*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[D'wards]

Just finished Lonesome Dove a couple of weeks ago - a superb book with some of the best characterisation I have ever read. McMurty is a master of the art - his pacing and the way he introduces new characters are all great.

Conversely, just read A Decent Ride by Irvine Welsh - like a bad photocopy of his early great novels. 2.5/5

 

[DotCommunist]

Just finished Lonesome Dove a couple of weeks ago - a superb book with some of the best characterisation I have ever read. McMurty is a master of the art - his pacing and the way he introduces new characters are all great.

Conversely, just read A Decent Ride by Irvine Welsh - like a bad photocopy of his early great novels. 2.5/5

I'm a big fan of Irvine Welsh and Juice Terry is an amusing character but this sounds like a by the numbers contractual obligation of a novel

Terry’s penis not only gets plenty of use, even helping a young playwright forget about killing herself, but also its own voice, in chapters laid out typographically to look like an ejaculating penis. It is as if Welsh was so bored he decided to carve a willy on his desk.

he done that with a tapeworm in Filth and it was fucking annoying then

 

[D'wards]

I'm a big fan of Irvine Welsh and Juice Terry is an amusing character but this sounds like a by the numbers contractual obligation of a novel

Welsh used to be one of my favourite authors, but Crime, Siamese Twins, Decent Ride have put paid to that of late. Although I did enjoy Skagboys. He still writes (Scottish) dialogue like no other, but it all gets a bit silly these days.
Mind you, I read this book called Grits that was a Trainspotting rip off, but set in Wales, and was probably the worst book I've ever read, so this stuff is not easy to pull off well.
Welsh went wrong when he started to try and write plot IMHO.

 

[D'wards]

Just started The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, about the test pilots who went on to be Apollo astronauts in the 50s and 60s. Not far in but compelling so far; Wolfe is a superior writer.

 

[weltweit]

The American Lover, Rose Tremain

A series of short stories, easy to read, ideal for last thing at night.

 

[campanula]

Trainspotting was a one off - the terrific use of demotic, the angry and authentic voice, great timing and memorable passages of almost poetic rage and despair...everything else Welsh has vomited out has been a sad downhill ride into mediocrity - the rot set in very early indeed with Marabou Stork rubbish and just got became painfully, childishly scatalogical with nothing of any worth whatsoever.

And yes, Grits - what an utter waste of reading effort.

Got a couple of Stross books today (cheers Dotcom) but suspect it will be weeks before I manage to penetrate Neal Stephensons slightly tedious rambling (in Seveneves)

 

[Orang Utan]

I thought Marabou Stork Nightmares was his finest book, but the rot set in soon after

 

[DotCommunist]

Seveneves- Neal Stephenson


liking so far. Moon blows into 7 pieces one day with no known reason. Humanity has 2 years before the earth is fried

 

[colbhoy]

I'm well through Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell. Great read, no-one does bloody battle scenes like Cornwell.

 

[QueenOfGoths]

"The Twelve" - by Stuart Neville. http://www.stuartneville.com/the-twelve-the-ghosts-of-belfast.html

 

[campanula]

I thought Marabou Stork Nightmares was his finest book, but the rot set in soon after

Yep, Mr.Camps liked that one too but I truly detested everything post TSpotting.

 

[DotCommunist]

Glue is his best work imo

 

[nogojones]

Raymond Chandler - The Big Sleep. So far it's possibly the best one I've read by him, but its pretty much as you'd expect from a Chandler book.

 

[D'wards]

Yep, Mr.Camps liked that one too but I truly detested everything post TSpotting.

Marabou Stork Nightmares my favourite also. I think Acid house, Trainspotting, Ecstasy are his best. Glue was not bad. Reheated Cabbage appalling.

 

[SovietArmy]

I just finished a book Nadja by Andre Brenton sadly few pages was missed, the book I borrowed from Library do I have to concern about that, can be problem for me.

 

[MrSki]

I just finished a book Nadja by Andre Brenton sadly few pages was missed, the book I borrowed from Library do I have to concern about that, can be problem for me.

When you take it back go to the desk & explain there are missing pages. This should stop it being a problem.

 

[DotCommunist]

Marabou Stork Nightmares my favourite also. I think Acid house, Trainspotting, Ecstasy are his best. Glue was not bad. Reheated Cabbage appalling.

not sure about the story where a hammers ICF bloke gets a footwank from a thalidomide affected woman on a vengeance mission.

 

[starfish]

The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M Banks RIP.

 

[D'wards]

not sure about the story where a hammers ICF bloke gets a footwank from a thalidomide affected woman on a vengeance mission.

Hmm, he does feel like he's trying too hard at times but with an author like Hubert Selby Jr the degradation seems more natural and inherent to the text.
A bit like Martyrs compared to Hostel.

 

[sojourner]

Just finished Lonesome Dove a couple of weeks ago - a superb book with some of the best characterisation I have ever read. McMurty is a master of the art - his pacing and the way he introduces new characters are all great.

Conversely, just read A Decent Ride by Irvine Welsh - like a bad photocopy of his early great novels. 2.5/5

Lonesome Dove is a stone cold classic D'wards Cry much?!

Reheated Cabbage appalling.

Agreed. I got it out the library last time and it was fucking SHITE. Just give it the fuck up Welsh eh?

 

[D'wards]

Lonesome Dove is a stone cold classic D'wards Cry much?!

When ***** got stabbed by the ****** for holding the baby got me.

Me dad reckon's Comanche Moon is the best of the sequels, but I might read them in the order they were written, being a bit OCD, so Streets of Laredo next, and Comanche Moon fourth.

 

[sojourner]

When ***** got stabbed by the ****** for holding the baby got me.

Me dad reckon's Comanche Moon is the best of the sequels, but I might read them in the order they were written, being a bit OCD, so Streets of Laredo next, and Comanche Moon fourth.

You should always read them in order!

 

[sojourner]

Following on from the astoundingly brilliant 'Reading Lolita in Tehran - a memoir in books' by Azar Nafisi, I am now reading Ryszard Kapuściński's 'Shah of Shahs', which is equally as gob-dropping. Wow - sooooo much info in there that I never knew! I can totally see now how fanatical religious revolution was so successful.

There are so many complexities to the history of Iran and Iraq. This is the stuff you won't find out from any Western media outlets. Seriously eye-opening.

 

[ringo]

Following on from the astoundingly brilliant 'Reading Lolita in Tehran - a memoir in books' by Azar Nafisi, I am now reading Ryszard Kapuściński's 'Shah of Shahs', which is equally as gob-dropping. Wow - sooooo much info in there that I never knew! I can totally see now how fanatical religious revolution was so successful.

There are so many complexities to the history of Iran and Iraq. This is the stuff you won't find out from any Western media outlets. Seriously eye-opening.

Sounds worth a look. His book on Haile Selassie (The Emperor) is good, if terrifying. Puts the kibosh on any sentimental Rastafarian reasonings about him being the second coming of Christ and firmly nails him as a vicious despot.

 

[D'wards]

You should always read them in order!

Do you mean order of publishing or order of the narrative?

 

[sojourner]

Sounds worth a look. His book on Haile Selassie (The Emperor) is good, if terrifying. Puts the kibosh on any sentimental Rastafarian reasonings about him being the second coming of Christ and firmly nails him as a vicious despot.

Yeh, I fancy that one too!!

Oh yes, you should deffo read this one ringo - it is seriously eye-opening.

 

[sojourner]

Do you mean order of publishing or order of the narrative?

Of publishing As they were meant to be read.

 

[D'wards]

Of publishing As they were meant to be read.

Good man! Was worried I'd started on book 3 wrongly.

The only other Western I've read is Blood Meridian, which I loved. Any others you can recommend?

 

[sojourner]

Good man! Was worried I'd started on book 3 wrongly.

The only other Western I've read is Blood Meridian, which I loved. Any others you can recommend?

Good WOman, hactually

That's a great one!

I can't remember off the top of my head. I did work my way through Larry's stuff though. If you want any non-fiction stuff, check out Dee Brown's 'The American West' and 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee'.

Oh, have you read The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy? 'All The Pretty Horses', the first one, was my favourite.

 

[sojourner]

I'm just skimming through my posts on here, so will recommend:

Annie Proulx - Close Range: Wyoming Stories
Annie Proulx: That Old Ace in the Hole (not strictly Western but you may like it)
Elmore Leonard: here's a link to his Westerns (all brilliant) http://www.elmoreleonard.com/index.php?/weblog/more/the_westerns_novels_of_elmore_leonard
Willa Cather - O Pioneers (again not technically a Western but you might like it)