Stevo985 Posted June 28, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted June 28, 2010 The His Dark Materials trilogy is absolutely fantastic. Agree completely. Don't let the fantasy aspect fool you, it's immense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted June 28, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted June 28, 2010 The His Dark Materials trilogy is absolutely fantastic. Surprised you haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird Mike.Well, yeah. Trouble is, I've heard so much about it, I know exactly what happens in the plot, and it just sort of.... doesn't appeal to me. I haven't read "A Passage to India", either. Something about books revolving around false accusations of rape, perhaps. EDIT: Although Paul Scott's "Raj Quartet" IS on my shortlist.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Kerouac's "On the Road" is similar in that respect. But can't you put yourself into the mind of somebody from a different era? That's what novels are mostly about for me (I rarely read books set in the present day, it doesn't interest me). thats a good point, and yes normally i can. i think the problems with the book were more than just that... 1) i didn't like the main character 2) there was no story 3) it had potential as we started exploring his mind, but it never went anywhere. 4) basically the reason to write a book is to tell a story... but this book was about a typical teenager doing typical not a lot. might as well as written about a day in the life of me or you when we were 15 years old. edit: just looked up on google, and the reason its famous was that it was contraversial for having 'mature sexual & language content'. thats no reason to select a book as great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Just about to start The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly. Anyone read it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 just wiki'ed it, and it sounds interesting.... let us know whether it was any good or not. and i love this bit of the plot summary: David spends the night with Snow White and the seven dwarfs. He finds out that Snow White has almost eaten the dwarfs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 To Kill A Mockingbird just so ace, it lifted my book reading spirits again after reading the horseshit that is Catcher in the Rye. the latter is a book that always annoys me and gets my hackles up when it comes up in these threads, I'll just copy and paste my view from another messageboard : "and punkska: stay clear of Catcher In The Rye. It is a monumentally shit book, written by a clearing in the woods for miserable 15 year old clearings in the woods, is not a book. 4 days in the life of a clearing in the woods, nothing happens, and the pages are full of slang, depriving you at least of even basic literary enjoyment. ( Not saying slang per se is, bad, see Irving Welsh for that working ok ) But there is nothing. Honestly. OK, I might be overreacting to the fact it's celebrated. If no-one had said much about it, I might have considered it simply 'boring'. But this is the one book I simply do not get. Most stuff I can understand appeal even if I do not like the genre personally etc, but this book... this complete waste of tree and forest is just BEYOND CRAP. There are videos on Youtube which I have been encouraged to seen and subsequently grown angry over as I'm supposed to cum over the metaphor of some **** ducks. Ngngngngngng!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 just wiki'ed it, and it sounds interesting.... let us know whether it was any good or not. and i love this bit of the plot summary: David spends the night with Snow White and the seven dwarfs. He finds out that Snow White has almost eaten the dwarfs I'll let you know!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumerican Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Just started on Derren Brown, Tricks of the mind. I got it out from Erdington library but after the first chapter I can tell that this is the kind of book you need to own and refer back to as I doubt I will take it all in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leemond2008 Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 just wiki'ed it, and it sounds interesting.... let us know whether it was any good or not. and i love this bit of the plot summary: David spends the night with Snow White and the seven dwarfs. He finds out that Snow White has almost eaten the dwarfs just had a look on wiki, it actually says David spends the night with Snow White and the seven dwarfs. He finds out that Snow White has almost eaten the dwarfs out of house and home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted July 5, 2010 Moderator Share Posted July 5, 2010 Just finished the new Bret Easton Ellis - Imperial Bedrooms - it's sort of a sequel to Less Than Zero and it's very, very good. Ellis gets a bad press but he's a fantastic writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted July 5, 2010 Moderator Share Posted July 5, 2010 i decided to read the BBC's top 20 books of all time. started with "Catcher in the Rye". what a pile of crap! how this book could get anywhere near the top 100 amazes me. one of the worst books i have ever read. 2/10. nothing happens all book, and i think its supposed to be contraversial or something, but most students will have done better on standard stag weekend, or even freshers week at uni. can someone explain why this book is meant to be good. It killed John Lennon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 I only read history books. Probably the only no history book I've read was Paul McGraths book and Nick Masons Pink Floyd book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 i decided to read the BBC's top 20 books of all time. started with "Catcher in the Rye". what a pile of crap! ... can someone explain why this book is meant to be good. Judging by your post, I doubt even Salinger himself would have stood a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 edit: just looked up on google, and the reason its famous was that it was contraversial for having 'mature sexual & language content'. thats no reason to select a book as great! Though Lady Chatterley is nowhere near one of Lawrence's best books, in my view, it was ground-breaking, controversial and probably deserves to be considered as great for the kerfuffle that it caused. Some literature has to be measured by looking at it in context (including social and political context); some literature can be measured in a vacuum; some literature is only fit for a vacuum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 im about half way through the lost symbol, i like it, im flying through it, i like his writing style, the short chapters making you think you can squeeze another one in, plus his use of common knowledge / interesting facts / seemingly utter bollocks reels me in, for example for some reason i cant remember why he explains why friday 13th is unlucky in DVC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Want controversial? Read Lolita. Brilliant book to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWeedMcGrass Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Want controversial? Read Lolita. Brilliant book to boot. :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted July 6, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 6, 2010 I'm in the 90%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 just wiki'ed it, and it sounds interesting.... let us know whether it was any good or not. and i love this bit of the plot summary: David spends the night with Snow White and the seven dwarfs. He finds out that Snow White has almost eaten the dwarfs I'll let you know!! Finished The Book Of Lost Things It was alright, not stunning but still enjoyable. Not sure what genre to put it in, it wasn't a horror/chiller but not fantasy either. I suppose the best way of describing it is a British literray version of Pans Labyrinth - with our more known nursery rhymes being used (and distorted). The books revolves around a boy who's Mother died during the World War and then his father remarries and starts a new family. The boy loses himself amongst books and the worlds within his books creep into the real world. It deals with loss of family, grief and jealousy. All in all around - 6.5/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 i decided to read the BBC's top 20 books of all time. started with "Catcher in the Rye". what a pile of crap! ... can someone explain why this book is meant to be good. Judging by your post, I doubt even Salinger himself would have stood a chance. i don't understand what your post means? :? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts