Yes! Tiger takes out one of the mutineers then vanishes without trace. I assumed he must've dragged him overboard and I'd somehow missed it.
Not sure about the ending btw and they certainly had odd views on Antarctica pre its discovery.
Books The BOOK thread
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Not sure about the ending btw and they certainly had odd views on Antarctica pre its discovery.
Oh good. Only much concern is given to his safety before he leaves and I figured I must have missed a line somewhere.
Finished Flowers Of Algernon. 10/10
What a book!
What a book!
Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination by Peter Ackroyd.
It's very good but I wish he wouldn't try to make out that virtually every significant figure in the arts is a Londoner. But then, that's Ackroyd.
It's very good but I wish he wouldn't try to make out that virtually every significant figure in the arts is a Londoner. But then, that's Ackroyd.
Just finished Atonement, that final passage where
got me right in the feels, so much so that a minute later, when the book was complete I announced 'prick' and threw my kindle on the bed.
we find out Robbie and Cecilia died in 1940 without seeing each other again
Return of a King - Dalrymple
This is based on the 1st Anglo-Afghan war. Loved it. Listened on Audible and the narration was good. The Anglo-Afghan wars are probably part of the ‘national consciousness’ of many on here, but as a common Yank the history of Afghanistan started sometime in the 1980’s so this was fascinating for me.
Non-fiction but enough tragedy and absurdity to make for great reading. Have they made any movies about this topic?
This is based on the 1st Anglo-Afghan war. Loved it. Listened on Audible and the narration was good. The Anglo-Afghan wars are probably part of the ‘national consciousness’ of many on here, but as a common Yank the history of Afghanistan started sometime in the 1980’s so this was fascinating for me.
Non-fiction but enough tragedy and absurdity to make for great reading. Have they made any movies about this topic?
Thomas Cromwell has left The Tower, he's done. A sublime, hilarious, moving end to the saga. I shed a tear. It took seven days of pretty furious reading. She'll have to win it again, all things considered this is the best of the lot.
I'll give it some time then I may take a look at the tv series.
I'll give it some time then I may take a look at the tv series.
I couldn't get on with the tv show because Rylance looked so different to how I imagined both the historical Cromwell & the Mantel version (this is a rather silly reason, I know), and also because I felt the tv Cromwell was far too passive. The books present Thomas More as a kind of (highly-flawed) Hamlet figure, not Cromwell.
I want this now:
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/180/180449/thomas-cromwell/9780241952337.html
A hefty book and price to match.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/180/180449/thomas-cromwell/9780241952337.html
A hefty book and price to match.
It's probably excellent. I've only read one TC biography, written by Robert Hutchinson, who patently hates him.
Starting Love in the Time of Cholera today. Cant believe it's taken me so long, I loved One Hundred Years of Solitude and I read that about 5 years ago.
Have any of you read Don Winslow's Cartel Trilogy? I'm on the final book The Border now and can't put the fecking thing down. I can't recommend this enough for anyone with an interest in thriller/crime genres. It's probably silly to compare a book to a TV show but it reminds me of The Wire in terms of the breadth of its vision and scope, and the skill with which its executed. Gripping but utterly heartbreaking at times.
Blade Runner (BFI Film Classics). Interesting mix of genuine insight and godawful critical navel-gazing.
I'm reading the first book in the Pern series, Dragonflight.
Is it a similar book? I'm 200 pages into One Hundred Years of Solitude and think it's great, but haven't heard much about his other works.
Almost done with Hyperion. The first story blew me away and was expecting greatness. Sadly none came close to the Priest's story. The Scholar's story was pretty good though.
I DNFED Tyll, nominated for the Booker prize.
I've been loosely aiming for 52 books this year and have wound up way ahead of target, so I can chuck in some longer reads.
Is The Grapes of Wrath good or is it a real slog?
Is The Grapes of Wrath good or is it a real slog?
Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension by Michio Kaku
I left school with 4 O-Levels and 6 library books; so, this book was no match for my intelligence - I couldn't even understand the cover, let alone the text.
I left school with 4 O-Levels and 6 library books; so, this book was no match for my intelligence - I couldn't even understand the cover, let alone the text.
It is very good, not to mention surprisingly relevant.
Brilliant, thanks. Just conscious that some of the people moaning about reading certain books online are probably school kids being forced to.
The alternative is Cormac McCarthy's Child of God, which looks like it will be a very different beast.
Giles Milton's, Nathaniel's Nutmeg.
A great read and the Dutch were beaten by his great skills!
Ps it's nothing to do with football/soccer!
A great read and the Dutch were beaten by his great skills!
Ps it's nothing to do with football/soccer!
I'd give One Hundred Years of Solitude 5 stars, it's one of my favourite books. Cholera I would give 4 stars. It's on a smaller scale, fewer characters, the magical realism is toned down a lot, but it's still a beautifully written, fascinating story.
I'm looking at the rest of Marquez's work as we speak. Next might be 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold'.
I read Grapes of Wrath during the refugee crisis and found it aged extremely well to the time, I guess it will remain the same with the climate change spurred refugee crisis as well. If you have the time and patience, I'd also recommend East of Eden by Steinbeck. That one is my favorite book.
East of Eden is the better of the two in my opinion, but both are well worth a read.
I've started Roberto Bolano's Distant Star. Looking forward to it - not far in and already it's turned very dark.
Off the beaten path, The Log from the Sea of Cortez is a timeless read as well (co-written by ecologist Ed Ricketts, who inspired the character Doc in Cannery Row). Admittedly not for everyone as it's a long-winded travelougue that is often bogged down by quotidian details (and predicated on the uninteresting/esoteric subject of marine exploration), but as a reader you can quickly tell that Steinbeck poured his heart into it — so enthralling, and you get a sense of the richness of life at sea — for me, one of his most authentic books.
Read my first two books since the lockdown
Philosophers stone and Chamber of Secrets. Half way through Azkaban currently.
I fully feel like I've cemented my right to be in this thread
Philosophers stone and Chamber of Secrets. Half way through Azkaban currently.
I fully feel like I've cemented my right to be in this thread
Cheers. I hadn't really thought about updating the context tbh. It's now next on the list.
Interesting that people rate One Hundred Years of Solitude too. That's another that's been one the shelf a while. I think I've been deterred by a few authors citing it as the book they couldn't finish in the Q&A in the Guardian review on saturdays.
Finshed When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Read it one go, impossible to put down. Devestating read. Cannot recommend it enough, keep a box of tissue nearby.
Child of God is certainly a different beast than most novels. Have you read any of Blood Meridian, Suttree and Outer Dark?
I read Power of the Dog years ago. I have a signed copy of The Border and I've been meaning to read it but its a hardback and I hate reading hardbacks
Maybe I'll give it a go after the three on must read shelf now
You need to mix in some Krasznahorkai
I've read Blood Meridian, as well as No Country...and The Road by McCarthy. Was surprised how much I enjoyed Blood Meridian- was the first western I'd read. Will defo read Suttree and probably work my way through the rest over time.Child of God is certainly a different beast than most novels. Have you read any of Blood Meridian, Suttree and Outer Dark?
You need to mix in some Krasznahorkai
Will need to google that other guy!
EDIT: oh god
Right, I'll be sure to check it out then. Thanks.
Speaking of Chronicle, you've given me a nice segue into my next point. I've also just finished Kafka on the Shore which I thought was brilliant, but feck me does anyone else get sick of Murakami's weird sex scenes? I love his stuff to bits but whenever sex comes up I'm just like 'oh, here we go again...'
On that note, I'm looking for something to fill the hole left by Kafka on the Shore and am considering Wind Up Bird Chronicles, but I'm not sure if I want to delve into another Murakami book right away. Issue is, I can't decide on what else to read, and I've spent way too long being indecisive. Anyone have any recommendations? Probably going to end up going with Wind Up Bird Chronicles I guess, but hey ho, it'll be a fun ride I'm sure.
Oh, and about Kafka on the Shore:
I'm not one to wince easily so maybe I was feeling off that day, but feck that cat scene with Johnnie Walker had me squirming to bits.
Kafka on the Shore is the only Murakami book I've read. I think I enjoyed it, was a strange one.
Finally finished The Stand, obviously enjoyed it a lot. Not sure any climax could have satisfied the build-up so I’m not gonna worry too much over it. King is some story-teller I’m starting to learn.
Sagarana(Guimaraes Rosa).
I'm sure everybody on the planet thinks this except Haruki.Currently reading Red Notice by Bill Browder. Really enjoying it so far, hard to believe it's a factual story at times.
Has anybody else found their reading habits have gone to shit since lockdown? Usually I'd find time to read at the weekend or after work in between doing other bits and bobs, but as I've had so much downtime I have no inclination to pick up a book at all.
To combat it, I've re-subbed to audible again. Listened to Running Dog (Don Delillo) last week but wasn't not a big fan at all. I've read plenty of Delillo before and it's like an entire novel of his worst tendencies as a writer. He's much better slipping into abstract ponderances when there's a guiding plot.
Started Infinite Jest this week, which I read half of a few years ago. I reckon I'll finish this time as it translates to audiobook incredibly well.
To combat it, I've re-subbed to audible again. Listened to Running Dog (Don Delillo) last week but wasn't not a big fan at all. I've read plenty of Delillo before and it's like an entire novel of his worst tendencies as a writer. He's much better slipping into abstract ponderances when there's a guiding plot.
Started Infinite Jest this week, which I read half of a few years ago. I reckon I'll finish this time as it translates to audiobook incredibly well.
It's slowed a bit. In the first 2-3 weeks I was reading so much news online and on here that I read books a bit less.
I've been less interested in the news for a while now, but the lockdown has resulted in a general lethargy that I'm struggling to shake.
Saying that I've still read about six, admittedly pretty short, books this month.