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*What book are you reading? (part 2)

Voley said:
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 ???'
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:D:D Do it! Oh please, go on! :D
 
DotCommunist said:
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.
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Finished it now. Great stuff. Will get onto Iron Council soon enough
 
Orang Utan said:
Finished it now. Great stuff. Will get onto Iron Council soon enough
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the question. Doul. Was he riding a wave? socially? or was he planned all along? remember the description of him fighting in the ring, from utter ferocity to monklike calm in a blink. Was doul playing the long game all along or did he ride the wave wearing that snarl then turn round with the face of a serene monk and act like it all just happened and he was swept along by history? design or skill? scheming or playing the moment?

I've re-read scar a dozen times and I still can't decide
 
drove me mental for weeks. That and the Lovers, fanaticism or cultivated decadence? true stories about why the cutting or self mythologising psychos?

Things like that and of course, making coldwine-an essentianly hard to love character- the centre was a good trick. In a way he was able to look at new crobuzon- its spirit, its exceptionalism far better away from its streets. Far better through the eyes of a vaugely patriotic petit bourgoisie bookworm who suddenly comes under the full Eye of Suaron treatment.
 
I'm reading "Excursion to Tindari", which is a book from 2005 and which is part of the Montalbano-series written by the italian author Andrea Camilleri.
 
campanula said:
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.
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is this another slab of tiste andii misery? cos I do love erickson but the misery must be leavened with humour which apparently the tiste of all stripes have evolved out of
 
Dunno yet, Dottie cos I am re-reading FoD...and worryingly, I cannot recall the first reading at all. Even more worrying, the blurb for book2 seems to have not moved forwards from book 1 a single bit. Everyone is still doing exactly what they were doing throughout book1 (which wasn't very much). True though, Erickson does pathos very well indeed - he is in his element building damaged characters and yep, this lot are the usual earnest, joyless lot, with added psychoses.
 
D'wards said:
The new Irvine Welsh - The Blade Artist. Its the same old Welsh really - i like the underlying violence in the character (and of course not so underlying), but it makes no sense really. Begbie was a great character in the Trainspotting books, but the rehabilitation of him as loving artist is just too far-fetched.
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+1, the whole premise of the book doesn't work.
 
Let the Old Dreams Die -John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let The Right One In)

a collection of short stories and it's wicked !
 
Not my usual thing, but just finished, and enjoyed, The Vanishing of Ruth.

Couple on one of those Magic Bus/Rainbow Tour type hippie trails disappear in Afghanistan in 1976 and, 30 years later, the girl's niece tries to work out what happened to them. Just makes me wish I'd been old enough to do that whole overlander trip; Turkey/Iran/Afghan/Delhi/Kathmandu.

Anyone here go?
 
Voley said:
Same here. It's ace.
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also. Just perusing a few before bed. 'Majority' grabbed me hard, the last two lines made want to see it done live hardcore. I know where they are from, joe hill ennit. But I didn't see that line coming, when it does its a right puncher. Will do a few more tomorrow night, I have one to read to the Tank when I get that far
 
Ursula le Guin - The Earthsea Quartet. I had only ever read A Wizard of Earthsea before,as a precocious child, and been slightly baffled by it, so thought I'd give the whole lot the time and attention they deserve. Completely hooked! Am on The Tombs of Atuan atm, wonderful stuff.
 
I'm nearing the end of Joe Hill's The Fireman.
I was really looking forward to reading this, but I've been slightly disappointed.
I like it well enough, but I don't love it.

It's a little overlong and has had a few too many twists and turns.

It reminded me of The Stand, but not done quite as well :(
 
DotCommunist said:
also. Just perusing a few before bed. 'Majority' grabbed me hard, the last two lines made want to see it done live hardcore. I know where they are from, joe hill ennit. But I didn't see that line coming, when it does its a right puncher. Will do a few more tomorrow night, I have one to read to the Tank when I get that far
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:cool: It's always great at a punk/anarchist/benefit gig to get to the end and do those lines, and look out to see people's eyes light up and they start grinning and nodding :)

Hope Tank likes it :D
 
I am in the middle of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and I got to THAT point yesterday, the wedding night, and fuck me if I didn't just start bawling me eyes out. I knew it was gonna upset me, cos it's upset me since I first saw the film in my teens, but my god. It fucking seriously rends me in two. And I couldn't even tell the fella cos he's gonna read it next! Was proper fucking upset for a good long while there :(
 
sojourner said:
:cool: It's always great at a punk/anarchist/benefit gig to get to the end and do those lines, and look out to see people's eyes light up and they start grinning and nodding :)

Hope Tank likes it :D
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not read it yet but I imagine 'dear margaret' goes down a storm in those gigs also :D Literally just saw the title and thought, 'this'll be a fiery one'.
 
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Just finished another Ross O'Carroll Kelly classic - The Shelbourne Ultimatum. Best written and funniest I've read yet.
Have started Robert A Heinlin's Starship Troopers, just to see what the fuss is over.
 
DotCommunist said:
not read it yet but I imagine 'dear margaret' goes down a storm in those gigs also :D Literally just saw the title and thought, 'this'll be a fiery one'.
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Certainly does haha. I think the best ever reception of that one was at a Class War benefit at the 1 in 12 club in Bradford. They nearly took the fucking roof off :D :D
 
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