The_Rev Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 14 hours ago, Chindie said: I've owned Blood Meridian for quite literally years and I simply can't read it. I despise McCarthy's style and I can't overcome it. I dragged myself through No Country and that is the best I could do. Shame because everything I know of it should love it. But just cannot get past the style. Yes, his authorial is like marmite I think. Everything is in service of the plot, you rarely get tons of exposition wrapped up in snazzy dialogue and I think it's quite easy to miss things which are going on as often events key to the story are just strongly implied rather than spelled out for the reader. It's almost deliberately confusing at times and it's the polar opposite to someone like Patrick O'Brian (Jack Aubrey books) who has whatever the authorial version of the gift of the gab is called and could make the phone book interesting to read but McCarthy is always going somewhere in his books and it's quite mesmerising in the best possible way. I've read 'The Road' which seems much easier to get into (it's also a fair bit shorter IIRC) but I've only seen the movie of 'No Country for Old Men' and they are both fantastic tales. I'd imagine I'm well into act 2 of Blood Meridian as I type this. The Judge is becoming more of a central figure in the story, he's just pulled off some next level stuff with home made gunpowder and the gang are about to cross the border back into Mexico (the part which the Mexicans lost in the war and is now modern day Arizona, Nevada and California). Nothing dreadful has happened to the core group in the story yet, but I expect it's in the post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 27, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted January 27, 2016 1 hour ago, The_Rev said: Yes, his authorial is like marmite I think. Everything is in service of the plot, you rarely get tons of exposition wrapped up in snazzy dialogue and I think it's quite easy to miss things which are going on as often events key to the story are just strongly implied rather than spelled out for the reader. It's almost deliberately confusing at times and it's the polar opposite to someone like Patrick O'Brian (Jack Aubrey books) who has whatever the authorial version of the gift of the gab is called and could make the phone book interesting to read but McCarthy is always going somewhere in his books and it's quite mesmerising in the best possible way. I've read 'The Road' which seems much easier to get into (it's also a fair bit shorter IIRC) but I've only seen the movie of 'No Country for Old Men' and they are both fantastic tales. I'd imagine I'm well into act 2 of Blood Meridian as I type this. The Judge is becoming more of a central figure in the story, he's just pulled off some next level stuff with home made gunpowder and the gang are about to cross the border back into Mexico (the part which the Mexicans lost in the war and is now modern day Arizona, Nevada and California). Nothing dreadful has happened to the core group in the story yet, but I expect it's in the post. I've probably mentioned it before, but back in the 90s I was on a Patrick O'Brian mailing list, and we had that very conversation about POB and Cormack McCarthy having polar opposite styles (but both great). This led to me writing a parody piece - Pretty Horses in the style of POB, and Aubrey/Maturin as done by CMcC. Sadly, it's long since lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 No Country for Old Men is the most loyal screen adaption I have ever seen. Exactly the same. Think I might add Blood Meridian to my list after reading this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I'm reading Ulysses by James Joyce, some of the passages I haven't got a clue what's being talked about but I get the gist of what's happening, I think. Also reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë which I'm enjoying so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 28, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted January 28, 2016 1 hour ago, useless said: I'm reading Ulysses by James Joyce, some of the passages I haven't got a clue what's being talked about but I get the gist of what's happening, I think. Also reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë which I'm enjoying so far. I read Ulysses for the first time last year - same reaction as you. Epic read, really glad I stuck at it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Anybody read anything by Neil Gaiman? I'm thinking of buying American Gods to read? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted February 2, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted February 2, 2016 American Gods is fantastic, and Gaiman is brilliant. The concept is excellent and it's exceptionally well written, and swerves from the grotesque to the poignant with ease and grace. Read Good Omens as well. He co-wrote it with Pratchett and in the end they couldn't tell who'd written what, and it's incredible for a short satire of the Omen and other Apocalypse fiction like the Bible. Far lighter than American Gods it's still a superb read, hence my having read it every year since I was 13 and it becoming my favourite book with good reason. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Brilliant. Thank you! Had my eyes on it for a while and glad to hear it's as good as it sounds I'll check Good Omens out too, thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Finished the 10th Gunther by Philip Kerr. Still got it as a writer. Finished it in two days. ...now I'm waiting for Mooney to come back with 'Furst>Downing>Kerr' reply. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 3, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2016 53 minutes ago, AVFC_Hitz said: Finished the 10th Gunther by Philip Kerr. Still got it as a writer. Finished it in two days. ...now I'm waiting for Mooney to come back with 'Furst>Downing>Kerr' reply. Take it as read. Although I'm starting to think Downing edges out Furst, who has become a bit formulaic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Take it as read. Although I'm starting to think Downing edges out Furst, who has become a bit formulaic. Downings 'Station' series is just brilliant but there's more to like about Bernie and the way Kerr writes the character. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Chindie has covered it but no harm in endorsing both American Gods and Good Omens again, they're both terrifically fun to read, I only enjoyed the latter last year. Best Apocalypse ever. Currently partly back in spy mode with which is fascinating so far, and reminds me I'm still to read Smiley's People too. Also just started: as I know so little about the conflict really, beyond reading one of those Very Short Introductions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 On 2/2/2016 at 22:24, DK82 said: Anybody read anything by Neil Gaiman? I'm thinking of buying American Gods to read? I'll echo Chindie and say American Gods is very good. There are at least two versions, the original (2001) and the 10th anniversary "author's preferred text" version (2011). I went with the author's preferred text version and found it to be a bit baggy in places. I'd probably get the original version if I could go back. Also: I just finished Blood Meridian. It was spoken about on the last page when I was half way through but holy shit, that book just keeps going to darker and darker places doesn't it? I'm sure there is an absolute ton of symbolism and metaphor I've missed, I mean was Spoiler Judge Holden the devil? I think it's easily the most intense thing I've ever experienced. No wonder people think it's probably unfilmable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyVillan Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Rereading the Sharpe novels. Up to Rifles again. What a series, I'm hooked again Easy to read and compelling storytelling and characters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 On 3 February 2016 at 13:42, AVFC_Hitz said: Finished the 10th Gunther by Philip Kerr. Still got it as a writer. Finished it in two days. ...now I'm waiting for Mooney to come back with 'Furst>Downing>Kerr' reply. I believe the next Gunther one comes out next month. I've read them all out of order, and I think they jump about in time a bit, so I'm a bit confused as to where each one fits into the series but I've enjoyed them all. I'm reading The Man From Berlin by Luke McCallin at the mo which is similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 13, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2016 17 hours ago, PompeyVillan said: Rereading the Sharpe novels. Up to Rifles again. What a series, I'm hooked again Easy to read and compelling storytelling and characters. I strongly recommend Tim Clayton's (non-fiction) book on Waterloo. Takes you right into the heat of the battle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Finished that McIntyre book above this morning - terrifically engaging style and pacey, couldn't put it down. I knew very little about that time now, but feel a pressing need to re-visit Tinker Tailor soon to re-read it with greater knowledge of the farcical incompetence of MI6 in the background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Re-reading Cryptonomicon. Modern classic if you ask me and Shaftoe is an amazingly written character. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 13, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2016 7 minutes ago, AVFC_Hitz said: Re-reading Cryptonomicon. Modern classic if you ask me and Shaftoe is an amazingly written character. Damn straight. Have you read The Baroque Cycle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Not yet but I've recently 'acquired ' 2000 books for my Kindle and all of Stephenson's works are in it. So I'll definitely be giving a go. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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