Books 2nd Edition, Foreword by m0r1arty Options

[Sir_Robin_the_br...]

What about Puck addressing the audience at the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Ah, the breaking of the fourth wall. Good one.

I can't remember anything about A Midsummer Night's Dream as I only studied it once during GCSE English. It's a comedy isn't it?

[Chapman Baxter]

It's a comedy isn't it?

You can tell it's a comedy because everyone ends up married at the end. I think the 'Pyramus and Thisbe' performance is the funniest scene Shakespeare wrote.

[maian]

I never studied Midsummer Night's Dream at school but I know the plot because both Gargoyles and Sandman used it as a basis for story arcs. Stealth Shakespeare always worked better for me than actually being taught it.

[curtinparloe]

The Stainless Steel Rat

Ticking off another sci-fi classic, I finally got around to reading this after picking up a second hand copy late last year.  Very well written, with good characterisation, but the plotting seems a little rushed at the end.

I've heard a lot of fans of the series say they want to see a film of it, but I'm wondering how they would do that given the lead character changes his appearance completely during the course of the book (not just facial features, but build and posture as well).

Given how the book seems to be set up for a series, I'm surprised it took Harrison the best part of a decade to turn out the sequel, but it's something I now intend to track down.

I really rate Harrison, I need to find some I haven't read. Incidentally, someone has picked up the rights for a movie adaptation of all the Rat books (dunno who).

This post has been edited by curtinparloe: Jan 11 2008, 01:37 PM

[widowspider]

You can tell it's a comedy because everyone ends up married at the end. I think the 'Pyramus and Thisbe' performance is the funniest scene Shakespeare wrote.

I would agree, it's a wonderful scene. I'd also recommend the famous sleepwalking scene in Macbeth (Lady M doing her 'out, damn spot!' bit) and the scene where Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo. Also the three witches for sheer theatrical-ness.

[Julie]

I'm now starting on Girlfriend In A Coma by Douglas Coupland since I borrowed it from my sister absolutely ages ago and should probably actually read it at some point.

I'm rereading Microserfs right now. God I love his books.

[maian]

I've become properly addicted to Girlfriend In A Coma now. I'm going to have to try very hard not to stay up for hours reading it since I've got to be up (relatively) early in the morning. It's fun spotting the Smiths references sprinkled throughout the book.

This post has been edited by maian: Jan 11 2008, 11:25 PM

[maian]

I finished Girlfriend In A Coma this morning and I thought it was absolutely stunning. The last 60 pages or so really spoke to me on a personal level and, I say with no exaggeration, I feel like it may have changed my view on life. Not many books do that but it really spoke to me and I've been mulling it over for a good couple of hours now. A beautiful metaphysical comedy that left me speechless.

I'm probably going to start on Amsterdam by Ian McEwan this afternoon.

[Sostie]

I finished Girlfriend In A Coma this morning and I thought it was absolutely stunning.

Having read nothing about it in advance, I quite liked the strange "turn" it took. Probably my favourite Coupland...I think.

[maian]

It was the same with me. Apart from a few hints from other people I had no real idea about what would happen and it came as a quite wonderful surprise to me.

[Zoe]

I like ‘Amsterdam’ an awful lot (shocking), particularly the ending. I loves a bit of satire I do.

I’m currently zipping my way through ‘Misfortune’ by Wesley Stace. It’s ever such a jolly romp. I was intrigued by its blurb. A book set in the early 19th century, about a foundling boy, raised as a girl, by the richest man in the country, in a misguided attempt to replace his dead sister and secure his family an heir, immediately appealed. Half way though I’m not disappointed, it’s lots of silly gothic fun; expressively written, well paced and full of comic grotesques.

[Julie]

I finished Girlfriend In A Coma this morning and I thought it was absolutely stunning. The last 60 pages or so really spoke to me on a personal level and, I say with no exaggeration, I feel like it may have changed my view on life. Not many books do that but it really spoke to me and I've been mulling it over for a good couple of hours now. A beautiful metaphysical comedy that left me speechless.

Coupland's books are constantly doing this to me. I've said it a number of times that it seems I've read them in the most perfect order and that each book had a particular resonance for whatever stage of life I found myself in when I read it.

Basically, I heart Coupland.

[Raven]

I'll have to give the copy of JPod I recently purchased a try.

[Julie]

I'll have to give the copy of JPod I recently purchased a try.

Have you read Microserfs already?

[Raven]

No, I've not read any of his books.