Quote from: Schnell on June 06, 2015, 10:27:42 pmThe best Peter Carey of read, of approx five total, is Oscar and Lucinda. It's got all the panache/swagger of, for example, Theft but is the most complete and well rounded of his that I've read.Good stuff, thanks. May plump for that over Kelly Gang for my next Carey read then.Falling Down - just took delivery of The Sportwriter so looking forward to it.Moose - appreciate the write up on Heller. Have re-read Catch 22 often and found it very moving, but always worried that I'd 'break the spell' by reading his other stuff. May have to branch out! I read Rabbit, Run a few years ago and found it a bit forced, but I wonder now if it might be better to tough it out and try the whole quartet as a single large novel. Rabbit, Run is easy enough reading for the sake of completeness.
The best Peter Carey of read, of approx five total, is Oscar and Lucinda. It's got all the panache/swagger of, for example, Theft but is the most complete and well rounded of his that I've read.
Just finished Sugar Street, the final volume of Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy - a marvellous set of books following one Egyptian family across the tumultuous first half of the C20th. A must for anyone who enjoys multi-volume novels.
Obviously I'm feeling in need of escapism at the moment because I re-read Dune by Frank Herbert. I think this is an absolutely stonking novel and I'd say definitely my favourite of the sci-fi genre. Swirlingly complex and many layered, it's a pretty classic story arc with a very unusual treatment. I love it. But having previously read one of the sequels, I'm not inclined to read any of the rest of the series. I feel it will let me down, and rather would rest with this apogee of Herbert's work.
The Baroque Cycle on the contrary made me a massive fan of Stephenson, which was confirmed when I read Cryptonomicon. Absolute belter of a novel. Psyched to check out more of his work.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Poisonwood-Bible-Barbara-Kingsolver-ebook/dp/B002RI91MG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1434449138&sr=1-1&keywords=%27the+poisonwood+bible%27Has anyone reads this? I've had it recommended to me by a few people, but I'm struggling to persevere after a few chapters, and thinking of bailing before I commit and have to stick it out to reach the chains.
I appreciated this one
I've been reading Seveneves, Neal Stephenson's new novel. In my typical fashion, I started it, read about 100 pages, got a little bored, read something else, then came back to it and am in the process of devouring it. It's safe to say that if you have enjoyed his recent books (Anathem, Reamde), you'll probably enjoy this one. It's much more punchy than the phenomenal but occasionally rambling Baroque Cycle trilogy, which I know put some people off his writing.
Quote from: SA Chris on June 16, 2015, 11:07:55 amhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Poisonwood-Bible-Barbara-Kingsolver-ebook/dp/B002RI91MG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1434449138&sr=1-1&keywords=%27the+poisonwood+bible%27Has anyone reads this? I've had it recommended to me by a few people, but I'm struggling to persevere after a few chapters, and thinking of bailing before I commit and have to stick it out to reach the chains.Yes, I really liked it and have recommended it to others. The first Kingsolver I read ('Pigs in Heaven' I think) was reluctantly picked up in a hotel lobby when I'd run out of holiday reading. I was probably a bit sceptical, but she's a good, thoughtful writer. I thought 'The Poisonwood Bible' had quite a strong, compelling narrative ... I'd say it gets quite gripping really, I wanted to know what would happen to the characters.
Cowardice, A Brief History – Chris WalshNot just a history of Cowardice but a look at what Cowardice actually is and how perspectives have changed over the course of the last century.
Quote from: DaveC on July 09, 2015, 01:52:12 pmCowardice, A Brief History Chris WalshNot just a history of Cowardice but a look at what Cowardice actually is and how perspectives have changed over the course of the last century. Might be interesting to read this against 'Fear: A Cultural History' by Joanna Bourke, though fear and cowardice are not the same thing. Bourke has also written histories of pain, rape and killing (I'm sure she's an absolute hoot at parties). I haven't read any of her books but her papers can be very good.
Cowardice, A Brief History Chris WalshNot just a history of Cowardice but a look at what Cowardice actually is and how perspectives have changed over the course of the last century.
Uncommon Carriers – John McPheeJohn McPhee is one of my favourite writers about America and this is a fine example of his work. Made up of a series of long essays about different aspects of the freight transport industry in the U.S. He writes about experiences travelling by road, river and rail but throws in a chapter on the college in France where captains go to learn how to really control the huge tankers and container ships they are in charge of and another on his re-enacting Thoreau’s wanderings on the waterways of his native Massachussetts in the 19th century. It is a fabulous book and close to being my favourite read of the year so far.
Quote from: DaveC on July 09, 2015, 01:52:12 pmUncommon Carriers – John McPheeJohn McPhee is one of my favourite writers about America and this is a fine example of his work. Made up of a series of long essays about different aspects of the freight transport industry in the U.S. He writes about experiences travelling by road, river and rail but throws in a chapter on the college in France where captains go to learn how to really control the huge tankers and container ships they are in charge of and another on his re-enacting Thoreau’s wanderings on the waterways of his native Massachussetts in the 19th century. It is a fabulous book and close to being my favourite read of the year so far.This looks particularly interesting.