What do you like to read ???
- Thread starter Elen Sentier
- Start date
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Because it is fantastic
See what I mean?
Now, once again, I'm feeling like I'm missing out on something. And I was such a nice feeling not to feel not like the social outcast and a Philistine for all those 3 hours
I forgot to mention that I am a big fan of audiobooks; that is almost exclusively what is on my i-pod for when I travel on business.
Bill Bryson features heavily in that collection.
Bill Bryson features heavily in that collection.
See what I mean?
Now, once again, I'm feeling like I'm missing out on something. And I was such a nice feeling not to feel not like the social outcast and a Philistine for all those 3 hours
LOTR certainly starts more slowly than some. The flavour of the story also changes as you move through the books. I think "Fellowship" is probably the slowest and gentlest and the first chapters set in the Shire are almost an account of a party and a walking tour rather than a war against darkness
Not liking the first few chapters doesn't mean that you won't like the whole story. You might be surprised and like the overall book. On the other hand you may read the lot and end up cursing me for the loss of time
BTW, Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian is violent but I didn't find it that horrific. I've certainly read far worse things. For me the violence didn't feel gratuitous. McCarty's language is beautiful and it is nice to read books that feel different.
Cheers!
Huon
I cannot look at a thorn tree and not think of a particular scene in Blood Meridian, if you have read something worse than that, then that is something I might struggle to read.
I cannot look at a thorn tree and not think of a particular scene in Blood Meridian, if you have read something worse than that, then that is something I might struggle to read.
Different people are horrified by different things I guess. For something to truly horrify me it would have to touch one of my own personal fears or loathings. There are things in Blood Meridian that are shocking to me but not anything that has left as strong an impression as it has on you I think. Flowers for Algernon on the other hand was a book I could only ever read once and probably most people wouldn't find it particularly bad.
Anyway, all of this is probably putting Biker off which would be a shame as despite the violence it is, in my opinion, an astoundingly beautiful book.
I cannot look at a thorn tree and not think of a particular scene in Blood Meridian, if you have read something worse than that, then that is something I might struggle to read.
Blackhawk Down comes to mind. I haven't read the book but if it's anything at all like the movie it'll be bloody.
For me the book had less visceral impact than the film. It was certainly bloody though but also a very interesting read.
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Thanks Dad. Can I go and play on the swings now? I'm bigger than I was last month. Honest.
Seriously though, thanks for your concern. I must admit the comments have put me off despite his beautiful prose. But iince I have some of his books on my PC and it doesn't require me coughing up cash to buy the book off the shelf I may well put it on my Kindle just out of curiosity.
I've said this to a few who have PM'ed me in the past, so I figured I'd throw it out to one and all: If there are any Sci-fi, thrillers, Westerns, Horror, fact or fiction, whatever books that you're looking for in particular to read on your Kindle, Nook tablet of PC then PM me your wish list and I'll have a look through the several THOUSANDS of books I bought on DVDs from someone on ebay. I'll need the book title and Author, plus your email address so I can send them to you... if I've got them, of course.
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Worth giving older authors a look. Alfred Duggan's historical novels, the best for me being The Conscience of the King explaining how a Roman citizen became a Germanic warlord. Geoffrey Household, gentleman thrillers in odd settings. Both authors had the grace to write relatively short books as did CS Forester with Hornblower and his other works. In the same way older SF has a certain something, John Christopher's Death of Grass (No blade of Grass in the States) and all his others and John Wyndham's Day of the Triffids. I like post-apocalyptic books and can get something of the same feeling from both some historical and some western novels. Alone in an empty land is the basis.
You can't go wrong with John Wyndham.
Nor with John Christopher. A Wrinkle in the Skin is classic post-apocalypse fare. His young adults stuff is also good - the Tripod Trilogy and The Sword of the Spirits Trilogy. In fact, I feel a re-read coming on
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nor with John Christopher. A Wrinkle in the Skin is classic post-apocalypse fare. His young adults stuff is also good - the Tripod Trilogy and The Sword of the Spirits Trilogy. In fact, I feel a re-read coming on
I've got the Tripod trilogy on my Kindle right now, as well as a book titled "When the Tripods came." which was written 20 years after the last book but is actually a prequel to the trilogy. I don't have A Wrinkle In The Skin though, but I do have Death of Grass. I never really appreciated John Christopher as much as I should, having read only a couple of his books, but knowing Tripods is good I'll get on with that soon. Thanks.
The Tripod Trilogy (quadrology?) is good. I'm not sure if I've read the latest one. I'll have to take a look. The Sword of the Spirits is set in a post-apocalypse pseudo-medieval world and from memory is rather good. I'd recommend taking a look for it as well.
I preferred A Wrinkle in the Skin to Death of Grass.
Cheers!
Huon
Michael Joseph and Victor Gollancz were two publishers of science fiction who could be relied upon. Series of Gollancz and possibly others republished in SF Masterworks http://www.amazon.co.uk/gollancz-sf-masterworks-Books/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=gollancz%20sf%20masterworks&page=1&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Agollancz%20sf%20masterworks
Books for relaxation as opposed to books which i'm sure would have little appeal to others currently consist of A Game of Thrones- brilliant, i have the whole lot of the series published to date and am really looking forward to the follow ups. Also reading the Scottish Islands by Hamish Smith. By the way i also thought LOTR an absolute classic, i found it to be heavy going when i first started and so i read the Hobbit first.
