Books The BOOK thread

[Tarrou]

Is 1Q84 worth persevering with?

I started it when it first came out and couldn't get into it. Just noticed a copy on the shelf in the apartment i'm staying in, so might give it another go.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Any recommendations. Need some inspiration, don't care what genre etc.

If you want something literary Your Face Tomorrow by Javier Marias is one of the best psychological fiction I have ever read - up there with Henry James really.

Something easy to read and fun is A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

and We Have Always Lived in the Castle for Halloween

 

[Member 39557]

If you want something literary Your Face Tomorrow by Javier Marias is one of the best psychological fiction I have ever read - up there with Henry James really.

Something easy to read and fun is A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

and We Have Always Lived in the Castle for Halloween

Thanks, will google them.

 

[Suedesi]

Any recommendations. Need some inspiration, don't care what genre etc.

Life 3.0 - by Max Tegmark
A deep, bold, and visionary dive into Artificial Intelligence and its many implications. One of the most interesting books I've ever read.

The Courage to Be Disliked - by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
A profound little philosophy book from Japan, communicating the psychology of Alfred Adler - a rival of Freud. Told as a conversation between an angry student and a patient teacher.

 

[Luffy]

Just reviewed a book by Patty Benning on Goodreads.

 

[Nickosaur]

Just finished Anna Karenina.

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Why the feck was I so interested in Levin managing his farm

 

[Archie Leach]

I'm almost done with Autumn by Ali Smith. I bought it for my wife when I was in London in June and she absolutely hated it, so I've put off reading it. But it's delightful. Will pick up the rest of the series now.

 

[Cheesy]

Just finished Anna Karenina.

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Why the feck was I so interested in Levin managing his farm

I really need to get round to this.

 

[Stick]

Just finished the complete short stories of Truman Capote. Really enjoyed a few of them. Great reads.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Has anyone else read any László Krasznahorkai?

 

[Nickosaur]

Just finished The Informers by Bret Easton Ellis.

What an odd book. I don't know if it was good or really shit.

 

[Archie Leach]

Just finished The Informers by Bret Easton Ellis.

What an odd book. I don't know if it was good or really shit.

I remember finding American Psycho pretty funny, but his other novels are absolutely dire.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Just finished The Informers by Bret Easton Ellis.

What an odd book. I don't know if it was good or really shit.

Go with shit

 

[Archie Leach]

He's also an insufferable cnut.

 

[2cents]

Is American Psycho worth the read? Decent movie.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Is American Psycho worth the read? Decent movie.

No, see Archie's post above

If you are in the mood for something dark I'd recommend Outer Dark and Seven Days of Peter Crumb instead

 

[celia]

Is 1Q84 worth persevering with?

I started it when it first came out and couldn't get into it. Just noticed a copy on the shelf in the apartment i'm staying in, so might give it another go.

I don't really think so if you can't get into it. Except if you want to read one of the sex scene said to be one of the worst written? I thought it is an easy to read and quite pleasant book even if it is more a slow-paced book. But isn't a book I really recommend especially since there are two things I really disliked in two chapters. It really depends if you like this author or not.

 

[Luffy]

I'm rereading The Mysterious Affair at Styles in French. It's a great experience.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

I'm rereading The Mysterious Affair at Styles in French. It's a great experience.

Did you read it in English the first time?

 

[Vidyoyo]

Been doing some light reading this week, The Keep by Jennifer Egan.

Trying to finish it quickly so I can read Killing Commentadore

 

[Luffy]

Did you read it in English the first time?

Yes. I read it first time around about 25 years ago.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Finished The Keep (Jenny Egan). Thought it was a bit so so until the end where it ends up being quite a clever piece of meta-fiction. Not highly recommended but a pleasant read.

 

[mad1max954]

Any recommendations. Need some inspiration, don't care what genre etc.

Just finished the Cicero trilogy by Robert Harris. Very good and defo recommend. its historical fiction so might not be everyones cup of tea but id certainly recommend. Good insight into the Roman republic and the rise of Caesar.

 

[Luffy]

My resolution for next year is to read only books that have at least 1000 pages. I'm fascinated by this restrictive penchant.

 

[United58]

Anyone have any recommendations along the lines of the crime/serial killer genre? Just finished a re-read of Hannibal, it was absolutely outstanding. Love the Hannibal Lecter character, looking for more books with characters like him

 

[Luffy]

I don't think there are characters in fiction like Hannibal. The Dexter books come closest.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Anyone have any recommendations along the lines of the crime/serial killer genre? Just finished a re-read of Hannibal, it was absolutely outstanding. Love the Hannibal Lecter character, looking for more books with characters like him

The Killer Inside Me - Jim Thompson

The Talented Mr. Ripley - Patricia Highsmith (also has decent sequels)

Altmann’s Tongue - Brian Evenson

The Seven Days of Peter Crumb - Jonny Glynn

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Suskind

 

[United58]

The Killer Inside Me - Jim Thompson

The Talented Mr. Ripley - Patricia Highsmith (also has decent sequels)

Altmann’s Tongue - Brian Evenson

The Seven Days of Peter Crumb - Jonny Glynn

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Suskind

That's a pretty comprehensive list thanks, I'll order them into the library @Luffy I'll look up Dexter too

 

[Stick]

Anyone have any recommendations along the lines of the crime/serial killer genre? Just finished a re-read of Hannibal, it was absolutely outstanding. Love the Hannibal Lecter character, looking for more books with characters like him

Do you like the Jack Reacher type books?

 

[United58]

Do you like the Jack Reacher type books?

Haven't read them; I really liked the first movie and hated the second. I'm generally fairly meh about those kind of thrillers - I enjoy them, but prefer ones with a heavy psychological input (Sphere, Hannibal, Shutter Island etc.)

 

[Nickosaur]

Reading Mao II by DeLillo.

Finished A Portrait... by Joyce at the weekend. Picked it up at a 2nd hand store recently. Some superb passages but overall i couldn't get into it.

 

[esmufc07]

Read a book called The Unwanted Guest. Thrillers/mystery/crime genre is my favourite and this sounded good. Without doubt the worst book I've ever read, it actually got me angry as I was reading it at how utterly terrible it was. I felt so cheated out of money I even left a review on Amazon. Dreadful.

Started The Boy in Striped Pyjamas last night, enjoying it so far.

Are the Thomas Harris books any good? Thinking of picking up the Red Dragon.

 

[SteveJ]

Dragon and Silence are great, Hannibal is almost a parody.

 

[esmufc07]

Boy in the Striped Pyjamas made me well up

 

[DWelbz19]

Just finished Anna Karenina.

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Why the feck was I so interested in Levin managing his farm

I've been blitzing through a lot of Russian Literature recently -- Dostoevsky has cemented his place in my top 2 whilst The Master and Margarita became one of my favourite books ever -- but then came Tolstoy.

War and Peace: I mean, I can't say it's bad, can I? It's objectively held as a near masterpiece in literature. And there are aspects that are fantastic -- Prince Andrei's transition from lamenting nihilist to man with purpose; Tolstoy’s scrupulous depiction of 19th century War etc etc. It was just good storytelling. But, there was something missing. This is War and Peace? The 'classic?' Tolstoy's pacifist pontificating got stale after the second ramble, and just wouldn't stop. And that ending was just dodgy, weren't it? When it got really dry, my mind just kept racing with "it's no Brothers Karamazov".

Is Anna Karenina much better (assuming you've read War and Peace?) I feel I owe it to Tolstoy to pick that up at some point, to allow him to redeem himself in my eyes.

 

[DWelbz19]

Anyway, after all that dull Russian reading, I've been on Tales from 1,001 Nights, which has been a great contrast. Some of these short stories are bloody good.

 

[United58]

Read a book called The Unwanted Guest. Thrillers/mystery/crime genre is my favourite and this sounded good. Without doubt the worst book I've ever read, it actually got me angry as I was reading it at how utterly terrible it was. I felt so cheated out of money I even left a review on Amazon. Dreadful.

Started The Boy in Striped Pyjamas last night, enjoying it so far.

Are the Thomas Harris books any good? Thinking of picking up the Red Dragon.

Wasn't a big fan of Red Dragon. Silence of the Lambs was very good. I thought Hannibal was a masterpiece - it's a bit wild though, you'll probably either love it or hate it. Stunningly well written though, some of the passages were sensationally good. I can understand @SteveJ calling it a parody in the sense that's it's certainly unexpected (sorry for being so vague but don't want to be specific and spoil things).

 

[esmufc07]

Wasn't a big fan of Red Dragon. Silence of the Lambs was very good. I thought Hannibal was a masterpiece - it's a bit wild though, you'll probably either love it or hate it. Stunningly well written though, some of the passages were sensationally good. I can understand @SteveJ calling it a parody in the sense that's it's certainly unexpected (sorry for being so vague but don't want to be specific and spoil things).

Thanks, I've added them to my ever-growing list!

 

[United58]

Thanks, I've added them to my ever-growing list!

No worries, enjoy If you enjoy Hannibal's character in Red Dragon but are disappointed in how little he features, he's much more prominent in Silence and is even more so in Hannibal. I read Silence first and was shocked reading Red Dragon that he's barely in it at all

 

[giorno]

Is Anna Karenina much better (assuming you've read War and Peace?) I feel I owe it to Tolstoy to pick that up at some point, to allow him to redeem himself in my eyes.

Yes, but then again War and Peace is a masterpiece. Anna Karenina, well the word masterpiece doesn't do it justice