*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[weltweit]

Just finished Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig. There was a lot of reference to Greek philosophy much of which was over my head, but frequent reference to motorcycles brought it back to me. I looked forward to reading more so it was a good page turner, it works on a number of levels.

 

[weltweit]

btw, not happy with the way libraries work in one respect. I got 4 books out recently and started into them, I read 2 books and was about to start a third when I noticed someone else had reserved it. This meant I couldn't renew it and seeing as I hadn't started it and had only 4 days left to read it in I will have to return it unread.

 

[TikkiB]

Just finished A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. It's a brilliant book, funny and absolutely heartbreaking. It made me sob.

 

[belboid]

Just finished A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. It's a brilliant book, funny and absolutely heartbreaking. It made me sob.

would I need to read Life After Life before that, do you think? As it is, I gather, a 'not exactly a sequel'

 

[weltweit]

Just started Childhood's end, by Arthur C Clarke, enjoying it already.

 

[TikkiB]

would I need to read Life After Life before that, do you think? As it is, I gather, a 'not exactly a sequel'

I don't think so. I haven't read Life after Life, but I gather AGiR is more of a companion piece. I didn't particularly like the look of Life of Life but I really want to now.

 

[weltweit]

Anyone read John Steinbeck East of Eden and can tell me if it is any good?

I got it recently and am a bit shocked, it is massive, 700 pages ....

 

[ringo]

Anyone read John Steinbeck East of Eden and can tell me if it is any good?

I got it recently and am a bit shocked, it is massive, 700 pages ....

Its brilliant. Have you read Of Mice And Men or The Grapes Of Wrath? They are shorter and better, so if you haven't read them I'd do that first to see if you like his style. If you do you'll love it, even his third best book is better than almost everything else.

 

[DotCommunist]

Just started Childhood's end, by Arthur C Clarke, enjoying it already.

theres a half decent miniseries of this I enjoyed recently.

 

[JimW]

Just finished Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth, superb both as a story and a meditation on the evils of the profit motive.

 

[weltweit]

Its brilliant. Have you read Of Mice And Men or The Grapes Of Wrath? They are shorter and better, so if you haven't read them I'd do that first to see if you like his style. If you do you'll love it, even his third best book is better than almost everything else.

Thanks for that, I might switch to one of them as 700 pages is going to take a while..... not that that necessarily matters mind..

 

[campanula]

Oh, I based my child-rearing feeding methods entirely on a throwaway paragraph in Cannery Row - where the mother (Rosita? Rosetta?) strews beans under the table to waiting offspring. I adopted this in a heartbeat (although, because of doghairs, I did put a tarp down first).
I fucking love Steinbeck.

 

[sojourner]

btw, not happy with the way libraries work in one respect. I got 4 books out recently and started into them, I read 2 books and was about to start a third when I noticed someone else had reserved it. This meant I couldn't renew it and seeing as I hadn't started it and had only 4 days left to read it in I will have to return it unread.

You can get it back out again though. And it's free. Stop whingeing

I fucking love Steinbeck.

Me too

I am currently reading Stone Mattress by Margaret Attwood. It is fucking fantastic. 76 she is, and her writing is even better than it used to be.

 

[campanula]

I am currently reading Stone Mattress by Margaret Attwood. It is fucking fantastic. 76 she is, and her writing is even better than it used to be.

Ordered!

 

[sojourner]

Ordered!

I was wondering what she'd be like now, but my god, she's all there and some!

 

[SpookyFrank]

Kim Stanley Robinson - Red Mars

Only just started this but I'm enjoying it. It feels realistic, both scientifically and socially.

 

[Orang Utan]

China Mieville - The Scar.
Loving this. Bas Lag is a beautifully rendered place. Wouldn't want to live there though.

 

[campanula]

Kim Stanley Robinson - Red Mars

Only just started this but I'm enjoying it. It feels realistic, both scientifically and socially.

Oh, lucky you - there are Blue and Green Mars yet to come. I really like KSR ...although he can veer alarmingly into prehistoric stuff - 'Years of Rice and Salt' and 'Shaman' which are...bewildering.

 

[campanula]

I was wondering what she'd be like now, but my god, she's all there and some!

Yep, I like the way she blew off the literary world's mealy mouthed description of her sf/fantasy stuff - 'speculative fiction' ffs.
I think the Harper years sharpened her erudition and wit to a piercing spike which skewered hypocrisy and political sleaze...most especially on the environmental depredations.

 

[DotCommunist]

China Mieville - The Scar.

literally the best bas-lag novel in terms of an accomplished text. The ending plauged me for so long, I couldn't...well I can't spell it out while you are stilll yet to reach the end

my personal fave is still Iron Council. Theres just so much to unpack in it and the sense of hope & rage with that story...bastard recons he won't write anymore bas lags which is a shame cos other than his non bas lag book City & The City things are...patchy. I love Looking For Jake though, collection but the title story expresses a huge yearning, a loss and bewilderment. It also has a brilliant comic in it where this fella keeps seeing the wounded of ww1 on public transport and nobody else does. He keeps looking for them, looking for a noble war.

 

[Orang Utan]

I fully intend to read all of his stuff.
I've only read Perdido Street Station (one of the best things I've ever read), King Rat (one of the worst things I've ever read) and Un Lun Dun (pretty good for YA literature).
Looking forward to Iron Council and the other non Bas-Lags. Embassytown and The City & The City in particular.

 

[bookaddict]

just reading for the second time 'the belle fields' by lora adams. a lovely story of a kitchen maid who gets a job in the kitchens of a local 'big house'. it's a romantic fiction set at the turn of the 19th century. there's so many twists and turns and a happy and sad read at the same time. obviously loads of research done by the author - her descriptive writing is quite good. looking forward to the sequel promised soon. would recommend this read to anyone who is interested in a way of life 'enjoyed' by our ancestors not so long ago and the vast void between those who had it all and the majority of ordinary folks who had a constant struggle to keep afloat!

 

[Beats & Pieces]

The Count of Monte Cristo - Dumas. I love this book for so many reasons, most of which exist outside of a critical / literary framing.

Hello Urbanites!

 

[Voley]

The Men Who Stare At Goats - Jon Ronson. This is a good enough book as it is but my library copy has clearly been in the possession of a total fucking fruitbat who has helpfully made notes in the margins. They're as entertaining as the book:

Jon Ronson: In 1995 the CIA closed them down.
Fruitbat: OR DID THEY ?

Jon Ronson: (Paragraph about a General with odd beliefs such as telepathy)
Fruitbat: ULTIMATE WEAPON OF WAR - REMOTE VIEWING NODES - STUPIDITY: COVER FOR WHAT REALLY GOES ON

Etc etc. Unfortunately he must've got bored/moved on to greater things by chapter 7 as the notes stop there.

OR DO THEY?

 

[sojourner]

That's brilliant Voley

The fella wanted to read Tess of the D'Urbervilles cos - shock horror - he has NEVER read it, OR seen that film with the ridiculously fucking sexy Nastassja Kinski! He doesn't even know the story! So I got it out the library for him, but he's in the middle of Cloud Atlas so I'm re-reading it instead. Loving it all over again, and already spitting with fury

 

[ringo]

The fella wanted to read Tess of the D'Urbervilles cos - shock horror - he has NEVER read it

I did it for English Lit A level but the teacher was a geriatric misogynist with a creepy obsession with one of the girls in the class, teaching a feminist literature module. Everyone hated going to the lessons, I didn't bother reading much of it. It's put me off ever since but I might almost be ready to go back to it.

I know they say a good teacher has an impact that stays with you forever, but a bad teacher does too.

 

[sojourner]

I did it for English Lit A level but the teacher was a geriatric misogynist with a creepy obsession with one of the girls in the class, teaching a feminist literature module. Everyone hated going to the lessons, I didn't bother reading much of it. It's put me off ever since but I might almost be ready to go back to it.

I know they say a good teacher has an impact that stays with you forever, but a bad teacher does too.

Oh what a cunt Oh they certainly do - I can still name all the bastards who tried to grind me down!

Go for it mate - it's so well-written, and such a great story.

 

[krtek a houby]

Started Hong Ying's Daughter of the River a few years ago. Let it slide because it's so relentlessly grim. But have found myself engrossed in the life she led in Chongqing and the atrocities of the cultural revolution and all that upheaval.

 

[Voley]

That's brilliant Voley

I'm missing his unique take on things now I must admit. One has to wonder why he stopped writing so abruptly in Chapter 7. If I could scribble in the margin of this page it would undoubtedly say:

'SILENCED FOR GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THE TRUTH ???'

 

[campanula]

Fall of Light - Steven Erickson. I recall being a trifle underwhelmed by Forge of Darkness, the first in this trilogy (trilogy - sigh...but at least there aren't 10 of them). Still, re-reading FoD before sinking into Fall of Light. Also reading a couple of |Margaret Atwoods - Moral Disorder and Stone Mattress (cheers, Sojourner) and am enjoying these artless and on the surface, almost homely tales...with a sharp edge of malice as seasoning.