|
Post by Runenmeisterin on May 21, 2006 15:12:13 GMT 2
As I'll have to read 20,000 books in the next months for my graduation exams, I won't be able to read anything (or not too much) entertaining. If I have to read all day, I don't feel like reading in my little free time then. But I might come back to you when I am finally done in winter :-).
|
|
|
Post by A Kat Person on Jun 1, 2006 10:30:25 GMT 2
Agh, I know that feeling! I remember how I felt looking at my long-forgotten bookcase with glee after finishing school... ;D
This is another one of those tough questions to pin down. A few that come to mind:
fiction:
Jonathan Lethem's "Amnesia Moon" and "Girl in Landscape" these are some very, very weird sci-fi.. this man has a strange and wonderful imagination!
non-fiction:
Books about quantum physics... Stephen Hawking's "brief history of time" is an excellent introduction.
|
|
|
Post by DaveTheRake on Jun 23, 2006 11:57:03 GMT 2
I wanted to make my review form the last two books I've read, but it was like "I'll do it tomorrow". So I'll do it today.
Last two books I've read are "His Natural Life" by Marcus Clarke and "Justine" by Donatjen François Du Sade.
"His Natural Life", well, I read it with quite an emotion, it was the first Australian novel I had my hands on, so in a way I was sure I'd like it. That's the story of an Aristocrat guy who is found guilty of a murderer he has not committed; he changes his name from Richard Divine to Rufus Dawes in order not to make her mother go through al the shame of having a son in the gaols. The story is the typical serial novel of the XIXth Century, though I read the version rearranged by the author that differs from the sderialized one. And as a typical serial novel the good ones are pretty good fellows, the bad ones are really devils and so on. One fault of the book is that, since it follows the adventures of several different characters, I sometimes found a lack of rythm, and there were some chapters which were really useless, except maybe than to make clear the phychology of some characters as reverend North. And of cours, you feel quite pity for the protagonist Richard Devine/Rufus Dawes... well, he's made going through such a hell that you really feel sad for him. What I didn't like at all was the end of the novel. I won't say why, but I expected another end, maybe more conventional one. Anyway, it's a curious book to read, its good enough. Not a masterpiece, you see that through all the book; Clarke's style is not fresh, sometimes is a bad one even; but anyway you learn a lot about the convicts system that was the basis of that big country Australia is now. I'd recommend it to you, though I supposse our Sarah knows much more about it.
About the other book I've read, Justine... well, I've been really surprised by that book. Marquis Du Sade was, surely, a controversial character in his time, and that's why we've got the conception of his person we've got now; but you really have got to get rid of the burden of average thought and read this novel. I've been said that he wrote two books more which were let's say, more hardcore. But this one has a good misture between pornography and philosiphy; yes, philosiphy, because this book really is a philosophical one. Sade did with that book what many people do now, the name his books like "Why women don't know how to read a map and men don't know how to ask" and they talk about the functions of the brain. If you use a more specialized tittle you won't sell a book. that's what Sade did, he wrote his personal philosiphy in a pornographic novel, that way he was sure it would be sold. Let's remember he wrote his novels because he had lost all his money. The characters are quite stereotiped; Justine is such a good girl... that she's disgusting; appart fromthat she's a bit stupid, but she's virtuous. Anyway is funny that her virtue make of her one of the greatest sex authorities in the France of the book. Quite ironic. And the guys she meets through the book, well, the devil is an angel if compared. But it's an interesting book to read; forget about what people would think if you say you're reading Sade, this book is one of the books everybody should read.
Enough of readers diggest
|
|
|
Post by CrazyMary on Jun 23, 2006 18:14:55 GMT 2
About the other book I've read, Justine... well, I've been really surprised by that book. Marquis Du Sade was, surely, a controversial character in his time, and that's why we've got the conception of his person we've got now; but you really have got to get rid of the burden of average thought and read this novel. I've been said that he wrote two books more which were let's say, more hardcore. But this one has a good misture between pornography and philosiphy; yes, philosiphy, because this book really is a philosophical one. Sade did with that book what many people do now, the name his books like "Why women don't know how to read a map and men don't know how to ask" and they talk about the functions of the brain. If you use a more specialized tittle you won't sell a book. that's what Sade did, he wrote his personal philosiphy in a pornographic novel, that way he was sure it would be sold. Let's remember he wrote his novels because he had lost all his money. The characters are quite stereotiped; Justine is such a good girl... that she's disgusting; appart fromthat she's a bit stupid, but she's virtuous. Anyway is funny that her virtue make of her one of the greatest sex authorities in the France of the book. Quite ironic. And the guys she meets through the book, well, the devil is an angel if compared. But it's an interesting book to read; forget about what people would think if you say you're reading Sade, this book is one of the books everybody should read. Enough of readers digest I have seen some movies on the famous Marquis, but haven't read any of his books. You make it sound worth digging up, Dave.
|
|
|
Post by DaveTheRake on Jun 23, 2006 22:35:55 GMT 2
It's worthy reading, even if it's just to wipe the negative connotations that goes linked to Sade's name. Anyway, I must advice that the characters are highly stereotiped and that, for good or bad (that's your choice) sex is all around the book. Everything is quite vividly described, so I warn you all about it. But anyway I think some of the ideas that Sade present were pretty smart ones. You can share or not, I hardly share any, but are smartly presented and there lies the greatness of the book IMO. But one last warning, I've been said that in case you want to read something about Sade, Justine must be the first book. SOme others like "Philosophy in the (sorry, don0't know the word)" and specially "The 100 journeys of Sodoma" are quite quite hardcore.
By the way Sarah, didn't Aussie actor Geoffre Rush played the role of the Marquis in one film with Joaquin Phoenix and Kate Winslet?
|
|
Anna
Wolfcub
Posts: 40
|
Post by Anna on Jul 6, 2006 21:28:18 GMT 2
does anybody know, "Elternaustreibung" ( The explusion of the parents) by Volker Elis Pilgrim? the author shows in which way lots of children copy their parents´pattern of life and in which way the addiction to a parent influences a child´s life. this book shocked me really, and i want to recommend it to everyone.
|
|
|
Post by CrazyMary on Jul 7, 2006 0:51:07 GMT 2
does anybody know, "Elternaustreibung" ( The explusion of the parents) by Volker Elis Pilgrim? the author shows in which way lots of children copy their parents´pattern of life and in which way the addiction to a parent influences a child´s life. this book shocked me really, and i want to recommend it to everyone. I haven't heard of that one, but I'm very interested in general in books about relationships, particularly marriage or family/parental relationships. I find there's a lot that can be learned! Right now I'm re-reading the Narnia series by CS Lewis. I managed to track down exactly the same box-set that Mum and Dad read to us when we were kids, so I'm enjoying re-living the memories. Now that I'm older I can see the meta-story, I find it quite sophisticated writing. By the way Sarah, didn't Aussie actor Geoffre Rush played the role of the Marquis in one film with Joaquin Phoenix and Kate Winslet? I believe he did. Of course, I watched the movie so I could drool over the delectable Joaquin Phoenix, not for Geoffrey Rush!
|
|
|
Post by varjotuuli on Jul 7, 2006 18:16:25 GMT 2
i read a lot of books and my favourite kind is fantasy, history and about physical stuff! my totally favourite author is the german wolfgang hohlbein...he write fantasy stories...great!! my favourite book of him is "Krieg der Engel" ( war of the angels) but also "Dunkel" (darkness) is very good...it is about vampires!^^ but also authors like terry pratchert, dan brown and ralf isau are very good in writing! about historical books i read very much about the midage. in the moment i am reading a book about the buddhism.....very interesting things in it but also difficult to understand in the first read.....so i read some pages and after that i have to think about the lines i have read!
|
|
|
Post by Runenmeisterin on Jul 8, 2006 13:08:56 GMT 2
I didn't even know Wolfgang Hohlbein was popular abroad. I really love his books for younger adults like Midgard, Elfentanz or Märchenmond. I was a big fan in my teenage years but encountered the same phenomenon as with Stephen King. I got bord after having read between 20 and 30 books because it was nothing new - though I still love some books.
I have just finished reading Tim Winton's Dirt Music. Very great book even though not as good as The Riders. I love his way to portay characters. You feel so close to them after a short while as if they were old friends. And they are not noble and unrealistic but just people with normal feelings and reactions.
|
|
|
Post by varjotuuli on Jul 10, 2006 18:58:47 GMT 2
I got bord after having read between 20 and 30 books because it was nothing new - though I still love some books. jep that is true that the mainstory is quite the same, but i didnt read the books all after one another....so it wasnt boring when i read them! Stephen king i never read before so i cant say anything about his books! maybe i never read his books cause i dont like horror, thriller or crime books....maybe thats why i didnt read it!
|
|
Anna
Wolfcub
Posts: 40
|
Post by Anna on Jul 12, 2006 17:08:50 GMT 2
I didn't even know Wolfgang Hohlbein was popular abroad. mh, now i´m confused. what you mean with abroad? varjotuuli is from germany, too!
|
|
|
Post by MaliceGarden on Jul 12, 2006 20:38:00 GMT 2
i doubt there is anyone interested but maybe im wrong. i just discovered uesterday one of m favourite books!!!!!its great! !!!!!its a pity that its expensive. www.netcomposites.com/netcommerce_features.asp?636its a book that in spite of being from 2001 gves a very nice overview on composites materials(which are replacing more and more regular materials), constituents and manufacturing
|
|
|
Post by jarmo on Jul 13, 2006 16:27:33 GMT 2
Some days ago I bought a trilogy (the Ea trilogy, by David Zindell) for 20 euros... Now I started in the first book: the Lightstone
It makes not very much sense but the dutch title is (translated) the ninth kingdom :?
|
|
|
Post by Runenmeisterin on Jul 15, 2006 12:33:22 GMT 2
mh, now i´m confused. what you mean with abroad? varjotuuli is from germany, too! I didn't know that. Maybe the nick name was confusing me. I am reading "Viking. King's Man" by Tim Severin right now. Doesn't start bad at all. It's the third part of a trilogy. A friend bought it in Dublin for my b-day. Does anyone know it?
|
|
|
Post by Runenmeisterin on Jul 16, 2006 14:17:58 GMT 2
Mmh, I wouldn't have considered it romance. Interesting. I've only read a couple of chapters. The author seems to be interested in historical correctness though I am not yet completely convinced he succeeded in this task.
|
|