It was a fun read. Great and fun premise really. I heard that that Brad Pitt guy bought the rights for a movie.
Books The BOOK thread
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I've got a fetish for old horror comics. "Tales of the Unexpected"... that sort of thing. Stacks of them. They really are crap, but a fetish is a fetish.
Which translation did you hear was better? I can't tell from Amazon. I read Natasha Randall's (the more recent) version. I didn't like the book as much as I was expecting I would. Not sure that makes sense, but the premise is great, and the context he wrote it in is fascinating. Early years of Stalin and all that. Anyway, I've been wanting to give it another crack, but if there's a better translation, then I'd be glad of it.
I've read a few of his (4 Discworld and Good Omens). Fun read for sure. For me though the best for this sort of humor was "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" by Douglas Adams (God rest his brilliant soul). Fantastic tale, and a brilliant wit. If you like Pratchett I can just about guarantee you'll like this.
Absolutely agree about "The Ancestor's Tale". It's a must. The problem is there was so damned much crammed in there, that I feel like I'd be lucky if I remembered 1% of it. It really is a brilliant read. "The Blind Watchmaker" was good as well, but was a totally different book. For me, he's a great author when he sticks to what he's good at, biology. When he steps outside of that, he gets a bit too bratty for my taste. Started "The Greatest Show on Earth" a few months back but didn't finish. It's a straight up, direct "why evolution is correct" book. I didn't need convincing so that may be why I found it a bit dull.
BTW, sorry to be spamming this thread. I don't get in here much and got a bit excited seeing you folks reading much of the same stuff.
It's funny while I was reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" I remember thinking this is a better book, but I can't remember much of it, whereas "The Kite Runner" is pretty well etched. Probably to do with the stream of the story, or that I can relate to being a boy better than a woman.
Anyway, both good books. Was disappointed by the movie really for the pettiest of reasons. The color palette of the scenery was much more dreary and bleached that I had envisioned, which can only be down to my poor assumptions of Afghanistan.
"The Terror" and "Drood" are both fantastic, "Carrion Comfort" is pretty good too
I think part of the problem was the two different storylines in Suns so some of the early stuff gets fragmented and forgotten. Also it climaxed a little early.
Could be. Sadly about all I remember is being impressed and saddened with the book while being thankful that I'm not a Hazara woman.
Just finished reading Anthem by Ayn Rand, its a short book but unputdownable.
I have also read 2 other of her books, Atlas Shrugged & The Fountainhead, both substantial volumes but equally unputdownable.
She writes about individualists trying to survive in socialist societies which particularly appeals to me.
I have also read 2 other of her books, Atlas Shrugged & The Fountainhead, both substantial volumes but equally unputdownable.
She writes about individualists trying to survive in socialist societies which particularly appeals to me.
In my opinion these are 2 of the greatest books ever written, The characters Howard Roark, Hank Reardon and John Galt have been bigger influences in my life than probably any living person, Ayn Rand was genius.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this!!
I discovered Ayn Rand as a fan of Rush, who was a great influence on the lyrics of Neil Peart (drummer extraordinaire). The first side of the 2112 album was based on the book Anthem.
In Anthem, set in a post cataclysmic Brave New World type society, where self expression is forbidden along with the first person singular/plural, a member of the society discovers electricity and thinks it would be something great that would benefit everyone. The powers that be reject his idea & he has to flee.
In the song 2112, the discovery is of a guitar which is rejected because it would allow people to make their own music. Here the man is so disheartened that he commits suicide, disillusioned with a society which he imagines to be good but turns out to be bad. Fanstastic piece of music (over 20 minutes long) from possibly my favourite band.
I have read just about everything by Rand apart from her objectivist pamphlets, Oh.... and I have every Rush album, I know 2112 well
Top man!!!
Yeah that's the one i heard was the better copy, must get round to picking it up. Ive a huge list at the minute and not enough time, trying to work through more Ray Bradbury.
You cannot be serious? Third rate literature peddling a pernicious and half-formed mishmash of philosophy.
Just bought 'You Shall Know Our Velocity' by Dave Eggers. Really enjoying it, he's a very good writer.
well, there you go then!
I've heard good things about 'The Terror' but I'm definitely going to be taking a break from reading Simmons now. Have read 'Hollow Man', 'Illium', 'Olympos', The first two of the Hyperion books and though his books have great concepts and characters, the style of writing is a little grating to be honest.
The only book in my life that I have ever put down without completing was 'Atlas Shrugged'.
I'm reading that girl with the tat book, so far it's pretty decent in a murder mystery thriller type way. But then these sorts of books always seem to hook me. Easy reading basically.
I'm on the second one right now "the girl who played with fire" Salander and Blomqvist again... equally as gripping
I think that one's better than the first actually. Doesn't ride the coattails of the first one at all.
Just finished Tsostsi, apparently it was a hidden gem. It wasn't. Sentimental drivel written by a white man about a black man during SA's apartheid regime. Stay well clear.
I can't believe Stieg Larsson is dead already! So whats all the fuss about the last one, have you read it yet, I understand his family finished it, does it feel different?
I haven't heard anything about the fourth one, really. Just that it was about 75% done and there may be manuscripts for others.
I wasn't aware that they were planning on finishing it and releasing it.
I must be misunderstanding something, I thought the "hornets nest" one was 3rd and the unfinished one that was finished by family? I'll check on that
Now I see, the first 3 that are already published are his and he did leave a 3/4 finished manuscript, as well as outlines for more, I think I read somewhere that an attempt to finish the 4th has been made by his family
Stieg Larsson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hornet's Nest was third but it was complete. The unnamed fourth one was the unfinished one.
That's sad. I am not really into thrillers but I wouldn't mind reading other Millennium books... even if I think the 3rd book lacks some serious adversaries.
I have finished The name of the Wind, it's a good reading even if the last big action scene was a little disappointing.
I didn't really want to post in this thread... but since I am here, I can thank the one(s?) that praised the Count of Montecristo so I read it after, it's a really great book.
Yeah it's definitely not as action-based as the first two were since it focused a lot on investigation. And really it was more of an extension of the second book.
Just as an update, (NO SPOILERS) For Whom The Bell Tolls is incredibly fecking boring (in parts). It has 40 pages of greatness, followed by 40 pages of utter shit, rinse and repeat.
Has anyone else read it?
Has anyone else read it?
Ages ago. Loved it at the time. It's always been my favorite Hemingway work, and I've read just about all of them. Took me a while to get used to "I shit in the milk" as a curse though.
Just ordered Game of Thrones from the library.
Looking to get into a good fantasy saga, and this one looks rather good.
Looking to get into a good fantasy saga, and this one looks rather good.
I've not long finished reading the trilogy back to back. Very good books, it's a shame the author died.
The third one lags a bit, but the first two were so good that I suppose it would have been hard to hit the same standard across all three.
I must get around to seeing the film before the new film comes out in August.
Just finished the trilogy, read the all 3 in less than 2 weeks, couldn't put them down, started the 3rd one on Friday, just finished it an hour ago, I don't think it lagged at all.
Gianninis annihilation of Dr Teleborian in court was epic, I was almost shaking with anticipation up until the point when she delivered the final death blow, it was a brilliant climax
I agree, Dresilved, especially on the spoilered part.
I was reading that bit so fast I think I missed whole sentences, I had to go back and reread the whole cross examination of Dr T.....
I have finished The Magicians by Lev Grossman. I am lucky I have forgotten it was said to be a Harry Potter for adults when I read it, because I would have been more annoyed... because nothing happens most of the time. If HP was like that
So adult means some sex, alcohol, drugs, insults and nearly no adventures.
you would see a really minor danger happens only at the middle of the books and a major one at the end, every thing between would have been just about the normal school life (no threat, no teacher to suspect, not even a teacher or pupil to hate... and a lot less interractions with other pupils). And furthermore not even a hero that really acts when it matters.
So adult means some sex, alcohol, drugs, insults and nearly no adventures.
So the hunt for Blomqvist is over - I must admit I think Daniel Craig is absolutely perfect for the role, and here the contenders for Lisbeth Salander. Quite honestly I'm not holding out too much hope overall, I don't think it will be possible to do this trilogy any justice on the big screen!
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