Amsterdam_Neil_D Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds's I am 60 % through a book by a new author. It's a sci-fi epic type thing and I am really enjoying it. Some of the concepts and ideas he uses are truly mind blowing. (For Eg. Quantum Physics where a person can tap into there own infinite selfs knowledge in infinite dimensions for a tiny amount of time.) Not sure why but I sort of picked it at random on Amazon. I find I need to work a bit to try and imagine it all but loving it so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Reading "The God Delusion" Very wordy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuck Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Inspired by recent posts in this thread, I've just started The Count of Monte Cristo. Verdict after the first few chapters: fantastic pace and plotting, terrible stilted dialogue (although that may be the fault of the 1848 translation). One of the most annoying things about reading the classics from way back is that there are some bloody woeful translations out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted July 28, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 28, 2011 Inspired by recent posts in this thread, I've just started The Count of Monte Cristo. Verdict after the first few chapters: fantastic pace and plotting, terrible stilted dialogue (although that may be the fault of the 1848 translation). One of the most annoying things about reading the classics from way back is that there are some bloody woeful translations out there.Thing is, though, they probably capture the spirit of the original style, and I wouldn't want it any other way. "Modern" translations can be rather soulless and jarringly anachronistic - I think you just have to get into the mindset of the style of the period. On which point, I've now totally got used to TCoMC's dialogue, and I'm enjoying it hugely. Utter page turner, and the template for so many subsequent "frame-up/prison break/revenge" books (and films). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuck Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Inspired by recent posts in this thread, I've just started The Count of Monte Cristo. Verdict after the first few chapters: fantastic pace and plotting, terrible stilted dialogue (although that may be the fault of the 1848 translation). One of the most annoying things about reading the classics from way back is that there are some bloody woeful translations out there.Thing is, though, they probably capture the spirit of the original style, and I wouldn't want it any other way. "Modern" translations can be rather soulless and jarringly anachronistic - I think you just have to get into the mindset of the style of the period. On which point, I've now totally got used to TCoMC's dialogue, and I'm enjoying it hugely. Utter page turner, and the template for so many subsequent "frame-up/prison break/revenge" books (and films). Great! Every time I thought the plot couldn't get any cleverer... it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted July 28, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 28, 2011 On which point, I've now totally got used to TCoMC's dialogue, and I'm enjoying it hugely. Utter page turner, and the template for so many subsequent "frame-up/prison break/revenge" books (and films). Of this I have no doubt: if Dumas were alive today, he'd be in Hollywood show-running an absolutely ass-kicking action-packed TV series. (and tbf, since, like most authors of the period, his works were written for serialization, reading TCoMC or The Three Musketeers is rather like watching a DVD of a TV series: you get all the episodes without having to wait another week/month/whatever to find out what happens next!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted August 1, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 1, 2011 I've been on VT too long; I find myself thinking of it as: "The Woord Removed of Monte Cristo". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Currently on The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak - aimed more for teenagers / "young adults" but it's still very engaging so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted August 1, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 1, 2011 Currently on The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak - aimed more for teenagers / "young adults" but it's still very engaging so far.I enjoyed that, too. Not perfect, but pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Yes, a part of me wishes it was a little more 'grown up' in style, but despite the brief sentences / length of chapters etc it doesn't hinder the characterisation much at all - and it flows very quickly too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted August 1, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 1, 2011 Currently on The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak - aimed more for teenagers / "young adults" but it's still very engaging so far.I enjoyed that, too. Not perfect, but pretty good. I loved it! Not what id usually read at all but utterly absorbing. Loved the prose too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted August 1, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 1, 2011 Inspired by recent posts in this thread, I've just started The Count of Monte Cristo. Verdict after the first few chapters: fantastic pace and plotting, terrible stilted dialogue (although that may be the fault of the 1848 translation). Which translation do you have? I am reading this too ATM, after doing a bit of reasearch on it. Apparently there are two things that affect the story, the translation, and the context. I strongly encourage everyone to get the UNabridged version of this story. The abridged version cuts out more than half of Dumas' novel and while the story is still enjoyable, the reader misses out on many exciting chapters in the book. Do not let the length fool you. I found every bit of this book exciting, and never got bored. Secondly, look for the Robin Buss Translation. Many of the versions of this book use a translation from 1846 (including the Modern Library and Oxford World's Classics editions) that, because of social restrictions at the time, altered some of the story, especially that dealing with sexuality. The Robin Buss translation is more faithful and restores this language, as well as making it an easier read for modern readers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 American Assassin by Vince Flynn. Very Jason Bourne-like but very hard to put down too! cheers for the heads up - went and got it from the library! Not bad, very easy to read and should be done with by the weekend!!!! Might check out some of his other books afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted August 1, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 1, 2011 Inspired by recent posts in this thread, I've just started The Count of Monte Cristo. Verdict after the first few chapters: fantastic pace and plotting, terrible stilted dialogue (although that may be the fault of the 1848 translation). Which translation do you have? I am reading this too ATM, after doing a bit of reasearch on it. Apparently there are two things that affect the story, the translation, and the context. I strongly encourage everyone to get the UNabridged version of this story. The abridged version cuts out more than half of Dumas' novel and while the story is still enjoyable, the reader misses out on many exciting chapters in the book. Do not let the length fool you. I found every bit of this book exciting, and never got bored. Secondly, look for the Robin Buss Translation. Many of the versions of this book use a translation from 1846 (including the Modern Library and Oxford World's Classics editions) that, because of social restrictions at the time, altered some of the story, especially that dealing with sexuality. The Robin Buss translation is more faithful and restores this language, as well as making it an easier read for modern readers.I'm reading the Everyman's Library version (1846 translation). I take the point, but I don't really want a more "modern" translation. I assume it's unabridged though (1200 odd pages). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf_stewart Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Can anyone recommend a good non-fiction about Islam? Not the Qur'an. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted August 1, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 1, 2011 I'm new to this thread so apologies if this book has featured, but I've just read The Dealer and The Dead by Gerald Seymour. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It's based around a Croatian village who ordered weapons during the Balkan war only for the order to not be completed and the group of villagers who'd gone out to collect them were subsequently massacred. The arms dealer was English and, some twenty years after the event, the surviving villagers decide to seek vengeance. Plenty of twists and turns and some good depth to the characters. My first Seymour novel and it won't be my last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted August 1, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 1, 2011 Can anyone recommend a good non-fiction about Islam? Not the Qur'an.Obviously. That's fiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf_stewart Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 INFIDEL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leemond2008 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 has anyone every read them books by the villa fan, cant remember what his name was but all the characters in them share the names of villa players I think they are detective thriller sort of books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuck Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Secondly, look for the Robin Buss Translation. Many of the versions of this book use a translation from 1846 (including the Modern Library and Oxford World's Classics editions) that, because of social restrictions at the time, altered some of the story, especially that dealing with sexuality. The Robin Buss translation is more faithful and restores this language, as well as making it an easier read for modern readers. Aye, that's the one I have, published in 1996. Couldn't fault it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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