths of Asia. All were to be destroyed except a very few chosen.
Some new sorts of microbes were attacking the bodies of men, but these microbes were endowed with intelligence and will. Men attacked by them became at once mad and furious.
But never had men considered themselves so intellectual and so completely in possession of the truth as these sufferers, never had they considered their decisions, their scientific conclusions, their moral convictions so infallible.
Whole villages, whole towns and peoples went mad from the infection. All were excited and did not understand one another. Each thought that he alone had the truth and was wretched looking at the others, beat himself on the breast, wept, and wrung his hands.
They did not know how to judge and could not agree what to consider evil and what good; they did not know whom to blame, whom to justify. Men killed each other in a sort of senseless spite. They gathered together in armies against one another, but even on the march the armies would begin attacking each other, the ranks would be broken and the soldiers would fall on each other, stabbing and cutting, biting and devouring each other. The alarm bell was ringing all day long in the towns; men rushed together, but why they were summoned and who was summoning them no one knew.
The most ordinary trades were abandoned, because everyone proposed his own ideas, his own improvements, and they could not agree. The land too was abandoned. Men met in groups, agreed on something, swore to keep together, but at once began on something quite different from what they had proposed. They accused one another, fought and killed each other. There were conflagrations and famine. All men and all things were involved in destruction. The plague spread and moved further and further.
Only a few men could be saved in the whole world. They were a pure chosen people, destined to found a new race and a new life, to renew and purify the earth, but no one had seen these men, no one had heard their words and their voices."
- Dostoevsky, Crime & Punishment, 1866

Some take this as a remarkably accurate foreboding of the socialist experiment that would grip Russia, and its neighbours, throughout much of the 20th century.

[smn159]

Just finished Into The Black, about the development of the Space Shuttle, culminating in the flight of Columbia.

Now onto Truth Lies and O-Rings, which goes through in detail the background to the Challenger disaster and the subsequent enquires.

Both excellent reads.

[andy_s]

Prolex-UK said:

Fair warning by michael connelly

Read in 5 sittings

Jack mcevoy returns.

Well worth seeking out.

About misuse oF DNA

These have always struck me as more straightforward than the Bosch ones, but eminently readable and a good story nonetheless. Also devoured in the required 5 sittings

[Laurel Green]

andy_s said:

Prolex-UK said:

Fair warning by michael connelly

Read in 5 sittings

Jack mcevoy returns.

Well worth seeking out.

About misuse oF DNA

These have always struck me as more straightforward than the Bosch ones, but eminently readable and a good story nonetheless. Also devoured in the required 5 sittings

Have it in my 'to read pile'. Nice to know it's a goodly read.
Currently reading Jeffery Deaver's The Goodbye Man, it's the second in the Colter Shaw series. Seems about a 3.5 stars (out of five) for me so far.

[Desiderata]

I just started this last night but I'm really enjoying it. Most people will know most of the geographical, political, and historical information in it already, but the appeal is in the way it has been put together and makes you think. Pretty topical.

[MC Bodge]

Desiderata said:

I just started this last night but I'm really enjoying it. Most people will know most of the geographical, political, and historical information in it already, but the appeal is in the way it has been put together and makes you think. Pretty topical.

It's a very interesting book. Well worth a read.

I would suggest that most people wouldn't know very much at all about the subject matter, but those that choose to read it might know some of it.

[j4r4lly]

FunkyNige said:

rst99 said:

I


Autobiography of the greatest test pilot in history.

I'm halfway through this and am getting a bit frustrated at the pace of it - it starts with loads of detail about the escort carrier he was on, the people, tactics developed, etc., then at the end of WW2 it's just "I flew a bunch of German planes" with no commentary on how good or bad they were, then randomly it's a few pages on one carrier landing.
It's a good book about a fascinating character but the skimming over some bits and going into a lot of detail on others could be improved, but I guess there are other books going into more detail.

I read this recently which I found fascinating. Henshaw was the Chief Test Pilot at Supermarine's Castle Bromwich factory and is estimated to have flown 10% of all Spitfires ever built.

[j4r4lly]

Working my way through the Conn Iggulden Wars of the Roses series which is enjoyable. It's a period of history that I thought I knew about but realise that I don't. A lot of complex political maneuvering, ruthless ambition and extreme violence.

[epom]

Taking a break from all the serious books I've read lately. I've no doubt this will make me smile.

[Hammerhead]

Ace-T said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-5282...
Link to a review of EM Forsters science fiction novella The Machine Stops. There is a link to download the novella too.

All I can say is blimey. Firstly who knew EMF wrote scifi, secondly that he wrote good scifi, thirdly woah, scarily prescient!

I just read this, this afternoon. Flippin eck. He foresaw Zoom, tablets, Uber, The Internet of Things, the detachment of society through the worship of stuff, social media/review sites, fake news/history, and a whole heap more.

A fare warning for ‘us’ to stop falling into this bleak, worthless future - now. Chilling.

Edited by Hammerhead on Saturday 6th June 17:28

[MC Bodge]

MC Bodge said:

MC Bodge said:

I'm reading "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T E Lawrence.

It's not exactly a light read. I will endeavour to finish it.

I have stuck with it. Reading a few pages at a time over breakfast. By page 72 it has improved. I wonder if he was just trying too hard in the early pages?
His descriptions of the people and places he visits are fascinating.

I'm glad I stuck with it. It is actually a very interesting book. His editor should have streamlined the flowery text in the early chapters.

[droopsnoot]

I've just finished "The Deepest Grave" by Harry Bingham, an enjoyable police tale with a nice bit of humour in it.

[K12beano]

Hammerhead said:

Ace-T said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-5282...
Link to a review of EM Forsters science fiction novella The Machine Stops. There is a link to download the novella too.

All I can say is blimey. Firstly who knew EMF wrote scifi, secondly that he wrote good scifi, thirdly woah, scarily prescient!

I just read this, this afternoon. Flippin eck. He foresaw Zoom, tablets, Uber, The Internet of Things, the detachment of society through the worship of stuff, social media/review sites, fake news/history, and a whole heap more.

A fare warning for ‘us’ to stop falling into this bleak, worthless future - now. Chilling.

"Oh Michael - but I'm telling you the plot!!" and I'm sooooo looking forward to the re-read I'm going to give that soon..... just as soon as I can finish reading stuff for work......

[Jack15]

I am reading about Kabuki, traditional Japanese popular drama with singing and dancing performed in a highly stylized manner. A rich blend of music, dance, mime, and spectacular staging and costuming, it has been a major theatrical form in Japan for four centuries.

[TomTheTyke]

Hello all, I've just found this thread. At the start of 2019 I made a resolution to read a bit more and to keep a record of what I was reading. Here is the list. For no particular reason other than I've enjoyed making time to read more regularly and I feel like I've learned a lot within fairly narrow areas, mainly history, politics and cricket!

2019

Our Island Story, HE Marshall
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Kiriakos; A British Partisan in Wartime Greece, Don Turner
How I Found Livingstone, HM Stanley
The Second World War, AJP Taylor
A Classical Education, Caroline Taggart
A Clear Blue Sky, Jonny Bairstow
Prisoners of Geography, Tim Marhsall
Travellers in the Third Reich, Julia Boyd
Beyond a Boundary, CLR James
The Five, Hallie Rubenhold
The Secret Barrister
Roman Britain, RG Collingwood
Reach for the Sky, Paul Brickhill
Memoirs, Montgomery of Alamein
1959 The Year that Changed Everything, Fred Kaplan
Executive Summary of the Chilcot Report
SPQR A History of Ancient Rome, Mary Beard
The English Constitution, Walter Bagehot
Nelson; Britannia's God of War, Andrew Lambert
Greece; A Journey in Time, SFA Coles
One Summer America 1927, Bill Bryson
The Odyssey, Homer
1914 1918 The History of the First World War, David Stephenson
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

2020 so far

Tudor; The Family Story, Leanda De Lisle
Hereward; the Last Englishman, Peter Rex
The Strange Death of Europe, Douglas Murray
Test Match Special Diary 2019
Greek Civilization Vols 1-3, Andre Bonnard
Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
The English Civil War a Peoples' History, Diane Purkiss
How to be a Footballer, Peter Crouch
William Pitt the Younger, William Hague
Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare
The Establishment & How They Get Away With It, Owen Jones
The Picador Book of Cricket, Ramachandra Guha ed.
The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared, Jonas Jonasson
Empire, Niall Ferguson
Warren Hastings and British India, Penderel Moon (the only book on this list I had read before)
A Modern History of Hong Kong, Steve Tsang

Currently reading: The Iliad

During this time I've given up on a couple. Ian Wright's autobiography; I like football but it just didn't interest me. Captain Scott's diary, read the dramatic end but the rest of it was descriptions of snow, not sure why that was a surprise. Also The Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham. It's so well researched but very dense; 700 pages of small writing for 30 years of history. Might start this up again given current events and I've read a bit on colonialism again recently.

[FunkyNige]

TomTheTyke said:

Hello all, I've just found this thread. At the start of 2019 I made a resolution to read a bit more and to keep a record of what I was reading. Here is the list. For no particular reason other than I've enjoyed making time to read more regularly and I feel like I've learned a lot within fairly narrow areas, mainly history, politics and cricket!

Roman Britain, RG Collingwood
SPQR A History of Ancient Rome, Mary Beard

If you enjoy the history of ancient Rome I'd thoroughly recommend 'The Storm Before the Storm' by Mike Duncan, it covers the events from 133-80 BC (the period where things went from normal up to utterly bonkers). I bought it as I listened to his podcast and wanted to support him but it's a fairly lighthearted read about a fascinating period of history.