mjmooney Posted January 3, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2012 finished this and now starting this I'm a big fan of 40s crime/espionage/noir stuff (and Berlin locations in particular), but I really didn't like the Philip Kerr books. There's something about the sadistic violent sex in them that I feel we are supposed to actually like, and it kind of gave me the creeps. Much prefer Alan Furst. (And still to read the Fallada). This (in the same milieu) is good, too: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 shall have to check him out. I have read If The Dead Rise Not by Kerr and didn't get that vibe myself, but maybe he lessened off in the 20 years since this trilogy. Can highly recommend the Fallada one though. Wrote it in 45/46, English translation only came out a couple of years ago I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I love a bit of sadistic violent sex. I'll check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 3, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2012 I love a bit of sadistic violent sex. I'll check them out.It's not a major part of the plots, but the (anti-)hero Bernie Gunther (as well as some of the other characters) seems generally mysoginist. I didn't feel it added anything to the plot, but was just chucked in gratuitously. Trying too hard to be "hard-boiled and Chandleresque" without the requisite skill, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLN Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Reading a thread written by a Belgian couple about their trip across the democratic republic of congo and all the troubles they have in terms of the non-existent roads and the corrupt policemen at checkpoints they meet every few km. It's really very interesting. I'm up to page 42 now. If you have a few hours to kill, it's definitely worth having a read through here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted January 3, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2012 @ Mike and Rodders Have you read Graham Greene's The 3rd Man? Set in immediate post war Vienna, which was split into sectors just like Berlin. Beautifully written. Very atmospheric. Of course there's also the film with Orson Welles, but read the book! The short story 'The Fallen Idol' is kinda creepy too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 3, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2012 @ Mike and Rodders Have you read Graham Greene's The 3rd Man? Set in immediate post war Vienna, which was split into sectors just like Berlin. Beautifully written. Very atmospheric. Of course there's also the film with Orson Welles, but read the book! The short story 'The Fallen Idol' is kinda creepy too. Oh yes. Incidentally, the story was conceived as a screenplay by Greene, who wrote both formats simultaneously. Another one in the same vein: Book and film both good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted January 11, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 11, 2012 I've been on a book-buying tear of late... latest additions to the collection: * Brian Doherty's Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement As the libertarian movement grew through the 1970s, Ayn Rand alternately ignored it and attacked it. Apparently believing that the notion of strictly limited government was her invention, she alternately declared that libertarians "plagiarize the Objectivist theory of politics" and that libertarians believe the exact opposite of my views." Rand was past elaborating her thoughts by the 1970s, and the Brandens today are perplexed by her ferocity on the subject of the libertarian movement, a ferocity that has only grown hotter in the official Objectivist movement after her death. Even when libertarians tried to pay her respect, Rand sometimes didn't want to hear it. Libertarian science fiction author J. Neil Schulman remembers a long telephone conversation with Rand that ended with her barking, "I despise all libertarians, including you!" and hanging up. She threatened Reason magazine with a lawsuit when it used her likeness on the cover of an issue filled with stories about her. Manuel Klausner, a lawyer and then one of Reason's editors, rather hoped the suit would go forward (it didn't) because he was sure they'd win, first of all. And he couldn't help relishing a case on the record in a US court called Rand v. Reason. * F.A. Hayek's The Constitution of Liberty (edited by Ronald Hamowy) * Mark Skousen's Vienna & Chicago: Friends or Foes? * Thomas Szasz's The Medicalization of Everyday Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted January 12, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2012 This is how you organize your bookshelves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 12, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2012 This is how you organize your bookshelves Excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowDoINotLikeThat Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I, Partridge might just be the funniest book ever written My words and not the words of Shakin Stevens either I see you are like me, I love the Partridge quotes, many times at work I have used "I belieeevvve we've established that" when you have to explain things a number of times....only for my mate to be the only one who picks up on it, whilst the rest look at me like Im some sort of wierdo,,,lol Cant wait to start on the Partridge book, expecting big things from it now though...especially as you have rated it so highly. I'm about 200something pages in -which is about bit more than two thirds of it - and can confirm it is indeed very funny and very good. One funniest books i have read. Damn i sound bit Partidge-esque saying (or typing) that above . But yeh if you like Alan Partridge it is indeed very funny , "lovely stuff" and ties in with Alan Partridge TV shows / imaginary career incredibly well. There is an audio book version available but ive been reading the book with an Alan Partridge voice in my head anyhow. Definitely recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 After doing some heavy reading and some pretty big books, I am now reading a very simple trilogy, the Hunger games. A decent story, find the writing a little frustrating but over-all, it is a good break from the heavy stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 Finished the Player of Games last night. Enjoyable, the first time I've been able to genuinely say that about one of Banks' out and out sci-fi novels, although it seemed to want to sprint to the end and get it over with and I wasn't entirely satisfied. Moving onto The Use of Weapons now, which is already looking like it's gonna be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 I've faltered on my trot through the Iain M. Banks canon. Reluctant to read the strange language of Feersum Enjin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 I'm only really just starting out. I read the Algebraist, which was alright as a piece of standalone scifi, and then read Excession a few years back as my first foray into the Culture series and effectively read it with bewilderment all the way through (probably not the best place to start on reflection). I've been told Consider Phlebas isn't a great place to kick off from either (despite being the first book in the Culture series) so went with the Player of Games. Feersum Enjin is the one that features a character who narrates in phonetics isn't it? Hence the title. I imagine thats the kind of thing you have to bear with til it clicks. It intrigues me if I'm honest. I'll read that as a brief break from the Culture, which I think I'll be ready for once done with the Use of Weapons then another one... Inversions perhaps. I must admit even with 3 M. Banks novels under my belt, I think his straight fiction stuff is still better. Everyone I've read (the Wasp Factory, the Bridge, Espedair Street, the Crow Road, Complicity, Whit and the Steep Approach to Garbadale) has been superb. Indeed the Crow Road, Complicity and Steep Approach... are some of my favourite books ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 Feersum Enjin is the one that features a character who narrates in phonetics isn't it? Hence the title. I imagine thats the kind of thing you have to bear with til it clicks. That's the one, and I'm sure you're right. After all, I enjoyed Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker once I got into it, and that is written in a similar style of pidgin English. I must admit even with 3 M. Banks novels under my belt, I think his straight fiction stuff is still better. Everyone I've read (the Wasp Factory, the Bridge, Espedair Street, the Crow Road, Complicity, Whit and the Steep Approach to Garbadale) has been superb. Indeed the Crow Road, Complicity and Steep Approach... are some of my favourite books ever.I agree. The Bridge, especially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 I found 'The Wasp Factory' very overrated! Considering the praise it recieves not a lot seemed to happen and the ending failed to deliver its intended punch. If I had picked it up without hearing the hype I would have probably have liked it a lot more. I suppose thats the problem picking up books that seem to be universily liked, they have a lot to live up to, and its unfair to expect it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 I liked the Bridge a lot, for the mystery of it and for the decision he clearly made to write a 'Bildungsroman' and then take that idea and place inside a much more complex narrative(s). And then I saw as the novel closed what he had actually decided was going to be the reason for this looping complex triple narrative, and I lost a little of my love for it - it was a great idea and he did it superbly, but it wasn't a terrible original one. Perhaps it was more so when first released. But still a bloody good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 Yes, there is an element of: "...and then he woke up, AND IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!!" about The Bridge. I still loved the journey though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted January 16, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2012 I found 'The Wasp Factory' very overrated! Considering the praise it recieves not a lot seemed to happen and the ending failed to deliver its intended punch. If I had picked it up without hearing the hype I would have probably have liked it a lot more. I suppose thats the problem picking up books that seem to be universily liked, they have a lot to live up to, and its unfair to expect it. The Wasp Factory is a great book, but I think a lot of the praise it receives is based on the context of it's release. A debut novel comes out of nowhere that is 'smart' on many levels, whilst also being a pretty straight and simple read for anyone, and also being quite depraved and matter of act (even humourous) when dealing with quite grim stuff. It's an incredibly ballsy work for that time, which in time is an effect thats worn away. It's clout has been diminished by things that arguable followed in it's footsteps - American Psycho for example, but the hype is still there that for a modern reader will set the bar a little high. I still loved it, and still do to this day. I was recommended to read it by an English teacher at A Level, took the advice, read it on holiday. Made the mistake of leaving it on my aunts table whilst on that holiday who then denounced it as filth schools shouldn't be recommending Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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